Reborn with a Necromancer System - Chapter 72

Chapter 72: Ognacious and the Ogre
Ognacious Karthiem stretched as he climbed down from the wagon. “I’ll be heading inside to conduct business, restock supplies, and perhaps turn a profit before we make our way to the Citadel. Shouldn’t take more than a day or two. You coming with?”

Kai leaned against the side of the wagon, arms crossed. “I’ll wait here.”

The merchant gave him a curious look. “You sure? Ylthara’s got good food, warm beds, and plenty of distractions.”

Kai’s eyes flickered toward the towering walls of the city, toward the spires in the distance that marked the Hall of Sorcery.

‘If I step inside, I might not be able to stop myself from eliminating everyone in that damned hall.’

Kai coughed softly. “I might make some regrettable decisions if I go in with you.”

Ognacious paused, blinking. Then he let out a short laugh. “Very well. I don’t know what trouble a young man like yourself expects to find in a city like this, but I’ll respect your choice.”

Kai merely gave a thin smile. “I’ll be here when you get back.”

Og nodded.

With that, the merchant strode off into the city, guiding the horses carrying the wagon in through the barrier.

Kai, now alone in the quiet of the surrounding fields, busied himself with minor tasks. He checked his supplies in his shadow space, looked over his gear, artifacts, and phylactery, and monitored all those who entered the city.

By the second evening, Ognacious returned, his wagon fuller than before. “Good business,” he said cheerfully. “And no trouble, so that’s always a blessing. Let’s get moving.”

Kai climbed back onto the wagon’s side, now that there was no further space for him to ride inside with the extra stock.

Together, they continued onward toward the Citadel.

—

Kai and Ognacious traveled in relative peace, the merchant occasionally prattling on about market trends, caravan routes, and the ever-growing stranglehold of the church on trade. Kai listened with mild interest, tucking away useful tidbits for the future.

One evening, as they settled by a campfire, Ognacious handed Kai a bowl of stew.

“No need to hire extra muscle when I’ve got a mage like you around,” he said with a grin. “How about some coin for your trouble?”

Kai shook his head. “Consider it repaid when you guide me to the Citadel. Just keep a business proposition open for me in the future.”

The merchant’s eyes gleamed with interest. “Business, eh? You’ve got my attention.”

Kai leaned back, stirring the embers of the fire with a stick. He spoke of bulk storage techniques, better distribution strategies, and optimised trade routes. The one that got Og’s attention the most was the concept of a bicycle. They were all concepts from his old world that were yet to be fully realised here. Ognacious listened intently, nodding along, his enthusiasm growing with each idea.

“You, my friend, might just be the most interesting travelling companion I’ve had in years,” Ognacious finally said, clapping him on the shoulder.

Their journey remained smooth until the encounter with the ogre.

The creature stood like a living mountain, blocking the road with a grotesque, muscled frame. Its skin, a patchwork of scars and grime, stretched tight over sinewy flesh. Beady eyes burned with mindless hunger as it let out a guttural snarl, swinging a rusted chunk of metal that might have once been a sword.

Kai reacted instantly, pushing mana through his limbs. His body felt lighter, stronger as the strengthening magic coursed through him.

Kai jumped from the wagon and sped forward away from Ognacious.

The ogre swung down, the ground cracking beneath its strike. Kai twisted to the side, shadows flickering around his feet as he dodged with fluid precision.

‘An ordinary attack won’t be enough. I need something more.’

He wove his shadows from beneath him into a small ball in his hand. He accumulated more of his shadow and shaped in into a long jagged spear of pure darkness. With a magically strengthened jump, Kai launched himself into the air and pulled his arm back.

With a single motion, he hurled the spear of darkness forward. The spear tore through the air with a sharp noise, striking the ogre between the eyes and piercing clean through its skull.

The beast let out a strangled, gurgling groan before its body toppled like a felled tree, shaking the ground with its death.

‘Easier than I thought it would be. Maybe I’m a little stronger than I was before I got to Mirth.’

Ognacious whistled low, pulling the reins of the wagon to steady his spooked horses as he and the wagon finally caught up with Kai. “Remind me never to get on your bad side.”

Kai smirked, wiping his hands clean. “I’d prefer we stay on good terms.”

As Ognacious checked his cart for damages, Kai stole a glance at the massive corpse. An idea formed. He waited until the merchant was sufficiently distracted, then knelt beside the ogre.

“Raise Undead.”

A shudder ran through the ogre’s corpse. Dark veins spread like ink through its skin, and with a deep, rattling groan, its eyes flickered back to life, now burning with an eerie green glow. The beast’s muscles twitched as Kai’s magic bound it to his will.

The shadow space trembled as he attempted to pull the creature inside. It resisted, heavier than anything he had stored before. His magic strained, the spell flickering dangerously as the massive undead struggled against the pull.

He quickly looked back at the merchant and sighed as he watched him examine a chest of odd coins and gems.

Gritting his teeth, Kai forced more mana into the process, feeling the oppressive weight slowly give way until, with one final pull, the ogre vanished into the abyss of his shadow.

Kai exhaled, rubbing his temples.

‘I may not have had trouble killing it, but I guess storing something that large is a little more difficult. I can’t keep calling the ogre “it” or “that”, though. I have to give it an appropriate name.

Kai hummed sounds to himself in an attempt to create a name from scratch.

“Grond,” he muttered, testing the name on his tongue. It felt right. A suitable replacement for Tecton.

By the time he rejoined Ognacious, the merchant had finished securing the wagon. “You ready to move on?”

Kai nodded. “Let’s go.”

The rest of the journey passed with relative ease, and soon, the towering walls of the Citadel loomed ahead. The city buzzed with life, merchants bartering, soldiers patrolling, and the omnipresent banners of the church fluttering overhead.

‘Of course. They’re everywhere…’

Before parting ways, Ognacious handed Kai a sealed letter. “A recommendation to my trading company,” he explained. “Might be useful if you ever need resources or connections.”

Kai accepted it, slipping it into his shadow space. “Appreciate it, Og.”

The merchant chuckled. “Stay alive, Mirlin. I have a feeling you’ll make waves in this city.”

Kai offered a final nod before stepping into the heart of the Citadel, ready for what came next.