My head spun at the immediate change from Riverrun and its temperate forests to the blackened landscape before me. And the sheer amount of death floating in the air, rubbing against my senses and trying desperately to be absorbed. I coughed and dry heaved for a moment, then the smells. Oh gods, the smell. Burnt wood, burnt ground, burnt corpses. I inhaled deeply with each racking cough which only made me cough more. I fell to my knees heaving for breath, spitting bile from my mouth. I scrunched up my fists in the soft soil, forcing myself to take steadying breaths.

  "What the fuck?" I choked, "What kind of simulation is this?"

  Was it real? Was I really here? I held up my head and looked at the burnt and torn village, the creaking of weak joints ripping across the wind., It felt like an eternity before I could stand and breathe normally again. I pulled my scarf up over my nose and mouth. It helped a little, I'd take it. I redid it so it would stay in place before I took a step back and looked at my situation tactically. Pulling up my status. That's what Robin called it and that made more sense than constantly referring to it as a box of text.

  Everything was normal until I got to my minion count.

  Current Minions: 0

  I had none of my undead, I was truly alone in this hellscape. I took another look around, realization sinking in, I would need to raise a new army. Granted there were plenty of corpses around, at least I assumed so from the smell. But these were people. I had only raised goblins, animals, and recently a gnoll. Actual people felt like a line of no return. Would I be able to do it? And if I could, what type of undead would be the most useful here? I wouldn't know until I saw what kind of threat I was facing. Though I could take a reasonable guess, demons. Was that the smell coasting along? That hot rotten scent?

  "All right Crowley," I muttered, "It's now or never. Are you going to push forward or die here?" I flexed my hand and focused on my other new skill, Harbinger.

  Skill: Harbinger

  Upon activation, the air thickens with spectral energy, coalescing into a weapon born of death and Limbo at your command. This is no mere tool, but a manifestation of your Wight nature and the path you walk. The weapon takes the form you require – a heavy axe, a piercing spear, a swift blade, or a sturdy shield – shifting seamlessly at your will.

  I closed my hand around the shaft of a spear, its wooden body replaced by some gray stone with cracks in it, spectral teal flame leaking occasionally. The head was a black metal with the same cracks and energy leakage.

  I gritted my teeth and followed the System's nudging towards my objective. Regrouping with someone named Alaric Abernathy. Maybe he was some kind of captain or general? I wouldn't mind some guidance in this mess. I took hesitant steps forward, my head swiveling from side to side before I remembered to listen, particularly to my Whispers of the Hunt skill. Granting me nudges and the occasional whisper of information. There were still people in the village but not many. I drew closer and crossed the threshold of the village entrance.

  Notice: Objective updated; Survive Demonic Ambush.

  I stopped dead in my tracks. Are you shitting me? I threw myself to the side as some kind of hound broke through the weak walls of a building, causing it to emit an ear piercing groan as parts of it began to collapse. The hound growled and snapped at me, closing the distance. I threw a death bolt at the hound and watched in objective horror as the necrosis barely took effect, some type of heat burning away the rotting skin and preventing it from taking root. I held my spear at the ready, I couldn't let it get through my range. That was my only advantage right now. I jabbed at the hound, piercing its torso on occasion and eventually a leg. Causing the creature to limp slightly for a moment before returning to its usual pace. I narrowed my eyes and continued this tactic, watching, analyzing.

  I applied another spell to the hound and continued to jab at it, keeping it wary of the spear. Eventually it would just rush me but hopefully my intuition was right about one of its abilities. The fight took a couple minutes but eventually the hound began to slow and necrosis could be seen on its hide. I stepped forward and rammed the spear into its side, twisting it and pulling out while stepping back. Infernal blood that burned the ground as it flowed out. The hound howled in pain and rage, making its final gambit.

  It rushed at me and I held out the spear and watched in surprise as it didn't hesitate running headlong into the spear and it just kept coming. Making it halfway up the spear before its progress was halted. It huffed and spat, rotting flesh spreading across its body until finally I released the spear and resummoned it. Causing the other one to vanish in a wisp of smoke, dropping the hound onto its side. I planted the new spear into its skull before it could muster the strength to get up. Breathing heavily I stepped back, spear in hand, watching the rot take the corpse. I raised my hand, spectral energy flowing from it as I created my first minion in this place, a bounding hound. The beast convulsed and shook violently before the spell took what was left of its lifeforce and reanimated it. Spectral teal energy flowing across it, showcasing the veins of the monster. It looked at me quizzically before taking up a guard position.

  "A hellhound huh," I thought aloud.

  Hellhounds have a pretty extreme regeneration, especially since death bolt didn't take at all. Mark of the Grave seemed to work but not on its own. I bit my lip and looked at the spear and at the village around me, its form twisted into that of a one handed mace. If I get ambushed again like that I won't have time to use the spear in such tight confines.

  I pressed forward, having my hound take the front and scouting ahead. I saw quite a few corpses but I shook my head at the raising of human corpses. Again, something I just wasn't ready to do. We made it to the center of town without further incident which was surprising to me. I could hear the whispers warning me of several demons hiding in the buildings, but they weren't attacking yet. What were they waiting for?

  Objective completed: Regroup with Alaric Abernathy's party.

  "Oh shit," I said before diving out of the way of needle-like spines lodging themselves into the ground around me, one lodging itself in my torso. I could hear shouts and the sounds of combat further to my left, probably towards another entrance of the village. I gave a mental command to my hound and ran. It wasn't long before I saw the group engaging with the demonic hordes, they were doing about as well as I was alone. I huffed out a pained breath and took hold of the spike in my side.

  "All right, it's no big deal Crowley," I hissed as I pulled on the spike, "Get it out and heal up with Death Energy like Elden taught you. You did it just fine with the wounds the Gnolls gave you."

  I bit down hard and with nothing in my mouth I'm sure I chipped a tooth or four, tossing the spike to the side and focusing death energy into the wound. It wasn't perfect and it didn't heal my actual Health Point gauge all that much but it did stop me from losing any more. "I really need to get an actual healing skill," I groaned and continued to run towards the group. My hound taking point.

  The group saw me coming and opened their ranks just enough to allow me through, my hound joining the fight. Panting I took the time to cast more marks of the grave on the encroaching demons. It would help at the very least if their regeneration wasn't better than the hounds. Which it might be considering all the different kinds I was seeing push against the fifteen or so soldiers holding them back.

  "You there, boy," A man shouted, "What contingent are you with?"

  "I was separated from Alaric Abernathy's group," I lied, "I haven't been able to get back to them." I really hope this wasn't actually the group I needed to find.

  The man nodded, bashing the skull of a hellhound who had broken through the line, "They're further back, holed up in that barn over there," He gestured in a general direction.

  I nodded, taking a swing at another demon, this one was more snake-like in nature, my blow connecting with a resounding crack against its skull.

  "You going to be able to make it there on your own?" The soldier shouted again.

  "Hopefully," I shouted back, throwing out more marks.

  The soldier nodded and I broke from the ranks, sprinting towards the barn where my objective was. My hound hot on my heels. What I saw didn't exactly encourage optimism. Soldiers were falling left and right, radiant bolts cascading across the forms of demons and searing their flesh. Some of the soldiers wielded glowing swords and resounding crashes were emitting from their blows.

  I arrived at the barn just in time to see it erupt into flames and a small group of soldiers making their way out. Some through the front and others through the back, running through a field, or what was once a field at least. Which one had Alaric? The System nudged me towards the ones running through the field, as did my whispers. I bolted past the group coming out of the front, demons spilling out behind them and more going into the field. I threw more marks, absorbing death energy as I expended it. Mana was for when I couldn't access death energy. I slid down a hill and leapt over a small stream before continuing my breakneck pace. I just had to make it to Alaric that was all, I didn't need to fight every single demon along the way. Though they didn't get that memo. I was waylaid more often than not.

  I slid to a stop in front of a massive demon, standing tall about eight or nine feet. I grimaced and threw out a mark, my mace changing form back to a spear. My hound leapt forward biting at the things ankles and calves. I focused my strikes at the thighs and lower torso. It was going well until it swung its massive clawed hand faster than I could move. My spear swiftly changed form into a shield that took the brunt of the force, launching me backwards into a rolling spiral across the dirt.

  Another demon came at me from the side and I slid a newly created dagger across its side as I rolled to the side, applying another mark. My dagger changed form to a sword that I used to parry the incoming claw attack from the creature and back into a mace that I crashed into the side of its skull. The skull cracked and I used animate on the strange humanoid creature. Raising a zombie and sending it to aid my hound. I kept this rhythm, giving up on catching up to Alaric. I returned to the large demon, spear in hand and kept fighting. Breaking off to fight other smaller demons as they approached and raising their corpses as zombies.

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Spikes drove themselves into the ground and some of my zombies as another lanky demon colored pitch white crawled disjointedly towards us. I threw out another mark and used the spear as best as I could. The creature clawed at me and threw spikes, a more accurate term than needle-like, while I tried to stay close enough that it didn't see the need to continue throwing them but far enough away to be able to react to any surprise attacks. The creature clawed against my spectral shield, throwing me onto my back. My hound leaping forward to clasp its jaws around the demon's neck and causing it to panic and thrash around. I threw a couple death bolts as I stood and readied my spear once again. Jabbing and slashing at it ineffectively.

  Its hide was just too tough to pierce. I growled and crashed the head of a mace against one of its reverse joints and was rewarded with a satisfying and disgusting crunch as it buckled in on itself. I continued to beat down on the monster with the mace, necrosis finally starting to set in. Panting I looked around at the chaos, soldiers were fighting and dying, demons gorging themselves on the corpses. My stomach gurgled, threatening to empty the contents. I raised a hand over the spike demon and cast create shade, quickly creating the channels necessary and replicating its soul. It would take time to take and since I did a rush job probably even longer, but it would seek me out. I hoped as I ran towards the direction that Alaric had been going.

  Class: Necromancer has reached level 13.

  Skills available.

  I nodded in acknowledgement, my skill choices had started to appear every other level after level 5. It helped with planning out what I wanted and I needed in the circumstances. But I severely doubted I'd get something that would help me fight demons right now. What I was hoping for was maybe something to help me get past that insane regeneration or something that helps me heal up. But that decision would have to come later, you know, when I'm not being chased by demons bent on feasting on my corpse. Speaking of which, I had finally started to draw myself out of the fight. The clamor of battle was fading into the distance. While there were still faint clangs ahead of me it sounded like isolated fights rather than the battle behind me. I leapt over a gap and crashed into the forest, slamming through the thin branches that whipped and tore at me.

  After a couple more minutes of running I slowed my pace and leaned against a tree, trying to slow my heaving breaths and noting that my endurance bar was below half. It had drained slower than I expected, but I wasn't going to complain about that. I took a look around and stared in the direction the System wanted me to go in. Odds were I'd have another fight on my hands once I drew closer, most would take this time to recover but I didn't have anything to speed up the process. So instead of resting for an hour or two, I pressed forward. I could rest with the rest of Alaric's party, assuming any of them were alive. I don't think I expressed enough the absolute slaughter that was happening back in that village, nor do I really care to. I'm going to remember that until the day I die.

  I sent my hound and zombies ahead of me in a small arc, hoping that whatever threats were hiding out here would target them first and give me time to react. I would've enjoyed walking through the mostly pine forest but most of the trees were either burnt or decayed and offered little in scenery. At least my Whispers still worked, guiding me around most of the primary threats in the area. Sure I could go and help those people fighting but then I'd just die alongside them. And what good would that do? If this wasn't actually a simulation then I would actually be dead, and I've only been on my second life for a little more than a week. Not quite ready to give it up for some random person who may or may not kill me for simply existing.

  I'd be willing to bet that most of those soldiers were holy warriors of one sort or another. And I'm sure I'd get just as warm a reception as I usually get when I interact with people. My thoughts drained out of me when I walked into a clearing and saw the body of Alaric lying in the center surrounded by dead demons. Some were scorched by holy light and others seemed to have been drained. It looked like something I'd be capable of doing. I frowned and approached his prone form. Looking down at the rent armor and blood stained grass surrounding him. I knelt and took a closer look, there was blood but no wounds, and it was definitely human blood. Demon blood seemed to run like black ichor, staining whatever it touched.

  I'd be scrubbing my weapon for hours trying to get it off if I couldn't just summon it. My frown deepened. Let's think about this logically, Alaric appeared human for all intents and purposes. But there was obviously a huge fight here, and he was obviously wounded, but there are no wounds. So he regenerated. Assuming he's some kind of holy warrior like the others then maybe he cast a healing spell before he passed out. I looked around at the clearing, but one guy, albeit apparently important, taking out what, I counted the corpses, eleven demons all on his own? When there were squadrons struggling to take on one? Not likely. Now let's take in the Trial and why it would want me to regroup with this guy, I'm supposed to be accepting being a Wight and a Necromancer. With that in mind., is Alaric not actually human? If that's the case, what is he?

  A distant roar and several screeches brought me back to the present. I can answer those questions later. I grabbed Alaric under his arms and hefted him up. I let out a grunt of effort and wished I had put points into my Strength attribute and then did so, using all five points from my level up. His limp form became noticeably lighter and I hefted him over my shoulder, parts of his armor digging into me. I started a fast walk towards the trees, intending to disappear into them when I was stopped by an Elf running out of the trees and pointing a cracked wand at me.

  "Put him down," The Elf ordered, waving his wand.

  "Listen, we don't have time for this," I said exasperated, "There are more of them coming and I don't want to be here when they get here. So shut up and come with or get eaten by them." I continued to walk and went right past the shocked Elf, who to my genuine surprise did shut up and come with me.

  I increased the pace to a light jog, getting used to Alaric's weight. We maintained that pace in silence until the Elf spoke up again.

  "Who are you?" He asked.

  "Crowley," I replied with gritted teeth, this guy was really starting to get heavy. What was the System trying to do, telling me to get some exercise in?

  "I'm Aidan," He said, "Uh, thank you for saving him. How'd you defeat all those demons?"

  "I didn't. They were already dead when I got there," I answered and asked a question of my own, "Is there anywhere nearby where we can get some rest? Your friend here is starting to get real heavy."

  He shrugged, "Our group should've set up a rendezvous somewhere at the edge of this forest. Those that survived that ambush at least."

  I nodded, "I think I can make it that far," grimacing at the effort this was starting to demand..

  "Say Crowley," Aidan began hesitantly, "Are those undead that are following us yours?"

  "They are," I replied, really wishing he would stop asking questions. It was so much easier to run in silence.

  "You're a Necromancer?"

  I gave him a flat look, "I am."

  He nodded in thought, "You might want to keep them well away from the camp if there is one, there's a couple of paladins in our group that wouldn't take kindly to their presence. It'll be hard enough explaining your appearance and aura."

  "My appearance?" I coughed, since when had brown hair, brown eyes, and I'm sure a decently healthy complexion considering I wasn't actively dying anymore, become hard to explain?

  "Yea, that whole pale thing and gray streaks in your hair that you have going on." He waved his hand to clarify his point.

  "The what now?" I blinked, "I'll leave it to you then."

  "Right yea, I could probably pass it off as the side effects of just surviving right now," He nodded to himself as we drew to a walk, "Yea you're just malnourished and extremely stressed."

  I shook my head, "Yea some malnourished random guy just lugged a guy in breastplate armor a couple of miles."

  "Point taken," He answered crossly.

  There was the faint glow of a fire not too far away and I set my undead to patrol a wide perimeter, explicitly stating to avoid the actual camp unless called upon. Aidan and I pressed forward, emerging into the soft glow of the fire and the rapt edged attention of its denizens. There were four of them, a woman dressed in starkly white armor and what was once probably a white cloak to match though now it was rust colored and stained with demon blood.

  The other three seemed much more uniform in their appearance, chainmail and breastplate in the traditional steel coloring. The System began to shove information into my mind but I rejected it. The onset of mental fatigue and the spinning of the world around me were good motivators for that decision. But I was able to get the gist of what it was trying to tell me. The woman in white approached us with a sword drawn, speaking with authority.

  "Aidan, who have you brought to our camp?" Her eyes narrowed at me and then drifted up to my passenger, "And what did you do to Alaric?"

  Aidan held up his hands placatively, "Easy Anna, this is Crowley and he saved Alaric and I from a rather grim fate."

  Her eyes narrowed further, at this point they were almost shut, "Really? Someone looking like that saved my Cleric and Wizard?"

  Aidan nodded, "Well mostly Alaric, I came by after the fact. But if he hadn't just carried him all the way here he would've been devoured by the Scorned."

  The Scorned? I raised an eyebrow at that.

  Anna frowned but lowered her sword, she was still on edge but at least there wasn't a weapon pointed directly at me anymore. "Crowley was it? Explain."

  I nodded, directed by one of the other soldiers to set Alaric down on a bedroll. "I was fleeing that village back there and ended up stumbling on," I gestured at Alaric, "Your Cleric in the middle of a clearing surrounded by dead demons. I didn't really think about it, he was still breathing so I grabbed him and then I ran into Aidan here. He led me to you."

  One of the soldiers scoffed, "You just grabbed a random guy? I find it hard to believe that someone would risk themselves like that."

  "Why wouldn't I save someone from being eaten? He would've done the same I assume." I shrugged and looked back at Anna.

  She nodded in agreement, "He would've," She mulled over some thought for a moment before speaking again, "You can stay here for awhile, we'll wait for Alaric to wake up before moving on."

  I nodded, wondering how I was going to get myself integrated into this group before they set off.

  "In the meantime," She continued to say, "I'm Captain Annabeth Abernathy, Paladin of the Glowing Ember. This man you rescued is Alaric Abernathy, Cleric of the Glowing Ember. That one over there," She pointed at a man in chainmail and leathers, "Is Gregory Tyspin, our resident Ranger," She pointed at the woman in breastplate, "That's Helga Yurpint, one of our fighters, and the last one is Yurgin Wilfeld, another of our fighters."

  I nodded a greeting to each of them in turn, "I'm Crowley, just someone trying to survive in this hellscape."

  Yurgin laughed, "Join the club young man."

  Annabeth smiled slightly, "On a less formal note, thank you for saving my husband Crowley. You have my gratitude."

  "Captain," Gregory interrupted, "What are we going to do now?"

  "We'll follow our orders," She sighed, "We'll move to regroup with General Myer at the Gate once Alaric can travel."

  I mentally whistled, General Myer? This was the time period he was a military leader?

  Gregory didn't seem quelled by the order, "But Captain, our entire unit was decimated. Shouldn't we retreat back to the Capital?"

  "This was the last excursion the Kingdom could send Gregory," Annabeth growled, "We either do this and win or die knowing we tried. This is it."

  "We're going to die out here," Gregory continued, "I don't know about you but I'd rather try to save my family."

  "If you leave you'll die before you ever get close to the Capital," Annabeth replied coldly, "Is that what you want? To die a deserter? To die knowing you gave up your duty and promise to protect your family?"

  "I'd rather die trying to get back to my family then die for the church like the others." Gregory retorted, "The Glowing Ember is just that now, it's dying with the rest of the world."

  I half expected Annabeth to lash out at Gregory but she just sighed. "Do what you wish Gregory, but they won't let you back into the city even if you do make it back. This was a suicide mission from the start."

  "They sent us out here to die?" Gregory asked and then fumed, "Fuck this." He stormed off into the wilderness, sword in hand and with the knowledge he'd never make it past the village they had just escaped from.

  Annabeth watched him go and sat heavily by the fire. Silence took the camp and I sat down across from her, the warmth of the flame providing some comfort. What was the System trying to teach me by sending me here? How could I learn to accept my new nature by surviving in this hellscape? I've already seen things that will haunt me for the rest of my life. I doubted I'd ever have any decent sleep again. I was worried by the trauma from the Monster Release, but it had nothing compared to this.

  I looked over at Alaric, watching the slow rise and fall of his chest. What do you have to teach me?