Chapter 356: Undead Shambling Through the Streets

Very long author's note: Many might notice this is the same content as you read last week (the last three chapters). I decided to revamp the previous three chapters due to reader feedback, which blew them up into six chapters (which results in me uploading 4, 5, and 6 of the six revamped chapters as "new chapters" and using the three outdated chapters as placeholders for 1, 2, and 3). I know, it's complicated. Long story short I can't delete chapters I've already uploaded.

For more information, there's a changelist at the top of chapter: "The Informant". "The Informant" is the first of the six revamped chapters if you want to reread/skim in order. If you don't see it, LET ME KNOW!!!

If you don't feel like rereading, know that nothing "significant" changed story-wise,  so you don't worry about missing anything, other than a story told much better. If you're confused by this wall of text, leave a comment and I'll do my best to answer any questions you have. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Last thing: If you're reading this on a pirated site and you have no idea what's going on, just read on Webnovel. You get updates like this and your morales. Win-win. Now back to the story...

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Doevm inhaled the cold, stagnant air trapped within Draken Capital, and walked down one of many widened streets, taking in for the last time sights of extravagant homes surrounded by iron fences supporting green ivy. The city's famed light crystal, now wrapped in thick chains in addition to the skeletal arm's grasp, casted long shadows in front of the busy populace. Most limped along on bandaged limbs as  constant reminders of the attack's aftermath but at the same time such a shared sense of pain brought out a shared sense of community.

A month ago people would step out of each other's way and hold tight to their belongings, even more so when passing a group of armored guards. Now the people nodded and greeted one another, albeit with an ounce of hesitancy from breaking old habits. Guards turned their stares away from what they imagined to be resistance members and instead moved to tear down wanted posters they had plastered over people's doors. Doevm's group shambled through the city, and thoughts of the Resistance became the last thing on their minds.

Doevm's flushed face took the front while Frey, Elero, and Thomas made a show of shambling and groaning like Undead behind him, payback. "Would you guys quit it already? You're going to get us arrested."

"I apologize, my dark master," Elero groaned. "I am but a humble zombie, and I only am good for consuming the flesh of the enemy, who lies somewhere within Vilbar! I am a mindless monster."

"Undead aren't like lowly monsters," Doevm muttered under his breath.

"I am a mighty Guriant made of stone from the world's tallest mountains!" Frey screamed out to the nervous populace. "If not for Doevm's unholy power pumping through my veins I would be a pebble blindly tumbling down a stream. Vilbarians must be wary of my wrath."

Thomas groaned like them, but for a different reason. He pulled a cloak tighter over his face and walked at the very back. "Guys, please stop," he whimpered. "This is more punishment to me than it is Doevm. They're all looking at us." He pointed to a nearby building, a colosseum.

The black stone colosseum, the mighty picture of knightly proportion, had dozens of small, demi-human faces peering out of it and a squadron of human scowling guards keeping a tight watch along the perimeter. "Everyone from the Underground come get your food and water and shelter," an announcer bellowed at the front of a long line, wrapping around the structure, and Doevm recognized the face of Menla. "We mages can always make more if you need it, free of charge!" She spotted Doevm's group, made eye-contact with Doevm, then returned to her duties without a word.

'Lance must have told Menla about the change in policy beforehand, or this wouldn't have been possible,' Doevm thought before moving on for another few minutes of perpetual embarrassment.

Frey and Elero eventually stopped their act when a guard, accompanied by a tear-faced child and an angry mother, threatened to fine them for disturbing the peace. That did not stop the two, however, from occasionally whispering more nonsense into Doevm's ear.  He took solace in the fact that the townsfolk would likely forget their little charade by the end of the day. They couldn't have found the carriage sooner.

The horse-drawn carriage was exactly where Lance said it would be - around a small group of brown-robed demi-humans. Doevm almost walked by them, having been looking for suits instead of student attire. Arms of different colors and lengths waved, some of which belonged to humans. Others were disproportionate and pale in complexion, a result of the instructors' novice dark magic.

Thomas adjusted his mask and kept his head down. Elero strode forth with her head held high.

"Are you smiling?" Frey asked.

"It must be your imagination," Doevm replied.

"Thank you so much!" one cried, followed by others.

"I owe you my life!"

"I'm going to become the strongest dark mage ever!"

"I can live like a normal human because of you!"

'I guess Olpi was busy at the academy,' Doevm thought, failing to find her within the cheering group of students. 'Or maybe I missed her at the colosseum, whatever it was they were attempting over there.' Doevm and the rest stepped into the carriage and sat down in between leather bags, stuffed to the brim with clothes and small nick nacks.

"Whose do these belong to?" Elero asked.

"Not anyone's now," Doevm shrugged.

"Actually, those are mine," the voice of the driver drifted into the carriage's cabin. "Where are you folks heading?"

'Couldn't be,' Doevm thought. He raised his head to glimpse a pointed ear through the small window separating the cabin from the driver's seat. "We need to make a stop at the Virility estate."

"Not Vilbar?" Elero asked.

"We need to make a pit stop for some things first," Doevm explained. "Just go straight out of the city and follow the path."

"As you wish, Cerlius," the whip prompted the horses towards the city's exit. The group of students, the houses, and eventually the light crystal in the mountain's inner peak, faded.

"I hate all of you, so much," Doevm said after bit. "I'm going to remember this."

"Master is going to punish us for our transgressions," Elero groaned to Frey, who nodded vigorously.

"Did you guys see the colosseum?" Thomas asked in a hurried attempt to change the subject. "What do you guys think the demi-humans are doing in there?"

"Beats me," Frey groaned. "All I saw was food in a place they could not escape!" He coughed and cleared his throat. "Ok I've had enough of that zombie voice. It's killing my throat."

"I heard why they were in the colosseum," the driver said without turning to face them. "The demi-humans are going to be used as labor for rebuilding everything that was destroyed, to keep them off the streets. They're getting paid in food, water, shelter, and gold to boot."

"You're certainly informed," Doevm said with a raised eyebrow. 'I knew it.'