"No kidding!" Magnus sneered. "Your basic fitness attributes are above 20. Do you even know what that represents? That Skeleton doesn't even have muscles and wasn't using any of its Sparks when you ambushed it from behind. What did you honestly expect?"
"That's why I sneaked up on him." Ikaris grunted in his head. "There's no need to be so scathing."
"It's for your own good that I say that." The old Vampire replied in a softer voice." If he had seen you, it might have been different. Don't underestimate inferior races like humans or this skeleton.
A human Body Sorcerer might only have two to three times the basic strength and agility of a human, but if he uses a spell at the right time he can multiply it by 5, 10, 50 or even much more if the circumstances are right.
The number of occurrences of hate-crazed Apprentice Sorcerers killing Grandmaster Sorcerers and even Magi is not common, but throughout the long history of the Forsaken Lands it's not that rare either.
"And most of all..."
" Most of all?" Ikaris sensed the change in tone.
"...This skeleton wasn't acting alone. I can tell from its Sparks that this skeleton was a Sorcerer when it was alive. It still retained its Life Spark and a trace of its Soul Spark. Its Divine Spark appears to be the product of necromancy, but it's still very impressive.
Even though it is the creation of a Major Saint like Faulch, he has no choice but to use expendable fodder to bolster his Undead army. After all, breeding powerful Undeads is expensive in terms of resources and among humans and most beasts the ratio of Sorcerers in the population is only one in 900.
That means mathematically that for a Skeleton like this, there should be at least another 900 of those out there."
Ruvaen, who was spying on their conversation with his mental sense, turned livid upon hearing Magnus' words. The late Archmagus had obviously noticed, but he had chosen to pretend otherwise.
For Ikaris, who was still euphoric from his effortless victory, the Vampire's final words were like a cold shower. On edge, he scooted around, each shadow and bush a potential Undead.
Then his gaze fell on that burdensome Kailu, who still hadn't dared to open his eyes, and he suddenly felt a deep pang of annoyance. He slapped the nobleman's face. Hard.
"Do you want to die here?" Ikaris growled in a much deeper voice than usual due to his partial transformation. "If you don't open your eyes in three seconds, you won't have to worry about the Undeads. I'll kill you myself. One... Two..."
"I'm opening them!" The Healer suddenly opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was the devilishly savage and not-so-handsome face of his Lord and he nearly screamed in terror. If Ikaris hadn't given him a direct warning by pressing his blade against his throat, the Healer might have revealed their position to every Undead in the vicinity.
"You mean this massive beast isn't all alone?" Kailu nearly fainted on the spot.
Ikaris considered the option seriously.
"This beast is powerful and rather fast for its size, but it is a fact that it lacks flexibility. Its size becomes its weak point against these Skeletons with superhuman strength and speed." He analyzed aloud. "If we can combine our mobility and tactical sense with the brute strength of these humongous creatures, facing a few Undeads like this one is not impossible.
If it were up to me, I'd suggest following this beast to establish a good relationship with his herd, but for such a risky mission I propose a show of hands. Those who want to follow this Augias, raise your hand."
The teenager raised his hand readily. Malia and Ruvaen followed right after. Liam and the other three Werewolves exchanged a knowing look, then raised their hands in turn.
"By volunteering for this scouting mission, we had already come to terms with the idea of facing Undeads." Noreen chuckled. "We have to make sure we deserve all the herbs we've picked."
"I ate so much Rank 4 Boar Meat." Javier grinned as he patted his muscular belly. "It's time to prove I deserve my paycheck."
Liam and Luka merely waved their weapons to show their resolve. Only Kailu was left to convince.
"You don't have to come." Ikaris kindly warned him. "Your job is not to risk your life here, but to look after us if this mission goes wrong."
The nobleman grimaced sourly and slowly raised his hand. "I haven't made a good impression so far, but I can fight and I heal quickly. If any of you are hurt, I could heal you right there."
Noreen brusquely hugged his neck and pushed his head against her furry bosom as she laughed, "I knew you had it in you, kiddo."
With the female Werewolve nearly displacing his cervical vertebrae with her sudden hug, Kailu responded with a grunt as he rubbed his sore neck.
"Let's go." Ikaris said quietly.
The long-necked beast had been waiting for them. Relief could be seen in its eyes when it found that these tiny beings had chosen to follow it.
The Augias suddenly galloped off, shaking the earth and uprooting trees in its path. It let out a high-pitched neigh as if to announce its glorious return to its own brethren and charged forward, Ikaris and the others at its heels.
With a huge Demonic Beast to lead the way, they crossed six kilometers in no time. As they wondered how far they were from their destination, high-pitched whinnies reached their ears, followed by tremors akin to a small earthquake.