Infusing Soul Spark had become a familiar but still exhausting process for Bones, especially now that he was doing it for the third time. The brief, intense infusion lasted only a minute, but it took a great toll on him. As he sat on the wooden floor, leaning against the desk, he sensed that infusing three golems with the spark was his current limit. His soul couldn't handle more stress, at least not for the time being.
Bones waited patiently until the probing sensation subsided, and then a few minutes more, half-expecting the onset of the involuntary journey into the Eternal Rest, similar to what happened after infusing Skully and Murdok. Surprisingly, the restful state didn't befall him, but he still felt an overwhelming fatigue, as if he could crash at any moment.
Examining the golem in front of him, Bones first checked his own status screen, confirming that he was now in a weakened state, a feeling he already keenly experienced. He then established a Soul Link with his new golem. Instantly, Skully and Murdok ceased their sparring and stood idle, raising a puzzled look from Hugo. A mysterious blue screen materialized before Bones, displaying the status of his newly infused golem.
Status
Attributes
Name: ???
Race: Rune Elf Tempest Archer lvl 55
Soul Core: [Growth-type]
[Soulbound]
Core capacity: [10 000/10 000]
Hp - /
Mp - /
Sta - ∞
STR: 1
AGI: 110
END: 55
VIT: 110
INT: 220
WIS: 55
Free points:
Innate abilities:
Reinforced Agility [+1 AGI per lvl]; [basic]
Greater Intelligence [+2 INT per lvl]; [advanced]
Magic Aptitude: High
Lightning Affinity: Medium
Wind Affinity: Low
Lightning Body; [advanced]
Lightning Mastery; [advanced]
Wind Mastery; [basic]
Bones concluded reading the status screen, going through it a couple more times to fully absorb the information. The revelation that Princess Avril was not just a magician with an affinity for lightning magic but also a mage archer with a wind affinity caught him off guard. The extensive list of skills and attributes surprised him as well, momentarily forgetting that Avril was in the second tier.
"You already have a name but... I don’t want to tarnish the name of Princess Avril more than I already am by using her remains as a golem, so I’ll pick you a new name. Harmony, maybe? On behalf of the once Harmonia Empire!"
Bones nodded, content with his choice, and confirmed the system message prompting him to name the new golem. Leaving the 'insert user skill' empty, he opted to seek Hugo's advice before assigning a skill to Harmony. Lacking strength in his body, Bones struggled to lift himself up, using a desk for support. As he approached Harmony, he noticed something he hadn't seen while sitting down - platinum strands of hair, slicked-back and tightly pressed against the skull.
Reaching with his fingers, Bones tousled the hair, confirming its texture and sensing a tingling sensation of low current running through it. He realized it wasn't just hair; Harmony's whole body was enveloped by a low electric current.
"Well, I’ll be... real hair on a golem! And the lightning coursing through the body must be the doing of the skill: Lightning Body. What other secrets do you have in store for me?" Bones thought out loud, leading Harmony back to the royal palace where Hugo awaited.
In the barren garden in front of the palace, Hugo lounged in a chair, the death knight standing stoically beside him, observing Bones's two golems idling by. As two figures approached from the main gates, one unmistakably Bones and the other clad in Princess Avril’s former attire, Hugo rose to greet them. However, his attention was diverted by a plain white mask adorning Harmony's visage.
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“A mask?” Hugo pondered, then turned to address Bones. “You're back already? I thought it would take longer!”
“Yes, I'm back. The process itself is rather quick. It’s the aftermath that usually knocks me out for a few hours. This time, I managed without passing out,” Bones explained briefly.
Nodding, Hugo shifted his gaze back to Harmony. Just as he was about to inquire about the mask, the sight of hair caught his eye.
“Is that a mask and… is that hair, Bones?“
“Not a mask and yes, actual hair! Have you seen anything like it before?“
“So you shaped the front of the skull to have mask-like features?” Hugo correctly guessed, and Bones confirmed that was exactly what he did. Then Hugo remarked that he had seen plenty of undead with hair, but none on a golem and certainly not so neatly combed. Then again, there weren’t any golems in Necropolis.
Hugo couldn’t conceal his fascination with Harmony, meticulously observing the modifications done to the skeletal frame. He noted that the unexpected addition of hair was most likely the result of the infusion with Soul Spark, further mentioning that platinum hair was a trademark of the royal family. However, Hugo decided it might be too early to delve into the deeper questions arising from this revelation.
“Both Queen Vestele and her daughters had platinum hair. Bones, would you mind if I used Identify on your new golem?“
Bones, nonchalant, responded with a casual “Go ahead,” adding that he didn’t think Hugo could identify golems as effectively. After all, Bones himself had to establish Soul Link first before reading the information from the status screen. Hugo, ever confident, reminded Bones of his proficiency with Identify.
The revelation about Princess Avril being a mage archer surprised Hugo, prompting him to admit that he didn’t know the extent of her talents, and noting that most records from that era were destroyed over the years. He made a mental note to update the records with new information and inquired about the name Harmony and its relation to the Harmonia Empire. Bones simply replied that he thought the name suited better.
Having finished going through Harmony's status screen, Hugo asked Bones if he was satisfied with the new addition to the party. Bones, thrilled, admitted he didn’t expect such a significant difference in the amount of skills and stats. Hugo nodded in understanding, explaining the substantial difference between first and second tier. He also expressed regret that Harmony had only inherited a portion of the original body's stats, mentioning that the daughters of Queen Vestele had runic bodies, which Harmony hadn’t inherited. Raising her as a zombie might have allowed her to inherit the runic body, according to Hugo. Lastly, he addressed the empty skill slot that Bones left and advised him to keep it that way for the time being, noting that with high magic aptitude, Harmony was already proficient at manipulating mana.
Hugo shifted his attention to Skully and Murdok, sharing his observations after closely monitoring them for the last few hours. He then offered his insights into their ability to grow and what implications that might carry. The golems swiftly adapted to combatting Dethren, making subtle yet crucial adjustments to enhance their efficiency in facing him. Despite their seemingly flawless coordination, Hugo pointed out the existing limits and restrictions. He elaborated on how Bones’ golems were constrained by their first-tier bodies and Bones’ Golem Mastery, which remained at a basic rank.
Hugo emphasized the urgency of advancing Golem Mastery, prompting him to inquire about Murdok's condition, specifically the melted metal adhered to his chest. Bones admitted he forgot to mention that Murdok had been hit by a fire spell, causing the plate armor to fuse with his bones. Capitalizing on the topic, Bones delved into the possibility of adding a metal layer to the skeleton. However, Hugo interrupted, acknowledging its feasibility but dismissing it as impractical, elucidating that a metallic coating would weigh the body down, hindering its movements.
Caught off guard, Bones stared at Hugo in astonishment. How did Hugo know about his idea?
“I uh… I already tried it. Didn’t work, the body was too heavy. The metallic body hindered the skeleton’s movements too much.”
Bones remained silent, contemplating Hugo's unexpected ventures. Hugo, sensing the scrutiny, defended himself with a nonchalant, "What? Why are you looking at me like that? I had a lot of free time on my hands," swiftly shifting the conversation to a different topic.
“About finding new bodies, I advise you to continue providing suitable bodies for golems, following how you programmed the golem cores. Consider your experience with your friend Silva and the consequences of forcing his soul into incompatible bodies. Think of golem cores as souls; they must be placed into compatible bodies to ensure optimal functionality and the fullest utilization of their abilities within their tier and rank.”
“I wouldn’t call Silva my friend, but…I understand your meaning. What about shaping bones and making modifications to the skeletal frame? I’ve yet to encounter problems doing it,” Bones inquired.
Hugo, still engrossed in the discussion, twirled his mustache and emitted a thoughtful hum before responding. "Is there really a need for changes to the skeletal frame? Small modifications and adjustments are fine, but overdoing it could lead to degrading effects on the overall quality of your golems. Keep it simple, like you’ve been doing so far, and you shouldn’t encounter problems."
Before Hugo continued, Bones interjected, asking if it was possible for him to change his body as his golems do, in order to rid himself of the disadvantage of having a weak first-tier frame. Hugo expressed uncertainty, stating that the question had already crossed his mind and that there might be a way, but it would be too risky to attempt. Intrigued, Bones pressed for more information and after brief hesitation, Hego relented and mentioned that if Bones' body, by some chance, was to be destroyed and his soul remained intact, it might be possible. Bones stared at him, understanding the implications behind what was said. The notion of attempting such a risky transformation loomed large. Even if successful, there was no guarantee that the new body would be suitable and compatible with his soul.
“Is there no other way…what about Master Vyrus? Couldn’t he do to me what he did to you and Master Zlogrog?”
Hugo exhaled, shaking his head. “That was the first thing I thought of, but I immediately dismissed the possibility of it working. Bones, both me and Zlogrog didn’t change bodies. We are still in our bodies, wearing the skeleton frame we were born with. There’s no way of knowing or making the body compatible with your soul. Not without the system’s assistance anyway."
“The system’s assistance?” Bones repeated, different ideas and outcomes already forming in his head.
“Whatever you’re thinking, don’t. I know you feel like you’re onto something, and while the system could make the body and soul compatible, like it already did once before, you have no way of knowing if it would work again. Is it really worth risking everything?” Hugo asked, making Bones pause, then jokingly add, ‘the man can dream, no?’, to which Hugo responded in the same measure, ‘yes, but the undead don’t!’.
“I believe”, Hugo continued, “as you advance in Golem Mastery, your golems' basic-tier skills will naturally progress to the advanced tier. Although it might not be immediately apparent to you, I can see it happening. Your golems, just like you, are leveling up their skills. Skully and Murdok are approaching the limits of the basic tier. Harmony, being somewhat unique, also holds the potential to ascend to the master tier. How exactly, you'll need to discover on your own. There's a definite connection between Soul Magic and your golems, so delve deeper into that link, and you may uncover the key to advancing their skills further. Who knows, progressing in skills related to soul magic might unlock avenues for you to bestow even more abilities upon your minions."
Bones, stirred by the prospect of enhancing his golems' capabilities, inquired further, "Do you genuinely believe this is possible?" His excitement was palpable, but then a realization struck him, "On that note, I'm still uncertain about which skill to share with Harmony. Even if I leave it empty now, I doubt I'll acquire any elemental spells in the future."
Hugo, with a quizzical expression, countered, "Why not?" This drew a puzzled and darkened look from Bones, who assumed the reasons were apparent. However, sensing an underlying meaning in Hugo's response, he requested clarification, "Elaborate, please."