Chapter 37: Alpha

After enjoying my time with Koneko I mirrored back home and promptly passed out for a few hours.

Or at least until my penalty ran out. After that, I woke up feeling less like shit. Although the game penalty had been lifted the physical and mental penalty hadn't, my body and mind still felt like a wrung towel.

But that isn't an excuse to stop grinding.

I wonder what I should do for today. I am still lethargic so I don't want to dive dungeons at the moment. After all, I risk my life when dungeon diving and I didn't feel like inflating that risk by doing this tired.

I could make some potions. I could craft some more cursed tools. I could remake my army. I have so many things to do. Maybe I should take some days to train my skills so that they are up to shape when I need them. Also try my hand at making my own cursed techniques, I know it is possible.

If I had a technique that allowed me to teleport to a faraway location and then I used chameleon I could have disengaged from the fight and escaped the Instant Dungeon that way.

By the way, I wonder if this system allows for a party function like the original one.

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It is possible to co-op in an instant dungeon. Party members will also receive levelling benefits to a lesser degree.

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That's good to know I guess. But it's not like I will bring anyone into one of my dungeons over my dead body. Why would I willingly divulge one of my biggest advantages to anyone or help anyone get stronger that isn't me?

The only way I would be willing to do something was one of 3 things.

Unless they are either at 100 affection or obedience they can forget ever knowing even the slightest about my instant dungeons. If the knowledge of someone capable of making people stronger by letting them hunt in pocket dungeons he creates and unknown materials can be harvested from there then I can kiss my freedom goodbye.

Or they can as the moment someone tries to imprison me is the day I disappear into a dungeon and never leave until my level hits quintuple digits.

One other way I would be willing to take someone there is if they are under a binding vow. After all binding vows are not something you can simply break.

For example, even if it was Azazel he would not be able to break a binding vow he willingly took as the vow is enforced by you. After all, you willingly agreed to a binding vow so naturally your own being is the one that enforces the vow.

When you break that vow it won't be enforced with the energy of the necromancer but of the governer of the fallen angels. That's why the binding vows are so reliable.

For now, getting stronger should be a secondary priority. I already levelled up 30 times from the Hanami fight. My goal should be to be able to wield that strength better. After all, I dont have a disgusting template like Rias who can still stat-check me even though I am several times her level.

I could also train my maids but I frankly do not care enough about their wellbeing to do so.

Moving to my garden I set up a curtain around a 25-meter perimeter. The function of this curtain was, cursed energy reinforcement on the inside with zero ability to defend from outside. Basically turning the inside into a harder-to-destroy arena.

And I also added a new broken function by imbuing it with photosynthesis.

[Photosynthesis]

-When exposed to sunlight, synthesizes it into cursed energy.

I can finally make self-sustaining curtains. In fact, I can even make cursed tool solar panels to generate cursed energy to fuel my curtains. Genius.

"Create Undead: Skeleton Demon."

Taking out a priest corpse from my inventory I chanted and the corpse transformed, its body grew larger and its skin stretched like it was about to burst before it exploded and in its place.

A 2.1-meter-tall giant skeleton with black void-like muscles adorned by bone plates and a demonic-looking skull, these skeletons looked like they never belonged in any living being. A brick shithouse of bone stood before me before it bowed its head and kneeled like a knight.

Since he is the first guy I created out of the skeleton demons and will be my main subject I will name him Alpha.

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[ Alpha - Lv. 55 ]

Race: Skeleton Demon

Vit: 110

End: 165

Str: 165

Agi: 110

Int: 10

Wis: 10

Skills/Traits:

Taijustu(Novice)

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Yes, built like a brick shithouse and his stats show it. Also, it mentioned human-like intelligence like magicians so I wonder.

"Can you understand me Alpha?" He nodded, which means that he can interpret human words. Most of my soldiers are only capable of executing simple commands not interpreting them. Which meant these skeletons were already off to a good start.

"Alright, you will be my sparring partner for now." Of course, I clarified it more with mental commands and knew he understood them. He nodded and got up from his position and took up a boxer's stance. At a higher level of necromancy, he would most likely be capable of more intelligence most likely.

I wanted to get accustomed to my physical skills better, I dont have the next Taijutsu quest yet so what I can do currently is get used to my current level, and also get cursed energy reinforcement to max level along with levelling up the dash skill.

Focusing I also got into stance and held out my arms. Our stats were just about the same but there was a difference. He held an edge over me despite my stats being marginally higher. This was because of class bonuses.

For example, when I have the necromancer class active I dont receive the cursed energy control bonuses, and vice versa when I have Sorcerer equipped I dont get the necromancy bonus of that class. So with his racial class bonus that pertains to physical stats, he should be slightly stronger than me.

Activating my dash I leapt at the skeleton and hit with a jab that it blocked with a cross guard. I threw another before stomping down on his foot and hitting his waist with a knee. Yet he didn't flinch and threw a straight at me which I blocked with my arm. His hits were heavy but nothing compared to Hanami.

I parried his arm before hitting him with a high sidekick to the temple. I reeled the leg before hitting a strong front kick that pushed him back. This wasn't it. With me at Intermediate and him at Novice Taijutsu, he wasn't enough of a threat for me to seriously improve.

Perhaps I should test it out right now. Let's see how strong I can make this one guy.

Making him wait for a moment I dragged him to my basement before putting him in the middle of an undead enhancement circle. And then as he waited I scrolled through my inventory. If this works this guy will be mad.

I pulled over 50 draugr bones from my inventory and put 10 inside the ritual circle alongside 3 cursed spirit cores as fuel. And then using 1000 CE as the catalyst I activated the circle. After the circle activated a dim red glow was emitted as the bones and cores turned to black sludge and was absorbed into alpha.

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[ Alpha - Lv. 66 ]

Race: Skeleton Demon

Vit: 137

End: 214

Str: 208

Agi: 135

Int: 19

Wis: 19

Skills/Traits:

Taijustu(Novice)

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Good, very good. The stat improvements were not negligible in the slightest. So then what would happen if I dumped all remaining 128 bones into this man?

...

Something very good. As a different part of create undead I may have somehow managed to push an undead beyond their limits and evolve them forcefully something like Fido.

Why would I waste all of these resources on a single undead you may ask? And I shall provide an answer.

Against Hanami, I saw how important individual strength was. My army was large yet it lack substance. So why dont I create one super undead instead of 100 subpar ones?

And so, here is Alpha. Although from the outside he hasn't changed much that couldn't be further from the truth on the outside.

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[ Alpha - Lv. 106 ]

Race: Greater Skeleton Demon

Vit: 261

End: 398

Str: 388

Agi: 293

Int: 30

Wis: 30

Skills/Traits:

None.

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He is now physically capable of hurting Hanami if he were to possess the required cursed energy. I eagerly await the day I learn dark gift and give something like Iron Fist to this guy and sit back as he demolishes all of my enemies.

Yes, he was incredibly expensive to make. Requiring 138 draugr bone, 38 cursed spirit cores, and one of the mana crystals given to me by Serafall. But in exchange, I received a bodyguard more than capable enough to protect me.

His natural bone armour that scales with his immense endurance basically makes him a goddam wall comparable to a death knight of the same level with higher destructive power. I just need to upgrade his taijutsu somehow.

When training I felt firsthand his combat prowess. Punching him without iron fist was like punching a concrete wall as a normal person, he could withstand my blows without much trouble even when I used cursed energy enhancement in tandem with iron fist. And the best part?

With his intelligence, he is capable of learning. His taijutsu got marginally better as we fought for hours. If this guy wasn't my servant he would've easily killed me during the spar as I wasn't using spells. The knowledge filled me with elation.

With this guy in my shadow, I basically have a completely and absolutely loyal rook protecting me at all times, a rook that mind you is comparable to the Koneko from what I know and she has the rook bonuses and he doesn't.

Truly worthy of being my first general. Alpha.

!Drop me some stones if you liked the chapter!

A/N: What did you think about the chapter? Share your thoughts on the comments below. If you have any suggestions as to how this story could go and the interactions that could happen between characters I would be glad to listen.

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