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First Undead [LitRPG]
Birth of a Monster

Birth of a Monster

The skeleton awoke for the first time with no confusion. There were no thoughts in its mind, no sight in its eyes, and no sound in its ears - for it had none of those things. Slowly, the skeleton rises to its feet, bracing itself against the hard surface it was leaning against. It stands there, doing nothing. It cannot perceive its surroundings, and thus, feels no compulsion to explore or move.

[The God of Death has blessed you.]

[Magic Sense (passive)

A glimpse into the sight of Gods, view the world around you as the mana it is made of. Distance available to be viewed is determined by Intelligence.]

The skeleton pauses as a transparent blue panel emerged in its mind. It tilted its head in curiosity as the words continually changed form and the letters danced between different languages, attempting to exist in a way the skeleton could fathom. Eventually, the ethereal screen settled on one, and it understood.

[For opening the interface for the first time, and understanding the information contained, you've opened a new stat: Wisdom!]

[Your understanding of the world has subtly improved.]

The skeleton understands the words in its head, but it may as well not have. As a new being, it has no point of reference.

What is more important to the skeleton is the visual stimulus that is suddenly received as Magic Sense activates. It turns its head, and observes its surroundings with sight tinged in blue.

What can it see? The answer: stone, on all but one side. A trickle of water falls from the ceiling, coming from an unidentifiable source. Immediately next to where the skeleton stood was an object different from the stone; it was long and sharp, a combination of wood and metal. The skeleton slowly reached down, its bones grinding quietly around the joints, and picked up the construction by the handle.

[Simple Iron Sword

A crude weapon on the verge of falling apart after a century of laying in a cave with no maintenance.]

It took a few moments for the information to settle in. It lowers the sword to its waist and looks towards the one direction stone didn't block access to. With no thoughts in its mind beyond a desire to learn more, it begins its trek towards the exit

The cave, truthfully, was not that deep. However, as a consequence of relying on Magic Sense to see its surroundings, the skeleton couldn't see more than a few meters in one direction. So, it walked at a slow pace with no external stimuli encouraging it. Until it met its first enemy.

A field mouse.

[Ordinary Field Mouse

A small and round creature with a tail approximately the length of its body. It has no abilities or attacking capabilities.]

The skeleton felt no sense of danger from the creature, but it also would have felt no sense of danger from a wolf. This was not because the skeleton was strong - it was simply because the skeleton was ignorant. Nonetheless, the skeleton froze in place, enamored by the fast scuttling of the small creature. The mouse felt no warmth from the skeleton and didn't recognize it as alive, despite its movement. Because of this, the mouse came right up to the walking bones.

[The God of Death has bestowed upon you His voice.]

{Kill it.}

The blue panel in its mind scrambles the letters into a form the skeleton understands. This was a command, not a delivery of information or suggestion. Within its senses, a line was drawn from the tip of the sword still held within the skeleton's hand to the mouse that remained around the skeleton's foot.

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Perhaps the cold, dead appearance of the skeleton prevented the mouse from seeing it as a threat, or perhaps it simply didn’t see the sword coming. Without hesitation, without grace, and without speed, it lowered the sharp end of its weapon into the mouse's back. The mouse squeaked and struggled as blood leaked out around the sword, but the skeleton's senses couldn't capture sound, and it couldn't understand pain. Despite this, it innately understood death. As soon as the mouse ceased its struggles under the skeleton's unmoving sword, the skeleton received several notifications that indicated the beginning of its growth.

[The God of Death has blessed your race (undead).]

[Proliferate

Insert your un-life's essence into the corpse of another being with a touch, and awaken it from death. The awakened body gains 25% of the stats it had in life. All muscles and flesh rot away immediately, leaving only bone. All skills are lost. All motor memory is lost. All memory is lost.]

[Endless stamina (passive)

You have no muscles to tire, or eyelids to droop. You will not feel tired until the day you return to death.]

[The Goddess of Life is displeased with your existence.]

[The Goddess of Life has cursed you.]

[Stagnation (passive)

Your Strength, Dexterity, Defense, and Stamina is capped at 10.]

[Weak to Light (passive)

Take 50% more damage from all attacks containing the Light attribute.

Unable to enter Holy places.]

[Perpetual Endling (passive)

You are the only being in your race, and Life does not allow there to be more. You will be the sole individual of your race until you return to death.]

[The God of Death wishes for your continued existence.]

[The God of Death has blessed you.]

[Expanded Consciousness (passive)

Every corpse reanimated increases Wisdom, Intelligence, and Creativity by 1% of reanimated body's Wisdom, Intelligence, and Creativity owned in life. Lowest possible rise is 1, while the largest is capped at 25% of your highest stat between the three.]

[Shared Senses (passive)

Allows you to control and see through all reanimated corpses as though they are your own body. No mana or health is consumed.]

[The Goddess of Life is displeased that life does not fear you.]

[The Goddess of Life has cursed you.]

[Bane of Life (passive)

All living creatures capable of any form of thought feel an innate disgust towards you. Weaker minded creatures will attack you without thought of their own survival, while stronger minded creatures will simply hate you for existing.]

[The God of Earth is intrigued with drama between gods.]

[The God of Earth has blessed you.]

[Sense Graves (passive)

Your Magic Sense now penetrates three meters into the ground. Certain materials can block this skill. Remains of bodies are highlighted to your senses.]

[The God of Water casts a disapproving gaze at the God of Earth, but does not interfere.]

[The remaining gods remain uninvolved.]

[The God of Death has bestowed upon you His voice.]

{Become many.}

As information flooded into the skeleton's mind, it let go of its sword, allowing it to clatter to the ground. It reaches down, and gently places the tip of its skeletal index finger onto the flesh of the dead mouse.

[You have cast Proliferate.]

The mouse, after taking its last breath and reaching the end of its life, was given another chance as something else. Its flesh gurgled and boiled, steam rising from its corpse as the fur burned and skin dissolved, eventually leaving nothing but a perfectly intact skeletal system. It stirred, and then slowly stood on its four bony paws. The energetic life it once had was gone, and another one began.

[Due to the effects of Expanded Consciousness (passive), your Wisdom, Intelligence, and Creativity have risen by 1.]

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