83 Necropolis

While flying I continuously absorbed the remains of the undead I had gathered. Gradually, I started to get more insights into the principles of death. And with that, I got a very strong feeling where all this was coming from.

Towards the center of the plane, a pulse of death spread like ripples from a stone dropped into a calm lake. For those who didn't have a connection to death, it would be nothing but a slight waft of putrid air. But to the undead, every pulse contained a message. If I found the source of this pulse I would surely discover why this whole undead stampede happened in the first place.

I advanced towards the source at full speed only to be stopped in my tracks by a horrifying presence.

Before me lay a giant city or more accurately it was the ruin of a city. It was built with the reddish-brown stone that could be found almost everywhere in this place. And encircling this ruin was an enormous, gargantuan snake.

The snake spanned around the ruin multiple times and gave off the unmistakable aura of a divine beast. Its long body was covered in dark-green scales that contrasted with the reddish surrounding.

I had been hoping to leave unnoticed and reevaluate the situation but as I slowly flew back a little the slithering goliath moved. Its head rose from the ground and its pitch-black eyes locked onto me. An angry, hoarse voice boomed across the plane.

"Why have you come to the Necropolis, mortal? This is the land of the dead, the living shouldn't tread here."

'Technically, I am flying.'

"Spare me your attitude. State your purpose or I will devour you!"

As if to emphasize the threat, the snake opened its mouth, displaying the razor-sharp teeth dripping with venom and the vastness of its gargantuan maw. Despite it being undead, this was still a divine beast and I was not its opponent.

'Undead have attempted to cross into the land of the living. The fights at the border are getting worse and a bunch of fake king magi appeared. I'm here to find the cause of all this.'

The snake's maw closed and it seemed contemplative. Its voice rang out anew but distinctly female this time. It was an attractive but sinister voice that made me shudder.

"I understand the reason for your visit but I cannot let you pass. I am a jade snake dowager and my kind keeps our promises. I promised not to let the living enter this city and I will see that promise through to the end."

'So you would let a lifeless being pass?'

"Heh, do you intend to let me kill you so you can turn undead and enter?"

The dowager sounded like she would really enjoy killing me. Thankfully, I had a better plan that didn't involve me getting murdered by a divine beast. I sent some magic into the ground and created a golem. Not as fancy as my combat golems but more than enough to find out what was happening inside.

"A golem? I guess it isn't alive so it can pass. But are you sure you don't want to go in yourself? I'd be willing to end you. Quickly! Painless!"

'You seem awfully fixated on killing me. Do you dislike me for some reason?'

"There is no such thing as me disliking you. But it has just been so long since I have ended a life. Squeezed the breath out of it... Sunk my teeth into it... Drowned it in venom... And watched it die!"

She was a crazy psychopath! The way she described the killing and the pleasure in her voice, the slaughter crazed undertone. It scared me.

Slowly, I backed away and let the golem go forth. The jade snake dowager was still entranced in her imagination of killing and I most definitely couldn't stay here. Once I had reached a certain distance I once again used my lightning domain application and got the hell out of there.

My golem in the meantime had reached the city gates and entered. The city was by all accounts a ghost city and my golem couldn't spy any undead.

Finally, the golem reached the main plaza. It was occupied by a bunch of king magi undead that were polishing their weapons. From somewhere deeper inside a voice drifted out.

"We give up on the west. Tomorrow we move east with all remaining forces."

That was just about all I needed to hear. I immediately recalled the golem and prepared to depart. However, when the golem left the city it was met with a little misfortune.