"Why didn't you say anything sooner!?" Lesley started to run, trying to get out of the woods as fast as he could. "Why are they attacking me? What about my [Dead Aura] ?"
[Your ability only works on Low level undead, it is only level 1 after all. It's at its basic stage.]
"But what about the Mid level zombies I killed? They didn't sense me until I wanted them too." Lesley took a sharp turn when a thorn bush with oozing green pus appeared ahead.
[You forget what I told you, already. The undead in your world have no Main laws, no class and Aether bodies. When the Primordial Bloodline interface shows them as Low or Mid level, it is measuring the Aether in their bodies, not their Cores. It is why their Aether cores are still labelled Awakened Grey.]
"What about Mel? Is he not a High level zombie then?" Lesley stopped and looked around, trying to see an end anywhere to the miasma, but it seemed to be getting thicker.
[He has high levels of Aether, but still has an Awakened Grey Core. After your Plane's ascension, evolving the core will be possible. It is possible now, but the method is something you should not know yet. I don't think your running strategy is working, we're back at that tree again.The miasma is decaying your perception.]
Lesley swore and looked at the green ember on his shoulder," Thanks, so what do you suggest?"
[I suggest nothing. You misunderstand my purpose for being here, I am your informer and guide to becoming stronger, but concerning your path, that is yours and yours alone. You have to think on your own to survive, as a Squad fighter, I'm sure you know that.]
"In other words, I can't rely on you in a fight or in this situation. Shit!" Lesley looked at his status and saw his Vitality was still dropping,"How come I don't feel any negative effects from the miasma?"
[The tree's miasma is influenced by the law of Decay, meaning if your body was here, you'd feel like you were rotting from the inside out. But, since this is your Soul self here, it's just your soul that's being eaten away at, painfully slowly. Your soul is strong, so you won't feel anything yet, maybe after a while you'll fall in agony.]
"Thanks for the gory picture. Then...here's what I'll do." Lesley raised his open palm and a short sword with an Obsidian jade gleam appeared," I'll slice them down, and creating some breathing room. Literally."
Lesley walked towards the nearest tree and waved his hand in a horizontal slash, and the tree was sliced off its roots.
"Wow, this thing is crazy sharp."
[A short sword that turns into a whip? That's innovative. And don't overestimate yourself, these are non sentiment and with low Vitality. You're Soul weapon is just over powered in comparison.]
"No time for talking, my Vitality is less than thirty." Lesley proceeded to chop down five more trees in quick succession, leaving their stumps in the ground.
[The miasma is not reducing, your Vitality is still dropping.]
"I already know that! Cough!" Lesley shouted as he slashed another tree in half," The miasma is too thick, I'd have to chop down thirty trees to make a difference. I don't have that time."
[You're being naive and forgetful. The only reason you're in danger is because the tree's sense your life energy, because of your weak [Dead Aura]. You need only level it up.]
"How?" Lesley asked as he scratched his neck, leaving red wheels. The miasma was starting to get to him. His skin felt itchy all over, and it was sheer will power that stopped him from clawing his flesh off.
[Remember your abilities, Les. You're a Reanimation cultivator, Undead attacks are your element if you know how to use your abilities right.]
Lesley looked at his status, ignoring his declining health and focused on his abilities. The Primordial abilities were of no help , so he went to his Main law abilities.
"Necros Absorption, that's it." Lesley smiled as he realised he'd been just as naive and forgetful as Phix said. His habit of finding the most ordinary solution was still his most natural reaction. He needed to remember he wasn't a normal human anymore, he had abilities and powers like no one he knew.
Lesley walked over to the nearest Miasma Tree and used his ability, surprised by the thick wisps of Grey Aether that rushed into his being. The Aether here was more colder than from Old Greenhit and this one had a slick feeling, like molasses.
[You've gained +20 Aether]
[Grey Wood Available]
[Would you like to collect item?]
"Huh? What's that?" Lesley sighed as he felt a bit better, a sense of mild relief washed over his skin from the Aether he absorbed. He quickly proceeded to chop two more trees and absorb Aether from the ones he felled earlier.
[You've gained +100 Aether]
[You've leveled up in Spiritual Cultivation!]
[You've gained 10 Necros Points!]
"Hey, answer my question, will you?" Lesley asked as he slashed five trees in succession again.
[The Items panel in your Bloodline interface is for storing mystic materials, rich in Aether. It's not infinite, its size is about 25 cubic metres right now. Grey Wood is the remnants of slain Zombie plants with Grey Cores, it is twice as strong as any wood on your world.]
"Oh, okay. But if it's that strong, there won't be tools to cut it back home." Lesley looked at his whip," I don't want to ceaselessly use my weapon for that."
[It's okay, you don't have to take it all now, maybe you will gain an Undead who can tend to it, but you can take one to use as fire wood. It is quite flammable and each one can cast a flame that lasts for 8 hours.]
"Shit thanks! It gets crazy cold here. I mean, back at the apartment." Lesley slashed a few more trees.
[The Necros Points are used for leveling up skills, it is infact their main purpose. They can also be used to upgrade physical attributes, but adjustment to the new power is all on you.]
"I thought Soul points were for upgrading skills too." Lesley asked as he continued with his deforestation, increasing his Aether.
[Soul points can level up your skills but their usefulness is vast. 1 Soul Point is equal to a 100 Necros Points. Soul points can increase magical and physical attributes, but can not affect the Primordial attributes.]
"Sounds really great but I don't want to kill people all willy nilly for power. I know I might have to, but I don't want to." Lesley admitted and Phix moved to his other shoulder.
[You don't have to kill to gain soul points. You just have to absorb a soul.]
"Isn't that killing the soul?" Lesley raised his hand and absorbed the Aether from the four trees near him.
[No, I'll show you what happens when you absorb a soul later, for now, stop killing trees and upgrade your abilities. You're lucky these trees are already dead, or you'd be considered a natural disaster.]
"Oh, right." Lesley looked around at the open space where he stood, surrounded by tree trunks," You think I went overboard?"
[You've slain 15 Plant Zombies]
[You've acquired +600 Aether]
[You've levelled up!]
[You've levelled up!]
[You've gained 30 Necros Points]
[You've acquired 5 Grey Wood]
"Awesome, can I check my status before I upgrade my ability?" Lesley felt a wave of power surge through him, making him feel light and strong all at once.
[Nothing is stopping you, not these butchered trees that's for sure]
[ Your Status has updated.
|•|
STATUS:
Name: Lesley Woodsman
Species: Human
Title(s): Primordial Heir, Aggrieved One
Bloodline: Primordial Phoenix {Incomplete}
Bloodline class: Primordial {Extinct}
Status: Bloodline integration {8%}
Class: None
Cultivation Rank(s);
Physical cultivation: Level 2 {Mortal coil}
Spiritual cultivation: Level 7 {Soul Awakening}
Main law: Reanimation
Minor law(s): Reincarnation {Sealed}
|∆|
ATTRIBUTES:
PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES;
Strength: 30
Agility: 30
Stamina: 55/55
Vitality: 40/40
Sanity: 85/85
|∆|
MAGICAL ATTRIBUTES;
Spirit: 35 {+30}
Aether Soul Sea: 320/320
Aether Core: Awakened {Unstable}
Necros Points: 40.0
Soul points: 0.0
|∆|
SKILLS:
BLOODLINE ABILITIES:
[PHOENIX ATTUNEMENT | Passive]
[PRIMORDIAL PERCEPTION | Active | Level 1]
*
MAIN LAW ABILITIES:
REANIMATION;
[NECROS ABSORPTION | Passive | Level 2]
[UNDYING | Passive | Level 1]
[DEAD AURA | Active | Level 2]
[BLOOD FAMILIAR| Active | Level 1]
[UNDEATH TRIALS| Legendary] The Authorities of Death seek to test your disdain upon the oldest laws and your will against the perversion upon the Fates. Face the twelve Undeath temples of the twelve gods of Finality, Fright and Fate. Win or lose, conquer or cower, you will be rewarded by each act you perform. Whether its a blessing...or a curse.
*
MINOR LAW(S) ABILITIES:
REINCARNATION;
[INCARNATION CHAIN] {Sealed}
[CYCLE PSYCH] {Sealed}
|∆|
Name: Mel {Change?}
Species: Undead
Title {s}: Lost Lamenter, Primordial Familiar
Rank: High level Zombie
Class: None
Main law; N/A
|∆|
PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES:
Strength: 30
Agility: 30
Stamina: {Limitless}
Vitality: 50/50
Sanity: 84.0
|∆|
MAGICAL ATTRIBUTES:
Spirit: 20 {+20}
Zombie Core: Grey {Awakening}
|∆|
UNDEAD ABILITIES:
[NECROS BITE | Level 1]
[ZOMBIE DASH| Level 2]
[LIFE SENSE | Level 1]
|×|
FAMILIAR ABILITIES;
[SOUL LINK | Level 1]
[PRIMORDIAL ATTUNEMENT | Level 1]
[TWO TO ONE | Level 1]
|∆|
Summons: 0/5
Items: None
Note: Accursed Delicacy
{Law Descent and Plane ascension imminent in 2 months, 3 weeks, 4 days and 2 hours}
|•|
]
"Huh, the time is still two hours. Does time work differently in here?" Lesley asked.
[Yes, time is different concept in here. An hour here, is a minute back home.]
"Okay. How do I upgrade my ability?"
[Here you go;
|•|
[Dead Aura] = 10 Necros Points
[Undying]= 30 Necros Points
[Blood Familiar]= 100 Necros Points
|•|
]
"What? That's bloody expensive! I cut down all these trees and I only have 40 Necros Points." Lesley complained,"How is that fair?"
[You only require 10 Necros Points at first, but mind the price doubles after each purchase. So, it will be 20 Necros Points afterwards, which is sufficient.]
"Fine, upgrade [Dead Aura] then. " Lesley said and his Necros Points went down.
His eyes glowed green, as his complexion grew paler and his hair darker. The air around him grew colder, as his aura became more ghastly, similar to a corpse.
"Woah, that felt good." Lesley gave a small giggle from the feeling coursing through his skin.
[What's good is now you're free to roam. Go back into the woods, see if the miasma will clear up.]
Lesley took a deep breath and moved towards the trees, covering his mouth for precaution. After a few steps, he saw the miasma desipate and scatter, leaving everything clear.
"Yes! Oh thank gosh, I didn't want to lumberjack my way through here." Lesley smiled but then grew serious," Okay, time to get serious. Where can I find an undead to fight?"
[You can only stay in the first ring, which leaves you with the Low undead creatures. Which is all you can handle.]
"All I can handle? I'm twice as strong as a normal human, or zombie. I killed Mid level...oh, right."
[Yes, the zombies in your world are abysmally weak, if true undead zombies, with cores were around, your city would be decimated.]
Lesley looked up and took two slow breaths, then he started to run, a brisk sprint like a cheetah shooting forward. His steps were strong and his quick agility made him zip past the trees with supernatural speed, putting any Olympic gold medalist to shame. A large Miasma Tree was infront of him, but instead of changing directions, Lesley raced towards it, running up it's trunk and jumping higher using its branches, before shooting himself into the air.
"So, that's what Lych meant by rings." Lesley said as he gazed around him, able to scan his surroundings twice as fast as a normal person.
From the air, Lesley saw the forest was wide and vast, which fitted its name as The Wilderness of the Undeparted. Miasma Trees were everywhere, apparently they were the most common trees here. The towers, were scattered around, their distance seemingly close and far at the same time. What was stranger was the walls, two distinct walls that Lesley could see because they were colossal, as big as the walls around Greenhit. They formed two rings, and at the edge of the first ring, which Lesley was in, was a bog. It surrounded the wall of the first ring, it's moist and humid nature apparent even from Lesley's distance. The second wall was taller, aswell as further away and he couldn't see what was in the second ring, only a tree line.
[Yes. That is the rings Lych spoke of. You are currently in the first ring, In the Wilderness of The Undeparted, that bog is...The Bog of Blood and Bones. Sad to say, but you have to go there.]
"What?" Lesley asked indignantly, whilst landing with a smash to the ground, his feet cracking the soil from the impact,"Why would I go to a place with a name like that? Can't I find some zombies in this forest?"
[No. There are no zombies in this forest, infact this place is the safest you'll ever be. Zombies lie within the second ring and further away than that. Moreover, you can't handle the strength of a zombie yet, so you're getting the next best thing. A skeleton.]