A Theory on Godhood: An Overlord Story

Chapter 33: Day of the Dead

"Sir! The undead are too many! I advise a retreat!"

"By the gods what the hell is that thing?!"

"There's too many of them! There's too many of them!"

The cries of his men assaulted Gazef's ears, hacking and slashing his way through the hordes of undead that came to devour and rip them all apart.

His keen senses picked up on the shambling footsteps of more behind him, his arm reacting before his mind could catch up with it. The satisfying thunks of skeletal bones hitting the cobblestone path was like music to him.

Zombified groaning filled the air, as well as the desperate battle cries of the soldiers who accompanied the warrior chief into the ruined city of E-Rantel.

Ever since the arrival of Gazef's hand picked group and himself, the constant threat of the monstrous hordes loomed over them as a shadow, tracking their every move as they delved deeper and deeper into the city.

Their arrival started off easily enough, with the group of about twenty-five men splitting into two teams. One team would remain on the outside of the outer wall of E-Rantel, near the former guards' barracks for civilian extraction.

The other would go directly into the city itself, searching for any and all survivors to be found, and also to make contact with the remainder of the Adventurer's Guild.

Gazef, as the Chief Warrior of Re-Estize, knew that he would have to properly arm himself for such an expedition. His men, too, would need to be equipped with gear that ordinary soldiers would not have access to.

The five treasures of Re-Estize, the Amulet of Immortality, Gauntlets of Endurance, Boots of Perseverance, Guardian Armor, and Razor's Edge were all at the captain's disposal. He was the envy of several kingdoms as he was.

His men were not without their own power, for the Church of the Four saw fit to give their own treasures in the hope of being better able to bring back home their citizens. Theirs' was shining plate mail, blessed so as to stave off the negative energy sickness that was sure to permeate the air.

Evidently, the armor Gazef's men wore would be reserved for aspiring paladins, due to the holy nature that was imbued into every piece of steel. However, the priests made an exception when they heard of the captain's mission.

Despite their best efforts to maintain a low profile, some unseen undead must've spotted them, for a piercing howl tore into the overcast sky and summoned forward the sizable group of armored skeletons and half-rotted zombies that currently besieged them.

"Men!" Gazef called out while he struck down another skeleton wielding a sword and shield, "Rally with me, and form a defensive position! Shield wall, go!"

Several of his martial arts activated as he muttered them under his breath, striking back at the enemy to give his men time to carry out his orders. Just about all of them had a shield of some kind, to which they stood shoulder to shoulder and interlocked the edges to create a powerful barrier.

The sight of their battlefield was at a crossroads near what used to be the open air market of E-Rantel, rubble and decaying bodies replacing the stands that once bustled with lively citizens.

Many of the larger buildings were still intact, though some were pockmarked with ragged holes. The streets, though dirty and a few stones loose, were whole as well.

"Begin backing up into a more secure position," Gazef said, over the noises of battle, "If we can funnel the undead into a tighter cone, we'll be able to kill off more without getting surrounded so easily!"