The silence that followed the hidden deity's withdrawal felt heavier than the divine presence itself had been. Theo stood motionless in his command center, processing the magnitude of what had just occurred while his two skeletal sentries maintained their positions without so much as a bone-click to disturb his thoughts.
Six chosen ones. Ten corrupted champions. A cosmic countdown measured in days rather than years. And somewhere out there, both allies and enemies who could look like anyone—displaced refugees, panicked humans, or beings from the merged reality that defied easy classification.
Theo's military training automatically began structuring the intelligence into actionable plans. First priority: reconnaissance and intelligence gathering. He needed to understand the current state of Portland, identify potential threats and opportunities, and begin the systematic process of gaining experience and power. The divine communication had made it clear that rapid advancement wasn't just recommended—it was essential for survival.
He moved to his main computer terminal and began pulling up news feeds, social media streams, and emergency service communications. The pictures and reports painted a city in barely controlled chaos. Downtown Portland had become a patchwork of familiar urban landscape interspersed with impossible additions that belonged to entirely different architectural traditions.
The Willamette River now flowed around and through what appeared to be a massive stone fortress that had materialized on the east bank, its towers reaching heights that should have been structurally impossible. Pioneer Courthouse Square had been transformed into something resembling a medieval marketplace, complete with stone buildings that seemed to have grown from the earth itself. But most disturbing were the reports of organized groups—both human and non-human—that had begun claiming territory and establishing what could only be described as tribal hierarchies.
Emergency services had essentially collapsed in any meaningful sense. Police and fire departments were focused entirely on immediate life-threatening situations, while anything involving the "anomalous entities" had been turned over to hastily assembled National Guard units that were clearly out of their depth. The federal government's response appeared to be a combination of martial law in major cities and complete communication blackouts from Washington D.C.
But it was the smaller details in social media posts and citizen reports that caught Theo's tactical attention. References to people displaying "impossible abilities" were becoming more common. A video from Southeast Portland showed someone moving faster than human physiology should allow while rescuing people from a collapsed building. Another post described a woman in Northeast who had apparently healed serious injuries with nothing but touch and concentration.
The chosen ones and corrupted champions weren't just awakening—they were already operating in the field.
Theo pulled up mapping software and began marking locations of reported anomalies, unusual activities, and concentrations of displaced beings. The pattern that emerged was frustratingly random—convergence points seemed to have manifested without any discernible logic. A residential neighborhood in Southeast had become home to a crystalline structure that defied architectural explanation, while a strip mall in Beaverton now contained what appeared to be an entrance to underground caverns. Industrial areas sat untouched next to suburban blocks that had been completely transformed into alien landscapes.
His analysis was interrupted by movement from Shadowstep. The skeleton had moved away from its position by the door and was now standing at the window, its empty sockets focused on something in the street below. When Theo joined it, he could see what had caught his undead servant's attention.
A group of humans was moving down the street with the kind of purposeful coordination that spoke of military or paramilitary training. Six individuals, all armed with a mixture of conventional weapons and items that definitely hadn't come from any earthly armory. The lead figure carried what appeared to be a sword that flickered with inner light, while another had a staff topped with a crystalline formation that pulsed with eldritch energy.
But what made Theo's threat assessment systems activate wasn't their equipment—it was their movement pattern. They were conducting a building-by-building search with the systematic efficiency of people who had specific objectives and the training to achieve them. And they were heading directly toward his building.
Theo checked his equipment: suppressed P320, Ka-Bar knife, and two Tier 1 skeletons with developing intelligence and absolute loyalty. His mana reserves had regenerated to full capacity in the hours since creating his undead servants, giving him 45 points to work with—enough for nine first-level spells, three undead creations, or any combination thereof. Against six potentially hostile humans with unknown capabilities and magical equipment, direct confrontation would be tactically inadvisable. But information gathering was essential, and this might be his first real test of his necromancy's practical applications.
He positioned himself at an angle where he could observe the street while remaining invisible from below, then sent mental commands to his undead servants. Grimjaw would remain as his personal protection while Shadowstep would conduct reconnaissance. The skeleton's natural stealth capabilities and lack of life signs should allow it to gather intelligence without being detected.
Shadowstep moved to the window with fluid grace, somehow managing to open it without creating any sound despite lacking flesh to muffle bone-on-metal contact. The skeleton flowed over the sill and began descending the building's exterior with movements that defied both gravity and common sense. Theo positioned himself to watch the street while waiting for his scout to return with intelligence.
Several minutes passed before Shadowstep reappeared at the window, moving with the same eerie silence it had displayed during its descent. The skeleton's return carried information that Theo could sense through their basic connection—not visual details, but general impressions of threat levels, numbers, and positioning.
What he learned was concerning. Six individuals, all radiating the kind of supernatural energy that marked them as definitely above baseline human capabilities. They were conducting a systematic building-by-building search with military precision, and their equipment included both conventional weapons and items that definitely belonged to the magical category. The leader appeared to be a tall woman with silver hair, wearing a mixture of modern tactical gear and traditional armor elements, carrying a sword that emanated magical energy. Her team showed varied specialization: a figure in dark leather with predatory movements, twins with identical bows and scout-like awareness, someone with a crystalline-topped staff, and a heavily built individual carrying a massive two-handed hammer.
But more troubling was the nature of their search pattern. They weren't just randomly checking buildings—they were conducting a systematic, methodical sweep of the area with obvious purpose. Whatever had drawn them to this specific location, it suggested they had some form of intelligence or tracking capability that had led them directly here.
But it was their conversation, barely audible from his position but carried clearly through the post-convergence air, that confirmed his worst fears.
"This is definitely the building," the staff-bearer said, consulting what appeared to be a smartphone with notes and photos. "Multiple witnesses reported seeing 'moving skeletons' in the area around the time of the basement incident."
"Necromantic activity confirmed then," the leader replied with obvious disgust. "Fresh undead sightings, probably within the last few hours. Stay alert—whoever we're hunting has already started building an army."
"Another death-magic user," one of the bow-carriers said with distaste. "At least we caught wind of this one before they could establish a proper stronghold."
The leader shook her head grimly. "Doesn't matter how early we caught them. The mission parameters are clear: eliminate any necromantic threats before they can spread their corruption. The world has enough problems without the walking dead adding to them."
Theo felt a cold certainty settle in his chest. Whether these were enemies sent by the exiled gods or simply people who viewed necromancy as inherently evil, the result was the same: they were here to kill him, and they had found him through witness reports of his undead activities.
But they had made a critical error in their tactical approach. They were conducting a methodical building search using standard room-clearing procedures—predictable patterns that any military-trained opponent would recognize and exploit. More importantly, they had committed their entire team to a single building without maintaining proper overwatch or securing alternate escape routes in the surrounding area.
Through his window observation, Theo watched the group split into two teams: the leader, staff-bearer, and hammer-wielder would take the main entrance while the leather-clad figure and the twins would cover the fire escapes and potential exit routes. Standard building clearing procedure, executed with professional competence that suggested military backgrounds similar to his own.
He began moving through his apartment with practiced silence, gathering equipment and preparing defensive positions. His Ka-Bar went into its sheath at his belt, spare magazines for the P320 went into easily accessible pockets, and he positioned himself with clear sight lines to both the main door and the window Shadowstep had used for egress.
But this wasn't going to be a defensive battle. Theo had spent six years learning that the best defense was often a perfectly executed offense, and these corrupted champions had just given him valuable intelligence about their capabilities, tactics, and most importantly, their assumptions about his capabilities.
Theo sent a mental command to Shadowstep: locate the building's fire alarm system and trigger it when the teams began their entry. The skeleton's evolving tactical understanding allowed it to comprehend not just the direct command but the reasoning behind it. The alarm would force a building-wide evacuation, flooding their entry points with panicked civilians and disrupting their planned approach.
While Shadowstep prepared its disruption, Theo sent mental commands to Grimjaw to take position in the hallway outside his apartment door. The skeleton's intimidating appearance and combat-focused evolution would serve as both early warning system and initial defense if the enemy teams managed to reach his floor.
But Theo had no intention of letting them get that far.
He moved to his window and began preparing for his own form of urban warfare. The apartment building's exterior offered multiple routes of approach and retreat that his enemies clearly hadn't properly scouted. Their focus on conventional building-clearing tactics meant they were thinking in terms of floors and doorways rather than the three-dimensional combat environment that special forces operators learned to exploit.
The fire alarm began blaring exactly thirty seconds after the teams had entered the building's lobby. From his window position, Theo watched the immediate confusion as emergency lighting activated and the building's residents began evacuating through the main entrance—exactly where the leader's team was positioned.
The enemy team found themselves faced with dozens of panicked civilians flooding past them, making it impossible to maintain their tactical formation or continue their stealthy approach. The leader barked orders to her team, but they were forced to either push through the crowd aggressively or wait for the evacuation to complete.
They chose to wait, which was their second tactical error of the day.
Theo was already moving. But he couldn't use the building's main fire escape—the twins were positioned to watch exactly that route. Instead, he moved to the rear window of his apartment that faced the adjacent building. The gap between structures was narrow enough to cross, and the neighboring building's fire escape would put him outside their surveillance perimeter. His years of urban combat training made this kind of improvised route feel natural, and the suppressed P320 in his hand ensured he was ready for contact at any range.
But he wasn't planning to engage them directly. Not yet.
Instead, Theo was implementing a lesson he'd learned in overseas operations: when hunting an enemy with unknown capabilities, make them come to you on terrain of your choosing rather than attacking them in conditions that favor their strengths.
He reached the alley behind his building and immediately spotted the leather-clad figure positioned to watch the rear exits. The person was skilled, using shadow and concealment effectively, but was focused on watching for someone trying to escape the building rather than someone who might already be outside it.
Theo's approach was silent and methodical. The sentry never knew he was in danger until the suppressed P320's muzzle pressed against the base of his skull.
"Don't move," Theo whispered in Common, the universal language ensuring perfect comprehension. "Don't speak. Don't reach for any weapons or magical items."
The sentry tensed but followed instructions, clearly recognizing the professionalism in Theo's voice and positioning. This wasn't an amateur threatening him—this was someone who knew exactly how to kill efficiently and had the tools to do it.
"You're hunting a necromancer," Theo continued conversationally. "Someone who uses death magic and commands undead servants. You assumed that anyone with this class must be evil, corrupted, dangerous. What you failed to consider is that I never asked for this power and had no choice in receiving it. You're trying to kill me for something I never wanted."
The sentry's breathing pattern changed slightly—fear beginning to override training.
"Here's what's going to happen," Theo said, his voice carrying the absolute certainty of someone who had made these kinds of life-and-death decisions before. "You're going to tell me how your team operates, what capabilities you have, and whether there are other groups like yours in the city. In exchange, you get to keep breathing."
"The mission—" the sentry began.
"The mission just failed," Theo interrupted. "Your team is about to learn that attacking a prepared position with incomplete intelligence gets people killed. The only question now is whether you're smart enough to provide useful information or too stupid to recognize when you're beaten."
The fire alarm continued blaring from the building, and Theo could hear the sounds of confusion and crowd movement echoing from the front entrance. Perfect. Let them commit to entering the building where Grimjaw was positioned to provide early warning of their approach. Meanwhile, Theo would extract intelligence from his prisoner and decide whether this hunter was worth keeping alive for information or better eliminated as an immediate threat.
"Start talking," Theo said, applying just enough pressure with the pistol's muzzle to emphasize his seriousness. "How many teams like yours are operating in Portland?"
The sentry remained silent for several seconds, clearly weighing options. Theo could practically feel the internal debate—loyalty to the mission versus survival instinct.
"Three," the sentry finally said, voice tight with controlled fear. "Three teams working different sectors of the city."
"Coordinated?"
"Radio check-ins every six hours. If we miss a call..." The sentry trailed off, the implication clear.
Theo processed this information quickly. Eighteen hunters total, assuming similar team sizes. That was a significant force for day-one operations, suggesting either excellent organization or external backing. "Who's coordinating? Local law enforcement? Military? Private contractors?"
"We're... independent. People who see what's coming and want to do something about it."
The hesitation suggested there was more to the story, but Theo filed that away for later. "What capabilities does your team have? Magic, weapons, special equipment?"
"Emma—our leader—she's got some kind of divine magic. Healing, protection spells, that glowing sword. Marcus with the staff can throw lightning and fire. The twins are enhanced somehow, never miss a shot. Kane with the hammer hits like a freight train, and I can..." The sentry paused, clearly reluctant to reveal personal capabilities.
"You can what?"
"Move fast. Really fast. And I can see in complete darkness."
Rogue abilities, exactly what Theo had suspected from the movement patterns. "Equipment?"
"Standard tactical gear, plus whatever magical items we've managed to scavenge since yesterday. Emma's sword was the first thing to manifest for her when she got her class. Marcus found that staff in Pioneer Square this morning."
The timeline was interesting—these people had organized, equipped, and deployed hunting teams within hours of the convergence. That level of rapid response suggested either exceptional leadership or pre-existing organization. "How are you tracking necromancers?"
"Witness reports mostly. People see walking skeletons, they call it in. We set up a phone tree through social media, promised we'd deal with the 'undead problem.'" The sentry's voice carried a mixture of pride and defensiveness. "People are scared. They want someone to take action."
Theo felt a cold analytical satisfaction. These weren't professional military contractors or government agents—they were self-appointed vigilantes who had gotten lucky with their class assignments and decided to play hero. Dangerous because of their capabilities, but predictable because of their motivations.
"What's your real name?" Theo asked.
"Jake. Jake Morrison."
"Well, Jake, here's your situation. Your team is about to walk into a building where they expect to find some stereotypical evil necromancer lurking in a basement surrounded by shambling zombies. Instead, they're going to find precisely nothing, because I'm out here having this conversation with you. When they don't find their target, they're going to start wondering where their rear guard went."
Jake's breathing had steadied, but Theo could sense the growing fear as the tactical implications became clear.
"They'll search for you," Theo continued. "And when they don't find you either, they'll have to decide whether to continue the hunt or abort the mission. But here's what they don't know—I've got undead positioned in that building who can move without making sound and see in the dark better than you can. If your friends decide to keep searching, they're going to walk into an environment where every advantage belongs to me."
"You don't have to kill them," Jake said quickly. "They're good people. They're just trying to protect—"
"Protect who?" Theo interrupted. "From what? I've killed exactly three creatures since the convergence began—three goblins who were planning to hunt the residents of my building for food. My undead servants have harmed no one. The only threat here is you and your team hunting down people based on their randomly assigned class."
Jake fell silent, clearly struggling with the moral implications.
"But you've given me valuable intelligence," Theo continued. "Three teams, eighteen hunters total, operating with civilian support and social media coordination. Hunters with magical equipment making moral judgments about classes they don't understand." He paused, making his decision. "That information is worth your life."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean you're going to deliver a message. You're going to tell your team, and your other teams, that necromancers aren't what you think they are. Some of us never wanted these powers. Some of us are just trying to survive in a world that's been turned upside down. And some of us have the training and skills to make hunting us a very expensive proposition."
Theo stepped back slightly, though he kept the pistol trained on Jake. "You're going to walk away from this alley, call off tonight's hunt, and convince your people that there are bigger threats in this new world than someone who can animate skeletons. Because if I see another hunting team coming for me or any other necromancer, I won't be taking prisoners."
Jake turned slowly, relief and confusion warring on his face. "You're letting me go?"
"I'm sending you back with information that might prevent unnecessary deaths on both sides. Use it wisely." Theo's voice carried the weight of absolute certainty. "But understand—this is the only warning you'll get. Next time we meet, the conversation won't end with you walking away."
Jake nodded rapidly and began moving toward the mouth of the alley, then stopped. "What if... what if the others don't listen?"
"Then you'd better hope you're not with them when they find me again."
Theo watched Jake disappear around the corner, then immediately began moving. The interrogation had provided valuable intelligence, but it had also started a clock. Jake might follow through on delivering the warning, or he might rally his team for an immediate counterattack. Either way, this position was compromised.
He sent mental commands to both Grimjaw and Shadowstep to withdraw from the building and rendezvous at a predetermined location three blocks away. The hunters would find nothing in his apartment except evidence that their target had anticipated their arrival and outmaneuvered them completely.
But as Theo made his way through the darkened streets, he couldn't shake the feeling that this encounter had been a test—not just of his tactical abilities, but of something deeper. The choice to spare Jake hadn't been mercy or compassion; it had been a calculated decision that sending a message might accomplish more than creating a martyr.
Whether that calculation proved correct remained to be seen. But either way, Theo had learned something important about this new reality: the most dangerous enemies might not be cosmic entities or corrupted champions, but ordinary people who had been given extraordinary power and convinced themselves they knew how to use it responsibly.