Saintess Summons Skeletons

Sofia woke up to Pareth drying her tears with a handkerchief. The others asked if she was alright.

“I’m… I’ll be alright. We should get going.”

Not wanting to go over what she had just gone through, Sofia pushed the others to quickly enter the next room, though she mentally thanked Pareth as she did.

The next room had another closed door, but no pedestal, nor anything else, really. Just an empty room with a door. Once everyone was inside, the group heard footsteps from beyond the door. They were coming closer.

In an instant, everyone got ready for battle.

An undead? Sofia wondered, feeling the runes from [Runeforged Overlord] covering her body react a little.

The door slowly opened, revealing the creature standing behind: a dried-looking blue-skinned zombie with short horns and a strange black light in his eyes. He wore clean gray robes inscribed with black line runic patterns, and was carrying a lit oil lantern.

[Guardian of Sorrows - Level unclear]

Unclear? It’s an Exidian zombie? Has he been waiting in here for thousands of years?

The zombie stopped, not crossing the door, his head slowly turned, as if scanning the group.

“Do both children wish to contend?” the zombie said in a cold and monotone voice carried by mana, speaking in a fluent common language.

Maybe he hasn’t actually been waiting here, then?

“I already have the locket and intend to let this sibling have a keepsake of her own,” Ihuarah answered the guardian.

Are divine artifacts called keepsakes? Maybe just for Sorrow? It’s quite fitting.

“Very well. Step forward, daughter of Sorrow,” the zombie ordered.

Sofia felt a bit tense, but she had a rune up in case of surprises, so she could afford to take risks. Taking a few steps, she walked in front of the group, stopping just two meters in front of the blue zombie.

“What is your name?” the zombie asked.

There were a few possible answers but Sofia said what the zombie most likely wanted to hear, “Vakariazrehafin of Sorrow.”

“Welcome to the palace of Sorrow, Vakariazrehafin. A test of your might awaits beyond,” the Zombie announced, before he looked past her to address the others, “Those who wish to participate may enter the other doors,” the zombie explained, as six more doors appeared on the room’s walls out of nowhere.

“What’s beyond these doors?” Everelle asked nonchalantly.

The zombie took no offense and simply answered, “You will face a test of your own, and get a singular opportunity to help or hinder Vakariazrehafin through her trials. Rewards await the worthy.”

“Alright, I’m game,” Everelle said, walking to stand next to the closest door. Ihuarah had not needed the explanation and was already in place in front of another one, but Pareth, Bookie and Cinthia were still hesitating, albeit for different reasons.

“I suppose my skeletons cannot come with me?” Sofia asked the zombie, feeling Bookie’s uneasiness at the simple thought of being separated.

“Only the hollow grief may follow you through the main door as a fighter,” the zombie explained, referring to the undead Sofia could summon by cutting off her demon tail, “anyone else entering through the main door may only spectate. Their abilities will be sealed.”

“Understood,” Sofia answered. She summoned Bookie’s book form and walked up to him, giving him a skull pat, “Here, keep it so you can use your transformations. But if you don’t want to go alone, just come with me, it’s fine even if you’re not able to help.”

“I-... I’ll go. I want to help!” Bookie decided after giving a look at Pareth, who was already waiting near one of the doors; he grabbed his book form and walked up to a door of his own.

“You and Pareth can always just return to me if it’s too much, you won’t be able to help, then, but I don’t really mind,” Sofia told Bookie as he walked away.

“I can do this!” Bookie psyched himself up as he stopped in front of the closed door, hugging his book form.

Cinthia was the last to make her decision, her eyes going from left to right as she read her chat. She did not look extremely confident, but eventually sighed and walked up to the fifth door.

“Everyone has decided to participate. You may now enter,” the zombie declared as the doors all opened on their own, “Vakarizrehafin of Sorrow, follow me.”

The zombie turned around and started walking back the way he came. “Good luck everyone! Thanks for helping!” Sofia shouted for the others as they entered their respective doors.

“Thank you!” Cinthia’s already distant voice answered, followed by Everelle who shouted even louder, “I’m only doing this for fun!”

The doors closed.

As she walked behind the zombie in the corridor leading to another room, Sofia sent a last thought message to Pareth and Bookie.

We’re never truly separated, remember that. I’m always with you. Good luck, skeletons. Love you.

With that being said, Sofia started channeling another unlife rune on her body as she followed the Guardian.

A test of my might…

“Is our strength appropriate for the trial?” Sofia asked the zombie. After all, if it was at a level where she was expected to contend with monsters like the three giants of the outside, there was no point to even try to do the trial without cheating in some way.

“Only the unworthy will fall, regardless of their strength,” the zombie answered without turning back.

I’ll take this as a yes…

“How long have you been here?”

“Such details do not matter. Focus on the task ahead. The palace follows its own rules. Explore, adapt, overcome, and the Keepsake will be yours. May the merciful mother’s grace be with you,” the zombie said, his form fading into nothingness as he reached the ornate double doors at the end of the corridor.

The carvings on the heavy stone doors represented someone eating a bleeding heart.

“I’m all alone again.”

Health : 822 762 / 822 762

Stamina : 204 212 / 204 336

Mana : 5 022 238 / 5 022 238

“Looking good. Everything’s ready, two unlife runes up… Let’s get the saint set out, while I’m at it. And since there’s no one else around anymore, I can let the Lumian light flow again.”

As a last preparation, Sofia summoned a shadow sprite, “Because Bookie had to go on his own, you’ll be my scout for today.”

After taking a deep breath, Sofia opened the doors, the space around her becoming dark.

Sofia was immediately faced with a huge room that looked like it was taken straight from the interior of the holy-see, but if it had been built with dark brown bricks and black stone instead of white marble. Tall lit candelabras were everywhere, providing light to the unnaturally dark chamber, flooding the place with the strong permeating scent of melting wax. Walls were covered in religious texts and carvings in Sorrow’s honor, and the middle of the room was occupied by a giant golden statue on an imposing square platform. The statue was that of a kneeling woman wearing ample robes. She held her head in her hands, both of which were mostly obscured by the place’s strange darkness which was stronger near the ceiling, dozens of meters above.

After taking a few seconds to appreciate the sculpture, Sofia’s attention went back to the engravings on the walls, which reminded her of something she would have rather not been reminded of.

I wonder if scripture is looking at me through these religious texts right now. Get a good look at me getting stronger, you stinking pile of shit. This is what you’ve done.

Even the ceiling was covered in details and paintings, but the darkness made it impossible to properly appreciate.

Lastly, tens of zombies in gray robes were standing silently in front of the statue, their back facing Sofia. Each of them held a candle-holder with a lit candle. Identifying them returned nothing. They looked to be of various shapes and sizes, with some Exidians, Dwarves and Elves in the mix, but mostly humans.

Although the zombies were silent, muted chants reached Sofia’s ears from further away.

As the zombies weren’t reacting to Sofia for the moment, she took the time to observe the room some more.

My light isn’t spreading at all, and my dark vision isn’t seeing shit. I’ll have to rely on those candles for light…

My mana senses… Work well anywhere there is light?

Sofia was standing in darkness at the moment, as there were no lit candles near the door. Her mana senses started from inside her, then stopped at the surface of her armor, and started again a few meters further, where there was light. It felt really strange, almost like having a big hole in one’s vision.

The zombies all had quite a bit of mana, maybe around two hundred thousands each, in Sofia’s estimations.

They can’t be too high level with only that much. They also don’t seem to have noticed me for now. Perhaps they are not even hostile?

Do I need to sneak around or kill everything in my way? How should I even start?

Let’s not start any fights for now.

Checking on her link with Pareth and Bookie, Sofia felt that Pareth was moving quickly.

It looks like someone’s already fighting.