Dead Man Walking: Living By Day, Dead By Night
Chapter 221: The First Step Towards Peace

The following morning after waking up from the corrupted state that she had fallen asleep in the night prior. Olivia found herself with a surprising message in front of her eyes, which the system displayed to her.

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[The Blood Crystal of a Tier I Horde King has been consumed…]

[+1,000 XP]

[Generating New Skill]

[Congratulations! You have unlocked the skill Fire Manipulation!]

[Fire Manipulation: Active: Type: Offensive Skill]

[Tier I - Fireball]

[Uncommon Skill]

[Cast Time: Instant]

[Cooldown: 30 seconds]

[Damage: 154]

[Additional Damage: +15 Burning]

[Duration: 5 seconds]

[Description: You have the ability to conjure a fireball and cast it towards a single target. Not only will the fireball inflict damage upon successful landing, but it will also instill a burning affect which shall add an additional amount of damage per each second which it is active.]

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Upon looking at the message, Olivia realized she had gained another useful spell like skill which complimented her mage archetype perfectly. First she could conjure lightning, and now she could conjure fire.

Judging by the fact that the system labeled her Tier I variant of the Skill as Fireball, Olivia believed that if leveled up, the skill would have different variants that she could cast much in the same regard that her skill [Electric Discharge] had progressed.

Because of this, she looked forward to how powerful her ability would become when she finally ranked it up to Tier V. And while Olivia was excited for her future potential, Zane was still lying fast asleep next to her.

The look on his undefended face was simple to adorable to the mature silver haired beauty, and because of this she decided to wake the man up in a fashion which he was unfamiliar with. Olivia climbed on top of Zane and planting a kiss on his lips.

Zane was not exactly what one would call a morning person. Thus, even though he was currently being kissed by the woman who lay next to him, it took him a few moments of grumbling and fussing to finally realize what was happening.

And when Zane finally woke up enough to understand that Olivia was kissing him, he simply frowned, and shoved her aside. Causing the woman to pout and insult the man in a not so serious manner.

"Meanie…"

Zane simply sighed and flicked the woman in the forehead before reminding her that they had a busy schedule ahead of them, one that would not allow the two of them to engage in their carnal desires so early in the morning.

"In case you forgot, we suffered heavily losses yesterday. If we wish to protect everything that we have built here, then we have to go out and farm the undead in New Reno. We don't have time to engage in such frivolities."

Judging by the severity in Zane's tone, Olivia could only sigh and accept his words as if they were the law. All the while expressing her discontent with them.

"There ain't no rest for the wicked, eh?"

Zane simply rose out of bed and began to dress himself while he nonchalantly responded to Olivia's words.

"You're goddamn right about that."

After saying this, Zane walked off to the shower to prepare for the day. And though Olivia would try to join him, in an attempt to insist on some early morning fun, Zane shooed her away. He was quite adamant about not having time for such things, and since this was the case, Oliva could only begrudgingly accept it.

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Zane's horde had suffered substantially. What remained of it was left in Tahoe as a garrison to secure the area. After all, it was one thing to conquer the lake, but if he could not hold it, then what was the point of fighting for it?

Because of this, his Horde was once more thoroughly depleted. And with this in mind he met with the various women in his party over breakfast to discuss their next plan of action.

"As you all know, my horde has been thoroughly devastated by the Crusaders of Elysium, and since we have yet to hear back from them regarding our attempt at negotiating some kind of peace settlement, I have no choice but to leave what is left of them behind in Tahoe.

It is with this in mind that I have decided to strike out into the ruins of Old Reno over the coming weeks to secure more undead, and hopefully level them up to a similar state as my last horde. However, we need to keep in mind the relative dangers that will come with this.

I don't know exactly what is happening in Reno, but lately, as you already know, the undead there have been rapidly increasing in level. By now, if I'm not mistaken, the majority of undead should be Tier II and III, which differ from how the city was just a month ago.

There should also be a vast increase in Tier IV and V undead. Meaning we will have to be much more cautious when dealing with the undead. Especially since at the moment, I have no horde to take their focus off of us.

So, once you have all completed your breakfast, I'd like to stake out on this venture. Are there any objections to this?"

None of the women had anything to say. Instead, they were more interested in what skill Olivia had obtained, and because of this, the topic of conversation shifted to that for the remainder of their meal.

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While Zane and the others began to lick their wounds and recover from the losses they had sustained in battle during the fight against Elysium for the sake of controlling Lake Tahoe. The Goddess had personally exited the Fields of Elysium for the first time since she established the massive haven.

She had decided to meet with Zane personally, and bear witness to what kind of settlement he had built that was capable of contending with one of her expeditionary forces. While her population consisted of roughly 100,0000 survivors, if not more than that. The mustering of 5,000 awakened soldiers was not an easy feat, even for Elysium.

For her army to have been mostly annihilated in the battle, it was a serious loss. Even if she had an additional 5,000 soldiers capable of fighting on behalf of the cult, she had still suffered losses that were close to 50% of her total force.

Perhaps if she were to rally what remained of her defeated army, and send it back to Tahoe with the rest of her army, she would emerge victorious. But the cost of such a thing would leave Elysium relatively defenseless.

And while the logical outcome was to pursue a peace treaty between both parties. The Goddess was prone to irrationality, judging by what her emotions were at any given moment. At first, she wanted to take such a reckless measure.

But there were outside pressures that controlled her base nature, and because of this, she was begrudgingly forced to accept Zane's call for peaceful negotiations. It was with this in mind that she had personally set forth on this journey to Gravestone to visit Zane, and settle their dispute with some form of settlement that would ultimately appease both parties.

However, upon arriving at the gates of Gravestone, the Goddess was surprised to see that the settlement was pitifully small. Its population was less than 1,000 people, and though all of them appeared to be awakened, the defended regions of the area had not even recovered from the entirety of the ruins which it was built upon.

The goddess stared at the gates of Gravestone with her jaw dropped, all while her servants tried to hail the local sentries. When it was made clear to the Gravestone guards that they had come to negotiate with Zane for peace, as requested. The guards informed the Emissaries of Elysium that Zane had gone out, and would not be back until later hat evening.

Because of this, the Goddess was forced to wait outside the gates of Gravestone until Zane returned. An act which she found to be nothing but insulting. Which she complained about to her shawled handmaiden with nothing short of the utmost fury a woman could manage.

"I can't believe this! He requested a ceasefire, and for negotiations to be had for a peaceful settlement. Yet the man had absconded off to who knows where? Does he not realize who I am? With such a pitiful settlement, I could easily crush him and everything he has built if I were so inclined!

Yet he has the gall to make me wait here for him? As if I'm some kind of common whore? I have half a mind to send this fool to meet his maker!"

Despite the furious tone which the so called Goddess of Elysium spoke with, her aide remained silent, and instead shook her head with a cold gaze in her eyes. This alone had caused the Goddess to calm her wrath, and instead sulk like a child, as she waited for Zane to return.

But it would not be until nightfall that Zane's HuNovelFireee pulled up at the gates, where he was surprised to see that Gravestone had visitors.