Chapter 110: Truth

"An Alpha Warrior?" Matthias can barely contain his shock, he's sprung up behind his desk, hands slammed down on it as he leans forth with absolute disbelief.

But I'm not much better myself. Phien himself took interest in me? Is this what Lotar meant when it said I met Phien? If so, then that crosses another one of the deities it claims I've met.

What's more shocking though are the implications of this. I understand quite well that Phien wants me dead, at the very least the Gamma Warriors want me dead as nails. 

After I rejected their invite to their hive mind party and they lashed out poorly, I didn't really take it to heart. Just another enemy behaving crazy in the face of defeat- or so I thought. 

I would have never stopped to think that there'd be an alternate agenda to killing me and one as grand as turning me into an Alpha Warrior? The first at that too.

I exhale deeply as the anxiety within me boils. What does it even mean to turn me into an Alpha?

I mean, I've seen how the minions are made and perhaps in that process a Gamma is born as well. And the congregation of several Gammas around a population will lead to the birth of a Beta.

But I haven't fought or spoken to a Beta, I haven't the slightest clue ones strength nor how a Beta would turn into an Alpha. I am so confused.

Taking a deep breath, I tune back into the conversation, Matthias screaming more questions at the Diviner isn't getting anywhere it seems.

"What do you mean you don't know how one is made!" He yells. 

The Diviner squirms in he's seat a bit as he glances at me, "I've told you what Phien relayed to my superiors, I'm not even supposed to know about this either, I was just passing by during my visit to Head Quarters and overheard them talking about it, do you really think I, a lowly city Diviner would know the dealings of the Archbishops and even the Holy Father himself?"

"Heh, that doesn't sound very believable, Surgies, I hope you understand the chance of you getting your soul ripped out increases with the lies you tell."

"I really don't!" Surgies is getting frustrated now, "I could be killed if this gets out, no, in fact, I certainly will suffer a fate worse than death if they find out!"

"I believe him." I utter quietly. The room turns its attention to me now, "There's no way the Synagogue would be so sloppy to let its sinister plans known to all its members, there are certainly far more secrets to the place than Surgies is privy to."

It's common sense really; if you're in a position of power and are wielding said power corruptly, having back dealings with sinister forces and even your opposition, you certainly wouldn't be careless and let such sensitive information known to every level in the organisation.

Surgies simply fell on luck…if you can call it that.

The Diviner breathes a sigh of relief, snarling at Matthias as he does, "See? He understands." 

"Yes, I do. But the questions don't end here. I have some of my own and I belief you should be able to answer them."

Again, the Diviner sweats buckets, "What is it now?"

"The promise, you spoke of a promise. What does that mean?"

"Yes, that sounded peculiar," Matthias starts, "I want to know too, Surgies, don't leave anything out…or else." He nods at me.

"I won't…ugh." Surgies groans rolling his eyes at the Mayor. "The promise is something of old truly. I only know about it because I've just started taking my tests for Priesthood, these are things a Priest sworn to the Synagogue needs to be aware of."

Huh. So I could've grabbed any one of those monk types that walked all round Aste and interrogated them about Necromancy and gotten the answers he's about to give? Good to know.

"The promise, as I'm sure you already suspect, ties closely to the birth and death of the previous Necromage." He starts, already sounding dreary, "During her time, the Synagogue as well as every other Nation on this continent took active part in combatting her forces."

"An undead army? Zombies? Ghouls?" I fill in.

"And several more sinister monsters.  As far as I've studied, she commanded forces so strong she consumed several nations before be put to her end."

Now that's terrifying power.

"But the promise that kept the Synagogue from interfering with you was one made between Anera herself, and the Necromage."

At this the room fills with gasps.

"Anera? Herself?" Leon repeats, "You're trying to say a Goddess spoke directly to a mortal?"

Surgies sighs, "She wasn't just any mortal, in fact, she'd just become immortal."

"Immortality…" Matthias mutters wistfully, "It can be achieved?"

"Apparently so," Surgies shrugs, "But through dark magics like Necromagic and Blood magic, I'm not certain you want to give it a try, Matthias." As he says this both of them turn and their eyes set on me.

"I don't know how to become immortal…yet." Their eyes sparkle at my words, but it's true, I am no where near the level of consuming nations whole, immortality may as well be some pipe dream…but it seems it is possible…with time.

"Either way, the Necromage achieved it and became a foul undead being much like her minions, with her undead body she intended to find a path to truly revive the one who brought her on the path of Necromagic…but Anera intervened."

"The one who…what do you mean by the one who brought her on the path of Necromagic?" I ask, it sound oddly familiar for some reason.

Surgies crosses his legs comfortably sitting down now, supposedly over the fear of having his soul ripped out, he tilts his head to the side and regards me with a funny look.

"You don't know? Why wouldn't you know?"

"Why wouldn't I know what?"

"You're a Necromage, why do you practice Necromagic? For what reason would any sane person chase the power of over death?"

I blink and it dawns on me, "To bring someone back from the dead…but I can do that already? I raise the dead."

Surgies tuts, "You're awfully ignorant of your own craft, you only revive the body with your magic, and your magic corrupts the body even further than natural processes could. You raise nothing more than a husk."

A deep frown mares my face and I glare, "Insulting…" I pause and he shivers, squirming once more, "But you're right, I only raise the husk of the deceased. But the previous Necromancer was trying to bring her…friend back fully."

Now I know why it sounds so familiar. I'm doing the exact same thing, somehow, by some strange and perverse twist of fate, another Necromancer has been born and is trying to achieve the same heights as the previous one.

Too bad Anselm isn't here to hear about this, or is this a good thing? I'm not quite sure if I want he knowing about this yet.

"Necromancer?" The Diviner mutters oddly.

Ah, Necromancer versus Necromage. I follow the system whereas they follow their culture.

"According to the records, the previous Necromage referred to herself as a Necromancer and the magic she practiced Necromancy." Surgies eyes narrow, he's cluing into something, "It may be a slight and perhaps even insignificant detail but…here you are, using the same words. There must be a connection."

Matthias, Leon and Surgies all look at me expectantly, waiting for me to make that connection.

I shrug. They are disappointed. 

But I know what that connection is. It's the System. The System is the only thing in this world that refers to me as a Necromancer and my magic as Necromancy. 

The previous Necromage…she must have been like me. Shoved into the body of some girl, perhaps even from my world. She must have been introduced to the Blue screen too, the System and it helped her grow through battle.

This is good. We're making some kind of progress.

"Get on with it, you said she turned into a foul undead like her minions, it gave her immortality…what else." I urge Surgies on. "You still haven't gotten to the promise."

He nods and continues, "Becoming that creature was said to be a simple stepping stone in her search for the power that would bring back the one she desperately needed alive, claiming immortality was simply for the convenience of time and less for the greed of continued life."

"But becoming this creature unlocked knowledge so sacred and dangerous, that the mere thought of manipulating it disturbed the Goddess Anera in the heavens."

Unknowingly, we all lean in, listening intently for what comes next.

"Anera graced the earth with her presence in the form of an avatar so gracious it is beyond words to describe. With this form, she met the foul undead being the Necromage had become. A Goddess met with a Lich and the two…struck a deal."