To Valtuz (Part 4)

Taudera's eyes flashed bright and began charging at the bandits with no remorse.

"Shit, the bull is rampaging! Run!" the bandit yelled, running away, but they should've ran the moment Taudera broke out.

*SPLURK!*

Taudera gouges one of the bandits with his rock-like horns through the chest.

The bandit vomited blood from the impact and Taudera kept continuing his path undeterred.

The bandits that are dealing with Steinberg and Flammenberg are struggling greatly due to the sheer power and durability.

Steinberg swiped his claw at one bandit. He tried to dodge, but his claws dug into his leather armor and shredded it in the process. Additionally, Steinberg's claws sliced his abdomen open, blood and entrails scattered across.

"KARGH!!" the bandit spat blood and fell on the ground.

"These bears are too strong! We're getting out of here!" the bandit yelled.

"What about the bull? Boss Zaneth gave us that bull!" the other bandit protested.

*MMRRRROOOO!!*

*CRASH!*

*CRUNCH!*

Taudera roared while running through the camp, tearing the huts down, breaking objects in his wake. At that moment, Taudera plows through the already scattered bandits.

The bandits in his path were gouged and those that didn't were crushed by Taudera's hooves or killed by the bears.

Taudera turns around and charges again.

"Shit! The bull is loose and attacking us!" the bandit yelled.

"Forget it, we're cutting our losses! Ditch the camp!" the other bandit yelled.

The bandits tried running away from my monsters, but little did they know that their fate was already sealed.

*SLASH!*

A silver blur sped by and decapitated the bandits. Then multiple black blurs pounced on the others.

"How many bandits are left?"

[1 hostile remains.]

I look to see where it is and it is a bandit who is bleeding out and slightly recovering. However, that regeneration skill isn't strong enough to save him.

"Ugh...h-help..." the bandit begged so weakly. "I'll...help...if you heal me..."

"No need, just take a dirt nap." I said.

We walked away from the dying bandit without looking back. Leaving him to die. The bandit struggled to reach out desperately, wheezing until his eyes rolled up and gave his last breath.

[75 rank E targets slain. 150,000 EP acquired.]

"How long did the battle last?"

[7 minutes has elapsed.]

Not too bad and Taudera has joined my party. We continued on our way, leaving behind the carnage of the camp. I looked at the sky to see it's still bright out there. We then entered the forest where the trees are dense again.

However, it's not impossible to go through without Taudera ramming through the trees. It'll be shorter and smoother sailing, but I cannot risk angering the Forest Guardian in Nolten Forest.

When we get to Valtuz, we find who's leading the rebels and find kick out the corrupt lord of this city. While I head to the mountain and make the movie called The Cleansing* look like a picnic. Also, I have to take the skills Absolute Order, Hypnosis, and Charm into account where Hyoran and my monsters turn against me.

I could gather up monsters to cause a stampede, but it'll take too long and Zaneth or the City Lord will make their moves by then. My best option is to whittle down their forces.

When they send forces to the forests, I send my monsters out to kill them, making them think that there is a abnormally powerful monster lurking around. The problem lies is when my monsters don't teleport or hide away somewhere. Steinberg, Flammenberg, Taudera, and Fennec don't have some kind to hide quickly. Gris, Noire, Schwarze, Paura, Vampa, and Burya can attack and hide. Viridesca can be just as elusive.

Ah, Wraiths! Dark, spiritual beings that only magic can damage them. Weapons without magic are useless against them. They can also fade in and out of sight instantly. However, when it comes to low-rank Wraiths, they take damage from sunlight and cannot be summoned in the day time either. To get around that, a dungeon where the sun cannot reach.

But that's only normal circumstances.

"System, I wish to summon a Wraith."

*Bzzt!*

[Summoning not possible. No nearby soul detected.]

"Can I create one? I have over 10 million EP."

[The question is indeterminate.]

[However, skills like Necromancy, and Artificial Creation can be obtained.]

Artificial Creation is where I can create any type of monster out of nowhere on the fly. But I cannot evolve them or rank them up since they're artificial.

"I don't need them right now. Where can I find the nearest Wraith?"

[In a dungeon, west in your direction. ETA...1 hour.]

Oh man, that's a detour...well, I'll take it. The more, the merrier.

We turned to west to find ourselves a Wraith, our first incorporeal friend. Since lower ranked Wraiths cannot take the sun, it should have Shadow Sneak where it protects them. Let's hope no bandit come and find us to slow us down.

{1 hour later.}

One hour pass by as we traveled, we reached the abandoned place where it the system say it should. A stone entrance embroidered by moss and vines.

"Is there treasure in there?" Hyoran said.

"We're not here for treasure, we're here to find a Wraith." I said.

"Wraiths!? Those black ghost thingies!?" Hyoran shouted, holding her face.

"We're only gonna get a few." I said. Hyoran's ears and tail spiked up as her sign of unease.

"You don't have to go, I'll need Paura to come with." I said.

Paura and I went into the dungeon and saw torches lighting through the passage. However, it is still dark. I used Fire Magic to light the way, because Light Magic is the Wraith's weakness.

"Are there any traps?"

[Scanning...completed.]

[No traps detected.]

With that message, Paura and I continued walking ahead and I used Perception to find a wraith. Echolocation may be useless when it comes to ghosts like these.

[Wraith detected. 2 feet on your right.]

I looked on my right to see a small brown cloth floating aimlessly, so clumsily as if it has no purpose, no drive, stuck in the material realm to stagnate or fade away. Dwellers are the lowest ranked spirits and most common.

I used appraisal on the Wraith.

<Name: Dweller Wraith>

<Gender: N/A>

<Race: Undead>

<Rank: I+>

<Skills: Dark Magic-II, Dark Nullification, Poison Nullification, Incorporeal*>

<Unique Skills: Curse Nullification>

<Ultimate Skills: None>

Yep, despite having the traits of a Spirit, it falls under the Undead race since Wraiths are resentful souls of the dead. But it seems it does not have Shadow Sneak...yet.

"I shall name you...Mavros."

[Dweller Wraith is now named Mavros.]

*Ding!*

[Unique Skill acquired. Necromancy.]

*Ding!*

[Unique Skills acquired. Curse Magic-I, Curse Resistance.]

Woah...seriously? I got these skills just by recruiting Mavros? Well that saves some EP. Time to evolve.

[Dweller Wraith > Lesser Wraith > Wraith > Dark Wraith]

[Evolution path selected. Evolution cost: 80,000]

[Proceed?]

"Mavros. Evolution!"

[Acknowledged, now evolving.]

At that moment, swirling black mass envelopes Mavros entirety. Howling winds and whispers of unknown voices fill the air. My floating fireball that is trying to persist the accumulating darkness was soon extinguished.

I used Fire Magic again to see a much more horrifying figure.

Mavros who was a small floating cloth is now much bigger. Black draping cloth with a hood, long skeletal arms, skeletal claws, and a face of a skeleton.

[Evolution complete. Mavros has evolved to Dark Wraith.]

[Due to evolution, Mavros' rank has risen to E.]

[Skills acquired for Mavros. Dark Magic-VIII, Undaunted, Accelerated Regeneration, Dark Absorption, Menace, Curse Magic-IV, Curse Nullification, Shadow Sneak, Life Drain, Sunlight Nullification, Concealment.]

Perfect. This means Mavros can move in the daytime without a care in the world. Also, sneaking will be a breeze. Only thing I gotta look out for is Light Magic and other stuff bad for Undeads.

"Mavros, hide in my shadow." I said.

Mavros dived head first into my shadow as if he went down a hidden passage. I'll have him come and surprise Hyoran.

"Come on Paura, let's meet the others." I said.

We began walking back to the surface to meet the other monsters and Hyoran waiting for us.

"Did you find it?" Hyoran said, expecting that I didn't.

"Yep, meet Mavros." I said. Mavros emerged out of my shadow and rose behind me, blocking out the sunlight.

Hyoran looked up and saw Mavros blocking out the sun in her perspective. Like an impending doom waiting to befall them.

"Heh...hehe." Hyoran chuckled strangely and then her ears and tail went limp. Her skin went pale and her eyes went dim. She stood there motionless.

"Uh, Hyoran?" I said. I walked toward her and waved my hand at her face.

[Hyoran has fainted.]

Oh...well wraiths are meant to be scary. I carried Hyoran to put her on top of Steinberg and I climbed on top of Steinberg.

I then motioned Mavros to go back to my shadow so that other people see it. If that happens, I may have to remove them.

"Okay, let's go to Valtuz." I said.

And then we all resumed our travel again with a new companion.