《Spiritbound - A Multiverse LitRPG Novel》


 Chapter 1 - Initialisation

    Liam kept his head bowed as he placed the bouquet of flowers by the grave. His eyes had long since dried out of tears and his voice had ran out of things to say. All that remained to do was collect his scattered thoughts, one¡¯s that had been drifting around his head since the accident. His fists clenched in rage when he thought of it, but the sight of his mother¡¯s final resting place doused any feelings of anger with a hollow emptiness that he wasn¡¯t sure would ever be filled.


    Elizabeth Karr had spent the better part of her life looking out for him and he owed every bit of the man he was today to her. He had taken a job in a different city in the hopes that he could look after her like she had done him but in some twisted joke of fate he had been called back home after only 6 months to find her dead. With no one else to handle her affairs, the duty had fallen to him and until today he had not found the time to grieve.


    A clap of thunder broke him out of his reverie and he looked about to see that there was no rain. Dark clouds covered the sky but no storm blew to explain the sound. Another rumble echoed through the empty cemetery, but this time it did not come from the sky but the ground instead. Loose pieces of gravel vibrated as the tremor passed beneath his feet. A third sound reverberated through his skull as the second faded, a menacingly low growl that physically shook him from head to toe. It lasted for only a few moments, but they stretched from the fear of the unknown that had sparked inside of him. Then, with a flash of light, words began to appear in front of him.


    [System Initialising¡­]


    [Host found¡­]


    [Displaying Status¡­]


    [


    Name: Liam Karr


    Race: Human (Earth)


    Path: None


    Class: None


    Titles: None


    Level: 0


    HP: 110/110


    Stamina: 130/130


    Strength: 12


    Dexterity: 10


    Vitality: 11


    Endurance: 13


    Intelligence: 15


    Willpower: 17


    Free Attributes: 0


    Traits:


    None


    Skills:


    None


    Powers:


    None


    ]


    Then, without warning, they were gone and Liam was met with a low wail from behind that made him turn around. A spectral form floated half a foot above the ground in the shape of a man. Its ghostly transparency made it hard to see its features but one thing was certain, it was looking at him. With another wail it lunged towards him, causing him to backpedal and almost trip over his own feet. Spectral hands grasped at him and he twisted instinctually to avoid them, spinning around in the process. Now facing away from whatever it was Liam found his feet under him and started to run. A frigid cold on the back of his neck let him know it was not far behind and he didn¡¯t dare look back for fear of the action slowing him down. But just because he was looking forwards didn¡¯t mean that he could see where he was going. Just as he had begun to gain pace he tripped over a headstone and was sent tumbling to the ground.


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    In his panic he scrambled to grab something, anything, and happened upon a branch from a fallen tree. He snatched it up and spun round, swinging with the full force of the motion¡­ only for it to go right through the ghostly entity. With no way for him to escape, it moved its hands into his chest, going right through his skin like it wasn¡¯t even there, and placed its chill touch upon his heart. He felt its beat slow as a blinking box appeared in the corner of his vision. His eyes, frantically looking about to figure a way out of this situation glanced over it and it expanded to cover the centre of his sight.


    [Status Effect Inflicted: Spectral Hold


    Reduce Vitality by 0.5 for every second in contact with source.


    You will die if Vitality reaches 0.


    Recovers at 0.1 Vitality every second once removed from source.]


    He scanned over it, the alien text heightening his fear even as he barely comprehended it. Still, after reading it he tried to see past it to figure a way to escape and to his surprise it disappeared. Then, as he once again caught sight of its hands through his chest, he came up with an idea. He simply got up. Passing through it cause him to be hit by a wave of cold, but adrenaline was carrying him now and he would not be stopped by a mere change in temperature. He took off again, leaping over a tombstone to get back onto the path and ignoring the wail that came from behind him.


    A new notification popped up and he opened it for a second to glance over before dismissing it the same way he had the first.


    [Willpower check passed, Hidden Status Effect: Fear defeated.]


    His thoughts raced at the message but he grabbed that part of him and through it to the back of his mind. He could figure out what was going on later but for now he needed to escape his spectral stalker. He raced towards the cemetery exit, warmth slowly returning to his body now that he was free of the Spectral Hold. He passed between rows upon rows of tombstones before the gates came into view. There was just one problem, what had just been another part of the graveyard before was now a gaping crevice that stretched as far as he could see in each direction, a split in the earth that spanned several times further than he could jump, and he was running right for it.


    He made to turn left, but he spotted a group of spectres similar to the one chasing him watching him with malice from the sidelines. He then looked right to see a pair of large, red eyed, starving dogs sniffing around some of the tombstones. Neither side looked like a direction he wanted to go in and a low wail from behind spurred him onwards, fear gripping his heart as if the ghost were upon him once again.


    Adrenaline pumped through him as he grew closer and closer to the gaping wound in the earth, fighting against the unnatural fear that had a hold over him. He had no choice than to keep running forwards since turning left or right wasn¡¯t an option and his traitor of a mind wouldn¡¯t even entertain the thought of turning back around and running back through his pursuer. That left him with two options, stand still and let the malicious supernatural being catch up, or keep moving forward. It was obvious which he would choose.


    Still, the fact it was his only option didn¡¯t solve the issue he was quite literally running into. In a couple dozen more paces he would run out of ground to cover, so he had to come up with something quick. He was close enough to see into the crevice now and he could make out a dim blue light that lit up the walls. He noticed that the sides slanted downwards towards whatever was emitting the light and a plan came to mind.


    He reached deep within him to find the resolve to do what had to be done and was surprised when he found it. Either the situation he was in had unearthed something about himself or he didn¡¯t really consider any of this real but he would take what he could get. He was at the crevice in the next few seconds and instead of stopping he stepped off the edge, leaning backwards to attempt a slide instead of a fall. Rocks dug into his back as he succeeded, sparing a glance upwards before he picked up too much speed. The spectre seemed to hit some sort of invisible barrier when it tried to follow him down and so stopped there to stare down at him. He grinned back up at it as another notification appeared at the corner of his vision.


    Luckily, the crevice wasn¡¯t too deep and he reached the bottom quite quickly, only a few moments passing from the start of his slide until the end. He bent his knees to absorb the shock of the landing but still felt a jolt that shook his whole body and made his teeth clack together painfully. Another notification appeared below the first, blinking to get his attention but it would have to wait. In front of him was another creature from the fantasy books and from how it stepped towards him he could guess that its intentions were the same as the last he had met. Advancing upon him was a bone axe wielding skeleton with blue light spilling from its skull and joints, and it did not look happy to see him.

 Chapter 2 - First Kill

    Instinct took over and before he knew it his fist was rocketing towards the skeleton¡¯s face. It didn¡¯t seem to care, however, as it raised its axe. He made contact with its skull, sending the creature stumbling back with a crack. The crack wasn¡¯t one of the skeleton¡¯s bones though, and Liam yelped in pain as his own knuckle bone fractured. He got over it fast as he had no time to dwell on the pain, the undead creature recovering its footing and approaching him once again.


    Backed into a corner, Liam had no choice but to engage once again. He dropped under a slow axe swing and swept the things legs out from under it, 2 years of martial arts in his younger years finally showing their worth. Whilst he could perform certain moves that an untrained person could not, those years of practice did nothing to prepare him for what happened next. The skeleton simply broke into its individual bones upon hitting the ground, the blue light emanating from it flashing on impact before disappearing completely.


    Two new notifications joined the growing list demanding his attention, but he took a few breaths to centre himself before pushing back aside the thoughts about the reality of his situation and finally deciding to check on them. He could figure out if he was having a mental break or not later, for now he compartmentalised his feelings and focused on surviving as if it were real.


    [You have entered the Limited Dungeon - Phyris¡¯ Sealed Catacombs


    Long ago, a young scion of the Phyris Clan was betrayed by his own family. They had grown weary of his ascent and ambushed him at the moment of his breakthrough. Unbeknownst to them, he had already turned to the dark art of Necromancy to further his power and was able to preserve his existence through Undeath. Now as a Lich he commands the hordes of his ancestors to seek a way to escape and take revenge upon those that wronged him.


    This is a Limited Dungeon and as such you are unable to leave until one of the following criteria are met:


    Ander Phyris slain: 0/1


    Dark ritual complete: 47 hours 54 minutes remain]


    He read through the information twice to make sure that he understood it correctly. According to whatever was putting these messages in his head he had just under 2 days to stop a Lich on the warpath or it and whatever else was down here would be unleashed upon the world. It sounded crazy, and he was tempted to just find somewhere to sit out the 48 hours it would take for him to be able to leave, but then he remembered how his mother had raised him, to always do right wherever he could, and he reluctantly resolved himself to stopping this Ander fellow. The thought of his mother brought back fresh grief that he pushed down with everything else that he was bottling up as he brought up the next message.


    [Congratulations! You have slain your first foe.


    This may only be the first step on your Path but it is an important one.


    The bones of your first enemy lay the foundation of your Path, as such you have learned:


    Appraisal I


    Undead Lore I


    Hafted I


    May you walk far and never stray.]


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    There was more to unpack there as he had apparently learned something from killing (re-killing?) the skeleton. He definitely didn¡¯t feel any different and the only new knowledge in his head was how much it hurt to have a fracture on his knuckle so what did this System mean? He had no idea what he could do to figure it out so he blinked the message away and opened the third and final one, hoping that this one would add some clarity, or at the very least context, to the situation.


    [Level Up!


    You have reached Level 1.


    You have 5 Free Attributes to assign.


    You have unlocked the Status function. You may access this by thinking or saying ¡®Status¡¯.]


    Finally, he had some information he could act upon, he thought to him was he read the last message. It took seeing the words ¡®Level Up!¡¯ for him to relate this System with some of the games he had played growing up. Unfortunately he had discarded such hobbies, like video games and martial arts, when he had been forced by circumstances to devote himself to his studies. He now regretted that he had given them up, as they would¡¯ve helped immensely now, but he had little choice in the matter as a child so there was little for him to reflect upon.


    ¡®Status.¡¯ He thought, trying it out for the first time. And, sure enough, it worked.


    [


    Name: Liam Karr


    Race: Human (Earth)


    Path: None


    Class: None


    Titles: None


    Level: 1


    HP: 86/110


    Stamina: 42/130


    Strength: 12


    Dexterity: 10


    Vitality: 11


    Endurance: 13


    Intelligence: 15


    Willpower: 17


    Free Attributes: 5


    Traits:


    None


    Skills:


    Appraisal I


    Undead Lore I


    Hafted I


    Powers:


    None


    ]


    He had seen something similar when the System initialised but it had disappeared before he got the chance to read it. This time he would make sure to go through it properly to understand what it meant. That being said, as he started at the top section of his Status, he had no idea what most of it referred to.


    Path had been mentioned in one of the notifications he had received and apparently he had taken the first step despite his Status declaring that he had ¡®None¡¯. Class and Titles he had more context with from the games he used to play. Unlocking a Class would probably come with major benefits for him and Titles sounded like it would be some sort of achievement tracker. If those achievements came with rewards then he would hunt them down but if they were merely for bragging or some other such reason then he likely start ignoring that section altogether. Level was self explanatory given the notification he had not long ago received. Killing enemies would let him Level Up which would in turn grant Free Attribute Points that he could assign to himself if he ever figured out how. They were a clear goal for something to acquire more of so getting these Levels would be his immediate priority until he felt confident enough to take in Ander Phyris.


    HP represented how healthy or close to death he was, though how such a thing was even measured he had no clue, whilst Stamina probably meant his energy levels considering the low amount he had of it left and how tired he was feeling. The attributes themselves were even easier to figure out. Each of them did what they said they did, with Strength making him stronger and Endurance making him tougher, but the question of what would happen to him if he happened to increase his Intelligence? Would the System directly mess with his brain? Would it be able to change him into someone else or write things into his personality that he wouldn¡¯t even realise were fake? He decided to hold off on anything to do with either of the less physical attributes in case it messed with its head but was open to the idea of increasing the others. After all, who wouldn¡¯t want to be strong enough to throw a car or tough enough to be unfazed if such a throw were to hit you?


    The last section made even less sense to him than any other part of his Status. Both Traits and Powers were empty of any information whilst Skills had 3 Skills listed that he had no idea what they did. He honed in on them and was surprised to find that focusing on one brought up its description. He quickly did that for all 3 and read through them.


    [Appraisal I


    General Skill


    Grants basic information on a target by focusing on them. Grows through use.


    Tier I: Uses Lore Skills to provide additional information]


    [Undead Lore I


    Lore Skill


    Grants knowledge of Undead. Grows through defeating and collecting information on Undead.


    Tier I: Provides information on most types of Lesser Undead, but not their Evolutions or Variants]


    [Hafted I


    Combat Skill


    Grants enhanced muscle memory and learning with all One Handed Hafted Weapons that scales with Tier. Grows through use.


    Tier I: Can utilise the Tier I effects of One Handed Hafted Weapons.]


    [Appraisal] and [Undead Lore] would be immensely helpful at gathering what he had been trying to get his hands on this whole time: information. Whilst he would see how much [Hafted I] helped him out sooner rather than later as, echoing down the passageway, he heard the sounds of shambling feet heading towards him.

 Chapter 3 - Zombie Fight Club

    Liam scooped up the fallen skeleton¡¯s bone axe at the sounds of something approaching, [Appraising] it as he did so. It came so naturally that he didn¡¯t even realise he¡¯d done it until the notification appeared in front of him.


    [Lesser Skeletal Armament - Bone Axe


    Tier I Hafted Weapon


    A Bone Axe made from the [Lesser Skeletal Armament] Trait. It was won in battle from a [Lesser Skeleton] and has yet to taste blood or bone.


    Damage: +4-6 slashing


    Additional Properties: None


    Tier I: Can repair and upgrade itself through absorbing inanimate bone it is in contact with]


    He skimmed it before his attention was wrested away by 3 silhouettes turning a corner of the twisting passageways of the crevice. With the skeleton dead the blue light it produced had disappeared so he couldn¡¯t make out what they were, but it seemed they could as they were heading straight for him. Squinting, he flexed his new mental muscle and [Appraised] them.


    [Lesser Zombie, Level 2]


    [70/70]


    [Lesser Zombie, Level 4]


    [80/80]


    [Lesser Zombie, Level 3]


    [70/70]


    The appearance of zombies didn¡¯t surprise him considering the skeleton he had just battled, but he found himself wondering what that meant in this new world. If skeletons could make weapons, or armaments, out of bones then what could zombies do? At that thought, another notification popped up in his vision.


    [Lesser Zombies


    Undead Lore I: Reanimated corpses that have not yet rotten away. The magic allowing them to move suffuses their entire body equally, dissipating when damage and being restored when feasting on the living. These undead continuously hunt, going from one living target to the next, as a side effect of the energies involved in their reanimation that the Lesser variant can not yet overcome.


    Experience: Unaffected by darkness


    Threat: Unknown]


    The information he gained, whilst not immediately useful to him, boded well for his adaptation to this new reality. If he could acquire more of these Lore Skills then he would have a much easier time of things, especially since the information was so detailed.


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    He dismissed the text and readied himself for the coming fight. His Lore Skill had all but told him there was no getting out of it since these things would hunt him by their very nature and whilst he was confident in outpacing them, he didn¡¯t know what else was down here and them catching up to him whilst he was dealing with something else might very well be a death sentence.


    He noticed, as they drew closer, that the appraisals remained in the air above the creatures¡¯ heads unless he willed them away and that he could bring them back with another flex of his will. He kept them out of a desire to see if their appraised HP would drop in real time as well as to tell them apart in the dark. He got the chance to test this soon after as the Level 2 [Lesser Zombie] came into range.


    Liam swung his axe in a savage downwards blow. His precision, hampered by a lack of both natural light and experience with the weapon, left much to be desired but was still a league above what he expected to be able to do on his first time swinging an axe. He had meant to split the undead¡¯s skull right down the middle but instead he had embedded his weapon in the side of its head.


    [50/70]


    It¡¯s HP dropped and it lunged towards him, lashing out with rotting nails as its head was held back by the axe embedded in it that Liam was still holding. They scratched along his unprotected arms, bringing with them a stinging pain and a notification that Liam quickly brought up and read as he attempted to dislodge his axe from his foe¡¯s skull.


    [Status Effect Inflicted: Corpse Rot


    Lowers Endurance in the effected area by 0.5 per instance of Corpse Rot inflicted. Lasts until treated.]


    He managed to free his weapon and quickly backed away from the three zombies in horror. Down here, with no way to get any sort of medical assistance, getting too many stacks of Corpse Rot would be a definite death sentence. Or undeath sentence if the movies were right about dying with their disease in your body turning you into one of them. Either way he added a new priority right under surviving this fight, and that was getting hit as few times as possible by these things.


    Trying a new tactic, Liam darted into range of the Level 2 and thrust his axe into its face. It connected with a thwack and he saw the thing¡¯s head recoil from the impact and yet it¡¯s HP remained static at [50/70]. He stepped away before they could scratch him again and considered his options. He could fight a war of attrition, retreating as he used hit and run tactics to wear them down, but that drew the risk of running into something else down the passageway. The other options to make a stand. He brought up his own HP and saw that it was at [75/110], not much less than it had been before he was hit. He outclassed them in terms of damage output but he was still weary of being afflicted by their Corpse Rot. Sighing, he realised he¡¯d have to fight them here as the risk of encountering another group was too high to be retreating with every attack. He¡¯d just have to grit his teeth and endure the Corpse Rot, and hope to find a cure for it after.


    He stepped in and cut for the thing¡¯s neck, the blow landing solidly as he had grown used to the weight and the axe. The blade cut right through the rotting flesh and then continued on through the, presumably weakened, bone. It¡¯s head went flying as it was lopped off and yet the corpse kept moving.


    [Lesser Zombie, Level 2]


    [45/70]


    [Appraisal] still registered the creature as a threat and Liam abandoned his plan in favour of retreating as he figured out what was going on. Loosing their head would be fatal for any living thing, but these zombies clearly played by different rules. He opened their information again and noted the pat Corpse Rot had been added to the Experience section, but what truly drew his eyes was the part that said [The magic allowing them to move suffuses their entire body equally, dissipating when damage and being restored when feasting on the living].


    His mind spun and he came up with a theory, one that could very quickly and easily put to the test. He stepped forwards once again and sunk his axe deep into the Level 2¡¯s chest, smiling as he watched a HP drop once again.


    [22/70]


    His celebration didn¡¯t last long, however, as he felt its nails rake along his skin once more, worsening the wounds that it had already made. He swept the legs from under it in anger, and used the gravity of its fall to wrench his axe free, standing over it and bringing his weapon down on it again. He aimed for the arm this time, and as he severed it at the shoulder the thing¡¯s HP dropped dangerously low. He made to finish it off but had to stop to dodge out the way of the other two zombies clawing for him in the darkness. The low natural light levels had barely let him see the attacks coming and some new instinct in him had let him react.


    He swung at the outstretched arms and left a deep cut in one of them as he danced to the side to put one of the approaching zombies between him and the other. Now only having to worry about one pair of arms, he re engaged.


    It wasn¡¯t that hard to finish up the fight from there. As long as he kept his positioning right he would only ever have to deal with one zombie at once, something which grew easier and easier as the fight dragged on. His axe flashed and he felled the last [Lesser Zombie], its HP dropping to [0/80]. He stopped to catch his breath when a notification came in and winced in pain as the adrenaline began to wore off. He had only been hit once more, in the same place as the others, which left his arms itching like crazy as the Corpse Rot did its thing. He was sure it wasn¡¯t healthy to leave it, but considering there was nothing he could do about it he just pushed the pain to the back of his mind and opened the new message.


    [Level Up!


    You have reached Level 2.


    You have 10 Free Attributes to assign.]

 Chapter 4 - The Attributes

    He wanted to hold onto his Attribute Points and make a decision on what to do with them when he had more information, but the very real threats that he would face down in the catacombs persuaded him to invest in his survival now instead of when it was too late. Looking over his Status, he found a way to summon descriptions for each of the Attributes and read over them.


    [Strength


    Governs Raw Force and Explosive Power, as well as Carry Weight]


    [Dexterity


    Governs Physical Control and Reflexes, as well as Balance]


    [Vitality


    Governs HP and HP Regeneration, as well as Ailment Resistance]


    [Endurance


    Governs Stamina and Stamina Regeneration, as well as Damage Resistance]


    [Intelligence


    Governs Memory and Mental Attack, as well as Thought Speed]


    [Willpower


    Governs Discipline and Mental Resistance, as well as Energy Control]


    As he had previously thought, he would not be assigning points to either of the mental attributes for fear of what it might do to him, but he studied the physical ones intently for any hints as to what he should invest in.


    He figured that Strength would be the key to his survival as hitting harder (and abs) wouldn¡¯t hurt him, just his enemies. The next priority on the list was Dexterity. That Attribute had shown its value in his last encounter by virtue of his reactions and control over his movements, without his coordination he would be dead. Lastly, a small investment into Vitality would be good for keeping him alive if he did get hit, and would help his recovery of injuries between battles. Endurance would be nice, but he didn¡¯t currently have the luxury of splitting his points into it so he ended up putting 5 points into Strength, 4 into Dexterity, and a lone point into Vitality.


    Happy, he selected confirm and immediately started spasming from the changes. His muscles swelled one by one across his body before condensing back down again to more dense muscle fibres that made him feel unstoppable. His blood ran hit through his veins and his nerves screamed as they were lit on fire. He endured the painful upgrade until it was done, and felt a profound sense of relief when it faded. Still, now that the pain was gone, he felt amazing. His body coursed with power and he felt his poise shift to one that carried his weight much easier. The axe in his hand felt lighter and more like an extension of his arm than before. After getting used to the changes, he opened his Status to check.


    [


    Name: Liam Karr


    Race: Human (Earth)


    Path: None


    Class: None


    Titles: None


    Level: 2


    HP: 52/120


    Stamina: 38/130


    Strength: 17


    Dexterity: 14


    Vitality: 12


    Endurance: 13


    Intelligence: 15


    Willpower: 17


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    Free Attributes: 0


    Traits:


    None


    Skills:


    Analyse I


    Undead Lore I


    Hafted I


    Powers:


    None


    ]


    Everything except his Level and point allocation had remained the same, though his current HP had increased by 10 points along with his max, but yet it told a completely different story to the one the System had scanned at the beginning of it all. If he ignored the life threatening danger and monstrous undead he had encountered, he would be feeling pretty proud of himself, but as it stood he still had to suppress his doubts and fears about this whole situation to maintain a grip on ¡®reality¡¯. Maybe he was going crazy? But so what, would he let himself be killed by an undead because he was debating if he was having a mental break or not? The answer was, of course, no. He could worry about his sanity later, now he had to rest and explore.


    He walked a bit to just around the corner that the [Lesser Zombies] had come from and sat in one of the less dusty areas of the floor, leaning back against the sloped wall and settling in. Still, he kept his eyes and ears open and looking for threats, in case anything down here was quiet enough to sneak up on him. To keep himself from falling asleep, or from spiralling into his thoughts, he watched his Stamina and Health tick upwards and even timed them.


    After an hour, he had a pretty accurate idea of how fast he recovered, 12 HP per hour and 26 Stamina per minute whilst he was sat down. He had noticed on his walk that if he exceeded a certain level of exertion then his Stamina Regeneration would cancel out completely and he would have to shoulder the cost of whatever activity he was doing with his Stamina Pool. On the flip side, if he kept his physical exertion low then whatever he did would just slow from his regeneration and if he sat or did nothing at all then it would speed up.


    Once his Stamina was topped up and his HP sat at the relatively healthy level of [70/120], Liam stood up to start exploring. The only question was, which direction? Either he could head towards where the [Lesser Zombies] had come from and whatever that entailed, or away. The former option ran the risk of delivering himself to Ander Phyris before he was ready to take him on, if he was the one who had raised and sent them down the passageway, or it could lead to more of the predictable enemies that he could farm for Levels. The other option provided even more uncertainty as he had no information at all to go on for it. He had been forced in here less than 2 hours ago and had been in 2 life or undeath battles so he knew almost nothing about his surroundings.


    The only things he did know were what the System prompts had showed him. He knew that for him to escape these catacombs alive he had just over 46 hours to find and kill a [Lich], or who knows what could happen to him? With that in mind, he picked the path the zombies had come from in the hopes that he could find more Undead to slay and Level Up. He hoped that the lich would be busy with his ritual, considering it took 48 hours to cast, and that only his minions would be hunting him down. It was a risk he would have to take when going the other way was risking the chance of giving him nothing in such a time-critical situation.


    Decided, he set off down the passageway, taking light steps to avoid making sound and keeping a low profile. He wasn''t sure if it would help considering what he was up against, but there was little harm in trying. He snuck along until he heard the sounds of combat echoing from up ahead. Grunts echoed off the walls and something struck stone as he hurried closer.


    He turned a bend to see 4 deformed humanoids and a red skeleton facing off against a being not dissimilar to the spectre that had almost claimed his life on the surface. It was an inky black, a hole in reality that seemed to devour any of the skeleton''s blue light that touched it. It took the shape of a human, but it''s arms extended into twin scythes instead of hands. No features graced it''s blank face and yet it could still clearly see as it glided out the way of the undeads'' attacks. It floated an inch above the ground and the piles of skeleton bones that littered it. There must''ve been at least half a dozen skeletons worth of remains that had been robbed of their unlife by this being. Liam analysed it and all he got in return was [Unknown], so instead he turned his attention to the new types of undead.


    [Lesser Ghoul, Level 5]


    [98/140]


    [Lesser Ghoul, Level 5]


    [123/140]


    [Lesser Ghoul, Level 6]


    [22/150]


    [Lesser Ghoul, Level 4]


    [109/130]


    [Unknown Lesser Skeleton, Level 7]


    [91/110]


    [Lesser Ghoul


    Undead Lore I: An undead created by a dark ritual that converts the living. These creatures are instilled with immense fear, from the process of their creation, that makes them lash out at any none Ghoul they see. Their claws secrete a paralytic venom which they inflict on their victims and then retreat in order to come back later and finish the job.


    Experience: None


    Threat: Unknown]


    [Lesser Skeleton


    Undead Lore I: Reanimated bones that can create their own weapons through the use of [Lesser Skeletal Armament]. The weapons they create are similar to the ones they used in life. Their animation draws from a pool of magic that sustains their whole being, and as such they have no critical points but are instead slain if enough damage accumulates everywhere.


    Experience: Weak to blunt trauma and easily displaced due to their lightweight nature. When slain, the blue light in their skull disapates.


    Threat: Low]


    Armed with this information, he moved to take advantage of the battle to gain something for himself. Hefting his axe, he snuck towards the fight and waited for the right moment to strike.

 Chapter 5 - Ambush

    As he approached, he watched for any clues as to what the blot was and what the new undead were capable of. He saw that the [Lesser Ghoul''s] claws passed straight through their target but left slight green stains in the beings body. Its scythes, however, did not have such a subtle effect. Wherever it stuck, gashes would open and fetid pus would leak out from the Ghouls'' skin. The red skeleton seemed to be a better match against the being as its sword lit up with flames whenever it struck the being, and burned small chunks out of it. The skeleton fought tactically, only entering striking range when the being was preoccupied with attacking a ghoul and moving behind the creatures whenever it was not attacking


    As this all happened, Liam had reached only a few feet from the most injured ghoul and stalled, waiting. The next exchange of blows happened and the skeleton stepped in to strike the incorporeal being. That''s when he struck.


    He kept forwards and brought down a chop that cut deep into one of the ghoul''s wounds and went further still. He cleaved it from shoulder down into its chest where its heart should be and he watched it''s HP drop to [3/150]. All of the combatants'' heads snapped towards him at his intervention and he fought to get his axe free before they turned on him. He needn''t of worried, however, as the floating being quickly drew their ire back onto itself by taking advantage of the opening and landing 2 solid blows on the [Unknown Lesser Skeleton] with it''s scythes. Left unmolested, Liam firmly planted his foot on the ghoul''s back and yanked his axe free, taking the last of its HP with him. A notification flashed and he opened it, and was surprised to see what it was.


    [Level Up!


    You have reached Level 3.


    You have 5 Free Attributes to assign.]


    Either he had gotten the majority of the experience from landing the final blow on the thing or there was something else going on. He would figure it out later, for now he pumped all 5 points into Strength, wincing momentarily as his muscles expanded, and threw himself back into the fight.


    He aimed for the red skeleton, hoping to take it out whilst his ally of convenience, in that they were fighting the same foes, would deal with the other 3 ghouls. His axe met its sword and flames erupted from the point of impact. Heat washed over him but he pressed on and his newly invested Strength showed its worth right away. He was pushing it back, and not by a small amount either. He forced the weapons down, until he and his opponent were staring each other in the eye, before bringing his axe back up and slamming it''s top into the skeleton''s jaw. Its head rocked back and it stumbled from the combination of the blow and sudden lack of pushback on its sword. Then Liam was upon it.


    He smashed it back and forth with one blow after another, keeping it off balance and reeling. Each time his axe met its bone, flames would burst out and attempt to burn him. He ignored the small blasts of fire, tanking the small amount of damage each time he hit it. It hurt, but his focus was on one thing.


    [46/110]


    [24/110]


    [5/110]


    And then finally, with a roar of pain and exertion, he battered the skeleton into one of the passage walls upon which it broke apart. He took a couple of deep breaths and checked his own numbers.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    [HP: 49/120]


    [Stamina: 62/130]


    He had only taken 15 damage from the battle so far, but his Stamina was at half and he would need to pace himself if it were to last the fight. He looked over to see how the other side of it was going and, without the red skeleton to restrain it, the floating being was dominating the ghouls. It had savage each of them to under 30 HP each, though this was not without cost. Green streaks polluted almost a quarter of its body and it moved sluggishly compared to how smoothly it had been before. But even with the damage, it would still win.


    With Liam backing it up, they made short work of the ghouls. He made sure to stay out of reach of the creatures'' claws, so that he would never have to experience their paralytic venom in person, and made sure to land the final blow on each.


    With the battle over, the two stared at each other. A notification blinked in the corner of his vision but he couldn''t risk even a moment of intention against a being who showed that they were willing and able to exploit it. Liam used the standoff as a bit of a break to recover some of his Stamina, but he kept his guard, and axe, up even as he relaxed his muscles. He jumped when a voice spoke in his head.


    "I must thank you for helping me put down these perversions of the natural course of things."


    Its voice sounded like a gruff whisper, as if it were the dying gasp of someone powerful.


    "I would grant you a boon should you wish it."


    The words were phrased as if he had a choice but the tone made it sound like his decision was already made. A new notification blinked into existence and he opened it.


    [??? Would like to bestow [??? Lore I] upon you. Do you accept?]


    [Yes/No]


    His mind spun at the offer. [Undead Lore I] had been extremely useful so far, allowing him to figure out how to kill the [Lesser Zombies] he had encountered, as well as giving him information on the other foes he faced. A new Lore skill would be nothing but helpful. However, experience had taught him that nothing came for free and, sure he had just helped it out but, he didn''t trust anything that came without a price tag.


    He debated internally whether it was an offer he could even afford to refuse, but what tipped the scales was the risk that refusing would turn this being hostile towards him and, considering he didn''t even know if he could hurt it, that could be very bad. He mentally accepted and time suddenly stopped, the clouds above freezing in place and the being stilling. Notifications appeared and he quickly opened them to figure out what was going on.


    [You have acquired [Spirit Lore I]]


    [Spirit of ??? has challenged you, do you wish to accept?]


    [Yes]


    [Challenge accepted, the following are the rules:


    Challenge of Spirit Binding


    Prerequisites:


    Spirit Lore I: Met


    Lifeforce: Substituted, Spirit of ??? will pay HP


    Acceptance of Challenge: Substituted, compensation [Preparation] given


    Defeat your opponent to bind them to you and use their power. The Spirit of ??? will match your Level (Current Level: 4). The Challenge will end when one party reaches 1 HP, protections are put in place to ensure neither party drops below that.


    Reward: You bind [Spirit of ???], chance to embark on the [Path of the Spirits]


    Penalty: You are bound to the [Spirit of ???], your [Path] is cut short]


    [Time until preparation ends]


    [4:32]


    He had been tricked! Though it was far from the worst outcome. It seemed like death wasn''t even a possibility, and whilst being bound to a spirit, whatever that meant, would be bad it beat becoming a shambling zombie. Still, he fumed inside and started plotting against the being who had somehow tricked him into this challenge. He used [Analyze] on it, hoping his new skill would be worth the trouble it was causing.


    [Spirit of ???


    Spirit Lore I: Spirits are incorporeal beings that embody a concept. They are generally split into 4 categories: Lesser Spirits, Spirits, Greater Spirits and Grand Spirits, each more powerful than the last. They cannot survive long without being bound to a person or place so free spirits roam searching for a suitable person to challenge or place to bind themselves to.


    Experience: Immune to physical damage. This particular spirit is injured and will become more so once the challenge begins.


    Threat: High (Moderate - with injuries)]


    Whilst the whole lot of information was interesting, the key take away for Liam was that it was completely immune to physical damage. He made to move but found that he was unable to shift anything but his head, which he turned to [Analyze] the bone sword which has harmed the spirit.


    [Lesser Skeletal Armament - Bone Sword


    Tier I Bladed Weapon


    A Bone Sword made from the [Lesser Skeletal Armament] Trait. It has been imbued by an Unknown Power to deal fire damage as well as physical.


    Damage: +5-7 slashing


    Additional Properties: +3-4 fire damage


    Tier I: Can repair and upgrade itself through absorbing inanimate bone it is in contact with]


    Seeing this, the beginnings of a plan began to form in his head and he looked towards the frozen spirit with a grin. He would show it what happens when you messed with him.

 Chapter 6 - Challenge

    He tried [Analyzing] the ghoul corpses to see if it had any information on how to harvest and use their venom but all it returned was.


    [Lesser Ghoul Corpse]


    He then looked around for anything else he could use but the only other thing he could [Analyze] was.


    [Unknown Lesser Skeleton Bones]


    He noted it in his mind before continuing to plan. He only had 2 minutes left to go over everything so he plotted and cemented each action he would take in his mind. Then, as the timer reaches it''s last 10 seconds, he assigned his Attribute Points, 2 in Strength for the damage and 3 in Vitality for the HP he desperately needed, and looked over his Status.


    [


    Name: Liam Karr


    Race: Human (Earth)


    Path: None


    Class: None


    Titles: None


    Level: 4


    HP: 79/150


    Stamina: 64/130


    Strength: 24


    Dexterity: 14


    Vitality: 15


    Endurance: 13


    Intelligence: 15


    Willpower: 17


    Free Attributes: 0


    Traits:


    None


    Skills:


    Appraisal I


    Spirit Lore I


    Undead Lore I


    Hafted I


    Powers:


    None


    ]


    The timer hit 0 and he rolled to the side as the spirit lunged for him. It''s scythes passed through where he was a moment ago as he came up next to the red skeleton''s remains, swapped his axe to his free hand and scooped up its sword.


    "Your resistance is futile. Give up."


    It said and he [Analysed] the spirit as it gathered itself and assessed him in turn.


    [Spirit of ???, Level 4]


    [91/250]


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    It was healthier than he thought and he became glad that he had accepted it''s gift and been tricked into this challenge. Who knows if he could''ve handled it without it paying the extra HP cost? As it stood he was reasonably confident, but a few 10s more HP and he would''ve been doomed to fail.


    "Prepare to meet your end. When I am victorious your body will be my vessel to remain in this world."


    It charged at him again and brought both of its weapons down. Liam''s sword rose to meet it, a clumsy block since he had never used one before and was still adjusting to his increase in Strength, but it was enough. This was where the weakness of weapons being part of the spirit''s body came in. It was blocked by the fire that blossomed along the sword''s edge so Liam was fine, but it still took the damage from being burned.


    [84/250]


    It would be a long fight if he just relied on blocking, and he didn''t have the Stamina to keep it up. He would tire long before he struck it down if he didn''t change his tactic, but luckily for him he hadn''t been planning to rely on that but instead had a different plan.


    "Your feeble attempts will only make your end worse. Do you truly wish to spend your last moments struggling and in pain?"


    It said and struck again, swinging both arms from opposite directions to prevent the previous block from happening again. This, however, left it wide open and Liam drove forwards, dropping his axe to wield the sword with two hands and plunging it deep into the spirit, piercing in where a stomach would be on a human and cutting up into its chest. Fire was continuously generated inside it and it screeched in a mimicry of a pained cry. Liam joined it in its screaming less than a second later as 2 long gashes were opened along his back. Still, he held on as the thing thrashed and bucked, trying to back off itself or drive him off. It floated backwards and he advanced in step with it to keep his weapon buried within it. His HP plummeted as its attacks got more and more desperate, but its fell far faster than his. He hit [30/150] as it reached [23/250] and something changed. It thinned and lost some of its opacity, its HP dropping by another 10 in the process, and a scythe extended out of its chest to pierce through him.


    Liam released his grip on the sword and fell back out of surprise and self preservation. The sword, now ownerless, was easily removed from within itself and snapped it into two pieces which it threw a distance to either side of them. It then advanced upon him, driving him backwards with each swing of its limbs. Thin wounds opened up across his torso where he failed to dodge completely and, stumbling, he tripped over one of the ghoul''s bodies to land on the solid stone floor.


    "This ends now."


    The spirit saw it''s chance and dived down at him, bringing all three scythe blades to bear against him. It descended upon him at blistering speed, only to be stopped by an axe head being embedded in its chest. Fire blossomed and the rest of its HP dwindled rapidly, reaching [1/250] as it''s momentum drove the edge further into it. If it had features, Liam was sure it would''ve look bewildered as it spoke into his head.


    "How?"


    Liam looked left towards where he had grabbed his axe and the much reduced number of [Unknown Lesser Skeleton Bones] that lay where it had been before looking back at the spirit.


    "Preparation."


    He said as he smiled at it.


    It didn''t even get a chance to respond as it started condensing, getting smaller and smaller until it became a small skull charm that fell onto Liam out of the air. He didn''t move to catch it, or to grab it once it hit him and lay on his chest, as he just lay there catching his breath. The notifications that popped up when he won could wait.


    All that had happened so fast, and not just the meeting with the spirit going south. The last few hours had been strange beyond imagining. He took a few minutes just to rest his mind before he inspected the charm and started opening his notifications.


    [Spirit of Death Charm


    Tier 2 Bound Accessory (Liam Karr)


    Spirit Lore I: This item contains a Spirit of Death defeated in a challenge of Spirit Binding. It may either be worn to provide it''s effects or absorbed by someone on the [Path of the Spirits] to bind the Spirit and gain it''s Power.


    Undead Lore I: This item may be used to raise a powerful undead with spirit bound to its soul. However, doing so would draw the ire of the natural world and the hostility of any spirits you encounter.


    Tier I: You deal an additional 10% damage as Magic Damage


    Tier 2: Requires Spirit Lore II to view]


    It seemed quite powerful just using it but it seemed like absorbing it would grant much more power than just carrying it around, and the challenge did say that he would have the chance to walk the [Path of Spirits]. That, and the fact that absorbing it would stop Ander Phyris or any other necromancer from covering it and targeting him to acquire it. Regards could become burdens if he was not strong enough to keep hold of them and absorbing it seemed like it would give him a Power that couldn''t be stolen.


    [You have won the Challenge of Spirit Binding and Bound the [Spirit of Death] to you. As you are not on the [Path of the Spirits] the [Spirit of Death] has instead been transformed into the [Spirit of Death Charm] Bound Item.]


    [You may now embark on the [Path of the Spirits] by absorbing the [Spirit of Death Charm] and binding the Spirit within.Would you like to?]


    [Yes/No]


    [Warning: Rejecting this Path will close it to you but accepting will close all other Paths bar this one.]


    He focused on the words [Path of Spirits] but got nothing until he [Analysed] them, something he was surprised he could do even as he tried it.


    [Path of the Spirits


    +1 Maximum Lifeforce per Level


    Those who walk this Path spend Lifeforce, the spiritual energy of Nature that they draw in each day at sunrise, to utilise the Powers of their bound Spirits. They have a foot in both the Physical and Spiritual worlds, able to see and traverse both.]


    It was a short description to base a lifelong commitment on but he realised he didn''t really have a choice. If a [Path] gave Powers then going up against the lich in charge of the catacombs without one would be a fools errand and likely suicide. Sure, he could reject this [Path] and seek out the information on all the rest, spend ages researching them and only upon finding the perfect one for him accept it but he didn''t have that luxury. Besides, from the Spirit''s showing against the undead, and later against him, he reckoned that it would be in his top choices for a [Path] anyway. So, in an action most unlike him he didn''t allow himself to give it too much thought and risk changing his mind, since his survival was too important to risk on the nebulous chance at a better [Path] when he didn''t even really know what one was.


    He accepted.

 Chapter 7 - The [Path of the Spirits]

    The skull charm on his chest dissipated into motes of light that floated into his body and he felt a sensation he had never felt before. Energy rushed into him and filled a reserve in a part of him he had never had awareness of until now. Something clicked into place and he was suddenly repulsed by the foul energies of the catacombs and felt a strong compulsion to cleanse it. He pushed down the urge to leap up and rush to confront Ander Phyris but the sense of rejection and distaste remained. He felt the motes of light move to his new reserve and reform into the skull charm and something akin to a new muscle he had never flexed before became available to him. He had been in pieces his whole life and now he was whole.


    Notifications demanded his attention in the corner of his vision and he obliged them, eager to further understand these new changes.


    [You have accepted the [Path of the Spirits] and have taken the first step upon it.]


    [For being the first person on [Earth] to walk the [Path of the Spirits] you have earned the Title: Spirit Progenitor]


    [You have bound a [Spirit of Death] and have obtained it''s Power.]


    [For your first bound Spirit being a [Spirit] instead of a [Lesser Spirit] you have earned the Title: Natural Shaman]


    Earning titles came as a welcome surprise, especially since it gave him clues as to how to earn more. He tried [Analysing] them like he had done with the [Path of the Spirits] and was pleased when it worked.


    [Spirit Progenitor


    Planetary Unique Title


    +25% Leveling speed of Spirit Powers


    +1 to the Effective Tier of Spirit Lore]


    [Natural Shaman


    Uncommon Title


    +5 Maximum Lifeforce]


    He had no context for how good these particular Titles were, but he was happy to find out that they gave rewards and was extremely happy to receive a boost to one of his Lore skills. The prompts that they gave him had been both interesting and useful so far and he looked forwards to seeing what a Tier 2 one could tell him. He opened the new notification that popped up before checking over his Status.


    [Analyse I has improved and become Analyse II]


    [


    Name: Liam Karr


    Race: Human (Earth)


    Path: Path of the Spirits


    Class: None


    Titles: Spirit Progenitor, Natural Shaman


    Level: 4


    HP: 28/150


    Stamina: 75/130


    Lifeforce: 9/9


    Strength: 24


    Dexterity: 14


    Vitality: 15


    Endurance: 13


    Intelligence: 15


    Willpower: 17


    Free Attributes: 0


    Traits:


    None


    Skills:


    Analyse II


    Spirit Lore I (II)


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.Undead Lore I


    Hafted I


    Powers:


    Spirit of Death I, Level 1/10


    ]


    It was looking a lot better now that most of the sections that had listed None now had entries, though a couple still remained. To complete the assessment of his own abilities though, he brought up the descriptions of his upgraded skills and first Power.


    [Analyse II


    General Skill


    Grants basic information on a target by focusing on them. Grows through use.


    Tier I: Uses Lore Skills to provide additional information


    Tier II: Reveals the target''s [Path] and their highest rarity Title]


    [Spirit Lore II


    Lore Skill


    Grants knowledge of Spirits, Spiritual Magic and Spirit Binding. Grows through defeating, binding and collecting information on Spirits.


    Tier I: Provides information on most types of Lesser Spirits and Tier 1 Spiritual Magic, allows the issuing and accepting of Spirit Binding Challenges


    Tier II: Provides information on most types of Spirits and Tier 2 Spiritual Magic]


    [Spirit of Death I


    Path Power


    Level 1/10


    Active: Imbue your bound [Spirit of Death] into your weapons to deal 10% additional damage for a minute.


    Cost: 2 Lifeforce per minute


    Tier I: Converts all Physical Damage into Magic Damage for the duration]


    The upgrades to [Analyse] and [Spirit Lore] both looked amazing, but the true winner was his Power. On first read it seemed amazingly powerful but upon looking at it again he realised that he would only be able to use it for at most 4 minutes per day. Still, even with that limitation, dealing an extra 10% damage for four minutes could very well save his life and with the conversion to Magic Damage he hoped that he would be able to combat Spectres and Spirits without relying on the paltry amounts of Fire Damage that his axe now dealt.


    It felt like he had an all round upgrade to his prowess but he couldn''t let it go to his head. Sure he was more than the match of weak zombies and skeletons, but they were both only Weak Threats to him. The one Moderate Threat that he fought had almost bested him and that was due to its previous injuries and it having to pay a HP cost to issue a Challenge to him. Ander Phyris likely broke the scale entirely compared to the current him so he had a lot of catching up to do.


    He picked himself up and got ready to leave. He only had just over 46 hours to find and defeat the lich and whilst he had made great strides he was sure that it wasn''t yet enough. He needed to capitalise on his momentum, even if he was injured, and make use of everything moment he could to be moving forwards if he wanted to stand a chance of surviving this.


    Before he left he absorbed the two halves of the red skeleton''s bone sword, and the rest of it''s remains, into his axe by touching it to them and willing it. A quick [Analyse] told him that consuming them had raised the axe''s Fire Damage to 5-6, which was a bit over a 50% improvement in that regard. Overall, he was extremely happy with his gains from the two battles and had to restrain himself from humming a tune as he made his way down the passageway. He was even beginning to feel at peace with this new reality where power could be earned and not just inherited.


    That''s when he heard the voice from ahead. A low chant in an infernal language he did not know. The tones were sharp and harsh, and it was said with an amount of venom that would put [Lesser Ghouls] to shame. Liam crept to the bend and peered around it, and there stood Ander Phyris in his full undead majesty.


    The lich stood at an imposing 7 foot tall, his skeletal fingers moving with unnatural precision weaving complex sigils in the air. Dark energy crackled around him, materialising and being pulled down into a glowing, obsidian circle on the ground. With each word of his incantation, the ground trembled, and the three corpses he had within the circle began to twitch. More words were uttered and Liam watched in both horror and fascination as each corpse stood and bowed towards Ander. The lich''s purple eyes gleamed with malevolent triumph as he witnessed the rebirth of his new minions. He spoke the last words of his ritual and the leftover necromantic energies fused with and empowered the servile undead.


    With the light show over, Liam realised that he should''ve focused on observing the other undead as it was now to dark to see them, still he could [Analyse] them all and so he did.


    [Ander Phyris, Lich, Level ??


    Path of Magic


    Self Raised Lich]


    [???/???]


    [Richard Montague, Unknown Ghoul, Level 12


    Path of the Spirits (Corrupted)


    Natural Shaman]


    [320/320]


    [Emily Rezeal, Unknown Skeleton, Level 11


    Path of the Body


    Giant Slayer]


    [240/240]


    [David Bright, Unknown Shade, Level 14


    Path of Light (Corrupted)


    Lightbearer]


    [160/160]


    Liam was concerned when he saw that they were all named, and that their Levels were so much higher than his. That and the fact they all had a Path showing up in their [Analysis] which pointed to them having at least one Power each. Then there were the 3 Titles he hadn''t seen before which he focused on in turn.


    [Self Raised Lich


    Epic Title


    -25% time to resurrect from Phylactery]


    [Giant Slayer


    Common Title


    +1 damage on all attacks]


    [Lightbearer


    Named Title


    Once per year you may make one created light construct permanent]


    The first two were weaker than his own highest rarity Title but he had no frame of reference for the third. Still, [Analyse II] was paying dividends in the information department and he was very happy with it''s upgrade. He didn''t get any chance to think further on what he''d seen, however, as Ander addressed the newly risen undead in his raspy voice.


    "Go and find whatever has been killing my minions."


    The lich spoke in it''s raspy voice. The creatures nodded and started down the passageway as Ander turned and walked away, presumably back to the ritual. By the time they reached where Liam had been observing from, he was long gone.

 Chapter 8 - Pursuit

    Liam caught his breath after his mad sprint away. He''d taken off the moment he realised what Ander''s words entailed. Thanks to his quick thinking, he at least had a head start over the undead. Right now he was at the point where he had fallen into the catacombs and battled his first [Lesser Skeleton]. He didn''t want to go further and encounter potentially unknown enemies whilst his Stamina was at its pitifully low [22/130] so he was taking a couple minutes to recover. His HP had also recovered slightly, sitting at [35/150] after watching the ritual and his mad dash away. It wasn''t much but he judged it to be enough to deal with some low level lesser undead and hopefully net him a Level he could use to recover a bit more.


    He watched his resources tick up painfully slowly and prepared to venture out again. He was interrupted, however, by a searing pain that emnated from his left shoulder and his HP dropping to [21/150]. He looked to see what had caused it and saw a rapidly dissipating spear of light pierced through it. He spun and saw a shadow, clear in the dying light of the spear, hovering about 15 feet away from him.


    [David Bright, Unknown Shade, Level 14


    Path of Light (Corrupted)


    Lightbearer]


    [155/160]


    It was the highest Level of his pursuers, and the one that he was dreading fighting the most. He could see that it''s HP was only 160 despite having more Levels than the others, which meant that it''s stats were elsewhere. That and it''s apparent ability to conjure weapons out of thin air to throw at him as it was doing now.


    It''s HP gradually dropped another 5 as it creates another spear of light that immediately shot towards Liam. He hit the ground and it flew over his head and down the passageway, fading as it travelled until it disappeared. Springing to his feet, he charged towards the creature, watching it for any signs that it would create another spear of light. As he ran he grabbed a hold of the new energy inside of him and pushed it into the skull charm within his internal reservoir. He felt something drain within him and a black mist spilled out of his body to coil around his weapon. The axe took on an ethereal glint as it was reinforced by Liam''s Power. Then, he heard a whisper within his head.


    "Let us slay this abomination together."


    The Spirit he had challenged and triumphed against was now speaking to him as he drew upon it''s Power, it''s deep voice echoing through his mind. Liam did not have time to reply as he leapt to the side, dodging another light spear from the shade. He felt the heat radiating off it as it passed him and he was very glad that he had reacted in time.


    He closed the last few steps between himself and the shade, swinging his axe in a horizontal arc. His blow neared it and almost made contact, but instead it passed right through the creature as it became almost transparent and seemingly intangible. Liam''s axe continued through it and struck the stone wall of the passageway, it''s axe head lighting up as fire bloomed along the edge. The newly created fire cast light upon the faded figure of the Shade and it hissed as it cringed away in pain becoming solid black once again.


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    [Hafted I] showed it''s worth as Liam, who had never swung an axe before a few hours ago, somehow managed to regain control over his weapon and reverse his swing to cut back through the undead. The blade cut deep into it''s shadowy mass and new flames spawned along it to burn the creature of the night.


    [109/160]


    That one cut destroyed over a fifth of its remaining HP and sent it on a desperate retreat that Liam attempted to follow. Unfortunately, his attempt was stopped in its tracks by a light spear that manifested only a foot away from him to his side. The close distance made reacting to it impossible and it pierced him through the side and into the passageway wall, pinning him in place. That''s when he felt something in the air change. He felt a weight settle on him as an aura washed over the passageway, one that instilled a sense of the steadfastness and endurance it''s bearer possessed. The spear that was through him heated up more as it resonated with this aura and a word was imprinted into Liam''s mind.


    {Lightbearer}


    He screamed in pain as he began to be cooked from the inside. The spear that had impaled him wasn''t dissipating like it should but instead grew hotter and hotter the longer it remained. His HP hit single digits and began ticking down and he cast his eyes about desperately I''m search of a solution. Seeing none forthcoming,he acted on pure instinct. He pushed himself off the wall, taking the spear out of it and with him as he charged the Shade. It shied away from its own construct as he approached but it was not fast enough as he reached it before it could get away.


    His axe bit into it again, annihilating another chunk of its HP, but that was only the beginning of his assault. He barreled into it and tackled it to the ground, able to interact with the shadows making up it''s being because of his active Power, and began holding it down as he pressed his axe deeper inside it. It spasmed underneath him, it''s body contorting I''m unnatural ways, but it could do nothing to escape whilst bathed in the lights of it''s own spear and Liam''s axe flames. It became a race to see who''s HP would bottom out first, but it was one the Liam was gradually loosing. His stood at [5/150] whilst it''s had dropped to [54/160], a ways ahead of him. Still, he had been in one of these before and knew what to do. His head came down in a vicious head butt that smashed what was meant to be it''s head against the ground. It burst, shadows pooling along the cold floor before it reformed with a bit less consistency than it had before. Seeing it work, he did it again and again until the shadows did not reform and the rest of it''s body scattered away like it hadn''t even been there.


    He had won, though he was still in danger of being boiled alive by the permanent construct that was impaled within him. Without even checking any of the notifications that had appeared in the corner of his vision, Liam willed any free stats he had into Vitality and immediately felt a rush of life enter and bolster him against death. His HP reached [52/200] and he got to work pulling the spear out of him. It burned another 7 HP getting it out, and when he did he threw it on the ground and [Analysed] it to see what had almost killed him.


    [Spear of Light


    Tier 1 Polearm Weapon


    A light construct made permanent by the Shade David Bright during his final battle. This spear will burn any who touch it, dealing extra damage against undead, shadow, demonic and darkness creatures. It resembles a spear, though it''s creator as hasty in its creation and did not take the time to make it too sharp, so it relies on its wielder''s Strength and Skill as well as it''s ability to burn anything it touches.


    Damage: +2-3 piercing


    Additional Properties: +1 fire and +1 light damage per 5 seconds of contact (increased the more of the Spear is in contact with target)


    Tier I: Does not harm the wielder''s hands whilst holding it]


    Despite the danger it had posed to him, the weapon did not actually seem too strong, especially since it required the [Polearm] Skill to avoid being burned whilst using it. Still, it had almost done him in so he gave it a respectful distance as he circled around it and put it between the corridor the he and the Shade had come from and him. He leant against the wall to recover his Stamina, which was once again in desperate need of replenishment and settled to open his notifications, careful to keep an eye on where the other 2 undead might come from.

 Chapter 9 - Preparation

    The pain from his wounds made itself known as he rested, having previously been pushed aside in favour of action. There was still no time for it though so Liam grabbed it tight and threw it to the back of his mind with everything else he was ignoring for the moment. Then, keeping one eye on the passageway, he read through his notifications.


    [Spirit of Death I had Levelled Up!


    It has reached Level 2.


    10% bonus damage has increased to 20%]


    [Level Up!


    You have reached Level 5.


    You have 0 Free Attributes to assign.]


    [For slaying an enemy 10 or more Levels above you, you have earned the Title: Titan Slayer]


    He focused on the Title to bring up what it did, and was satisfied when it turned out to be an upgraded version of the Giant Slayer one he had seen earlier.


    [Titan Slayer


    Uncommon Title


    +5 damage on all attacks]


    Finally, he opened his Status to check his new stats.


    [


    Name: Liam Karr


    Race: Human (Earth)


    Path: Path of the Spirits


    Class: None


    Titles: Spirit Progenitor, Natural Shaman, Titan Slayer


    Level: 5


    HP: 47/200


    Stamina: 14/130


    Lifeforce: 8/10


    Strength: 24


    Dexterity: 14


    Vitality: 20


    Endurance: 13


    Intelligence: 15


    Willpower: 17


    Free Attributes: 0


    Traits:


    None


    Skills:


    Analyse II


    Spirit Lore I (II)


    Undead Lore I


    Hafted I


    Powers:


    Spirit of Death I, Level 2/10


    ]


    Happy with what he saw, Liam set off at a slow walk down the passageway. He couldn''t afford to not be moving since the other undead would not be far behind the first and his experiments had shown that he could still regenerate his Stamina even whilst moving if he stayed slow enough.


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    He forged onwards through the darkness, ears alert for any sound. He watched as his Stamina rose up out of the danger zone and relaxed a little. He didn''t know how the System was doing it, but he didn''t feel anywhere near as tired as his Status indicated. Maybe it had changed him on some fundamental Level like stats points seemed to be doing. Still, he didn''t want to find out what hitting 0 Stamina did in the middle of a fight and he needed every prescious point he could grab if he was to survive so none could be wasted on testing.


    His pace let him go for 15 minutes before he heard the first signs of his pursuers. His worries had been unfounded in that he''d not run into anything during his walk. Still, he made sure to look around the upcoming bend to make sure there was nothing around it before he turned to face the undead. The first rounded the corner and stopped dead to stare at him, the clacking of skeletal feet echoing down the passageway giving away that it was waiting for its ally. In the dim light, he could now make out that it was a brute of a man before it was turned, with a broad frame decked out in scraps of rotting leather armour. It carried no weapon but it''s fingers ended in long claws that dripped with the paralytic venom of [Ghouls]. He had time before it would make it''s move so he [Analyzed] it again.


    [Richard Montague, Unknown Ghoul, Level 12


    Path of the Spirits (Corrupted)


    Natural Shaman]


    [320/320]


    He focused in on the Corrupted part of it''s status and got a prompt as to what it was.


    [Corrupted


    The walker of this Path has entered a state where they cannot walk it anymore. As such, they still have access to their Powers but this Path provides no bonuses per Level.]


    He read it and came to the conclusion that the [Unknown Ghoul] would only have Lifeforce from it''s Title and would miss out on the extra 12 that it''s Path was meant to bring it. This meant it would only have 5 Lifeforce versus his 8, though he couldn''t be sure what Powers it had access to. At that thought, he noticed a sheen around the undead''s body and attempted to [Analyzed] that as well. To his suprise, it worked and he was given a message by the System.


    [Spirit of Protection I (Partially Corrupted)


    Path Power


    Level 1/10


    Continuous: Imbue your body with your bound [Spirit of Protection] to receive a shield equal to 10% of your HP that regenerates at 10% of the speed your HP does. This shield does not have any damage resistance.


    Cost: 5 Lifeforce per day


    Tier I: Grants Sleep and Fatigue Immunity


    Partially Corrupted: On activation or refresh, inflict a stack of [Fatigue] on you that ignores immunities]


    The good news was that Liam now knew where it''s Lifeforce was being spent and could worry less about any suprise Powers that it may use. The bad news was that it was even tougher than it''s HP indicated. He had just finished his assessment when the second undead rounded the corner, a short red skeleton holding a bone bow that had what looked to be a tendon as the bowstring. The blue light from within it''s skull flashed brightly when it spotted him and an arrow appeared at its fingertips and was out on the bow.


    Reacting fast, Liam stepped around the bend before it could even knock it''s arrow and crouched. He readied his weapon to ambush whichever of them followed after him first. He had turned to face them instead of continuing on for this very reason as the bends were much narrower and he could isolate each of the undead instead of battling them 2 on 1. The fact that one of his enemies was an archer made this tactic all the better as it would not be able to enter line of sight of him to even attempt to fire at him because of the position he was in. The sharp bend meant that they would only be able to see him when then stepped around it themselves.


    He called upon his [Spirit of Death], feeding another 2 Lifeforce to it and watching the black smoke spill out from within him and cling close to his skin. His shirt, that had already been shredded by a multitude of attacks since this all began, had been taken off and wrapped around his hand and the axe grip so that it would be harder to knock from his hand. He waited in anticipation and, as soon as he saw the grey of [Ghoul] flesh, he swung his axe to meet his foe.


    His axe head collided with the Spirit shield around the undead and ignited, sending cracks along it that covered it in its entirety. A second later the shield broke with the sound of smashing glass and his axe continued onwards to graze Richard Montague. It had been robbed of its momentum by the shield, but it''s additional property still remained and it lit up again and burnt away 3 of the corrupted shaman''s HP. He then quickly stepped back to avoid a counterattack from the [Ghoul] and ignored the notification that appeared when he did so.


    He swung again as more black smoke spilled from his arm and rolled down to cover the axe head, replenishing what had been lost in the clash against the shield. There was no Spirit to protect the undead this time and his axe tasted putrid flesh.


    "Aim for the green veins in along it''s arms. That should disable them."


    The voice of the [Spirit of Death] whispered into Liam''s mind, distracting him with, admittedly useful, information. Still, a moment of intention could be the difference between victory or defeat in a battle and the Montague took advantage of it. Claws raked along his arm where the zombies claws had been not long ago. They split his skin easily and injected their venom into him as they went. His HP didn''t drop much due to the none vital area of his wound but, much worse was when, he lost most of the feeling in his right arm.


    Liam now regretted tying his hand to his weapon as it meant he couldn''t easily switch which hand he wielded it with, so instead he had to put his left hand over his right and pull with both to rip it free from the creature''s flesh. He stumbled back and blocked the undead''s follow up lunge, claws scraping along the bone of his axe. Richard let out a scream as the axe set it''s venom on fire, stepping back and slamming it''s claws against the wall until it went out. Liam took this time to rip away the cloth binding him to his weapon and switch hands. He got ready to fight again at the same time it was done putting out the fire. It was time for Round 2.

 Chapter 10 - Richard Montague

    [276/320]


    A quick glance at Richard Montague''s remaining HP let Liam know he was in for a rough time. Especially since his own sat at [44/200] and he has lost use of his right arm. Luckily, he had discovered the the [Ghoul''s] venom was flammable and the beginnings of a plan were starting to form in his head.


    The undead eyed his axe warily, having tasted firsthand the pain it could inflict, whilst Liam did the same with it''s claws. Being hit by them again would be game over if the venom paralysed anywhere else he needed to fight, if his left arm or either of his legs went then he would be a sitting duck against it. Retreat also wasn''t an option, and neither was stepping back, as the skeleton behind Richard would then be able to turn the corner and get him in its sights.


    Time was not on his side. He only had around 30 seconds left on his current use of his Power and enough Lifeforce to reactivate it 3 more times. This meant he had just 3 and a half minutes to put the battle into a state where he could win without using it because as things currently stood he would be unable to deal enough damage without it''s amplification. With that in mind, he stoped into range if the creature and swung.


    The creature moved to meet him, planning on taking advantage of the precious couple seconds that the axe would be stuck in it''s body to attack. It was not to be, however, as the axe blade only drew a thin, burning line across it''s chest before halting and returning in an upwards swing towards it''s arms. It''s arms were already outstretched, in the middle of an attack, and we''re unable to be withdrawn in time, so instead it chose to continue on with it''s attack and plugged it''s claws onwards.


    Liam twisted to avoid the brunt of the attack, but he was already overcommitted to his own offence and was caught in the chest. Luckily, he had turned his body sideways on and they pierced in at an angle, injecting their venom into his pectoral muscles instead of his heart or lungs. In return for taken these wounds, he opened a gash along the [Ghoul''s] left arm where his bound [Spirit of Death] had told him to strike, and the results were even better than he could''ve imagined.


    His cut had hit a prominent, green artery along it''s arm that would be bleeding profusely had it not been cauterised shut. Despite the lack of blood, it''s loss had caused the [Ghoul''s] arm to almost instantly loose strength. Liam could see it in the way that the undead retracted it''s arms, one moving at its normal pace and the other almost flopping down instead of following it''s command. Seeing no reason to stop, he reversed his axe again at the peak of his swing and brought it back down towards the Montague, targeting the other arm. Not wanting to be burned twice, the undead stepped to the side and moved it''s arm out the way, only for the axe to shift trajectories and score a solid hit into it''s shoulder.


    Liam then lifted his leg and kicked the [Ghoul] square in its chest, pushing it back enough that he could yank his weapon free with minimal effort. He wished for a way to not have to deal with it getting stuck all the time, but a solution was likely far in the future. He cut into the creature again and again, always making sure that he was threatening to disable it''s good arm or finish loping off the injured one. The undead grew increasingly desperate as the battle dragged on and it''s remaining HP was worn away bit by bit. His Spirit Power had almost run out at one point but he found he could keep it going by feeding it and extra two Lifeforce before it ended to extend the duration by a minute. It was useful to know, and meant that he wouldn''t have a period of temporary weakness in the middle of a life or death moment.


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    The flash of red bones still attempting to round the corner and get at him reminded him that he was on a time limit, set by both his Lifeforce and Stamina. The longer this battle drew on, the more resources would drain out of him and the less he would have to combat his final pursuer. He had already spent most of them and if he kept up with this pace he would be fresh out of Stamina before the [Ghoul''s] HP hit 0. He had to do something different.


    Claws came at him again, the undead''s good arm attempting to take his attention away from the other. He wouldn''t make the mistake of only focusing on one though since their venom would affect him the same either way. The numb sensation from his right arm and chest was enough to ensure he didn''t forget that lesson no matter how long they fought for.


    He flung his useless arm into the path of the weaker attack and brought his axe up to meet the more powerful one. He winced as he saw nail penetrate his flesh but no pain accompanied it due to the paralytic that was in him. It''s good arm had stopped and was being pulled back to avoid being ignited, but he wasn''t about to let his foe off so easily. With a burst of Strength that threatened to tear his bicep, he twisted his grip on the axe and redirected it mid block, slamming the flat of the axe head towards his enemy. It caught the retreating arm and knocked it into the creature''s lower stomach. Then, Liam rolled his axe down the length of the limb until it reached the end and he pressed it forwards.


    It took a second but the venom along it''s claw caught alight and was forced into contact with it''s stomach. He pressed harder, stepping forwards with it as it retreated, until it stepped properly around the corner. It was retreating, but without slaying it he didn''t feel like he had actually won. His victory felt hollow somehow, in a way that he couldn''t describe but was definitely bugging him. Perhaps it was this feeling or perhaps it was something else, but Liam chased after it despite the risks that it entailed.


    The bend of the passageway was narrow enough that the [Ghoul] would have to retreat a bit farther than it had to be able to have both it and its ally facing him at once. Unfortunately for Liam, the [Skeleton] didn''t need to be next to him to attack. He was forced to duck as a bone arrow flew over his head and pierced into the stone wall behind him. Flames lit up where it hit and he knew it would be over if even one connected since the force and pain would leave him open to any follow ups either undead could attempt.


    He lunged forwards as the archer drew back it''s bow again and sunk his axe into Richard''s chest whilst putting the corrupted shaman between him and the bow woman. Claws attempted to take a long his back, but he let go of his axe and reached up to lock his arm around his opponent''s good arm, holding it in place as his bone weapon burned in the [Ghoul''s] chest. It''s injured arm was unable to bend the way it wanted to and was unable to reach it''s target, instead waving around behind Liam''s head in an attempt to surpass it''s range of motion. It only took a few moments for its HP to hit 0 and its body to loose the strength supporting it. 2 small objects appeared in front of the corpse and Liam quickly held them in place between his chest and it''s, retreating backwards whilst holding it up as a shield. It was only when he had turned the corner and plugged it up with the recently re-deceased body that he took a breather.


    Next was [Analyzing] his loot, and then came smashing the red [Skeleton] back into pieces. He smiled despite himself, he was starting to enjoy this.

 Chapter 11 - Corrupted Charms

    First, he opened the notifications he had gained during the fight, hopes of another Level Up dashed when he saw that he only had the 2 he got well before slaying the [Ghoul].


    [Hafted I had improved to Hafted II


    You may now use the Tier 2 effects of One Handed Hafted Weapons and gain muscle memory and learning with Hafted Weapons faster than before]


    [New Skill Learned


    Ambidexterity I]


    The improvement to his Hafted Skill would provide benefits that he would feel later down the line. The System being able to improve how fast he learned things was downright frightening in its implications but he forced himself to ignore them in favor of how it would help his chances of survival. Moving on, he focused and brought up the description for his new Skill.


    [Ambidexterity I


    Combat Skill


    Grants enhanced muscle memory and learning with using your offhand for weapons you are already skilled with. This scales with Tier. Grows through use.


    Tier I: Can utilise the Tier I effects of Weapons you have the Tier I or better Skill for in your Offhand]


    He had likely gained it from fighting left handed against Richard Montague, and he wasn''t going to complain about anything that helped him out. Still, this explained why he had picked up fighting with his offhand relatively quickly. He was still nowhere near as good as using his main hand, but it was a major improvement over the clumsiness he had started with.


    An arrow thudded into the corpse he was holding up with one arm and his shoulders, and he was reminded he didn''t have too much time so he moved on. He looked down at the two trinkets that had formed when he re-killed the [Ghoul]. One was a small, half silver, half black, shield that he guessed was what it used earlier against him, whilst the other was a tiny, opal black, figurine of a featureless human meditating. He crossed his fingers with the bit of feeling he had regained in his right arm and used [Analyse] on the first one.


    [Spirit of Protection Charm (Partially Corrupted)


    Tier 2 Bound Accessory (Unbound)


    Spirit Lore II: This item contains a Spirit of Protection liberated from the possession of a Corrupted Pathwalker in combat. It may either be worn to provide it''s effects or absorbed by someone on the [Path of the Spirits] to bind the Spirit and gain it''s Power. The Spirit is Partially Corrupted and requires Lifeforce to be cleaned. This Lifeforce may either be channelled into this Charm or used by the Spirit to activate its Power if absorbed.


    Undead Lore I: This item may be used to raise a powerful undead with spirit bound to its soul. However, doing so would draw the ire of the natural world and the hostility of any spirits you encounter.


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    Lifeforce to remove corruption: 0/75


    Tier I: You receive a shield equal to 10% of your HP that recovers at 10% of the speed your HP does


    Tier 2: You gain 50% resistance to [Sleep] and [Fatigue] not caused by this Spirit


    Partially Corrupted: You suffer from an irremovable stack of [Fatigue] whilst bound to this item.]


    Seeing it for the second time, he [Analyzed] [Fatigue], hoping that it wasn''t too bad and he could justify binding it.


    [Fatigue


    Reduce Stamina Regeneration and Maximum by 10% per stack]


    His Stamina had consistently been a problem during his entire time in the catacombs. It was used so quickly during fights that the recovery couldn''t keep up, even with rest breaks. To slow down it''s regeneration would severely impact him, but still his eyes were drawn to what it would provide him. He was probably risking [Fatigue] anyway due to the exertion he had been putting himself through that was much more intense than his mostly sedentary lifestyle before this. Sure he had gone to the gym a few times a week, and went on the occasional walk, but neither of those things matched up to how fast a battle of life and death drained the energy out of you. Resistance to that would hopefully limit him to just the one stack from the Charm, and the ability to resist sleep would help him out massively if he was going to make the best use of his time before he was forced to confront Ander Phyris and stop his dark ritual in a bit under 2 days.


    The shield it provided would also, quite literally, be a lifesaver. Right now he had healed more HP from increasing his Vitality than he had from regaining it naturally. He couldn''t just keep investing in the Attribute or his Damage and other aspects would fall behind what he was fighting. He was lucky that undead seemed to have much lower base stats and intelligence (the brains, not the Attribute) than [Humans], but his advantage would narrow as he got to higher Levels and the percentage difference between them closed. To maintain his lead, he needed to spread his stat points around so that he would continue eclipsing them in every area but their speciality and could have more options open for adjusting his strategy against enemies. Unfortunately, absorbing it wasn''t an option since he had seen how much it cost to use, and he couldn''t afford to pay that right now, with only 4 of his 10 Lifeforce remaining.


    In the end, it came down to math. The shield of the Accessory would be equivalent to another 2 points in Vitality, whilst the debuff from [Fatigue] would be like loosing 1.3 Endurance. Already he would be coming out slightly ahead if he bound the item, and that was before taking into account the resistances that it afforded him. Unfortunately, he had no idea how to bind a Charm since the last one had already been bound to him by the Challenge he fought, so he turned to the only being he knew that could give him an answer, one that he had been ignoring for a while now. He looked towards the black smoke that was still pouring out of his body, though it was nearing the end of its duration, and spoke.


    "Spirit, how do I bind these Charms?"


    Liam commanded an answer. He wanted to avoid speaking to the treacherous thing as much as possible and so went for a direct method of communication. Its way of making him lower his guard before it pounced brought up too many bad memories for him and he was thoroughly displeased with the being. Still, he would have to be an idiot to not use everything at his disposal in a situation like the one he had found himself in.


    "So now you acknowledge me?"


    Came it''s whisper. When Liam didn''t reply to that, it continued.


    "I shall teach you this to help in your quest against the Undead, but do not think that you command me when you bound me in my diminished state of injury."


    Liam continued ignoring it, having judged that it would already tell him what he needed to know without anymore words on his part. He stayed silent all the way through the explanation and begun acting upon the new information as soon as it was done.


    He reached into his pool of Lifeforce and grabbed a hold of a part of it. It wasn''t too different from what he had been doing to activate his [Spirit of Death] so it only caused him a bit of difficulty before he got the hang of it. Next, he pulled it from the reservoir and into his physical body, feeling a burning sensation where it came out just below his naval.


    He mentally wrestled with it, clamping down firmly upon it with his will before dragging it up to his chest where the Charm was. So far it had been relatively docile, only producing a burning sensation wherever it passed, however getting it to leave his body was another story entirely. Not only did it seem to have a natural rejection to leaving his body, it also exuded a sense of revulsion towards the environment and the Charm he was attempting to bind. The corruption was anthama to it, but that wasn''t Liam''s problem to care about. He needed this to work, he needed the boost that came with binding it. And so he pushed with his will, leaning on the energy with his full desire to not only survive, but thrive in this new reality. It fought against him, but his desire was unrelenting whilst it''s resistance faded with every passing moment. Finally, something gave and it flooded out of him and into the Charm. A notification appeared in the corner of his vision and he opened it.


    [Would you like to bind the Spirit of Protection Charm (Partially Corrupted)?]


    [Yes/No]


    He mentally selected [Yes] and his soul began to burn.

 Chapter 12 - Soul Pain

    His entire being rejected the bond with the Charm, the corruption within it clashing with the very core of his existence. Foul energies attempted to latch into his soul, but they were beat back and purified by the Lifeforce he had infused into the Charm. He burned, the metaphysical battle taking its toll on him but leaving no physical damage. Pain assaulted him, some new kind that he had never felt before and had no resistance to. He bit back a scream. It was bearable, but still made him have to grit his teeth. It was like being burned for the first time, a new type of pain that hurt much worse than it was because it was unfamiliar. And, during it all, he thought he could hear a faint voice begging him.


    "Help me."


    The clash was mercifully short, the soul pain fading to a dull ache that was soon forgotten as he got used to it. Another arrow thunking into the corpse he was using as a shield was more than the distraction he needed to get over it and push thinking about the voice until later. After all, he wasn''t even sure if he had heard it or it was an odd gust of wind that had blown through the catacombs.


    Next, he looked to the fully blackened trinket of the meditating figure. He took in a deep breath and got ready to assess whether or not the [Corruption] it was inflicted with was worth binding or not. [Analyze] brought up a notification and he read it over.


    [Lesser Spirit of Calm Charm (Corrupted)


    Tier 1 Bound Accessory (Unbound)


    Spirit Lore II: This item contains a Lesser Spirit of Calm liberated from the possession of a Corrupted Pathwalker in combat. It may either be worn to provide it''s effects or absorbed by someone on the [Path of the Spirits] to bind the Spirit and gain it''s Power. The Spirit is Corrupted and requires Lifeforce to be cleaned. This Lifeforce may either be channelled into this Charm or used by the Spirit to activate its Power if absorbed.


    Undead Lore I: This item may be used to raise a powerful undead with spirit bound to its soul. However, doing so would draw the ire of the natural world and the hostility of any spirits you encounter.


    Lifeforce to remove Corruption: 0/100


    Tier I: You receive an additional 5% Mental Defense towards Status Effects that would alter your emotions


    Corrupted: Reduce your Thought Speed by 10% whilst bound to this item]


    Reading it, he desperately wanted the bonus to mental defence that it promised, but the drawback of having his thoughts slowed was too big of a drawback to be worth it. Still he was sorely tempted to gain the extra protection against things like spectre''s [Fear] that had made him uncontrollably run away from it and end up in this whole mess. He went to ask the Spirit something again but realised that his time with his [Spirit of Death] Power had run out and he didn''t want to reactivate it early considering he couldn''t get any use of it immediately. So, instead of relying on the being for help, he trusted his gut and went with his instincts. Another point of Lifeforce was pulled from his reserves and guided to his chest where the Charm rested. He braced himself for the pain that was to come and reached out to it with this spiritual limb.


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    [Would you like to bind the Lesser Spirit of Calm Charm (Corrupted)?]


    [Yes/No]


    He hesitated for a moment before mentally selecting [Yes]. A massive wave of pain hit him all at once as he did so. If before was like a campfire being lit inside him, then now it was like a raging inferno of flame.


    His grip almost slipped on the dead [Ghoul] he was holding up as his barrier but he managed to catch it in time and hold on. His knuckles went white gripping it as it took everything he had to focus on sheltering behind it from yet another arrow that barely missed his hand. It faded soon after and he refocused on the trinket, willing it to enter his Lifeforce Reservoir by attempting to reproduce the same feeling as when the [Spirit of Death Charm] did. His efforts were rewarded when a notification popped up in front of him.


    [Would you like to absorb the [Lesser Spirit of Calm Charm (Corrupted)]?]


    [Yes/No]


    He selected [Yes] and a fresh wave of agony assaulted him, thankfully only at the level of the previous one as he was unsure he''d be able to handle anything worse. He cowered behind his makeshift barrier until it passed and he became lucid enough to open his Status and inspect the new Power that had appeared on it.


    [Lesser Spirit of Calm I (Corrupted)


    Path Power


    Level 1/10


    Instant: A target within Line of Sight that is suffering from an Emotion Status Effect attempts to remove it. They gain an additional 10% Willpower during this attempt that can only be used to resist the Emotion Status Effect.


    Cost: 1 Lifeforce per use


    Lifeforce to remove Corruption: 1/100


    When cast, you may choose one of the following Tier effects to apply:


    Tier 1: The target attempts to remove each Emotion Status Effect once, instead of one Status Effect


    Corrupted: Any Status Effects removed using this Spirit are inflicted upon the user]


    Reading it over, it seemed worse than useless for his current situation. It would cost him one of his extremely limited pool of Lifeforce, but would return to him anything that it managed to remove. It would only be useful if he had allies that he could use it on, but that seemed extremely unlikely when the only things he had come across in this tomb had wanted him dead. Still, he was relieved when it didn''t have any permanent side effects as, even though he had inferred there wouldn''t be from the description of the partially corrupted Protection Power the undead shaman had used where it only had negatives whilst active, he wasn''t 100% sure before he did it.


    Oh well, he thought, at least the Charm was no longer going to burn a hole in his pocket, and the odd point of Lifeforce that he had used wouldn''t of been any immediate use to him anyway. He still had 2 points left over for using his first Power against the skeletal archer that was out to get him, and that was all he needed. He looked at his status one last time before re-engaging in combat.


    [


    Name: Liam Karr


    Race: Human (Earth)


    Path: Path of the Spirits


    Class: None


    Titles: Spirit Progenitor, Natural Shaman, Titan Slayer


    Level: 5


    HP: 28/200


    Stamina: 21/130 (117)


    Lifeforce: 2/10


    Strength: 24


    Dexterity: 14


    Vitality: 20


    Endurance: 13


    Intelligence: 15


    Willpower: 17


    Free Attributes: 0


    Traits:


    None


    Skills:


    Analyse II


    Spirit Lore I (II)


    Undead Lore I


    Ambidexterity I


    Hafted II


    Powers:


    Spirit of Death I, Level 2/10


    Lesser Spirit of Calm (Corrupted), Level 1/10


    ]


    At last ready to fight, he dropped the corpse of Richard Montague and locked eyes with his opponent.


    [Emily Rezeal, Unknown Skeleton, Level 11


    The Martial Path


    Giant Slayer]


    [240/240]


    It was time to reduce another undead to a pile of bones.

 Chapter 13 - Emily Razeal

    He dived forwards, towards the [Skeleton] and under an arrow. Hitting the ground was painful but beat being impaled by red bone. Or at least it should''ve been painful. Instead of hitting his chest against the hard stone floor, he almost bounced off it as a shimmering, clear barrier appeared at the point of impact. He landed softly, and then fell the half centimeter that was left between him and the ground when the barrier disappeared. Not having time to figure out the intricacies of his bound Charm, he resolved to experiment with the shield later and learn it''s properties. For now though, he pushed himself up off the ground and darted left to avoid the next arrow that flew at him.


    His actions felt sluggish, even if the speed at which he did them was unchanged. They felt as if the took more energy than they should and left him taking ragged, deep breaths. He had been out of breath before, but now he felt the tiredness in his bones. Still, he pushed through and charged the now retreating [Skeleton]. It looses another arrow from its bow, but he was too close to dodge this time and it hit him square in the chest. Just in time, the shimmering barrier reappeared to block it. They clashed against each other for a moment, fire blooming on impact, before the shield shattered and the arrow fell to the ground. The shield Charm in his pocket dulled as it''s strength was drained, but it''s job was done and Liam was upon his foe.


    He brought his axe down, only for it to be intercepted by the thing''s bow. Bone clashed against bone and fire raged against fire as both weapons collided. Liam''s Strength was greater, and he pushed closer to it''s skeletal body, but its bow was double ended and it brought the other side up towards him as he pushed. He stepped away to avoid it and pushed his last 2 Lifeforce into his Power, a black smoke spilling out of him and coating his body and blade.


    All of a sudden, the [Skeleton''s] movements spend up by a ridiculous degree. It created, drew, and fired an arrow in a fraction of a second. The movement was so quick that Liam didn''t have a chance to react and the arrow hit him dead centre. He yelled in shock and pain as it pierced and burned his chest. Luckily, it seemed whatever Emily had done to speed itself up had weakened the power behind the arrow, as it only pierced a centimeter into him and hit a rib bone.


    Liam roared in challenge, blinded by the pain and the red mist that was beginning to fill his vision. The arrow hurt, and the flames it produced even more so. For the second he stood still from shock he felt death approaching, but he drove that feeling away by lunging towards his foe. Axe and bow clashed once again, but it was much more decisive than the near deadlock they had last time. Empowered by his [Spirit of Death], his axe head cut right through the red bone and smashed against Emily''s shoulder, chipping a shard of the bone off and weakening the magic holding the undead together.


    A stream of flame erupted from where the creature had been struck and Liam, who had over committed to the attack, was struck by it. It splashed against him, leaving burns over his exposed skin and dropping his HP down to a measley [11/200]. He ignores the warning signals in his head and slammed his axe down again, battering the [Skeleton] back and keeping it on the defensive. He stepped around the burst of flames this time, expecting it, and pressed the attack.


    It was easy to keep the undead off balanced since it lacked the mass to ground itself. Each one of his blows, backed by his 24 Strength and [Titan Slayer] Title, sent it reeling bad enough that it was unable to recover before the next one. The only issues were dealing with the heat of the flames that rolled off it and the arrow in his chest.


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    His HP drained away slowly, first dropping down to the single digits before reaching only 5 by the time his last strike landed on Emily and caused her bones to shoot off in different directions as the last of the reanimation magic was destroyed. Two notifications appeared in the corner of his vision but he ignored them for later. Instead he grabbed the arrow that was burning him to death and pulled it out. He grimaced as it cauterized the wound behind it. Once it was out, he threw it to the side and fell to his knees. His Stamina, exhausted from the fight, now sat at a measley [1/117] and he felt bone weary down to his core. He made to shuffle over to the wall so he could lean against it, but found that he lacked the energy for even that. Instead, he flopped to the ground where he was and lay sprawled out over the cold floor.


    He just lay there for a while, catching his breath. Eventually, as his breathing stabilised, he began to laugh. It started low, a chuckle to himself at the situation he found himself in, and built up until he would''ve been clutching his sides had he any inclination to move. This whole thing was ridiculous, fighting off undead and being hunted by the summons of a necromancer. He had bound Spirits and even talked to them. Things he hadn''t even dreamed of being possible now happened in front of his eyes and he didn''t even have the time to unpack any of it. He allowed himself this moment, justifying it since he could do anything else anyway, before he once again grabbed the emotions that were bubbling up to the surface and shoving them back in there box.


    "There''s a time to feel, and there''s a time to do."


    Liam remembered the saying. It had been a favourite of his father''s, and one of the very few good things the man had taught him before he went off to who knows where. He took the lesson and pushed away the unpleasant memories that the thought of the man bring with it, there were notifications waiting for him.


    [Spirit of Death I had Levelled Up!


    It has reached Level 3.


    20% bonus damage has increased to 30%]


    [Level Up!


    You have reached Level 6.


    You have 5 Free Attributes to assign.]


    The Level of his Power going up was extremely welcome, and extra 10% damage likely to be helpful once he had the Lifeforce to use it again. The Level for himself was the same. He knew where those 5 points were needed, even if he''d just convinced himself that he wouldn''t assign any more there.


    Vitality was just too vital for him at the minute, the instant Health Points it would give him were a benefit too great to ignore. He had 3 left out of his 200, and he couldn''t afford the hours it would take for it to naturally regenerate. He was too close to death to do anything, the injuries piling up on each other and being close to overwhelming him, and he was on a time limit. With a sigh, he dropped the 5 points in the stat and a warmth flooded through him. It didn''t patch up the injuries he had, but instead allowed him to keep going despite them. It would now take a multitude of hits to bring him down as opposed to the one that could''ve slain him before.


    Excruciatingly slowly, he picked himself up from the ground and made his way over to the scattered bones. He pressed his axe against them and willed that they be absorbed, watching in fascination as they melted and travelled up his axe, soaking into it and filling in the chips and cracks that the battle had caused it. It gained a deeper hue of red by the time he was done feeding it all the bones and it felt heavier in his hand. Then, not wanting to waste anything, he went over to Richard''s body and sunk his blade into it. His weapon fed and the corpse sagged as it lost its structural supports.


    When it was done with the corrupted shaman, the axe began to glow, becoming brighter and brighter until Liam had to shield his eyes from it. It shone for a whole minute before it dimmed, and when he looked back at it, it had completely transformed.


    No longer was it a uniform colour, instead it was filled with patterns of blood red and deep black that seemed to rob the surroundings of light. Its crude workmanship had been replaced by savage design and symbols Liam couldn''t understand were engraved along it''s edge and pommel. A skull effigy had appeared where handle met blade and the blade edge became wickedly sharp. It seemed his trusty weapon had an upgrade, and he couldn''t wait to try it out.

 Chapter 14 - Upgrade

    He admired the changes to his weapon and felt it''s new weight. It had grown both heavier and more balanced, somehow being easier to hold despite its added heft. His eyes ran over the carved patterns and he smiled. It gave him the same feeling as when he rented his first apartment not too long ago, it was his and he had earned it.


    Conscious of the need to get moving, he only allowed himself a few seconds to drink in the physical changes, then he [Analyzed] it.


    [Skeletal Armament - Bone Axe


    Tier II Hafted Weapon


    A Bone Axe made from the [Lesser Skeletal Armament] Trait and upgraded through absorbing the bones of its fallen foes. It was won in battle and has served it''s owner faithfully since


    Damage: +11-14 slashing


    Additional Properties: +8-9 fire damage


    Progress towards being Named: 1/3


    Tier I: Can repair and upgrade itself through absorbing inanimate bone it is in contact with


    Tier II: Improve the effect of any Spirits used on this weapon by 1 Level]


    The first change he noticed was that it was no longer considered a [Lesser Skeletal Armament] and had somehow had the [Lesser] removed from its name during the upgrade. The description said that it was due to the bones that it absorbed and he wondered if that part had been removed because it had swallowed the bones of a [Skeleton] that could make [Skeletal Armaments]. The next change that caught his eye was the damage increase. It had good be from addition some extra oomph to his attacks to almost doubling his damage output. This part, he very much looked forward to trying out.


    His eyes had skimmed over the Tier line when he had jumped to the description to try and find the reason for the axe''s name change, but as he reached the end and saw its new Tier ability, he looked back up to check and, sure enough, his weapon was now Tier II. The bonus, which he could only use when his main arm recovered and he could use it again due to his Tier I Ambidexterity Skill not being high enough, seemed amazing. An extra 10% damage when using his [Spirit of Death] would make his blows stronger once again. And that was before he acquired any more Powers that might affect the weapon. Before that though, he either needed to raise his [Ambidexterity] Skill to the next Tier or wait for the paralytic venom to stop affecting his arm.


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    He adjusted his grip on the axe and got to walking. He felt his injuries make their presence known, but pushed through them for the sake of getting further away from whatever creature or creatures Ander Phyris decided to send after him next. The lich had to have some way of telling when his minions were slain as it had noticed when the first few undead went missing and had sent that trio after him for causing it. From the looks of it, the lich hadn''t spent too much time or energy raising the three he had just bested and they had beat him within an inch of his life multiple times. He had kept on fighting through spite and points in Vitality, the Level Ups one of the main reasons he had survived. Unfortunately for him though, he was currently still pretty battered and needed to find a place to rest up and hopefully come across some weaker enemies that he could beat easily to bring him towards Level 7.


    The main issue, beyond his Health, was his lack of Lifeforce. In the description for the [Path of the Spirits] it had said that it would be restored at Dawn. It had been mid afternoon when this whole thing had kicked off, and a bit over 2 and a half hours had passed since then. This meant he had to survive about 10 hours before he could use his [Spirit of Death] Power again. It was either that, or get to Level 7 and get the point of Lifeforce that came with it. He had already gained a point when he hit Level 6 and another would put him at the 2 he needed for another minute of his Power, something he would probably need against whatever new threat was cooked up and sent against him.


    It took another few minutes to come across something. He heard the shuffling of feet from ahead and peared around the corner to see what it was. He saw two [Lesser Zombies] bumbling about, knocking into each other and the walls. He [Analyzed] them to get their levels.


    [Lesser Zombie, Level 4]


    [80/80]


    [Lesser Zombie, Level 5]


    [80/80]


    He smiled, this would be the perfect chance to test how far he''d come. With confident strides, Liam rounded the corner and approached them, their heads snapping towards him when they heard his footsteps. They stumbled towards him with their arms out and he raised his axe.


    The first staggered forwards, as if it were drunk, and attempted to slam into him. Liam stepped back, and in one swift motion he lopped the thing''s head off. The undead didn''t die, but it''s HP dropped by a massive chunk. Being faster than it, he quickly landed two more blows that chopped each of the thing''s arms off and it dropped to the floor, dead as its magic was drained. The second was right behind it and suffered a similar fate in the next few moments.


    Liam grinned down at the bodies, marvelling at how easy that had been. 4 Levels and an upgraded axe made an absolute world of difference, but the main reason it had been so easy was the experience he had gained in combat, something he completely lacked after living in the modern world all his life. Sure, he had done a couple years of martial arts but that was nothing compared to the real thing. He had now realized the joy of combat, and was even glad this system has come to Earth.


    He was broken out of his thoughts by a roar that shook the catacombs. It came from behind him and shook him to his core. The lich had stepped up his games it seemed, and he didn''t want to find out by how much so soon. He took off sprinting, hoping to buy some more time before he had to face it. He would soon find out if it was enough.

 Chapter 15 - Race to Level 7

    He sprinted through the halls away from whatever dreadful beast had unleashed that roar. [Zombies] or [Skeletons] in his way were simply battered through, only slowing him moments now that he had gotten into the rhythm of slaying them. He needed to find and kill enough of the Lesser undead to gain a Level, one that would increase his current Lifeforce reserves enough to fight at his full power. He also needed to buy time for his arm, which hung limply at his side, to regain feeling and motion. His main hand wasn''t just easier to fight with, but it would also unlock his axe''s Tier II ability and give him an extra 10% damage against whatever that thing was. Something he was sure he would need.


    Already, he could feel some sensation back in he shoulder and fingertips, the parts furthest away from where the venom had been injected, but it was taking a much longer time for the rest of his arm to recover.


    There was another roar, closer this time but still a ways behind him. Whatever it was, it was slowly gaining on him. He kept an eye on his Stamina as he dashed through the passageways. He would need it during the upcoming battle, but as long as he had more than enough he could spend some in exchange for timez and time meant a few more points of HP and some progress towards his next Level as he slew whatever he came across.


    He barreled around another corner and into another pack of [Lesser Skeletons]. He didn''t even stop or slow down, instead lowering his shoulder and barging right through one. It was picked up by his momentum and carried with him as he ran, his arm striking out twice to scatter the low level undead. Then, he rammed the one he had picked up into the wall of the passageway instead of turning the corner, stepped back, and split it''s skull with his axe. He glanced back quickly to make sure they were all dealt with before he took off once again.


    Dealing with the small groups was easy, but as his Stamina lowered he felt his body start to lag behind his thoughts. He would go to relieve a zombie if one of its limbs but instead miss and hit centre mass, having to spend another moment to remove his axe head from the creature before he could swing again. He started to slow, and when another roar sounded down the passageway, it was much closer than before. He didn''t have too much time left, and had no idea how close he was to the next Level.


    There were two options in front of him, either turn and fight, being able to rest and recover some Stamina before hand, or push on and try to gain that Level at the cost of both Stamina and Stamina recovery time. Both options had their merits and he debated them in his head as he ran, only stopping to focus on dispatching the enemies that he came across.


    In the end, the sunk cost of his actions won out. He had already made so much progress towards the next Level at the cost of his Stamina, so he might as well bet a bit more on being close to Leveling Up. That and the fact that he was regaining HP at a rate of just under 1 per 2 minutes. The difference those points could make when he had only survived his last serious encounter at 5 HP swayed him towards letting himself heal a bit more, and letting his bound shield recover a bit as well.


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    It was when his hope was beginning to fade when a notification appeared at the corner of his vision, and he quickly dispatched the last [Lesser Ghoul] of this pack before opening it.


    [Status Effect: Lesser Paralysis defeated]


    At first he was disappointed that it wasn''t a Level Up, but then he tried to move his right arm and realized that the venom had faded. He hadn''t noticed before due to his increasing tiredness and the fact that it was still hard to move due to the clawed out gouges in it that still sent a sharp pain through his arm whenever it was jostled. Thinking about it, Liam decided to keep his axe in his left hand for now. The loss of maneuverability and likely loss of power behind strikes was not worth the 10% damage increase, especially not since the base damage the bonus was calculated off would be lower because of the injuries.


    He pressed on, telling himself that he would stop if he didn''t Level Up after the next three groups. It only ended up taking two.


    [Level Up!


    You have reached Level 7.


    You have 5 Free Attributes to assign.]


    He looked inside, to his Lifeforce Reservoir, and smiled. It had expanded, and with that expansion came an extra point that he could use to fuel his Spirit of Death. He held off on assigning his Free Attribute Points, resolving to spend them when he laid eyes on the creature hunting him. Still, he planned to split his points between Strength and Dexterity if he couldn''t think of any better distribution in time. Strength to lean into the damage bonus he got from his Power, wanting to give it a larger base to multiply off, and Dexterity to increase his chances of dodging his opponent''s attacks. He had been more nimble than everything he had fought so far and, because it had been a massive advantage, he planned on trying to keep that the case or even widen the gap between his flexibility and reaction time and theirs.


    Vitality was still sorely tempting, but he recognized that most of his victories so far had been based off the back of discovering how to strike without being stuck himself. He had enough HP, at least he thought he did, to give him some leeway when figuring that out for the unknown thing hunting him, and if he thought he needed it he could always change his plan to include one or two points in the Attribute.


    He stopped, turned, and leaned against the wall at the end of a long straight bit of the passageway. He kept his eyes forward and watchful, waiting for his foe. His shoulders rose and fall with his deep breaths as he attempted to recover from the strain he had just gone through. He got a good few minutes in before it caught up with him, but when it did he immediately knew he wasn''t ready.


    It was a tall, dreadful thing, full of teeth and claws. A fetid stench wafted from it as it barreled around the corner, its bear like limbs carrying it''s rotting body forwards. Rememant tufts of grey fur spottily covered some of its hide, the rest of its exposed flesh a greyish-green colour. It dwarfed him in size, barely fitting between the two sides of the crevice they were in. Its eyes fixed on him and it let out another deafening roar. Being so close to the origin left him shaken to his core as the sound rattled every bone in his body.


    Immediately, he assigned all 5 of his available points to Dexterity. By the looks of it, there was no way he would survive more than one or two hits from it, and an extra 50 HP might buy him at most 2 more. Meanwhile, Dexterity whispered promises to his subconscious, of helping him avoid the thing''s natural weapons and damage all together and he listened to it. He just hoped it would be enough.

 Chapter 16 - Man vs Beast

    The hulking beast continued it''s charge towards him and thinking fast, Liam ran to meet it head on. Its jaws opened, prepared to bite him in two or crush him with the momentum of its large body, but at the last moment before they collided Liam dropped down to the floor and slid between the creature''s legs and all the way underneath it.


    He threw a quick [Analyze] at it as he passed under it, trying to get an idea of what he was up against.


    [Unknown Undead, Level 20]


    [520/520]


    As soon as he was able, Liam jumped to his feet and turned around, attempting to strike the exposed back of the beast. Unfortunately for him, it was out of range as it had kept on going and charged passed where he had stood, stopping just before it would hit the wall at the bend. Then, just as he was about to approach it and attack whilst it was faced away from him, the thing''s body began to shift and crack. It''s spine compressed in on itself, shortening and bending it''s frame. Then, with it''s front feet planted firmly on the ground, it began to turn, sickening pops echoing down the passageway as its, now hind, legs were rotated until they were facing the opposite direction from its body. It faced him once more and lifted it''s back limbs off the ground where they snapped and cracked around until they were facing the right way again.


    Liam stared at the beast in shock, only breaking out of his stupor when it unleashed another blood chilling roar in his direction. It charged again and he retreated away from it, backpedaling until he turned the corner and pressed himself against the wall around it. He heard the thundering steps get closer until it slammed into the wall opposite him with ots side and it''s momentum carried it passed him.


    His axe struck out and left a gash down it''s side, the sharp edge slicing through the flesh with ease. Fire blossomed and lit up the corridor as it burned away anything in the weapon''s path. It''s Health dropped a measly 19 points from the wound and Liam quickly retreated back to where he had originally come from.


    He rushed to prepare for it whilst he had the time, tucking his axe between his arm and side and picking up two swords from the remains of the [Lesser Skeletons] on the ground. Since it had evolved, his axe had been picky about which bones it absorbed and had refused anything that came from a Lesser Undead, a fact he was grateful for now. He hurried into action as he heard the echoing of snaps and pops coming from around the corner of the passageway.


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    He stabbed the first sword horizontally into the wall as high as he could reach, attempting a few times until the blade broke into the earth and was buried halfway. Then he took a few steps back from it and took ahold of his axe again. He ran at the wall and then jumped, his enhanced Strength propelling him upwards. He kicked off the slanted wall with his left foot to go further, and then the blade of the bone sword with his right as he passed it, his newly improved Dexterity helping him keep his balance as he did so. Then he swung his axe overhead, biting deep into the wall at the apex of his jump. With a massive exertion of Strength, he pulled himself upwards by the axe handle and reached below himself with his other hand, stabbing his second blade into the wall like the first. He placed both his feet firmly on the sword and crouched, holding onto axe with both hands to steady himself.


    He took the tattered remains of his shirt and scattered them to either side of the passageway, spreading his scent across it and hoping to confuse the beast on the chance that it relied on smell to track him. Then he waited an agonizing few seconds for the beast to round the corner again.


    It moved round it warily, having learned is lesson from the trick he had pulled on it. Its head swept side to side looking for him whilst Liam crouched above, hoping that it wouldn''t look up. It slowly plodded down the corridor, swiveling its head back and forth to try and find his hiding place. It reached underneath him and stopped,standing stock still as it peered at something on the floor. Liam held his breath but worried the sound of his heartbeat would give him away as it took to hammering against his chest. Seeing how little damage he has done with such a solid blow had chased away all thoughts of him fighting this thing. Even if his [Spirit of Death] Power doubled his damage, he would still need over ten such hits before it would start to truly feel it. Meanwhile, he had no doubt that one sweep of its massive paws would bring him to death''s door. So instead of engaging in a suicidal fight, he put his bets of survival on this plan he cooked up in the heat of the moment.


    He watched the thing lift its head, up and up until it passed its usual eyeline. It raised it until it was looking towards the clouded horizon. But then it stopped. Liam caught a sigh of relief in his lungs and killed it before it could doom him. He kept looking down at the beast and hoping.


    The undead froze like that for a few seconds before it opened its maw gaping wide and let out the loudest roar to date. It shook the ground, the walls, and Liam''s body so hard he actually took damage. His grip almost slipped as the weapons he used as a perch attempted to shake free of the earth, but he held them in place and bit back a grunt of pain.


    Then, the beast was off, charging down the passageway once again, hunting for him with a fury only the dead possessed.


    Liam let out the breath he had been holding and took a deep one back in, trying to make up for the oxygen he had lost. Shakily, he lowered himself to a sitting position on the sword and leaned sideways on against the wall. He was alive.

 Chapter 17 - Rest

    After resting for a while, whilst listening to the increasingly faint enraged roars of the undead beast from further down the passageway, Liam attempted to climb up out of the crevice. By standing upon the sword and putting his axe into the wall above him, then taking the sword out from under himself and pulling himself up before stabbing it into the wall again he was able to make slow but steady progress towards the surface.


    When he reached near the top, Liam tentatively reached up to grab the ground to pull himself up. However, when his hand met resistance where there should be air, he realised escape wouldn''t be possible. The barrier he had seen that repelled the spectre when he first arrived down here was still in place, and it worked both ways. The Quest he had received had told him the only ways to leave were to either slay Ander Phyris or let the lich complete it''s dark ritual and be unleashed upon the world. Liam was under no illusions that he wouldn''t be the first living being hunted down and killed by the free undead and that the only reason the lich hadn''t taken to hunting him down itself was because the ritual was more important than his life.


    He took the opportunity to rest and heal up a while, using his axe to carve an alcove at the top of the wall so he could stop worrying about his balance. He could only make it so deep, however, as the barrier made itself known about a foot in. His axe had bounced off it and it had almost sent him careening backwards in what was sure to be a painful fall. Luckily, he had righted himself in time and was more careful as he dug out his hiding spot. He thought that he should probably get some sleep, after the long day he had before all this started and the few hours since then he had almost constantly been fighting it on the run. For whatever reason though, he wasn''t tired. Maybe it was his apparent resistance to sleep given by his bound Charm, or it might''ve been his increase attributes, but despite the weariness of [Fatigue] settling in his body, he was wide awake.


    Thinking about it, he decided it was a good thing. He could worry about any side effects, psychological or physical, that not needing to sleep when he would''ve before the System may have but for now it meant that he could train more and prepare to interrupt the lich''s ritual.


    He opened a notification that must have opened during his confrontation with the beast, when he was too focused on getting out of the encounter alive to notice it.


    [Undead Lore I had improved to Undead Lore II


    You are now provided information on most Undead below greater, and almost every variant of Lesser Undead.]


    More information was always good, and so far the Skill has helped him out of a sticky situation a couple of times, even if it hadn''t been much help during his last couple of encounters. Hopefully it''s improvement would let it keep up with the enemies he was facing and would reveal more of their weaknesses to him.


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    He checked his status as he gathered himself, finding a strane comfort in the numbers. They represented him, both his life before the System and what he had done since it, even if that was only fight for now. He hoped in the future that it would be less militant and he would be able to pursue other things, but for now he had to survive.


    [


    Name: Liam Karr


    Race: Human (Earth)


    Path: Path of the Spirits


    Class: None


    Titles: Spirit Progenitor, Natural Shaman, Titan Slayer


    Level: 6 -> 7


    HP: 61/250


    Stamina: 36/130 (117)


    Lifeforce: 2/12


    Strength: 24


    Dexterity: 14 -> 19


    Vitality: 25


    Endurance: 13


    Intelligence: 15


    Willpower: 17


    Free Attributes: 0


    Traits:


    None


    Skills:


    Analyse II


    Spirit Lore I (II)


    Undead Lore I -> II


    Ambidexterity I


    Hafted II


    Powers:


    Spirit of Death I, Level 3/10


    Lesser Spirit of Calm (Corrupted), Level 1/10


    ]


    He wanted to hint more of the lower level Lesser Undead to try and increase his Level more, but he realised that the beast had likely trampled them all in its mad hunt for him. That only left one direction to head in, and it was the more dangerous one. Before he set out, he made sure he had a clear way up the wall back to his little hideout, using various skeletal weapons from the groups he had slain to make hand and footholds that he could use to quickly scale the wall if he needed to. Then, after waiting for his Stamina to reach a decent amount, he set off back towards where he had last seen the lich. He hoped that wherever the ritual was being held was much deeper into the catacombs than where it had raised the 3 named undead, but he would find out either way soon enough.


    He travelled along passing where he had slaughtered dozens of lesser undead, past where he had his mad dash away from the more powerful undead that had been raised to find and kill him, and then finally to where he had seen Ander Phyris conduct his reanimation. He looked around the area, noticing the symbols burned onto the ground in the pattern of a circle. They resembled the ones engraved onto his axe, only these ones had much harsher lines and sharper points. Still, there was something about them that drew him to them.


    He crouched and traced them with his fingers, feeling like he was reaching beyond a veil to touch something he had no contact with before. His eyes drank them in and tried to understand them. They imprinted on his mind as he read them, and he found that he could recall them perfectly. He memorised each of them until the whole circle of symbols was present in his head. Something clicked, and a notification flashed in the corner of his eyes, but he was too busy experiencing the complete image in his mind''s eye to notice.


    As he was watching, understanding began to be born within him, new ideas and concepts created out of seemingly nothing. But then, from the depths of his soul, rose something else. A rolling wave of energy that fought back against these new thoughts. They were eliminated and cleaned from his mind, and the wave continued until it had destroyed them in their entirety. The symbols were cast out of his mind, and in their place was just his own thoughts once again. The energies retreated, their job done, and Liam looked to the notification to try and figure out what had happened.


    [You have discovered the Path of Magic]


    [Would you like to embark upon the Path of Magic?]


    [No]

 Chapter 18 - New Undead

    After the knowledge left his mind, he looked down at the symbols upon the floor. They were completely unintelligible. He could appreciate them for the aesthetic, but the meaning that was behind them was now lost upon him. Was this what it meant when the system said that all Paths but the [Path of Spirits] would be closed to him?


    A confused mess of feelings bubbled to the surface. On the one hand, he was glad because he liked the Path he was on. Using his [Spirit of Death] Power felt natural and binding the Charms from the defeated Richard Montague had come easily to him. On the other hand, it seemed like the secrets to all sorts of wonderful and deadly Powers were locked away from him. He would never cast a fireball from his hand, unless there was some sort of fire spirit that would let him, or know the joy of discovering a new spell from a spellbook. Not only that, but he had been robbed of the choice by the circumstances.


    His strength came from binding Spirits, something that seemed to be done through combat, either defeating a Spirit or another shaman, but despite his growing love for battle it was not all he wanted to be capable of. This new reality offered him the chance to be more than he was, and he had already seen what some could do on the form of the Lich''s Necromancy. And whilst it was something he held no interest in learning, in fact there was an innate urge within him to put a stop to the foul practice, it proved there was more out there than pure fighting Powers.


    He continued to speculate about the different Powers that might be out there in the wider Multiverse, as the System called it, and the feats that might now be possible as a welcome distraction from everything else as he stalked down the passageway once again. He was heading deeper into the catacombs, towards where he had seen Ander Phyris going and hoped to find some undead weaker than the bear to hopefully Level off. He had no idea how he was going to close the gap between him and it, let alone between him and the creature that created it, but he could make a start by getting access to more Attribute Points.


    He was pulled from his thoughts by the sight of blue light glowing from around the corner in front of him. He silently approached it and peered around it to spot what he knew would be some form of [Skeleton]. He was right and he saw two of the red boned undead wearing what looked to be full, crimson plate mail, complete with a metal shield and sword each. He [Analyzed] them and was confronted with a new type of undead.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    [Unknown Skeletal Guard, Level 11]


    [270/270]


    [Unknown Skeletal Guard, Level 12]


    [290/290]


    [Skeletal Guard


    Undead Lore II: Evolved Skeletons that have given up their ability to create [Bone Armaments] to instead reinforce their own toughness. They still retain the knowledge of how to use any weapon they did in life, and are often used as sentries. Their animation draws from a pool of magic that sustains their whole being, and as such they have no critical points but are instead slain if enough damage accumulates everywhere.


    Experience: None


    Threat: Moderate]


    It seemed like he would be in for a tough battle. He felt within him for his Lifeforce, checking that he still had enough, and when he found that he did he started to plan.


    The armour the guards'' wore removed their main weakness, their light weight. He wouldn''t be able to knock these undead around like he had their Lesser brethren. It also provided them near total coverage and protection, making it hard for him to see a way to strike at the magic holding them together. Hopefully, it would also slow them down.


    Another problem was their position. He had broken up most of his fights into multiple bouts of single combat instead of facing all his enemies at once, however, he did not see a way to do that to these foe''s as he lacked a means of threatening them from range and making them come to him. He assumed that they would stay and stand guard over their post, something that would make it near impossible to get passed them without slaying them first but would hopefully mean that he could retreat if things went south without them following.


    He attempted to [Analyze] their armour and Armaments, but he couldn''t. He didn''t know for certain but he guessed that it was because they were in the possession of another being. Maybe in the future when his Skill tiered up more he would be able to find out everything about something and it''s equipment before having to engage them in combat.


    He stepped around the corner and immediately drew their ire. Their heads snapped towards him and the blue light spilling from being their visors and empty eye sockets became a few shades darker. Their shields lifted to face him and their weapons were pointed towards him menacingly. As he thought, they remained where they were, but then they did something unexpected.


    With a clang, they each slammed their blades into their shields and gouts of fire shot out towards him. He backpedaled in suprise, ducking back behind the corner to avoid the flames. They crashed into the wall and left behind scorch marks before sputtering out against the cold stone. He felt the heat when it rushed passed him, and judged it to be as hot as the centre of a bonfire. It wouldn''t be fatal if he was struck by it, but it would definitely hurt and leave him with burns all over. The shield from his Charm might protect him for a while, but he had seen it break once and he doubted it would hold up for too long. He was going to need a different way to approach this.

 Chapter 19 - Skeletal Guards

    He was stuck. Behind him was the undead bear and who knows how far of empty passageways cleared out by the beast''s charge. In front was the fully equipped [Skeletal Guard] and their explosions of flames. Behind him was death, but in front was a deadly gauntlet that he would have to run. And to make it worse, he wasn''t sure if just being spotted by then had alerted the Lich. The Necromancer had shown that it knew when one of its minions was sent back to the grave, but if these ones were special in some way or its ability extended beyond just their deaths then reinforcements could already be on the way. This was made worse by the fact he had no idea how to defeat the two in front of him, let alone if there were more.


    He took a deep breath and reminded himself that he had beat worse odds than this. What was one of these compared to Richard Montague, a ghoul that could paralysed his limbs and claw out his flesh? This was only one more challenge added to the others that he had already overcome. Their movements had been slow, almost ponderous, when they had attacked him, so dodging any direct swings against him would be easy. It was the crimson equipment that was the true issue. Any hit on the red metal would shoot blazing hot fire towards him, and he only had a thin barrier that hadn''t even recharged fully to defend against it. Avoiding that would be near impossible, but maybe there was a way to minimise how much hit him.


    With a plan in mind, he turned to the wall beside him and cut out a thin slab of stone as wide and tall as him. Then he carefully carved a handhold in the back of it and hefted it to check its weight. With his new Strength it was manageable, but it''s size made it unwieldy. That wouldn''t be an issue, however, as he was only planning on running down the hall with it and not using it for the actual fight.


    Steeling himself, he braced the slab against him and charged around the corner. This time he didn''t stop to assess his enemies'' reaction. He couldn''t even see them from how large his barricade was. Then he heard the clang of metal on metal and saw red light join the blue illuminating the passageway walls. Flame splashed against the front of its shield, but the stone held and only a small bit of the fire managed to curl around it. The licks of flame were easily dealt with by his shield and he continued onwards.


    He put his bodyweight behind the slab and angled towards where he had seen one of the [Skeletal Guards]. Another clang, more fire, and he was upon it, slamming into it with the force of a man possessed. The Attributes must be weighted, because with less than double the Strength Attribute he felt almost thrice as strong as when this all began. When he felt the impact, he threw his shield to the side with his whole body weight. His momentum, assisted by the muscles in his legs that spurred him forwards, the ones in his hips that twisted him to the side and the ones in his arm were used to throw the undead and his shield at the same time.


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    Bone, stone and metal flew threw the air and crashed into the wall in a massive cacophony of sound. Cracks appeared through the slab but it held, protecting him from the massive explosion of fire that blossomed behind it. Every point of impact between the armour and the slab as well as the armour and the wall produced flame in reaction. The result was a blazing bonfire that raged on behind the slab since it was restricted in where it could escape to.


    Liam didn''t have time to watch that though, as the other undead was unfazed by the fate of its brethren. Its own shield shot out towards him with surprising speed and he was forced to the side where he was met by a sword swing. He brought his axe up to defend and knocked it and the resulting blast aside.


    With his superior speed, Liam brought his weapon up from the deflection into a swing that targeted the skeleton''s visor, black smoke spilling out of him to cover his axe as he spent his last two Lifeforce to activate his Power. His aim rang true and struck it, but the axe head was too thick to pass through the gap. Luckily, that wasn''t what Liam was aiming for. Fire spilt out of the bone, mixing with the mist and burning it''s way into the undead''s eye sockets. The attack reached inside its skull and warred with the spark of blue light that presumably animated it. He watched as its HP dropped rapidly from the clash, draining as it''s magic was burnt in the internal battle.


    Fire from its helmet roared in response, attempting to burn his axe and the hand holding it. A thin, shimmering shield appeared around his limb and protected him as the flames spilled over it. He retreated back to avoid another swing from each of its Armaments and angled himself so that he was facing both it and its companion. It turned out that his caution wasn''t necessary as the stone slab fell away to reveal that the creature behind it was slumped against the wall, blackened bones only held in place by its armour. He could practically see the heat radiating off the metal and watched as the bits of bone he could see charred even more. He glanced at the remaining one and checked its HP.


    [157/270]


    His tactic had been more effective than he had thought, knocking out over 100 of its HP. It seemed that the magic holding them together didn''t have any resistance to fire despite the undead creating it. This would be something he exploited both now and in the future against these red boned undead.


    He kept forwards to intercept the [Skeletal Guard''s] attempt to slam its weapon into its shield. He hooked his axe around its sword arm and dragged it out of the way, stepping into its range and headbutting it along the visor. His shield materialised and mixed with the black smoke from his [Spirit of Death], blocking the fire that blossomed out of the helmet and causing it to be redirected back into the skull. Another 30 HP down. His shield wore thin and he pulled back, still controlling is sword arm. He stepped around and behind it before pulling sharply, causing the creature to slam its weapon into its own head. He repeated this a couple of times before it turned towards him. His axe rose and delivered the final blow to its eyes, the walking suit of armour and bones slumping to the ground. He had won.

 Chapter 20 - Loot

    He looked for a notification but didn''t see one. Neither him, nor his Power, had Levelled Up. Stingy, he thought about the System, but he recognised the scaling difficulty of chasing Levels. Unfortunately, the increase in difficulty did not bode well for him with his time limit.


    Turning his thoughts aside, he set about looting what he could. It seemed that the set of armour on the first [Skeletal Guard] he had slain was continuously generating heat which radiated off it. The bones inside were almost pure black by now and parts of it were beginning to turn to ash. He would stay far away from it as he could feel the heat from where he was. The other set of armour wasn''t as unapproachable, he would just have to be careful not to set it off when handling it.


    He [Analyzed] it all first, making sure it was worth the effort of removing it from the bones, since he doubted his axe would be able to absorb them through the metal, starting with it''s weapon and shield, and then the armour.


    [Hearthsteel Longsword


    Tier II Bladed Weapon


    A longsword made from Hearthsteel for a warrior of the Phyris Clan upon their graduation from training. It served them faithfully throughout their life and was laid to rest with them when they fell in battle.


    Damage: + 13-18 slashing


    Additional Properties: + 11-12 fire damage


    Tier I: Requires [Bladed I] to see.


    Tier II: Requires [Bladed II] to see.]


    [Hearthsteel Longsword


    Tier II Shield


    A shield made from Hearthsteel for a warrior of the Phyris Clan upon their graduation from training. It served them faithfully throughout their life and was laid to rest with them when they fell in battle.


    Endurance: 50


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Additional Properties: + 11-12 fire damage


    Tier I: Requires [Shields I] to see.


    Tier II: Requires [Shields II] to see.]


    [Hearthsteel Plate mail


    Tier II Heavy Armour


    A set of plate mail armour made from Hearthsteel for a warrior of the Phyris Clan upon their graduation from training. It served them faithfully throughout their life and was laid to rest with them when they fell in battle.


    Endurance: 75


    Additional Properties: + 11-12 fire damage


    When the full set is worn, improve it''s Endurance by 25 points.


    Tier I: Requires [Heavy Armour I] to see.


    Tier II: Requires [Heavy Armour II] to see.]


    The Attributes on the sword were better than the ones currently on his axe, but he still preferred his weapon since, for one, he actually knew how to use it, and two, it would grow with him throughout his time in the catacombs. Who knew, maybe by absorbing the remains of the [Skeletal Guards], it would improve enough to surpass the Hearthsteel blade. What he truly wanted were the shield and armour.


    He had been plagued by a lack of HP since this whole thing started, needing to be extremely cautious and avoid almost every attack that came his way. If he could use even just the shield, then a lot of his problems would fade. The only problem was with the armour. He had seen firsthand how dangerous it could be to the bearer if the were crushed between to forces and he didn''t want to risk that happening to him. Also, it had limited the sentries'' movements to the extreme and he didn''t want to be weighed down by that. Maybe when he upped his Strength Attribute a bit more he would come back for it, but for now he would stick with just the shield and bones.


    He removed the guard in front of him''s helmet and set about feeding it''s bones to his axe. The skull being absorbed made it easier to take the rest of the armour off its body and get to the next part. When he was done, he looked at his axe and was pleased by what he saw.


    [Skeletal Armament - Bone Axe


    Tier II Hafted Weapon


    A Bone Axe made from the [Lesser Skeletal Armament] Trait and upgraded through absorbing the bones of its fallen foes. It was won in battle and has served it''s owner faithfully since.


    Damage: + 11-14 -> + 13-16 slashing


    Additional Properties:


    + + 8-9 -> + 10-11 fire damage


    + NEW - Passive: The Armament passively draws in energy to boost itself, the higher the ambient energies the more powerful the axe becomes.


    Progress towards being Named: 1/3


    Tier I: Can repair and upgrade itself through absorbing inanimate bone it is in contact with


    Tier II: Improve the effect of any Spirits used on this weapon by 1 Level]


    Not only had it''s damaged increased, both the Physical and the Elemental components, but it had a new ability that would make it more powerful. The way he read it was that it had an ability similar to what the [Skeletal Guards] supposedly had, which meant that it would be harder to damage in more energy dense areas. He had no way of measuring this energy density so he would just have to trust that it was working. What fascinated him were the possibilities of what it could mean. Would it produce hotter flames? Have a sharper edge? Was his [Spirit of Death] considered ambient energy? And if so, how much extra would he gain from using the Power?


    When he had time, he knew he would test all his theories and questions, but for now he lacked the ability to make it a priority. Attributes and Levels in his Power would give him a known improvement, much better to rely on than knowledge of an ability that would work on its own anyway.


    He turned to the shield and picked it up in his left hand, wanting to wield it in his coming battles, but an odd sensation overcame him when he picked it up. A rejection rose within his being and made itself known be repulsing the shield from his hand and sending it clattering to the floor. Liam looked down at it and his hand it shock. What was that?

 Chapter 21 - Limits

    Liam looked down at the shield that had just flown from his hand, confused. He was tempted to think that it had a mind of its own, but he had clearly felt something in him reject it and repulse it from his hand.


    Curious, he reached down and grabbed the [Hearthsteel Longsword]. The feeling, again, welled up within him and sent the blade clattering along the stone floor to join the shield. Then, he picked up the helmet and attempted to put it on his head. He found he could not even do that as an equal and opposite force pushed up against him no matter how hard he strained against it. It looked like he couldn''t use any one of the Hearthsteel items.


    He wondered what was stopping him. At first he thought that it was because he lacked the Skill for them, but he had both held and used bladed weapons before and this hadn''t happened. Instead, he looked for what was common between the sword, shield and helmet. The material. All three items were made of the same material and something that hadn''t been in him before this whole situation rejected it. It was a shame really, as he had fallen in love with the shield in his mind already, but now he wouldn''t even be able to pick it up and throw it at his enemies. He would need to test further if it was just Hearthsteel he couldn''t use, or if it was a broader category like elemental items or metals in general.


    Disappointed but not disheartened, Liam turned to the slumped armour burning a hole in the passage wall and floor. He may not be able to take the equipment, but there was another set of bones to absorb. He chuckled to himself at the thought. To an outsider, what he and Ander Phyris did may not be too different. Both of them used the bodies of the fallen as materials for war, though he doubted that the lich ever fed so many bones to any of its soldiers'' [Bone Armaments] since he would be able to create an entirely new minions out of them instead.


    He approached the defeated foe, wary that he didn''t have long. The lich had surely sensed that its sentries had been slain so he had to get out of here before the bear turned back towards him or, worse, something smarter was sent to track him down this time. He tentatively stretched his arm as far forwards as it could go, attempting to hook his axe beneath the helmet. After a few attempts he succeeded and managed to fling the armour piece down the hallway. It sizzled through the air before it landed on the cold stone and began melting its way below it. Sweating despite his distance, he gingerly holding his weapon against the skull and willing it to become part of his strength.


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    He had felt a growing connection with the axe ever since it had upgraded to Tier II, a connection that only became stronger the more that he used and fed it. Through this bond he could feel its new Passive becoming more powerful, even if no changes showed on its information when he [Analyzed] it. He repeated his manoeuvre against its gauntlets and boots, leaving pieces of the armour scattered about the bottom of the crevice, and managed to absorb about half of the skeleton through these newly exposed parts and the armour''s joints. The rest would take far too much time and effort for little reward, especially when there was such a large supply of material waiting for him.


    He made his way back to his makeshift camp, finding it easier than ever to scale the wall and reach his hidden perch. He waited a while and, sure enough, the roars of the hulking undead bear could be heard once again. He rested, a necessary break that he justified by telling himself that he would be caught by the beast should he not take it and eventually watched as it furiously barreled passed his hiding place. He had lost much of his fear towards it when he realised that it could not get to him, though he was sure it would resurface if he had to face the thing''s charge once again. Soon, he thought, he would bring the thing low and tower above it as it had done him. He couldn''t wait.


    About an hour later, a time which he kept track of by watching his Health Points steadily tick up, he discovered something. With his 25 in his Vitality Attribute, he regenerated just less than 1 point every 2 minutes. With that bit of maths, he could keep an estimate of the time. He had been playing around with the System, managing to bring up a history of how he had spent his stats, which wasn''t too useful, and more useful, he managed to bring up the quest he had been presented with when he had fallen down here.


    [You have entered the Limited Dungeon - Phyris¡¯ Sealed Catacombs


    Long ago, a young scion of the Phyris Clan was betrayed by his own family. They had grown weary of his ascent and ambushed him at the moment of his breakthrough. Unbeknownst to them, he had already turned to the dark art of Necromancy to further his power and was able to preserve his existence through Undeath. Now as a Lich he commands the hordes of his ancestors to seek a way to escape and take revenge upon those that wronged him.


    This is a Limited Dungeon and as such you are unable to leave until one of the following criteria are met:


    Ander Phyris slain: 0/1


    Dark ritual complete: 43 hours 23 minutes remain]


    More time had passed than he had thought. Either something had effected his regeneration rate, or he had spent more time idling then he thought.


    He pushed the the wondering from his mind when the beast stomped through the passageway below him once again. It was time to go hunting, chipping away at the lich''s army one battle at a time.

 Chapter 22 - Undead Host

    Butterflies filled his stomach as he ventured out. The threat of the bear still hung over him. He couldn''t expect that the lich wouldn''t catch onto what he was doing and if the beast suddenly doubled back then he would have to face it down once more, healthier but completely out of Lifeforce. Not that his slow healing would help much against the thing''s massive size and raw power.


    He sprinted down the passageway, practically flying around the corners to try and spend as little time away from his safe haven as possible. he only slowed when he reached the site of his battle against the [Skeletal Guards] travelling more cautiously so that he wouldn''t run straight into any unknown threats.


    He turned another few corners and was met by the faint sounds of shuffling and clacking bones from further down the passageway. He recognised these as the footsteps of Zombies and Skeletons, but there was something new in the mix, and as he strained to hear what it was he could make out the sounds of metal clinking against stone which he assumed to be more of the last undead he had slain.


    He took up position at the end of one of the long sections of the Catacombs, a tactic he found himself relying on often, and waited for the horde to draw near. It wasn''t long before the white of bone showed itself, the first undead around the corner being [Lesser Skeletons]. What followed was another half a dozen of them, followed by seven [Lesser Zombies] and a small handful of [Lesser Ghouls]. The ghouls attempted to speed up when they saw him, attempting to break bast their companions to rush at him, but we''re held back by the wall of flesh and bone that advanced down the passageway.


    They were halfway towards him by now, but Liam stayed where he was. He could take what he saw so far, though he may come out of it a bit worse for wear, but the real reason he stayed is that he wished to see the extent of what was arrayed against him. Then, he saw the red metal of the [Skeletal Guards] pass round the corner, followed by a deep, crimson fabric.


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    The new arrival was also a skeleton, one that was swaddled in a robe too large for it. It carried a staff the same colour and material as it''s body, and its jaw opened and closed as if attempting to speak. It raised its arms when it saw him, and he had the presence of mind to hide away around the corner when the top of the staff flashed a deep red.


    He had made the right call as ball of fire landed on the floor where he had stood a few moments ago and exploded in am eruption of fire and heat. Flame washed over the ground and walls, following after him and attempting to scorch him. His shield appeared around him, a shimmering barrier, but it lasted only mere moments before it was burned out of existence. Luckily, he had thrown himself away at the first signs of the blaze and was spared damage to his person thanks to his charm. He could not wait to absorb the Power within it and begin being able to Level it up. It had been extremely helpful so far and it being stronger would only benefit him.


    He considered the host that he could now hear speeding up. Could he defeat it with this new undead mage at its back launching fire towards him? The others were no problem to him as he had dealt with them before, but with such a powerful artillery piece following them he did not like his chances. Breaking through was out of the equation as the thing was guarded by two of the tough undead sentries and, whilst he could lay them low now that he knew how they acted it would take time, time he would not have with that dangerous thing attempting to end him.


    So, he resorted to what he had been doing since the beginning of this apocalypse, engaging the enemy piecemeal. He would chip away at their forces before they drove him back and into the path of the bear''s charge.


    He waited for the first of the [Lesser Skeletons] to round the corner, shattering it with a single blow. His axe glowed red with power, seemingly absorbing the residue of the fireball and empowering itself with it. A second strike destroyed another and the light started to dim. He was able to break apart two more before one attack stopped being enough, but when one didn''t do the job he used two and slaughtered the rest of the [Lesser Skeletons]. Then, he turned tail and ran. He had been forced back too much and the zombies were piling into the corridor in a number too great to take at once. He would retreat for now and tear them apart later. This was going to be a long fight.

 Chapter 23 - Fighting Retreat

    Each corner became a deathtrap for the enemy, his axe cutting them into pieces whenever they ran into him. His superior Attributes let him easily outpace the horde, attacking again and again in a series of hit and run strikes. Gradually, he wore them down until all the [Lesser Zombies] were slain and he was into the ghouls. The new creatures were harder to deal with, their speed making injuries a very real risk. He couldn''t afford to be hit even once by the undead, their paralytic venom making them more of a threat than most of the undead he had faced.


    Still, his weapon gave him a massive advantage over them that they would never be able to match, reach. He used his axe to his advantage, cleaving wounds into the creatures from our of range of their claws. And if they tried to rush passed it he brought it down on their heads.


    He dealt with them slower than the zombies, but he had more time to do so since they rushed ahead of the mage and its guards in their eagerness to get at him. He even got a Level Up part way through and put 2 points into Strength, an Attribute he had been neglecting over his past few Levels Ups, and 3 points into Dexterity. The pair were quickly becoming his favourite stats as he performed manoeuvres his previous physique would have never allowed.


    He caught his breath as he finished off the last of the ghouls. He supposed he should start putting points into Endurance, especially due to his tactics of drawing out battles and the nature of undead making them foes to be whittled down rather than taken out in a decisive blow, but it didn''t feel worth it with the stack of [Fatigue] making the Attribute worth less than the others, at least in his mind.


    As he rested, a familiar sensation came over him, along with an unfamiliar one, as a notification icon appeared in the corner of his vision. A warmth that comforted him and brought him further away from the embrace of death and an injection of energy that relieved his aching muscles. He recognised the first from when he put points into Vitality but was confused as to why he was feeling it and the other one now. Curious, he willed open the notification and read.


    [For defeating 10 or more enemies of minimum 5 Levels lower than you, you have earned the Title: One against Many]


    A new Title, and one that he could see having upgrades to it like [Giant Slayer] and [Titan Slayer] had. He focused in on it and [Analysed], bringing up it''s information.


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    [One Against Many


    Uncommon Title


    +25 Health, +25 Stamina]


    That explained it. The increase in Health from the Title had felt the same as increasing it via Vitality, whilst the increase in Stamina must be the same as putting points into Endurance, something he had yet to experience. Feeling more ready than ever to take on the fireball flinging skeleton and its guards, he opened his Status to give it one last look before he engaged them.


    [


    Name: Liam Karr


    Race: Human (Earth)


    Path: Path of the Spirits


    Class: None


    Titles: Spirit Progenitor, Natural Shaman, Titan Slayer, One Against Many


    Level: 7 -> 8


    HP: 94/250 -> 119/275


    Stamina: 89/130 (117) -> 114/155 (139.5)


    Lifeforce: 0/12 -> 1/13


    Strength: 24 -> 26


    Dexterity: 19 -> 22


    Vitality: 25


    Endurance: 13


    Intelligence: 15


    Willpower: 17


    Free Attributes: 0


    Traits:


    None


    Skills:


    Analyse II


    Spirit Lore I (II)


    Undead Lore II


    Ambidexterity I


    Hafted II


    Powers:


    Spirit of Death I, Level 3/10


    Lesser Spirit of Calm (Corrupted), Level 1/10


    ]


    His stats were looking much better, with all but one of his physical ones being in the 20s. From how he felt, he estimated that 20 should be the peak of what was achievable before the System and, having broken through that threshold for 3 Attributes, he was now firmly in superhuman territory. He wouldn''t be outrunning bullets or punching as hard as a speeding train, but his body was now capable of feats that would''ve terrified him if he hadn''t stared death in the face as often as he had these past few hours.


    His mental stats remained untouched, just like Endurance, but he was beginning to wonder what would happen if he put points into them. How would a higher Intelligence effect his thoughts process? Would it make him think differently or just faster. And how could the System even quantify Willpower? Sure he had forced himself to do many things he didn''t want to in order to build his life towards the future he had wanted, but if it followed the same rules as his physical Attributes then he was near the peak of pre-integration humanity when it came to strength of will. Was he more motivated than he thought he was or was there something else at play? These were all questions he wanted answered before he would even consider investing in them. If they would change who he was then the power they might bring would come at the cost of personality death, and if he would not remain himself then what was the point of living on? That, and the fact that he was loving his new physical prowess too much to stop growing it, was what stopped him from adding any points to them.


    Shaking himself out of his ponderings, he refocused on the task at hand. His musings, once a pleasant distraction from the pains of life, had started to leave him stranded in his thoughts in potentially dangerous situations. He resolved himself to train the habit into one he only did in safe locations and readied his axe. He was ready to prove to himself, and the undead, that investing in the physical attributes was better anyway.

 Chapter 24 - Laying in Wait

    He waited patiently as the scuffing of metal boots grew closer, hiding in a cut out section of the wall covered by a stone slab. He had fashioned himself a small shelter to lie in ambush in. The sounds became close enough that he could hear the clacking of the mage''s jaw as it tried to form words but failed.


    He held his breath as they turned the corner and the [Skeletal Guards] moved passed him. He let them go, his first priority being to take out the new undead that he had yet to discover all the abilities of. He knew he could deal with the armour skeletons, but the one that threw those powerful fireballs was a different problem. If it could do anything else as well as that then it would be a very real threat to his life. He [Analyzed] it through a small gap he left for that exact purpose, and brought up it''s information.


    [Unknown Skeletal Mage, Level 12]


    [190/190]


    It had a surprisingly low amount of Health for such a high Level undead, being a full hundred lower than a [Skeletal Guard] of the same Level. Though, he supposed that it could be considered high considering 190 points of HP meant 19 in its Vitality Attribute and he already knew that undead started with much lower base stats than him. To get to this point it would''ve had to dedicate 2 or more whole Levels worth of Free Attribute Points into the stat since he knew that it didn''t have any HP boosting Titles, or any Titles at all, since none had shown up when he [Analyzed] it. Wanting more information, Liam focused on its type and brought up what his Undead Lore could tell him.


    [Skeletal Mage


    Undead Lore II: Evolved Skeletons that have given up their ability to create [Bone Armaments] to instead generate energy they can use in very basic spells. They still retain the knowledge of how to cast any simple spells they did in life, but may be limited in what they can do by the type of energy they produce. Their animation draws from a pool of magic that sustains their whole being, and as such they have no critical points but are instead slain if enough damage accumulates everywhere. They may be able to recover this pool if the energy that they generate is compatible with it.


    Experience: This undead uses powerful fire spells


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Threat: Moderate (High when it is guarded from approach)]


    Seeing that affirmed his decision to take it out first. If he didn''t have a way to ambush it then it would''ve been the first High Threat enemy he faced. He wasn''t ready to take that risk when it could be avoided, so he put his plan into action.


    With a burst of power, his body uncoiled and he shot through the exit of his shelter. The slab was thrown at the backs of the [Skeletal Guards], hoping to keep them out of this fight for even a moment longer. His axe flashed and he landed a heavy uppercut with it as he stood from his crouching position. Fire bloomed into existence, but the flames didn''t seem to burn the mage. Still, the damage was done and it was sent reeling back with chunks of bone flying out of it from where the axe had passed. Liam went for a second blow but the thing''s reactions were unaturally fast. The end of its staff glowed with a crimson light and a stream of fire was launched towards him from it.


    He had to abandon his attack and place his weapon between him and the staff to try and block some of the onslaught. What little had regenerated of his shield burnt away from the heat alone and the stream crashed against his axe and tried to go around it. It curled around the bone to get at him, but then something strange happened. The fire was rapidly weakening and dying down. He was still burned, but instead of being hit by a deadly torrent he was only licked by a few tongues of flame. The assault ceased and his axe, glowing with barely contained power, practically leapt towards his foe.


    It made contact with the creature and the explosion that followed threw Liam back into the wall. He hit his head as it snapped backwards and he stumbled when he landed back on his feet. He recovered and looked about, trying to get his bearings, and was surprised to find that the mage''s body had been scattered down the length of the part of the passageway they were in, with some of its bones even embedded in the floor and walls from how hard they were flung into them. The glow in his axe had subsided by half and, after processing for a second, he turned towards the remaining enemies with a hungry grin.


    He set upon them with a vengeance, his blows the most powerful they had ever been besides the one just prior to this. He longed to use his [Spirit of Death] in conjunction with this, just to see the damage he could cause, but his nearly empty Lifeforce pool wouldn''t let him.


    He didn''t use any tactics or strategies, just rushing towards them and hitting them again and again and again until they crumbled. The glow faded slower when it struck the armour, absorbing most of the flames that spilled out of the Hearthsteel to fuel his flurry of blows. It wasn''t long until the [Skeletal Guards] too were just metal and bones on the floor.


    When the adrenaline wore off, the aches and pains from being flung about and burned made themselves known, but they were nothing compared to the sense of power that flowed through him. He had bulldozed his way through that latest threat and discovered a new facet of his axe''s abilities. The way he was feeling right now, he felt that he could take on the world.


    Then, a roar echoes down the passageway and he was shaken out of delusions of grandeur. He quickly set about absorbing his fallen foes and grabbing the mage''s bone staff before retreating to his makeshift shelter. That roar had been closed and he just hoped the stone slab he covered the hole with was enough to trick what was coming.

 Chapter 25 - Weapon Improvements

    Whilst he waited for the bear to reach and pass his hiding place, Liam inspected his gains. First was the blinking notifications that he was getting more and more used to ignoring during the heat of combat.


    [Level Up!


    You have reached Level 9.


    You have 5 Free Attributes to assign.]


    With that Level Up, he once again had enough Lifeforce to use his [Spirit of Death] Power. He would have to save this one for when he really needed it as Levels were getting harder to come by. Deciding to assign his points later, he moved onto the second notification.


    [Hafted II had improved to Hafted III


    You may now use the Tier III effects of One Handed Hafted Weapons and gain muscle memory and learning with Hafted Weapons faster than before]


    It seemed welding his axe against more powerful foes had paid off. He suspected that his Skill Tier was going up quite quickly compared to how it was supposed to but he wouldn''t complain since it helped him out. He had already been feeling the effects of the Skill ever since he got it. He had never even picked up an axe before all of this but now he was using it well, or at least he thought so.


    Next, he moved on to inspecting the staff he''d acquired.


    [Staff of Elemental Channeling


    Tier II Elemental Focus


    A staff created by the Lich Ander Phyris to channel Necromantic and Elemental energies. The bone has been magically altered to better conduct these energies and to focus them in a way that can be directed.


    Damage: +6-8 bludgeoning


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Additional Properties: + 11-12 fire damage


    Tier I: Requires [Elemental Lore I] to see.


    Tier II: Requires [Elemental Lore II] to see.]


    He almost let out a whistle when he saw it, but stopped himself for fear of being heard by the undead bear that had just turned down this section of the passageway. To distract himself from it, he turned his thoughts back to the staff.


    He was so impressed by it since it was made by Ander Phyris itself. It was probably something made on a whim, or something that the Lich used itself but abandoned when it outgrew it, but it seemed like a tangible victory over the Necromancer to take an item it had deliberately crafted. And now he was going to destroy it.


    He touched his axe against the staff and watched as it shrunk and was absorbed into his weapon. His silent companion accepted the meal before settling back into its slumber. He smiled down at it and [Analyzed] it to see what new things it had gained.


    [Skeletal Armament - Axe of Bone and Flames


    Tier II Hafted Weapon


    A Bone Axe made from the [Lesser Skeletal Armament] Trait and upgraded through absorbing the bones of its fallen foes. It was won in battle and has served it''s owner faithfully since, an instrument of fire and death that reaps the lives of its wielder''s enemies.


    Damage: +13-16 -> +17-22 slashing


    Additional Properties:


    - +10-11 -> +13-16 fire damage


    - Passive: The Armament passively draws in energy to boost itself, the higher the ambient energies the more powerful the axe becomes. NEW - The axe stores the energies absorbed, up to a limit, and uses them to enhance itself when needed


    - NEW - Passive: The Armament generates a small amount of Fire Mana that is absorbed by its other passive


    Progress towards being Named: 2/3


    Tier I: Can repair and upgrade itself through absorbing inanimate bone it is in contact with


    Tier II: Improve the effect of any Spirits used on this weapon by 1 Level]


    The damage it dealt had increased yet again, which was always useful, and somehow it had gained another point towards being Named. He had no idea what might''ve triggered this step, unlike the first one which he was certain had been gained through it''s evolution to Tier II.


    Besides the raw stats, it had gained a new Passive ability, and had its first one altered. The new one was frankly amazing, being a flat power boost for the axe since the Fire Mana it made was directly absorbed by its first passive. It effectively increased the ''ambient energies'' that it drew in by making some of them itself and he couldn''t wait to fight some more of the [Skeletal Mages] to try and increase how much his axe created by absorbing their remains.


    The benefits of the changes to its existing Passive were less apparent, but he managed to figure out what the description meant with a bit of thought. His axe only needed enhancement when it stuck something or it blocked something, so waiting until those moments to consume the stored energy would give him multiple seconds of absorption across a single moment. This meant that the longer he took between blows, the stronger each attack would be as more energy would be built up to use. It also meant that he would be going into each battle with the first contact between his axe and anything being at maximum power. Already he could feel the thrumming energy within it as it built up towards its limit, ready to be unleashed when he needed it.


    He gently pressed it against the wLl of his hiding spot. He felt the energy stored within it dip slightly and it melted through the stone like butter, the flames blazing hotter and the edge becoming supernaturally sharp. He felt no resistance as it made a puddle of molten minerals on the floor that he had to shuffle away from to avoid. He grinned at how easy it was.


    The bear had long since moved passed. He would wait for it to return again and then he would try out his improved weapon in combat. He couldn''t wait.

 Chapter 26 - Flame Dance

    The bear passed him once again and, once again, Liam was on the hunt. His 5 unspent attribute points were burning a hole in his status, but he didn''t yet know where they would best be used so he hung onto them. His axe covered damage already, and any difference 5 points in Strength made would likely be nothing compared to it''s improved self enhancement. Dexterity may help him be faster, but with his weapon effectively charging up between attacks, he didn''t need to hit more and his exploits already proved that he was nimble enough to dodge anything the undead threw at him. The real debate was between Vitality and Endurance, but each fight he had been in had taxed a different one of those attributes. Assigning the points to one might get him killed if he needed the other, so waiting and using them as needed seemed like the plan. It was inefficient as he wouldn''t benefit from them whilst they were sitting in his status waiting to be assigned, but that was a price he was willing to pay until he got more information.


    He ventured further into the catacombs, eyes and ears alert for any threats. It wasn''t long before he heard the lich''s next attempt at catching him out and killing him. The familiar clanking of steel against stone, only it was louder this time and constant. The chatter of a couple skeletal jaws cracked in the background and he got a good idea of what he was up against. He moved a few corridors forwards and peeked around a corner, and his suspicions were confirmed. There, advancing in a disjointed lockstep, was a shield wall of [Skeletal Guards] backed by 2 [Skeletal Mages].


    The odds were stacked against him once again, so he needed to come up with a trick or plan to win just like he had every other time. He could ambush the mages again, but then he would be stuck behind a wall of hearthsteel and bloodthirsty undead with no knowing what could come from the other side and an animal behemoth on its way. He retreated slowly as he thought, creating and discarding plans as he went. Finally, he settled on one and decided to go with it after troubleshooting it as best he could.


    He waited, and when the procession rounded on him, he charged. He hit the wall as the mages turned the corner, shattering the formation with a fully charged blow. He focused the brunt of it on the guard in the centre, sending it flying backwards and into one of the mages where they collided and landed tangled in a mess of limbs. The other mage cared not for the fate of its brethren and sent a powerful gout of flame towards him. He side stepped but left his axe in its path. His shield ended up depleted again, and his hand ended up burnt, but the weapon''s storage was full once again and he brought it down on another guard. He split this ones helmet in two, continuing onto it''s skull which it parted with ease. The blade hit the orb of blue light held in its head and his own flames extinguished it completely.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    A second burst of fire aimed for his feet, but his axe swept down low to meet it as he stepped aside, this time bringing it up and entering a guard''s skull through the jaw. He killed this one too, but it took him a few moments to dislodge it, time that cost him dearly. Swords opened up wounds on his sides and fire blossomed to burn him and cauterize them. Luckily, he was growing used to these kinds of wounds and managed to shrug off the pain with adrenaline and force of will. He rounded on his attackers and, one by one, began to dismantle them. No more could he slay them instantly in one blow, not if he wished to avoid further injury, but a multitude would do the job.


    He danced around the paths of flame attacks sent towards him, and swayed out the way of sword strikes and shield bashes. As long as he held his axe in hand he seemed to know the perfect place to be to both avoid and deliver harm. It would have scared him how quickly he was learning violence if he did not enjoy the process so much, a process which he would very much like to replicate with a creative art in the future. For now though, his existence was steel and bone, carving into each to get at the ball of magic inside.


    Time passed and the enemies'' numbers dwindled whilst Liam''s actions only became more confident and bold. The battle became almost like a bull fight, if the destructive element of fire was the bull and his axe was a cape. It would''ve been beautiful to watch had he not been caked in sulfur and his own blood. The smile on his face was terrifying, and it was a shame that the undead could not truly appreciate it. It did not take too long until he was standing over the bones and feeding them to his axe.


    He felt the weapon grow stronger, both it''s stats and passives strengthening, and he was satisfied even if slaying so many undead above his level hadn''t given him enough to reach Level 10. He made to go back to his hiding place but froze when he turned around.


    Standing there at the end of the passageway was the rotting bear, and its dead eyes were focused directly on him.

 Chapter 27 - The Threshold

    Liam''s hand trembled for a few moments as he stared down at the bear, but he quickly steadied it and mentally prepared for the battle to come. This thing had hunted him throughout the tunnels and if it hadn''t been so dumb it would''ve caught him and mauled him to death by now. After that, he''d probably have been raised as an undead and set upon the world of the living when Ander Phyris finished its ritual and freed itself from the dungeon. Now, after leveling up and upgrading his axe, he finally stood a chance against it.


    Done checking for any tricks or traps he may have laid for it, the bear began to move. It''s massive frame quickly accelerated as it charged down the corridor, black liquid dripping from its open maw. It roared as it approached, ready to deliver a devastating bite. It also seemed to have learned from last time, and held its head in a way that would let it react quickly to his movements, no matter what direction he went in. The only way for him to escape now would be to climb the wall or get back into his hideout, but the undead beast would see that and wouldn''t leave him alone until it got to him, or he went out.


    As the mass of undead flesh barreled towards him, Liam stood his ground. There was no backing out, no escape, so he cast aside all hesitation. He gripped his axe hard with both hands and raised it over his head, mentally willing his free Attribute Points into Vitality, in the hopes that the extra HP and shield strength would help him survive what he was about to do. He felt the full charge held within his axe and his confidence surged, ready to clash head on with the bear. Black fog rolled from his body and condensed over his weapon, tinting red as it surrounded the blade. He roared, at the height of his power, and swung downwards in a devastating arc.


    He barely maintained control over the axe as it cut through the air, the effective Strength behind it far higher than what his Dexterity should allow which almost made it seem as if the weapon itself was fighting him for dominance, but through sheer force of Will, and an effort that tore through his muscles, he kept it in line.


    There was no recognition of the threat he posed in the bear''s eyes. In its mind, he had been constantly running scared from it, scampering away and using any means available to him to avoid it. It had been hunting him for hours, and the only time he had hit it had barely hurt the thing. Its barely functioning, reanimated brain simply couldn''t comprehend what him facing it head on represented, that he had grown far beyond what he had been mere hours ago. He had been forged in blood and bone, but it had yet to be seen whether that was enough.


    The axe connected with a deafening explosion of sound. Fire billowed out from the blade to engulf the bear as it cleaved straight through the top half of its skull before becoming lodged in its head. Liam''s barrier shattered instantly upon the clash as the force behind the bear''s charge was transferred through his weapon and onto him. He went flying down the passageway until he slammed into the stone wall at the far end and crumpled to the ground. Bones all throughout his body shattered, leaving him a mess of pain and jutting out bone shards. However, none of that was as terrifying as what he realized when he tried to stand up. He couldn''t move.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    He lay there, most of him paralyzed and the few parts that weren''t writhing in agony. His conscience dipped into insanity as the pain and terror merged into a swirling whirlpool of negative emotion. The sliver of him that remained lucid tried to pull him together, but that too fell to despair when he saw the bear stand up.


    He had been so confident, arrogant even. Drunk on a few victories, he had let his pride take over him. Sure there was logic behind the decision, but he had twisted it to make it the most viable option in his mind, and now he would die for his hubris. He was about to die. His thoughts gathered on that one thing in particular, his coming death, and began to show him all the ways the bear could go about ending his existence. There wasn''t even anything he could do, unable to move as he was. He retreated into the darkness, trying to hide away from what was to come. He cowered in the recesses of his mind until something cut through it all to reach him.


    There was no light in the inky black abyss of his thoughts, and neither was there in the thing that reached out to him. The darkness of anticipated death parted to the embodiment of the real thing. Somehow, the Spirit of Death had reached him even here and looked down upon him, somehow displaying disgust on its featureless face.


    "Are you truly the warrior that bested me? That has used me to purge hordes of undead filth from this realm?"


    It derided.


    "You''re pathetic, fleeing here in the face of an abomination. Where did that determination and drive to live go?"


    "That was different."


    Liam managed to get out.


    "There was always something I could do: fight, run or hide. Like this, I can do nothing. Nothing except wait for the end."


    He continued.


    "But isn''t there something you can do? Your body is broken, but so what? You are a Shaman, one that walks the path of slaughter and domination, one that has bound a Spirit as potent as myself. A Shaman has so much more than the physical to rely on."


    It berated him, its harsh whispers echoing through his mind.


    "I don''t even have access to that!"


    Liam shouted in response.


    "My Lifeforce is out! My reservoir has run dry! I am out of tricks."


    "But you still have me. You have barely used any of the time my Power allows, and there is no time that I am stronger than when you stand at the threshold between the living and the dead. For the transition, death itself, is my domain."


    Suddenly, he understood something and strength returned to his thoughts. He became able to beat back the darkness on his own and leave the confines of his mind. Back in the outside world, the bear stumbled towards him, but he paid it no mind. Instead, he directed his attention to the black mist that still covered his prone form. Exerting his Willpower, he seized control of it and forced it back inside of him. He filled his body with it and concentrated it around his numerous injuries.


    At its core, the Power amplified everything that he did to cause Damage, and converted the Physical into something Magical. He now leaned hard onto the latter concept and pushed his body away from being solely made of matter. His spine was the first to regain function, being the place where the fog was most concentrated due to how many vertebrae had broken, the gaps being filled in by the Spirit. His legs were next, and he lifted himself back onto his feet. His eyes, shifting away from their natural blue, glowed green with power as he moved to meet the bear between their positions.


    It tried to lunge for him, but without the assistance of a brain it was too slow, and he brought his fist down upon it. He knocked it to the ground and grabbed hold of his weapon, yanking it out in a shower of gore. Diseased flesh splattered all over him, but he couldn''t bring himself to care. The thing before him had almost brought about his death but now, with a swing of his axe, he brought its.

 Chapter 28 - Searching for a Solution

    He left his axe to do its work, collapsing away from the corpse of the bear with the last of his strength. The duration on his [Spirit of Death] Power had run out, and without it he was useless. Hopefully slaying the beast had given him at least 1 Level and the 5 Free Attribute Points that came along with it. He had seen the System do some pretty miraculous things, so he was banking on some extra points in Vitality setting him on the path to recovery.


    Ignoring the pain he was in, he opened his notifications and began to skim through them, searching for anything that could help him in his current predicament.


    [Spirit of Death I had Levelled Up!


    It has reached Level 4.


    30% bonus damage has increased to 40%]


    He would''ve smiled reading that had he not been urgently looking for a way to fix the damage to his spine. Extra Damage through his main ability was great, but he was more concerned with a more permanent way to be able to move.


    [For delivering force over 5 times what is possible with your Strength Attribute you have earned the Title: Power Beyond Limits]


    [For controlling force over 5 times what is possible with your Strength Attribute you have earned the Title: Control Beyond Limits]


    His head on clash against the bear had apparently been recognised by the System itself, but be their names and how he got them they wouldn''t be of help to him. He would read them later and hope that they could if nothing else came up, but for now he moved on.


    [Spirit of Death I had Levelled Up!


    It has reached Level 5.


    40% bonus damage has increased to 50%]


    [Spirit of Death I had Levelled Up!


    It has reached Level 6.


    50% bonus damage has increased to 60%]


    [You have learned the Skill Spirit Shaping I]


    [For merging with a Spirit without a Trait or outside assistance you have earned the Title: Spiritual Conduit]


    More Levels, a new Skill and another Title were amazing all round improvements. And the fact that Traits were mentioned for the first time outside of his Status was interesting, but again he would circle back to these later. Hopefully after he fixed his mobility.


    [Level Up!


    You have reached Level 10.


    You have 5 Free Attributes to assign.]


    This was it! He immediately slammed all 5 points into Vitality and felt it get to work. Warmth rushed through him and went towards his injuries. From what he understood, increases to your current HP always went towards the most serious injuries first, so he grinned when he felt the warmth along his spine. It was working! He was going to be alright!


    It mended the cracks in the bone, but that''s where it stopped. It didn''t even touch the shards that were littered down his back or attempt to replace any of the vertebrae that were now missing, before it moved on to other things. Clearly it hadn''t all been used if it was fixing other parts of him, so why had it stopped?


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    Slowly, realisation came to him. It seemed their were limits to what restoring HP could do. His scars hadn''t vanished despite the hundreds of Health he had gained, and he thought that it made sense that people''s arms wouldn''t regrow just from an increase to the bodies ability to survive. It might be able to once the values got much larger, but until he made it there he was stuck with any major injuries that he was inflicted with. Less hopeful now, he turned back to his notifications.


    [For reaching Level 10 through experience only gained from Undead you have earned the Title: Undead Slayer]


    Another useless sounding Title. Sure, he would probably be grateful to have it if he got to fighting the lich, but it would never see use until he could actually get to where the dark ritual was being performed.


    He saw that there was only one notification left and attempted to cross his fingers, only to realise that he couldn''t even do that. Blinking back tears of frustration, he willed open the last icon.


    [You have reached Level 10. Class selection available.]


    Maybe this was what he had been searching for. Frantically, he tried to summon the options he had and, to his relief, he succeeded. They appeared in a massive list, and Liam took the time to read through each of them. If one of them held the key to fixing his condition, then he would find it.


    [Warrior


    Common Class


    Requirements: Tier II Weapon Skill


    Come of the greatest Warriors come from the humblest beginnings. Warriors embody the endurance that one needs to survive the Multiverse''s many threats. Found on the frontline of any battlefield, or defending their own against monster threats, they are the staple of the Multiverse''s soldiers


    Attributes per Level: +1 Strength, +1 Endurance


    Traits:


    Heavy Blows


    Common Trait


    You may infused Stamina into your attacks to increase their power]


    [Scholar


    Common Class


    Requirements: Tier II Lore Skill


    Often used as advisors or researchers, Scholar''s possess the ability


    Attributes per Level: +2 Intelligence


    Traits


    Record Keeper


    Common Trait


    You may access any past information acquired through [Analyze] at any time]


    [Undead Slayer


    Uncommon Class


    Requirements: Undead Slayer Title, Analyze II, Undead Lore I


    Undead pop up everywhere across the Multiverse, either risen by a power hungry necromancer or naturally awakening due to the environment. Undead Slayers eliminate the scourge wherever it may appear.


    Attributes per Level: +1 Strength, +1 Dexterity, +1 Vitality, +1 Endurance


    Traits:


    Know Thy Enemy (Undead)


    Common Trait


    [Undead Lore] adds additional information on weaknesses when [Analyzing] Known Undead


    Hated Foe (Undead)


    Common Trait


    Increase the impact of any weaknesses you exploit when against Undead]


    [Shaman


    Uncommon Class


    Requirements: Path of the Spirits, Spirit Lore II, 2 Bound Lesser Spirits or better


    Shamans understand the will of the Spirits, and know how to borrow their Power. With keen insight into each Spirit''s nature, they are able to negotiate with beings much more powerful than them and acquire their aid.


    Attributes per Level: +2 Intelligence, +2 Willpower


    Traits:


    Spirit Persuasion


    Uncommon Trait


    Spirits and Lesser Spirits are more inclined to accept your terms when negotiating Binding]


    [Battle Shaman


    Rare Class


    Requirements: Successful Challenge of Spirit Binding against a non-lesser Spirit, Tier III Weapon Skill, Spirit Lore II, Bound Non-Lesser Spirit aligned with War


    A terror on the battlefield, Battle Shamans forgoe negotiation with Spirits almost entirely, instead bending them to their will through strength of arm. Wielding an arsenal of Spiritual Powers, they represent a wild force of nature ready to be unleashed.


    Attributes per Level: +2 Strength, +1 Dexterity, +1 Vitality, +2 Endurance


    Traits:


    Spiritual Endurance


    Rare Trait


    You may sustain an additional Continuous Spirit OR you may sustain an additional Active Spirit. Choice resets at Dawn]


    [Spirit Shaper


    Rare Class


    Requirements: Spirit Lore II, Spirit Shaping I


    A rarity among Rare classes, Spirit Shapers are a jack of all trades that can shape their Spirits to meet the needs of the situation. Every problem can be solved with the correct application of a Spirit, as long as you have the Will to force them into the shape you desire.


    Attributes per Level: +6 Willpower


    Traits:


    Spiritual Armaments


    You may shape Continuous and Active Spirits into physical forms whilst they are in use. These Armaments improve in effectiveness with your Spirit''s Level and your Willpower]


    [Spiritual Conduit


    Epic Class


    Requirements: Spiritual Conduit Title, Spirit Lore III, Spirit Shaping I


    Shamans that are capable of merging with their Spirits, Spiritual Conduits pull on the benefits provided by the Path of the Spirits whilst mitigating the drawbacks. Able to fight at full power for much longer than any Shaman, and with the boost from their merged Spirit, they are feared and respected across the Multiverse.


    Attributes per Level: +2 Vitality, +2 Endurance, +2 Willpower, +2 Free Attributes


    Traits:


    Merged Spirit


    Epic Trait


    Refreshing at Dawn, you may house an Active Spirit in your body to channel their Power at quarter strength constantly. You may then draw upon the Spirits full Power a number of times equal to its Level for free each day, stacking on top of the passive effect]


    He read them over, focusing his analysis on what would help the most instead of which was the most powerful, before he realised that they were one and the same. When you compared them all, one answer was obviously better than all the rest, the System itself even saying so.


    Hoping for the best, he selected [Spiritual Conduit] and his vision faded to black.

 Chapter 29 - Progenitor

    Liam awoke, finding himself in an endless expanse of empty desert, with only a small pool of green mist at his feet that moved and flowed like ocean currents.


    He looked around, confused, but in every direction his vision was filled by neverending sand. Seeing nothing else to do, he turned his gaze to the most in front of him and inspected it. [Analyze] returned nothing but when he peered closer he was able to see two small shadows being pushed about by the currents.


    He crept right up to it and tried to see what they were. One moved closer and he managed to make out it''s outline. It seemed to be the sillouette of someone sat down. Immediately, he got a theory and moved around the pool to get a better look at the other shadow. Sure enough, it had the outline of a skull and he was able to figure out where he was. Somehow, he had been transported to the Lifeforce Pool stored metaphysically in his body and these shadows were his bound Spirits.


    Now knowing where he was, he tried to reach out to his Lifeforce like he would normally and it responded. Gently, he pushed the two charms towards him until one hit the edge of the pool. A message flashed before him and he read it.


    [Would you like to unbind your Lesser Spirit of Calm (Corrupted)?]


    [Yes/ No]


    He quickly hit no and willed it away, leaving the two charms to float just inches away from him.


    "What am I meant to do?"


    He wondered aloud. He knew he had been sent here for a reason but he only had a vague idea of what it might be, as well as no clue on how to go about doing it. So, he called on the being that would have the best chance of knowing.


    Seizing the mist with his Will, he concentrated it and began to press it into the skull charm. When he forced the contact, the energies of the pool began to seep into the Spirits causing it to take on an ethereal glow. He kept going, finding it easier than he had ever before, until he could no longer pull anymore of the fog.


    The glow had grown to become blinding, and now started to change shape and become larger. It kept expanding until it returned to the familiar form of the Spirit of Death before he had defeated it. It floated there for a moment before taking a step out of the pool and turning to face him.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    "It seems you have entered this place rather early on your journey."


    It spoke, the rattling whisper of its voice somehow harsher than the barren landscape.


    "You don''t have long, with my summoning your Lifeforce has run dry. Ask your questions."


    It continued, urging him to respond.


    "Why have I been brought here? Last thing I remember I chose a Class and now I''m here."


    Liam asked.


    "It should be caused by a Trait you received. Do you recall it''s name?"


    The question struck Liam off guard. Why would he need to remember it when he had it on his Status?


    He was confused until he tried to summon the screen and failed, not getting any response from the System at all. Realizing that checking wasn''t an option, he dug into his memories of the last few minutes and remembered it.


    "Merged Spirit."


    He said, to the Spirit''s stunned silence. After a few moments, it began to speak again.


    "What you did against that foul undead was a Merge recognized by the System? Most Shamans fail to properly integrate with the Spirit and only layer its form atop their own, it would take an absurd level of talent to manage it on the first try."


    It said, staring at him.


    "Wait. The growth weapon and diving solo in a Limited Dungeon. Are you, perhaps, a Progenitor?"


    If the being had eyes, Liam was sure that they would be boring into him right about now.


    "The Title? Sure it seems good but what''s it got to do with this?"


    He asked.


    "The Progenitor Line of Titles massively increases the owner''s talent in whatever area they got it in, to the point of being able to achieve the ludicrous with ease."


    The Spirit explained. This time it was Liam''s turn to be silent, considering the implications. At least until he realized how much time has passed.


    "So what do I do?"


    He asked, switching back to the topic at hand.


    "Ah, yes, my apologies. You''re here to use your Trait for the first time. Perform a merge once again with me and it shall activate, allowing my to dwell within your body instead of here with his fallen thing."


    It explained before casting what Liam was sure was a scornful glance towards his other bound Spirit. He nodded and closed his eyes, attempting to replicate what he had done during his last battle. He remembered the feeling and was able to grasp onto that, using it as a reference to repeat his feat. In mere moments, he felt the power of the merge once again flood through his body and he opened his eyes back in the real world.


    "You have succeeded."


    He heard.


    "Spirit?"


    He asked. He could feel that the duration of his Power had run out yet he could still hear the being that it originated from.


    "If you''re wondering how I can still talk to you, it''s because I now dwell in the realm through our connection. It is necessary for me to be here so that you can benefit from our merged form."


    It whispered in his mind. Liam nodded at the logic before attempting to move. He was relieved to find that he now could, though he had still lost sensation in most of his body. He stood and stretched out, hearing the a pop but not feeling himself do the action. It was a tradeoff he could live with, however, as he was walking again. He could deal with any other problems later, for now this was enough.


    "If you''re going to be here constantly, I''m going to need something to call you. Do you have a name?"


    He asked aloud.


    "Hmm, my kind does not share their names, but in this instance I believe a nickname would be of use. You may call me... Nat."


    It whispered.


    "Well it''s nice to be properly introduced to you Nat, I''m Liam. Sorry for not responding to you earlier, I was still mad about the whole trying to possess my body and use me as a puppet thing but saving my life kind of buys a lot back."


    He said.


    "And it''s a pleasure to be bound to a Progenitor and warrior such as you, Liam. Now let us continue to remove these abominations from this plane."


    It responded.


    "Yes. Let''s."

 Chapter 30 - Titles

    Power flowed through his body and he was eager to go and find the lich''s next minion, but he had to restrain himself. With the state he was in, he needed rest. Not to mention the new notifications that had appeared and the Titles he had to check out.


    Collecting his axe, which had finished consuming the bones of the bear, he returned to his carved out sanctuary. There, he sat cross legged against the wall with his axe across his lap and began to sort out his gains. First, he started with the Titles he had earned, wanting to catch up to where he''d been before picking his Class before checking out anything on top of that he''d gained. With a thought, he pulled up the first.


    [Power Beyond Limits


    Epic Title


    +25% Raw Force generated from physical actions]


    His eyes widened at the text. An epic Title from the clash with the bear, and likely another due to the name of the other one he''d earned. He read the effect and excitedly tried it out, lightly throwing his axe into the air. Despite him only using enough for it to lift up to his head, it clattered against the low ceiling of his temporary abode. This was going to be useful.


    [Control Beyond Limits


    Epic Title


    +25% Control over physical actions]


    This would be harder to measure than the other but he was sure it would be just as useful. The two Titles synergized well with each other, with this one allowing him to keep up with the increase of the other. After all, he had barely controlled one of his full powered strikes. If he had to wrestle with one that was 25% stronger without the boost to his Control then there could be consequences.


    [Spiritual Conduit


    Legendary Title


    +50% effect of merged Spirits]


    So Legendary was what was above Epic and it gave a 50% increase, something he had yet to see until now. He had thought, with Planetary Unique Titles giving 25%, that Legendary Titles would give him an effective Tier to something but he had assumed wrong. Still, he was overjoyed. This Title improves what was sure to become one of his most powerful abilities, directly giving half again the Levels he earned for his core Power. Now more than ever, he couldn''t wait to see the bonuses he got from being merged with his [Spirit of Death].


    [Undead Slayer


    Rare Title


    +10% damage against Undead]


    This was the least exciting of his Titles, only being Rare, but it was still immensely useful for his current situation. Down in the catacombs, this might as well be a flat +10% to damage, which would be especially potent if it was multiplicative with his other bonuses. Unfortunately, he lacked the means to test or find out about that, but it was definitely at a decent place on his priority list for when he got back to civilization.


    Done checking the gains from the notifications he had already earned, he opened the new ones that had been demanding his attention at the corner of his vision.


    [For being the first person in your world to take an Epic Class you have earned the Title: Epic Progenitor]


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Another Progenitor Title? He was almost tempted to open it to see the effects right then and there, but he had allowed himself to fall into a pattern every time he did this, and he was going to stick to that.


    [For mentally visiting your Lifeforce Pool you have earned the Title: Inward Focus]


    Yet another Title? This one didn''t sound as powerful as the rest but every bit helped in a fight for your life, and how he earned this one showed him more about the possibile Titles out there.


    [You have merged with your bound Spirit of Death]


    This was his last new notification, confirming something he already knew. With new Titles to read over, he opened the first.


    [Epic Progenitor


    Planetary Unique


    +25% Leveling Speed


    +1 to effective rarity of Class Trait]


    Liam sucked in a sharp breath, Titles could do that? The Leveling Speed would be amazing but that boost to his Trait Rarity was something he never expected. Curiously, he willed open the Trait''s description.


    [Merged Spirits


    Epic -> Legendary Trait


    Refreshing at Dawn, you may house up to one -> two Active Spirits in your body to channel their Power at quarter -> half strength constantly -NEW- and gain additional effects based on their Tier Bonuses. You may then draw upon the Spirits at full Power a number of times equal to their Levels for free each day, stacking on top of the passive effects. -NEW- Having one or both of the Spirits Active counts as one towards your Active Spirit Limit]


    That was... much more powerful than it had been. And with the bonus from his Legendary Title he would be getting three quarters of the benefits of his [Spirit of Death] permanently. He opened the description for the Spirit he had merged and read it over.


    [Merged Spirit of Death


    You may use your [Spirit of Death] Power up to 6 times per day, with no Lifeforce cost, resetting at Dawn


    +45% damage


    Tier 1: 45% physical resistance]


    It was even more powerful than he had imagined. 6 free uses of his most powerful buff were enough for him to be overjoyed, but the permanent 45% bonus to damage would allow him to carve through anything he had encountered so far easily. If he had this from the start then nothing would''ve been able to stop him. On top of that, it said it provided him resistance to almost half the Physical Damage that he would take. Hopefully that would allow him some Levels where he didn''t have to pump everything into Vitality to survive.


    [Inward Focus


    Common Title


    +1 Lifeforce]


    It wasn''t a game changer, but any of the limited resource was more than welcome, especially for when he got more Spirits.


    Overall, he was more than happy with what he''d earned. His combat prowess had just taken a qualitative step forwards. The bear would be almost no threat compared to how it had been to the him before the fight but he also felt that he had scooped up most of the Titles he was going to earn for a while now and his main growth would come through Levels and the extra Attributes they would now provide. He was worried about that, as he would now passively gain Willpower as he Levelled Up, but it wasn''t something he could avoid anymore. He needed the Levels to survive and he would just have to hope that the System messing with his mind wouldn''t change him as a person.


    He opened his Status to see all the changes brought together, and smiled as he read through it.


    [


    Name: Liam Karr


    Race: Human (Earth)


    Path: Path of the Spirits


    Class: None -> Spiritual Conduit


    Titles: Spirit Progenitor, Natural Shaman, Titan Slayer, One Against Many, Power Beyond Limits, Control Beyond Limits, Spiritual Conduit, Undead Slayer, Epic Progenitor, Inward Focus


    Level: 8 -> 10


    HP: 102/275 -> 58/375


    Stamina: 97/155 (139.5)


    Lifeforce: 1/13 -> 0/16


    Strength: 26


    Dexterity: 22


    Vitality: 25 -> 35


    Endurance: 13


    Intelligence: 15


    Willpower: 17


    Free Attributes: 5 -> 0


    Traits:


    Merged Spirit (Epic -> Legendary)


    -Spirit of Death


    -Empty


    Skills:


    Analyse II


    Spirit Lore I (II)


    Undead Lore II


    Ambidexterity I


    Hafted III


    Spirit Shaping I


    Powers:


    Spirit of Death I, Level 3/10 -> 6/10


    Lesser Spirit of Calm (Corrupted), Level 1/10


    ]


    He was ready to take on whatever came next. The lich wouldn''t know what hit it.

 Chapter 31 - Blockade

    The first thing he noticed after getting his Titles was that walking was difficult. It wasn''t even that he had to mentally direct the parts of him supported by his merged Spirit that was hard, that was easy enough when he was just walking. Instead, it was a challenge because every time he moved he generated more force than he intended to. 25% more. He was adapting quickly, no doubt thanks to his other beyond Title, but it was still strange to try and do things with less Strength than he intended to do them with and get the same result.


    He practiced as he walked through the empty catacombs, almost being able to move normally by the time he encountered an undead. It was an [Unknown Lesser Skeleton] but the way it acted was strange. As soon as it saw him turn the corner it ran, disappearing down the winding corridor before Liam even had a chance to process what happened.


    That was new. The only real intelligence he had seen from undead had been from named ones, or the glimmer that the bear had shown in how it learned caution from its mistakes. As far as he knew, retreating just wasn''t in an undead''s nature. He had a bad feeling about what was to come. Still, he proceeded cautiously. A few twists and turns later and the catacombs began to open up, turning from corridors and passageways into a grand hallway. He spotted alcoves along the wall that he looked into, only to find open coffins with scorch marks on the inside.


    The smell of sulphur started to fill the air, growing stronger the further he travelled until it became overpowering. He stopped to get used to it and realised that he was sweating. He hadn''t really exerted himself and his nerves had gotten used to the constant tension so it wasn''t them that was causing it. He looked around and finally noticed the distortions in the air that usually came with a blazingly hot sun. The temperature has been increasing as he walked, but his spinal damage had stopped him from feeling it. A quick glance at his HP showed that it wasn''t harmful to him so he pushed the revaluation to the back of his mind and continued on.


    He spotted what he thought was the first turn for a while ahead, but as he got closer he saw no openings to either side and he began to make out intricately carved patterns on the wall. Closer still, and he realised it wasn''t a wall at all, but instead a gigantic set of stone double doors that were firmly shut.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    The sun had set by now, but a new light source coming from ahead painted the hallway in a blue glow. They began as silhouettes, too far away to make out anything beyond the fact they were humanoid, but as he got closer he saw the signature red bone of the Lich''s more powerful undead, along with the crimson metal of their Hearthsteel equipment.


    A small battalion of [Unknown Skeletal Guards] awaited him, with multiple of the [Mage] variant backing them up. If it was just them then he would''ve been confident in wading in and destroying them all, but they were joined by a new type of undead. In front of the army stood 3 flaming figures.


    They were tall, towering above Liam at about 8 foot, and broad enough to match. They were wrapped in burning bandages, bound around them in so many layers that not even a patch of skin was showing. The only gaps in the layers of fiery cloth were two holes for the unblinking, bloodshot eyes that were locked onto him. He used [Analyze] but it came up short.


    [Unknown Undead, Level 20]


    [600/600]


    They each had almost double his maximum HP despite Vitality being his most invested in Attribute. He guessed that they must''ve started with quite a bit compared to him, especially since they were lacking any Titles to boost it like he had.


    He stopped and observed the arrayed undead, sizing them up. This was usually the part where they rushed towards him, or at the very least began to attack him, but right now they were eerily still. He moved sideways and their heads followed him, empty eye sockets tracking his every move. He took a few steps forwards and they all raised their weapons, ready to clash the metal with their shields to produce fire like he had seen with the [Unknown Skeletal Guards] before but they lowered them again when he stepped back.


    It would be a challenge to get past this group and to the double doors if he couldn''t lure them out, especially since there was a new type of creature he had never seen. He knew they were done kind of mummy, but this new reality had proved that films weren''t always the most accurate starting with zombies and how they had no weak points. He would have to retreat and come back after forming a more solid plan. So, he turned around and left, going all the way back to his carved sanctuary a few metres above the ground.


    He settled in to plan and rest, but as soon as he settled in a wave of fatigue hit him. He had been ignoring how tired he was, running on fear, excitement adrenaline and pain as well as a slight but of mania that had crept in during his time down here in the catacombs. It had been staved off by a combination of those and his 50% fatigue resistance he got from his bound trinket, but now that he had decided to stop pushing forwards for a while it hit him. His injuries and constant activity had taken its toll.


    He crooked his arm and rested his head upon it and drifted off to sleep with axe in hand. Ander Phyris could wait until tomorrow, he had time and he was sure he was close to the end after seeing those massive doors. For now he would recover his strength so that he would be ready for whatever tricks the Lich threw at him.

 Chapter 32 - New Day, New Dawn

    Liam awoke feeling weightless and fresh, like he had slept upon a bed of clouds. When he opened his eyes and the feeling of weightlessness didn''t vanish, he panicked for a moment before he remembered the events of yesterday and the extent of his injuries. He sat up and looked at the sky above the crevice he was trapped in. Night was coming to an end and the sun would come up soon, and with it he would move out.


    He spent some time readjusting to the way he had to move now. Simple tasks that he had done everyday like walking took almost no effort and became pretty much automatic once he got started. However, it was things like swinging his axe that caused him trouble. He had always started using one yesterday and the muscle memory that his Skill helped to build was next to useless when it came to directing his body with his mind. He could still bring forth his explosive strength when it came to simple swings but any more complex manoeuvres ended up much clunkier than he would have liked. Still, he felt himself getting better with practice and he doubted he would need anything fancy against the undead he was soon to face, but he still put in the work getting used to moving his feet and weapon at the same time.


    Soon, dawn arrived, and with it a sensation unlike any he had ever felt. His pool of Lifeforce, having run dry many times in the last day, drank in the first rays of sunlight eagerly. Steadily, it filled until it was full to bursting and wasn''t able to accept any more. The Spirit of Death holding his body together condensed for a moment, and for that brief instant of time he could feel things again. The sun''s warmth caressed skin and a cool breeze that had somehow made it down onto the cavern refreshed him.


    He stood there for a few minutes, his mind light and free of the burdens of yesterday. He was at peace. But then, as the sun fully made its way out from below the horizon, his feeling of touch began to fade again. Gradually, lost awareness in each part of his body again until he was relying only on his Merged Spirit to stand.


    It felt good to be at full capacity, but he knew it wouldn''t last long. In fact, he planned on using some right away. With his newfound ability to use his bound [Spirit of Death] for free a number of times each day, the longevity of his Lifeforce Pool had been extended. This freed up some of it to be spent on a different Spirit, one that he had been keeping in trinket form until now. He took out his [Spirit of Protection (Partially Corrupted) Charm] and prepared to absorb it.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    The Charm had allowed him to take greater risks and push forwards on multiple occasions, but the Spirit inside had remained stuck at the same Level of power for too long. He simply hadn''t had enough Lifeforce to spare towards activating it, but now that had changed. With a flex of his will, he brought up the prompt to absorb it and accepted it, watching as the Charm turned into a ball of grey light and enter his body. The level of [Fatigue] that had been his constant companion over the last day melted away and he felt an new presence settle within his inner pool. Looking inwards, he found it and brought up it''s description once again to check if anything had changed since he had seen it used by Richard Montague.


    [Spirit of Protection I (Partially Corrupted)


    Path Power


    Level 1/10


    Continuous: Imbue your body with your bound [Spirit of Protection] to receive a shield equal to 10% of your HP that regenerates at 10% of the speed your HP does. This shield does not have any damage resistance.


    Cost: 5 Lifeforce per day


    Tier I: Grants Sleep and Fatigue Immunity


    Partially Corrupted: On activation or refresh, inflict a stack of [Fatigue] on you that ignores immunities


    Lifeforce to Cleanse: 1/75]


    If he remembered correctly, its description was the same apart from the line at the bottom telling him how much Lifeforce was required for him to cleanse it of its corruption. It was a while off for him now, since his maximum capacity for the resource didn''t even come close to the amount he needed to remove the debuff it would give him. Still, a single point had already been put towards cleansing it, which he assumed was the one he used to bind the Charm to him. If he was right then he wouldn''t need to actively invest any of the limited resources into ridding the Spirit of its corruption, but instead any Lifeforce that passed through it would contribute towards it. This meant that as he used it, it would get closer towards that goal from just the daily investments he would need to make to keep it going.


    He could test his theory right away, and that was what he intended to do. With a thought, his Lifeforce moved. It poured into his newly absorbed Spirit until it reached a tipping point. Energy exploded out of it, rushing out of his Inner Pool and spilling out of his body and freezing there until a layer of it covered him entirely. He couldn''t see it with his eyes, but to the sense that allowed him to detect Lifeforce it was definitely there. Unfortunately, along with the shield, the feeling of lethargy from a level of [Fatigue] came back, settling into his bones. He felt the Stamina he''d regenerated above the new, reduced, maximum bleed away. He still had a lot in the tank, he knew, but mentally he felt like it would be more effort to do anything. The feeling faded as he began move since he couldn''t register any tiredness due to his paralysis, but he still knew he would have to account for the debuff like he had been for the last day.


    Wrapping his [Spirit of Protection] tighter around himself with [Spirit Shaping], he set off towards what he hoped was one of the last battles down here in the catacombs.

 Chapter 33 - Grinding

    With confident steps, Liam strode towards the amassed horde. He had spent the night before coming up with a plan, and the walk here working out all the kinks in it and he was sure it would work, even if it might take a while. He had seen the undeads'' reaction for him getting too close and now he was going to exploit it.


    "Are you ready for this?"


    He asked his Spirits. Death, he had already spoken to whilst coming up with this plan but Protection he had only let know whilst on the way here. It had taken a little practice and getting used to, but ever since he had absorbed and activated the Partially Corrupted Spirit he had been able to sense what it was feeling. What he got from it now was a feeling of confidence matching his own and the ever present gratitude it had radiated since he fed it his Lifeforce. His Spirit of Death joined in affirming its readiness and he took the final steps towards the skeletal battalion.


    In unison, the armoured undead all lifted their weapons and shields, bringing the former against the latter to create a deluge of fire that rushed towards him. Standing strong in the face of the deluge of flames that filled his vision, Liam prepared himself. He activated a free use of his [Spirit of Death] and took a hold of the black mist that spilled out of him with [Spirit Shaping]. At his direction, it gathered around the head of his axe in a thick cloud.


    The flames roared as they surged down the passageway, only to be met by the swing of Liam''s axe. For just a moment, the mist from his Power lengthened and solidified, extending the reach of his weapon as it cut through the encroaching wave. It deflected what it cut, scattering fire away from its wielder, and absorbed what it couldn''t. The bone of his axe shifted from crimson to a glowing, angry red as it drank in the energy of the flames. Then, his swing reached its end and he was hit by the rest of the wave.


    His shield flickered in and out of visibility as it clashed against the rolling tide of fire. Flames battered against the newly bonded Spirit until it could take no more and the energy protecting him shattered. Now undefended, he braced his body against the raging fire, only to find that the majority of the wave had passed and he only has to bathe in it for a moment before it fully passed over him. He quickly stepped back a few times, causing the horde to halt in launching its second offensive, and noticed the blinking notifications in the corner of his vision.


    Before he could even open them, his spiritual sense picked up on a tide of energy coming from within, spilling out from his Lifeforce Pool and leaving his body to cling to him. He watched in fascination as his shield, which had broken only moments ago, was restoring itself even stronger than before. The energy kept on coming until it had reached twice what it was before then it slowed to a trickle that he assumed was it''s natural regeneration. Finished observing, he opened his notifications.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    [Spirit Shaping I has improved to Spirit Shaping II


    Ease and limits of Spirit Shaping increased]


    [Spirit of Death I had Levelled Up!


    It has reached Level 7.


    60% bonus damage has increased to 70%. 45% merged bonus damage has increased to 52.5%. 45% merged physical resistance has increased to 52.5%. 1 extra free use per day]


    [Spirit of Protection I had Levelled Up!


    It has reached Level 2.


    10% shield and shield recovery increased to 20%]


    [Spirit of Protection I had Levelled Up!


    It has reached Level 3.


    20% shield and shield recovery increased to 30%]


    He smiled at his gains with a grin that only grew wider when he saw that he had only lost 16 HP to get them. His shield had restored itself to 20% of his HP from his Spirit''s Level Ups and the free use of his Spirit of Death had effectively refreshed itself. His axe hung at his side, causing the air around it to distort from the heat it gave off as it released the excess fire energy it had absorbed back into its surroundings. It didn''t take long for the excess energies to bleed out of it and restore the bone''s colour to its natural crimson.


    He checked that the emotion coming through his bond with his [Spirit of Protection] was still positive before activating another free use of his Death Power and going again. It was easier facing it this time, now that he had experienced it once and had grown in strength. The extra damage granted by his improved [Spirit of Death] meant that even more of the flames were diverted from hitting him or outright extinguished. His shield also didn''t break, instead thinning until it was looked thin and brittle but still stubbornly holding out until the end. He retreated back again and checked the new notification that popped up.


    [Spirit of Protection I had Levelled Up!


    It has reached Level 4.


    30% shield and shield recovery increased to 40%]


    The surge of energy came again, only less this time, and reinforced the shield until it was only a bit weaker than it had been before the second round of fire, although the trickle of its natural regeneration was now greater.


    Happy that he had quickly leveled his newly bound Spirit up to par, he got ready to assault the skeletal battalion for real. Whilst he wished he could spend all day training his Spirits against them, he only had a limited amount of resources and time that would be better used against Ander Phyris or any other obstacles the lich chose to throw in his way.


    "All warmed up?"


    Liam joked to his Spirits.


    "As warm as I''ll ever be."


    Those whispered words and a warm feeling from his other bound Spirit were the reply.


    "Good, because it''s time to put these undead back in their graves."

 Chapter 34 - I Want My Mummy!

    He approached the horde again, but instead of the caution he had previously displayed he began running full tilt towards them. Powerful strides helped him close the distance between him and the undead by more than half by the time they could react and send another wave of fire towards him. With another use of his [Spirit of Death] he cleaved most of the flames out of his path before they could hit him, and he barreled through the rest at a breakneck pace. He was sure the speeds he was going at were damaging his muscles in some way, but without the sensation of pain and with the threat of his muscles refusing to function mitigated by his Merged Spirit being able to make him move he found that he didn''t care.


    Them, he was upon them before they could launch a second offense against him. His axe, glowing with absorbed power, fell upon the first skeletons to enter his reach. Bolstered by Fire Energy and his active Power, it carved a wide gap in the undead''s ranks and scattered broken bones and twisted metal across the passageway. His second strike lacked the explosive force of his first, but it was still more than enough to decimate any of the skeletons that got in his way. The black mist of his Spirit extended the reach of his massacre, causing no visible impact but instead ripping the mana sustaining the undead out from them and into the air for his axe to absorb.


    He spared a glance towards the flamming mummies to see that they were still a few steps away from being able to interfere. They were both picking up a small amount of speed as the charged towards him, but with how far he had penetrated into enemy ranks he would get in another few strikes before they would reach him. In his moment of distraction as he assessed the situation, a fireball from one of the [Unknown Skeletal Mages] crashed into him from the side. His shield flicked into existence to protect him as flames wrapped around him, preventing any damage but unable to stop the impact from knocking him a couple steps to the side.


    He struck out once more to clear the nearest undead before he whirled to face the closest mummy. He might''ve been unharmed by the Mage''s attack but it had forced him close enough to one of the lumbering giants that he couldn''t continue his onslaught. It raised its arms above its head before stepping towards him and bringing them down in a deceptively fast motion. His axe rose to meet them in a manoeuvre that was more of an attack than a block but it still had the intended affect. They clashed and Liam lost, the additional power from swinging downwards as opposed to up too much for him to overcome. Luckily, his resistance had bought him enough time to step aside and out of the way of the continuation of the large undead''s downwards arc.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Recovering quickly, he brought his weapon about and cut into the side of the creature, tearing through flaming bandages until it hit what was underneath. Slowed down by the layers of burning fabric, he only managed to leave a shallow wound before he was forced to retreat by it turning and swinging at him in the same motion. He leapt back even further to avoid two more fireballs hurtling his way and took stick of the situation.


    The skeletal battalion was in disarray, with piles of the fallen blocking the others from properly making their way towards him. Maybe if they were unencumbered by their equipment they would be able to scramble over the scattered bones and metal without falling, but their empty skulls would never allow them to think of that solution. It did, however, seem like they were starting to give up on the melee approach now that he was engaged with one of the mummies and were preparing to start their bombardment again. Since there were quite a few less of them it wouldn''t be anywhere near as deadly, but it was still something to watch out for.


    He ducked and stepped to the side as he spotted something flying towards him from the corner of his eye. He almost completely dodged it, but it was just too fast and managed to graze his shield, draining it more. The attack over, he saw that what had hit him was an unraveled, flaming bandage thrown by the other mummy. He watched as it retracted back to the creature''s arm almost as fast as it had been thrown.


    ''Of course they have a ranged attack.''


    He thought.


    ''Things can never be just simple and easy.''


    Still, he took it in stride and filed the information away to held with his combat plans. He hadn''t expected it this time, but he wouldn''t leave himself open to it again.


    Now facing two of the behemoths, he was going to have to be much more cautious with the moves he made. If one of them landed a blow it would likely send him reeling for long enough that the other would be able to follow up and if that happened then the consequences would be deadly.


    He circled around them, dodging another fireball and reactivating his Spirit of Death Power as its timer went out. He tried to keep one in the way of the other but with the limited space he had to manoeuvre in due to the piles of bone and metal and the still living skeletons attempting to roast him alive, he was finding it difficult. His shield was barely holding on against the ever present flames that were assaulting him from every direction no matter where he went and his enemies were now as organized as undead could be. What had started off as a slaughter was now an uphill battle, but he had been down in this hellhole for long enough and he was ready to push through anything that stood in the way of him leaving.


    He sized up the mummies approaching him, cataloguing everything he knew they could do, and the beginnings of a plan began to form in his mind. Sure, they were tough, but if there was one thing he excelled at after his recent Class Acquisition it was causing damage.

 Chapter 35 - 2 vs 1 OR 2 1 vs 1s?

    Liam kicked off the ground towards his first opponent. The mummy brought it''s arms down in a devastatingly powerful arc that was timed to intercept him. With a flex of his [Merged Spirit] and the straining of his muscles and bones, he forced himself to a stop right out of the creature''s reach and forced back a flinch as flaming bandages whipped right in front of his face. The stone of the floor cracked under the force of the blow, but the resulting vibrations didn''t have time to reach Liam before he was in the air, axe raised high above his head. His [Undead Lore] Skill wasn''t high enough to tell him anything about the particular type of undead, but if there was one thing he had learned from facing them this past day, it was that overwhelming power trumped whatever gimmicks they had holding them together.


    He reached the apex of his jump and, with gravity assisting him, he used everything he could to bring his weapon down upon the creature. The phantom blade of his black mist was the first to impact the creature, causing no visible damage but stripping the area it penetrated of its vital force so that the bone edge that came next would not be hindered. Then, the actual weapon made contact and carved through the creature''s skull like it was made of butter. It kept going until it hit as deep as the mist had gotten before it met true resistance and could go no further, becoming lodged in the bone.


    It was still moving, its arms reaching up to envelope him in a crushing embrace but he didn''t panic. He had been finding more and more uses for [Spirit Shaping] in this battle and right before he initiated this reckless attack he had attempted another one. His [Spirit of Protection] that had been keeping him safe was now no longer wrapped around his body, instead it was concentrated on holding back the overcharged powers of his axe from exploding out early. The Tier II bonus of his weapon has reinforced the Spirit with enough strength to hold on this long but against the raging storm of energy that dwelled within the crimson instrument of destruction, it wasn''t enough.


    He felt a spiritual twinge as the last of his shield broke and the stolen fires within his armament were set free. They spilled out of the axe head with explosive force, shattering the mummy''s head from within and scorching the vicera before it could splatter everywhere. With the majority of it directed downwards, the carnage continued into its chest, tearing its ribcage apart and incinerating any organs that might have resisted rotting for this long. This continued until the upper portion of the creature''s torso was mangled beyond recognition and the fires of its bandages winked out only to be relit by the firey attack that had claimed its unlife.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    A rush of energy filled him and for a moment he thought that his [Spirit of Protection] had leveled up again. A quick check proved that wasn''t the case and the feeling he got across the bond was that the Spirit was too weak and exhausted from the strain he had put it under to even attempt any improvement at the minute. No, the energy he felt flooded his body and reached up to his mind before integrating itself, making him more solid both physically and mentally. He had leveled up.


    He didn''t have time to check the notification, not after the last couple times he had allowed himself to get distracted had ended with him blindsided but something, but he didn''t let that stop him from willing any free points he had gotten into Strength. The effect was immediate. His muscles brimmed with power as he ripped his weapon from the mummy''s remains and crossed the distance to the other one in a single bound. He thought about repeating his successful tactic but, with the lesser amounts of charged energies in his armament and lacking his [Spirit of Protection], he wouldn''t be able to replicate it any time soon enough to matter in this battle.


    That being said, with the amount of fire being hurled at him and in the surroundings his axe was charging at a record pace. He stepped forwards and swung, meeting the mummies own blow head on. Before, he had just lost out in a head on clash but now, with the extra points in Strength and his damage multipliers, he was more than its match. He cut into its flaming arms and pushed them back, forcing the creature to take a step backwards. Then, he ripped his weapon out of it and buried it on its chest in motion too fast for its rotted brain to follow.


    He was going to have to invest in some Dexterity soon, since his axe had landed way off where he was aiming but it still did its job wounding the creature. Being undead, it didn''t react with pain but instead continued its attack. Its arms, which he''d knocked to the side came back at him and he ducked under them, pulling his axe with him and spinning until he stuck it back into the thing''s flesh. He cut the first injury he had dealt in its side much deeper before stepping past it to avoid the follow up.


    Liam spun again and left a gash along the thing''s back. He could tell that whatever magic was holding the creature together was beginning to fray by how it was beginning to shed bandages, the fabric burning to ash as soon as it lost a connection to the undead''s body. It was definitely much more injured than it looked and he had a feeling that this next exchange would be its last.


    It charged him again and he was unsure whether the creature just didn''t learn or it had no other options left. He stepped back and let its slam miss before putting his axe in its head and vanquishing it for good. Fire splashed against him as he did, the same as it had for the entirety of his battle with the mummies, but this time he could finally turn his attention to the source. The skeletal battalion now had nothing to run interference for it, and his axe was ever hungry for more bones.

 Chapter 36 - Consolidated Gains

    Clearing up the remaining skeletons didn''t take long once the mummies were no longer there to interfere. Sure, he took quite a bit of damage from the sheer amount of fire thrown his way but he had never been in any true danger after the first of the large undead had fallen. During the cleanup he had felt another surge of recovery flow through his body, indicating another Level Up, but he had waited until now to open his notifications.


    [Level Up!


    You have reached Level 11.


    You have gained: +2 Vitality, +2 Endurance, +2 Willpower


    You have 0 Free Attributes to assign.]


    [Undead Lore II has improved to Undead Lore III


    You are now provided information on most greater Undead, and almost every variant of Undead below Greater]


    [Level Up!


    You have reached Level 12.


    You have gained: +2 Vitality, +2 Endurance, +2 Willpower


    You have 7 Free Attributes to assign.]


    He was a little disappointed that only his [Undead Lore] had improved but he understood that Skills were slow to Tier Up whilst his Spirits seemed to have a limit on how fast they could Level Up. Still, when totalled together his gains for the day were downright transformative and he felt a lot more confident about the impending confrontation with Ander Phyris.


    Before deciding what to spend his Free Attributes on, he opened his Status to view it in full and give him an update to date report on what he was capable of.


    [


    Name: Liam Karr


    Race: Human (Earth)


    Path: Path of the Spirits


    Class: None -> Spiritual Conduit


    Titles: Spirit Progenitor, Natural Shaman, Titan Slayer, One Against Many, Power Beyond Limits, Control Beyond Limits, Spiritual Conduit, Undead Slayer, Epic Progenitor, Inward Focus


    Level: 10 -> 12


    HP: 359/375 -> 231/415


    Stamina: 122/155 -> 34/195 (184.5)


    Lifeforce: 16/16 -> 13/18


    Strength: 26 -> 33


    Dexterity: 22


    Vitality: 35 -> 39


    Endurance: 13 -> 17


    Intelligence: 15


    Willpower: 17 -> 21


    Free Attributes: 0 -> 7


    Traits:


    Merged Spirits (Legendary)


    -Spirit of Death


    -Empty


    Skills:


    Analyse II


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.Spirit Lore I (II)


    Undead Lore II -> III


    Ambidexterity I


    Hafted III


    Spirit Shaping I -> II


    Powers:


    Spirit of Death I, Level 6/10 -> 7/10


    -NEW- Spirit of Protection I (Partially Corrupted), Level 4/10


    Lesser Spirit of Calm I (Corrupted), Level 1/10


    ]


    He had come insanely far in the short time he''d had. He''d faced what had seemed like insurmountable odds and prevailed, and had pushed past every obstacle through grit and determination. It felt nice to see that progress, the improvements he had paid for in blood, represented in such a concrete way.


    He turned his attention to his Attributes as he went around feeding his axe. The picky weapon was ignoring any of the [Unknown Skeleton]''s bones in favour of the mages'' and mummies'' but he still had to pick through the piles of slain undead to find where he had blasted them.


    His Willpower had increased for the first time since the System Integration but he didn''t feel any different. He had picked his class out of desperation and greed at its high rarity, a choice he didn''t regret, but he had failed to consider how it had invited the System to mess with his brain. Luckily, he didn''t feel any different but he wasn''t about to go and invest great sums into the Stat when its benefits were unproven and their still might be hidden risks with the tampering of his thoughts. There was nothing he could do about it now, so he put the matter out of his mind and focused on what he could do.


    Three points went into Dexterity right away to bring it to a nice 25. He had noticed his Strength running away with him during his last battle and wanted more control. More fine motor control meant that he would be more accurate and more efficient, which would lead to more powerful and deadlier strikes.


    Then, with his last 4 points, he rounded his Vitality and Endurance up to the next ten for each if them. Vitality he boosted because it was his second most efficient stat, he didn''t need any more Strength, and it was absolutely vital to keeping him alive. Endurance then got some much needed love since his Stamina kept running low with every fight and although he had yet to actually bottom out he definitely didn''t want to risk doing so against the lich and who knows how many of its undead minions. Happy, he brought up just the changes to his Attributes and admired them for a moment.


    [


    Strength: 33


    Dexterity: 22 -> 25


    Vitality: 39 -> 40


    Endurance: 17 -> 20


    Intelligence: 15


    Willpower: 21


    Free Attributes: 7 -> 0


    ]


    With that sorted, it was now time to rest and recover before he found out what was behind those gigantic stone doors. Both he and his Spirits had been under quite a bit of strain during that fight with all the [Spirit Shaping] he had been doing and, whilst it had been extremely effective, it was tiring. He withdrew back to his hideout in the wall and relaxed, taking the time to inspect any changes to his axe after its latest meal.


    [Skeletal Armament - Axe of Bone and Flames


    Tier II Hafted Weapon


    A Bone Axe made from the [Lesser Skeletal Armament] Trait and upgraded through absorbing the bones of its fallen foes. It was won in battle and has served it''s owner faithfully since, an instrument of fire and death that reaps the lives of its wielder''s enemies.


    Damage: +31-39 slashing -> +34-42 slashing


    Additional Properties:


    - +13-16 -> +25-31 fire damage


    - Passive: The Armament passively draws in energy to boost itself, the higher the ambient energies the more powerful the axe becomes. The axe stores the energies absorbed, up to a limit, and uses them to enhance itself when needed


    - Passive: The Armament generates a small amount of Fire Mana that is absorbed by its other passive


    Progress towards being Named: 2/3


    Tier I: Can repair and upgrade itself through absorbing inanimate bone it is in contact with


    Tier II: Improve the effect of any Spirits used on this weapon by 1 Level]


    His first post-integration companion''s growth had slowed down. Sure, its raw damage was still increasing quite nicely but he had been hoping for another Passive or an improvement on one of the current ones with the new type of undead. He did notice, however, that it had gained one new thing from the mummies. Now, instead of his hand gripping the warm bone of the handle to wield his weapon, a cloth wrap had appeared from within the armament and wrapped itself around it, providing him with a better and more comfortable grip.


    He would''ve preferred more power but he would take what he could get, especially since he had no idea of the rules regarding what a growth item like his axe should be becoming like. It, like him, was evolving at a rapid rate and he couldn''t wait to see how it would end up.

 Chapter 37 - Face to Skull

    A few hours later, now fully rested and restored, Liam stood in front of the firmly closed doors that barred him from going any further. His resources, besides his Lifeforce, were full and the feelings he got from his Spirits told him that they were ready to grow again, although they would likely still hit their limit quite soon with the limited amount of rest they had.


    He reached out a hand and pressed against the stone doors, but they wouldn''t budge. Even when he pressed his whole Strength and weight into they they refused to move. He tried both doors and then each side on its own but the outcome was no different and he was forced to take more drastic measures. With one of his 3 free remaining [Spirit of Death] uses, he coated his axe blade with a solid sheath of mist and slammed it into the doors. The stone chipped and cracked, showing that it could be broken, and he smiled as he slammed his weapon into it again.


    By the time his Power''s duration ran out, he had broken deep enough into the construct to continue doing decent damage with each strike, even unenhanced as they were. He took his time and kept chipping away at it mundanely, conserving both his Stamina and his limited remaining Power uses. It took a while since the doors were so thick but eventually he heard the hollow knock if the last layer of stone. He stopped breaking his way deeper and I stead focused on widening the gap, leaving that thing later of rock between himself and whatever was on the other side. Once it was wide enough for him to step through, he rested a few minutes to top up his Stamina before he wound up for the finishing blow.


    With a mental heave, he smashed through the last of the wall and looked into the chamber beyond. It was a large space, opening up much wider than even the part of the catacombs he was in, and lined with pillars supporting a heavily decorated ceiling. The walls, floor and roof all bore intricate carvings of patterns he couldn''t even begin to follow and depictions of various heroic battles. The things being fought in the carvings seemed to be almost anything, from a many headed lion to an elephant made of vines and roots but the one common thing amongst all the humanoids depicted was that they were commanding fire.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Alcoves with open coffins once again lined the walls and the centre of the room was taken up by a raised stone slab that looked almost like an altar. On it, candles, bones and books were scattered about in various states of use, with the Lich he had seen the day before towering over them. Its glowing purple eyes flicked between everything laid out in front of it as it''s hands seemingly performed many tasks at once, carving symbols into the air with its long bony fingers, lighting candles with a flick of its wrist and turning a page when it presumably finished the one it was one, all the while its skeletal jaw clacking open and closed in a silent chant.


    Around the creature was its minions. Four Skeletal Mages, draped in crimson robes and holding elaborate bone staffs stood at the four corners of the ritual table. They tapped their staffs against the ground in sync to a rhythm only they could hear. A ghoul, larger than any of the others he had seen loomed by its master''s side, taller than even the lich and much broader than it''s Skeletal Counterparts. Its nails extended much further than any of the other Ghouls he had faced and its skin was covered in runic symbols similar to the ones Ander Phyris was carving in the air. He [Analyzed] them, attempting to see what he was up against.


    [Ander Phyris, Lich, Level ??


    Path of Magic


    Self Raised Lich]


    [???/???]


    [Eleric Phyris, Unknown Skeletal Mage, Level 22


    Path of Fire


    Natural Pyromancer]


    [320/320]


    [Naeve Phyris, Unknown Skeletal Mage, Level 24


    Path of Magic


    One Against Many]


    [365/365]


    [Robick Phyris, Unknown Greater Ghoul Ghoul, Level 21


    Path of Enhancement


    Blazing Berserker]


    [575/575]


    [Enan Phyris, Unknown Skeletal Mage, Level 18


    Path of Fire


    Natural Pyromancer]


    [280/280]


    [Rayna Phyris, Unknown Skeletal Mage, Level 20


    Path of Fire


    Beast Slayer]


    [300/300]


    It was an impressive display of power, having so many servants at a higher Level than him, and it was concerning that he still couldn''t see much about the Lich, but despite that he stepped through the gap in the doors he had carved, axed raised. He was done being stuck down here and he


    was going to get out today or die trying.

 Chapter 38 - Mind Games

    Ander Phyris didn''t even look up from what it was doing as he entered. Instead its 5 minions wordlessly broke away from the ritual to face him.


    "You don''t have to die here Earthling."


    A dark and brooding voice spoke with no clear origin. Despite that, he knew it was the Lich from the feeling of power that backed the voice.


    "All I want is my freedom from this place. I have been trapped here far too long and only wish to live out eternity as a researcher."


    Liam considered its words. Even with the being''s attempts to kill him he found himself wanting to believe it. The System seemed to encourage conflict having rewarded him greatly for killing his way to this point so it made sense that having some measure of strength was needed to protect oneself. Ander did it through its undead army, just as he was doing with his Spirits. The difference was he had been thrust into this situation whereas the Lich had actively conspired to end him. Maybe its actions were just a result of it being so close to breaking free from its imprisonment and not wanting anything to come in its way?


    "Don''t believe it."


    His [Spirit of Death]''s raspy whisper broke him from his thoughts.


    "Its words carry with it some effect to mess with your mind."


    It continued, and his thoughts began to make sense. This thing had tried to kill him since he had stepped foot down here, even going as far as to raise undead specifically to hunt him down, he shouldn''t be feeling any pity for it. What''s more was it was trying to get out into the wider world. It obviously had no qualms with raising its own family as its servants so he couldn''t even begin to image what the thing was willing to do to those it wasn''t related to.


    Rage filled him but he just as quickly pushed it down, he needed to keep a Level head here to seize every advantage he could. He was out manned and, if their Levels had anything to say about it, outgunned so he would need everything at his disposal to have any chance of victory. He stepped forwards.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    "And what guarantee do I have that you work try to kill me after your done with this?"


    He said as he took another step closer. The shorter the distance between them when negotiations inevitably failed the better.


    "You of course have my word."


    It replied, leaning whatever persuasive affects it had more heavily upon his mind.


    "Of course."


    He played along, acting affected. It had almost won him over that time as well but a hiss from his bound Spirit had saved him once again.


    "And what will you offer me to back off? I''m sure I could cause some disruption and take at least a few of your undead down with me. What are they worth to you?"


    He asked. He was going down the false greed route now, getting about half way towards his enemy as he spoke.


    "Your life isn''t enough?"


    It answered, a hint of amusement in its tone.


    "Though I suppose I could gift some of my knowledge if it meant you leaving me alone."


    [Ander Phyris would like to bestow [Elemental Lore I] upon you. Do you accept?]


    [Yes/No]


    The full force of the Lich''s compulsion slammed into his mind. Everything in him screamed to just accept and walk away. He''d be a Skill richer and wouldn''t have to put his life on the line in a battle he wasn''t entirely sure he could win. Heck, the only thing that stopped the Lich from attacking him right now was that it was probably at a critical part of its ritual and would suffer significant setbacks if it stopped. That and the risk of loosing a couple of its chief minions.


    "Liam!"


    A sharp whisper pierced his skull.


    "They need to be ended. They''re unnatural and will destroy your home. It is in their nature."


    His Spirit continued. It took a couple moments for him to regain clarity, but when he did he was firm in his resolve to fight again. With a thought, he accepted the message.


    [You have acquired [Elemental Lore I]]


    He felt an even strong assault on his psyche incoming, somehow strengthener by him taking the Skill, but he prevented it before it could take hold by launching himself into combat. There was no way for the Lich to convince him not to fight if he was already engaged in a life or death struggle where retreating would open him up to much higher chances of death.


    He leapt forwards and swung towards the closest undead, the [Greater Ghoul] that had positioned itself infront of the others as a vanguard. His second to last free use of his Death Power coalesced along the axe edge, forming a wider, black blade that descended towards the reanimated creature. It reacted quickly, even with Liam crossing the distance between them in a single bound. Its claws came up to block the blow, diverting it to the side with a skillful parry. A sickly green energy attached to the bone axe at the moment of impact, attempting to eat away at it but its evolutions made it too tough to be worn down in a short period of time and its Passives consumed the energy even as the energy attempted to consume it, converting it into a temporary boost for the armament.


    Liam brought his weapon back up from ware it had been redirected to, hacking into the undead''s side. The ghoul didn''t block this time, instead allowing the attack to land so that it could get in two of its own. Its claws scraped against his shield, tearing chunks of it away from his body and infecting it with the same green energy that had attempted to devour his axe.


    It was at this time that the other undead managed to react. The Lich remained focused on its work, but the others began to gather their own Powers to strike towards him. This was going to be rough.

 Chapter 39 - Blocked

    Liam considered retreating backwards to avoid the coming onslaught but he quickly reconsidered. Distance was death in this scenario. Not only would it put him at the mercy of the undeads'' overwhelming ranged advantage, but it would allow the [Greater Ghoul] he was fighting to properly position itself so that he would never be able to reach their backline. Instead, he sized up their attack and plotted how to minimise its impact.


    Two spears of condensed flame had formed in front of the [Skeletal Mages], along with a massive fireball and a collection of tiny whips of fire tinged with green. The spears were slung towards him from opposite sides first, joined by one of the wisps as they began to fire one after the other towards him in a bullet-like hail. He twisted out the way of one but unfortunately could not avoid both, as they had been aimed in such a way that dodging one put him in the path of the other. It pierced into his shield, embedding itself before exploding into a deluge of fire that washed over him. Still, he remained firm by holding onto his axe, which was still embedded in the ghoul''s side, and shifting his stance to absorb the force of the point blank explosion.


    The wisps kept coming all of them hitting different areas all over his body and infecting his shield with little specks of green that slowly began to corroded its integrity. He didn''t have time to worry about that though, as the last of the first round of attacks was hurtling his way. He used his weapon again to pull the Ghoul into the fireball''s path, twisting it in such a way to keep it stuck in the creature''s flesh as he did so. The ball of flames slammed into the [Greater Ghoul]''s back, knocking it forwards and scorching it.


    Liam smiled, the first wave having been dealt with and his current opponent in a vulnerable position in front of him. It was a smile that quickly faltered, however, when he saw that bit only was the behemoth practically unharmed by the impact but that the runes along its skin had begun to glow as they were bathed in the fire. Its muscles swelled and its eyes gained a feral glint as the reanimated Phyris quickly regained its footing and went back on the offensive.


    He barely got his axe out in time to block a particularly nasty downwards slam coming his way and moved to disengage and go past the creature, only to be blocked by it repositioning itself. Two more quick exchanges followed, with Liam forced on the defensive against his boosted foe. However, with each exchange the creature was growing slower as energy was syphoned from its runes by his axe. Then as the second wave of flaming attacks was launched towards him, he seized an opportunity.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    It was only a slight mistake on the Ghoul''s part, its speed slowing right at the moment it attempted a swing, but it was enough and Liam managed to break away from the undead and move towards its closest ally. He swung, the same movement he had used dozens of times by now to obliterate the Skeletons that had stood in the way of him getting here, but this time it was intercepted by a translucent, red barrier that appeared in his way. The barrier shattered almost instantly, but it bled most of the momentum from his strike and used his axe''s stores of power to do so. The resulting blow barely nicked the creature''s HP and he had to scramble away to avoid the barrage that then came his way.


    He locked his gaze on the [Skeletal Mage] that had summoned the barrier. It was the one that followed the [Path of Magic], and although it''s firepower seemed to be less than its peers, the versatility that it showed more than made up for that. Again it was summoning its rapid fire corrupting sparks and again he was going to be unable to dodge them due to their speed and number. That left forcing the undead to switch its offense into a defence by making it summon another barrier to protect its fellow undead.


    Liam ran over to the next Skeleton over, avoiding the [Greater Ghoul] that had been closing in on his position, and did his best to recreate the scenario he had just been in. His axe slammed downwards and was intercepted by a barrier but despite his inability to do much damage he succeeded in his ploy. When the Mage created a barrier, anything else it was working on fell apart. He guessed that it was too much for its non-existent brain to keep up with.


    He battered the flame spear that was forming and managed to interrupt that cast through a mix of scattering the flames and absorbing what was left. Then, to avoid the rapidly approaching Ghoul, he sprinted around the far side of the ritual table. He passed the Lich as he went, locking eyes with the necromancer long enough to somehow see the disdain that was present in the flickering green flames. Clearly it thought he stood no chance against its minions and saw no need to waste the effort, time and whatever else had gone into its ritual by moving to deal with him personally. He could see where it was coming from. He has failed to inflict any significant injuries on his foes and his shield was getting thinner by the second as the energies infecting it did their job. He was new to the System and clearly had not had the time to build up many tricks otherwise the undead mastermind might''ve been a bit more wary of him. By all accounts he was going to die horribly.


    Still, he refused to give up and continued with his plan. He might not have any hidden aces, but that didn''t mean he couldn''t leverage his strengths against his enemies'' weakness in. He was ready for Round 2.

 Chapter 40 - Deathblow

    He had a few moments before the [Greater Ghoul] caught up with him and he intended to use them effectively. Now that he was on the other side of the undeads'' formation he was within striking distance of the [Skeletal Mage] that was summoning the barriers and was his current greatest obstacle in gaining ground in this battle. He bated down upon it, intend on shattering its body when its signature defensive spell appeared before it. Unfortunately for it, he had a plan to deal with it.


    With a wrench of his Merged Spirit, he redirected his blow, swinging to its side and then bringing the weapon back and behind him to spin himself around with his momentum. His left shoulder slammed into the barrier, creaking horribly even through his shield as the two forces clashed with each other. Both gave out, his own shield weakened from the constant corrosion it had been subjected to. He continued his spin as his shield partially restored itself, having gone up another Level, and brought his axe to bear against the Mage. He landed his attack right on its skull, blasting it into shrapnel from the force of its fully charged outburst. He had taken out the undeads'' main defender.


    No sooner than the bone shards of the skull hit the ground, something in the air changed. A weight settled on him as an aura filled the ritual hall, one that instilled a sense of primal fury that burned with the intensity of fire. The flames around the hall grew taller as they resonated with the aura and two words imprinted themselves on Liam''s mind.


    {Blazing Berserker}


    "To the side!"


    His Spirit of Death screamed in his mind, as loud as it could be when stuck in its permanent raspy whisper. He obeyed without question, an instinct telling him to follow the instruction with no hesitation. He was glad he had an instant later when the stone he had previously been standing on was fractured and turned to molten slag.


    The [Unknown Greater Ghoul] had sped up to almost faster than he could follow. Flames rolled off its body, continuously spilled from within, not unlike the black mist of his Death Power. Its runes glowed with a blinding intensity at the presence of so much energy and every part of its physicality was improved.


    He went to bring up its Named Title to see what he was dealing with but he didn''t get the chance. In the fraction of a moment his thoughts had turned to inspecting the results from his [Analyze] Skill, the hulking behemoth had appeared in front of him, claws descending towards him. He attempted to defend himself, but his axe was too slow and wouldn''t make it before he was skeward and skinned by his enemy so, in a moment of desperation, he projected the shield from his [Spirit of Protection] into a barrier mimicking the ones of the Mage he had just slain.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    The wall of Spiritual Energy held for only a moment, but it was enough for him to get his weapon between the claws and his body and deflect them off to his side. His axe traveled with them, making sure they stayed well away from his flesh now that it was unprotected. Then, since he had tied up both of his opponents arms while only loosing the use of one, he formed the mist of his Death Spirit into a spiked gauntlet and punch the undead in the chest. He felt a tug on his Lifeforce as he did so, having burned through all his free uses of the Power and now forced to rely on the precious Path Resource.


    He parted flames with his strike, the almost solid gauntlet protecting his hand from most of the harm that should''ve come from sticking it into fire, and the spike sunk into the creature''s chest. It didn''t puncture the skin or leave a mark, but it was undeniable injured by the Spirit robbing it of some of what kept it animated. Then, with that as a conduit, he pushed as much of his Merged Spirit through it and into the Ghoul as he could, leaving only enough in his body to keep it standing and wrestling control of the undead''s limbs away from it.


    He had fought these types of undead a few times by now and he had a fairly good idea of how they worked. The magic that sustained them operated in much the same way that his Merged Spirit''s did to move him and now, he was moving to replace that magic with his own energies. The Spirit spread through its body like wildfire, driven by its innate hatred of those that perverted death. Wherever it passed, it warred with the necromantic energies governing its unlife and sought to take their place. Between something disconnected from its owner and left to do its job or something actively being controlled by its connected owner, which would win? The answer was all too plain to see in the results.


    Soon, the Ghoul''s body stopped struggling against him and he had completely dominated its muscular and nervous systems. He had to tank a full wave of [Skeletal Mage] created flame attacks to buy the time to succeed, and they had depleted almost half of his HP, but he had done it. He detangled his weapon from the creature''s claws and took a brief moment to gather himself. Then, in one surge of mental action, he ripped the Spirit out of the undead and back into his own body.


    The flames winked out immediately, having been burning against his skin the whole time. Luckily, most of the heat had been absorbed by the creature''s runes so he hadn''t been too hurt by them but the scent of his burning flesh now hung in the air. The runes were next to dim, the red glow fading until it blinked out of existence and they were just carvings on a grey canvas. Then, the undead collapsed, everything supporting its body giving way at once as if it had just decided to give up.


    He leapt back and away from it just in time to dodge another barrage of attacks and felt power stream into him. He had Leveled up from the being''s return to the grave and now had 7 free attributes to quickly spend, as well as some boosted defensive stats already in place. He took stock of the situation before he made any decisions and saw something that made him very glad for the timely power up since he was going to need it. The Lich had abandoned its ritual and was now facing him.

 Chapter 41 - Fire and Death

    Liam shrank back against the Lich''s malevolent gaze. The green flames of its eyes seemed to pierce right through him, take it all in and judge him unworthy. Its jaw opened and a booming voice came out.


    "You should''ve accepted my offer. Now I''m going to make you suffer for what you''ve cost me."


    A pulse of powerful mental compulsion hit him, commanding him to freeze in place and despair.


    "Liam!"


    His Spirit yelled, its voice scratching against his mind to get his attention. It broke through the fear that had begun to grip him, but the Lich''s command was too powerful this time to be undone.


    He stood, frozen as the Lich combined its power with that of its subordinates, forming a vast array of flaming weapons that begun to advance towards him. As he was now, he would be torn to shreds and burnt to ashes by the arsenal, without having a chance to react. He strained against the mental command, but it was futile. He just wasn''t strong enough to break free.


    Luckily, his Spirit had given him clarity and he summoned his Status. His Level Up had given him 7 Free Attribute Points to spend and, as much as he would''ve liked to put them in his physical stats, he invested them into his Willpower. Already boosted by his Class, it now reached 30 points. This proved to be just enough as he felt the Lich''s control over him weaken enough for him to move.


    He retreated backwards as the weapons closed on him, staying just out of range so as to not get too far from his targets. He looked for a gap to slip through, but there were too many of them and they formed an almost solid wall as they advanced. The distance between himself and the Lich was growing too much and he was forced to make a decision. With a pull on his Lifeforce as he reactivated his timed out [Spirit of Death], he charged the area he judged to have the fewest weapons.


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    Black blades exploded out of him from where his Spirit was merged with his body, each meeting one of the firey weapons that tried to wound him as he passed. They curved into the shape of scythe blades under the influence of the Spirit of Death and managed to break apart almost half of the flaming armaments. The others unfortunately shattered against their opponents and he had to bear their assault on his body.


    His Health dropped sharply, and he was glad he didn''t feel pain as wounds were opened and cauterized all over his torso and legs. It seemed that his Spirit was stronger around his arms and he had focused a lot of his efforts towards blocking those coming for his head. It all happened in a few short moments, and then he was through.


    Steams of energy were now flowing from each of the remaining [Skeletal Mages] to Ander Phyris, empowering the spells that the Lich cast. The weapons dissolved behind him as he passed them, the fires rushing back to the Lich and being coalesced into a rapidly spinning orb so hot and dence that it turned pure white. The heat radiating off it was so intense that he could feel it even through his disconnected nerves and so oppressive that moving towards it felt like pushing against a tide. He had no doubts that it had the potential to kill him, but still he kept closing the distance. He couldn''t give the Lich the chance to cast many more of its spells otherwise his death would be garunteed.


    With a deafening boom, the orb launched towards him. It rocketed forwards, burning up the distance between them in an instant. He barely had a chance to react, especially with the renewed mental assault attacking his mind. Luckily, it wasn''t just him piloting his body. Whilst his Bound Spirit couldn''t control the parts of it that were merged with his body, it could still shape the external mist to its will when he allowed it to. Black hooks shot out from his legs, digging into the stone floor and yanking him put the path of the destructive attack. It whipped past him before annihilating the parts of the entrance that got in its way and continuing on down the passageway. A few seconds later he heard it detonate, a sound that could no doubt be heard for miles around, even from the crevice they were in, but he didn''t care about any of that because he was safe and alive.


    Then, he heard a clatter and looked down to see that his axe had landed at his feet, with his hand still gripping it. He hadn''t gotten out of the way fast enough, and his shoulder had paid the price. There wasn''t even ash left where the orb had clipped him, just a gap where flesh could be. Still, he couldn''t stop for more than a moment in this battle. He could already see the Lich''s jaw and fingers moving as it started to cast another spell. He quickly scooped up his detached limb and resumed running towards the necromancer, reattaching it as mist surged from the gap where his shoulder should''ve been and solidifying into one.


    His body was beyond messed up now, covered in burns and now missing parts, but none of those injuries compared to what he''d had to deal with when he had become paralyzed. He wouldn''t let anything short of death stop him, and he was pretty sure that even if he died his body would keep on fighting under the control of his Spirits for a while until he truly stopped moving. He didn''t want to test that though, much preferring to send the Lich back to its grave, so he kept an eye out for any other attacks heading his way as he charged towards his foe. One way or another, this battle was about to reach its crescendo.

 Chapter 42 - Painful Advance

    Chains of fire rose up from all around to bind him, but black chains of his own sprang out to meet them. He could feel his Spirit growing weaker as he pushed it far past its purpose, but the endless fuel from his Power and the parts of him that were merged with it kept it sustained. Spears and balls of flame were fired towards him from the surviving Mages, but with how erratically he was forcing himself to move so that the chains had to spread out to target him, they mostly missed and only a few passed by close to him.


    The strain of it all on his mind, much like it was on his Spirit, was becoming too much to handle but, with any luck, it would be over soon and he could take a well deserved rest. The distance between him and the Lich was closing slower than he would''ve liked, especially since the Undead was taking slow, methodical steps back as it kept up its casting. He could see [Lesser Shades] beginning to rise up from the corners of the hall and behind the pillars, where the masses of fire being thrown around cast flickering shadows. They didn''t dare get close to the main battlefield but they lingered around the edges, waiting for a lull or a slip up so they could dart in and skewer him upon their shadowy weapons and sharp appendages.


    When he got within 5 metres of the Lich, he met another obstacle in top of just the chains. A shimmering barrier, not unlike the shield created by his [Spirit of Protection] surrounded the Undead, only visible when one of his black chains connected with it and was blocked. He brought his axe down to split the barrier open, only for it not to be there when the axe blade passed through the same space he had seen it in. Seeing how it was seemingly gone, he attempted to get closer to the Necromancer again, only to bounce off the shield that had somehow reappeared. Another swing showed him that it would only appear to stop him physically moving through. If he had a ranged attack, this would''ve been the perfect time to use it, but unfortunately he only had his axe and Powers that targeted himself with buffs instead of enemies with attacks.


    Coming up with a quick plan, he threw himself towards Ander Phyris before he could be overwhelmed. The flame chains had been becoming denser around him as he had stood almost still, not having to branch out as much to catch his erratic movements or funnel him where the Lich wanted him to go. As expected, the barrier appeared when his shoulder made contact with it, but this time he had a sharp, black axe blade construct jutting from it. The shield was robbed of its energy where the blade touched, and a small gap was formed that he quickly pulled away from and filled with his real axe.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    With his other hand, he pulled at the edge of the gap until it widened. He put his arms through it before starting to climb through, struggling against the nearly invisible force trying to close the gap he had made. He overpowered it and passed through, stumbling when it disappeared as he was almost done. He righted himself, only to be met with a glowing orb from the Lich being launched from only a short distance in front of him. This one was not white like the last, but it still packed an enormous amount of energy and was travelling far faster than he''d be able to dodge.


    His axe met it mid air in an upwards swing, resulting in a titanic clash of energies. The Lich''s orb won at first, but the resistance Liam put up was enough to last until his axe could feed upon the spell to power its own strength. Slowly, at least relative to how fast things had been moving, he pushed it back until the sphere split into two and popped, the flames scattering across the room. Capitalising on this, he stepped forwards only to be met with another orb that he was forced to deal with the same way.


    And that''s how it went, for every step he advanced he faced an assault which gave the Lich time to retreat further. He was slowly gaining ground on it, but his strength was flagging and his resources were draining. Most notable of what was behind bled out of him was his HP. Burns covered any part of his body not fully merged with his [Spirit of Death] and his shield remained permanently drained as any meagre strength that it regenerated was immediately drained to prevent a point or two of damage. The one good thing was that he lacked a path of retreat. It forced him to lock in on his goal of slaying the Necromancer and continue pushing forwards. If he had a way to escape, who knew if he could''ve found the commitment to push on despite the constant accumulation of injuries he was sustaining. There was no pain, only exhaustion that settled deep within his bones. However, the lack of other sensation did bring just how much of a slog this was to the forefront of his mind. Still, he managed to find the Will to power through, not wanting to give up what was likely his only shot at the Phyris mastermind.


    His Spirit was in a similar state to him. It had gone quiet but he could sense its determination to end the undead''s existence and unwillingness to compromise by letting it roam the Earth through their bond. He lent on that as well to get him through it, allowing their goals to become one. He drew closer and closer, his pace picking up now that the Lich itself was quickly running out of whatever resource was allowing it to keep up it''s barrage. He noticed how it seemed to rely on the Fire Energies of its fellow undead more and more as the attacks from behind lessened and the balance between Fire and Magic absorbed by his axe skewed towards the former. It was only a matter of time before he was in striking range of his foe, and then the battle would truly be decided.

 Chapter 43 - Bird of Death

    He reached his enemy and swung down with a savage overhead blow, intent on splitting the Lich''s skull in two and ending this whole nightmare. It landed, but a crimson glow emanated from the bone he struck and his axe was rebuffed. The Undead''s eyes blazed with malice as they bore into him. Its hands pressed against his chest and a red rune was drawn before he could react. He struck again as it tried to retreat, breaking through the weaker glow that appeared to leave a thin crack on the bone.


    He made to follow the necromancer but was stopped when the sigil just inscribed on him lit up and didn''t stop growing brighter. Acting quick, he brought his axe down and chopped the part of his flesh it was attached to off. Shadowy substance filled the wound after it was cauterized and he flicked his weapon to throw the rune as far as he could away from him. Unfortunately, the brightness reached its maximum just a meter away from him and it exploded in a blinding flash of fire the disintegrated the part of him it was attached to and spread rapidly towards him. He leapt backwards and rode the wave of fire as it washed over him, subjecting himself to the scorching flames for longer in order to escape most of its conclusive force. Better his body better scorched than his organs mush.


    Unfortunately, this put him quite far away from the Lich and at the last dregs of his Power as yet more Lifeforce slipped out of him. He had only 2 points left, enough to get him another minute on top of the one he had just bought. It wouldn''t be enough. He looked towards the retreating form of the Necromancer, still putting distance between them even as it prepared its next barrage. There was no way he was closing the gap in the time he had left, not even with the Lich''s flagging resources. He was nearing the end of what he could give, so he decided to put what he had left into one final gambit.


    He gripped his axe with both hands and planted his feet firmly on the ground, ignoring the variety of flaming attacks coming his way. They would put him on deaths door, but he was dead if he didn''t do this anyway. He then began to rotate on the spot, using his enhanced Dexterity to replicate what he had seen the hammer throwers doing at the Olympics. Once, then twice he span round, the spells that splashed against his body only adding to his momentum. Black crystal condensed around the blade as he channelled his entire [Spirit of Death] into it, including any merged with his non-essential parts. Then, finally, he let it fly towards his enemy in the distance, propelled by all his Strength and momentum. He collapsed to the ground as it left his hands, having put the rest of his Merged Spirit into the axe.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    "Fly true."


    He commanded it with the last dregs of his strength before he was left completely vulnerable and defenseless in a room full of creatures that wanted him dead.


    The crystal surrounding his weapon warped and changed shape as it flew through the air, the mist from his last infusion forming around it. The front elongated into a pointed beak whilst the rest of the crystal slimmed into a body and the mist rose up to become wings. They propelled it further and faster forwards, hunting their target with murderous intent. Finally, two red eyes formed, burning with the fires contained within the weapon, and it''s transformation was complete. With a loud caw, the crow pursued the Necromancer as it tried to dive to the side, it''s beak aimed right for its skull.


    Flame barriers appeared in its way, but they simply blinked out of existence as they touched the crystalline construct. Fire energy was syphoned from around the room and packed into the already stuffed body of the crow, increasing its destructive potential. In a last ditch effort, several sickly green flames burst from the Lich''s hands, trying to corrupt the axe before it could reach its target. It was useless, however, as it manoeuvred in the air to avoid most of them and blocked the last with its wing.


    Then, it was upon the Phyris Mage. Its skull glowed red, but it was faint after Liam''s last two strikes had depleted it. It faded as quickly as it came and the crow''s beak pierced through its skull. Cracks and fractures spread through the bone, but it stayed in one piece for now. The blue flames in its eyes dimmed as the beak pierced the one sustaining it but it maintained enough of its consciousness to reach up and grab at the construct. Before its hands could even touch the bird, it lost its chance to as the crystal burst. The shards exploded around the room, piercing into anything they hit and robbing any skeletons or shades they hit of their un-lives, but even with that not being enough to finish off the Lich, it wasn''t over yet.


    Free from their crystal prison, the torrential of energies contained within were no longer bound. Instead, they were free to wreak as much havoc as they wished. Gently directed by the Will of Liam''s [Spirit of Death], they leapt upon the Necromancer''s skeletal body and began to consume it. The fire resistant bones started to melt from the sheer intensity of the heat, and the force of it all shattered what didn''t turn to molten slag. The area around it was ravage beyond recognition, forming a crater in the otherwise even stone floor where what was left of the Lich pooled. His axe was embedded in the centre of it, drinking the molten bone as it lapped against it.


    He pushed the last of his Lifeforce into his [Spirit of Death] and used the resulting mist to reinforce his spine and stand. He shambled over to his axe before any of the remaining undead could go for him whilst he was defenceless. His movements felt awards without the weapon in hand and he only felt right again once he grabbed it. Then, looking around, he realised that with their master''s demise they had collapsed or dissipated, unable to maintain their un-life without their connection to the Lich.


    Standing in the empty catacombs he realised, he had won.

 Chapter 44 - Soul Hunt

    He reveled in the silence, enjoying the absence of booming explosions and crackling fires in his surroundings. He doubted he would be able to hear much if there were, though, being fairly certain that his eardrums had burst at some point during that last battle. He had been so focused on surviving, lost in the plans and maneuvers of battle that he hadn''t even noticed when it happened.


    He slowly lowered himself to the ground, using his axe as a crutch as his control over his body flickered. His Spirit was even more exhausted than he was, having been shaped into forms far from the ones it was naturally meant to take many a time. The last use of his Power had actually cancelled half way through, though he had already re-merged with the remnants of the Spirit left in his weapon after that last attack.


    He would allow himself, and it, a bit of time to recover but he had to remind himself that it wasn''t over yet. Ander Phyris'' Title had clued him onto the existence of the Lich''s Phylactery. He would have to find and destroy it or else the enemy that had almost brought his death would be raised from its grave again and in his current state he knew he wouldn''t be able to beat it again.


    His injuries weren''t too bad, and quite a bit of his Stamina was restored thanks to the Healing and Recovery effects associated with increasing your Stats through a Level Up, but his mind was utterly spent after that last gambit. He wasn''t sure how many Levels he had gained for emerging victorious, but the Willpower gains weren''t enough to refresh his emptied motivation enough to even lift a finger.


    Eventually, he could justify delaying no longer and slowly picked himself up off the ground. He had no idea what he was looking for, but he still had to look or else he would be trapped down here until the Lich came back to make him one of its minions. He shuffled along, first inspecting the ritual table and everything on it before hobbling away to search the rest of the hall. There has been some interesting things on the slab, but now wasn''t the time to be checking them out. Not when he was on a time limit.


    The pillars and the areas around them proved to similarly be a bust, and the alcoves along the walls of the room proved to be empty as well. He was starting to think it wasn''t anywhere nearby and he''d have to search the entire length of the catacombs for it when he had an idea. He''d been trying to consider things from the Lich''s perspective but that had just led him to think the Phylactery would be on the complete other side of the Catacombs until he remembered the ritual it had been trying to complete to break out.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    If he was split in two, then he wouldn''t want to just free one part of himself, he''d want both parts unchained from the dungeon. That thought led him to where he was currently standing, in front of the stone slab the Necromancer had been doing itd ritual on. He cleared the various bits from the top of it, lamenting the loss of his pockets since most of his clothes had been hacked apart or reduced to ash, and readied his axe. Then, with a heave, he brought it down and shattered the slab apart. The stones tumbled to the ground, revealing that it was hollow and contained a construct of bone that glowed blue with a concealed light.


    It looked almost like a birdcage with how the bones were arranged, and a flickering blue flame hung, suspended in its centre. It was quite dim at the moment but as he observed it he noticed that it was slowly growing brighter over time. Comparing its luminosity to the light that had come from within the Lich''s skull he worked out that it was about a third of the way towards resurrecting it, which gave him a short while to work out if he wanted to do something other than destroy it.


    [Analyze] returned nothing but question marks when he used it on the object, but Liam noticed that some of the runes carved into the bone inside the cage glowed slightly when he made the attempt. Whilst runes that concealed things from [Analyze] would certainly be useful to know, he knew that he would be unable to use them to anywhere near the level of the Necromancer since his Path did not align with them and he was sure that none of his Progenitor Titles included runes in their scope for boosting his talents.


    In the end, he realised he couldn''t afford the risk of Ander Phyris resurrecting and cleanly split the Phylactery in two, scattering the flames inside. It was surprisingly brittle for such an important object, but he figured that there had to be some drawbacks to the ability to come back from the dead or else the Multiverse would be infested by swarms of Lich''s and whatever the equivalent for the other Paths were.


    As soon as the flame was truly gone, he felt a tug from the weapon in his hand. A faint feeling of hunger and desire radiated off the axe, making it''s want for the Phylactery''s remains known. He wanted to feed it what it wanted but he knew that if he jumped the gun and it evolved from eating the bones in front of him, then it would be more picky about the veritable banquet that lay scattered around the hall and might not make the most of it. After all, there was no guarantee that he would be running into creatures with such, apparently, delicious bones once he got out of this place.


    So he went around the hall, starting from what he remembered to be the weakest enemy and worked his way up feeding them to his axe until he got to the Lich, and then it''s Phylactery. After it ate that, it seemed satiated and began to form a bright white, crystalline cocoon to evolve in. Liam grinned and laid it down so it could complete its transformation in piece, only to be startled when a notification appeared in front of him.


    [Do you wish to Soulbind this Armament?]


    [Yes/No]

 Chapter 45 - Post-Lich Status

    Liam hit yes before he could talk himself out of it. He couldn''t risk not taking power when it presented itself to him and being bound to his axe in what he assumed was a similar way to his Spirits didn''t seem too harmful. He felt a connection snap into place between him and his weapon. He could almost sense the changes it was going through, and that it would be done soon.


    Whilst he was looking forwards to the reveal, he decided to go through the slew of notifications that had been blinking at him since he had defeated the Lich, though more had joined in since then. With a thought, he opened them and started to read.


    [Spirit of Protection I has Levelled Up!


    It has reached Level 5.


    40% shield and shield recovery increased to 50%]


    [Level Up!


    You have reached Level 13.


    You have gained: +2 Vitality, +2 Endurance, +2 Willpower


    You have 0 Free Attributes to assign.]


    That was as much as he knew had happened and had felt during the battle. The extra shield and Attributes had been crucial to him winning so he was thankful that they had come through when they did. Though he supposed things like that were more likely to happen for him than others because of his Progenitor Titles boosting his personal and Spirit Leveling Speed.


    [Spirit of Death I has Levelled Up!


    It has reached Level 8.


    70% bonus damage has increased to 80%. 52.5% merged bonus damage has increased to 60%. 52.5% merged physical resistance has increased to 60%. 1 extra free use per day]


    His merged Spirit took another step closer to making him immune to Physical Damage. He wasn''t sure what would happen when he hit, and went beyond, 100% but he was looking forwards to it.


    [Level Up!


    You have reached Level 14.


    You have gained: +2 Vitality, +2 Endurance, +2 Willpower


    You have 7 Free Attributes to assign.]


    [Level Up!


    You have reached Level 15.


    You have gained: +2 Vitality, +2 Endurance, +2 Willpower


    You have 14 Free Attributes to assign.]


    Two Levels gave him a substantial boost in Attributes, but he felt a little let down that he didn''t get more. Surely what he went through merited more than this? Though, living was a reward in its own, especially considering the state his body was in and how he was only held together by his [Spirit of Death].


    [You have cleared the Limited Dungeon - Phyris¡¯ Sealed Catacombs. Exit the dungeon to receive your rewards.]This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    It was nice to get confirmation that it was over, and the promise of a reward surprised him but he wouldn''t say no to anything extra the System decided to give him. All his complaints about the lacking Levels went away. He would have to see what he had earned before he made any further judgement.


    [For being the first person in your world to clear a Limited Dungeon you have earned the Title: First Defender of Earth]


    That was a new kind of Title. It was a first, but it wasn''t a Progenitor Title. He [Analyzed ] it to figure out what it did.


    [First Defender of Earth


    Planetary Unique


    +25% damage to Limited Dungeon Creatures


    +1 effective Tier to the Hafted Skill]


    It looked like a Progenitor Title, and it worked like a Progenitor Title, but it wasn''t one. He supposed it probably had something to do with the hidden talent boosting effect that he benefited from but his Spirit was too tired and busy holding him together to reply at the moment. Internally, he allowed himself a little celebration at its effect. +1 Tier to his main Combat Skill would let him take to using his weapon even quicker than before and the damage boost would be a massive help if he ever found himself stuck in a nightmare like this had been again.


    [For cleaning a Limited Dungeon without assistance you have earned the Title: Solo Delver]


    Another Title to [Analyze].


    [Solo Delver


    Uncommon


    +25 Health, +25 Stamina]


    More of the base resources were always welcome, especially when they came free. Finally, his Health and Stamina Totals would be back to even 10s instead of the odd 5s they had ended with for a while.


    [For being the first person in your world to create a Soulbound Item you have earned the Title: Soulsmith Progenitor]


    This message shocked him the most out of all of them. For starters, it was the first non Path or Combat focused Title he had seen, sounding more like a Crafting one. Secondly, it didn''t feel deserved. He had earned all his others through accomplishing difficult feats, often risking life and limb to overcome near impossible odds and his Titles felt like badges of honour that he received for those accomplishments. This, on the other hand, felt like something he had stumbled into. Sure, he could see how he had caused it to happen but he had already been rewarded plenty for his defeat if Ander Phyris and cleaning up the battlefield had yielded another Progenitor Title to add to his growing collection. Still, he was happy he had got it and he wouldn''t let any misgivings stop him from exploiting it for all it was worth. Heck, his dream of settling down and doing something creative once he had carved himself a little slice of peace out there somewhere now seemed a bit more realistic now that he was all but guaranteed to be talented in a craft. Not wanting to wait any longer, he [Analyzed] the Title to see what effects it gave.


    [Soulsmith Progenitor


    Planetary Unique


    +25% crafting quality


    +1 effective Tier to the Soulsmith Skill]


    A bonus to crafting quality was exactly what he wanted, even if it wasn''t something that was immediately useful. It furthered his goal of pursuing a craft and he was sure that when the time came he would appreciate this benefit. The Skill that was boosted however, he did not recognise. He definitely hadn''t earned it at any point before now otherwise it would''ve shown up in his notifications before the message informing him of the achievement. There was one last notification waiting for him, so he opened it and hoped that it would provide him with some answers.


    [You have learned the Skill: Soulsmith 0]


    He had gotten the Skill all right, but it seemed as though the System almost didn''t want to recognise it. He didn''t even know that he could get Skills at 0, but he supposed that it made sense considering he had never tried smithing before in his life. He [Analyzed] the Skill for good measure, curious to see what it did.


    [Soulsmith 0 (I)


    Crafting Skill


    Provides insight into the shaping and usage of materials for the craft.


    Tier I: Able to Soulbind an Item to a person upon its creation, as long as something from them is used during the crafting process]


    His first Crafting Skill! Thought it would likely sit unused for a good while until he got together the equipment and materials to try to use it. Liam was more than happy with it since it seemed both rare and useful. He would have to find out more about it before he could start gathering those as well, so it seemed that in a way it was still locked behind layers of information. But even out of his reach temporarily, it was there and he was overjoyed.


    Done with his notifications, he opened his Status to view the changes in full. Noting how much it had changed in such a short period of time.


    [


    Name: Liam Karr


    Race: Human (Earth)


    Path: Path of the Spirits


    Class: Spiritual Conduit


    Titles: Spirit Progenitor, Natural Shaman, Titan Slayer, One Against Many, Power Beyond Limits, Control Beyond Limits, Spiritual Conduit, Undead Slayer, Epic Progenitor, Inward Focus, First Defender of Earth, Solo Delver, Soulsmith Progenitor


    Level: 12 -> 15


    HP: 241/425 -> 99/510


    Stamina: 85/225 (211.5) -> 182/310 (279)


    Lifeforce: 13/18 -> 0/21


    Strength: 33


    Dexterity: 25


    Vitality: 40 -> 46


    Endurance: 20 -> 26


    Intelligence: 15


    Willpower: 21 -> 34


    Free Attributes: 0 -> 14


    Traits:


    Merged Spirits (Legendary)


    -Spirit of Death


    -Empty


    Skills:


    Analyse II


    Spirit Lore I (II)


    Undead Lore III


    -NEW- Elemental Lore I


    Ambidexterity I


    Hafted III (-NEW- IV)


    Spirit Shaping II


    -NEW- Soulsmith 0 (I)


    Powers:


    Spirit of Death I, Level 7/10-> 8/10


    Spirit of Protection I (Partially Corrupted), Level 4/10 -> 5/10


    Lesser Spirit of Calm I (Corrupted), Level 1/10


    ]


    When he was almost done reading, a grin spread across his lips, a cracking sound brought his attention away from the words in front of him. The crystalline cocoon around his axe had fractures running through it that spread by the second. His weapon was about to emerge.

 Chapter 46 - Soulbound

    Light crumbled off the axe and fell to the floor, dissipating when the pieces hit the stone. It all fell away until only a thin layer was left covering the weapon and another prompt appeared in front of him.


    [3/3 requirements for Naming complete. Would you like to Name this Armament now?]


    [Yes/No]


    He mentally hit Yes, wondering what changes he would see in his trusty companion when the light fully faded.


    [A weapon''s Name influences the end result, shaping its Tier Bonuses. The more closely aligned the Name to its Nature, the more its Power can be focused]


    [You may now speak this Armament''s Name]


    This was something that had been bouncing around in the back of his head ever since he saw that his axe had the potential to be Named. He wasn''t the best at naming things, so there was no way he could''ve come up with something on the spot. He had thought about various mythologies and phrases but finding out that the closed the Name was to what his weapon did could improve whatever boost it got from its Name ruled out most of them since Mythological beings and events tended to have a lot associated with them. Instead, he settled on using Latin, at least what little he remembered of it from games he had played and shows he had watched. Using the dead language would allow him to describe the axe more accurately than any legendary name that came with pages and pages of context.


    "Pyrae Mortalis."


    He spoke. Mortalis for the immortal Lich who''s existence it had brought to an end and Pyrae for the fire it wielded to do so. Combined it meant Pyre of the Dead, which carried the dual meaning of setting it''s enemies ablaze and it being the funeral pure for the foes who''s bones it had absorbed.


    He thought the Name fit, and he knew he wasn''t coming up with anything better so he had spoke. After the words left his mouth, the shell around his weapon flashed brightly before crumbling off like the rest of it had, revealing his transformed axe.


    It was larger, bordering on unwieldy to be used in one hand, but he knew that with his enhanced Strength and control it wouldn''t be a problem for him. The entire weapon was obsidian black now, but currents of red ebbed and flowed underneath it''s surface, just waiting to be released. There were less runes along the axe head now and they were simpler, but they contained a feeling of might that was almost oppressive to look at and wasn''t there before. The tattered cloth covering the handle was now pristine, and when he grabbed it to pick the weapon up it made the weapon feel as if it were melded to his hand and an extension of his arm.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Smiling, he used [Analyze] on it to get a sense of the full transformation it had just gone through.


    [Pyrae Mortalis


    Tier III (IV) Hafted Weapon


    Titles: First Relic of Earth


    A Bone Axe made from the [Lesser Skeletal Armament] Trait and won in its owner''s first battle. It has served them ever since, being as much a part of their Path as the Spirits they call on. It has feasted on the bones of the foes who''s lives it has reaped, evolving into the First Named Armament of Earth and reaching Relic Status due to it''s unique powers and synergistic bond with its owner.


    Damage: +34-42 -> 55-64 slashing


    Additional Properties:


    - -NEW- SOULBOUND: This Armament grows with and may only be used by its Soulbound owner. Its nature is affected by its owner''s Path, Traits and Personality


    - +25-31 -> 40-47 fire damage


    - Passive: The Armament passively draws in energy to boost itself, the higher the ambient energies the more powerful the axe becomes. The axe stores the energies absorbed, up to a limit, and uses them to enhance itself when needed


    - Passive: The Armament generates a small -> moderate amount of Fire Mana that is absorbed by its other passive


    Tier I: Can repair and upgrade itself through absorbing inanimate bone it is in contact with


    Tier II: Improve the effect of any Spirits used -on this weapon-> whilst holding this weapon by 1 -> 2 Levels


    -NEW- Tier III: Improve the passive effect and free uses of any Merged Spirits whilst holding this weapon by 2 Levels


    -NEW- Tier IV: You may expel and control any Fire Mana generated by this weapon]


    Putting aside the fact that it somehow had a Title for now, it was more than he could''ve hoped for. It had improved all around, and not just by a small amount either. Just the extra damage alone made him very happy, though everything else was amazing too. Its generation Passive had improved, which would feed into its other Passive which meant that had gotten better as well, not to mention the new Soulbound Property it had. The weapon would continue to grow along with him, as well as when it consumed the bones of his fallen foes, and it would do so in a way complimentary to his own powers.


    Its second Tier Bonus has more than doubled in Power, giving twice the effective Levels whilst applying to all Spirits he used whilst holding the axe, not just the ones he used on his weapon. This would grant him greater survivability and even more damage. The third Tier Bonus was immensely powerful, giving him what amounted to 4 extra Lifeforce per day and a semi permanent buff to his combat strength. It would also get much better when he Merged with a second Spirit and that benefited from the new bonus as well.


    But it was the last one that intrigued him the most. It promised to give him control over a limited amount of Fire Mana. Sure, using any for anything other the enhancing his weapon took away from his close range threat, but it made up for that fact by having the potential to give him a ranged option, as well as the possible future flexibility of fire spells if his Path ever allowed him to learn any.


    Finally, he turned back to the weapons Title and used [Analyze] on it. He already had an idea what it did, but it would be nice to confirm it.


    [First Relic of Earth


    Planetary Unique


    +25% growth


    +1 to effective Tier of Armament]


    He had expected the +1 to it''s effective Tier when he saw that it counted as a Tier IV weapon but the +25% to growth was phenomenal. He was now bound to this weapon, so any benefits it got had an even greater impact on him. It might even outpace his own growth with how things were looking, though he wouldn''t complain if that happened. Giving it a test swing, a wide grin split his face. He couldn''t wait to try it out.

 Chapter 47 - Free at Last

    A further search of the hall revealed nothing. If the Lich had anything valuable, it had been destroyed in his final attack against the creature. He rested a bit longer, enough to ensure that his Merged Spirit wasn''t going to suddenly stop supporting him from its own exhaustion before starting the slow climb up and out the catacombs once and for all.


    It was slow because his axe had grown too powerful to allow him to climb how he used to. Whenever he tried to lodge it in the wall it simply kept melting and slicing its way through the stone the second he put any weight on it. Instead, he had to make himself hand and foot holds all the way to the top, struggling to use the fine control required through his Spirit. Luckily, the muscle memory boost from his [Hafted] Skill seemed to apply to using his axe for this purpose as well and he quickly got used to the movements required to climb and swing his weapon above him at the same time. It was odd how his alleged ''muscle memory'' applied to his Spirit too, but he wasn''t complaining.


    Eventually, he reached the top and clambered over the ledge. He got his first proper breath of fresh air and felt relief that he was no longer stuck down in the catacombs. A sudden rumble almost caused him to lose his balance and fall back into them, but luckily he caught himself before that could happen. The ground shook and the crevice began closing behind him, the ground swallowing it whole until all that was left to evidence its existence was a crack that ran down the length of the graveyard.


    The undead that he had ran from on the first day of this apocalypse had all fled at the Limited Dungeon''s closing, probably not even understanding what was going on due to their rotting brains. That gave him a little bit of peace to check the new notification that had popped up when he exited the catacombs for good, his reward.


    [For clearing the Limited Dungeon - Sealed Phyris'' Catacombs, you may choose one of the following rewards:


    1. 5 Levels


    2. Sceptre of Lich Bone


    3. Ander Phyris'' Journal of Fire Magic]The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    All of the options were great. The sceptre would further allow him to improve his axe when it was consumed, and the Levels would be a massive jump in immediate power, giving him 35 Attribute Points. However, it was the last one that truly caught his eye. He had just been given control over the Fire Mana his weapon generated, and ability that cost him its highest Tier bonus to acquire. Even learning just one spell would greatly enhance his arsenal and allow him to start studying how to use this new resource, let alone the Journal of a supposed prodigy.


    Still, he weighed his options for a few moments before he finally decided, not needing to rush due to the absence of any hostile creatures. In the end, he went with his first instinct and chose the Journal since he valued its long term potential far more than any short term increase in strength.


    When he made his choice the notification flashed, blinding him for a split second, and when he got his vision back he was holding his chosen prize. It was a leather bound book kept in pristine condition and bound by a braided string that wrapped around it twice. The pages looked thick like parchment and he imagined they would be rough to the touch if he had any sensation to feel that with.


    He unwound it and flipped it open, only to see pages upon pages of complicated diagrams and long paragraphs of words in a language he couldn''t understand. He wasn''t disappointed, however, since he hoped this meant that it was valuable. If the journal hadn''t been worth much then, to match up with the other rewards, it might''ve been translated into English but instead it remained in whatever elegant script the Phyris heir had used. The extra effort would be well worth it if that was the case and he looked forward to perusing its secrets.


    Giving up for now, he rebound the book and carried it in his left hand, once again lamenting his lack of storage. That thought made him stop for a moment. Maybe there was a way to make himself some storage whilst also re-aquiring his dignity. With a strained flex of his Will, a slight bit of black mist leaked from his body and into the [Spirit of Protection] surrounding it, staining the energy black. Then he coaxed the shield into the form he wanted it, gently nudging it until it appeared as a robe of black cloth. He had sent the impression of being soft to the touch to it, but he had no way of knowing whether that had worked or not. The only other flaw with it was that it didn''t sway with his movements, always remaining as if he were stood still and unaffected by any wind the blew past him.


    He ticket his new notebook in one of the inner folds of his robes and he didn''t need to worry about it falling out as he moved since his Spirit latches onto it and held it in place. Finally clothed again, and really enjoying the fresh air of the surface, he set off towards the exit of the cemetery axe in hand and ready for anything that got in his way.

 Chapter 48 - Out in the World

    Exiting the cemetery lifted the last of the weight he had been feeling off his shoulders. Whilst he still carried his experience in the catacombs with him, on the form of both rewards and scars, he was at least putting some distance between himself and the site of his almost funeral.


    He had stopped by his mother''s grave to pay his respects one last time before he left the flowers still their and reasonably fresh, but he didn''t allow himself to wallow in his grief like he had done so many times before. He was a changed man now that he had confronted death, stared it in the face and sent those that would slay him into its cold embrace. He was still sad, but feelings like self pity just seemed so far away from him and the new reality he was living in.


    He even found himself smiling when he had swatted away a couple of creatures that had tried to assault him, the undead lacking any sense of self preservation. The thrill he got from seeing the rotting hound leap at him and the subsequent satisfaction of cleaving it in half and leaving the parts charred husks told him all he needed to know that he had changed. If it was for better or worse was yet to be seen.


    Now, passing through the cemetery''s iron gates, he set his sights on the residential area not too far away. He had just acquired power but there were many he knew wouldn''t have been as lucky and whilst he didn''t have any clear goal right now he might as well protect them. They would also know more about the situation here on the surface than he did, as well as having differing experiences with the System he might be able to learn from. In this rare case his morals perfectly aligned with logic, so he started making his way towards the block of houses.


    Leaving the graveyard behind, he didn''t actually see any creatures roaming about. It struck him as weird since the location he just came from was crawling with them. He might''ve guessed that they took had fled the miniature earthquake caused by the catacombs closing but he doubted the shaking had reached this far. Still, it made for an easy journey that let him recover a bit more of his mental energy.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    To pass the time once it no longer hurt to think, he tried playing with the excess Fire Mana generated by his axe. Any of the energy that would''ve been wasted by going over his weapon''s capacity was instead expelled into the air around it. He leaned on the Tier Bonus to try to move it, but it felt like trying to hold sand and it kept slipping through his metaphorical fingers. He could barely even sense that the Mana was there and even that much was likely due to his Soulbound link to the newly Named Relic. It wasn''t visible but it appeared to the same sense that allowed him to feel his Spirits as flickering specks of warmth that quickly blinked in and out of existence.


    They were docile when he left then alone, gently drifting through the air, but when he tried to move them they became agitated. They flickered between states faster and darted about to avoid him grasping them with his control. Eventually, he neared his destination and gave up for now, but he would revisit this again as soon as he was able.


    The first thing he noticed was the quiet, not even birdsong could be heard here as he entered onto the first street. Cars remained parked at the sides of the roads, which were undamaged besides the usual pot holes. No bodies or blood or anything to tell him what had happened to the people living here was present. All that existed here was eairy silence.


    He proceeded carefully down the street, axe at the ready in case anything jumped out at him. The absence of sound set him on edge, especially since he could hear his own footfall sounding much louder without any other noise to compete with it. Unwilling to stay out in the open for too long, Liam picked a house at random and approached it. He was surprised to find that the door was unlocked and easily opened when he tried it. He entered and found what he considered to be the normal, lived in, insides of a house. The only issue was that it looked like whoever had been living here had been whisked away without them even fighting back.


    Toys lay scattered on the living room floor and there was still pasta in a pot of water on the inactive stove. At least whoever had taken them had been nice enough to turn the electrics off. He left and tried a couple more houses but was met with the same situation. He couldn''t even say they had all left in a hurry since there would be signs. Instead, he had very little to go on besides the fact that violence has not been used, even though he doubted whatever had taken so many people had peaceful intentions.


    He returned to the street disappointed not having found anything of real value and not even having any enemies to take it out on. However, when he went back outside he was shocked to find that something had changed. Carved into the ground by what he could only assume had been a jagged blade from how crudely the lines were made, filled to the brim with blood and surrounded by scorch marks, was a word.


    LEAVE

 Chapter 49 - Castle

    Liam did not consider leaving for even a second. The writing betrayed intelligence, letting him know that whatever he was up against was not just a being acting purely on instincts. He didn''t know why whatever it was didn''t want to confront him, but he was going to take it as a sign that it wasn''t monstrously powerful enough to erase him like it has disappeared the residents of this place otherwise it would''ve done so already.


    He examined around the carving for any trace of the being''s path, but he found no clues or traces besides the marks themselves. The burns, blood and jagged nature of the scar might''ve betrayed what the creature''s powers were but if they did then he wasn''t experienced enough in this new world yet to tell. Still, this being here was a sign that there was something interesting to fight in the area. He was done with undead and he reckoned he could dispatch most lower level creatures in a single blow like he had ended up doing to most of the Zombies and Skeletons around his Level in the catacombs. No, he craved a challenge, though he would still rather avoid getting quite as close to death as he had against the Lich.


    If he was being honest with himself, he had loved the danger and enjoyed the risk of death but he knew that if he died he wouldn''t find that entertaining and so he reigned himself in and tempered his attitude. He set off deeper into the crisscrossed streets of the borough, still not finding any signs of life. Just how far of a distance had humanity been vanished from? How wide was this creature''s reach?


    As he traveled further, more jaggedly carved words were left for him on his route.


    LEAVE


    DANGER


    GO BACK


    All filled with blood and surrounded by scorch marks. He ignored them all but took them as a sign that he was on the right path. Eventually, he started to make out a shape peaking out just over the houses a couple of streets down. It looked like sharp towers of metal that glinted and reflected the sunlight. He got closer and before he made the last turn he saw the final note left for him.


    PLEASE


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    He steps halted when he saw it. The monster showing intelligence was one thing, but this was another. The sense he got from the word was that it''s author was scared and pleading with him not to go any further. But it also sparked his curiosity even more. What could be around this corner that would elicit such a reaction? And why was it so desperate to stop him despite being unwilling to confront him head on? He turned the corner and got his first look at what it had been warding him away from.


    Judging from the greenery it must''ve been a park before it was transformed, with grass and trees still present at the edges of it. The centre, however, had been completely cleared and replaced with a metal monstrosity mimicking the form of a castle. The walls weren''t high, but they were sharp and pointed all over and more than enough to deter all but the most determined from climbing it. Towers jutted up out the ground around it and the central building shone so hard from the sun''s reflection that it almost blinded him. But what was most surprising to him was what was on the walls. Humans.


    People, dressed in modern clothes with leather cuirass over the top and carrying jagged metal weapons, patrolled and stood sentry on the castle walls. It took them only a couple seconds after he spotted them for them to see him.


    "Hey there!"


    One of them called, a short man that carried a spear and was at the front of one of the patrols. The others all turned to look at him but he didn''t notice any hostility. This being the first time he had seen other living humans since the start of all this, he decided to give them the benefit of the doubt.


    "Hey! What is this place?"


    He asked, returning the greeting and fishing for information.


    "It''s a safe place. Come on in and I''ll tell you all about it."


    Was the reply. Liam was very suspicious of the place, but he couldn''t pass on the chance to interact with others. It may have only been a couple of days since he last spoke to anyone but with everything that had happened it felt like an eternity ago.


    He approached the portcullis, which raised as he drew closer. The man who had called out to him had left the wall and was now standing behind it, ready to welcome him. He hesitated a bit when he reached the entrance, before deciding that even if this was a trap whatever was in the area had been very obviously afraid of him and he would be able to at least survive whatever it threw at him. After all, after the Lich if there was one thing he trusted it was his ability to live even through horrific injuries or being torn to pieces.


    As he stepped over the threshold, a notification popped up in front of his vision. The man waiting for him seemed to have expected this and didn''t try to start a conversation, instead patiently waiting for him to read it.


    [You have entered the Area Dungeon - Elemental Rift


    The planet of [Revat] is dying. As most fled, the Elementals bound to its natural laws were trapped until they sacrificed what remained of the planet''s energies in a ritual to send as many as they could put into the Multiverse. Now on [Earth] the surviving Elementals have established a Rift back to their home planet and are attempting to rescue as many of their brethren as possible and assimilate with [Earth] to become natives.


    This is an Area Dungeon and as such you are able to leave and return whenever you wish. The Area Dungeon will be completed if one of the following criteria are met:


    Native Elemental Energy Stored for Assimilation Ritual: 3528/100,000


    Rifts Closed: 0/1]


    When he finished reading, he turned to the man in front of him in confusion.


    "What the heck is going on?"

 Chapter 50 - First Contact

    "What the heck is going on?"


    Liam questioned the man, unsure what to feel about what he had just read. The message has spoken of this being a Dungeon and elementals from a different planet being here and yet it was a human inhabited castle. He [Analyzed] the man before he could speak to check if he was truly human.


    [Hal Mitchell, Human, Level 5


    Path of Metal


    Elemental Blessed]


    [190/190]


    His Skill told him that he was, but he was also suspicious of the Title so he honed in on that.


    [Elemental Blessed


    Uncommon Title


    +50 Elemental Energy]


    It went well with the man''s Path but likely meant that he was subordinate or allied with the Elementals in this place. He would have to find out more before he acted and to that end he began listening to what the man had to say.


    "You''ve probably seen some crazy things since this began."


    The man started and Liam noticed the holster on his side, strapped to some sort of vest hidden under the man''s armour and holding a taser.


    "And you''ve probably come across the messages before too."


    He continued and Liam nodded along.


    "So what I''m trying to say is, the message you just read is accurate. There are beings from another world living in this castle with us and they''ve kept us safe. Now some of us don''t entirely trust them but we know what they want from us and we trust that enough to know that they''ll keep on protecting us for at least a while now."If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    He explained and stopped, waiting to see if Liam was taking it all in properly. For his part, Liam had been nodding along and now took the opportunity to speak up


    "And what is it they want?"


    "Elemental Energy. They want as many of us as possible to take on an Elemental type Path and feed most of the energy we generate from it into their Rift."


    "And that brings more of them over here?"


    "Yes, it does. But rescuing some of them is a small price to pay for what they''re doing for us. They''ve wiped out all of the monsters in the area and they''ve given the strength to keep protecting ourselves if they ever leave us to the few of us who have accepted the situation."


    "I''d like to meet one of these Elementals if you wouldn''t mind?"


    "Sure! They''re friendly enough and if you haven''t got a Path yet I''m sure you can find one of them you''d like to learn it from. I''m sorry, do you know what a Path is?"


    "Yes, I''m afraid I already have one but thank you."


    To that, the man nodded amicably towards him and continued leading him into the castle in companionable silence.


    They passed through the large double doors of the keep, ones that reminded him a bit too much of the ones to the Lich''s hall in the catacombs. He almost pulled out of seeing the Elementals there and then but his curiosity and confidence won over his fear and he steeled himself to continue.


    He was led down a couple of corridors lit by hovering balls of light until he was brought into a lathe, empty room reminiscent of a lord''s dining hall without the furniture.


    "This is where they brought us when this all began. I''ll go see if I can get one of them."


    Hal said, starting towards the door. He didn''t make it more than two steps, however, when a large figure walked in. It was a see through humanoid, only visible because of the waves of air that moved around in its body. It was so large that it''s from had to compress to fit through the doorway and expand out again when it had finished squeezing through.


    It took a step into the room and looked at them before freezing in its tracks. Liam seized hold of the opportunity presented by its momentary halt to [Analyze] it.


    [Greater Sound Elemental, Level 23


    Path of Sound


    Walking its Birthright]


    [960/960]


    Before he could check out it''s Title, it raised a trembling finger towards him and spoke in a booming voice.


    "Why did you bring that here?"


    It questioned the man who had brought him here. Liam readied himself for a fight but as he moved his axe he realised it wasn''t pointing at him, it was pointing at his weapon.


    "It is already robbing us of the area''s ambient energy! It will prevent us from rescuing the rest of my kind."


    It continued, torn between lumbering forwards to deal with him and trying to stay as far away from the bone relic as possible. To try and diffuse the situation, Liam extended his [Spirit of Protection] to coat the weapon and isolate it from the environment. The elemental calmed down a bit and became notably less irate once he did this, the agitated waves in its body calming down. He jumped at his chance to speak before it could make any more declarations.


    "I''m sorry. I had no idea the my axe would interrupt what you''re doing here. In fact, I thought it might be able to help."


    He apologized and tried to reason with the being, who seemed quite receptive to what he had to say. In fact, it considered his words and came back with some of its own, though they didn''t quite book as loudly now that it was calmed.


    "And I apologise for my outburst. Now please, tell me how it may help. Each moment we delay is another that could be spent saving my siblings."


    "I understand, I probably would''ve reacted the same way if I was in your situation. Now let''s get down to business..."

 Chapter 51 - Accomodations

    Liam stood across the hall from the giant bundle of sound waves, who was still keeping a healthy distance from his weapon. Luckily, his Attributes and the creature''s nature made it so that neither of them had to shout or strain to be heard by the other, though that didn''t stop the elemental''s voice from reverberating around the room. Hal, the man who had caused the two to meet, stood off to one side, interested in the conversation but unwilling to interrupt after the giant''s earlier outburst.


    "You see my axe doesn''t only absorb energy, but it also produces it. It has a constant generation of Fire Mana that it can either use to strengthen itself or it can expel into the surroundings."


    "That might be useful to you but Mana is useless to us and a higher concentration of one energy can push away others."


    "Interesting. Well, I have seen that you can bless the people here to increase their Elemental Energy reserves, could you do the same for my weapon? It''s Soulbound and it already has a Title."


    At that, the Greater Elemental fell into a ponderous silence. The waves of its body slowed so much it almost appeared as if they were still. Slowlyrhey began to pick up speed again until they returned to the state they once were.


    "We can certainly try, though you''ll have to wait a bit until our Fire Elemental gets back. Until then, feel free to look around and someone will get you when they''re back. Just stay away from the Rift without me there. Can''t have you accidentally closing it."


    It declared before leaving the room with a speed that looked comical when compared with its size. Liam guessed that it didn''t want to be anywhere near Pyrae Mortalis whenever it could help it and he understood. If he was putting things together right then his weapon was the bane of creatures like this, ones that were made of of energy and would likely have their lifeblood absorbed to fuel the axe''s edge. Still, he was satisfied with the result of the conversation and turned back to Hal.


    "Do you mind showing me around?"Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    The man seemed startled that he had been addressed and took a second to respond.


    "Of course. And while we''re at it you can tell me what any of that meant. When I saw you I thought I would know more about everything that''s going on and you needed my help but now, as I understand it, you have far more information than I do."


    "I''ll answer what questions I can but I need to ask some of my own in return. For starters, did you not [Analyze] me when you let me in?"


    "No, I don''t have that Skill. I think only the people who got their first ones by killing a monster have it. The rest of us got ours from the Elementals and that was just [Elemental Lore]."


    "Interesting. You should think about using them as sentries. Its really useful, especially when it improves."


    "I''ll think about it, but when everything settled down, they were some of the more traumatized ones since they tended to have lost someone to the creature that they killed. It might take them a while to be ready for that sort of thing."


    Liam nodded along as he observed the castle. The accomodations were a bit Spartan as he saw when he was given his own room but he couldn''t deny that the it was safe inside this veritable fortress. There were no sharp points on the inside and somehow the metal seemed to be soft to the touch, not that he would know. He even saw kids running around playing and when one of them tripped and fell they got right back up as if nothing had happened.


    He was introduced to a couple of people and shown the walls but there wasn''t really much to see and he already knew everyone''s names from practicing his [Analyze] on them. Most of those inside the castle were Level 1 but the ones on the walls ranged between 3 and 5 and all followed a Path related to an Element, be it Metal, Lightning, Fire or a myriad of others. Almost all of them were [Elemental Blessed] as well, which said good things about his hosts'' generosity and practicality.


    After the tour, he settled in his room for a bit, sitting on the metal bed that deformed slightly like a mattress from his weight. He kept up the coating around his axe at all times but he also drew some of the Fire Mana from it through the protective layer to continue his practice with it. He didn''t feel tired or need to sleep at all but he knew his body needed rest or else he would never get rid of his [Fatigue] condition and it would just keep stacking up and up each sunrise until it took over all of his Stamina Regeneration and he was forced to rest. So, he kept his body propped up against the wall whilst he played with the relic''s new function.


    It still proves to be impossible to grasp but he found himself making some small progress in directing where the cloud of Mana would float aimlessly about, now able to give it a general location to mill around. He kept trying to force it to do as he said but if he was improving it was so slight that he couldn''t notice at all.


    It was a couple of hours later that Hal was back, knocking on his door.


    "Come in."


    Liam called and the door was slid and slot into a gap in the doorframe that hid it away, only its embedded handle poking out so that it could be closed.


    "The Fire Elemental is back and Noisy wants to see you."


    "Noisy?"


    "The kids'' nickname for the Sound Elemental. Since its not given us a name its what we''re going with for now."


    "Ha! Well then, lead the way. It''s time to see if this will work."

 Chapter 52 - Offer

    Liam was led back to the hall he had met his first Elemental in and was greeted by it and two more. They were both smaller than the first but maintained a similar shape and make up to it, only one was made of fire and the other blood. If it wasn''t for his recent experiences with his own bodily harm he might''ve been disturbed by the sight in front of him and he noticed that Hal looked a bit queasy off to the side but he didn''t let any of that distract from his purpose. He even put aside his guess that these two were at least partially responsible for the messages that had been left for him on his way here in favour of getting right to the part where his axe got another Title.


    "Are you ready?"


    He asked.


    "We are."


    The Greater Sound Elemental boomed.


    "If you''ll follow us."


    Liam nodded and followed along, trailing behind a little to respect the elementals'' wishes to not be too close to Pyrae Mortalis. They led him down a couple of corridors and into a more heavily fortified room with thicker walls and a large archway as the entrance. In the centre of the room, there was a rear in the space that pulsed different colours and hung suspended above an intricately carved ritual. Through the Rift he could see a dead world of barren rock. What was once plains stretched out as far as he could see. Nothing grew and nothing lived. The only movement he saw was a humanoid collection of lightning sprinting rapidly towards the portal. It seemed to dim and shrink in from the expenditure of energy. It crossed the empty landscape with bounding strides until it reached the Rift and lay its hand upon it.


    The ritual flashed and the portal changed to a golden hue as the Elemental turned into a stream of lightning that flowed through the tear in space and reformed next to them. A few moments later and it had returned to its humanoid form, glowing brighter and larger each second until it regained its former size and luminosity. The portal went back to changing between different colours and the ritual went back to being inert but Liam noticed that the Rift''s light was ever so slightly less than it had been before.


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    The Lightning Elemental crackled its thanks to its brethren and Noisy formed a series of booming thunderclaps in return. Nodding, the now rescued refugee strode out of the room and into the wider castle.


    "That is what we''re trying to do here."


    The Greater Sound Elemental ''spoke''.


    "We are fighting to save as many of our kind as possible with the Rift. It acts like a beacon to us, drawing them in and we use the energy of those who would donate it to our cause to bring them through."


    As if to prove his point, Hal stepped forward and lay his own hand on the Rift, channeling a silvery grey energy into it which it temporarily took the colour of and grew back to the same brightness it had before. Liam watched in fascination as it unfolded, right up until Hal stepped away from it looking tired. He returned back to them and Noisy turned to Liam.


    "If we give this blessing to your axe, will you help us?"


    "I will."


    "Then let us begin. Step forward and present your axe to the Rift, but keep a hold of its absorption power and don''t let it get too close."


    He did as instructed and was flanked either side by the Blood and Sound Elementals. Wisps of energy flowed off them and towards his weapon, gathering around it like glimmering stars orbiting a black hole. Then the Fire Elemental went in front of him and placed its hands on either side of the relic, pressing against the Spirit keeping it isolated from the outside world.


    "When I say, lower that barrier for a second and only a second so that we can bless it."


    Came the booming voice from his side. He nodded and the command came.


    "Now!"


    He flickered his shield on and off with a delay in it recovering the weapon, and watch as a tide of firey sparks erupted from the Elemental in front of him and washed over the armament, covering it in a red glow. This glow then attracted the orbiting motes which were then drawn in and integrated. The barrier went back up but the transformation continued and he felt a tingling in the back of his mind that he could affect it somehow. Leaning on this instinct, he gave the blessing a nudge, gently suggesting that the axe accommodate the increased capacity with an increase in generation. Having done his part, he let the process do the rest.


    Its shape or size didn''t change, but at the same time he could sense something inside of it changing through his link. A new type of energy was introduced through the glow and he felt a faint control over it, even looser than what he had over the Fire Mana. Then, the glow faded, absorbed into the bone and spread throughout the weapon. Not much had changed about it, just a few minor shifts in the runes carved into it, but it felt like more. A small trickle of what he knew from context to be Fire Elemental Energy was being produced by the weapon at about one hundredth the rate at which it generated Fire Mana. It filtered into a new, separate energy storage created by the blessing. He smiled.


    "It worked. I can help power this Rift of yours but anything you can teach me about controlling Elemental Energy will improve what I can do."

 Chapter 53 - Elemental Energy

    It hadn''t taken much convincing to get the Elementals to agree to teach him, especially after he showed them what Pyrae Mortalis was now capable of. They lacked [Analyze] so they couldn''t see the detailed description that he did but what he showed them had been proof enough.


    [Pyrae Mortalis


    Tier III (IV) Hafted Weapon


    Titles: First Relic of Earth, Elemental Blessed


    A Bone Axe made from the [Lesser Skeletal Armament] Trait and won in its owner''s first battle. It has served them ever since, being as much a part of their Path as the Spirits they call on. It has feasted on the bones of the foes who''s lives it has reaped, evolving into the First Named Armament of Earth and reaching Relic Status due to it''s unique powers and synergistic bond with its owner.


    Damage: 55-64 slashing


    Additional Properties:


    - -NEW- SOULBOUND: This Armament grows with and may only be used by its Soulbound owner. Its nature is affected by its owner''s Path, Traits and Personality


    - +40-47 fire damage


    - Passive: The Armament passively draws in energy to boost itself, the higher the ambient energies the more powerful the axe becomes. The axe stores the energies absorbed, up to a limit (94+50), and uses them to enhance itself when needed


    - Passive: The Armament generates a moderate amount of Fire Mana (4.7/second) and -NEW- a tiny amount of Fire Elemental Energy (0.047/second) that is absorbed by its other passive


    Tier I: Can repair and upgrade itself through absorbing inanimate bone it is in contact with


    Tier II: Improve the effect of any Spirits used whilst holding this weapon by 2 Levels


    Tier III: Improve the passive effect of any Merged Spirits whilst holding this weapon by 2 Levels


    Tier IV: You may expel and control any Fire Mana -> Fire Attuned Energy generated by this weapon]


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    He had demonstrated its new functionality by expelling the point of Fire Elemental Energy it made every 20 seconds for a few minutes straight without letting the relic take any energy from the environment. The Elementals had been suitably impressed and as a result he found himself in his current situation.


    Liam sat cross-legged, with his axe across his knees, only a short distance from the Rift. Each time he got enough to control, he extracted the resource from his weapon and sent it towards the tear in space to be used as fuel to keep it open. As he was doing this, the Fire Elemental, which he had learned was nicknamed Ember, and a miniature version of Noisy he [Analyzed] to be a [Lesser Sound Elemental], who the kids called Whisper, stood in front of him giving a lecture on the nature of Elemental Energy and it''s uses.


    The flaming humanoid would shape its Fire in demonstrations, all the while crackling away, and the child sized Sound creature would translate what it was saying to spoken words for him. However, even with the explanations and demonstrations, he was finding the energy incredibly difficult to grasp. Sure, he now understood a lot of it on a theoretical level, having learned it from a literal incarnation of the energy, but his control, focus and practical understanding left much to be desired. In other words, he was untalented.


    It wasn''t like with Spirits, where his talent had been raised by his Progenitor Title and it all came naturally to him. Instead he would have to rely on hard work and study to make up the difference. But it almost seemed like his Spiritual instincts were interfering. He found himself trying to reach for or twist the energy a certain way, to use his [Spirit Shaping] on it but when he did so it was even more difficult to grasp.


    Other Elementals had been rescued though the portal in the time he had been here, and other humans had constantly been coming in to charge the Rift, which was glowing brighter than ever despite using more and more power to stay open the longer it existed. He didn''t need to sleep, just rest, so he had been keeping watch over the portal whilst he trained to try and spot if the Revat refugees had and ulterior motives or hidden plans but if they did, it likely didn''t involve the Rift.


    The Storage figure included in the Area Dungeon notification steadily climbed up, taking small dips when the portal was used but quickly making up for the loss and climbing even higher thanks to his, and the small community of sheltered humans'', contributions. According to his hosts, when it was full they''d be able to integrate themselves with [Earth] and become Native to it, binding them to the cause of defending it but also giving them a new home they could live on without the threat of impending extinction.


    They didn''t seem hostile and he was uniquely suited to dealing with them if they did become so. Therefore, he was happy with helping them out. It would both increase the strength of Earth and also give him a chance towards some non-combat or Path related Titles, if there were any for what he was doing.


    With a crackle, the lecture came to an end. Whisper told him that until he mastered the very basics he had been instructed in, continuing further would be pointless. He nodded and thanked the elementals before getting back to grappling with the energy in his axe. It seemed that the Tier Bonus provided no help in him actually controlling the energies, instead just letting him attempt to when otherwise he wouldn''t have been able.


    Eventually, he felt the fatigue that had been plaguing him lift from his bones. A notification popped up and he read it.


    [Status Effect: Fatigue I had been removed]


    Apparently he had been doing this long enough to count as being rested. He couldn''t wait until his [Spirit of Protection] was cleansed of its corruption and he no longer had to worry about rest at all, though he wondered how unhealthy not taking any breaks would be.


    He got up and got ready to head out. He wasn''t going to learn to control the Fire just sitting in here. The lecture had given him the foundation and now combat would teach him lessons, as it had for his Spirits.

 Chapter 54 - Outing

    He was on his way out the castle and stepping into the courtyard when he saw Hal again. The short man was leading a training class, teaching people how to use spears on some metal training dummies that were formed in various different monstrous and humanoid shapes. He perked up when he spotted Liam and gestured for someone else to take over so he could go and speak to the budding shaman.


    "Finally had enough of being cooped up in that Rift room?"


    The man asked as he briskly walked over.


    "Yeah, only so much to learn repeating the same thing over and over. Hitting something is much more informative."


    Was Liam''s reply.


    "You know you could join us if you want, we have all kinds of weapons if you want to try any of them out."


    "Thank you for the offer, but I wouldn''t be able to use any if I tried. My Path doesn''t seem to agree with metals."


    "Ah, the axe makes a lot more sense then. Whatever its made out of its definitely not metallic. Anyways, the offer still stands should you ever want it. I''m sure we could source something wood or stone for you."


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    "Again thank you, but I think I want to just go out and hit something that''ll fight back. You know?"


    "Oh well, to each their own. Happy hunting!"


    And with that, the man rejoined the others in practicing, leading by example again and giving words of encouragement and tips to those that needed them.


    Liam smiled, he liked the man. Still, he couldn''t take part in the activities had he even wanted to. His Strength, plus the damage bonus from his Merged Spirit meant that despite being able to hold back a significant amount, it wouldn''t be enough to avoid anialating any of the metal statues arrayed around the yard, an outcome that lacked the challenge needed for him to enjoy it.


    He was let through the gate after the guards on either side took a look at Hal, who nodded and waved Liam through. By the time he was on the other side of the walls his axe''s new Elemental Energy storage was starting to get full so he vented some of the Fire Mana stored within it to make space in the main storage.


    The lecture hadn''t touched on Mana at all, but the similar properties between it and the weapon''s other energy had allowed him to make some progress towards taming it. It was much easier to learn to control than it''s Elemental counterpart and he was already getting the hand of moving it around and shaping it. The only issue was that he still lacked the means or method to manifest it as real, tangible Fire. He knew it was possible after his battle with the Phyris Clan but the ability seemed to elude him.


    He toyed with the excess that was vented off as he traveled further and further afield. The Elementals had been thorough in their cleansing of the nearby area, so he had to go quite far until he saw a potential enemy. Of course, he refused to go back to the graveyard to both mentally distance himself from his first day there and seek out an enemy that would actually challenge him, something he knew none of the undead would do.


    Eventually, he came across the edge of the cleared out zone. The houses cleared and he started seeing beasts roaming about on the horizon. Just as he was about to head off towards what looked to be a lion sized house cat with electricity crackling off its fur, a small elemental made of floating rocks popped up out of the ground not too far from him and waved to get his attention.


    What was this about?

 Chapter 55 - Expedition

    Liam walked over to the tiny [Lesser Stone Elemental]. The creature only came up to his knees in height but he was guessing it was more deadly than its size let on since it was Level 13 when he checked, almost as high as him. That being said, he had seen first hand that Levels weren''t the be all and end all, having fought up over 10 in the catacombs. He had yet to see where the Elementals fell on the natural power scale but he felt it would be quite high by how they had claimed such a large area for themselves.


    The rock creature gestures for him to follow and, seeing no reason not to, he followed it. They didn''t travel far, but it took him into another residential area and down a couple of the streets to a varied group of other Elementals lead by a [Greater Plant Elemental] that was a twisting, humanoid shaped mass of thorned vines and colourful petals. Unfortunately, there wasn''t a sound aligned one among the group otherwise they would be able to communicate a lot easier. As it was, there was a word spelt out in bright flowers that poked up through the cracked pavement.


    HELP?


    He looked around at the gathered creatures and nodded. Whatever they needed help with was sure to be more of a thrill than the lone beasts he had seen prowling around. Besides, it might be nice to have backup for once, though he would have to mind his weapon around them.


    They practically buzzed with excitement when he accepted, the Fire Elementals crackling with greater intensity and the ice ones becoming so cold that the ground under them became covered by a thin layer of frost. Then, at the direction of the line [Greater Elemental], they began leading him further into the rows of houses.


    The group continued until the houses gave way to a park. It wasn''t particularly big but it was ringed with trees. Trees that now, after the apocalypse had swelled in size until they formed a solid, towering wall of silver wood. Sharp, bronze leaves formed a dense canopy that dissuaded him from attempting to climb it before he even made am attempt to.


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    He got closer and, as if he had suddenly crossed a threshold, all the noise he would expect from nature rushed to hit him all at once. Golden birds tweeted from the treetops and the leaves rustled in the wind. The [Greater Plant Elemental] went ahead of them and layed a thorny vine upon a tree trunk. A low hum passes between them before the tree began to shift and bend with a creek. It touched the next tree along and did the same, the two moving in opposite directions to make a heart shaped arch for them to pass into the park through. Liam hesitated for a second, still being wary of the unknown, but when the Elementals went one by one under the arch he followed behind them.


    He stepped through and was immediately greeted by a kaleidescope of colours. Gigantic plants of all types and hues covered almost every inch of the park, with narrow game trails cutting their way through. The leading Elemental seemed to be much more vibrant and full of life in this environment as it led the way. Wherever it went, the flora parted to make enough space for it with an almost deferential attitude. At least this place wasn''t a type of dungeon, as no notification had popped up to inform him if it. He would take that little thing.


    They travelled for a while, too far. Sure the park had been quite large for its place next to a residential area, but the silver bark wall on the other side seemed no closer despite them walking towards it for the last quarter if an hour. Something strange was going on with the size of this place. He was pulled out of his thoughts by the procession stopping. A rustle in the plants a stones throw away pulled his attention as each of the elementals prepared for a fight. They tensed in anticipation as the rustling grew closer. It got nearer and nearer, still out of sight but getting louder as the distance shrunk. He may not know Elemental body language, but he could tell they were nervous. His own nerves were pulled tight and ready to react to whatever may come.


    Then, it jumped out at them. His axe descended towards it, only to stop a few centimetres above its head. Sat there, unaware how close it had just been to death, was a tiny, red furred squirrel. Or perhaps it hadn''t been about to be split in half as it jumped towards and right through Liam''s leg, phasing through it like it wasn''t there, to pass them by and go right back to rustling through the leaves. Why it didn''t just ghost through the plants he didn''t know but he supposed with an ability like that it would be able to survive most predators unless they took had some kind of mutation or System Ability.


    The absurdity of it almost made him laugh out loud, they had all been so on edge over a squirrel, but he held it in since they were in unknown territory. They re-took stock of the situation for a few seconds before continuing, all of them having expected a fight that never came. They relaxed a little now that the perceived danger was over but remained alert. After all, the expedition was just beginning.

 Chapter 56 - Big Cat

    They continued on through the colorful forest of oversized plants. A path still opened for them wherever they went but it was getting narrower as the deeper plants grew both more resistant against the Greater Elemental and too large to properly bend out of the way. Ironically, the increase in size as they traveled further actually made it easier to see and scout their surroundings, as there were bigger gaps between each mutated obstacle as their roots fought for dominance and secured each of them enough of the soil''s resources to continue their growth. A few had even begun releasing spores on their direction, but with the variety of elemental powers present they had no problem dealing with the almost lazy assaults, either by the Wind Elemental creating a gust to carry them away or one of the others redirecting them in their own way. As a precaution, Liam had created a breathing filter over his mouth and nose using his [Spirit of Protection] but it had fortunately not been needed.


    Various park and city animals, both their regular and oversized versions, had made themselves know over the course of their trek, watching from afar or running alongside them for a while until they seemingly got bored and scampered back off into the forest. Each time he [Analyzed] them he was just given their Species'' name and a Level between 4 and 9, not enough to pose a threat but enough to hint at the existence of higher Level predators that had reached said Levels through slaughtering the decently Leveled prey animals. None of the one he scanned were on any Path or had a highest Title on the profile he could see, though he guessed that made sense since the creatures, despite having more intelligence than usual, were still no where near as smart or creative as a Human. He didn''t know if that was a requirement for walking a Path, but it probably effected it since most of the mindless undead he had fought weren''t on one whereas almost every person he met had one. Either that, or it was some other trait that just so happened to correlate with sapience as well.


    He was drawn out of his speculation by another rustle nearby, this one different than before. He could debate the mysteries of the System later, right now he needed to be in the moment. The sound came from ahead for a moment before it stopped and resumed from behind. It then paused again and continued off to the side. It continued like that, getting louder and closer but changing it''s position every few seconds until it stopped and the hidden creature attacked.


    Liam''s only warning from where the beast was coming at him from was him being covered by a shadow. He turned to look up just in time to see a midnight black cat the size of a tiger falling towards him. He raised his axe to meet itz only for it to blur and flicker out of existence, reappearing next to a [Lesser Water Elemental] and clawing out a good chunk of it with silver, twinkling claws. Then, it was gone again, disappearing entirely from view.


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    Another rustle came from the bushes, not too far away, and the oversized cat returned to its routine of circling them. Liam recognised what it was trying to do. It was an endurance hunter, one that would try to wear them down both physically and mentally until they buckled under anticipation or it''s claws. No doubt it would continuously harass them at the most opportune times whilst forcing them to be alert the entire time that it could lazily follow and blink about.


    At the other end of the group to him, a [Wind Elemental] had part of its body scattered from another sudden ambush and there was nothing Liam could do but watch as he, and the rest of his travelling companions, were too slow or too far away to retaliate.


    "Closer together!"


    He impressed upon the Elementals in a serious whisper, getting his point across whilst not allowing his voice to travel too far and attract even more predators.


    The humanoid aspects gathered together their leader forcing the local flora to bend away from them and open up a small clearing they could stand in. They suffered two more ''wounds'' whilst they were doing so, though, this time on two separate [Lesser Elementals] that strayed too far from the rest of them. The weaker Elementals were gathered in the centre of them all, with the regular ones forming a perimeter around them since they would be able to withstand far more blows than their unevolved counterparts. Liam and the [Greater Plant Elemental] took the 12 and 6 o''clock positions respectively and began a slow, clockwise circle around the edge of the gathering. Hopefully, the creature would be wary of them and would have to limit its angles of attack.


    They stayed huddled for a while, loosing chunks of their allies as the creature struck wherever their best fighters were not. They even had to have the [Fire Elementals] try to take the hits for their companions since Liam could provide them with some Fire Elemental Energy that seemed to help with the regeneration of their bodies.


    Eventually though, a chance came, as minute as it was. Growing confident, or perhaps just wanting to test him out, the big cat appeared just behind Liam to strike at one of his charges. He could practically feel it''s presence as it materialised and struck out without warning. I''m response, Liam''s [Spirit of Death] burst out from where ot had patched up his missing shoulder, exploding into motion and spearing the beast through with a long, thin, jagged blade that attack it''s vital essences directly. The part of the feline that was struck lost much of its shimmer and it was forced to blink away as he rounded on it.


    Round 1 was Liam''s victory. Now it was time to see how the creature would respond.