3x Cloning System: The Fleshmancer's Undead Army is full of Heroes-Chapter 43: The Kingdom’s only Draconic Magus

Clayton’s world went dark within the split of a second.

However, since death itself remained optional to him, his vision, and consciousness returned a short moment later.

He could see his point of view rising from a low point, and as the system chirped in his ear, he caught up with the fact that he was beheaded, before his head regrew. Bones and brain matter formed in seconds, which in turn made the system’s words more comprehensive to him.

[-150 Life Essence Points]

[Boy, you’re going through quite the unlucky streak today.]

As Clayton’s new head emerged out of his neck, looking like an abomination who gave birth backwards, he saw his old head on the wooden bar of the Inn. It had landed sideways.

Clayton grabbed his old head, looked at it in the eye, completely unbothered. He even stretched out a faint smile.

"Heh," He scoffed.

Afterwards, he looked up, and to his right, he locked eyes with the Inn Keeper, who had walked around the bar after he dropped the extra stool for the third Hero.

The Inn Keeper’s eyes had widened up so much that one would think they were going to pop out of his head! He was beyond shocked.

"Perhaps I had too much to drink?" The Inn Keeper mumbled, his voice mousy for once.

Though, he was still not getting an answer, so he raised his voice, and added, "I’ve swam up our river, drunk as an overfed pig, and attempted to court a crocodile, but... fellow guests, can you agree with me that my experience pales in comparison to this? Is he holding his head, or have I passed out?"

The guests, otherwise known as the Heroes, did not answer. Clayton didn’t hear a peep out of them, so he swerved around his stool to face them.

He was greeted with three horrified faces. They were way past confusion, as the shrunken expressions on their faces cited.

Clayton’s smile stretched further. He threw his old head towards the woman close by, gently, portraying that he didn’t want to hurt them.

"You are not a mere man," The woman finally mustered the courage to add, her voice shaking. "I do not care to praise you, or beg you, but I ask you again, what are you?"

"Does it matter?" He prompted, "Maybe I’m a God, or a Demon? Perhaps a goat, or a not-so-headless chicken? Does my existence matter if I choose to spare you?"

"Your existence does not matter to me..." The woman said. "But you must answer my question."

"Quit asking me that," He demanded.

Afterwards, he sunk his hand below his armor, fishing out a small leather bag, filled to the brim with gold coins. There had to be at least one hundred coins in it, but he didn’t care to count them.

Clayton placed the bag over the counter, and said, "You can keep my old head, and you can keep this gold here. Now, I believe that every man, woman, and child is entitled to one mistake that shall not be punished, but I promise you, I won’t forgive your second mistake. You either grab this gold, forget what you saw, or come outside, and fight me."

The Heroes were quiet. The men were too scared to answer, for one thing, they were stunned, but they also debated if they should take the deal.

The woman seemed nearly indifferent. If it wasn’t for the fact that she wanted to figure out what Branch of Magic Clayton belonged to, he was sure that she would’ve attacked him already, for the second time.

Making use of the tense silence, Clayton added, "Let me clear the confusion for you buffoons. If you fight me, you will die. Take the gold, and get out of here."

Clayton fully expected them to cave, and rightfully so, but to his surprise, the Heroes started walking towards the exit. They didn’t grab the bag of gold on their way out, gesturing that they wanted to fight.

"Interesting..." His nearly hairless eyebrows stitched together.

One of the men opened the door, the other man walked through it.

The woman, her hair as blonde as gold itself, turned around, and looked at Clayton for a moment. She did not say a word, but it was obvious by the sour look on her face that any sense of fear she might have had, has disappeared already.

"So I suppose you want to fight me?" He asked.

The woman did not answer. Her demeanor was tense, her back straight as an arrow, fitting considering her youth.

In a blink, she threw her right arm forward. Clayton leaped out of his stool in response, fast as the wind, as he fully expected to be shot with a fireball.

He rushed towards the lady, fully ready to take her life with the Demon’s Kiss ability. He had aimed to keep a low profile in this village, but the situation had developed way past that ever since he was beheaded a couple of minutes ago. He did not manage to deescalate the situation.

Fireballs he did not fear, but to his surprise, he found himself on the wooden flooring of the Inn, a second later!

[-120 Life Essence Points]

[-141 Life Essence Points]

[-75 Life Essence Points]

He was not hit by a fireball, but his body suddenly felt as heavy as the entirety of the Inn around him! He felt as if a dragon was stepping on his back, and his ribcage was shattered a moment later, his armor partially squished, with bumps drawn out across it, as the gems and gold within his armor acted as a barricade between the armor, and his body as he got squished!

The boards on the floor broke, and he sank through them by a whole foot.

"What is this?" He coughed up a mouthful of blood.

"I am not a Hero, I’ve outgrown that horrid title ten years ago, and the gems on it mean nothing to me. My armor is only a tasteless disguise, as I wish to move through the Kingdom in peace." She said, "I may not be as educated as you in the Dark Arts, Demon, simply because I chose not to be, but I am the Kingdom of Albus’ one and only Draconic Magus! I am Rita Darkwaters, daughter of Jon Darkwaters, and My Mana Comprehension defies the Gods! It certainly beats yours."

In the meantime, Clayton’s body kept getting crushed. He could not move, and he was in continuous pain for the first time in a week! It went without saying that he ignored half of what this mysteriously powerful woman said.

However, once she was done speaking, she loosened her magical grip on him, allowing him to stand up.

Clayton’s body spent a fortune regenerating itself, but once he was on his feet, he was entirely healed.

[-461 Life Essence Points]

[Remaining Life Essence Points = 1,110]

"How do you wish to die?" She asked.