Lowlife, Scoundrel, Bandit Queen

Chapter 179 Chaptr 179 - Fighting words

I'm a little torn on how to proceed. In the end the necromancer has already provided the information that helps me make the decision. Judging by her words she has dealt with adventurers before. That certainly would explain why this place is not widely known. If no one who stumbles across it makes it back, how would that ever change? Well, I'm not willing to be the next adventurer in a long line of adventurers who simply disappeared out here in the woods. Nuhu, not here, not today, not me! Thus the decision is essentially made for me already. That she doesn't seem to be a nice person doesn't exactly help her case either.

With my mind made up and my lips pressed into a tight line I consider my options. She has sent her skeletal minions away. Good. In an open space like down there five of them could have been a problem. If I can deal with her first I can then take them on one after the other should they come rushing back. If not, all the better. I have to deal with the necromancer first though. Not even just because she may be a powerful wizard, but because she is an unknown. I don't know what she is capable of and that makes her all the more dangerous.

If she manages to raise all the dead down there she would have a veritable army at her command. I'd be done for, unable to defend against more than a handful at best. I better not give her a chance to pull a stunt like that. Thanks to my experience with Ediva I at least know that powerful magic needs time. It doesn't just happen. Thus I need to take her out quick and hard with one decisive strike.

The real question though is another. It's incredibly banal by comparison too. How the hell do I get down there and within striking distance without giving myself away? Jumping and attacking directly is out of the question. Sure, that would be a killer move, except it probably would kill me too. I have a pretty high opinion of my acrobatic and athletic capabilities as they are now, but I'm just too high up right now.

The walls of the buildings are too smooth too to climb down slowly. Sure, there should be some windows on the inside facing my mark, but I don't know where exactly they are relative to me. Thus that isn't an option either. The only reasonable way remaining is to go through the inside of the building, first down one hatch and then another to reach the ground level. And I have to do it without knocking anything over. And of course I still have to move past the piled up skeletons around the edge of the plaza to get to the necromancer on her fancy stone chair.

It's not the optimal solution, but it is the best option I have anyway, thus I proceed with it. The necromancer is back to muttering to herself, now that her undead henchmen are gone, but I don't listen too closely. What matters to me is that the muttering is coming from the same location. In all other regards my attention is on the storage room I see through the hatch. It's crammed full with those large pots or jars. I'll have to be extremely careful when moving through it since giving myself away by knocking these over would be hilariously stupid.

Thus I aim to be the very picture book example of great care as I lower myself down into the room. With my sword sheathed and my buckler back on my belt it's no problem though, despite this leaving me mostly defenseless for a brief moment. At least the former inhabitants organized their food storage pretty well. The room isn't crammed full completely. There are narrow paths left open to move about, which I come to appreciate greatly right now.

There is neither room nor time for a detour to one of the arrow slits though. Instead I head directly to the next hatch. The one leading down to the ground floor. Once more I look down first as I reach it.

The floor below is not quite what I expected. I honestly thought it would be just another storage room full of huge clay jars. It isn't though. Instead it has been turned into some kind of laboratory. Sure the tables used are local, warped with age but still solid. The various tools, including complex looking glass apertures I can't even begin to make sense off, are all newer though. There are baskets and bowls with ingredients everywhere as well. Damn, I'd say this laboratory is more of a mess than the untouched ruins.

There is one good thing to this though. I spot a bowl with already dried Black Caps. If this goes over well I might not have to collect and dry any myself. I honestly wouldn't mind. I'd much rather cook another stew with tasty mushroom instead anyway.

The real trouble though is getting down without knocking anything over, as one of the tables stands right under the hatch. Well, I have to try anyway. At least I won't have to drop all the way to the floor like this. In fact my feet almost touch the table's warped surface while I still cling to the edge of the hatch above. Like this I barely drop at all. Both my [Stealth] skill and my [Balance] skill improve some as I steady myself afterwards. I'd say this is a clear success. So far anyway. A careful jump takes me to the actual floor, still unnoticed.

Before I continue I properly arm myself again. I draw my blessed sword and grab my buckler off my belt too. Now I should be ready to face the great unknown, or at least that one spellcaster of unknown capability and her skeletal henchmen, one after the other.

I lean against the inside wall, covered with plaster here as well, but not painted, which speaks of the utilitarian purpose of this building. It wasn't intended to be lived in, not permanently anyway. From the is vantage point I peek outside, hoping to avoid notice that way and so far it seems I'm successful in that regard.

The female wizard, whom I presume to be a necromancer is still sitting there, mumbling to herself and the cyclops skeletons are all gone, even if the ones at the gate aren't that far away. The circumstances are as good as they are going to get. I take one last, deep breath, slow and deliberately to make sure it's not easily heard, although that's rather unlikely anyway, then I start moving with deadly purpose. And once I'm in motion there is no turning back.

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My target is still sitting where I expect her. A few quick steps get me close enough. I don't go for a decapacitating chop, as she might see one coming just early enough to dodge. Instead my attack, delivered from the side is a fast thrust. My target of choice? Her throat, or rather the arteries and veins at the side of her neck.

The thrust is point on. I have to correct my vector only slightly. The blade pierces her neck from one side to the other, severing both the carotid artery and the jugular vein, of that I'm certain. The blade is wide enough to at least injure her larynx too, which should keep her from casting any spells. It should, in theory, be a picture book perfect assassination and yet I know right away that something is wrong. It doesn't take a genius to realize what it is either.

"No blood."

My [Blades] and [Long Blades] skill both improve a little. I even receive a notification that under other circumstances would be very welcome.

[*Ding!* Your skill Melee Weapons has leveled up to level 9!]

It's the other, expected, notification that's missing which really makes an unpleasant tingle run down my spine. Not only is there no blood, there is no notification about damage dealt either. It's like I just stabbed a sack of potatoes. My [Danger Sense] tingling and the faint sickly greenish glow I notice out of the corner of my eye make me dodge out of pure instinct and just in time too.

I don't get off unscathed though, as the glowing dark dart of magic fired from the tip of her staff, which is still resting in her lap, grazes my side.

[*Ding!* You have been wounded! Health reduced by 44!]

Pain lances through my side and my eyes widen. My [Dodge] skill improves a little and so does my [Clothes] skill. An additional notification lightly touches the back of my mind too.

[*Ding!* Your skill Spell Resistance has leveled up to level 6!]

This one counts towards my hedge witch class. I would rejoice, since increasing the skill is not easy, but under this circumstances I won't last long enough to earn another level up, never mind to catch another second wind, thus it's a curse that comes over my lips instead.

"Quack you sideways, you stupid bitch! Damn, that hurt."

Even in a dire situation like this one I habitually use that stupid little pun and it might just be what saves me immediate further pain, as it makes the undead necromancer hesitate just long enough, as she tries to process my words, that her next attack, another dart of the same energy, darkness made manifest, goes wild entirely, smashing into one of the buildings instead.

By now she is up from the throne and on her feet. Since my sword has slipped free as I dodged she can speak without trouble again too.

"Bitch? You stabbed me in the throat! If someone is a bitch it's obviously you! Now spit it out, before I end you, which moron put a bounty on my head this time? One of the lords? Or was it that orc bandit that drove me from my tower? Oh, I bet it was him! That vengeful scumbag! I still have the bones of his mate somewhere around here! I'll add his to my collection too, once I'm done with you. They'll make such a wonderful pair!"

My [Gather Information] skill ticks up a little, but that's not very helpful right now. If anything her ranting raises more questions than it answers. She isn't done yet with her rant either and keeps going as we slowly circle each other.

"Oh, you'll make such a beautiful addition to my collection too! Of course I'll have to boil the flesh of your bones first. I hope you don't mind."

At first I'm glad for every word, no matter how gruesome the implications may be, as these words buy me some time. When I come to realize that she is trying to position me in front of the gate leading from the yard, where her skeletal minions will be in my back, it's almost too late. My [Tactics] skill improving a little is only a weak consolation.

Still I manage to slip from the trap and I do so the only way I can think of, by going straight at her. Except, I sidestep at the last moment to slip past her and as I do, I strike again. This time I go for a chop with some power behind it, severe her neck completely.

I feel the resistance as the blade bites deep. Her head goes flying, only to land in the hands of one of her cyclops skeletons as it slips in through the too narrow gate opening. Her body doesn't go down though. Hell, she doesn't even stop mouthing off, despite the fact that her head isn't connected to her body anymore.

"You are a slow one, aren't you? You sword swinging hoodlums always are. Let me spell it out in simple words for your benefit, that doesn't work!"

She even snickers as the skeleton that caught her head turns it around so it's facing me properly again.

"Oh, I know, I'll make your bones wear a cute little dunce cap? Or maybe a sign? I'm stupid, please use only small words and speak slowly."

One of my eye lids starts twitching. Whatever doubts I might have still had about attacking her without parlaying first are evaporating quickly. As if to add insult, or even more insult as it may be, to injury I can feel her use an identification skill on me. The same one the cyclops skeleton used the night before. At first it seems to work too, but all of a sudden it loses its hold, as I receive another notification.

[*Ding!* Your skill Shrouded Soul has leveled up to level 8!]

I'm still nowhere close to earning another second wind, but the look of consternation on her face is already good enough for me. Even better, this skill level up comes with indirect benefits. My spirit attribute as well as my magic power and my Mana reserves all improve a little.

Since I'm quite obviously not in polite company, I return the favor and use my own identification skill on her in turn. A little of my Mana drains away and the [Identify] skill improves some. Obviously she has no defense against skills like this, as, even as she snarls in outrage, the result comes in, entirely unobstructed.

[Bianka the Pale, Lich Queen (Void, Rare, Level 10), Necromancer (Void, Uncommon, Level 9)]