During that turbulent time of development known as adolescence, where reasoning advances far faster than one’s ability to understand the emotional compulsions driving them, I was angry. Mad at the unfairness of fate and at myself for my growing weaknesses. And, in that self-indulgent rage, I’d taken out my pain on the people that mattered the most. The easy targets around me that cared deeply, and were just as powerless as I to do anything about my illness. People like my mother, who took every ounce of hate that I had, and would have taken more still if it meant giving me the smallest measure of comfort.

The sickest part was none of the vitriol I loosed upon the world helped. It only made our lives worse. Well, except for maybe my younger sister, who quit visiting me altogether. Somehow, the family trauma turned her into a well-to-do psychologist, but I digress.

At the end, when I could no longer vocalize an apology for all the unneeded pain I’d caused, I prayed and hoped that they all knew that I was sorry. That I hadn’t known better or didn’t really mean any of the horrible things I’d said was no excuse; ignorance is no absolution. Wisdom had come too late for me then, but I still carried the lesson of the virtues of patience into my heart.

Wrath was my ex-wife, and the divorce had been bitter. Yet, here before me, that old flame stood again, only in this life as a physical manifestation.

The malice rolling off the black armored skeleton was as inherent to its being as the very magic that animated it. I knew from the way it stared at me that the monster would hunt me down until one of us died. There would be no remorse and no forgiveness. Only the enchanted iron gate separating us stopped it from separating my head.

“I think we’re safe here,” Rissah said, shoveling in a heap of irony on the quiet tension.

I heard her words, but didn’t react. Stuck into paralyzed inaction like prey, I continued waiting for the boogeyman at the gate to make a move.

“What’s wrong?” Rissah said, picking up a crumb of context from my pose.

Slowly, I pointed upward at the still unmoving harvester of heads.

Rissah was quiet for a moment in apparent contemplation.

“Did you lose control of it?”

I nodded. That was one way to put it.

“Well, don’t worry, it can’t get through that gate. There is a powerful magical seal that I barely by-passed. No way that the champion has the arcane knowhow to overcome it.”

Unwilling to take my eyes off of my stalker, I just arched an eyebrow in her direction. After I gave her words consideration, I realized she was probably right. If the knight could have made its way past the gate, I’d already be dead. That it was just standing there signified the futility of trying to break down the barrier.

Still, the situation frustrated me to no end. I never asked for the stupid blessing that kicked all this—

I felt an urgent prompting from the Naram-Sin and risked closing my eyes.

Would you like to rescind the Greater Blessing of Thalzaxor?

Hard Pass! I didn’t ask for it, but I’m sure as shit going to keep it. Besides, I don’t think tall, dark, and deadly here is going to just let it go. We’ve come too far for that.

Another notification whispered to me.

You have sufficient mana to advance a tier IV → V

Tier trait selection is bypassed. The Zombie Stalker crown ability Enhanced Agility has replaced Spring Forward.

What!? My favorite ability just got taken away from me? The replacement better be something special or I’m going to be pissed! You’ll hear from my lawyer!

The messages continued on, and I was momentarily stunned at just how many ghouls I must have killed to see this much progress.

You have sufficient mana to advance a level. Please choose from the following list.

* Zombie Predator - your developments have directed you toward superior senses. Provides the trait: Core Hunter - you can sense mana cores within thirty feet.

* Zombie Ambusher - your developments have directed you toward attacking from the shadows. Provides the trait: Wall Climber - your hands and feet grow talons capable of scaling most surfaces.

* Zombie Infiltrator - your developments have directed you toward getting to the living. Provides the trait: Aura of Life - from a distance you appear living and will fool most basic‌ undead detection spells and wards. Aggression will dispel the aura.

* Zombie Schemer - your developments have directed you toward cunning. Provides the trait: Reposition - you can nudge lesser undead into a temporary position. They will attempt to be silent and motionless for the duration of the ability.

All these choices made me want to salivate. Since I couldn’t actually salivate, I mean. This level up may have been the first time where there really were no bad choices. From the top, Zombie Predator gave me an extra layer of protection from classers, who I am certain would eventually be the biggest threat. Unfortunately, a mana coreless hater of all things “Oran” stood ten feet away, accentuating the limitations of that selection.

Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

Zombie Ambusher sounded like a hell of a lot of fun! Who wouldn’t want to crawl on the walls like spider-man? The biggest drawback for this choice was that I, as a man of culture, wore shoes. If I planned on living the rest of my existence like a Xenomorph, this one would be a no-brainer. Preserving humanity would always be first place in my heart.

Which is why the next selection held so much appeal. Zombie Infiltrator would give me options! I knew the trait it provided would not fool high level adventurers, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t useful. The aura would let me live in peace with regular humans, and if that were to be my fate, I’d be content with that. Despite Oran’s belief in the inherent superiority of classers, I held no such prejudice.

Finally, Zombie Schemer didn’t sound great on the surface, but I suspected that the traits and paths it might unlock in the future would be more to my way of doing things. I was no tactical genius, but I do love it when a plan comes together. Also, it explained so much about zombie films! I’d always wondered how survivors suddenly found themselves surrounded by a crowd.

I forced myself to go through each option several more times before deciding which evolution. Ultimately, it came down to Predator and Infiltrator because I felt those two gave me the best chance of avoiding combat with the living. Then, thinking long term, I reasoned that Predator’s focus would be on hunting the living down with those enhanced senses. While Infiltrator would continue to focus on tricking them, and allowing me to move in close. Of those two options, tricking was by far more appealing to me. I selected Zombie Infiltrator.

Please choose a trait for your tier. Zombie Infiltrator - (I)

* Infectious Blood - your blood carries a deadly pathogen, contact can infect a creature with zombification.

* Crushing Bite - your bite can crush bone, bend metal, and rend flesh. Your teeth are reinforced.

* Sense the Horde - you have an instinctive compass for nearby concentrations of other undead.

* Track Blood - you can smell the exposed blood of the living and track them down by it.

* Parasitic Puke - you can contaminate a water source with worms from your stomach. Living beings that die return as undead.

* Mimic - you can speak phrases and mimic voices you knew in life.

I selected Mimic less than a second after reading the full description. Never had I wanted a trait as badly as this one. It was a game changer! The world wasn’t ready for what I had to bring. Advanced science, technologies, and philosophical paradigms? None of that garbage! I was going to talk about my feelings, and whatever other stupid thoughts popped into my consciousness. Infiltrator had definitely been the correct choice.

Finally done, I looked over my status, internally smiling like the Cheshire cat.

Name: Oran Farrow

Race: Undead

Level: 5

Tier: Zombie Infiltrator - I

Level Advantages:

* Rigor Mortis - you can selectively use your stiffening limbs to achieve a death grip or relax it to increase motor function.

* Enhanced Agility - you move at the apex of human speed.

* Necrotic Fortitude - your body becomes much more difficult to injure.

* Hide - as long as you remain motionless in sufficient darkness, you are invisible.

* Aura of Life - from a distance you appear living and will fool most basic‌ undead detection spells and wards.

Tier Traits:

* Halted Decay - significantly reduces your rate of decay.

* Verminbane - you emit an aura that repels non-magical vermin.

* Poisonous Gas - your stomach builds up a toxic gas that you can expel once a day.

* Skulking Lurcher - your feet make no noise when you move.

* Masking Smell - you block the scent of yourself and nearby undead, making it easier to surprise the living.

* Hardy Bones - your skeletal structure is infused with death mana, making it harder to injure.

* Ambush Predator - attacking an enemy that isn’t expecting it will send out a burst of necrotic energy, enhancing your damage.

* Hear Heartbeat - a pounding heartbeat is like a whistle to you. Your range increases the more afraid the person is.

* Mimic - you can speak phrases and mimic voices you knew in life.

Spells:

* Level 1: Sense Undead - extend your sense to locate undead near you.

* Level 2: Reanimate Hand - reanimate the hand of a corpse to assist you.

* Level 3: Degenerating Touch - you disrupt the mana flows of a creature, weakening its physical strength for a short time.

* Level 3: Famine - you cause food and plants to spoil in an area.

* Level 4: Create Skeleton - once per day you can create a skeletal servant. You can have one servant per level, and they will increase in strength as you gain power.

* Level 4: Control Undead - Undead more than two levels below you will obey your commands. Any undead lower than you will not attack you.

Blessings:

Necrometry - you can now sense and use skills from the bones of the dead.

The mana inside my monster core shifted internally, and instead of spreading outward like previous level ups, the density of the interior increased. It felt like a cloud was swirling around my metaphysical center, and I found it ominous. The next level up would probably drastically change things again. Especially, knowing that the next level would be a multiple of three.

After reading everything over a second time, I still wasn’t sure how I felt about Enhanced Agility. Being faster all the time instead of just a second every minute was a good thing, but I didn’t like that I had no say in the matter. Also, would there be other “Crown” abilities in my future? My continued cluelessness about how the codex worked was a sore point that I hated having shoved in my face.

Opening my eyes, I noticed that the Skeleton Knight was gone from its post. Rissah stood nearby, leaning against a wall with an inscrutable look on her face.

“It left,” she said.

“Good,” I replied, relishing the incredulous look on her face.