Growing Stronger 1

Now that I was surrounded by my undead, I felt secure enough to begin properly assigning my free stat and skill points. Looking at my stats, I was able to see that I had a max of 45 health, 20 stamina, 15 mana, and 100 willpower. As for my actual stats, they were divided amongst strength, agility, intellect, vitality, and energy. I knew that putting a point into strength would directly increase my strength, allowing me to wield heavier weapons and deal increased melee damage; however I felt that that was counter intuitive since I was a necromancer, and because strength could be increased by working out.

In the case of agility, I knew that it increased how flexible one was, though I felt once more that this was not a stat to invest in since I shouldn't have to worry about being in melee combat, and once I got stronger, I would be able to create magic barriers to protect myself. Looking at Intellect, I didn't know exactly how that would work, if it would increase my natural intellect, or if it would increase my capability of understanding more complex processes of thought. However, I felt that as a mage type class, that was heavily focused on magic and spells, intellect was definitely a stat to invest in.

I finally turned to vitality, knowing immediately that it had something to do with the amount of health points that I had. As a necromancer, I don't have to worry about being at the front lines where I'm getting injured due to all the fighting, but I also don't want to be capable of being one shotted should someone get past my defenses. I figured I should definitely put one stat point into this for the foreseeable future. I then looked at my highest stat of Energy, though I wasn't entirely sure as to what energy represented. I mean, if it was physical energy, then wouldn't putting into this stat increase my stamina? Or if it's magical energy, then it should increase my mana amount as well.

After having gone through all my stats and deciding upon which ones I was for sure not going to invest, I decided to test intellect and energy. I chose to invest one stat point into vitality to increase my total amount of health points, before then adding a stat point into intellect before I decided to take a look at my new stat screen. 'Status'

<[ Eric]>

<[ Human ]>

<[ Necromancer ]>

<[ Level 2]>

<[Exp: 127.5/150]>

Health: 51/51 (45 -> 51)

Stamina: 20/20

Mana: 15/15

Willpower: 54/200 (100 -> 200)

<[ Statistics ]>

Strength: 12

Agility: 7

Intellect: 11

Vitality: 14

Energy: 25

Extra Stat points: 3

I looked at my new stats, immediately being satisfied upon seeing my health increase by so much. As I continued looking, I scowled upon seeing that my mana had not increased, though my willpower had doubled compared to before. It was a good thing I didn't drop all my stat points into intellect like I had originally planned too, otherwise I would never have increased my mana capacity. I quickly deposited my remaining stat points into energy now that after using the process of elimination, it was the only thing capable of increasing my mana capacity. I once more opened my status to see how much I had changed.

<[ Eric]>

<[ Human ]>

<[ Necromancer ]>

<[ Level 2]>

<[Exp: 127.5/150]>

Health: 51/51

Stamina: 20/22 (20 -> 22)

Mana: 15/22 (15 -> 22)

Willpower: 54/200

<[ Statistics ]>

Strength: 12

Agility: 7

Intellect: 11

Vitality: 14

Energy: 28

Extra Stat points: 0

I was slightly surprised to see that both my stamina and mana capacities had increased, but after thinking about it again, I figured that it was only fitting that increasing the amount of energy within me would lead to me having an increase in both stamina and mana since they were both energy based processes. I was, however, surprised that my stamina did not increase as nearly as my mana had done, though I figured it probably had something to do with my class and nothing else.

After finishing assigning my free stat points, I figured it was time for me to assign the two skill points I had gained from my level up. Pulling up my skills view, I began looking through them all to see which ones could be leveled up.

<[ Skills ]>

Raise Feeble Bone Creature [Level 1] {1/1}

Animate Feeble Corpse Creature[Level 1] {1/1}

Summon Feeble Spirit [Level 1] {1/1}

Inspect (Activation)

Gathering - Level 1

Herbalism - Level 1

Extra Skill Points: 2

I already knew that my first three skills dealt with my undead, and knew that I would definitely invest one skill point into one of them, but when I looked at my inspection skill, I realized that there was no level there, implying that it couldn't be leveled up. Of course this was just a hunch, and I could try assigning a point in case there was something secret with the skill, though I figured it probably wouldn't work, and I didn't have enough skill points to be wasting.

I then looked at my gathering and herbalism skills, seeing the level 1 indicators next to them, implying that they could be leveled up. The only problem however, was the fact that I, for the life of me, couldn't seem to get any information as to what the two skills did compared to when I looked at my three class skills. Add in the fact that I had gained both by doing simple tasks, I figured that there was a chance that they could be leveled up if I completed certain requirements that they held.

After this analysis, this left me with only investing my skill points into my three class skills, and that I would have to decide upon which one I wouldn't level up. Of course, just like energy and intellect amongst my stats, I didn't really know what would happen should I level up one of the skills. Different thoughts flitted through my head, for instance the possibility that if I level up one of my class skills, I would be able to either summon more undead of that type, or the undead that I already summoned would be capable of getting stronger… Wait a second, getting stronger? Are my undead capable of getting stronger?

As I thought back to the last time I had inspected one of my undead, I realized that they did have a level indicator, implying that they could level up. A glimmer flickered across my eyes, but I paused my excitement, realizing that I should probably do a check up on my undead. It was most likely possible that White Death had leveled up without me noticing, and as for Poky, he could be quite close to leveling up too. As for Casper, I figured since it was only a day that had passed, he might not have gained enough experience or whatever it was my undead needed to level up to stronger forms of themselves.

Exiting my skill window, I looked over to White Death who was standing off to the side, waiting for me to move. 'Inspect'

White Death

<[ Feeble Bone Creature ]>

<[ Level 2 ]>

10/25 HP

[Damage]

-1 (Scratch)

-2 (Bite)

-3 (Jab) (Pierce)

<[ Skills ]>

[Undeath] (Passive)

-Immune to cold, poison, blood damage, hunger, stress, fear, pain, exhaustion

[Shade Vision] (Passive)

-Undead can see in the absence of light, nothing escapes their ever vigilant and eternal watch

[Hollow Existence 1] (Passive)

-Due to no internal or external tissues, slashing attacks do nearly nothing (90% resistance to slashing attacks)

[Hollow Existence 2] (Passive)

-Due to no internal or external tissues, stabbing attacks glance off bones (50% resistance to stabbing attacks)

[Hollow Existence 3] (Passive)

-Due to no internal or external tissues, piercing attacks have no tissue to pierce and are blocked by bone (60% resistance to piercing attacks)

[Hollow Existence 4] (Passive)

-Due to no internal or external tissues, there is no cushioning. (Crushing attacks deal 200% damage)

[Bone Eater] (Passive)

-Eat bones to replenish health

<[ Description ]>

[A monstrosity that defies the will of the gods, and spits on the laws of both the world, and of life. Death favors those who strike it down. Execute with extreme prejudice.]

I smiled to myself with true, unbridled glee. My undead could level up and grow stronger as well, though I couldn't see how much or what it was they needed to level up. I then noticed the fact that White Death still retained his ten health, even though he had a health pool of twenty five. 'Huh, I wonder how I can heal him to full health.' I scratched my chin in thought before continuing to scour through and see if anything new had appeared.

My chin scratching paused when I read his last and newest skill, Bone Eater. 'Well ain't that handy.' "White Death, you can go ahead and eat the bones from that pile over there until you have fully healed." I pointed towards the same pile that Poky was eating from, quickly noticing that more of the flesh from the corpses had been eaten.

I wished I had turned around after giving that command, for what I saw next truly upturned my stomach. I watched as White Death rushed over to the first pile of corpses and began tearing into them with his claws and teeth, coating himself in blood as he began pulling out different bones and eating them.

I quickly turned around, the bile rising up into my throat before I quickly made my exit from the cave and emptied my stomach off to the side of the cave entrance. Wiping my mouth on the back of my sleeve, I tried giving myself a pep talk. After all, I was a necromancer now and I would have to get accustomed to seeing things like that on a daily basis.

I glanced at Poky and his lesser undead as they continued to prowl around the nearby area, making sure the cave entrance was entirely secured from any intruders. I figured while I wait for White Death to finish his feasting, I could go ahead and take a look at Poky's stats and see if he had leveled up yet.

After using my inspect skill, I was disappointed upon seeing that he had yet to level up, and I began trying to think of what was different between the two that White Death, who was summoned after, had leveled up before Poky. My first guess was that bone undead didn't require as much of whatever it was that they needed to level up compared to corpse undead, but then I thought back to all the animals that I had White Death hunt, and I figured that it probably had something to do with all the killing he had done.