Seeing her man almost salivate while lost in his fantasies, Helen nudged him awake.
[What about the 'sacrifices?' It seems pretty strong.](Helen)
"Mhm. But I won't consider it, at least temporarily. Look. If I select the sacrifice perk for the Reapers, for example, I'll get a +10% damage increase to my Corpse Explosion, my killer weapon. However, I can only select one sacrifice, it seems."
Under Helen's curious gaze, Michael selected the sacrifice perk for the Reapers, and instantly, all other options he could choose for his Skeleton Warriors were grayed out.
The Reaper box showing the perks also got encased in red, while the Raise Skeletons skill disappeared from his list.
Fortunately, after selecting the second perk from the Reaper list, the Raise Skeleton skill returned to its rightful place on the skill shortcut interface, making Michael sigh in relief.
[It does look like you can select only one type of Skeleton Warriors and either one perk or the sacrifice.](Helen)
"It would be too strong otherwise. Nevertheless, this is still amazing. These many options can give me better choices for the future if I want to change my fighting style."
[Mhm... but what's the exact difference between the Skeleton Warriors type? Can you see the full details?](Helen)
"Eh... I'm not sure. Let me try."
Sure enough, Helen was right. When he focused on the Skirmisher, the Defender, and the Reaper, full explanations about the minions appeared in a pop-up interface.
[ Skirmishers
Type: Skeleton Warriors
---------------------
Sword-wielding skeletal minions that deal 30% increased damage but have 15% reduced Life.
---------------------
Upgrades:
Perk 1: You can raise one additional Skirmisher Warrior
Perk 2: Each time you Critically Strike, your Skirmisher Warriors' next attack Critically Strikes and deals 50%[x] bonus Critical Strike damage. It can only happen every 3 seconds.
---------------------
Sacrifice: Your Critical Strike Chance is increased by 5%[+], but you can no longer raise Skeletal Warriors. ]
[ Defenders
Type: Skeleton Warriors
---------------------
Durable shield-bearers with 15% increased Life.
---------------------
Upgrades:
Perk 1: Every 6 seconds, your Skeletal Defenders negate the next instance of Direct Damage they would take.
Perk 2: Increase the amount of Thorns that Defender Warriors inherit from you from 30% to 50%.
---------------------
Sacrifice: You gain 15% Non-Physical Resistance but can no longer raise Skeletal Warriors. ]
[ Reapers
Type: Skeleton Warriors
---------------------
It wields a powerful scythe with a special wind-up attack dealing heavy damage every 10 seconds.
---------------------
Upgrades:
Perk 1: Reaper attacks against enemies who are Immobilized, Slowed, Stunned, or Vulnerable reduce the cooldown of their powerful wind-up attack by 2 seconds.
Perk 2: Reapers have a 15% chance to carve the flesh off enemies, forming a corpse.
---------------------
Sacrifice: You deal 15%[x] increased Shadow damage, but you can no longer raise Skeletal Warriors. ]
Reading through the system description, Michael and Helen immediately understood certain previously unclear things.
"So, for Skirmishers' second perk, is it applicable after I hit a Critical Strike myself? That's much better, right?"
[Well, yes and no. It's better, but your Critical Strike is still very low due to your low level and lack of good items. Also, the first perk from the Defenders seems to be a group ability rather than an individual one.](Helen)
"Ugh... that means that it's mostly useless?"
[Pretty much. It's not something you can control since it's a passive ability. That means that if the Boss throws a punch first and your minions block it, and then it uses its strongest skill to kill you and your minions, you are toast.](Helen)
"Yeah, that's pretty underwhelming."
[So? What will you choose?](Helen)
"Reapers. They have high damage and no reduced health. Including the wind-up attack, they should rival the damage the Skirmisher do."
[And the second perk?](Helen)
"Mhm. It's the only one that makes sense since the damage my Corpse Explosion deals should be higher than what the minions do."
Helen shook her head inwardly when she noticed how concentrated he was on the new interface. Pondering for a few moments, she suggested in a gentle voice.
The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
[What if you first focus on the Side Quests, and only when you level up some more you go to Yelesna?](Helen)
"Hmm? Yeah, I was planning to do just that."
[Huh!?](Helen)
"I mean, I'm almost Level 13, and at Level 15, I can summon additional Skeleton Mages. It would be silly of me to rush to Yelesna when it's a Main Quest. I'd rather gain some levels first."
Seeing her shell-shocked appearance, Michael laughed and flicked her forehead.
"If there's a safer way to do things, why the hell would I be stupid and pick the dangerous path?"
[It makes sense... Then? When do you plan to go?](Helen)
"Now. If I get lucky, I should be able to complete at least two Side Quests today."
[Okay... Be careful.](Helen)
"No worries. With your Elixirs, I should easily slaughter any monsters I find."
[I'll walk with you to the gate. The Eastern one?](Helen)
"Mhm."
[Are you going to search for the chest that dropped from the Event?](Helen)
Michael almost tripped when hearing the question but was even more surprised seeing Helen's seriousness.
He flicked her forehead again, and both laughed as they made their way to the Eastern gate.
The guards there were initially surprised to see Michael, especially since they saw him leave yesterday for Yelesna and heard how badly that attempt ended. Now, this guy wanted to go out again?
After dealing with the procedures under the curious eyes of the guards, Michael stepped out of the city with Helen.
"Okay, that's far enough. I won't get killed by the first Ghoul or Skeleton that pops up. Unless you join me, in which case the Ghouls and Skeletons would have your Level. I'm pretty sure I would in that case."
[...just be careful out there. I'll wait for you at home. Come visit once you're back.](Helen)
Michael kissed her and hurriedly departed as his reluctance to leave her side increased with every passing moment.
Repeating in his mind how indulging in debauchery was a bad practice, he quickly made his way toward the closest Quest on the MAP.
"It looks like 'The Dreaded Martyr' is the closest one. It is near the location where I found that guy dying yesterday. Speaking of which... I still have both him and that frozen Monk in my Inventory. I really need to get my shit together."
Looking at the two coffins sitting quietly next to each other, Michael grimaced and wondered if the bad luck he had yesterday was because of them.
Shaking his head to rid himself of the useless thoughts, he walked back to the bridge, where he found Sir Cromwell yesterday, and began inspecting the MAP.
Fortunately, the Quest updated itself and showed the location of the Hallowed Ossuary by adding a golden circle around it.
Unfortunately, even with the short distance from the bridge to the location of interest, Michael didn't make it there without problems.
First, a group of five Ghouls appeared, and he managed to dispatch them efficiently by using Blight and Bone Splinters, but not even a single Corpse Explosion.
The new wand created wonders, as his damage increased quite a bit. With five fresh Corpses on the ground, Michael used Raise Skeletons four times in quick succession, making the newly improved Pathfinder and his three Goons appear.
"Oh, wow! Two-handed scythes, huh? Now that looks pretty badass! I wonder what the wind-up attack is like."
Irrelevant of the wind-up attack, there was no doubt that Warrior Skeletons with scythes in their hands looked better than ones with swords.
He also leveled up, currently at Level 13 with 5/3,120 showing on his current experience bar. Realizing that the Ghouls barely awarded him ten experience per kill, he scratched his head and moved forward.
Some Phantom Warriors also decided to pop up and say hello, making Michael thank them profusely for their appearance, as he could now test his Reapers on them.
"Well, that's interesting. They usually attack with the scythe in a swinging motion, but the wind-up attack is an overhead heavy attack. Just now, it took five to six regular attacks to kill a Phantom but only two wind-up attacks to end another. Their scythes also glow white every time they use the special skill."
Collecting the 43 gold coins and adding the extra 26 from the Ghouls, Michael earned an easy 69 so far.
His happy thoughts ceased seconds after as he reached the location of the Hallowed Ossuary. It looked like a cave was dug through the heart of the small mountain, and he stood at its entrance.
There were stone steps leading inside and two attempts at sculpting some statues on the sides of the entrance, which obviously failed and now looked like some strangely shaped pillars instead.
Michael recognized the symbol above the entrance as the same symbol on Sir Cromwell's armor, meaning that he was a location to which only nobles might have access.
"The door seems opened..."
The Necromancer was feeling slightly strange, looking at the door, or rather what was left of it, at his feet.
"Remembering how Sir Cromwell mentioned the corpse waking up and attacking them, it should either be a Revenant or another Vampire. I hope it's a Revenant... I had enough Vampires for a while..."
Taking a deep breath, Michael moved forward and entered the Ossuary.
His vision immediately went pitch black momentarily, and then the corridor lit up, allowing him to see his surroundings.
"That feeling... it was like a thin film covering the entrance. This Hallowed Ossuary is a Dungeon. Plus, there are creepy-looking cocoons on the sides."
Upon further inspecting the 'cocoons' up close, Michael realized with horror that the disgusting things were made out of flesh, with blood flowing under them and into the ground.
The system also changed how it perceived the new location, now called 'The Rotting Catacombs.' To make matters worse, plenty of human-like skeletons were on the ground and between the rocks, creating huge piles on both sides of the narrow passage.
Unwilling to take any chances, Michael had his Reapers charge in and destroy these abominations, which the minions easily completed.
"They seem empty on the inside... both strange and utterly disgusting."
As expected, the Sanctuary acted instantly, ensuring the Necromancer understood what took priority.
[ Updated Side Quest - 'The Dread Martyr'
Objective: Slay Lord Avitus
Description: The Hallowed Ossuary has become a Dungeon where corpses of nobility were infused with demonic energy. Find Lord Avitus and return him to eternal rest. ]
[ Dungeon Event issued - Hallowed Ossuary
Objective: Collect Animus from the Animus Carriers
Description: With demonic energy running rampant in the Hallowed Ossuary, many previously sleeping nobles have risen again. Find the demonic entity disturbing the dead and kill it. ]
Scratching his head, Michael looked at his newly acquired Skill Point and decided to max out his Skeletal Warrior Mastery, increasing the damage of his Reapers from the previous 30% to 45%.
The first enemies didn't take long to appear, probably attracted by the sound of his minions slashing at the disgusting cocoons of flesh.
[ Plague Maggot (Minion) - Level 15
*Toxic - If hit, there's a 25% chance of being inflicted with an Infected status, lowering the target's Life points by 10 for five seconds. ]
The monster looked like an oversized slug, though its color was red and absolutely disgusting. Noticing the similarities between the cocoon and the Maggot, Michael decided to purge this Dungeon thoroughly.
After all, being ambushed from behind by these things was the last thing he wanted.
Redirecting his minions' attention to the newcomers, Michael had his Reapers greet them politely with their scythes. The creatures were slain quickly, even without Michael stepping in with his spells.
"So, my Reapers deal between 10 to 15 points of damage with each swing and damage between 35 to 45 with their wind-up attack."
Approaching the Corpses of the dead Plague Maggots cautiously, Michael retrieved some gold coins and moved forward slowly, ensuring he didn't miss anything.
And fortunately enough, his attention paid off as he noticed a chest hidden behind two rocks.
Sending Pathfinder to check it, the minion opened it, forcing one blue item box, and a Healing Orb dropped on the floor.
"No use saving up these puppies. Let's open them up and see what they give."
[ Efficient Outsider's Boots
Feet: Magic Boots
132 Item Power
------------------------
66 Armor (+16 compared with the currently slotted item)
* +1.2% Essence Cost Reduction ]
Seeing the new pair of shoes, Michael inspected his current one silently.
[ Insulating Threads
Feet: Magic Boots
99 Item Power
------------------------
50 Armor
* +4.0% Cold Resistance ]
There was no doubt about it. The new pair was better. Not to mention the extra armor, the Essence Cost Reduction was just what he needed to make sure he lasted longer in the fights ahead.
As for the Cold Resistance... With his increased stats, something like the elements wasn't a problem anymore. If we're talking cold spells, though... that might be trickier.
Smiling at the good start, Michael prepared himself to move forward when the sound of ghastly screams could be heard from up ahead in one of the rooms out of sight.