I began to craft countermeasures, setting in motion a plan to create a diversion using the undead creatures in the forest.
As I walked through the town, I appeared to be just another undead resident going about my business. However, my mind was focused on crafting a magical wonder that would deceive their senses into thinking it would help them evolve. This should be easy: sending a signal to the weak souls with a simple message; eat me, eat me.
This wonder, once created, would serve as a beacon, drawing the undead horde to it. Its purpose was, of course, not to accelerate their evolution. It couldn't help them, really. It was to attract them, creating a diversion that could aid in my escape if needed. My mana would be the fuel. Its higher-level essence must prove tantalizing to the senses of these lesser undead.
My second plan relied on the delay in communication between the town's noble and the Beast Kings' domain. I intended to use this window of time to my advantage, passing quickly through their domain before they could receive information about my presence.
While the chaos of the magical wonder drew the attention of the Beast Kings, I would seize the opportunity to escape, using the delay in communication to slip through their domain undetected. I continued to gather information, surveying the town and its surroundings, searching for any additional advantages that could aid in my escape.
I walked through the town, taking in the surroundings. As an undead, I couldn't smell the decay and rot, but my magical senses picked up on the death energy. The air was silent, except for the creaking of bones and the hum of dark energy.
I passed by the energy harvesting centers, where sophisticated array rituals pulsed with death energy. These centers were responsible for collecting and concentrating the dark energy that powered the town. This essentially showed the noble's connection with a mage. This intricate system could only be done by a learned mage. Other spell-casting professionals like warlocks, druids, and priests might have evil geniuses able to do that, though. Never underestimate the heroes of the world.
My magical senses detected the concentration of energy, like a mist clinging to the walls. Shadows danced along them, cast by the flickering, eerie glow of the harvesting arrays.
Next, I visited the repair and maintenance center, where undead warriors came to alter their physical forms. A hospital of sorts.
The center's skilled technicians replaced damaged bones, reinforced weakened joints, and even installed new limbs and armor. The sound of scraping bone, clanking metal, and dark magic filled the air as the technicians worked their craft. The undead getting repairs looked at me with curiosity and suspicion.
The knowledge centers were a martial library, filled with books on combat tactics, strategy, and crude energy manipulation. To a mage, this energy manipulation would be considered rudimentary, but for warriors, it was sufficient. Warriors only used energy to grow stronger, breaking the limits of the body. Energy attacks were already a high-end skill for most warriors, something easy for a mage, though the lethality was far behind a warrior's. The warrior was made and forged with the purpose to kill, unlike a mage who is more like a scholar.
I found my mind drifting once again, but this time I didn't stop it.
I had practiced my ability to divide my attention, so this much wasn't enough to stop my mind from wandering. I flipped through the pages of a book, noticing the focus on battle spells and techniques, reading them and storing them in my memory just in case I couldn't come back. The warrior training methods would have been useful and sold for a great penny if they were made for humans or any other intelligent race, which disappointed me. However, one tome caught my eye, drawing my attention—an encyclopedia of common materials in the death realm.
This could prove useful; it contained information on the various resources available in this realm.
I walked through the cemetery, where the silence was broken by whispers of restless spirits. The cemetery served as a nexus for soul collection and energy accumulation, allowing the town to summon and bind new undead. The graves stretched out, with weathered headstones and crumbling mausoleums. My magical senses detected death energy and echoes of summoning rituals. The ground itself seemed to pulse with a faint, rhythmic throb, as if the very earth was alive with necromantic energy.
Near the training area, the air was thick with the martial aura of clashing bones and dark magic. Here, the town's warriors honed their skills, engaging in brutal combat and duels to prove their strength. I heard screams, snarls, and bone crashing on bone. My magical senses picked up on the warriors' focus and energy. The intensity of their training was a testament to their relentless pursuit of power.
Undead, unlike most intelligent races, won't reduce their combat ability after not training for a long time. That would only mean that the undead fighting right now were meant to learn new skills.
Having explored enough, I began to formulate a plan for my escape. I noted the location of the town's gates, the patrol routes of the undead warriors, and potential hiding spots. I decided that my stay in the residential area would involve keeping a safe distance from the Race Course and the Stables of the Damned. The sublimated horses were too fast.
I also made a mental note to avoid the areas with high concentrations of warriors, such as the Jousting Arenas, Gladiatorial Pits, and training grounds. Warriors fight there to train, entertain themselves, or watch others brawling. This was bound to be a hub for warriors. Fighting multiple warriors at once would only hinder my escape, and I couldn't afford to be captured. I would be forced to use my hole card. Bad business.
I chose a location in the residential area that was closest to the Forest of Eternal Twilight, providing me with a quick escape route if needed. From there, I could lose myself in the shadows and make my way back to my mage tower.
Finally, I saw the noble's manor, its twisted spires reaching towards the sky. The air around it vibrated with dark energy, and I felt the noble's power.
As night fell and the moon shone bright, I found a place to stay in the residential area. The silence of the undead town surrounded me.