Getting stronger (part 2)

"...khaah... (…I don't think it's okay for me to rank up...)"

Vernlily returned to their camp and let out a dispirited hiss while Zorey ran around in the circle around the perimeter, committed to finishing the 40km run.

"What is the troublesome requirement?"

"Khaah?! (EH?! You know?!)"

Zorey called out, controlling his breathing, shocking the undead girl.

"Yeah."

The boy nodded without changing his speed.

"...khaah... (There are four requirements – three aren't that difficult.) Khaah, khaa, khaah. (Killing and eating rank F monsters, killing and eating rank E monsters, and killing and eating one rank D monster. I can do that on my own.)"

The undead girl hissed, sitting down by the tree and resting her chin on her knees – which, considering her appearance, was quite a terrifying sight.

"Khaah. Khaah. Khaa. (But... there is one that I don't want to complete, which is about attacking humans. Living humans.)"

She added, sounding dispirited in Zorey's mind.

"Khaah, khaa. (To level up, I am supposed to deal 1000 damage too living humans.) Khaaaaaah... (If I would attack people with 25HP each, it would mean that I need to kill 40 humans...)"

The undead girl revealed, lowering her head and pressing the bare bone of her forehead against her knees.

"Hmmm... oh! Hey, does it mention killing?"

Zorey furrowed his brows but perked up almost instantly and inquired.

"Khaaah. (No, it's just about dealing damage.)"

Vernlily shook her head and hissed without looking at Zorey.

"In that case, why don't we... oh! FINISH!"

The boy was about to point out, but then his eyes lighted up, and he threw his arms in the air with a triumphant call.

"Now then, let's get to your training!"

He breathed out and nodded, approaching the Cannibal zombie and sitting right by her side.

"Khaa, khaah, kha-umph...!? (But how am I supposed to deal that much damage without killing someone...umph?!)."

Vernlily looked up and hissed just to have Zorey put his forearm in her fanged jaws, taking her by surprise.

"If it's just about damage, you can use me. I have lesser position resistance and a healing Skill; as long as you won't go at me too hard, it will be fine."

"???"

Zorey shrugged his shoulders dismissively and smiled at the sight of burgundy flames in Vernlily's eyesockets burning in utter confusion.

"Hey. There is a chance I will get defensive-type Skill out of that, so don't worry and bite to your heart's content. It's training!"

The boy assured the undead girl, wigging his arm and making it rub against her fangs.

"...khhh... (...okay...) Khhhhh! (But tell me if I'm going too hard!)"

*chomp*

Vernlily let out a muffled hiss and carefully clenched her jaws, mindful of Zorey's reaction.

"..."

"..."

The two looked at each other for a moment...

"...khhh... khhh? (It's... not registering. Maybe it has to be killing?)"

The undead girl's burgundy flames flickered in her eyesockets in a troubled manner, and she hissed.

"Hold on. Status Open."

{Name: Zorey

Race: Human

Class: Priest of Death

[Title: Challenger (hidden)]

Level: 23

HP: 52 EP: 27

ATK: 28* MAT: 27

DEF: 27 MDF: 27

SPD: 27 LUC: 27

* (Fist mightier than a sword) achievement's buff active

Skills: Appease undead (active) (level 11)

Lesser prayer (active) (level MAX)

Prayer (active) (level 9)

Pact (active) (level 3)

Staff proficiency (passive) (level 7)

Lesser poison resistance (passive) (level 8)

Mend (active) (level 6)

Biomechanical enhancement (passive) (level 5)

Bullet punch (active) (level 7)

Piercing impact (passive) (level 7)

Draining touch (passive) (level 4)

Wrath (passive) (level 1)

Throw (passive) (level 5)

Gemstone creation (active) (level 8)

Overdrive (active) (level 1)

Number of contracted undead: 0/3}

Zorey raised his other hand and shook furrowed his brows before using a System command to have his Status Window appear.

"...oh... Yeah, nothing is registering because you haven't dealt damage to me yet..."

"KHHH?! (WHAT?!)"

Zorey raised his brows in realization and informed Vernlily, making her hiss in shock.

"Khhh...?! (How about now...?!)" *Chomp*

She hissed and held onto Zorey's arm with both hands before clenching her jaws.

"Huh...?!"

There was still no damage coming, but Zorey gasped in shock as he saw his skin turning blackish-gray under the pressure of the undead girl's fangs.

"...khh...? (How about...?) KHAAH! (Oh, no! It looks seriously poisoned!)"

Vernlily hissed a bit irked up, but then her tone changed completely as she noticed where the black-haired boy was looking, and she panicked, releasing his arm at the sight of the discoloration.

"..."

"...khaa...? (...eh...?)"

But then, both of them were baffled as Zorey's arm returned to normal in a few seconds.

"Khaah! (WOW~! Your position resistance Skill is amazing!)"

"...nope... That couldn't be poison resistance because I wasn't positioned in the first place. And still, there was no damage."

The undead girl gasped, but the black-haired boy slowly shook his head from side to side while carefully observing his forearm.

"Khaah! (Okay, there is something wrong going on here!) Khaah! (I have 19 ATK, 28 with the iron ring of the knight!) Khaah, kaah, khaah! (I should be dealing the mandatory 1HP! And since I technically have you grappled, my attack should deal 1HP each second untill I let you go!)"

Vernlily hissed, sounding deeply offended by the situation in Zorey's mind, and showed off the ring with the red gemstone on her middle finger.

"Khaaah! (You must have a defensive skill and want to tease me!)"

The undead girl hissed in the boy's face with accusation.

"Not this time, I promise!"

Zorey blushed and assured her with a troubled expression.

"I really don't know what is going on!"

He added apologetically.

"...khaa... (...hmph...)"

The Cannibal zombie sulked, reaching out and grabbing the young priest of death's hand.

"...khaaa... (I believe you, so I will use a Skill this time.)"

She declared, opening her jaws widely just as the fires in her eyesockets lighted up brightly.

*CHOMP*

"It works!"

This time, the attempt worked out, and Zorey felt a stinging sensation in his forearm and saw his HP decrease by 5 points.

"...khhh...!"

It seemed that the carelessness in Zorey's voice annoyed Vernlily, and she let out a hiss that didn't end up translated because it was an actual hiss – and the boy's HP began to drop by 1 point each second.

[You have been poisoned]

[Poison has been neutralized]

[You have been poisoned]

[Poison has been neutralized]

[You have been poisoned]

[Poison has been neutralized]

[You have been poisoned]

[Poison has been neutralized]

[You have been poisoned]

[Poison has been neutralized]

[You have been poisoned]

[Poison has been neutralized]

[You have been poisoned]

"You're doing great! Your poison procs each time, too! I bet my resistance will level up any second!"

Zorey declared with excitement, observing the wall of notification cover most of the left side of his vision.

He didn't close his own status window to be sure of how much HP he had so he could use Mend with optimal timing.

*crack*

"...huh...?"

Suddenly, a rather disturbing sound made Zorey let out a confused voice.

At this point, not just the spots under Vernlily's fangs but over half of his forearm changed color to blackish-gray, and honestly, the black-haired boy expected the cracking to be coming from his body as a signal that the undead girl was about to bite through it, but then...

*CRACK* *ting*

Even before it was time to use Mend, one of Vernlily's fangs broke off and fell down, bouncing off the undead girl's rusted chainmail.

"...khaaaaah...! (Zorey, you bully! Biting you feels like I'm trying to eat my own sword!)"

The undead girl pulled away and hissed, which ended up translating as a pitiful cry in Zorey's mind.

"I'm just as confused as you are!"

Zorey retorted honestly, lowering his head apologetically.

"Mend. Mend."

*CRUNCH* x2

The black-haired boy wasn't going to waste time and pointed his index finger at the undead girl and then at himself, using his healing Skill that caused a rather nasty sound to come out of their bodies.

Vernlily had her broken fang shot right back into her mouth, getting welded together in its rightful place while Zorey's HP recovered to full.

"It might feel bad, but it is definitely training. Let's keep at it at least until both of us will either level up or receive a skill."

"...khaa... (...fine, hmph...)"

Zorey pitched an idea, and Vernlily grumpily agreed.

------

"Khaaah! (AHA! I actually got a Skill named Masticate!) Khaah! (Now I will definitely not break my teeth on you again!)"

"...nnngh...?"

It was already a night time when Vernlily perked up and hissed triumphantly, stirring Zorey awake.

"...huh...?"

Zorey furrowed his brows and groaned in confusion, staring at the mutilated face of the Cannibal zombie who appeared to be straddling him.

"..."

"..."

The two stared at each other in silence for a moment before Zorey raised his hand...

...he still had the sleeve of the shirt that he wore to sleep covering it, and there were no traces of fangs...

"..."

He then looked at his other arm, which was exactly the same...

"..."

Only when he looked down he noticed that his shirt was unbuttoned, and the blackish-gray color was fading away from his collarbone and neck...

"...khaah... (Umm... don't mind me – I'm just on guard duty...)"

Vernlily hissed awkwardly and got off him, trying to play it cool, and sat on the ground with her back to the silent boy.

"Mend." *CRUNCH*

"...!"

Zorey used his healing Skill, and a nauseating sound came out of his chest as his HP got restored, making Vernlily flinch.

"...nnh... that didn't hurt as much as it should have... oh... It's a dream..."

"...khh...? (...eh...?)"

The half-asleep black-haired boy mumbled to himself, taking the undead girl by surprise.

"...nnn..."

Zorey closed his eyes, but then unexpectedly, he reached out towards Vernlily and spread his arms.

"...?"

The undead girl was staring at him in confusion, trying to understand what that gesture was supposed to mean.

"...nnn...!"

As he was ignored, the sleepy boy shook his arms and let out a more decisive sound, making it seem as if he was expecting something out of the undead girl.

"...kh-khaa... (...n-no way...)"

Vernlily flinched and hissed in disbelief before glancing to the sides and slowly shimming her way to within Zorey's reach.

She slowly laid down, about to hug the boy to her chest, but...

"...nnnh..."

"!!!"

Zorey furrowed his brows and let out a discontent sound, grabbing the girl and sliding her down so that her head was at his chest level – which resulted in the undead girl ending up locked in a protective hug.

"Nnn~"

"..."

Only then did Zorey let out a content sound and even nuzzled against the top of the speechless Vernlily's head.