“Of course, there are commander type Undead! You really think Necromancers could micromanage hundreds of stupid Undead?” Aila exclaimed as if it was the most obvious thing.
“So…how do I get one?” Alaster asked as he ripped off a chunk of bread.
“No idea. Like I said, I know a lot of Magic, but Necromancy just feels icky to me. I only learned the basics. The rest is all from what I’ve heard.”
“And in all your years of wandering, you never heard how Necromancers get Intelligent Minions?”
She gave him a side eye, “Careful young one, no woman likes being called old. And for your information, I am not that old. And besides, the Undead that are intelligent form the backbone of a Necromancer’s power. Of course, they are hush hush about them.”
“So, what can we do about it?”
“Experiment?”
“But that takes time, I don’t have that kind of time.”
She rubbed her chin for a moment before she held up a finger in triumph, “I know! There is a Dungeon near here that has a twenty-four to one time Ratio!”
Alaster’s eyes widened, “A whole day is only an hour? That’s amazing! What Rank is it?”
“A.”
Alaster just stared at her with dead eyes, “A Rank? The Rank that even Experts fail to reliably conquer?”
“Yep! That’s the one! But don’t worry! With all these Monsters your Undead are killing, you must have leveled up a bunch!”
In truth, Alaster had not really checked. He had been so busy with leveling up his Abilities and learning knew Magic that he hadn’t checked. He decided to remedy this.
[Class: Death Knight
Level: 37<43
EXP: 52%
Health: 1,065/1,065<1,115/1,155
Health Regeneration: 23/min<25/min
Mana: 1,125/1,125<1,215/1,215
Mana Regeneration: 25/min<26/min
Abilities: Necrotic Bolt, Flame bolt, Rock Bolt, Raise Undead, Bone Crafting, Mana Manipulation, Death Touch, Skeleton Creation, Meditation, Necrotic Heal, Dead Aura, Flesh Crafting, Raise Mage, Dead Bomb, Summon Undead Soldier, Summon Undead Worker, Summon Undead Archer, Summon Undead Butcher
Passives: Pain Tolerance, Blunt Resistance, Regeneration, Magic Resistance
Bonuses: Horde, Death Pact, Soul Domain, Split Mind, Swap, Soul Seal, Blood Price, Dead Embrace, Imbuement, Blood Aura, Fine Control, Dark Sight
Stats:
Strength: 172<184 Wisdom*: 250<268
Dexterity: 160<172 Intelligence*: 205<223
Constitution*: 193<211 Free Points: 0<30]
[Constitution 200 Bonus Unlocked: Last Stand]
[Constitution 200 Bonus: Last Stand
Level 1: 0%
Upon reaching 10% Health, enter a rage that doubles Strength, Constitution, and Health Regeneration.]
Alaster carefully read every change. He read his latest Bonuses four times just to make sure he was seeing it right.
“How is that possibly a Level one Bonus? I get that Bonuses are supposed to be powerful and shape you but come on! How could this possibly get any better and not be completely overpowered.”
Aila chuckled, no doubt already seeing the change in his Soul.
“That is pretty powerful.”
“I’m a Mage! Why am I getting Berserk Bonuses? And how will this pair with [Regeneration]?”
“I imagine that it will be double your Health Regeneration every second.”
“This is such a broken Bonus.”
She giggled, “Actually, it’s pretty average. The later Bonuses are always more powerful than the earlier ones. I once met a man who could create a perfect copy of his body and if he died, he immediately woke up as the clone, with everything the same as before. Basically, a second life. Come to think of it, he could probably use that Bonus to be effectively immortal. Cause when the Clone is inactive, it doesn’t change at all, including age.”
Alaster’s mouth dropped, “That is busted. Come to think of it, after two hundred, when do you get the third set of Bonuses?”
She smiled wide, “Five hundred, and you will only get Bonuses for the first three stats to reach that point.”
“What happens when the other stats reach that point after the first two?”
“Nothing. You can of course continue to increase them, but they won’t get a bonus.”
“Is there a Bonus after five hundred?”
She put her finger to her chin, “One thousand, and only the first stat. After that? I assume only the Demi Gods know, maybe not even them.”
Alaster took another look at his Status, “Wow, I am really building up a list of Abilities. It’s kinda difficult to find a specific one.”
She floating elf giggled, “Look again.”
So, he did, and he saw that his Abilities had instead been sorted into types.
[Abilities: Striker Type, AOE Type, Minion Type, General Type]
Alaster mentally selected the Striker Type and another menu opened, revealing all the Bolt Spells and [Death Touch]. AOE had [Dead Aura] and [Dead Bomb]. Minion had all his Summons and Raises, including [Raise Mage] and [Necrotic Heal]. General had the rest, including his manipulation types like [Bone Crafting] and [Flesh Crafting].
This new change was much easier to understand.
“Why didn’t it do that before?”
“Because you didn’t ask it to. The System will change the format of your Status to whatever you want.”
“Why isn’t that taught?”
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“Eh, I assume it’s just because those who need it, figure it out, and those who don’t, it doesn't matter. Where are you going to put your Free Points?”
“With how powerful the two hundred stat Bonuses are, I’m leaning towards getting my Strength Bonus. But then most of my power is in my Minions, so it would be better to raise Wisdom.”
“Seems pretty simple to me. Do you want to improve your Minions, or you? Strength and Dexterity are typically personal Buffs.”
Alaster thought for a moment before he raised his Strength to two hundred. He then put the last fourteen points into Dexterity. He figured that most of his Minion’s strength lay in their Ability Levels at this point.
[Strength 200 Bonus: Reaper
Level 1: 0%
When engaging multiple foes, Strength is increased 30%.]
Alaster smiled to himself. He was turning into Berserker Build. A Berserker with an army of the dead serving him.
“Nice Bonus. Should help when you are surrounded. Now, are you ready to go to the Dungeon?”
Alaster stood up and stretched as he replied, “I guess, let me store my Undead first.”
Aila simply nodded as she continued to casually float around, as if she was a leaf gently floating in a pond.
Alaster recalled his Undead. They had recently killed the last Monster. More would come, but it would take time. His Undead Legion marched forward in neat rows, enforced by the Minotaurs. Unfortunately, while the Minotaurs could keep a formation, they were incapable of truly commanding the Undead.
Alaster spent a few moments observing his Undead, activating [Dead Aura] to slowly heal them as he did so. They were an impressive sight. He suspected that any minor settlement that saw them would be wary, until they discovered they were Undead, but then they would be frightened about somehow offending a powerful Necromancer.
As it was, Alaster was only seven levels away from becoming an Expert. Such a small number, but each one worth an immense amount of EXP. The last ten levels of Adept were the hardest to achieve. He was surprised he had managed three. Then again, he had practically cleared this entire section of the forest of Monsters, at least, the Hostile ones.
The more intelligent or peaceful Monsters had likely avoided him as he slaughtered the rest. Nor did he blame them. Looking around, there were nothing but signs of battle. It almost reminded him of a war zone, not that Alaster had ever actually seen one.
Trees had been felled, not by axes, but by Monsters or Undead slamming into them. Their splintered stumps filled the now large clearing. Large enough for his entire Village, if only barely. Alaster shook his head of his thoughts. He had a job to do.
He started with his [Soul Domain], which was capable of holding five of his Undead. The Bonus also earned EXP while the Undead were there. The more of them and the longer they were there, the more EXP. Besides that, Alaster didn’t really know what the Bonus was capable of.
He knew it was more than just a Minion storage, but he was too afraid to experiment with it. The last time he had entered the Domain, it had only felt like moments, but in reality, was four months.
He had wasted four months. Four more months his sister was held captive.
Nonetheless, he was still going to use it. Something he did notice was that his Minions could enter and exit the [Soul Domain] than they were the Summoner’s Ring. The Domain would expand to fit his needs. If he wanted, the Domain would expand its portal to allow five Minotaurs in at once. He knew it could expand much more, but he also knew it had a limit.
As for the Ring? It was only able to fit three at a time. So, if he needed to unleash his Undead quickly, he preferred to use the Domain. Which is why the Domain was filled with Minotaurs. They were the most durable of his Undead. So, if he was to come under attack, he wanted several shields in front of him quickly.
After the [Soul Domain] was filled, the rest of his Undead marched into the Ring. It took a while to get them all in. A lone Monster entered the clearing, but his Soldiers and Archer were keeping it busy. Alaster only had to resummon four more Soldiers and two Archers before they finally managed to kill it.
Once all his Custom Undead were properly stored, he simply unsummoned the rest. He watched them fade out of existence and turned to Aila.
“I’m ready to go when you are.”
She floated over, “Great! Follow me!”
She laughed, opening a portal and floating through. Alaster walked through and was suddenly in a completely different area.
It was all stone. Alaster looked around and found that they were in the mountains, somewhere. Not just that, but just ten meters away, Alaster could see the tall stone walls of a settlement.
The walls were over twenty meters tall, seeming to be masterfully carved out of the surrounding mountain itself. Beautiful images were carved into the walls depicting the rise of a powerful people building a city against the chaos of Monsters.
The serene picture was broken by the absence of a gate, as if it had exploded from the inside out. Debris littered the ground. As did countless bloodstains. But there were no corpses. Dark clouds filled the sky, threatening to flood the world.
“What happened here?” Alaster asked in a quiet voice.
Aila gracefully landed, stepping forward as she said sadly, “A Dungeon Break.”
She slowly walked through the destroyed gate, Alaster right behind her. As they walked through the deserted city, Alaster looked around. The bloodstains were more common than not, covering everything. Rarely, he would spot the different colored blood of some kind of Monster.
The buildings to either side of the road had doors smashed in, walls shattered. Some had even completely collapsed. The buildings were made almost entirely of stone. Some showed signs of a raging fire.
The bloodstains told a story, a story of fear and death. Alaster imagined people fleeing from the Monsters that had suddenly appeared everywhere. Some who fled, only to be too slow, the Monsters pouncing on them. Others fleeing, only to have a Monster crash into them from the side. Very few showed signs of fighting back.
“This used to be the Tauras City of Dolis. One of the smaller cities, but no less powerful. You’ve heard of the Orc Invasion?” Aila asked solemly.
“Yes. Everyone has said that Tauras was too busy fighting off the Invasion to join in the wars.” Alaster said, stepping into a bloodstain and noticing that it wasn’t at all tacky.
‘Not something recent. At least not within a week.’
“A large army of Orcs were sieging the city. The city was prepared for a long siege, their defenders powerful and ready. Morale was high, despite being siege for a month already. Very little damage to the city or civilian life had been sustained at that point.”
“What changed?”
“The Dungeon. Do you know what causes a Dungeon Break?” Aila questioned, continuing to look forward with sad eyes.
“When the Dungeon hasn’t been conquered for a year.”
“That is only the most common. Rarely, the Dungeon will break when there is a mass influx of Mana fed directly into the Dungeon. The Dungeon here was used by their Experts to train. They even took some of the more talented Adepts.
Despite being comfortable with the Dungeon, the City Lord was wise enough to build a fortification around it, just in case.”
She spoke slowly, as the fortifications came into view, near the center of the city.
“These fortifications were the only reason anyone survived this disaster. Yet it wasn’t enough.”
The walls stood nearly ten meters tall and five meters thick. Battlements lined both sides, which would have provided cover for any defender to fight back from behind cover. A wall such as this, even unenchanted, would have required a powerful Expert to break through. Alaster doubted it would have been easy. Yet there was a large hole in the wall, four meters tall and wide.
Alaster followed Aila through the hole.
If the city itself was covered in bloodstains, the area around the Dungeon was flooded. There was not a single inch that wasn’t stained in several different colors of blood.
“Those defending the Dungeon were prepared for such a Break, but most of the soldiers were at the outer walls, defending against the siege. Word of the Dungeon Break reached the walls just as the Defenders of the Dungeon broke.
They fought with everything they had wiping out hundreds of Monsters, but it they were Monsters from an A Rank Dungeon.
Even after the defenses were broken, they continued to fight. The Monsters flooded the city, catching most unaware. It was a slaughter.”
Aila stood in the courtyard, staring at the black void of the Dungeon pressed against the mountain at the far end.
“The bells rung for evacuation, and everyone rushed towards the tunnels. Out of their homes and into the streets with no cover. The soldiers tried to protect the people, but most weren’t even Level forty-five. Still, some made it.”
“Made it where? If the Orcs were outside the city, where could they have run?”
“Each of the cities of Tauras are connected with tunnels that run deep underground. With the mountainous terrain, it would otherwise take several months to get from one city to another. It’s called the Deep Highway. Much safer than above ground, but still not entirely safe, despite the regular patrols.
They were able to close the gates, at the cost of several Experts sacrificing themselves. The survivors made their way to Jora, just on the other side of the mountain. That’s when I first learned of the tragedy. I was in Ceross, the Capital City of Taria, but I rushed over to see if I could help.
But it was too late. In the end, the Orcs slaughtered the Monsters, ransacked the city, and left. By the time I got here, they were long gone.”
“When did this happen?”
“Just a week before I met you.” Aila said with a slight smile.
“So that’s the Dungeon I’m supposed to train in?” Alaster asked, nodding toward the void.
“Yep. I will remain out here. I have some contacts that might be able to provide some knowledge about higher ranked Undead, capable of command.”
Alaster took a deep breath, “What is the Dungeon like?”
“It is a large valley with ruins dotted throughout. You will encounter four types of Monsters. One is a large brown bear with plates of hard stone growing on it. Another is a black bat capable of carrying off a grown man in armor. Then there are Wolves with two tails, each capable of moving independently with a sharp point, similar to spearheads.
Finally, and the ones you must be very careful of, are the Devils.”
“Devils?”
“Yes. They are different from demons, but still very powerful, and cunning. Do not underestimate them. They wear dark red armor and wield dangerous weapons, including bows.”
“What about the Boss?”
“The Boss is a larger Devil, both in size and might. He is highly intelligent. Worse, he will wander the Dungeon. He will stick to the large tower ruin at the far edge of the Dungeon, but he does move around. Alaster listen to me, do not fight him unless you kill every last Devil.”
“I understand.”
“Good, now get going.” She ordered with a light smile.
Alaster nodded, more to himself than her, and stepped forward. The bloodstains were a warning to the might of the Dungeon.
Dungeon Breaks allowed the Monsters of the Dungeon to leave, but they were usually twice the number typically found within. Even the Boss would be able to leave. An A Rank Dungeon Boss was quite possibly over Level sixty.
‘What normal person would solo challenge an A Rank Dungeon while he still wasn’t an Expert? Evelyn always did saw I wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed.’ Alaster chuckled to himself, touching the Void.
[Iron Ruins Dungeon
Rank: A
Instance
Time Dilution: 24:1
Party Limit: 10]
[Enter?]
‘Let’s try not to die, shall we?’ Alaster thought to himself, disappearing from the world.