Pestilence: Rise Of The Pure Undead

"What made you think that they could advance further?"

"Was it their strength? Their potential?"

"It was obvious, it is not a matter of power, all undeads hold the potential for something great, there is no factor that makes one more likely to be chosen, it all rests upon Death to plant a seed within those she deems worthy"

"But… If it isn't a matter of strength, why did you send them into such danger? Why did you pit them against unreasonable odds?"

"Why test their skills in combat and as leaders if such aspects do not matter?"

"Death picks her candidates, I am the one tasked with elevating them, a seed needs to be nurtured"

"I see… But how can you possibly know that it is the right way?"

"I do not, I am but a single undead"

"The gravelords are our empires greatest swords, so it is only natural that they should be forged through the harshest of flames"

-Extract of 'Discussion With The Champion' by Ilitorsi.

Slowly, with each motion he took toward the tsar, Herlbe's primal instinct to overcome, his unwavering intensity to crush and destroy his enemy returned as it felt like he was slowly getting a grasp of how to achieve it, Champion Loimos had mentioned it a few times, that the gift he was giving was eventually going to be mastered, become a part of them rather than an ability granted by him.

Like the fool that he was, Herlbe had believed himself to have already reached this supposed mastery, to him, a change in it was the sign that indicated that this challenge had already been dealt with, the revenant could only blame himself, none of his fellow minor lords would have been so hasty to make this assumption, he was certain of it.

Being a bonafide lumbering brute, it was obvious that Loimos wasn't expecting to figure out how to form a zone using either of his innate abilities, no, Herlbe only had to focus on the more personal gift he had been granted, Ierpalam.

It was more than a boost, a utility Loimos just granted to his trusted subordinates- It was a genuine addition to their arsenal, something unfathomably complexed spawned from countless attempts and an unknown amount of time working upon it, Ierpalam was designed to accomplish something greater once one truly grasped the purpose of its creation.

This very purpose was what Herlbe was slowly wrapping his head around as kept on rushing forward, vermillion cloak fluttering madly as he relentlessly kept moving forward even as Pangea'Kalst put his bestial cunning and rich experience to its fullest of display, aware that something was off, the tsar could not quite grasp what was wrong, why the minuscule creature that he could so easily strike and send flying inspired such a sense of danger, but in his instincts he believed, and so, submerging himself in the pressurised okean, bending his legs with much flexibility to bring his body to the bottom.

His jaw was opened wide as water of the deep was sucked in, before the ruler reemerged, his rapid movements certain to cause unprecedented damage upon the shores as the waves he stirred would travel across the entire ocean.

Despite it all, the small enemy was still holding on, growing more resilient and quicker at every pushback, his brute force also beginning to grow as his strikes never ceased even as he ran upon the tsar's body like a wild dog after a bone.

Opening his maw via four distinct parts, Pangea'Kalst unveiled a most dreadful weapon in his arsenal, which was spewing water, this act might appear ridiculous, even as he shot already tightly pressurised water in a jet so condensed that it appeared nearly imperceptible, as there was no way for him to fire straight at someone that was crawling upon his body.

Or so many would believe, a few might imagine that the tsar could perhaps fire from more treacherous angle, even fewer might delude themselves into believing that great monarch of the okean could perhaps bend water to his will and freely aim it, but such tricks were unknown to Pangea'Kalst, as he instead did something much less magical, but much more unexpected, as he fired at his leg, holding it at a precise angle, shooting the jet at a most accurate location, causing it to bounce like a ray of light encountered a mirror.

Again and again… To accurately cut off the way and strike Herlbe, slicing through him like a searing knife through butter, but instead of stopping or reevaluating his strategy, the revenant just kept going, leading to the water jet dealing even more damage to his body.

The minor lord did not care, as long as he could keep going, he would.

He ignored the damage done to him and just kept scaling the seemingly unending length of Pangea'Kalst leg, not caring as his left arm was cleanly sliced off, he only needed one arm to attack.

Faced with an utter lack of response to the damage he dealt, the tsar ceased spewing water, and instead push up against his legs, jumping into the air at a remarkable height, seemingly unbothered by his terrific weight as he even spun while doing so, managing to once again, fore Herlbe away from him, launching him through the air as Pangea'Kalst crashed back into the water, lowering himself well below the surface, the monarch disappearing from sight.

The revenant was about to break his momentum when he suddenly stopped, caught into some sort of spider web.

"I don't mean to criticise, but your plan doesn't seem to be working very well" Hartracite would have liked to provide assistance, but she just had no idea what Herlbe was trying to accomplish by just running up constantly like that.

"It's absolutely working, he is afraid"

"Utter nonsense, you've literally done nothing threatening" she pointed out, which was a fact, the tsar had not suffered any significant damage and even if he had, the damage would have been regenerated just as easily, so really, there was no reason for him to even be remotely worried.

"Trust me bunny girl, he can feel it coming" as he spoke with confidence, Herlbe used his chain to swing at an unknown sea creature below, its death bringing his body back to perfection.

"I can feel it coming too… Pangea'Kalst will be dead in ten minutes maximum" spouting a random number.

"Launch me back to where he dived" and with this, Herlbe threw himself back into the fray, jumping into the okean, below the surface where the tsar would naturally hold all the advantages.

The dark ocean allowed no light through, but it was better for the minor lord, he could extend his darkness awareness.

"Oh… You've been waiting for me?" it didn't take even a second for Herlbe to know where Pangea'Kalst was, as two giant pincers emerged from the darkness on both sides.

Herlbe's battle instinct told him that the next attack would absolutely send him right back to The Graveyard if he didn't manage to activate Ierpalam in the manner Loimos intended for him to use it.

In fact, it was doubtful if anything could come out unscathed from such an attack without an extraordinary ability.

With speed that could be mistaken as instantaneous, the tsar shut both of his pincers, this seemed to be the same trick that Yuolrt had once went on about, an ability that only relied on what she deemed to be the basest of nature as it was naught but a limb making a specific movement whilst underwater.

If Herlbe remembered well, she had said that it was used by a shrimp to send out a shockwave and stun their target, naturally, coming from Pangea'Kalst, it would do a little more than just stun.

As the shockwave was forced out, Herlbe directed his cleaver forward.

"Ierpalam : Vis"