A Rattling Monster

Chapter 76: The Strange Mansion

So for my aura, I put four different stones around me, and I will try to not melt them. I activate my aura for one second, and all the stones are fine. This time, since the stones are not that big compared to my skeleton warriors, I try to put eight stones on the ground and two additional rocks on two stones. That way, I have ten different objects around me. I will now activate my aura for three seconds, and I have to keep my concentration for that period. I activate my aura and at first, it was fine. But by the time I reach the third second, one rock was melted. So if it is for a very short duration, I can control it, but the longer I activate my aura, the more difficult it is to control it. I approach the surviving rock and I can see some of his edge getting destroyed by my acid. That's highly insufficient for the moment, I can't even try to expand the size of my aura if I can't protect just a few stones.

And the cost of my spells is still important. I have now understood how [Magical Efficiency] is working. Ok, I didn't do it, I just asked the System. Something that I should have done a long time ago. At first, he just said some standard description, like reduce the cost in mana of your spells. But after discovering the small cooldown on the creation of spell, I decided to dig deeper. And I found the real reduction. For example, level 6 means a cost of only 53% of the real cost. That means, for every level, the original cost is multiplied by 0.9. So the probable cost of 600 for my [raise Undead] is turned now into 318. That's for a standard skeleton warrior. So what would be the cost if I try to make my skeleton be a magician? Maybe there is even a level requirement. As for that, even after searching for nearly ten minutes, I find nothing.

So here I am, waiting for an entire night just to create two additional skeleton warriors. But it is a good thing that I check the limit of [Nightfall]. Just a shame that I can't create another spell or even really train my aura. Just one second is already a little more than 5MP. And since I have 406MP in total, with the flat 60% increase of [Magical Restoration], I gain 65 MP each hour. So just activating for 13 seconds make my aura waste an hour. And undead servants are more important.

The sun is already high in the sky when I finally create number five. The three new skeletons are equipped with fine armors and weapons. While number one and number four still wore the damaged clothes from yesterday. I mean, I only have more than 40 sets of armor, and I don't know where I will find such quality. Because compared to the equipment the gang of Shadow was wearing, it is a lot better. I guess the passion of the leader plays a big part since Oktar was more of a fighter, he wants the best equipment. While Shadow, except running, I don't really know what he does, apparently collecting information. And this job doesn't require a fine sword and a sturdy shield.

Oslo? OSLO! Ok, so now I am a little lost. I want to kill the green hooded men, but I have no idea where they are. And I don't know who is the boss, is it Gareen or Zoe? Anyway, since I have gone to the North and Shadow was located there, and the East was the territory of Oktar, that means the South is probably my next destination. So let's go my five warriors.

The same scene of terror is repeated at each street. The already running people are scaring the others, they in return turn their eyes toward me and run away. I have noticed at least one patrol of guards that just stopped walking while I was passing in front of them. And they quickly resumed their patrol once I was out of sight. As for the spies sent by the gangs, well, I don't know where they are. I am certain they exist, but I guess they won't wear the color of their gang. So that could be that beggar who was saying he was injured at his legs but ran quicker than everyone else. Or the two drunk men that quickly recovered their spirits once they saw me. I have no idea.

And I have also no idea of where I am going. But I try to always follow the biggest pack of humans. The first time, they lead me to a church, with the doors closed when I get near. The second time, it was the gate leading to inside the city. The terrified guards around it all sighed in joy when I walked away. Provoking some angered comments about the inefficiency of the guards.

And now the third time, I am near an old mansion. Something that a noble could possess. With a garden in the courtyard, a huge door and enough space in front of the house to store the different vehicles of the visitors. Honestly, the more I look at it, the more I think this mansion is out of place. Probably the last remnant of an old town, the mayor mansion. That's what happens to a lot of little towns, especially the one close to a capital. At first, they are still far away, but as the centuries passed, the big city is creeping near the little town, until the moment the two enter in contact. As for the name of this place, it is already forgotten, just another part of the slums.

But the crowd have brought me here, so that means there is something that can protect them from me, or at least divert my attention. Whether it is the guards or the church, both are two forces that I can't provoke. As for the person in charge of this mansion, it is necessarily someone with a lot of power. But someone the scums living here are scared of. Nobody has entered the mansion. They all fled in another direction, not daring to even walk past the iron gate. As I get closer, I can see some letters above the gate, but the old age has already taken its toll. Half are missing and the others are in such a bad shape that even I with my knowledge can't form a word.

But since they have brought me here, I have to at least see what is inside. I walk toward the door and pass through the courtyard. The air is suddenly cold, a lot more. I mean, we are supposed to be in spring or summer, the seasons are weird here. Probably the effect of one of the blessings granted by Aria. Outside the mansion, the air is relatively hot, not that hot when there is a light wind, but not fresh. So to turn the very air cold, something is weird here. Is it a haunted mansion? That would make sense to lead me here, that way the ghosts inside will deal with the shadow of death.

Even if I know undead exists and that the ghosts should, I really want to know why a potentially haunted mansion still exists near the capital, especially with the presence of the Church. That unholy place should have been burned a long time ago or at least get cleansed and purified. Now that I am in front of the door, I try to open it. But I can't, I don't know if it is locked or not, but I am unable to open it. I ask number one to do it for me, and he doesn't succeed. Well, too bad, but I won't waste my mana on that thing. I decided to just keep searching for the gang.

As I walk across the paved way in the courtyard, I hear a sound, a weird sound. I watch the iron gate and find nothing unusual, then I look at the previously locked door. And of course, now it is open, inviting me inside. That is so funny, I mean, does the spirit inside think that I will suddenly walk inside such an obvious trap? Well fat chance, but I won't. I keep going and leave that cold place. Nothing prevented me from doing so, not a sudden tree falling, not the iron gate blocking my way. I can just walk away, and that's what I will do.

As I leave the mansion, I can see the crowd looking at me weirdly. When number one and two unsheathe their swords, they scatter once again. I guess I will have to look for another place. I have no idea of where I am supposed to go. So let's follow someone, you, you look like a strong and well-fed man. I guess you work for somebody, so you won't mind if I follow you.