Blaze tossed the nucleus to Marrow.
"Consider it a reward for your efforts."
"I—thank you, my lord!"
Chimera was quick to object. After all, he had captured most of the humans. So technically, that reward should have been his.
"Generals get medals, soldiers get the bullets," Blaze mumbled. "Besides, that nucleus would do you more harm than good."
Unlike the zombie nucleus, they couldn’t consume human nuclei fearlessly. Especially if it belonged to someone like Thomas. That was why Blaze didn’t take the nucleus for himself.
The energy trapped inside Thomas’s nucleus was one of life. It was like poison to the undead.
However, that wasn’t the case for Marrow. After all, she had dominion over both life and death. The nucleus was perfect for her. Just like a beast’s nucleus would be perfect for Chimera and Fester.
Every undead had a particular type of nucleus that was more effective for it. That’s why Blaze preferred consuming the nuclei of strong, elite zombies as it suited him.
Meanwhile, Marrow consumed the nucleus and fell into a deep slumber. It was the only downside of their evolution. It could put them to sleep for random durations.
It isn’t a problem since we’re in the lair.
Blaze thought as he got off the throne and grabbed her before Marrow hit the ground. Not that it would hurt her, but because he didn’t want the humans to witness the sight.
He put her on his throne before turning to the squeezed corpse of Thomas.
Would you like a taste?
Necrophage shot towards the corpse as soon as Blaze said those words, wasting no time in sucking away what little nutrients remained in the corpse. However, it didn’t touch the brain as Blaze needed it.
No ability this time either. Then again, this human isn’t compatible with me.
Once Necrophage was done feeding, Blaze swung his claws, slicing away Thomas’s head. The humans gasped, and some averted their gaze.
While they didn’t like the guy, he was the strongest among them. They couldn’t deny that. That’s why seeing him get killed without a second thought cemented the fear within them.
Blaze didn’t care about such trivial things since he planned on killing most of them.
"Well, I wouldn’t have killed you if I didn’t need Marrow to evolve," he said, holding Thomas’s head. "Alas, you were the perfect meal for her evolution."
Everyone, undead and living alike, thought Blaze would eat the brain. But to their surprise, he held the severed head against the spire.
At first, nothing happened.
But suddenly, strange vines appeared from the spire’s stump and pulled the head inside it.
[Memory integration is active.]
[Target’s memories have been integrated with the spire.]
[The subject can view all of their memories by using the peripheral device.]
The peripheral device in this case was Blaze’s throne. That’s why he had fused the spire with it. After all, the throne was the single useless item in the lair, so he found a way to make it useful.
"That does it," Blaze said, turning towards the humans. "Let’s see..."
He pointed at six humans, and Breaker pulled them out of the group. The rest were relieved momentarily, thinking they wouldn’t be killed. At least not immediately.
However, Blaze had other plans.
"The rest are yours," he said, waving his hands. "Oh, and save some for Raven. I don’t want him screaming through the link anymore."
That was the order the horde had been waiting for. The cries for help echoed alongside the noise of flesh being torn apart. Some took their hearts; some aimed for the brains. The rest just settled for what was left behind.
The humans whom Blaze had chosen watched on in horror. Meanwhile, the horde master couldn’t digest the scene and turned away first.
Yup, I still can’t digest the way these barbarians eat.
His tendrils coiled around the humans’ necks like leashes, and he dragged them away. The sooner he corrupted them, the more believable their story would be.
The hurried footsteps of a woman could be heard as she ran through the muddy ground. Her torn clothes were drenched in rotten blood, and she had scars all over her body.
She kept looking behind as she ran. She was running away from something dangerous. Something that the cult had to know at all costs.
Behind her, a dozen more footsteps could be heard.
Zombies and skeletons chased after her.
The woman cursed as her legs burned from running non-stop.
Unlike her, the zombies had infinite stamina. They could keep chasing after her even if she ran to another continent. It seemed they knew it, and that’s why they weren’t in a rush to capture her.
The undead didn’t know that the woman was running toward a specific place. Towards the edge of the second spire’s range.
The woman poured what little strength she had into her legs.
Just then, a bright light shot past her and smashed into the skeleton right behind her. The light shot through the skeleton, hitting every undead behind.
The woman exclaimed as the skeletons were turned to dust.
Those unharmed by the light didn’t dare to take another step. They stood there for a moment before disappearing into the tall grass.
The woman couldn’t support herself anymore and collapsed onto her knees. Her hands were trembling as she raised her head to greet her saviors.
Three figures stood there. All of them wore familiar skin-cloaks. The cult was there, cleaning up the mess the initiates had made.
"Girl! Is that you? Thank—"
The woman had barely said those words when an enforcer grabbed her shoulder and shoved her face-first into the ground.
The second enforcer raised his staff, and a beam of light swept the woman, as if scanning her. After a long pause, he shook his head. Only then did the first enforcer release the woman and even help her to her feet.
"You’ll know soon enough," one enforcer mumbled.
A second later, all four of them vanished into thin air.