Checking the detail of the skills again, Michael realised he might have overlooked the effect of this skill his undead primarily used for combat.
For one they’d make excellent farm undead with the growth acceleration effect of the skill.
“Life force drain is also interesting. Though they might end up figuring how to use it on the future, as their master I should have paid attention to this things.”
It was like how one trained their pet. The pets were naturally capable of doing what they’re being trained to do but most likely wouldn’t for a long time without guidance.
In the case of his undead, they had always been used for combat right from the start they became undead.
Considering that this had only been days ago when he took had just become an Awakener, it wasn’t weird that if Michael didn’t know about Necromancer class fully, his undead who’s intelligence was still growing and hadn’t been given enough time to explore with their skills and ever growing strength would be unable to utilise it fully outside instincts.
Michael exhaled slowly.
Lucky’s Plant Control was far more than just a combat skill.
The surroundings before him, scarred and broken, was an undeniable problem. But now? Now it wasn’t.
He turned to Lucky.
“Cover this place up. Use Plant Control and try to make it more… green.”
Michael tried his best to explain, using both the mental connection and hand gestures atop his undead griffin. Lucky tilted its head, clearly processing the command.
After a moment, it let out a low, rumbling growl—one that almost sounded like acknowledgment.
The thorned mane along its back trembled.
Michael sighed. Lucky was getting more expressive.
The ground trembled.
Michael watched as the devastation began to fade.
Thick vines slithered outward, creeping over the battlefield like living serpents. They burrowed deep, their roots weaving through the broken earth, sealing cracks and stabilizing the wounded land.
At first, it was subtle—tiny sprouts pushing through the scorched soil, trembling as if tasting the air. Then, with unnatural speed, they erupted into thick patches of grass, flowering bushes, and twisting brambles.
The shattered remnants of fallen trees were swallowed by the earth, decomposed in mere moments as their essence fueled new life. Saplings sprang up in their place, stretching skyward, their leaves unfurling as though awakening from a long slumber.
Even the air changed. The lingering scent of smoke and scorched wood faded, replaced by the crisp, damp aroma of fresh greenery.
In minutes, the battlefield had transformed into an overgrown wilderness.
It wasn’t a perfect recreation of what had been there before—the trees were too fresh, the undergrowth too thick, as if nature had reclaimed the land in a rush. But it was enough.
Michael exhaled, watching the last of the vines retreat into the earth.
“…That’ll do.”
He turned to his undead.
“Looks like we don’t have to run away like criminals after all.”
Lucky tilted its head in confusion before starring at the grass around it.
For a moment it couldn’t believe it had the power to create its own food.
On the other hand, the Undead High Human merely observed in silence, as if taking in another lesson.
Michael shook his head and glanced at the skill description again.
“Life Force Drain, huh…”
Another ability he hadn’t paid attention to before. And if he was being honest, that was a bad habit.
Michael’s undead were growing stronger at an alarming rate, yet he had been more focused on their number rather than teaching them anything or truly understanding most of their capabilities.
It was easy to assume they’d just figure things out on their own.
But that wasn’t necessarily true.
His undead had instincts, sure. But instinct alone wasn’t enough.
They had been fighting ever since their creation, but they were newborns, in a sense. Their intelligence was growing, but they hadn’t been given time to experiment with their abilities beyond what they used for combat.
It was no different from a pet.
A dog might instinctively know how to bite, but without training, it wouldn’t know when or how to maximize its strengths.
His undead were the same.
And so was he.
His progress felt slow at times, but when he took a step back, he realized just how fast he was actually advancing. However, that rapid growth came with its own set of issues.
Individually, his undead were strong. But in a coordinated battle, their teamwork would be lacking—they would be weaker together than they should be.
This wasn’t their fault.
It wasn’t entirely his fault either.
They had simply been developing at a pace that certain fundamentals couldn’t keep up with.
Most Necromancers, even horde-type ones, didn’t rush to fill all their contract slots as soon as they could.
But Michael’s case was different. For him, more undead meant more power—his strength was directly tied to their numbers.
However, this created a problem.
He wasn’t as familiar with his undead as he should have been.
If he were placed alongside a newly awakened Necromancer, there was a real chance that, on a fundamental level, the other Awakener was a better Necromancer—despite being significantly weaker.
Michael exhaled.
“Looks like I’ve been slacking as a master, huh?”
Lucky tilted its head, while the Undead High Human merely stared at him, awaiting orders.
Michael chuckled.
“No matter. We’ll fix that.”
His undead were growing fast.
He was growing fast as well.
Time.
As an Awakener, that was something he didn’t particularly lack at the moment.
With his goal of leaving the capital fulfilled—along with testing his undead—Michael dismissed Lucky to the Netherworld and stored the Undead High Human in his storage space.
Both looked in rough shape, but in reality, their injuries weren’t serious.
They were undead.
And more importantly, they hadn’t been fighting to destroy each other, thanks to his command.
“I should return to the capital now.”
A few thoughts flickered through Michael’s mind, and he realized there were still things he could accomplish in the capital city.
For one, he still wanted to complete his quest, and he didn’t intend to take too long doing it.
Aside from not wanting to waste time on increasing his Hunter level, who knew—maybe completing the quest earlier would bring an unexpected reward?