Chapter 2
After training, Dezen started tests on dead insects. Although he cannot change them into undead yet, he still has use of them: First, they can be treated as compasses, showing him if he develops in the right way. Second, he can change them into "puppets", but controlling them by himself is hard for Dezen. Third, he can partly revive them, what makes them move parts of their bodies and regenerate. Besides this, during his researches and training sessions, he also trains control over mana and deepens its reserves.
His researches (and tests) currently focus on influence of this magic on dead bodies. Biological knowledge which Dezen possess is really miniscule, so he sees only superficial changes, which are muscles becoming black and their hemolypha green, like mana of that magic. What is interesting for him is that he can feel that it is incomplete. Not in a sense it doesn't even have one completed aspect, but in a deeper sense, which he can't even describe yet. As usually, he didn't do great breakthroughs, but managed to do small discoveries which will be helpful in the future.
Days passed for him at peace, only a local priest tried to convince him to join his church's forces, seeing in it opportunity to become someone more important or at least get some benefits. Walks in the forest didn't bring him anything, but he already started to feel stronger, thanks to training sessions, and he could "revive" more parts of bugs bodies. After 4 days, he decided to start an experiment, with one of the dead trees. Every morning and evening he went to it and filled with undead energy. After 7 days he started to control it partly. He can move its branches a little and make it open its trunk, creating a small empty space in it. After 12 days he can use branches to catch animals and the empty space in the trunk is big enough for him to fit in. Dezen even found doing it entertaining. Branches can't catch anything, because there are no animals nearby, but he likes watching them moving fast. Opening the trunk is not so eye-catching, but still brings him joy. Mostly because he only needs to give that tree order in his mind to open, but acts like he needs to move his hands in a particular way.
After 14 days, he finally created the first undead. It is a big insect with black and orange armor. Seeing it moving, without orders, made Dezen full of pride, joy and satisfied. He stayed still for a few seconds and then started reviving other bugs. When he ended, he made them move with his will. After a few minutes of doing this and seeing what are their limits, he went to look for Alex.
Instead of telling him, that he finally created hisfirst undead, he sent flying insects to sit on his hand. At first, Alex wanted to kill them, but after seeing that they are not moving, no matter what he does, he started looking for Dezen with his sight.
A slight smile appeared on his face, after spotting his brother. - You finally did it.
- Finally.
- I'm so happy. Your future, our future, will finally change. Soon we won't have to work so much and hard. Hopefully, we won't be sent to wars, since mages cannot be forced to go there and no one would risk your death if you're the only one who can teach that new magic, right?
- That's highly possible, but there is still a long way ahead of me. Now, that I have even more energy, I will go and do more researches. I will need better bodies to revive in the future, if you have any idea, tell me.
First thing he tested was their limits. As he hoped, they don't need rest and are entirely devoted to him. Also, injuries don't affect them, unless they make something impossible for them. For instance, if they lose every leg, they won't show any pain nor care about it, but will not be able to fulfill order like "walking". However, if their bodies are destroyed to certain extent, they will become dead again. To revive them once again, he has to fill them with mana of his magic. Optionally he can create spell to make it more effective, that means faster and cost less mana, but it will take over 2 weeks. He then started testing, how they function with serious injuries, what he had to continue the next day, because of getting tired.
Nor Alex, nor Dezen had any idea to obtain better bodies. He cannot use humans for obvious reasons and the only dangerous creatures living near their village are wolves, which are hard to find. Luckily there are still dead trees, Dezen can use, so his battle strength can rise.
2 days passed, and he tested everything he thought of and could. At that time, he brought undead trees to their farm. Beside testing, he tried to use them as help on the farm.
Seeing the dead tree serving Dezen and Alex, made their neighbors little scared and reluctant towards them, but they didn't complain and soon got used to it.
Now, that first aspect of this magic, necromancy, as Dezen named it, he started making new spells. To be considered as real mage, he has to have spells from 6 aspects: attack, defense, healing, movement, search and hiding. However, 1 is not enough, as for now he will be satisfied with 4 or more, but their number will still have to grow if he wants to leave this village and roam the world freely. Beside these spells, he also needs to find a way to get food. There are few ways he can do it, but every has some flaw. The simplest is to send undead to hunt and gather food, but they don't always have to find it, or it can be not something that a human can eat. Also, he can travel through places where they don't even have a chance to find food, like deserts. He can buy food from other people, but he has to find a good way to earn money, he will do it even if he chose another solution, since trading can bring many benefits. An option which he will also choose, even if he finds another solution, is obtaining spell, which lets store food for long periods of time, working like a refrigerator. Solution which he likes the most is learning space magic and leavening here some way to teleport, from every place in the world and few undead which will be taking care of this farm for them. Unluckily, undead plants can't grow eatable fruits and vegetables, what he checked on 4 species. In the future he may create a spell which will let it happen, but for now it's an unobtainable dream for him.
Making spells is not an easy process for Dezen, not with his current experience and methods. Because of it, he decided to create 2 more spell and try to understand rules of creating them.
First spell took him 9 days too create, it is much shorter than last time, because he already created that magic, making it complete in a way and spend more time on it. The second part was possible because he changed the shape of the tree's branches, to make for it easier to help Dezen and his brother. The spell he created is used to hide. It creates grey fog around the user's body, making him less likely to be spotted. It alone doesn't give much, but when someone cast it, while being hidden, chance of spotting falls. Dezen doesn't havs a good idea for a name, so he called it Grey Fog.
The second spell is used to attack. It creates a big ball of green fire. Currently, to throw it, he has to use his own hands or feet. If additional mana is poured to it, after reaching its target, the ball will explode. Since it's his first offensive spell, Dezen is satisfied, but he plans to make it faster in the future. He will also need to train throwing it. He called it Green Fire Ball.