Upon entering the Undead Lair, a cold and dry mass of air greeted them. The walls of the cave were covered with old bones, while some distant lights shone a blue color.
On the first floor, a group of undead creatures stood in wait.
A group of Bone Guardians, consisting of tall, skeletal figures wearing old armor, and wielding some form of cracked greatswords, had their eye sockets lit up with a dull blue hue when they turned their attention towards the group.
Instead of attacking immediately, each one of them got on a knee to the ground, and bowed their heads to John.
Airi blinked. "Eh... should they bow to us?"
Aiko placed a hand on the hilt of her katana, her gaze not leaving the undead. "I’ve never heard of this happening before."
Lyra, who was right beside John, gave a small smirk. "Naturally, of course they would bow to my Master. After all, My Master is a True Necromancer, so these lowly undead can feel his presence!"
John didn’t say anything as he raised his hand, a couple of new skills embedded themselves into his soul as if the lair was acknowledging his arrival.
New Skills Acquired:
Soul Devour (S) - Consumes undead of a lower rank to permanently empower undead of a higher rank of the user’s control. When using on undead, the consumed undead’s stats, residual skills, and soul energy is added unto the target undead.
Shadow Call (SS) - Temporarily allows the user to store any undead under their possession inside their shadows, and summon them at any time regardless of distance.
John closed the status window as he observed the kneeling Bone Guardians.
"Rise."
They all stood up at once.
The group advanced further into the lair.
On the second floor, the atmosphere had gotten more oppressive as semi-transparent figures floated around lazily in the air.
These were known as Wraiths - their bodies consisted of dark mist with a permanent look of silent screaming etched onto their face.
Like with the previous floors with the undeads, the moment they noticed John, they lowered themselves to the ground in respect.
John’s eyes sparkled with interest as he gestured towards three lesser Wraiths, and one larger Wraith that was floating farther away from the others.
"Soul Devour."
The three smaller Wraiths let out silent cries as they were consumed by the larger one, dark energy swirling furiously as the bigger Wraith’s body contorted itself. When the Wraith stopped moving, there was now a new figure floating before them.
It was apparent that the new figure was female.
The mist that comprised her body had grown more substantial, having taken on a more tangible shape. Large, massive breasts swayed from her body while a wide pair of heavy hips twitched, all connected by a long column of shadowy hair cascading down her back.
Two glowing blue eyes stared at John with an undying loyalty.
John observed the new Wraith before giving a small nod to her.
"Your name will now be Nyxara."
The female Wraith bowed deeply to John’s direction. "As you command, Master."
Lyra’s expression darkened as she linked her arm with John’s, glaring daggers at the new undead.
"Master... Do you really need one with a body like that?"
John gave a passing glance at Lyra’s direction, before saying nothing.
Aiko, who had been quietly observing the interaction, had her knuckles slightly tighten around her katana. Her thoughts wandered as she once again considered her next course of action.
’Should I tell him...? No, not yet. The timing isn’t right.’
They now reached the third floor.
Compared to the previous floors, the opposition should have been somewhat stronger. Skeleton Warriors stood in formation as they readied their rusted shields and spears, while Rotting Zombies lugged their broken bones and limbs forward towards them.
However, just like with the previous floors, they all again got on their knees and bowed at the sight of John.
A soft chime resonated in John’s mind as another skill was acquired.
New Skill Acquired:
Grave Resonance (S) - Lets the user tap into the power of any undead currently being stored within one’s shadows. By temporarily sacrificing the energy of the stored undead, the user can drastically enhance their physical prowess, regenerative capabilities and necrotic output in a short amount of time. The more undead that are sacrificed, the greater the bonuses will be.
John flexed his fingers as he felt the new power reside within him.
"Interesting."
At the end of the third floor stood the true master of the lair. A tall, skeletal figure wearing tattered black robes hovered over a mass of bones. A glowing purple mass floated within its ribcage. A Lich.
Unlike the other undead, it didn’t bow to John. Instead, it raised a bony hand and began to chant as it started approaching.
John stepped forward alone.
"Be gone."
He activated Grave Resonance. The ten Skeleton Warriors stored within his shadows were consumed as power surged through his body. His muscles tightened, his eyes glowed a darker blue, and the Azure Soulreaper in his grip pulsed with massive necrotic energy. With a single step, he closed the distance between himself and the Lich.
A single swing of his blade, and the blue soulreaper cleanly carved through the Lich’s core in a smooth arc.
The lich didn’t even have time to scream before its body was turned into a mass of bones and ash.
John looked down at the Lich’s remains.
"Awaken."
Lich’s soul was prepared for awakening under John’s command, but upon considering his options, he shook his head.
"Soul Devour."
John transferred the energy that he had stored from the Lich over to Lyra.
Dark energy surrounded her body as her stats increased.
Name: Lyra Vane
Class: Shadow Illusionist
Rank: B+
Mana Aptitude: 78
Strength: 48
Agility: 142
Skills:
Phantom Veil (A)
Shadow Bind (B)
Mirror Step (B)
Dark Resonance ©
Shadow Shard (B)
Phantom Execution (A)
Umbral Dominion (A)
Illusionary Army (A)
Night’s Embrace (B)
New Skill:
Soul Shadow (A) - Lets the user absorb residual soul energy from defeated enemies to temporarily empower one’s illusions.
Domain (Locked):
Phantom Dominion
A domain that blankets the area in illusions and shadows, causing enemies to not be able to distinguish between what is real, and what is not. Illusions within the domain take effect on anyone within the domain.
(Unlocks upon reaching Rank S)
Lyra exhaled as the power flowed into her veins. A small smile adorned her lips as she felt the new power well within her.
The group turned as they began to make their way back to the entrance of the lair.
As they walked, Lyra leaned in close to John’s ear as she whispered something to him. Upon hearing what she had said, John’s expression changed slightly, though he gave no response verbally.
While Airi, Aiko, and the four puppets continued on their way to the guild, John and Lyra were left behind.
A/N:
Next Chapter will be... hehe, wait and see.