[Read Author’s notes at the end pls]
The dim torchlight flickered across Ludwig’s ravaged form as he sat cross-legged on the cold dungeon floor. His fingers hovered over his status screen, the blue holographic display casting eerie shadows across his partially-repaired undead features. Every muscle in his body ached from the recent battle, the Bastos Wine’s regenerative properties still knitting together the worst of his wounds.
***
[Status Screen: Ludwig Heart]
Race: Undead
Soul Level: 48
Health: 8500/8500
Stamina: Infinite
Mana: 1030/1030
Attributes:
Wisdom: 108
Charisma: 100
Agility: 100
Strength: 100
Dexterity: 100
Vigor: 50
Luck: 15
Class: Battle Mage
Title: Apostle of Death
[Achievement: Unyielding]: Increased mental resistance when at low health. Gains proportional physical/mental boosts up to 10% based on damage taken.
Abilities : [Trace] [Counter Blow]
Spells:
Physical:
[Tyrant Blade Technique]
❖[Summersault Slam]
❖[Steadfast Leap]
❖[Rampaging Tempo]
❖[Limit Breaker]
[Imperial Style]
Magic:
[Explosive Mines] [Frenzied Spirits] [Exhaust] [Enfeeble] [Taint] [Rise Undead 2] [Vengeance] [Galvanize] [Self Immolation] [Vow of Silence]
Passives:
❖[Basic Swordsmanship]
❖[Undead Resolve]
❖[Blessed Body]
Ludwig exhaled a breath he didn’t need, watching as the faint glow of the two Brave Souls pulsed in his palm like twin crimson hearts. “Alright then,” he murmured, “let’s see what twenty thousand souls can do.”
He crushed the orbs in his fist, feeling their essence flood through his undead veins like liquid fire. The sensation was both exhilarating and painful – like drinking molten metal that somehow nourished rather than destroyed.
[+20,000 Souls]
“First things first,” Ludwig said through gritted teeth as the energy coursed through him. “Let’s shore up my durability. Fifty points into Vigor.”
The souls burned away in a brilliant cascade as his body underwent its metamorphosis. His ribcage expanded slightly, the lingering fractures from the Rat Lord’s blows knitting together with audible cracks. The slime covering his form thickened, becoming more viscous and resilient.
[-2,500 Souls]
[Vigor increased to 100]
[Health Regeneration increased to 1.5% per second]
[+500 HP (Level Bonus)]
[+5,000 HP (Vigor Bonus)]
Thomas whistled appreciatively as he floated around Ludwig’s changing form. “That’s a significant boost. You’re practically a walking fortress now.”
Ludwig flexed his newly reinforced arms, watching as the necrotic flesh rippled with latent power. “Not enough. Not yet.” His fingers danced through the status screen. “Fifty points each into Strength, Dexterity, and Agility.”
The transformation this time was more violent. Tendons and muscles visibly writhed beneath his undead skin, the necrotic fibers dissolving and reforming stronger than before. His joints popped as they became more fluid, his reflexes sharpening to near-precognitive levels.
[-2,750 Souls (+50 Strength)]
[-3,000 Souls (+50 Dexterity)]
[-3,300 Souls (+50 Agility)]
[Strength 150: Muscular power enhanced. Weapon damage increased by 1.5%]
[Dexterity 150: Reaction time improved. +0.5% evasion chance]
[Agility 150: Movement speed and flexibility enhanced. Attack/casting speed +7.5%]
[+1,500 HP (Level Up health Bonus)]
Thomas floated closer, his glow pulsing with curiosity. “Your body… it’s changing beyond just the numbers. Look at your exposed arm.”
Ludwig turned his left arm, where the slime coating had been torn away during the battle. Where once there had been only rotting flesh and exposed bone, now rotten but slightly healthy-looking muscle and skin had begun to regrow. The transformation wasn’t complete – patches of decay still marred the surface – but the improvement was undeniable.
“You’re… healing?” Thomas sounded genuinely astonished.
The Knight King scoffed from his corner. “Don’t be absurd. His corpse is merely adapting to contain the power flowing through it. A wineskin expanding to hold more wine, nothing more.”
“I mean, even his cheek flesh is recovering…” Thomas said.
Ludwig experimentally prodded his cheek, where Thomas had mentioned a gaping wound had closed. “The Knight’s right, in his usual charming way. This isn’t true healing – just my undead form optimizing itself.” He tilted his head. “Though I’ll admit, having lips again will make drinking those potions easier.”
Thomas’s glow flickered in amusement. “Your eyes have changed too. They were milky before, but now they’re… well, they’re actually quite striking. An intense blue.”
Ludwig blinked, momentarily thrown. “Blue? My eyes were brown when I was alive.” He shook his head. “Probably just another undead mutation. Now, about these remaining souls…”
He had nearly 8,500 left – a considerable sum. As he pondered his options, the Knight King unexpectedly spoke up.
“Invest in Wisdom and Charisma.”
Both Ludwig and Thomas turned to the tiny armored figure in surprise.
The Knight King crossed his arms. “Don’t look at me like that. Even a master swordsman needs to understand his tools. Your necromancy is crude, but potentially useful. Strengthening it would be… pragmatic.”
Ludwig raised an eyebrow. “That’s unexpectedly reasonable coming from you. What’s the catch?”
“No catch,” the Knight King grumbled. “But understand this – the Tyrant Blade is a weapon of precision, not brute force. Piling more strength onto your current clumsy form would be like giving a child a zweihander. Pointless and dangerous. You already have all the power you need to use the base forms of The Tyrant Blade; getting stronger will yield no immediate results.”
Thomas nodded in agreement. “He’s right, you know. Your undead minions saved your life back there. Strengthening that aspect makes tactical sense.”
Ludwig considered their words, then made his decision. “Fifty points each into Wisdom and Charisma then.”
The changes this time were more subtle but no less profound. His mind expanded, spells and formulas clicking into place with newfound clarity. The oppressive weight of controlling multiple undead lessened noticeably, as if some invisible threshold had been crossed.
[-3,500 Souls (Wisdom)]
[-3,750 Souls (Charisma)]
[Wisdom 150: Mana regeneration increased to 1.5%. Spell potency slightly increased, and your understanding of magic also increased somewhat.]
[Charisma 150: Undead control capacity increased to 30 low-tier minions]
[+1,000 HP (Attribute Bonus)]
[Social perception altered: +15% favorable reactions when undead nature concealed]
Thomas floated back, his glow pulsing with approval. “You look… different. More substantial somehow. But…”
Ludwig examined his hands – the skin, while still pale, now had a healthier pallor. The worst of the rot had receded, but there were still some gaping openings along his chest and neck, and some patches of gray here and there, though his skin was still paler than a ghost. “Without the slime covering me and the lantern, I’ll still fail to be perceived as a human, so this isn’t much,” Ludwig shrugged.
With about 4,000 souls remaining, Ludwig hesitated. “Should I invest these too?”
Thomas shook his head. “Keep them in reserve. You never know when you’ll need a quick boost in the field.”
‘He’s not wrong,’ Ludwig thought. One can never know when they’ll need a small boost. Though he would risk losing half of his souls on death, they could still come in handy in emergencies.
Standing up, Ludwig felt the difference immediately. His body moved with fluid grace he hadn’t possessed even in life, each motion precise and effortless. The Rat Lord’s gear awaited him.
Though the belt itself was three times the waist size of Ludwig, it instantly shrank in size to accommodate Ludwig’s size. Not only that, it also changed shape, probably the effect of the lantern, as it became a leather belt with a metallic rat skull at the center. The rat skull was a bit creepy in shape, but at the same time looked quite intricate and unique.
Ludwig then wore the pendant, and same there, the barbaric shaped pendant changed form to fit Ludwig, and became a metallic circle with a small rat skull with wide fangs on it.
[Equipped: Rat Lord’s Black-Belt (Set Item)]
[Equipped: Rat Lord’s Amulet (Set Item)]
[Missing Set Item, Black Rat Lord’s Skull Crushing Cleavers]
[Partial Set Bonus: Partial Rampage Activated 0.5% increased attack speed and physical damage per 1% missing HP Rationality loss (Nullified by Undead nature)]
Ludwig chuckled darkly as he read the description. “Well, now, this is interesting. The Rat Lord lost defense as his health dropped because of Rampage, but this version just makes me stronger. Although it’s half the effect,” He turned to Thomas. “And since undead don’t lose rationality..”
Thomas finished the thought. “There’s no downside for you. That’s… actually terrifying.”
The Knight King studied the amulet with grudging respect. “The rodent had some skill in enchantment, I’ll give it that. There are no common magical trinkets.”
Ludwig turned his attention to the Rat Lord’s massive corpse. “Speaking of which…” He summoned the Codex Necros, which floated eagerly toward the remains. The second page – still bearing faint traces of the Tibarian Guard’s essence – fluttered open hungrily.
As the Codex absorbed the Rat Lord’s body and weapons, the pages shimmered with new inscriptions. The massive cleavers shrank to fit the dimensions of the book, their crude power now bound to Ludwig’s will alongside the owner, the Rat Lord itself as it was depicted inside the page instead of the lost Tibarian Guard.
[Codex Necros Updated]
[New Entry: Gray Rat Lord]
[Remaining Pages: 2]
Thomas watched the process with fascination. “Why not revive it now? A boss-level undead would be incredibly useful.”
Ludwig shook his head, closing the Codex with a snap. “Not yet. With my current skill, I’d only get a mindless zombie. That thing was dangerous because of its intelligence and combat skills.” He patted the Codex. “Better to wait until I can do it properly.”
With his upgrades complete and new gear equipped, Ludwig surveyed the dungeon one last time. The distant skittering of remaining rats echoed through the tunnels, but none dared approach after their lord’s demise.
“Time to go,” Ludwig said, rolling his newly strengthened shoulders. “That quest update mentioned investigating the manor’s surroundings.”
Thomas floated alongside as Ludwig began ascending toward the surface. “Any idea what we’re looking for?”
Ludwig’s enhanced eyes gleamed in the torchlight as he smiled. “Trouble, probably. But this time, we should be ready for it.”
The Knight King’s spectral form shimmered with something almost like approval as he followed behind.
[Read Author’s notes at the end pls]