[Read Author Notes at the end!]
Kassandra and Hoyo soon left the room, leaving Ludwig by himself. He didn’t have much to do right now. Most of the magic he had learned from Tibari was too advanced for his current level, and he couldn’t train using his shard or chain anymore since they had been sent off for upgrades. The absence of his usual tools left him feeling somewhat adrift, unsure of how to spend his time productively.
Ludwig briefly considered practicing his swordsmanship but quickly dismissed the idea. The arena was closed off, and he couldn’t return to the training area he had visited earlier with the professor without her presence. It seemed like every avenue for training or improvement was temporarily blocked, leaving him with little to do but wait.
Finding himself with no immediate tasks, Ludwig decided to check his status screen. He had been so preoccupied with recent events that he hadn’t taken the time to review his progress in a while. Perhaps there was something he could improve or adjust to better prepare for the challenges ahead.
[Status Screen: Ludwig Heart]
Race: Skeleton
Soul Level: 19
Health: 1900
Stamina: Infinite
Mana: 1030/1030
Wisdom: 103
Charisma: 60
Agility: 20
Strength: 78
Dexterity: 30
Vigor: 10
Luck: 15
Class: Skeleton Grunt
Title: Apostle of Death
[Achievement: Unyielding]: [Increased mental resistance when lower on health. Increase in all physical and mental abilities proportional to the damage taken, up to 10%]
Skills: [Trace], [Basic Undead Summon Sigil]
Spells: [Enfeeble], [Galvanize], [Taint], [Flame Bringer], [Frenzied Spirits], [Fire Ball], [Self Immolation]
Passives: Basic Swordsmanship – Undead Resolve – [Blessed Body]
Overt Genius: Increased proficiency of all sorts of masteries.
Items Held: Basic Ring of Holding, Soul Letting Lantern, Umbra Malvolume Codex Necros, Mask of the Blind Witness.
Miscellaneous items: Black Tower Academy Clothes.
Souls in Lantern: 9,996
“Not bad, my progress looks steady,” Ludwig said to himself, a hint of satisfaction in his voice. He had come a long way since his early days as a skeleton grunt, and the numbers on his status screen reflected that growth. Still, he knew there was always room for improvement.
He then opened up his ring and pulled out the Green Emerald he had obtained from the Sheikh. The gemstone glimmered faintly in the dim light of the room, its surface smooth and cool to the touch. Ludwig inspected it once again, recalling its properties.
Name: [Emerald Mana Stone]
Type: Accessory
Abilities:
Increases your mana pool by 20% as long as the user’s mana is above 1,000 and below 3,000 base mana. Allows the user to cast up to tier three magic spells.
Condition of use:
Soul Level 15 Wisdom: 100 Vigor: 50
“I’m only lacking in vigor, and with the ten thousand almost souls, I should have enough,” he muttered to himself, his mind already calculating the necessary adjustments. The emerald’s potential was undeniable, and Ludwig was eager to unlock its full power.
“Add forty points to vigor,” Ludwig said, his voice firm and decisive.
[-1,050 souls have been deduced from your soul pool. You obtained 40 Vigor.]
[Your Soul Level has increased by 4. You are now Soul Level 23. (+400 HP)]
[You have gained 4,000 Health Points from the increase in vigor!]
“Huh?” Ludwig was surprised by the sudden surge in his health. He quickly checked his status screen again, confirming that his health had indeed skyrocketed to 5,900. “I didn’t expect the increase to be that much… that’s a lot of health,” he murmured, a sense of awe creeping into his tone. It was only then that he fully grasped the importance of each stat and how they contributed to his overall capabilities.
Seeing that some of his stats were still lagging behind, Ludwig decided to invest more souls to balance his overall stat lines. “I should probably get all my points to a level that I’m satisfied with, but seeing I only have about 8,000 and some points left, oof, this might be expensive,” he sighed, already dreading the soul expenditure. Nevertheless, he began the process, determined to make the most of his resources.
“Add 40 points to Charisma,” he commanded, knowing that this would enhance his control over his undead summons.
[You have used 1,250 souls. Charisma increased by 40. You gained 400 health.]
[Your visual allure is slightly enhanced. You have more control over the summoned undead and anything that is below you in strength.]
“My strength is close enough to 100; might as well increase it too,” he muttered, his focus unwavering.
“Add 30 points to Strength,” he said.
[You have used 960 souls. You gained 300 health. Your strength increased!]
“Since my agility and dexterity are at their lowest, might as well pump them up. Add eighty points to agility,” he declared, his voice steady.
[You have used 2,920 souls! Your agility increased by 80. You are much more agile than before and have a 1% chance to evade all attacks coming your way.]
[+800 Health]
“Okay, this leaves me with 3,816 souls… but my dexterity is still too low. Might as well pump the rest into dexterity and focus on upgrading vigor later, since I gain health passively whenever I level up,” he reasoned, his mind working through the calculations.
“Add seventy points into dexterity,” he commanded.
[You have used 3,080 souls. Your dexterity has increased by 70. You are now far nimbler with your hands and feet and able to react faster.]
[+700 Health]
“All I have left is 736 souls. I guess I’ll keep them for now,” Ludwig realized, a sense of accomplishment washing over him. His stats were now more balanced, with most of them reaching or exceeding 100. Only vigor remained slightly behind, but he could address that later.
Standing up, Ludwig immediately felt the effects of his upgrades. The increase in strength, dexterity, and agility was palpable. His hands felt stronger as he clenched them into fists, and his steps felt more stable and deliberate. The changes were not just numerical; they were physical, tangible, and empowering.
“Good,” he nodded to himself, a small smile tugging at the corners of his skeletal mouth. “Now, let’s see about this emerald,” he said as he plucked out the blue mana stone from his forehead.
[You have removed a mana stone. All your magic skills have their efficiency reduced by 90%!]
“I see… I guess without the mana stone, all the Nephilium in my body becomes useless. It needs it to connect,” he mused, understanding the intricate relationship between his body and the mana stone. He then placed the emerald mana stone into the slot on his forehead, feeling an immediate surge of energy.
Ludwig’s mind felt as if it had been washed with clean spring water, refreshed and rejuvenated in an instant. The emerald’s power flowed through him, enhancing his magical capabilities.
[Your magic efficiency has returned to normal. Your mana pool has increased by 20%.]
[You can now learn and use Tier Three magic. All magic that is below level 3 will have its power increased slightly.]
“Nice,” Ludwig said, a sense of satisfaction filling him as he placed the blue mana stone back into his holding ring. The emerald mana stone was now firmly in place, its power fully integrated into his being.
Now all he needed was finding stronger magic, he should probably ask his master for stronger and more advanced spells.