Can you hear me now?

The words felt to come from outside Drakes head physically, Drake feeling as if she heard Aurora with her ears, but still somehow she knew that Aurora’s voice felt far too close for the girl to be standing nearby, somehow invisible or unseen.

Is this some sort of telepathy, maybe she is far away, wondered Drake mentally.

She turned around, obliterating two charging skeletons with a single swing. She smiled and nodded, hoping that she wasn’t hearing voices. As she didn’t want to lose her mind, and didn’t feel that she had, but wouldn’t dismiss the possibility, knowing that stress could cause a mental break.

“Loud and clear princess, where are you exactly,” asked Drake, hoping she would hear any answer that wouldn’t make her worry over her sanity.

“Who are you talking to,” yelled Vanish. Drake glanced at him and shrugged, hoping she didn’t look as crazy as she felt.

“I think I can hear Princess Aurora talking to me, Let me figure this out, just keep firing!”

I’m right behind you, I don’t think you can see me though, but who knows, that may change, you couldn’t even hear me as of this morning, responded Aurora.

“Okay, why can’t Vanish hear you as well?”

I’m not connected to him, or maybe I’m not powerful enough as I am now to do so yet, I still can’t tell if I’m truly dead or alive. In this form, who knows, I’m honestly as clueless as you about what has happened to us.

“Something tells me that isn’t true, but I’ll take your word on that,” said Drake, fighting off more and more skeletons.

Maybe your right, there are a few things that I should probably address.

“Lay it on me sister.”

I am not your sister, if anything I am your host, or are you mine, no, none of that matters now, you have probably killed around fifty of the three hundred or more skeletons that you passed on your way up the mountain.

“Are you fucking kidding me, there is no way we are going to kill three hundred fucking monsters!”

I’d agree if it was anyone but you, I think if we try a few things, you and vanish can definitely survive.

“Lay it on me sister,” said Drake again, used to breaking down social barriers with sayings of comfort commonly used on Earth, not knowing how much Aurora struggled to hear the words from her; the princess already missing the company of her siblings.

I’m not your, started Aurora, but Drake cut her off.

“Its just a saying, sorry kid I’m just trying to be friendly, its not everyday that you have to speak with the person you stole a body from, cut me some slack.”

Cut you slack, is this another of your Earthen terms?

“Yeah, it just means go easy on me, I’m trying to make this as easy as possible for the both of us, this is awkward as fuck and I honestly don’t know how to react.”

I see, now that we can agree on..

Aurora went silent, and Drake continued to do her best not to get overrun by the growing number of skeletons.

“Come on Aurora, what was it that you thought would help, not trying to rush you are anything, I bet all of this is traumatic for you, but we still need you right now, what’s a good game plan here?”

Oh yes sorry, I think that you should make your weapon upgrade selections.

“Oh yeah, but I haven’t looked through them yet, I didn’t notice it give me a description as to what they all did, is that normal?”

Yes, I believe so, I looked over them as well, and can make a few suggestions, as I don’t know what they do for sure, but with what I have studied about lost skills, I may be able to make some inferences for you.

Aurora took the time to describe all of Drakes options, suggesting a few that she believed would make a difference, only to be flummoxed when Drake started to select none of the choices she thought to be the best.

“Okay, so if I’m being honest, I like where your head is at with this, but I think I’m going to choose a few different options, but first tell me this, how many minions can I make, it doesn’t tell me anywhere,” asked Drake, hoping Aurora knew since she seemed to have access to all her status pages.

I’m honestly not sure about that, why?

“Don’t worry about it, let’s just see if my idea works first, and if not, we will brainstorm something else,” said Drake, before she turned around and darted back toward Vanish.

“Cover me,” yelled drake, rushing toward where she’d killed the first few skeletons, looking for something specific.

“Come on where is it!”

What are you even looking for, asked Aurora.

“The other fucking Brute arm!”

“Drake,” yelled Vanish, his voice a nervous scream as he fired Dread Beam after Dread Beam, attempting to keep away the converging enemies.

“Give me a moment here!”

Its behind you to the left, yelled Aurora, panicked by what she saw behind her.

Drake turned around and saw what she was looking for, resting her first weapon on her leg before picking up the second Brute arm, trying to reanimate it immediately.

“Fuck yeah,”

*Notification* Reanimate Successful - Arm of the Brute -

You have created your first minion. Arm of the Brute. Your connection to this limb is deeper than the bones of any other undead creatures.

Scan - Hybrid - Monster/Weapon

Name: Arm of the Brute

Rank: Unranked

Age: ???

Class: Locked/ Former Brute/ Weapon

Average Attribute Level: 0.1

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

Stats -

Offense: 0.1

Defense: 0.1

System: 0.1

Scan Results - This limb was once the arm of a mighty warrior. Now it is the tool of a newborn Cultivator. Its limits are bound only by its wielders imagination.

Would you like to level up this minion, Yes / No ?*

The same message popped up and Drake accepted the prompt to level it up. Except this time the level up failed, and she was forced to try it a second time.

“Drake,” yelled Vanish. Drake glanced up and saw the first line of skeletons nearly ten wide were all frozen, but even more walked around the group, their numbers growing as if the more of their brethren were near, the more ferocious they became.

Come on, work for me baby!

This time the level went through, and Drake upgraded the second weapon first.

“Okay, lets start with a shoulder mounted defender,” said Drake as she made her first choice. She lifted the right Brute arm, and settled the weapon on her shoulder as the area above the humorous grew a mantle, creating a shoulder guard like armor that covered her all the way to her neck with an intricate bone plating.

“Now we’re talking!”

She then chose form of the palm, and life Lich.

Then she lifted the left Brute arm, and chose, form of the palm, exoskeletal armor, and life lich.

Both weapons began to glow a subtle crimson, and Drake couldn’t help but smile when the left arm of the brute grew small chain mail, made from bones, and a handle formed at the top of the humorous. While the right arm of the Brute, began to move on its own, an open palm raised out and away from Drake’s body defensively.

“Okay, lets see how this goes…”

…

Aurora was happy that she could now talk to Drake. Sad that Drake hadn’t chosen any of the options she’d suggested. Yet was completely amazed by the selections that Drake had decided on. The upgrades outrageously suited for Drake’s current circumstance.

Where Aurora would have chosen Dread Beam, Drake felt this would be a waste. Aurora didn’t know why Drake felt this way, she was glad to see that life lich was such an incredible choice.

Both of her weapons left trails of crimson light in the air as the hands moved with purpose. The left obliterated the skeletons with the slightest of touches as Drake swung the weapon. While the right blocked, and performed equally destructive palm strikes that made more and more of the skeletons crumble with a seemingly stylish ease.

The system skill that Drake chose for the weapons apparently gave her bursts of energy, and Drake shared that she felt as if she was slowly gaining sensation back in her broken right arm.

Aurora wondered if Drake fought against enemies that weren’t undead if the potential healing factor of her weapons strikes would be higher, but dismissed the thought, pushing the idea aside until they were given a living enemy to test the ability on.

The time will come…

Where Aurora thought Drake and Vanish had been in a bad situation, the tide had changed drastically. Aurora continued to call out the direction of Drakes enemies as she fought, and the pair formed a routine to make the process as easy as it had felt before Drake could hear her.

Their teamwork had been lacking at first, but after a few dozen opponents, Aurora adapted to the right way of communicating the perfect positions for Drake to place herself in to maximize her damage.

We’ve probably taken down a hundred by now, maybe a little less, but your speed is increasing, stated Aurora in between Drakes strikes.

“Yeah, but I’m wondering if we can pick it up even further, said Drake.

In what way?

“I’ve been thinking about the combination of upgrades you chose.”

Okay, what about them?

“We could tweak them, but I’m worried that what I’m thinking may change the upgrade options.”

Okay, lay it on me sister, said Aurora, shocked by what she’d said, honestly becoming more and more taken with how Drake spoke to her.

“Do you think you can find me a former magic user,” asked Drake laughing, not holding Aurora’s use of the playful saying against her in the slightest.

I think so, they have been rare, and sometimes you kill them to quickly for me to even get a chance to fully scan them.

“I see, well what if we get two of them, use them as ranged flyers, equip them with the exoskeletal armor for stability, make one use necrotic touch, and the other use life lich,” explained Drake.

No Dread Beam?

“No, I don’t know if that is a good idea, we don’t know if their is a limited amount of produced fear in the area, and don’t want to take away Vanish’s resource, and if I’m being honest, I’m worried at best because I know that we can run at anytime, with enough preparation I could raise a few skeletons to carry Vanish, I don’t know that I’ll be a good energy source for that skill unless we are facing an opponent that completely out ranks us like the Denizens.”

That makes sense, if they do hav the same selection options as the Brute, what offensive choice will you make for them?

“I was hoping that maybe that option would be different, but if it is the same, I want to say form of the spear for one, and the blade for the other, that way we cover piercing and slashing damage in our array of attacks, we don’t know that we won’t have to fight enemies that aren’t immune to the types of damage we have now.”

I agree, give me some time and I will see what I can find, said Aurora excitedly. Thankful that Drake felt Aurora’s need for more to do. Aurora also glad Drake was thoughtful enough to think of her when needing help, giving her a task that she was more suited for than anyone else.

Drake doing so after she’d only recently explained her spectators vantage point, floating just behind the Traveler at all times as she was.

“Thanks, we got this!”

“

…

“How are you doing back there Vanish,” asked Drake, noticing that the young man had gone quite silent. She glanced back a few times while she discussed the matters at hand with Aurora, noticing his furrowed brow as she spoke aloud to the princess, making the pair practice speaking internally. Both glad that they were easily able to achieve the feat.

“I’m okay, just trying to stay awake, this fight has gone on far longer than I expected, and it doesn’t seem like there is an end in sight,” said Vanish.

“Yeah this isn’t what I thought it would be, but we can get through this, we have survived worse,” said Drake.

“What, when, was I asleep for that?”

“well yeah, and we ran away if I’m being honest, but I don’t know that we will continue to have that luxury in this place,” said Drake, jumping off the ground slightly as she spartan kicked a skeleton with the former grappler classification. She definitely remembered her first interaction with one, and felt that without Vanish she may have died early on in the fight.

Going to hav to remember to thank him, he’s saved my life twice now by this point, thought drake before she had another idea.

“Have you tried leveling up, that may solve some of your issues, my minions weapons are probably the only reason I’m still standing,” explained Drake.

“No, honestly scared to spend my points,” answered Vanish in a yell, shooting a ranger behind Drake as it bent to pick up a rock.

“I know the feeling, if I’m being honest I’m hesitant to level up until I feel it is absolutely necessary, but don’t you have the reanimate skill, why don’t you try to give us some back up?”

“Yeah, I guess I could, but aren’t you scared of the legends?”

“What legends?”

“The legends about necromancers being killed by their minions,” stated Vanish, as if Drake should know, forgetting that Drake wasn’t from Imperial as he was, and wasn’t familiar with their customs. Nor did she know the tales told to children that warned them against taking certain actions, in hopes to prevent them from gaining particularly dark classes.

“Nope, from earth remember,” said Drake, dodging a series of attacks, while her defensive minion blocked a tossed rock that had been thrown from well in the depths of the mob in front of them.

Damn that really was a good choice, stated Aurora inside Drake’s mind.

Agreed, thought drake in response to Aurora. The pair quick to become more comfortable with their internal dialogue. Quickly coming to understand it may make things difficult if they communicated any other way.

Neither wanted to grow use to Drake speaking aloud in front of those who may find it alarming to hear her speak to herself, and though that made Drake feel even more worried over the stability of her mental state.

Now talking to Aurora in her head as she was, the pair found it easy to pull off even more complicated strategies with the abilities granted by their growing bond. This made combat easier for Drake, but often left her feeling less social in Vanish’s direction.

“It is said that Necromancy more often than not leads to the death of the Cultivator, their skills are incredibly powerful, and their minions more often than not grow to be even more powerful than the Cultivator themselves, their minions often gain sentients and kill their creators,” explained Vanish.

Is that true, asked Drake to Aurora.

I don’t know honestly, everything that I’ve been told is in question, yes we were taught such things by the church since we were children, but is that because its true, or because the church is full of necromancers that don’t want their power base overthrown.

Hmm, that is interesting.

“I see, Aurora is wondering if that is fake news, something they tell you to keep you all weak I mean,” said Drake.

“Oh, that would be good for us since we both have the skills, but if you didn’t want to level because of the legends, why are you reticent?”

I’d also like to know that, asked Aurora.

“because I was given an achievement that increased all attribute gains when fighting opponents higher ranked than myself, which makes me wonder if there are more achievements that can be gathered if we stay unranked and find other ways to become more powerful.”

“I got that achievement too, but have no idea what achievements there are out there that wouldn’t be incredibly dangerous to get while unranked?”

“Yeah if I’m being honest, I don’t either.”

Drake backflipped, dodging a former swordsman that had picked up an entire footless leg to use as a weapon.

That’s new…

Are these fuckers getting stronger, or smarter maybe,” asked Drake to both her teammates.

Seems so, all their scanned levels have grown to middle beginner rank, responded Aurora mentally.

“Yeah, I think the ranger’s are hiding behind the others so that I can’t stop them as easily,” added Vanish.

Drake couldn’t help but smile at the swordsman. Seeing herself as a melee weapon user, she wanted to duel any that could make her skills better. Fighting a skilled swordsman with her non dominant hand, while having to defend herself from many more attacks, felt like the perfect opportunity to raise her capabilities.

If she was being honest with herself, the longer that the fight lasted, the more she began to feel like the protagonist to one of the many kung fu movies she watched as a child with her parents.

To her mom and dad the characters of those stories were nothing more than entertainment. The capabilities shown by the characters on screen were only made to be so fanciful through Hollywood tricks and special effects. Made even more incredible with unparalleled animation made indistinguishable from real life by technology.

But I’m in another world where magic is real, does it have to be fake, or can I become like those I once idolized?

“I’m going to try and reanimate one of the skeletons,” said Vanish, pulling Drake from her thoughts as she parried a deadly blow from the swordsman with her offensive arm of the Brute.

“Go for it, you got one in mind,” asked Drake as Aurora warned her mentally about a former rogue approaching from behind them.

Drake turned around, rushing the rogue. With a burst of speed, she ran up the body of the former stealth class skeleton’s frame. Its slightly crouched position offering the perfect step ladder for Drake to jump from.

She kicked off the face of the monster, sending it sprawling backward. Then spun back toward the swordsman, raising her offensive brute arm over her head and bringing the weapon down in an overhead smash.

She roared as she descended through the air, chopping down her weapon as the former swordsman raised the leg it held in a protective guard.

The skeletal leg offered nothing in defense as Drakes own weapon smashed through it, and then the body of the former swordsman with no resistance.

“well, I’m worried that it will be harder to bring back one that you have crushed to pieces, was going to try that swordsman, but… I do have other options that interest me.”

“Sorry,” yelled Drake, spinning back around to finish off the rogue she’d kicked to the ground. Another overhead slam killing the rogue before it could rise.

“It’s okay, there is a martial artist that I froze, and you took off its head before we could see it fight nearby, and also a rare healing class that I’m curious about.”

“Both sound like good options honestly,” said Drake, beginning to pant with the exertion of the continued fight. The more acrobatic movements seemed to disrupt her moving meditation ability, but Drake couldn’t help herself, she was having the time of her life and couldn’t wait to see what she could do with more practice and the leveling of her minions.

Then a very familiar tinge of pain returned to her stomach, and Drake couldn’t help but groan, cursing inwardly as a very untimely notification flashed in the corner of her vision.

*Notification* - status effect - Starved.

You are on the verge of becoming absolutely ravenous. This may cause an increase to the senses. However, staying in this state for too long will cause the loss of normal cognitive functions.*

Well that is not good, offered Aurora mentally.

“You think, starting to believe the gods actually hate me!”