The Genesis of the Dead

"Your words are illogical. You're expressing gratitude to the individual who is about to take your life," Maveth responded dryly and curtly to the strange words that left Zoran's lips.

Zoran himself couldn't help but smile a little. With tremendous effort, he turned over onto his back, giving him a view of the early night sky. The stars did not shine this time, but those blasted triplet moons still hung lazily in place. "You know... I always... hated... the night sky..." Zoran said slowly, each breath accompanied by a wheezing sound. "It... reminded me... of my childhood... when I was... scared of the night..."

Maveth said nothing, letting the broken man continue with what would be his final words.

"I believed... only bad things... happened at night... Isn't that funny?" Zoran let out a pained chuckle as he reminisced about the life he had lived, the dreams he had harbored, and the words he had never spoken.

"Thank... you..." he said for a second time, further deepening the confusion plaguing Maveth.

"I do not understand."

"I... know..." Zoran coughed, expelling a mouthful of blood as his body began to shut down. "You... let them... go..."

A dawning realization struck Maveth, and he finally understood why the man was expressing gratitude. Although he still believed it was undeserved, much of his confusion had cleared, leaving only one point unresolved.

"Does failing your purpose not bring you discomfort?"

Zoran kept his gaze fixed on the night sky and smiled faintly. "I didn't... fail yet..."

"This place lies in ruins; the people you swore to protect are deceased. That is a failure," Maveth reasoned in his trademark monotone voice.

"My reason... they're safe..."

Maveth's eyes widened as he grasped a deeper truth about Zoran. This man had not been the village's true protector. He had assumed that role for the sake of his real purpose, to protect and repay the debt he owed to the doctor who had saved him and her daughter.

"But then why stay here? Why not follow her?" Maveth asked, unconvinced by Zoran's rationale.

"Because... that's not... my role..." Zoran spoke with intense melancholy and regret. He continued, "I failed to... stop you... but as long... as she's safe... I haven't failed."

Zoran's thoughts began to blur and drift away like sand slipping through fingers. "Do me... a favor... Maveth..." Zoran spoke with seriousness despite his fragmented thoughts.

Before Maveth could reply, Zoran finished, "Not... them... anyone or even everyone else... but never them... Can you promise me that?"

Maveth, despite his lack of emotions, felt stunned by Zoran's words, not because of the plea itself but because he found himself wanting to grant the man's request. Sparing those two would go against his purpose, yet for some inexplicable reason, he felt compelled to promise. Maveth's mind raced as he tried to formulate an answer. Just as he was about to respond, he realized he was too late.

Zoran's eyes, now lifeless and empty, stared at nothing. His body ceased all movement as the person he had been left this world.

The world grew silent and still, for only the dead inhabited this place. Maveth stood motionless for some time, pondering what Zoran had believed in his final moments. Did he believe he would be a man who honored the request or one who ultimately destroyed and for forsook everything? Thinking about it seemed futile, and Maveth had much to do before departing.

"Ma-ster?" The jittery voice of the purple-eyed skeleton broke the silence, coming from a respectful distance behind Maveth.

"I'm listening," he responded, turning to see his intelligent subordinate.

"I ap-olo-gize. It w-as due to m-y blu-nd-er that we we-re d-isc-ove-red befo-re you ha-d made suffi-cie-nt pr-epar-atio-ns." The skeleton kneeled low, blaming itself for being discovered and forcing its master to act prematurely.

"It does not matter. I was procrastinating. Your discovery merely sped up the inevitable. Moreover, your mana training paid off immensely. Without it, I doubt I would have emerged victorious."

"Ma-na?" The skeleton asked, confused by the unfamiliar word.

"I believe the origin of the lights you are capable of observing is known by the locals as mana. Although it is difficult to say with certainty."

"Man-a... fas-cin-at-ing!" The skeleton spoke with excitement as it began to grasp something previously unknown. A question came to its mind, and it asked respectfully, "Ma-ster, w-hy di-d that m-an call you M-ave-th?"

Maveth remembered that he had yet to introduce his new name to his subordinate. Before he spoke, however, an idea struck him.

"Maveth is the name by which all will refer to me. Moreover, as a reward for your service, I will bestow you with one as well." Although Maveth wasn't sure how, he quickly deduced that he was able to mimic the abilities of the purple-eyed skeleton. Firstly, by using its eyes, and later with the mana shockwave. It was only thanks to the fact that the skeleton had spent so much time training and refining that attack that he was able to use it when it mattered most, saving his life in the process.

"A na-me? I a-m ho-nore-d but fe-ar I a-m not wo-rth-y of s-uch a t-hi-ng." The skeleton confessed, still feeling a little guilty about its previous blunder.

"Nonsense. You are the first, aside from myself, with intelligence. Moreover, your dedication to growing more powerful is felt by me clearly. Giving you something will only motivate you further," Maveth elaborated with a tinge of warmth in his usual monotone voice.

The purple-eyed skeleton felt sincerely touched by its master's words and lowered its head again, speaking, "Ve-ry we-ll, I ac-cep-t ma-st-er."

"Good. From this moment forward, I name thee, Vithorian!"

Both of them felt something significantly change at that moment. The purple-eyed skeleton, now to be known as Vithorian, felt the connection with its master increase another level. Moreover, it felt significantly stronger and could more easily sense the mana inside its body.

Maveth also felt a change as their connection grew. He wasn't sure what exactly happened, but he knew that whatever he had done was special and shouldn't be done too often. It was like a small weight had been placed on his soul. Right now, it wasn't a burden, but if giving names increased the weight, it would be wise to refrain for now. Currently, he calculated he could give one or two more names without any drawbacks; afterward, there would be drastic consequences.

Maveth stared at the newly christened Vithorian and noticed several changes. Firstly, he could tell that Vithorian wasn't a regular skeleton anymore. He classified this new subspecies as a Lichspark. Lichsparks, unlike regular skeletons, could use mana to perform magic. Another name to refer to them would be skeletal mages. Vithorian, in particular, was a Tier 3 Lichspark.

Lichsparks were much physically weaker and more fragile than other skeletons but made up for it with their increased firepower and long-range utility. In the future, Maveth hoped to create more of this kind of soldier as they would be a menace on the battlefield.

Vithorian's appearance also changed. It grew taller and had a small but visible light covering it like an aura. The purple light in its eyes intensified, now resembling a roaring fire rather than a dying ember. Some of its exposed bones had small, intricate lines carved deep into the marrow. Vithorian gave a much grander impression.

With a new soldier at a new tier, Maveth also felt his own strength increase. Unlike with the Tier 2 skeleton, this time it wasn't his physical strength that had increased. Instead, he could more easily feel the mana inside him and reasoned that it would be easier to use abilities similar to the shockwave with more precise control and greater output.

This reinforced his hypothesis of his strength increasing along with the power of his troops. Feeling a rush of increased strength, Maveth ordered his newly named comrade, "Gather the corpses; it's time to increase our forces."

Vithorian, still studying its body, snapped out of its reverie with its master's command and noted, "Of course. Your will shall be done." It spoke with perfect clarity, in stark contrast to its earlier self.

The process didn't take long before more than 200 dead arrived at his feet. Among them, Red and Orros stood out to him. Without hesitation, however, Maveth moved his hand, causing his forces' ranks to swell. Many skeletons and zombies rose up and formed ranks. During this process, he ordered one skeleton to step aside.

This skeleton wore worn but previously impressive armor and wielded an ornate and deadly curved sword. He looked at the sole body that remained, that of Zoran, someone Maveth had no choice but to acknowledge as strong, and felt a small wave of excitement flow through him as he realized he finally had a use for this blade.