A Rattling Monster

Now I can see them, all standing behind the walls and some table reversed to provide them shields. Sometimes, they exchange some eye contacts and do some gestures, the signification of those gestures being whether or not they climb the stairs. Some are doing the universal sign of negation, meaning shaking his head from left to right and doing the same gesture with his hand. Other are just waiting for the decision of the group and the entire troop is stuck. But now, they are wavering with their concentration and looking everywhere but the stairs. That means I can't sneak near them. Or I still can.

Another use of [Nightfall] forms a small taint of shadows inside the stairs. All the previous relaxation and lack of concentration are gone. They are also raising their torches, trying to pierce through the darkness. But my spell is powerful enough to make look a paladin light just dim, so the natural light of the torches is useless. One has the wonderful idea to throw his torch inside my spell. Well, except the fact that yes it goes through, and no it isn't visible anymore, that action was useless. One of the magicians is even facepalming himself, in front of such stupidity. The bandit was not totally wrong, but his action is warning whatever enemy is behind my spell.

Not that it really matters since I am behind them, but it was still not the smartest move in the world. Especially since everyone is looking at the bandit in the front or the wall of shadows. I discreetly come close to the first magician. I can see around him the strange particles, meaning that his magic shield is active. But it still let organic things walk in, like me. Maybe only magic is prevented, and for example bolts or arrows could go through. I will need to test that in the future. How, well, I can probably create some skeleton archers, I mean I have created a skeleton of a spider and some great skeletons warriors, why not create something designed to be an archer? Maybe they are already capable of doing this, I really need to to be sure about that.

Once I am finally close enough, I activate my [Create Acid] on him and put my hands in front of his mouth. I can feel my claws falling inside his body, his teeth melting and the rest following their fate. The sudden extra weight that falls on me get quickly disintegrated, without too much of a sound. The magicians were both pretty far in the back, and the second is probably a little deaf for not hearing this. I quietly drop the lower body of my victim on the ground and approach the next. The same method worked again. From the fifteen opponents, the two most dangerous are already dead.

Knowing that nothing can stop me and since I have enough mana to activate my aura for more than thirty seconds, I just run at every single human still standing. The first criminal didn't even have the chance to react. But while the others can, their futile efforts are useless. No bolts are capable of reaching me, and I am a lot quicker than them. The last survivor died in the dark because all the torches were already gone. That all thing only took me eight seconds. Now, it is time for the chief. Where is the basement?

(You see the half melted table there, yes that one. You go there, turn right, destroy two doors and the stairs leading to the basement will be in front of you. Inside, there will be three doors leading in three directions. Left is the armory, right is the treasury and in front is the master bedroom.)

Anything shiny that you want? Another dark gem?

(Very funny, we are all very amused. You can just leave it, but the problem will be how you will transport those weapons out of here.)

First, the final human living, after we will think of a solution. I arrive at the first door and since I don't have the key, I am forced to activate my aura. For the second too and the third inside the basement as well. After tearing down the door leading to the basement, I begin to hear some screams and a rough breath. I guess they are still doing it. I enter the room and see three humans on the bed. One woman is lying in front of the muscular and quite giant man, who is in the same time kissing the remaining woman. The fact that I arrive without a sound allows me to just stand inside the room undetected for a few seconds. But in the end, one of the slaves notice me and scream.

-Why are you screaming for?

SLAP

-That will make you learn more; I still have some hours before I have to deliver you to my clients. After that, I will have one more round with that big boobs and fiery woman, hahaha. Oy! Why are you pointing in front of you? There…

He finally notices me, great god. He is completely naked in front of me, his weapons are still outside of the bed and the moment he moves, I will gladly throw an orb of acid. But since he is the chief of a gang, I am sure that he knows more about Atria than anyone else.

-Ssspeak what you know wo-worm. Explain to me the sssituation of At-Atria, sleek sleek.

-Hahaha, explain what assassin. You have come to kill me right, who send you? Joe, Dareen or that old and blind crow called Shadow? And why are you stuttering like that, ssspeak, who speak like that?

Initially, I only found you repulsive and lustful. Now I find you really hard to maintain alive.

-Who are your cl-clients?

-HAHAHA. So it was Shadow, he finally decides to make a move. Never expected him to try to kill me, you should have begged for mercy the first time you saw me. Now, my boys will gladly enjoy cutting you in little pieces. BOYS! BOYS! BOYS?

So he probably doesn't know what really happen outside. Well, unfortunately for you, no one will ever respond to you again.

-No one will sssave you.

-What did you do? Did you drug them? Why is no one answering?

-I didn't drug th-them like you sssaid, sleek sleek. I killed them all!

-That's impossible, we are more than fifty inside this house. Even the guards are not messing with us, not messing with me Oktar. But so be it, I guess it couldn't have been helped. I will show you why no one ever tried to assassinate Oktar the Barbarian.

And when he said those words, he finally moved. I was getting bored, honestly, I find him a little arrogant. Saying such boastful words when an assassin has breached inside your bedroom. I throw an acid orb at him, dealing with both him and the two woman. But as I walk back, Oslo warn me of something.

(He is still alive; you know?)

WHAT? HOW? I immediately turn toward the location of the acid orb, only to see the naked body of Oktar glowing. It looks like there is a small shield on his skin, preventing the acid to enter in contact with it. After seeing this, the mad barbarian is laughing.

-Hahaha, the mark of those shamans was really something. I will never doubt those spirits again. So what now assassin? What now that your attack is canceled and my body is invulnerable?

Oh, so he got a mark from his shamans, and that mark was activated and protect him like the magic shield. This world is truly fascinating; such a thing could be done. As for living criminal, well I launch countless orb at him. After doing this for the thirteen times, the glowing shield was broken and he died. But now, I have less than 100 MP. The good thing is, apparently they are famous, so no one will really investigate this house for a moment. The entire bedroom is now filled with holes, everything hidden inside is probably destroyed.

I walk back toward the door leading to the armory and begin to search for anything that could be used by skeletons. I found some great leather armors, covering someone from the toes to the head. That way, their condition of undead will not be exposed. I find some helmets to hide their faces, complete helmets, not like those of the guards where the face was visible. A huge stack of sword, spears, and crossbows are laying inside the room. The problem when I think about my archer skeletons is the lack of bags. I mean, they have to carry their bolts with something so the idea has to be forgotten. And they will probably evolve quickly enough to learn magic and in that way, I will still have some ranged attacks.

I use the rest of the night to silently transport thirty sets of armors outside of the house. I do it again for the same number of swords and shields. After that, I dig up my two buried skeletons and equip them. After some small changes, they look really human and can probably walk in the middle of the day inside the slums without a problem. I verify the sounds of their voices once again, to be sure. Noticing nothing out of the ordinary, I let them loose inside Atria, I just hope they won't die the first day.