Pestilence: Rise Of The Pure Undead

Chapter 452: Stirring Within



Moving unnoticed was a difficult affair, thankfully, it seemed like he was managing for now, it demanded excessive focus and attention, but one innate ability granted upon the headhunters was the capability to mask their presence and approach, to be as stealthy as possible Grigri ironically had to move around during broad daylight, avoiding as much shades and shadows as possible, although the death force he emanated was not perfectly masked, no member of the vanguard would find it strange for death force to be whirling around.

Crawling through the golden hay, as slowly as was possible, making a wide arc well away from patrols to home right onto his target, having to go slowly as he did not want to get anywhere close to any undeads, things would be much simpler if he could just wield the abilities granted upon this corpse, but even just concealing himself, which was supposed to be so simple that it should always be activated, was too difficult for his living mind.

So things like manifesting his steed, breaking down into mist to move at greater speeds or even just summoning his various weapons, his cover was not blown simply because he had not been made to demonstrate his abilities yet.

Pulling himself around like a worm all day-long, Grigri reach a farm where another undercover agent should be residing, it was a lot of work to get to even one of those guys, being a rather lengthy operation, but thankfully, the amount of intel they each could gather was so little that Grigri should have time to get to them all before they even considered to deliver any reports.

Now, when the headless visited Pitit, it was always at night despite the fact that this was technically the most dangerous moment for him to be out, but considering that days were shortening and nights were only growing longer, he would have to spend more and more time in darkness, he had a simple trick to go unnoticed, when focusing on a living as though planning on slaying them, the concealment would be especially potent, Grigri did not know where this had come from, but he knew how to control and dose his killing intent and bloodlust, making him believe that he had once been a warrior, which made sense really, although he did not know much about the process of making a headhunter, he did known that each and every one of them, even the failed ones were made from exalted individuals.

Pushing the thoughts concerning his own identity out of the way, he extended all senses, locking onto the undercover soldier as though he planned on murdering him, allowing for him to grow nearly imperceptible even when to the darkness awareness sense of the dead, or at least, he hoped that he was, doubtful that a traitor would be allowed to roam free, he approached the backdoor, and allowed the typical whistling sound to escape him, reaching only the ears of the supposed prey.

The amount of people within this farm was naturally rather high, the farmers reproduced like rabbits all year long, the period of gestation of those people being the only reason there wasn't three times the amount of livings in this region.

Grigri tried to remember exactly how long that time was, but failed to recover any memories concerning this subject… Focusing again on the task at hand, the undercover agent had been alerted and had stood from his bed, probably not recognising it the odd sound from his own memories, as only knights had participated in the hunt for headless undeads, but this man had most certainly heard about it.

The soldier did not wake anyone else thankfully, and chose to investigate all by his lonesome, which was a reaction that was awfully more common than some might assume, lightly knocking on the door once the living was close enough.
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He spoke without opening the door :

"Hello?" Grigri could only knock again, no one would even deign approach the door when something responded in an alien language, the headhunter in white had assumed that he would need to break in anyways, but the soldier mysteriously decided to open the door despite the oddness.

'I'm lucky…' thought the one who lived in death, clenching his right hand into a fist.

"You-!" punching the undercover soldier straight in the chest, silencing him as air was forced out of his lungs, following with a chop strike to the side of the neck, knocking out the man, catching him before he fell to the ground.

Unfortunately, even though he wanted the best for those people, Grigri could not actually communicate anything, and neither would they believe in an undead that was already known to have slayed innocents, so instead, he had to be deceptive and struck the poor soldier unconscious, for someone supposed to be hidden amongst the masses, this simple interaction would tell him that he was already uncovered, and thus, he would not deliver anything at all.

Simple, but effective.

Carrying the soldier back to his bed, he would surely question why he had not been killed right there and then by what he would assume was just another undead, it was of no importance however, all that mattered was that the identity of those still unsuspected would remain as such.

'Just about a dozen more…' slowly laying the soldier down, bringing the man back to where he slept was a bit more delicate than initially assumed, since this man had a fiancée that was to absolutely not be woken.

Grigri did not know if his special situation as an undead that had gotten back his living mind and soul meant that the vow to not hurt civilians applied to him, but in doubt, he could only allow himself to knock out those that were warriors.

Looking at the two of them lying side by side, the woman naturally wrapping both arms around her fiancé's body, something pulled within the headless, this peace and gentleness, he did not know the reason why it arised such feelings within him, but it was something that should be protected.

"Worry not… I'll fight in your stead…" speaking words none here could understand, the headhunter reaffirmed his will, even if all blood, all organs, even if he had become naught but dust filling a white suit, even if no life force animated him anymore, he remained a living.

Indeed, of all undeads within the vanguard, a direct creation of Loimos turned out to be one who lived in death, even if suspicious and strange in behaviour, the simple fact that the one they saw as no less than a holy figure was responsible for his conception would serve as a great shield.


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