Chapter 440 Warehouse Raid

440 Warehouse Raid Aldrich touched down on the forest floor, or what was left of it. The previously grassy clearing had been utterly trashed by Nico's coin-induced explosions, Aldrich's attacks, and the Ivory Knights crashing their greatswords down again and again.

"Excellent work, everyone," said Aldrich. He raised his fist, and in response, the ten Ivory Knights stood tall in trained formation, raising their huge blades in front of them with ease like they were toy props. They slammed their gauntleted fists into the blade as a synchronized warcry.

'Ah, it has been quite some time since I have suffered such damage,' said Volantis.

'Apologies.' Aldrich looked down at his thoroughly damaged armor hanging on to him in warped black strips and cracked bone spikes.

'No need, Warleader. To defend you is my purpose, and I do so with nothing but honor.'

'Appreciate it. As always.' Aldric focused his Mist, restoring Volantis back to top form. Nico's coin toss at the end had been quite the impressive display, shot at a speed almost too fast for him to perceive.

It was only because Aldrich had predicted that Nico was going to throw the coin and the fact that he had lined himself up so that he was behind the Pursuer that he could get ready enough to catch the coin.

And to even take that coin, he had needed to cast [Ribs of the Fleshless One], encasing himself in the bone armor of one of the old Death Gods that the Death Lord defeated and absorbed into her new brand of necromancy.

[Ribs of the Fleshless One] was one of, if not the strongest defenses that Aldrich had in his arsenal. And Nico's shot had cracked right through it. It was an attack that not even the likes of Solomon Solar could match easily. Thankfully, the coin's momentum had halted just enough for him to manage to catch it instead of having it pass straight through him.

Now that would have been bad. Would have given Nico the opportunity to recall his coin and regain his invulnerability. If that had happened, the fight would have dragged on a lot, lot longer.

"Quite impressive on your end, too, capo." Aldrich stood in front of Nico's corpse. He had fallen forwards, blood trickling out of his mouth and sinking into the dirt.

The Pursuer had disappeared now that its target had been eliminated.

A ghostly green outline flickered around the Capo, indicating he was ready to be raised with his soul intact. "Hopefully, you'll continue to impress me.

Serve."

Aldrich raised his hand. Tendrils of necromantic energy surged out from his arm, latching onto Nico's body.

Nico's body twitched before he rose up, wiping blood from his chin using his sleeve. His normally silver eyes had turned slightly green like polished coins reflecting green light.

The capo's eyes were focused but not quite all there. Aldrich had not given him free will, after all, and he did not want to for now. Not until Fler'Gan had reconditioned the man. A powerful combatant like Nico probably had quite an impressive force of will, and Aldrich did not want to deal with it at the moment.

But Aldrich could still understand Nico's powers now that he was part of his Legion.

[Deathguard Name: Nico Accardo]

[Level: 63]

[Power: Golden Time]

[-The user can infuse an object they are close to with energy that allows them to manipulate some of the object's physical properties, granting it nigh-invulnerability, acceleration, and explosiveness. With training, the user is now able to enhance their own body instead of their chosen object. However, this can only occur when their chosen object is not in their possession.

In addition, the user can only enhance themselves with a few of the properties that they can enhance their chosen object with.]

'A mighty warrior indeed,' remarked Volantis.

"Yeah. He's just two levels below Seismic, and that's after my recent power boost spilled over and increased the overall level of my entire Legion," said Aldrich. "He's on the high end of the A-rank of Alters. With his combat experience, he could probably take on the lower end of the S-rank too, depending on power compatibility.

In any case, he'll make a fine collection to my Deathguard. Now, for other matters…"

Aldrich looked over towards the warehouse in the distance. Well, warehouse in name only. It was basically a military base with fortified sentry towers and compounds large enough to be seen over the tree line.

It was now on fire, swarmed with a throng of insect creatures as big as pickup trucks.

Aldrich put a hand to his head, contacting Valera. She had come with him here. Unlike regular undead, she could teleport with him as a Chosen. Which reminded him of Chrysa, the ordinary way he usually transported undead around.

He hoped she would awaken from her crystal-encased slumber.

The Death Lord had assured Aldrich that Chrysa would awaken once she adjusted to her new body, and that there were no risks. But still, he worried. It was just what parents did.

"…" Aldrich paused before he began to worry. Valera was not responding. He had sent her to the warehouse to take it over with Vexa's insect forces. It seemed the attack was going well, but the fact that Valera did not immediately pick up was troublesome.

He knew her. Even in the midst of deadly combat, she would always respond to him.

The only time she would not was if she was literally dead.

===

At Warehouse 42A, dubbed the 'Fortress' by the Italian Prong-

In the midst of a burning, crumbling vehicle facility where the corpses of melted armored cars lay strewn apart like litter, a hulking werebeast stood over a smoking crater.

The beast was easily three meters tall, standing on two sinewy, wolven legs with a hunched back. Spines protruded from each of the creature's vertebrae, ripping painfully through skin and muscle. The bone was not white but instead glowed a bright, toxic green. Its fur was black and tinged with glowing tints of similar green.

Drool and spittle pooled down from the monster's wide maw crowded with glowing green, razor-sharp teeth. When the spit touched the fortified steel ground, it melted through the metal with all the ease of water eviscerating cotton candy.

At a closer look, the creature was grievously wounded, missing an arm with several large, gaping holes dotting its chest. In spite of these injuries, it stood unbothered, its horrendous injuries closing up.

"YOU WERE THE STRONGEST FROM THANATOS?" growled the creature. Its voice was garbled, monstrously distorted, but it was still barely recognizable as belonging to a woman.

She stared down at a body lying in the center of the acid-pooled crater. The body was nothing but a torso at this point, arms and legs melted off, head so twisted from chemical scarring that it was unrecognizable. The only thing anyone could tell about the face was that its skin was pale.

Beautifully so.

The beast growled. "WEAK."

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