[NR] Flesh Amalgamation - Chapter 678

The group continues to go over various theories about the overall shape of this undead invasion. Though they end up circling the same things enough that Siegfried cuts them off with a clap of his hand. “This isn’t getting us anywhere.

“Let’s break up for now and get ready for the night’s festivities. There won’t be fewer undead. Right now, most of our defenders are third break with a good tenth in the fourth break so we are nowhere near folding yet.”

Jason, Rosha, and Courtney leave together at this point while Siegfried stays behind to talk some more with Helina about the supplies his guards on the wall will need.

Jason turns to the others, “I suspect within a couple nights we’ll be having our melee fighters stationed in front of the wall.”

Rosha raises an eyebrow, “The wall seems pretty sturdy. Why are you thinking that?”

Jason shrugs, “While sturdy, the walls are to some extent still alive. Even if I wouldn’t say they’re growing, the logs are still green wood and I wouldn’t be surprised if they put down roots. Whatever trees they come from must have a massive amount of vitality.

“However, while this is useful against the giant beasts as even something like a beaver is going to have a hard time gnawing on the wall. The undead are a completely different kettle of fish. We would be better off with a stone wall.”

Courtney, “I wouldn’t be quite that pessimistic. A few low-level undead aren’t going to rot their way through the walls so easily. And if anything, being at least partially still alive will give the walls some extra resistance to incorporeal undead.”

Rosha shakes her head, “I do find this interesting, but it doesn’t really affect us? Like, Jason, you’re already going down there and the two of us have ranged options. Though I guess you–”, and she nods at Courtney, “–might end up down there as well at some point. After all, you do have melee attacks and are a healer.”

Courtney shrugs, “The healer bit, of anything, makes it more likely I’ll be kept up top. They have long range healers and while having a healer down with the melee might have benefits? This is a fight of attrition and you never want to lose a healer during one of those.”

Whatever the case, the three go their separate ways as the guards have set up various areas to prepare based on what you do. After all, a healer is going to need different things from a tank.

And so time passes as the settlement is a hive of activity to prepare for the coming darkness. Magic floodlights are refueled, arrows and sling stone supplies are triple checked, and more. Until finally, those who won’t be assisting on the wall all retreat into the settlement.

The defenders relax on the wall, maintaining themselves for the long night to come. They don’t have to wait long, though. With a sepulchre groan, as if some newly dug tomb was being opened up, the silent masses of the first wave of undead push their way up out of the ground.

Among them, a single green-haired zombie rises. It is still just as mindless as the rest of the zombies, though others in the settlement had researched the matter and it seems this wasn’t a requirement. Rather, whoever was on the other side was throwing their rejected undead at them. A proper zombie horde like this would be so much more effective with even a single zombie capable of being in charge.

Except, of course, without any support, said zombie would quickly fall to the defenders. As shown by how quickly the green-haired zombie falls. The settlement isn’t going to take any chances.

Up on the wall, Jason holds a fist-sized rock, getting a feel for it. While he doesn’t have any true ranged attacks, his Strength is enough to make even a thrown rock dangerous.

Jason doesn’t even need to aim, instead whipping that stone down towards the horde. He puts as much power behind the throw as he can and aims towards the front third. The rock clips the arm of one zombie, smashes through the side of another, and finally comes to rest near the center of a third zombie’s chest.

For a single throw of a normal rock, the results are quite decent. If Jason had been intending this outcome specifically, at this range? He would be a prodigy at thrown weapons. Instead, this is just a matter of shooting fish in a barrel. As long as someone has enough strength to pierce through, there will always be another zombie behind to take the hot. Though admittedly, three with one shot is pretty good. Most of the other third break defenders cap out at two, even if the first hit involves only winging a zombie.

Now, there are those who are doing much better. Rosha for instance. Her arrows can pierce four to six zombies, depending on what gets hit. If only the arrows were doing more damage. After all, it isn’t like an extra hole or two is going to bother a zombie if they’re only the size of an arrow.

Still, the arrows probably do more damage and so keep being fired and soon enough the first wave is dead.

Then the next wave arrives. Dead. A third wave. Dead. This keeps up through the night. About halfway, an extra advanced zombie shows up. Then finally, at two-thirds of the way through, a proper challenge shows up.

With a roar, an amalgamation of flesh bursts out of the ground. A rotting mass of stitched together meat. Rejected parts past their use by date, combined to make an even more mindless foe. This mass of flesh on five legs made of sewn together torsos tries to gallop across the field, managing a fast shamble.

A wave of arrows tear into the mass, the one gigantic arm torn off from the sheer quantity that targets it specifically. Rocks pelt the thing, yet few manage to do anything worth mentioning. It might not be the most effective undead, but in this situation? A mindless siege engine is exactly what the undead needed.

Behind the mass, the miasma it spreads lays down and extends the taint. Desecrated grass wilts at a speed which would be visible if anyone had the time to pay attention. The flesh amalgamation doesn’t reach the wall, but it does manage to extend the desecration closer than any wave has managed over the last two nights.