The First Lich Lord

Chapter 97

I summoned the snake I left behind to me, and had it guard the stairs. With my growing horde in tow, we cleared the next floor down. This one was also occupied by rats that were a little stronger, but nothing too difficult. I created another undead eldritch rat ogre, this one a little stronger.

We continued the process of clearing another three floors before the creatures we were facing grew in strength enough that things became a struggle. As we went, we added each floor to my lair , and though I wasnt exactly sure what the benefit was, if Damien was right and I could turn it into a dungeon, that would be a great boon.

The floor we were currently on was another housing floor with large rooms and even a kind of indoor gardenof course it was all dried up and dead now. There were obvious flowerbeds and a crystal mounted in the ceiling that mustve provided a kind of artificial sunlight. The floor was occupied by large lizards each the size of a horse with a mouth full of needle-sharp teeth. They lacked eyes and hunted by sound and smell.

We were currently embroiled with four of the monsters, all in the high sixties for levels. I had my rat ogres double teaming one, as even with the added strength of the eldritch magic in them, they were no match for the blood skinks. However, my two new centipede minions were more of a match.

The floor after the second rat floor had been occupied by only two of the creatures, each at least twenty meters long. Even though they had gone down fairly easy, they were still nasty. Their powerful jaws released nasty acid-based poisons, and my rat ogres were strong enough to hold them at bay long enough for me to ram Mercy deep down their gullets, which resulted in quick deaths as their insides were rotted.

The minion I created from them was equally horrifying. It was an undead centipede type that resulted when I merged the two bodies. Working with insects is difficult for necromancers. Truly anything with an exoskeleton is difficult. Id treated the exoskeleton like bones and completely did away with all of the flesh, resulting in a highly armored centipede made out of pure chitin that could breathe eldritch fire. That last part had been rather surprising on the next floor. It was currently trying to wrap itself around the skinks, its sharp legs digging into the lizards flesh.

Chitinous Eldritch Crawler

Level: 63

An unholy creation made from the desiccated corpses of creatures covered in chitin, this monster was created by a Lich and infused with their eldritch magic.

The other new minion had come from the following floor, opening into a large open space that had also been some kind of garden. The stairs leading down had been far longer, allowing space for the long dead trees there that had clearly once grown there.

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Another species of bat prowled that space that was far larger than the others. Each of their bodies were bigger than Raven. I still had my smaller bats for that fight, which distracted the fewer larger bats long enough for Raven and me to bring them down with well-placed magical attacks. Once they were on the ground, the ogres and bone centipede tore them apart.

That minion resulted in a massive bat as large as the ogres, with razor-sharp claws on tiny legs, and huge midnight black wings. I poured death energy into this creature and the results showed. It pounded the skinks with bony talons at the end of each wing, clinging to its back, its vicious claws holding it in place.

Volans Death Wing

Level: 68

Volans Death Wings are vicious aerial predators of death biomes. They attack swiftly and silently from the air leaving their prey devastated in their wake. All who wander open areas in the death biomes best keep one eye glued on the sky watching for these swift and silent beasts.

The final skink we were fighting was engaging Raven. She was far faster than it and managed to climb up onto its back. There she clung, stabbing over and over with her daggers, leaving behind wounds infested with poison.

I joined Raven in her fight. I couldve stayed back and cast magic that wouldve enhanced my growing group of minions, but I saw no need.

I left a series of deep wounds in its side as it turned its head trying to grab at Raven. It shrieked in pain and leapt back, but the damage had been done.

There was a sound of rustling and suddenly a larger skink burst into the room out of a door at the far end. It was at least fifty percent bigger than the others, and wisps of red magic swirled around its eyes. I charged past Raven, knowing that the battle was nearly over with that one.

Reshaping Mercy into a heavy spear tip, I threw it with all my strength at the new foe. My blade punched into its shoulder even as it charged at me. The blow did not slow it, and soon that gaping maw was trying to engulf me. I pointed my hand, which was practically inside the lizards mouth, and released a bolt of lightning. The creature spasmed just as I dove to the side, barely avoiding being crushed. The creature was unable to catch itself and tumbled to the side.

I reached my hand out to Mercy and summoned it back to me. The creatures hide was tough, but Mercys blade was far sharper. Trying a new skill Id been developing with Mercy, I didnt bring it directly to my hand, instead I raised it in the air above the creature as I reshaped the tip. The ability to control Mercy at a distance had incredible potential if I could master it.

The massive lizard tried to move its bulk out of the way, but it was too slow. Mercy punctured its chest, easily sliding between the ribs. I decided to build a spell as the creature scrambled back to its feet, Mercy still lodged in its chest delivering lethal poison deep within its body.

As magic surrounded me, its eyes locked on mine. I saw hatred, and even understanding that its life was about to end. As if in defiance, it opened its mouth and a torrent of bloodred magic poured out like fire. The magical attack hammered into my force barrier even as I finished my own spell and counterattacked.

Death magic washed into the blood magic just as my force barrier broke. The death magic ate away at the blood magic at a rapid rate.

Unfortunately, the lizards attack wasnt pure blood magic, there was something else laced into it that pushed back against my death magic. It took me a while to recognize what it wascorruption. Not a direct counter to death, but still a very potent magic. There was a brief struggle of wills, and eventually something gave. Either the poison weakened it to the point that it lacked strength, or I simply overpowered it. But my death magic consumed its attack and flooded down the lizards mouth, guaranteeing its death.

The rest of the skinks Id been fighting died quickly, and by the time it was done and I looked around, the other fights were wrapping up as well. Raven had moved to support the ogres, and my other two minions had won their fights. This floor was quite large, with multiple open areas, I had no doubt there would be many more of these lizards. I smiled as magic swirled around me.

Soon, every one of the skinks was once again moving around, but this time as zombies under my control. Finally, the bodies of the creatures we were fighting were powerful enough that I didnt have to combine them together to create useful minions.

The rest of that floor went fairly smooth with increasing numbers under my command. The final boss was a level 75 skink that was twice as big as the one before. That mattered little, because it was dog piled by ten zombie skinks along with my other minions.

Though I lost zombies as the big lizard tore them apart like they were nothing, I had too many for him to deal with. The fight was brutal, but soon the large lizard boss was rising once again as an undead minion, more powerful than ever.

I think we should wait here for Maxwell, Raven said after the fight was over.

I was thinking something similar, I agreed. These are finally getting to the point that these fights are giving us real experience, so we could use his help.

I gave mental orders to the zombies to guard the main staircase we found leading down to the next floor.

Zeke, look over here, Raven said from the far side of the room. She pushed open a door and daylight streamed through it.

Confused about how that was possible, Raven moved over and I followed her through the door, we both stood in stunned silence.

We were on a balcony looking out over what was clearly a harbor. Several floors below us was a circular harbor with several stone piers reaching out to the water.

Moving to the edge of the balcony, I did my best to take it all in. The water of the harbor gently circulated, the currents swirling from this perspective. Most of the harbor was under the ziggurat, perhaps about half of the footprint of the ziggurat was this harbor.

Stone pillars rose up from the ground floor at either end of the harbor to support the ceiling where the ziggurats top floors rested. The water was connected to the ocean through a large section that had been built to allow this harbors existence.

Other balconies came out from different floors looking out over the harbor. Well, this is unexpected.

How did I miss this when I was out exploring? Raven asked.

My guess is theres some magic involved, I said. We saw no indication of this. I wouldve thought that any kind of illusion magic hiding this place would have faded, but evidently not. Shapes moved along the edge of the harbor, humanoid in nature, but from their disorganized movement I doubted they were truly humans or any sentient race.

How my floors up do you think we are? Raven asked.

I did a quick count of the balconies I could see on each layer. Ten or less. It seemed wasteful for them to have built the ceiling of the harbor so high, but it was a spectacular sight. Whoever was the original constructor of the ziggurat had to be quite proud of this set up.

I claimed the floor we just cleared, further expanding my lair. I was beginning to like this place, and hoped I would be able to make it my home for a while. Even if it got overrun by a bunch of pesky priests. Maybe I could use the harbor and my free labor force to build myself a ship and sail out of here.