The night sky, still swelling up through the trees , loomed over as Zero crouched in the dense foliage, eyes locked on the village ahead. A cobblestone wall stood between him and his target, with two guards posted at the entrance, gripping long, jagged spears and clad in iron-plated Armor.
Hidden within the shadows of the trees, Zero and his group observed in silence.
"So, what's the plan zero?" Alana voice continues
"Remember, even if you somehow get past them, you will still have to deal with all warriors and mages, some of whom might be at your level or even higher."
"I know, I know..." He tapped his chin thoughtfully before an idea flickered in his mind. His smirk widened into a full, confident grin.
Without another word, he stood up, taking off his staff and placing it gently on the ground. The weight alone disturbed the earth beneath it.
Next, he laid his book beside it, covering both with his enchanted black cloak.
This should conceal them perfectly, he thought.
Alana frowned. "why are you taking your things off?" her voice was laced with curiosity
Zero started ruffling his already messy hair, making it look even more unkempt.
Then, he tore sections of his clothes, giving himself the appearance of someone who had barely survived a struggle.
He glanced down at his chest, considering something.
No, too much. That would draw too much attention. he thought
So instead, he clenched his fists with determination.
This will work.
Without hesitation, he started punching himself, again, again and again.
He didn't flinch, didn't make a sound, even as his knuckles bruised his face and blood dripped from his mouth.
Alana watched in shock and disbelief,
* What is this fool up to? Has Chaos already driven him mad? *
Zero exhaled heavily, touching his throbbing cheek.
"Might've overdone it..."
Further behind, Arceus and Augustus exchanged confused glances but remained silent.
Not my best work, but it'll do, Zero thought.
Stumbling forward from the trees, he emerged into the open, his posture broken, his eyes weary.
His clothes hung in shreds, his face was bruised, and his hair was a tangled mess.
As if on cue, he tripped into a puddle, landing face-first in the mud.
Perfect.
Struggling to rise, he let his voice waver, raw with false desperation. "P-please… help me... I'm hurt..."
The guards, caught off guard by the sudden appearance of the struggling boy, dropped their weapons and rushed to his aid.
"Are you okay?" Guard One asked, kneeling beside him.
Guard Two immediately took charge. "What happened? Tell us!"
"I-I-I got…" Zero gasped for air, his voice weak. "Attacked… by a monster… horse…" His words trailed off as he fainted, collapsing into Guard One's arms.
Gullible fools, Zero thought, watching the guards scramble in panic as darkness feigned overtook him.
"Boy!" the first guard gasped, shaking him slightly.
His partner, wide-eyed, recovered quickly.
"Jackson, take him to the medical area, now! I'll cover this post."
Jackson hesitated only a moment before nodding.
Jackson sheathed his spear and carefully lifted the boy in his arms, the heavy wooden gates creaked open as he rushed inside.
Keep watching, Zero thought back to Alana, his voice calm in her mind.
As Jackson hurried into the village, Zero, still feigning unconsciousness.
Inside the village, murmurs of curiosity mixed worry and concern, filled the air as Jackson ran through the streets.
Some gasped at the sight of the seemingly unconscious, battered boy,
"Stay with me kid! We're almost there!" Jackson urged, his heart pounding.
Zero remained motionless, his act flawless.
At last, they arrived at a large building constructed of dark oak.
Jackson now in a full panic, burst through the doors.
"HELP! This boy is dying!"
Patients and nurses turned toward the commotion, startled.
A man with thick goggles, the head doctor, emerged from a back room, frowning. "Who is causing such a-"
"Doctor Doopher, this boy needs urgent care!" Jackson practically shouted, his voice clear with emotion.
The doctor sighed but moved quickly, checking Zero's pulse.
His eyes widened in alarm. "Bring him in immediately!"
Zero's performance had been impeccable. He looked completely lifeless, his breathing shallow.
Jackson carried Zero into the operation room, a pair of nurses rushing to assist.
"Quickly, Nurse Quin, the AST (Arcane Sustainment Tube). And Nurse Bridget, tell Jackson he can stop sulking and get back to his post, the boy will survive." the head doctor instructed, his voice calm but urgent.
"Yes, Head Doctor," the nurses responded in unison.
They left the room, as the doctor continued to examine Zero.
Nurse Bridget approached Jackson as nurse Quin went her own way.
"Jackson, Doctor Doopher says you can go back to guarding" she said confidently.
Bridget, who had just entered the room, was tall with ginger hair tied back in a bun.
She wore a pink nurse's outfit, and her brown freckles complemented her bright eyes.
Jackson hesitated. "Is he really going to be okay?"
"Come on, it's Doopher. He's never lost a patient" Bridget said with a smile, placing her purple-gloved hands on her hips.
"You're right. He's the best doctor in the village, even though he's not a healing mage. He always manages to work wonders "
Bridget smiled in agreement.
"Alright!" Jackson said with a renewed sense of relief.
Bridget nodded. "Exactly. Now go before your captain scolds you."
Jackson grinned, stepping closer. "I'll see you later, Miss Bridget."
Bridget's face turned a shade of pink as he leaned in, their faces mere inches apart.
"I-It's Nurse Bridget to you!" she stammered, flustered.
With a knowing smirk, he turned and walked off. As soon as he was gone, she buried her face in her hands and let out a muffled scream of embarrassment.
"Uh... what's wrong, Bridget?" a voice asked.
She looked up to see Nurse Quin holding the AST. The petite nurse wearing blue outfit smirked. "Don't pretend we didn't just see that."
Bridget sighed in defeat. "Fine… we've had something going on for a while now."
"REALLY?!" Quin gasped excitedly. "You better tell me everything!"
Bridget giggled. "I promise I will. But let's help the doctor first."
Still grinning, they turned to enter the operation room....
A skeletal hand holding a scalpel shot out from the doorway, plunging it into Bridget's throat. The force of the strike pushed her back until she slammed against the wall, facing the door.
Quin's joyful expression gradually morphed into pure terror. As the realization hit her, the happy memories she shared with Bridget dissolved, replaced by the haunting image of her lifeless face.
"BRI-BRIDGET!" But it was too late. Bridget was already long gone…
A skeleton emerged from the room, pulling its scalpel from Bridget's throat. Blood sprayed from the wound, splattering across the floor. The skeleton turned its fiery blue eyes toward its next victim.
"NO, GET AWAY FROM ME-AHHH!" Quin screamed as she tried to run, throwing the AST at the skeleton. The glass shattered on the floor, releasing the MRF(Mana Restoration Fluid) onto the ground below it. The skeleton lunged at her, but its foot slipped in the mana fluid, causing its head to fly off, collapsing lifelessly...
"Lame," a chilling voice said, dripping with annoyance.
Zero stepped out of the room, his dark aura swirling around him. He raised a hand as he approached Quin.
I will avenge you, Bridget. Once I tell everyone, you'll be avenged. she thought as she ran
"Grave Pull."
A searing pain shot through Quin's left leg as it contorted beneath her, forcing her to the ground.
"AHHHH!"
The pain was unbearable. Zero used his power again, dragging her back with a single finger as he charged withering energy in the other.
He looked up at Alana. "You didn't tell me bone walkers were this weak!" he remarked, walking toward Quin, who struggled to crawl away.
Quin's thoughts spiralled. DAMN IT! This monster keeps pulling me back every time I try to crawl away. Is this really my fate? No!
"Well," Alana said with a shrug, crossing her arms, "bone walkers are fragile and fall apart under strong hits. But in this case, it was just clumsy.
Usually, they're mindless attackers and they're figuratively the weakest undead type."
Zero only muttered, "Whatever."
Zero, now switching his focus, picked up his pace. His aura grew even more intense, seeping from his body like dark smoke.
Why has he stopped talking? This must be my chance! Quin thought, her hope flickering back to life as she moved faster.
"Still trying to crawl, huh?"
Quin froze, knowing he was right behind her.
"I said… are you still trying to crawl?"
Zero's smirk grew as he placed his foot on her back, halting her progress.
No! I was almost at the door, DAMMIT!
"Hey, you answer when I speak to you!" Zero whispered in her ear as he leaned closer.
This hurts so much... I can't move. I need to do something... Quin cried quietly as she desperately struggled.
Alana, watching from the side lines, seemed pleased. "So evil, hehe, just like me in my prime."
*If I can't move, then I will…*
Zero smirked, his voice dripping with sadistic amusement. "Well, this is no fun if you don't speak. Maybe something like 'No, don't kill me!' or 'I'm finished!' or-" He stopped, considering. "-or even-"
Just then, Quin cried out in desperation, "HELP! HELP!"
"YES! PERFECT! HAHAHA! THIS IS GREAT, NURSE! HAHA!" Zero grinned, satisfaction gleaming in his eyes, before raising his hand with a stern tone.
"Now, shut it."
With the withering bolt he was charging, he unleashed it, point blank.
In an instant, Quin was struck, her body collapsing as necrotic decay spread, consuming her flesh and leaving only her skeleton behind.
Bravo. Alana clapped mockingly.
"Okay, now it's time for the raid."
Zero quickly resurrected two new skeletons, commanding the first one, "Put your head back on." It obeyed without hesitation.
"Mm, three bone walkers and me…" Zero walked confidently into the lobby, flanked by his new army.
The lobby was filled with terrified screams.
"Medical area? More like resurrection area!"
Zero unleashed a barrage of withered bolts, sending chaos through the building.
Some managed to escape to other parts, but Zero wasn't concerned.
They were all trapped.
"Five more bone walkers!" he said with amusement.
"This is fun…" he muttered to himself.
"Time to turn this medical area into a resurrection area!" he declared again, as he summoned more bone walkers from the dead.
Terrible joke, Alana thought, unimpressed.
Using dark telekinesis, Zero rearranged furniture to barricade the door.
"Alright, bone walkers," he ordered, "Go kill everyone in this building and bring them here for resurrection. Don't let them make too much noise."
Zero then took a seat, pulling out a book from the head doctor's desk.
Alana, watching him, raised an eyebrow.
"Are you really reading a book?"
"Yeah. What else can I do?" Zero replied, flipping through the pages.
"Maybe think about what you're going to do next? You've got an entire village to take over, and you're just sitting here reading!"
"I'm not just reading any book. It's a record book. It's got all the info for the medical area. So, in simple terms, I know exactly what I'm doing."
"That still doesn't help."
Zero sighed in irritation. "Alana, why do you keep asking questions? I already told you my plan."
"What you said might solve the problem right now, but will it solve your future problems? Have you thought that far ahead? I'm trying to help here."
Zero, now visibly annoyed, smirked. "Trust me. I've got this. Just watch."
Alana, giving up, vanished.
An hour later, after countless screams and trails of blood, the medical area had lost its light, now it was gloomy and dark, the stench unbearable.
The skeletons dragged the bodies of doctors, nurses, and patients back to the lobby, forming a massive pile of dead flesh.
"Alright, time to resurrect everyone," Zero said, setting the book down and standing.
He channelled dark energy into his hands, touching the pile of bodies. "first, let's prepare by getting rid of the flesh."
Didn't expect this much… Alana thought, surprised by the sheer number of bodies.
The blackened energy infected the pile, rotting away the flesh and withering the muscles, leaving only the skeletons intact.
Suddenly, a loud bang come from the door.
"Zero, better hurry up!" Alana's voice shook with urgency.
The banging grew louder, more intense.
Zero remained completely focused, ignoring the noise.
"Souls of the Abyss, heed my call. Inhabit the bodies of the fallen, walk among the living … and serve me eternally."
The skeletons began to stir, reanimating.
The door shook violently as if the attackers were doing more than just knocking. Alana's ghostly form began to sweat.
"Zero, hurry!!" she urged.
Tension was mounting…