I couldn't help but admire my my own work! I had left several corpses just lying in my [Item Box] all day yesterday because I hadn't had the time to properly tend to them as I had wished.
After looking through my cute little Wil-o-wisp stats, I wanted to be finished with the prepping part of the materials I'd gathered so far. After refining the blood I had my undead use it's flame to ‘eat’ the meat and flesh of the bodies, well at least what was left of it.
The leftover blood from the goblin allowed me to create a [Blood Essence orb] that was relatively weak although still filling.
I thought with the stats of all these bodies combined i would be able to create a very powerful blood crystal. One powerful enough even I'd be able to see a lot of growth after consuming it.
Unfortunately after refining it to a certain point the the orb wouldn't get stronger. In the end I only ended up with 4 maxed out orbs.
Name: Blood Essence Orb
Rank: F+
Use: embed, consume, equip, ingredient
HP: 1000 MP: 0
Str: 100 Def: 100 Vit: 100
Agi: 100 Dex: 100 Min: 0
Wis: 0 Cha: 0 Luc: 0
Abilities: [Detect bloodline] [Awaken Bloodline]
Skills: [Drink Blood lvl 1]
Description: After rigorously refining blood essence an orb with a purity rate is created. The use of the orb is strongly connected to the quality of the orb.
Purity: 100%
Only guess I could make is that I need to experiment with higher ranked bloodlines. If I could figure out ways to produce higher level bloodlines with low cost, couldn't I have an army of the living and dead??
I popped one of the orbs into my mouth allowing the warmth to wash through my body relieving stress I hadn't even realized was pent up.
You've consumed [Blood Essence Orb]x1
Your bloodline is of a higher Rank!
[Blood Essence Orb]x1 has been safely digested!
Permanent increase to the following stats 》
Str: +1 Def: +1 Vit: +1
Agi: +1 Dex: +1
“I knew it!!”
It seems I'll be able to supplement my stats with these orbs, I bet if I was willing to go on a killing spree, getting a few hundred extra stats wouldn't be an issue at all.
“Mmm this is actually pretty dangerous. Since my Rank is so much higher I hardly get any benefit from these, but what would happen if any F Bloodline Rank individual consumed one of these?
The system stated “Safely Digested” both times. I'll have to do a lot of experimenting before I can gives these to other people, while also looking for ways to create ones of higher rank but with less stat increases. Hehehe don't want to much completion!
I honestly have to keep tight lipped about this for now. Wouldn't want some hidden master to come lock me up and spend the rest of my days refining blood essence for them”
Another reason to be pissed off at my weak self. Maybe I should have just wrote my outline as still being in my father's castle?
That wouldn't really help either, I'd probably only be allowed to grow enough to constantly have the power to spin these into existence.
Which brings me to my next question, there should definitely be others out there who know about creating these, right?
Maybe who ever else knows realized the danger of it and decided to keep quiet about it. Shrugging off my wandering thoughts I brought myself back to my current project.
I had no plans of making any kind of zombies, Banshee’s, or ghouls, so there was no need to leave the brain behind. I quickly removed the tiny beast cores and have the brains burned away as well. What laid before me were skeletons from 7 adult men, 9 bunnies, and one goblin head!
Even though I don't have any land to lay these guys in yet, allocating what will go where is definitely important and it helps to do it beforehand.
It's not like I couldn't just wave my hand and turn them into [Skeletons] F Rank undead, but what I need right now is quality not quantity!
If I take my time preparing these guys making a E Rank [Bone Warrior] or even a D Rank [Skull Soldier] shouldn't be an issue.
I've also thought about a way to make increase their [Grade] so that I'm not just stuck with [Common] undead.
Taking 8 of the 9 grayish beast cores, I paired them up and refined them down to four almost transparent cores no bigger than the size of a grain of rice
With the wave of my hand all of the rabbit skeletons and 3 of the male Skeletons floated into the air, my hand made a first and all the bones were ground into dust.
Infusing the bone dust with my necromancy, the dust took on a black metallic color. Unfortunately my enchantment level was still very low so the number of enchantment I knew were few.
Undead have an innate weakness to fire, light, and lightning. Luckily [Resist Fire] was a novice level enchantment. Portioning off 90% of the dust I began inscribing the remaining four skeletons with [Resist Fire] [Strength Up] and [Feathered Feet].
All three would give a permanent 10% increase to to their corresponding stats. It won't make them completely immune to fire, give them Herculean strength, or allow them to run like the wind. But having permanent buffs that have the chance of growing as the evolve could definitely make a difference.
I wanted to turn the Goblin head into a magick item. I should be able to sell it for a decent price after refining it and placing similar enchantments on it.
Low rank undead didn't need beast cores since pure mana was enough to animate them, if you wanted to create anything of quality using a core would up your chances!
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After placing The cores inside each remaining skull I watched as the dust enveloped The skeletons soaking into their bones! Soon a spell formation for the enchantments started forming on the skeletons forehead as a complicated circle with magick runes started to take shape. Slowly magick script branched out from the circle and started to cover them from head to toe. As soon as I felt that every inch of them was covered with the Formation I poured more mana into the inscriptions.
I watched as the inscription patterns branded themselves to the dark bones of the skeletons. As my mana drained, the bones took on a beautiful ivory color while the ash took on a very dark silver tone. When it was nearing completion, the inscriptions no longer looked like runes or words, but more like tribal war tattoos.
Dark silver lines covered every piece of them and each line flowed into another until 7 lines met back up at the forehead forming the silhouette of a hollowed out silver sun mark.
The [Enchant] skill could give timed buffs that cost a relatively humble amount of mana. If you wanted to permanently inscribe something you had to spend anywhere close from 5 to 10 times the original amount of mana depending on what your inscribing and the amount of inscriptions
To fully enchant these for skeletons cost me a whopping 600MP!!!
A third of my mana out the window and they have not even been raised as undead yet! I moved the excess bone dust back to the collective to be used when I inscribed the Goblin head later.
[Enchant] has increased to lvl 4
Class [Enchanter] has increased by 1
I was a bit disappointed my class level didn't increase by 1 more, but I knew I shouldn't be far off from it leveling again.
I took a moment to collect myself and let my mana recover a bit. This is where the tricky part comes into play. I've decided doing a full burial ritual would be unrealistic given my circumstances, and time constraint.
I looked up at my cute little Wil-o-wisp that had been floating there watching me intently.. at least I hope it's watching, and not just day dreaming...
Anyway, I figured I would make these guys special using its help.
“Okay you ready to do what i explained little buddy?”
I couldn't help but smile at the cute blue flame, it really was adorable!!!
The Wil-o-wisp lowered itself to hover just above the four skeletons.
Its body suddenly shrunk by about half and surrounding it were four smaller flames about the size of an index finger and middle finger next to each other.
It made the smaller wisps rotated and dance around it and then made them lay on the hollowed out sun mark, the silver lines began reflecting with an icy blue sheen.
I quickly took out one of the three remaining [Blood Essence Orbs] and crushed it, willing the essence to flow into the skeletons.
It was in that moment the wisps began integrating into the bodies. I threw my entire being into using my necromancy energy and [Refine] skill to fuse all the ingredients. Minutes ticked by, 3.. 7.. 12.. 20..
I couldn't be bothered to keep track, the blood essence was battling it out with the death magick and [Ghost Flame] wisps.
I had to be extremely careful not to try and snuff out the essence all together since the integrity of the bones wouldn't be able to take such a violent magick pulse. I could sense the main body of the Wil-o-wisp growing weaker, it was throwing all it's mana into making its wisps integrate fully.
As an undead it shouldn't feel pain, but having its wisps attacked by the blood essences it was probably losing HP as well. Through our connection I could feel it start to siphon mana from me to cope with the drain.
As time ticked on the blood essence fought back less and less, it gave one last great push and then feel silent. I released a breath I hadn't even realized I was holding, shortly after the refining came to a close.
[Necro Arcana] has increased to lvl 4
Class [Refiner] has increased by 1
Realizing i did something dangerous again, i was taking a few deep breaths waiting for my mana to recover when I felt a soft tap on my head, I knew it was the Wil-o-wisp letting out its own sigh of relief.
The skeletons were no longer empty husks, now they gave off waves of death energy. They had become true undead! I quickly gave them my first command.
“Rise!”
The once empty sockets where their eyes once were suddenly burned with violet flames! I was a little caught off guard when they didn't stand, but instead dematerialized, then rematerialized standing up!
“whoa! You guys are better than I expected!!”
I gave them a thorough inspection, the tribal markings glowed an eerie purple with silver undertones, where before there bodies were of various sizes now they all stood at a uniformed 6 feet, it seems their bones didn't get any wider but when I went to touch them the density was indeed remarkable.
If before their bones were considered brittle now they were as if cast from Steel! Where the makings come together to form the silhouette of the hollowed out sun, in the center of their ivory skulls a vertical slits appeared like a cat's pupil.
When I looked into what was seemingly their third eye i felt my perception stretch all around me, one moment i was standing in my room and the next it was as if I was pulled into an abyss. Darkness was become a kind of everythingness giving off a feeling of conquest, it was oppressive!
In the next moment a pulse made the darkness ripple, deep in the center of the darkness a tiny violet flame flickered, throbbing almost like it was dancing in a wind I couldn't feel.
I watched this dance for some time, I watched as after it throbbed so many times, a pulse would go out, and following that pulse the darkness would ripple again giving off the illusion that it was shimmering and stars were cascading out into the endless abyss.
I pulled my consciousness back and I was immediately back in my body. I couldn't help but scowl, these guys are definitely increasingly more interesting the more I look, dangerous but interesting. That thought made me grin.
“Hehehe it's a good thing you guys are mine huh? Okay let's take a look at your actual stats why don't we, I'm sure there will be some good stuff!”
Name: None
Gender: None
Race: Flaming Blood Fiend Specter
Bloodline Rank: D
Grade: Unique
Evolution: Possible
Class: [Specter lvl 1] [Locked]
Sub-Class: [Locked]
Titles: [Servant of Alucard]
Affiliations: None
Level: 1
Exp: 0/80
Hp: 350/350
Mp: 300/300
Str: 40 Def: 25 Vit: 35
Agi: 20 Dex: 15 Min: 30
Wis: 20 Char: 5 Luc: 5
Bonus Points: 8
Abilities: [Spirit Sight] [Spirit Body] [Conjure Armament] [Siphon Blood] [Abyss Flame]
Skills: [Pyrokinesis lvl 1] [Weapons Mastery lvl 1] [Aura lvl 1]
Blessings: [Ghost Flame]
“Yes! Now these abilities and skills look promising! I've never heard of their race but they are most likely a variant of some kind.
I was even lucky enough for them to all be D Rank bloodlines and were evaluated as Unique grade! How many necromancers will be able to start off with such muscle like this spoiled uncle here!?”
Although their dexterity and wisdom are lacking that's something that can be worked on as we progress. All their other stats were more than I could have bargained for, those inscriptions definitely helped.
Thinking about it, I can't image how powerful they would be if I did a full burial ritual, and had all the herbs and potions needed! My eyes filled with stars for my future prospects!!
Okay let's look at the less obvious abilities so I can be sure I know what I'm working with!
[Conjure Armaments]
To better serve your master manifest weapons and armor to cut down your foes!
Cost to Conjure min:10MP - no Max!
[Siphon Blood]
Breathe in the blood from your surroundings letting it fill every fiber of your being!
[Temporary] +1 stat point to all physical stats for every liter of blood consumed. Duration 10min - stackable x10
[Permanent] 1% chance of a permanently increase in stats after duration wears off.
[Abyss Flame] - The weak willed are meant to be devoured, souls, spirits, consciousness.. the abyss knows no bounds!
-3% HP per minute
-5% MP per minute
Cultivate your ghost flame with a chance to produce [Abysmal Flame Seed]
Warning!!
Effects vary on those with strong wills, high levels, high rank bloodlines
“!!!!
I don't need to spend coin on arming them!!? They can use their own mana to suit up and dish out ass whoopings!!
I'm guessing the more mana they infuse their weapons with the stronger they are? With their [Pyrokinesis] ability that actually gives them a wide range of attack! While conjuring armor should help cover the defense they're lacking.
I probably shouldn't put my hopes into [Siphon Blood] it seems like a skill you'd benefit more from when fighting hordes of creatures or in the midst of a war.”
I couldn't help but feel my thoughts wandering back to questioning if cities really need crime syndicates? I'm sure there are some [Bandit] dens somewhere in the forest.
“hehehe looks like I'll have to go on a trip out into the forest sooner than I thought.
The [Abyss Flame] must have been what I experienced early.. that darkness that felt almost alive! The skill description mentioned another kind of [Flame Seed], I wonder if they're linked to a sort of hidden quest because I hadn't heard much about them.
It can't really hurt to collect something right? Seems interesting enough. Let me give that blessing a once over.”
[Blessing: Ghost Flame]
Fear not flames that are not of the [108 Heavenly Flames]
Flame Resistance increase by 60%
“This is definitely bonus, I can't image to many people walking around with a [Flame Seed] so fire will only bring moderate damage instead of completely wiping you guys out. Hahaha that's great!”
Feeling accomplished with my work and giving a small nod I was about to open the [Necropolis] and send them over, but I felt my head get lighter by a smidge and I seen my only Wil-o-wisp float above my new warriors.
Suddenly their bodies turned to flame, they dematerialized and were absorbed back into the Wil-o-wisp! Wide eyed, I could feel my pupils shrink as a zoomed in on what just happened!!
Walking over to the Wil-o-wisp I found four skulls floating inside it's flame! I smiled as i caressed the flames gently.
“This is outside my expectations, but it must be a combination of your abilities working together. If they didn't have the [Spirit Body] ability I doubt you'd be able to hold them. Nevertheless, this is priceless! I'll have to be sure to throw much of my effort into growing you..
Maybe I should gift you with a true name in the future if you continue to prove yourself useful.”
With a wave of my hand the another rift opened and my Wil-o-wisp gently floated through it, a heartbeat later the rift had completely vanished.