Jackal Among Snakes

Chapter 638: Justified Fear of the Unknown

From the beginning, their group had agreed upon some strategies. One such strategy was a devastating opening salvo combining the grim virtues of necromancy and Argrave’s blood magic. As the dull steps of the Shadowlanders filled the air before them, Bhaltair, founder of the Order of the Rose, tapped Argrave’s shoulder.

“Bhaltair speaking,” he said quietly, predatory orange eyes gleaming. He was a large man, bulging with fat in places that hardly seemed possible. “Fifteen blades should suffice for the first wave. Over.”

Argrave gave him a nod, then sent out blood echoes. He spent the whole of them to conjure fifteen swords of his black blood, and they fell into the white ground ahead. Bhaltair moved to the center of this circle of blades, then gripped the bottom of his jaw. He unhinged it, then gray flesh spewed forth out of his mouth like something highly pressurized had just removed its lid. Undead beings resembling goblins sprawled out over the floor, already moving to grip the blades Argrave had prepared. They rushed into combat, moving with an animalistic grace. Bhaltair had lost some weight after he expunged what was inside—unlike most people, he had a genuine excuse for his obese appearance. He stored undead inside his body.

With Bhaltair’s undead facing one side equipped with black-blooded weapons, Argrave was content to consider that front held. The reason why became immediately clear—their frontrunner undead held his hand out, and Bhaltair cast an S-rank spell through it. Much like Argrave’s blood echoes, Bhaltair could cast spells at a distance—unlike Argrave, he wasn’t limited in rank, and his undead were merely a conduit for his magic rather than a reservoir.

A great blast of colorless electricity erupted from the undead and buffeted the coming Shadowlanders. Shortly after, Bhaltair’s undead fell upon the hardest hit, swinging their weapons in brutal arcs. As the blades Argrave conjured bit into their stone-like flesh, Argrave felt their life energy pass to Anneliese. She, in turn, replenished everyone’s supply of magic with the wellspring of power.

The dragon roared in the dead voice that everyone shared, and Argrave looked up at it. It soared through the air toward them.

“Archchief speaking,” he said, using his title instead of his name—perhaps arrogance, or perhaps it was because he genuinely preferred to go by that. “I’ll take to the skies. That thing, and other fliers, poses the greatest threat. I’ll keep it off us. Over.”

Without further ado, he clambered aboard his zombified wyvern and lifted off with tremendous speed. Argrave decided to trust the confidence of the southern tribal, turning back to the three most vulnerable fronts. To call it vulnerable, though, implied they were at risk of being overrun. They cast S-rank spells recklessly, knowing Anneliese could replenish what was lost. The Shadowlanders, however, took the damage like they were arrows instead of great bombs. To end them, one needed exceptional firepower—and Argrave intended to provide.Upstodatee from

S-rank blood magic was few and far between. Few casters had the desire, the talent in the field, or above all, the simple lifeforce to cast a sacrificial spell of that magnitude without dying. The few that did were not human. Vampires were the most common higher blood mages. They expected their supernatural body to regenerate any damage done. Argrave expected rather the same, but a pure S-rank blood magic spell was far different than an S-rank elemental spell infused with blood magic.

Still, Argrave declared a ceasefire to his allies and walked forth, bringing to the front of his mind the terrible spell known as [Apollyon]. He completed the spell with his right hand outstretched toward the approaching Shadowlanders.

hand, leaving half a thousand holes for their fellows following soon after. Were they outside of this realm, Argrave could imagine the pain was unimaginable. Even here, Argrave could feel his vitality draining far faster than it could be replaced. The locusts began to burst free of his wrist, then his forearm, then his

spell met its mark, and Anneliese let loose a flood of vitality into his body to replenish

chittering in a dull tone mandated by this realm, were a scourge upon all that they touched. The first Shadowlander they fell upon was consumed, bursting into colorless fire for half a second before vanishing entirely beneath their biting teeth and cutting wings. They spread out mindlessly, seeking any movement in front of

the locusts, yet mere seconds later they burst out of it from eight directions. An octopus spat inky darkness at them, but it was all burnt away seconds before the bugs fell upon it and erased it from the world. An abyssal mole-man sought shelter inside the earth of the plateau, yet the locusts tore through the earth to remove him. Their reckless pursuit broke away a huge section of the plateau, sending some creatures tumbling. The locusts ate both them and the falling rocks, leaving only

tearing through enemies that had not yet arrived at this summit. When nothing more came, they

note that it's taken

finished, unleashing its hold on his vitality. His allies folded around him to guard him

blood. There was no blood here, so they destroyed without an end. If Argrave hadn’t the benefit of Anneliese, who could replenish him based off what he killed… that may well have wounded him badly enough he’d die. If it had taken any longer, the locusts would’ve been forged out of

Archchief seems overwhelmed holding back the dragon. If you could do some of the same up there, this battle is as good as…

stood aback his wyvern, holding its reins tightly with one hand while the other cast spells that buffeted away the dragon that sought to descend on top of them. Against it, he held his own—but other flying enemies harried him, and the zombified wyvern

it was

hide a largescale attack. Those fliers seem maneuverable enough to dodge if they see it coming. Can you conceal over a thousand projectiles

speaking to say he can, over,”

He sent out blood echoes, and had each conjure [Electric Eels] infused with his blood. Meanwhile, he waited a few moments for his vitality to recover, then took a familiar stance. In

speaking. Bring your projectiles above me, if

each of the malignant looking eels faded away until nothing but emptiness seemed to linger above. If Argrave couldn’t feel them with his will,

the ground

Argrave. She opened her mouth, then cast a spell inside. Then, she craned her neck. When she shouted, her words erupted with the force of a