The furious yelp of the [Wild Carrion Hound (Level 2)] tore through the oppressive silence of the inn's courtyard. The creature, a tangle of dark fur and bared teeth, pounced on [Skeletal Servant Alpha] before Corbin's commands could even be fully processed by the newly formed minds of his servants.
"Damn, it's fast!" Corbin thought, instinctively recoiling into the darkness of the storeroom, his [HP: 75/95] suddenly seeming very precious. He watched the scene through the flickering connection with his servants, an unstable but sufficient mental image.
Alpha, with its [AGI: 9], couldn't completely dodge the pounce of the creature with [AGI: 12]. The [Wild Carrion Hound]'s fangs closed on the skeleton's arm with a sickening crunch.
[Skeletal Servant Alpha suffered 8 Damage (Ferocious Bite)!] [Skeletal Servant Alpha HP: 17/25]
"Eight points of damage. Almost a third of Alpha's 'life' in a single bite." Corbin felt a chill. "My servants are more fragile than I imagined."
'Beta, left flank, attack the hind legs! Alpha, fall back and use whatever reach you have!' Corbin commanded mentally, trying to maintain analytical calm despite the [Reincarnation Trauma] that made his concentration a struggle.
Beta, the second skeleton, moved with its characteristic lack of grace but followed the order, trying to circle the beast while Alpha attempted to disengage, its bones creaking under the pressure of the hound's jaw. Alpha managed a clumsy blow with its bone claws to the animal's snout.
[Wild Carrion Hound suffered 4 Damage!] [Wild Carrion Hound HP: 41/45]
The hound released Alpha with a howl of pain and anger, turning on the new aggressor, Beta, which was trying to strike its legs. The beast's agility was remarkable; it dodged Beta's attempt and, in a swift movement, bit into the skeleton's torso.
[Skeletal Servant Beta suffered 7 Damage!] [Skeletal Servant Beta HP: 18/25]
"They won't last long like this," Corbin realized. The level difference was clear. The [Raise Lesser Skeleton] skill had been off [Cooldown] for a while, since exploring the basement. "I could try to raise another servant from the villager or goblin corpses scattered around the square, but that would require [20 MP] for two, or [10 MP] for one, a few precious seconds of casting, and my divided attention. The [Reincarnation Trauma] makes mental multitasking a considerable effort. And what if the hound switched focus to me during the casting? Better to focus on maximizing the effectiveness of the two I already have."
The [Wild Carrion Hound] now focused on Beta, shaking it violently. Alpha, free for a moment, advanced again, its claws seeking the beast's flanks.
[Wild Carrion Hound suffered 3 Damage!] [Wild Carrion Hound HP: 38/45] [Skeletal Servant Beta suffered 9 Damage (Ferocious Bite)!] [Skeletal Servant Beta HP: 9/25]
One of Beta's arms came off with a dry snap, falling to the ground.
"Damn!" Corbin cursed mentally. Beta was almost destroyed. 'Alpha, aim for the eyes, if you can! Beta, grab the hind legs, even if it's the last thing you do!'
The command was desperate. Beta, with a final spasm of obedience, threw itself at the hound's hind legs, its bones shattering on impact but managing to unbalance the beast for a crucial instant.
[Skeletal Servant Beta destroyed!] [System: Skeletal Servant Beta has returned to the flow of necrotic energy. CP cost freed: 1. CP available: 7/8.]
In the hound's moment of imbalance, Alpha, with surprising precision for a creature without muscles or tendons, drove its bony fingers into one of the beast's glowing red eyes.
[Critical Hit! Wild Carrion Hound suffered 10 Damage! Target Blinded in One Eye – Penalty to Perception and Attack.] [Wild Carrion Hound HP: 28/45]
The [Wild Carrion Hound] howled, a sharp, pain-filled sound, retreating and shaking its head. Now it fought with only one eye, disoriented. Corbin saw his chance. 'Alpha, press on! Give no quarter!'
The remaining skeleton, now the sole focus of the wounded hound's fury, attacked with a cold, relentless tenacity. The blows were clumsy but constant. The hound, blind on one side and in pain, began to miss more of its pounces.
[Wild Carrion Hound suffered 4 Damage!] [HP: 24/45] [Skeletal Servant Alpha suffered 6 Damage!] [HP: 11/25] [Wild Carrion Hound suffered 3 Damage!] [HP: 21/45] [Wild Carrion Hound missed its attack!] [Wild Carrion Hound suffered 5 Damage!] [HP: 16/45]
Alpha was on its last legs, its sternum cracked, a femur hanging by a thread of necrotic energy. But the hound also staggered, a low whimper escaping its throat.
'Now, Alpha! Finish it!' With a final effort, Alpha thrust its bony hand into the hound's open eye socket. The creature convulsed and fell with a dull thud, motionless.
[Enemy Defeated: Wild Carrion Hound (Level 2)!] [You gained 3 XP!] [Current XP: 3/100 (to Level 1)]
"Only 3 XP?" Corbin thought. "The hound was Level 2. I expected more. The [System] indicated Alpha dealt the final blow... do my servants get the bulk of the experience? I need to investigate this later."
Almost in response to his thought, a discreet notification appeared beside Alpha's representation in the [Troops] tab:
[Skeletal Servant Alpha gained 27 XP!] [Skeletal Servant Alpha leveled up to Level 2!] [New Attributes for Skeletal Servant Alpha: HP: 30/30, STR: 8, AGI: 10, VIG: 7, PER: 7. Defense: 6] [Passive Ability Acquired by Skeletal Servant Alpha: More Precise Strikes (Minor) – Slight increase in critical hit chance.]
Corbin absorbed the information. "So servants can level up and gain bonuses. Interesting. Very interesting. This changes how I view my 'disposable' servants."
Then, another system notification appeared:
[System: Soul Echo Harvest attempt in progress... Success!] [Skill Echo Acquired: Keen Scent (Carrion) (Common). Cost to imbue in servant: 8 MP. Servant's CP cost increased by +0 while active.]
A small, almost imperceptible smile touched the lips of the body Corbin inhabited. The [Soul Echo Harvest] seemed to be a consistently useful skill. [Keen Scent (Carrion)] could be very valuable for a scout.
He let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. His [HP] was intact, but the fight had been tense. Alpha, now [Level 2], remained standing but still visibly damaged from its previous fight, with [HP: 11/30] (considering its new maximum). One servant, Beta, had been destroyed. He had spent [20 MP] on the first summoning.
The inn's courtyard was now silent, save for the dripping of dark blood from the hound's corpse. Corbin approached cautiously, [Skeletal Servant Alpha] following him, its movements seeming a bit more fluid now that it was [Level 2]. He used [Analyze] on the dead hound.
[Wild Carrion Hound Corpse (Level 2)] [Condition: Dead. Residual Necrotic Energy: High (recent violent death).] [Potential Items (Loot): Matted Fur (Common), Sharp Teeth (Common), Possible Nauseating Scent Gland (Uncommon – requires extraction skill).] [Potential for Reanimation (Skill: Raise Lesser Skeleton Lv.1): Suitable (medium canine skeleton).] [Potential for Reanimation (Skill: Animate Basic Zombie Lv.1): Suitable (canine zombie – if the skill is known).]
He checked his [Current MP: 132/132]. Fully recovered, as it should be after the time spent exploring. Raising a new skeleton (from the hound or another body) would cost [10 MP]. He now had [7 CP] available, and the [Raise Lesser Skeleton] skill at [Level 1] would allow him to maintain up to two in total. He could reform his duo, especially considering Alpha, though now [Level 2] and stronger, was still significantly damaged.
The night was darker now. The tracks of the larger humanoids were still a mystery. The inn, though the scene of his first combat, seemed to be the most defensible location for now.