I let out a long and annoyed exhale, there were so many things to do and these specters had the gall to haggle with me. Far too many still yearned for things from the material world. I began the ritual anew, my spectral sight in full use, sorting through the various wandering souls. It was around this time that I noticed aberrations in the consistency of the orbs, some were brighter or more whole than others.

  From what Elden had explained it meant those souls had been here for far longer. Deteriorating and merging into the ambient energy, with nowhere else to go it was oblivion. Why had no deity come to retrieve them? A question for another time. In the meantime my focus needed to be entirely on the souls in front of me and on the task at hand.

  The flaming ritual circle flared briefly before a solid form began to shimmer in its center, providing me with the visage of a haggardly woman who stared blankly at me for several moments before the vestige of life. Unlife? Came back to her eyes.

  “Just what in the blazes do you think you’re doing?” She barked, “I won’t be enlisted in some cultish army.”

  “Cultish?” I raised an eyebrow.

  “Aye, you necro whatza a something bastards are always up to something and it’s always a cult.”

  I glanced over at Elden, “Do I have a cult?”

  “Your popularity is far too low to accomplish such a thing.” Elden replied automatically.

  “Ouch,” I muttered before looking back at the woman, “See? No cult. Now then, I’m Crowley. What’s your name?”

  She narrowed her eyes, “Agina. If you’re not in a cult then what’re you trying to bind me for with your creepy little magicks?”

  “To teach some hapless villagers stuck in a monster infested frontier how to properly use a smithy,” I answered bluntly, “And anything else you think would help really. We don’t have much going for us right now besides social tension.”

  “And why should I believe you?” She questioned rightfully.

  I shrugged, “Go see for yourself, it’s just down that way.” I pointed towards the village.

  “I think I will.” she huffed.

  “And once you see that I am in fact telling the truth, I’ll be right here to discuss the terms of your employment.”

  “Employment?” She chortled, “You talk like a lord.” She moved from the circle and into the forest, chortling and muttering to herself until silence reigned once more in the clearing.

  “That went well,” I remarked, taking a seat on a log and relaxing before the next summoning.

  “Better than the last four or five, yes,” Elden agreed.

  “It’ll be difficult to be worse than those,” I shook my head, “Asking for harlots in a time like this.”

  “In fairness, they are likely unaware of how much time has passed between their deaths and the present.”

  I slowly stood back up, hands on my knees, “Well I’m still going to judge them a bit for it.”

  “As any man in your position would.”

  I looked over at Elden crossly for a moment before stepping back up to the edge of the ritual circle. While I could see the souls with my spectral sight, I didn’t want to wander through the forest looking for someone to fit my needs. It was more practical to light the beacon.

  “What are you looking for this time?”

  “A stonemason,” I replied, shifting my mask a bit with my hand before igniting the circle in ghostfire, “We’ll need someone to help with fortifications for the village and frontier.”

  “What do you plan on building on the frontier?” He inquired.

  “Peel towers or some other type of temporary fortification, I won’t know until we establish and secure our borders.”

  “Did Myer suggest this course of action?”

  I shook my head, “No. While I didn’t participate in any battles before I came here I had practice, and lots of time to read.”

  The circle flared and an older man appeared before me, a long gray beard trailing down to his abdomen.

  “What in the nine hells?” He exclaimed before looking over at me and squinting his eyes, “And just who are you?”

  I slid the mask off my face and smiled at the old man. I had forgotten I was even wearing it when I summoned that woman earlier, the conversation might have been easier without the thing. “My name’s Crowley, I was hoping to enlist your services as a stonemason.”

  “Enlist my services?” The man questioned, “For what? Some gods forsaken tower? Or do you need me to fortify a cave?”

  “A village actually,” I replied, clipping the mask to my belt, “We settled in a monster infested land and have little to no idea how to actually create any meaningful defenses.”

  He stared at me through narrowed eyes, “Sounds quite the tragedy,” He looked around the clearing next, gazing over the ritual circle and the undead surrounding it. “And if I say no?”

  “Then I release the ritual and send you on your way,” I shrug, “I don’t have the time to be playing ‘is the necromancer actually a decent person’. I just need people to teach my people how to survive out here.”

  He looked at me closely, “And what type of fortifications are you wanting to build? And do you have an adequate labor force?”

  “Eustace will handle the village defenses, so the design is up to him. But I want peel towers or at minimum some haphazard watch posts scattered throughout this frontier,” I gestured around us, “As for labor, I’m working on it.”

  “Undead labor?” He inquired.

  “That is the plan,” I nodded, “Though it’ll take some time to get it right.”

  He nodded along, “I’ll sign on for one year, with options for an extension should the need and desire arise.”

  “I’ll do the same,” Angina added as she returned, “It hurts my very soul to watch that bumbling fool attempt to construct a forge.”

  I bound both of them on the spot, “One year, and we’ll talk about that extension when the time comes.”

  I had two spectral tutors now, should be enough to get started.

  “We’ll head to the village soon and get things started with the others,” I said, “But I have one more thing to do.”

  I walked over to a corpse, a deor corpse and held out my hand. Bounding Hounds no longer existed but if everything had gone to plan it had merged with Aria. I focused on the skill and corpse. And there it was.

  Animate Undead Ravens from corpse?

  I nodded and watched the body broil and shift until eight Ravens burst violently from it, ripping it to shreds. They were all pitch black with glowing spectral eyes revealing their true nature. I set them to patrol a circuit around the village in an ever expanding circle, we’d find those Gnolls in no time.

  We began our trek to the village to introduce my new teaching program, though my mind was lost in thought on the issues of the frontier and my future in the settlement.

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

  The frontier is expansive, and with no set borders there’s no way I can secure any of it properly. That would have to be something discussed with the others. Though personally with the small number of residents we shouldn’t need to expand much. It would entirely depend on how fast we obtain new ones. And with the amount of settlements destroyed in the last monster release, a grand total of sixty five if I remember correctly, and if at least a quarter survived from each. Well we’d be a bustling town in no time and my job would be that much harder.

  But how long would it be my job? If bringing the spectral tutors in doesn’t solidify my position as one of the founders, there’d be no point in continuing to work with them. I’d have to make it on my own. I had little doubt I’d survive in the wild with my current abilities, hells I could even make my own settlement with the labour force I could produce. But where would I go? Where would I do that? The point of this new world is to colonize it and become stronger, power at the crux of all things.

  Stagnation would not be an option, and frankly it would be a waste of the opportunity in front of me. Ultimately though I would have to leave, sooner rather than later. But in the meantime, I would use this time to become stronger and perfect my craft. I had a brand new tome afterall and plenty of open slots in my paths for new skills.

  We arrived in the village with little fanfare and the usual dirty looks, but I ignored them and made my way directly to Aaron, who by his account was making a forge. I’m not sure anyone else saw it as such but at least he was trying.

  “Aaron,” I greeted with a smile, “I’ve brought you that tutor I was talking about.”

  He looked up at me and stood, brushing the dirt from his clothes, “Thank the gods, I have no idea what I’m doing here.”

  Adina materialized at my side and glared at him, "Committing the ultimate act of heresy is what yer doing.”

  “Aaron, this is Adina. Adina, this is Aaron, your new apprentice.” I introduced them.

  “I have some reservations about this but I’m happy to take whatever guidance I can get,” Aaron held out his hand and to his surprise Adina took it and then slapped him on the back.

  “Enough with the introductions, it’s time to get to work.” She smiled, a gleam in her eye that made me exceptionally glad to not be her new apprentice.

  Before they could get to it a bell began to ring. We had a bell? When did that happen?

  Tyriel marched past us and glared at me, “Town meeting,” She called out as she passed, “Meet in the center as usual.”

  “I guess work will have to wait,” Aaron sighed, “Dammit, these meetings are pointless when we haven’t accomplished anything of note.”

  “I agree,” I replied, looking towards the center at the gathering crowd, “But we’ll have to put up with it for the time being. The faster we get it over with, the quicker we can get back to work.”

  Aaron and I walked towards the center while Adina began the work on the forge herself, she wasn’t obligated to attend. Though Elden continued to walk by my side, I was glad for the invisible state of my specters. We stopped next to Robin and Eustace who greeted us annoyed. They shared similar sentiments about the meeting. What was the point when we hadn’t done anything yet? We all knew what we needed to do. But I’d take the opportunity to discuss our borders and where exactly they lie.

  Harald approached last, Tyriel at his side, that sort of duo could only bring ill omens.

  “I’m sure you’re wondering why I’ve called a meeting so soon after our returns from our Trials by the System, especially since there hasn’t been much happening or done yet,” He began, “But I wanted to share some important news. Has anyone reached level twenty five yet?”

  Most of us shook our heads, Tyriel was a noted exception.

  “You all need to as soon as possible, actually no it needs to happen immediately. You will all gain access to a class evolution, and to survive the next monster release we all need to be above that point.”

  There was a round of murmurs and it made me wonder what exactly Necromancer would or could evolve into, and what exactly determined that. Was it based on my merits? Or was it a fixed evolution path?

  “It has also come to my attention,” He glanced between Bianca and Tyriel, “That an undead plans to take up permanent residence within the village.”

  “More than one if Crowley has his way,” Bianca interrupted.

  I frowned, I hadn’t planned on setting up any zombies permanently, I mean there was the construction effort but that shouldn’t be a bother. Tireless labor makes for quick work after all.

  “I saw her at the forge when I was gathering everyone,” Tyriel confirmed, “And none of us were consulted before he brought that thing in here.”

  I opened my mouth but Eustace and Aaron beat me to it.

  “Actually it was brought up when Crowley and I were discussing how to put together an effective labour force for the defensive and civil constructions.” Eustace said.

  “Yeah, and Agina was brought her to teach me how to smith properly. It’s quite the boon since we don’t have anyone with that kind of know-how and the System didn’t give us a manuel for that like it did for construction.”

  Harald looked at me with a raised eyebrow, “I was unaware something like that was in your capabilities. Have you been holding out on us Crowley?”

  “It’s a recent development,” I replied cooly, “And rather than use them for combat it seemed more prudent to gain knowledge on how to do things ourselves. If there’s a soul with the know-how and the willingness to work with us I can bind them temporarily.”

  “I thought domination was an option?” Lysander chimed in, “From what I heard that was the primary method for gaining spectral minions back in my world.”

  Harald looked at me quizzically.

  “It is an option,” I conceded, “But not the best way to do it. The best kind of teacher is one that actually wants to do it.”

  “And if there are no willing participants?” Harald asked, “Are we supposed to languish in ignorance if a hunter spirit doesn’t want to join us?”

  “Temporarily yes,” I said bluntly, “But there are always more. And someone will be willing.”

  “Someone?” Tyriel sneered, “They’re dead, they’re nothing but monsters now. And you’re bringing them into our safest haven.”

  “It’s not that safe.” I replied, “Something that needs to be worked on.”

  “Agina seemed real enough to me,” Aaron said, “She seems as alive as me or any of us.”

  “That’s just his twisted magicks at work,” Tyriel snarled, “It’s not right to bring monsters here.”

  “I disagree,” Harald said, “But Crowley, you need to stone up and get results. If you have the strength, why are you bothering to ask for permission?”

  “Why am I bothering to ask permission to bind the soul of a person?” I blinked and scowled, “Because it’s the right thing to do. Otherwise it would just be slavery.”

  “Well actually there were arguments and studies that souls are just resonant echoes left behind by someone’s emotions,” Lysander chimed in in a scholarly tone, “In fact, it was heavily supported that no mortal being no matter how powerful had the power to truly command the soul of another. And by that logic,” He trailed off at the baleful glare I leveled at him.

  “See? There you go Crowley, there’s nothing wrong with just binding echoes.” Harald smiled, “On that note I noticed you haven’t made any more ghouls to patrol the frontier. Why’s that?”

  “There are better methods to securing it than relying on them,” I deflected, after losing control of them in the Trial I didn’t want to risk using them until I understood the magic behind it more, “Speaking of which, we need fortifications out there. It doesn’t need to be anything fancy but the Gnolls started settling in the area and I’m sure the beasts from future releases will do the same.”

  “No, what we need to focus on is fortifying the village, not some expansionist agenda,” Bianca half snarled.

  “No I think Crowley has a point, we can hole up here as long as we want but we’ll just be building ourselves a cage if we don’t try to control more.” Robin crossed her arms.

  “Well of course you agree with the necrophiliac,” Tyriel scoffed.

  I tuned out the conversation momentarily, attempting to bring my emotions under control. This is what I’m working with? This band of abhorrent narcissistic sons of godsforsaken wombs? We’ll be lucky to survive the week. Much less the next Monster Release.

  “Power is all that matters,” Harald was saying, “If we’re strong enough nothing could stand to oppose us. All we need are levels and there is a whole village of experience points just a few days away.”

  “The Goblin village? You’re still wanting to just kill them all?” I took a breath before my frustrations ran rampant.

  “Not all of them, just enough to gain some levels and then let them breed some more and do it again.” Harald replied confidently, “An easy and surefire way to make sure we all get the power we need.”

  “Are you fucking kidding me?” I nearly shouted, “You want to set up a Goblin farm, killing just enough to ensure servitude? And then just wait to do it all again?”

  I understood the logic behind it, it would work, it would be highly effective if we let them gain some strength between slaughters. But that felt wrong. And there weren’t just Goblins there, the System had said their occupants were varied.

  “These are sentient beings,” I continued, “Brought here just like us.”

  “And if they’re not strong enough to stop us then they don’t deserve the opportunity afforded to them.” Harald glared.

  I took a breath and then proceeded with my thoughts, “I don’t know what happened in your trial but this is not the right way forward. I agree we need more levels, more power. But there are better and more efficient ways to do that. There are countless Gnolls waiting in the wilderness and there will be even more after-”

  “Oh just shut the fuck up,” Tyriel exclaimed, “If you don’t like the way the leader wants to do things then fuck off.”

  “Tyriel,” Harald admonished mockingly and then continued, “She has a point, Crowley, if you don’t like the idea that’s too damn bad. We’re going to use those Goblins to gain easy levels and then keep doing so. And whatever they could’ve given us in trade, well they’ll give it to us anyway.”

  I refrained from speaking any further, this was a lost cause. The Goblins would be hunted and isolated, the villagers would gain easy experience for their classes, and fail to recognize the true dangers of this world by taking the path of least resistance.

  My expedition’s purpose became two fold. Explore the Frontier and find a way to disappear into it until I can leave wherever we are.

  The meeting broke with Harald declaring that we needed more villagers and organized scouting parties to do so. And I was supposed to lead the opening foray against the Goblins in the meantime.