Chapter 6 – The Revenant’s Awakening
Aurelius stood in the ruins of the battlefield, his undead army surrounding him in eerie silence. The newly risen Revenant stood apart from the rest, its glowing blue eyes locked onto him, awaiting command. Unlike the mindless ghouls and skeletons he had summoned before, this one felt... different.
It moved with purpose.
It wasn't just a reanimated corpse—it was something stronger, faster, and smarter.
Aurelius narrowed his eyes. If this was the potential of fusing a soul into an undead, then he was just scratching the surface of his necromantic power.
He raised his hand and summoned his Status Screen to analyze the Revenant.
---
[Undead Status]
Name: [Unnamed Revenant]
Tier: 1.5 (Elite Undead)
Strength: 30
Agility: 22
Intelligence: 18
Abilities:
Enhanced Reflexes – Reacts faster than regular undead.
Soulbound Weapon – Can use weapons with retained skill.
Lesser Self-Healing – Regenerates minor wounds over time.
---
Aurelius smirked. This was a step closer to Tier 2 undead. If he could refine his control and increase the quality of the souls he harvested, he might be able to create an army of these creatures.
But first, he needed to experiment further.
He turned to one of the remaining bandit corpses lying on the ground. His first attempt had worked, but was that a fluke, or was there a method behind it?
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Raising his hand, he channeled necrotic energy into the corpse, the same way he had done before.
Dark mist swirled around the body, pulling at the lingering essence within. The corpse twitched. Then twitched again.
Then—
It exploded into dust.
Aurelius frowned. That wasn’t supposed to happen.
He reviewed his earlier success. The first Revenant had been a bandit leader—stronger, more experienced. But the second one? Just a weak grunt.
Conclusion: Only strong souls could handle the transformation.
That meant he needed better prey.
No more bandits.
No more small fights.
If he wanted to truly push his necromancy forward, he needed warriors—real killers with battle-hardened souls.
---
A New Target – The Silverfang Mercenaries
Aurelius knelt beside the corpses and rummaged through their belongings. Most of the gear was useless junk, but one item caught his attention—a map.
Unrolling the parchment, he saw a rough layout of the surrounding regions: villages, roads, strongholds… and enemy factions.
A particular name stood out.
"Silverfang Outpost" – 20 miles west
Aurelius narrowed his eyes.
He had heard whispers about them. The Silverfang Mercenaries were infamous in these parts—ruthless, well-equipped bounty hunters. They were known for taking contracts on dangerous individuals, tracking them down, and eliminating them with brutal efficiency.
If there was any group worth killing for stronger souls, it was them.
A slow smile spread across his lips.
"Perfect."
---
The March to War
Aurelius turned to his growing undead army. The latest battle had increased his strength, and with every kill, he refined his abilities.
He mentally checked his Undead Control Limit.
---
[Undead Army]
Revenant (1)
Grave Guardians (2)
Ghouls (3)
Skeleton Warriors (6)
---
He was nearing his limit, but the quality of his undead had improved significantly.
"Time to move," he muttered, turning toward the western road.
The undead followed in silent, unrelenting obedience.
For hours, they marched through the dense forest, avoiding unnecessary fights. The moon rose high into the sky, casting an eerie glow over their path.
And then, in the distance—
The Silverfang Outpost came into view.
A fortress of wooden walls and sharp stakes, manned by skilled warriors. Aurelius counted eight guards patrolling the walls from the shadows of the trees.
Through gaps in the barricades, he spotted at least fifteen more inside.
This wouldn’t be a simple ambush.
This would be war.
---
Scouting the Enemy
Aurelius crouched low, his keen eyes observing the patrolling guards. Unlike the sloppy bandits he had fought earlier, these mercenaries were disciplined.
Each guard carried well-maintained weapons and armor. The ones on the walls had crossbows, while the warriors below carried longswords, axes, and spears.
He studied their movements carefully. The patrols rotated every seven minutes. There was a small gap in their defense during the shift change.
That was his opening.
He turned to his Revenant. "You're going first."
The undead warrior nodded—an actual, conscious response. That confirmed it. Unlike his other summons, the Revenant retained some intelligence from its past life.
Aurelius grinned.
He might be outnumbered, but numbers didn’t matter when the dead refused to stay down.
He checked his Status Screen one last time.
---
[Status]
Name: Aurelius Vorn
Level: 7
EXP: 27 / 250
Health: 180/180
Mana: 160/180
Strength: 28
Intelligence: 38
Charisma: 16
Necromancy Proficiency: 80%
Undead Control: 90% (Max Limit: 14 undead)
Undead Tier Available: Tier 1 (Skeletons, Zombies, Ghouls, Grave Guardians)
---
He was still too weak to summon Tier 2 undead.
But that would change soon.
Aurelius cracked his knuckles, his necrotic energy pulsating in his veins. He wasn’t going to charge in recklessly—this was a battle he needed to strategize.
First, the Revenant and Ghouls would silently eliminate the outer sentries.
Next, the Grave Guardians would crush the front gate and draw attention.
Then, he would walk inside and slaughter the remaining mercenaries.
Every Silverfang warrior that fell would become part of his army.
The undead at his command were strong, but they weren’t enough. Not yet.
By the end of this night, that would change.
Aurelius stepped forward and raised his hand, issuing his first silent order.
The attack had begun.
