Ludwig cursed inwardly, he needed to leave this place as soon as possible. Because although the rewards were tempting what’s the point if he were to die right now from these Zombies.
[Necros’s Blessing is interfering.]
‘Again?’ Ludwig cursed inwardly as he lost control over his body.
This time, however, he didn’t lose his consciousness. Ludwig’s hand moved toward his lantern and tapped it once.
[You have disabled the Lantern’s Divine Camouflage option]
Suddenly, Ludwig’s body turned to its real form, a skeleton wearing torn human clothes.
[The hostility of the Zombies has been nullified.]
Immediacy, as if the Zombies became blind to Ludwig, they all stopped in their tracks, noticing that there was no flesh on that skeleton they all gave up on trying to eat it. And thus they began wandering around.
‘Quite a convenient trick,’ Ludwig thought.
[Necros’s Blessing has disappeared]
Ludwig regained control over his body and slowly stood up. He walked up toward the tree, while the zombies completely ignored him, they had no use for a moving skeleton.
He soon arrived to the mangled remains of the sheikh where nothing but the chains remained, clamping tightly around shattered wrist bones.
Ludwig grabbed the chains and inspected them.
***
[Soul Shackles]
Cannot identify!
Your inspection skill is lacking.
You cannot use this item, you’re missing several of the requirements needed.
…
***
‘Well that was useless…’ Ludwig sighed and placed the chains inside his storage ring. He looked around and found the bloodied emerald that had been adorning the Sheikh’s turban.
He inspected this one.
[Necros’s Blessing is modifying the details of the uncovered item]
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
‘This is Something I can’t use right now…’ Ludwig said.
[Status Screen: Ludwig Heart]
Race: Skeleton
Soul Level: 12
Health: 1200/ 900 [-300] Status Effect. Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire
Stamina: Infinite
Mana: 10/ 610
Wisdom: 61
Charisma: 20
Agility: 20
Strength: 62
Dexterity: 30
Vigor: 10
Luck: 15
Class: Skeleton Grunt
Status Effect: [Dismembered]
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 : [Flame Bringer 🔥] [Self-Immolation 🔥] [Frenzied Spirits 🔥] [Fireball 🔥] [Taint☣] [Enfeeble⚑] [Exhaust⚑] [Galvanize ♥]
❖Passives:
[Basic Swordsmanship] [Undead Resolve] [Blessed Body] [Overt Genius]
****
He took a good look at his status screen noticing that it had noted all of his achievements so far and all of his progress. This wasn’t that great in the grand scheme of things, but it was far better than what he started with.
The status window also reminded him that he had an arm missing. He picked up the arm and did as his mentor taught him before, fusing his arm with a bit of mana the whole thing popped right back in its socket.
Ludwig flexed his newly attached arm a couple of times, finding it perfectly responsive, he nodded and approached the tree.
Just as he stood there waiting for the ‘notification’ to tell him about the Gluttonous Death, his mask activated.
His mind went into a sudden burst of light as he began seeing visions from the mask.
***
Within a vast closed domed room was a man kneeling on the ground with his head bowed to the floor. He had a brown turban over his head. And looked to be no older than twenty years of age.
In front of him was a fiend shaped like a human, sitting atop a pile of corpses munching comfortably on a thick thigh that used to belong to what seemed to be a woman.
The voracious man had a sharp jawline overly burly muscles, and hair almost all over his body. The man grinned as he saw the kneeling man.
“Not enough,” he said as he consumed the flesh. “But I can still tell you how you can also gain immortality,” the man said as he tapped to his side. Revealing a Soul-Letting lantern that was surprisingly dim to the point Ludwig doubted that it was even functional.
“Please tell me, and I’ll prepare for you a meal even bigger than this one!” the man said, and only then did Ludwig recognize him by his voice.
It was the voice of the Sheikh, only this one was far younger…
‘So, it’s not only visions of an unknown future but also echoes of the past.’
“Hmm, you give a convincing offer. Right, but this is something even I can’t guarantee. Though you cannot obtain what I have, you can have the second best thing,” the creature atop the corpses spoke with a vile-sounding tone.
“I’ll accept anything, great immortal!”
“Right, go to the west within Lufondal at the borders of the newly constructed tower. What was its name… the Black Tower Academy, right? There is a bog there, an old and ancient one. In the depths of this mire, you’ll find what you’re looking for. But be careful, it’s very glutenous. Satisfy it, and it will give you what you want, it offered the same to me once. Though I refused since I have something better,” the creature said shrugging as he pulled out the warm heart out of another corpse.
The more he ate, the less humane he became, to the point where his eyes turned golden yellow, and his muscles began thickening some more.
“Leave,” the man said, “My hunger is growing some more. Leave lest you trigger my hunter’s instinct,” he finalized as he dove into the pile of corpses. His body grew more and more hair while he ate and tore apart the corpses.
The Sheikh soon stood up and then bolted out of the room, later on his entire body shivered up in terror as the sound of a long wolfen howl echoed through the night.
