Stuck as a Dungeon Mob

The reason for the shaking was entirely unknown so all the elves be they warriors or mages were terrified. That included the plain old elf in front of W, they seemed a lot more cool-headed but one could also tell they were greatly confused by the event.

"Aaargh!" Some arid elves even screamed out in fright. A normal reaction.

"My leg!" Especially if you had your debris collapse upon your leg for the umpteenth time. Not to imply that it was a common occurrence to this elf alone, lots of different individuals were losing limbs from the fierce tremor and collapse.

While everyone was confused, the only one in the know was of course... Well, W.

"It was very presumptuous of you all to disregards the words of my undead" A clear and cool voice said from within the cloud of dirt and dust.

As the collapsed soil settled, so did the voices of the elves and their screams of fright or pain. They settled after hearing this voice out of a sense of knowing surprise. This was the undead's master! Most notably, they could speak their language! Were they really an elf?

The minds of the elven people started to race as they attempted to come up with a reasonable explanation. Could it be that an elven lich was born in the blood haven?

"We-" The androgynous elf didn't know how to reply. They wanted to explain themselves but were left stunned.

Ed's gallant figure was currently standing atop what one could only describe as a horrifying abomination. 

It was the giant head of an insect. 

The creatures' mandibles were like scythes that stretched out to the length of an entire elf. Its eyes… Well, it didn't have any. Despite this fact, all the elves felt like ants before the creature's non-existent gaze.

This was perhaps because it had a plethora of nail like hairs that surrounded its humongous body. Their length was at least the size of an arm and they all wriggled eerily. It was as if they weren't just hair, but an extension of the creature's body.

Most definitely didn't help that the creature's length was just as daunting as the size of its head. It had a wide and girthy worm like body after all. The dirt as it dug was stuck to its body giving it a feral and wild vibe.

"That… that thing… is it an undead?" The only elf in the area said in disbelief.

Yes, to top it all off the creature was an amalgamation of different parts. Each part was not any less eerie than the last. The elf collapsed to their knees in a situation that proved unbelievable to the arid elves surrounding them.

"""Esteemed mage!""" "Water Bearer!" The arid elves shouted tragically. For an esteemed water mage to be brought to their knees was unforgivable!

As water mages were the only ones that could bring water, there existed some superstitions regarding how they were to behave. That was to say this elf's skin was not smooth and unblemished out of their own volition, it came out of an obsession with purity.

The elves grew to associate the purity of the mage with the purity and quality of the water they provided. This was an entirely baseless claim but it meant that most if not all the elves providing water for the village were just that, elves.

That was why for the elf to drop to the dirty ground… it was something that ruined their purity and ruined the views of the water they provided in the eyes of the elves.

It was funny how things came to develop that way. Didn't they just need water to survive? Why were they being so picky?

"We are sorry!" To top it all off, this elf then prostrated against the ground and apologized. The arid elves felt that this was being too submissive but they understood that currently, their image didn't matter.

Ed had not made any move yet but the elves already understood that they were not a match. Any arid warrior holding a weapon dropped their weapon, and any normal elf from the town above that happened to be caught in the collapse ignored their injuries to show subservience.

Ed who was still on top of the frightening monster stepped off and landed lightly on the ground.

"What grace…" Someone muttered. The way Ed carried himself was domineering yet simultaneously gentle. It showed the elves that he had near perfect control of his body and it made sense.

Ed was an entity that currently possessed four different bodies. He had to constantly transfer between them and get used to the differences in both height and mass. Fortunately all of his bodies were somewhat humanoid, the only exception being the mushroom body.

Still, it was also worth mentioning that Ed had the memories of A and W who had the privilege of trying out his more unorthodox body types. For Ed total control was a given.

"You two, over here" Ed said to W and Idrisi. He made sure to also transmit his thoughts so they could listen well.

Idrisi and W hurried over.

'You worked hard' Ed said to W who would smile wryly if he could. 

W's wings were twisted and his initially clean and polished bones were now cracked and dirty. The blind cleaning that the Riniya person did not cover up cracks. Ed couldn't hear or feel W's emotions though so he didn't think much of it.

Well, Ed couldn't hear or feel W's emotions yet.

Ed placed his hand atop the head of Idrisi and claimed back his consciousness before quickly doing the same to W. Both of their bodies fell to the ground with a thud.

The elves observed this procedure with a mix of surprise and wariness. Their eyes widened as Ed then quickly stored away both of their bodies.

The elves simply watched this go down in complete awe. This unknown arid elf just made bodies disappear almost magically!

Some wiser more battle hardened elves instantly put on solemn expressions. If Ed could whisk them away he could definitely make them appear!

Ed then swept his glance past the many elves. Finally, he gazed down at the elf still prostrating on the dirty ground.

"Apology… Not accepted" Ed said coldly.

The elves in the vicinity sucked in cold breath. Not accepted?!

The elves wanted to immediately lift their weapons and fight it out with Ed but… they couldn't... Their will to fight had already been extinguished.

"At least not yet" Ed then added. The arid elves' eyes sparkled. Although the elves' will to fight had been extinguished Ed's new words rekindled their hope!

By nature, elves were supposed to be more passive creatures that spent their life in nature. Although the majority of the population in the floor was technically no longer elves, they still came from elves. If they could solve it without fighting that would be the best way!

"What… what do you need us to do mighty necromancer?" The prostrated elf asked not yet lifting their head.

Hearing this question, Ed's mind drew a blank. He got too caught up in his role play! The truth was that he didn't want to forgive them too easily but at the same time he also didn't really need them.

Just judging by the looks of the village and the behavior of the elves he could tell that their society had regressed quite a bit. The elven city that he resided in was something of the past.

'Well, let's ask anyway' Ed didn't think the people were completely oblivious to their pasts. Plus, he could also learn plenty about their present. The only issue that remained was how to phrase his question about the place without arousing suspicions... 

"Ahem, I will need you to answer some questions. But we can do that later, for now you should care for the wounded and come together to discuss my existence" Ed said without a hint of shame. He could always postpone it, the elves would be none the wiser.

"That's no problem at all! Thank you!" The previously aloof androgynous elf said as they stood up off the ground.

Ed didn't take these words at face value and quickly turned ran back to his ride. He got on top of its head and then gestured farewell.

He tapped the abomination's head and it wasted no time in turning its large body and digging into the ground.

Ed quietly entered a part of the creature's skull just before it started digging away. Dust and debris flew into the air and the elves remained silent until this cloud of dust and dirt settled. Only then did they move to help the injured.

'I'll have to modify this arrangement if I'm keeping this thing' Ed thought silently. To provide himself safety from the dirt and debris as the thing dug he basically gave the chimera a helmet. Of course, this helmet was not comfortable for passengers.

But Ed was also used to being uncomfortable.

'Well, I guess this might also count as a massage chair' Ed thought feeling the fierce vibrations from the digging.  He then held onto something and entered the system space. He wanted to merge with W really quickly and learn about how careless he was.

'I might have lost him' For any future expedition, he would have to equip W with the link skill or just a much stronger body.