A blink teleport brought her across the field as she moved simultaneously. A punch to the jaw of the startled bandit saw his lower face collapsing into itself. An ugly gurgle emitted that was no doubt meant to be a horn blow, but it was hard to blow anything when your entire throat was collapsed into a hole of gore. His own jaw had slammed into his spinal cord, crushing everything on the way and further cracking both bones.

The look of confusion in his eyes told her that the pain hadn’t set in yet. He barely even registered that his shroud had broken. Perhaps she’d allow him this small mercy.

He could offer no resistance as she ducked under the incoming sling bullet of both remaining survivors to grab his leg at the knee. They were too busy winding up to stop what happened next, even if they were now fully aware of and actively combatting the threat.

Planting her feet, a twist of the hips and shoulder swung the man off his feet and through the air. The barely surviving would-be hornblower snapped his neck on the raised shield of the slinger that was closer to attacking again, but both were still thrown to the ground. The final survivor did no better than any others as she blinked the short distance to his front.

His forehead failed to do its job as she caught a fist full of his hair, as well as a bit of skull, and brought it down onto her knee. Pink and grey viscera blended together in the now open cavity of his braincase.

The remaining survivor turned his terror into a snarl of hatred as she picked brain off of her knee. “You fucking bitch. You have no idea who you’ve crossed. Bronier and Hasdovir the Unkillable run this place. You’ll wish you’d died to us,” he hissed, the sharp scent of piss filling the air.

Something about the whole situation, the gusto, the faith, the barely suppressed terror, made her disturbing grin turn into what could be called nothing short of a wicked cackle. She respected the effort, but things were beyond words now.

Too in the moment to resist, T’Kere crouched down to pull the dagger of the bandit that pinned the one survivor. “Go on you cunt, fucking do it. Enjoy this win because it’s the last one you’ll get before you’re tied up naked in the stocks in the middle of the fortress and-” the grim threats were cut short as he realized the blade was not for him.

T’Kere cut and sawed deeply, baring her own throat wide open. But it didn’t matter. The wound closed as fast as it opened, and she had to violently wrench the dagger out, spraying the survivor’s face in even more gore.

Not a word more was spoken. None were needed. The monster stood from where she crouched, and simply pointed out to the gate. The message was clear. “Go, warn your friends.” The desperate squirming continued as the horrified man barely shoved off his dead comrade.

Ah, a cruel trick. The poor fool barely realized he was falling before the hole trap he hit was crushing him flat.

They would get their warning, but she didn’t need his help to do it. Glancing about at the mess she’d made, she realized that for all the grim death that just occurred here, only a few of them were beyond use. Closing her eyes, she began chanting, running through a series of well practiced hand signs.

She had an hour to manage the outside group, and had thus far taken twenty minutes or so. She could afford to take a few more minutes.

After those six minutes passed, those with limbs in good enough shape to stand did. The undead shambled to their feet, the snapping of bones back into optimal position ringing throughout the clearing. This would do to handle any bandits coming back from patrol. The holes would mop up whatever her servants failed to. It was another three minutes to make the simple illusions needed to hide the evidence of the rampage.

Why, if she didn’t know any better, she’d say these men were still among the living. When they sat still at least. A job well done. So long as you didn’t look close enough to see how weird the angles of a few necks were, you almost couldn’t tell!

Blinking over her traps, she stepped into the dungeon once more. The inside of the dungeon fared no better. The few patrols managing monster crab respawns were more prepared for combat than the rest, but she was far too revved up to show them the kind of restraint that would allow such a thing to matter.

To her joy, the boss of the dungeon had even respawned recently. She dismantled it as peacefully as possible, trying to leave it as whole as she could manage. The giant crab stayed pretty much in one piece, even its seven extra limbs and three extra faces, with four extra eyes each. Acid still dribbled from its mouths as she mounted its top and incinerated its internal organs.

She did like boiled crab. So soft and tasty… and now she was hungry.

She felt her lock on the portal snap shut as she finished raising the crab as a zombie. The others in the dungeon got the same treatment as she meandered her way back. Idly, T’Kere wondered if the dungeon theme would be permanently changed, or if it would return to its standard crab theme whenever the adventurers she sold the location to cleared it. Or maybe she’d even manage it herself and keep it as a private home for herself and Mar’Kir? It’d been a while since they had a nice vacation, and this place really did have such a lovely view.

Yes. She would bring Mar’Kir and little Varo’K here once she had the bandits clean up. She’d make them clean the water, too, while they were at it. They clearly were dumping their trash into the ocean around them, including their waste. How irresponsible of them. Every fisherman knew the ocean would give back only as good as you gave it.

It was so well established, maybe they could prepare some kind of portal to lead near here for emergency situations. With the constant sun and clean water supply, as the water in this dungeon was fresh, it’d be great for farming, too. That’d help smooth over the whole situation, more than likely. Of course, that would make their vacation spot a bit crowded… maybe it was a good time to invest in the line of skills to make the inside into their private space instead.

By the time she made it back to the opening of the dungeon, a small army had assembled there behind blockades. No less than thirty bandits this time.

“Ah. So you noticed. I must admit I’m a little disappointed though. Aren’t there more of you?” T’Kere pouted. “Well, I guess until you lot decide to take things seriously, this will have to do. Are you ready, or do you need a minute? Because I have been waiting for this for hours, and I really want you to make it worth the wait.”