Eternal Rest

"What do you think of the training method? There wasn't much time to devise anything less extreme," Hugo asked apologetically.

Bones gave him a wry smile and replied, "My mana potion consumption is higher than expected, and while the method truly does put pressure on me, the results speak for themselves." He also inquired about the difference between level forty-nine and level fifty wraiths. "While in different tiers, the difference of one level shouldn't make that much of a difference, right?" Bones wondered.

Hugo replied, "It depends."

"There are different types of wraiths. Some simply advance to a greater form, enhancing their already nasty devouring abilities, while a small number evolve into different, far more dangerous forms like Scourge, Banshees, and the like. You don't have to worry about encountering those types this close to Necropolis, though."

"I take it, finding higher-level wraiths to increase your gains crossed your mind?" Hugo asked.

"You read my mind. Would it be plausible to take on level fifty wraiths?" Bones inquired.

"Not in the same numbers, but yes, it would be possible. However, it would be a waste of time to search for a prime location with an abundant amount of second-tier wraiths now. It would reduce our training time by hours, enough to complete one round, if we were to change location. But we can go if you're willing," Hugo explained.

"No, it's alright. It was just a passing thought. Before I continue with the training, I was thinking of summoning golems and having them take care of creatures in the vicinity of this place. All three of them could use more training," Bones suggested.

Hugo glanced around and remained silent for a moment before pointing in a direction and turning to Bones. "Send them that way. Like I previously mentioned, there are no second-tier creatures near us, so your golems are free to roam around. Are you planning to continue the training right away?"

"Yes, I'll have a proper rest after we finish here. Remind me when the round is done," Bones added before jumping down and dashing off into the distance. After another day of straining his Soul Barrier, Bones took a break.

With the golems active and Bones splitting his focus between them and the wraiths, Soul Magic gained copious amounts of experience, leveling up and reaching halfway to level twenty-four. Soul Barrier had reached level nineteen and was poised to reach the threshold of the next tier within the next training session, while Quick Dash stagnated after reaching level fifteen. Hugo decided they would conclude the final training session while slowly making their way through Ghastly Plains toward the Necropolis. Bones had exploited the current location to the point that there were barely any wraiths left.

The golems, following closely after Reaper, acted as an escort while Hugo observed Bones running around, dealing with Blighted Rotfiends, Shadowfiends, Spectral Hounds, and wraiths. As they approached the familiar landscape of the city, Bones managed to advance his Soul Barrier to the next tier, upgrading it to Soul Aegis, and his Soul Magic to level twenty-four by the end of his training. Upon their return, Hugo left Bones to recuperate in the library while he headed for the citadel to inform his master of their return and to see if the preparations for Bones' upcoming operation were complete.

As he waited, Bones stowed his tattered equipment in his inventory to self-repair and donned casual attire before settling himself comfortably on the bed. He began flipping through Hugo's research papers. Bones noted that his new undead companion was meticulous in keeping notes, and the papers dated back two hundred fifty years until they abruptly stopped two hundred years ago. In the final entry, Hugo expressed doubts, suspicions, and discontent with the world and the system, cursing the knowledge he had gained.

"I guess he was fed up with everything after learning the truth," Bones mused to himself.

Bones pushed himself off the bed and placed the papers on the nearest desk. Sensing Hugo approaching the building, he headed outside to meet him. After exchanging greetings, Hugo informed Bones that everything had been prepared and asked how many mana potions he had left after the journey. Bones requested a moment, then peeked inside his inventory and replied that he still had five left.

"What's the plan?" Bones asked. Hugo explained that the operation was scheduled for the next day, then, with a solemn expression, he lowered his head and mentioned that their time together in the Nether Realm was coming to an end.

"Take one mana potion now, and another one an hour before the operation. You are free to do whatever you want until then. You should stay with us for another day after the operation, for observation, and then I'll escort you back to the portal," Hugo instructed.

"I see. It seemed like my time here passed in a fleeting moment, and soon, I'll be back on my journey," Bones remarked.

"You'll be back in no time," Hugo said with a chuckle. "If you don't have anything else to do, do you mind if I offer my last bit of advice concerning your destination?"

Bones' tone shifted slightly in surprise as he asked, "You've been to the Kingdom of Everlasting Dusk before?"

"Every major guild leads an expedition there for the experience and to hone the skills of their members. The Magic Institute wasn't an exception, though it has been around two hundred fifty years since I've been there. I'm sure nothing has changed over the years."

"You don't know? I thought you would have an agent placed there somewhere, to inform you of the current events," Bones remarked.

"We tried sending a few, but they all failed. Every enlightened undead we have sent was dealt with shortly after reaching any of the cities. I can share my experiences from back then if you'd like?" Hugo offered.

"Of course. Do you want to go take a seat inside? It is a bit weird standing and talking outside," Bones suggested. Hugo gladly accepted, agreeing that talking inside felt more comfortable. After they got cozy on the sofa surrounded by rows of bookshelves, Hugo continued.

"Everlasting Dusk isn't really a kingdom in the traditional sense, as there is no king, but the ones ruling the vast area are vampires," Hugo began. "The kingdom is split into inner and outer regions. The inner region comprises most of the kingdom and is under the vampires' rule, while the outer region consists of towns populated by people driven out of their homes by vampires and their spawn. You should make note that both regions are lawless zones, and the ones enforcing the rules as they see fit are major guilds. This makes the place all the more dangerous for someone without the protection of a private guild."

"The castle of the first vampire lord, Gawain Navis, is located in the inner region, but he is a reclusive type, so I doubt you'll ever cross paths with his spawn."

"He was the first vampire? I read that the vampires were the result of an experiment."

"That's right. The vampire lineage dates back to the dark ages when elves conducted experiments, but Gawain wasn't the first vampire. He was the first vampire to ascend to become a vampire lord. Present-day vampires formed clans, with the vampire lord as the head of the family. You'll learn of the current state of the clans once you get there. However, the vampires won't be your main concern there," Hugo continued.

"What do you mean? Are there other creatures posing a greater threat than the vampires?" Bones inquired.

"That's not what I meant, but yes, besides the vampires, you should be wary of the werewolves. The concern I referred to goes by the name of the Divine Order. You've already heard about the order before, but how much do you really know about them?" Hugo queried.

"Not a lot. The order was created by hero Isobel, and the followers worship the god of light, right? If there is such a thing," Bones replied.

Hugo scoffed at the mention of a god. "You don't believe in a god?" Bones inquired. Without answering, Hugo gave him a look and countered, "Do you?"

"Of course not. Wait, is there such a thing as a God? I always thought of a God as a human creation, born out of imagination running wild, simply an illusion created to control people, same as hell."

"While I do agree with your take on God, Hell does exist. I’ve already mentioned this, but Hell is a realm, similar to the Nether Realm, where demons reside. And the portal invading demons came from is connected to Hell. How the term Hell expanded beyond the Nether Realm eludes me! As for the god of Light, it is a lie created by Isobel and spread by her zealots, brainwashed worshippers. Their ideology revolves around cleansing this world of sin and embracing the Light. And by sin, I mean other races and anyone else not sharing their doctrine," Hugo explained.

"In some kingdoms, tribes, and cultures, ascendants are worshiped as gods, and yet, we both know that the ascendancy is just another cog in the machine that is the system. If there was such a thing as God, the system would be the closest thing to it," Hugo finished, and remained silent in deep thought.

"Back to the topic, what else is there awaiting me?" Bones broke the silence, changing the subject. "Do you think I might be able to find skill cores for sale, considering all the major guilds will be there?"

"Skill cores? There might be skill cores for trading between major guilds, but don’t get your hopes up. The guilds don’t lack the funds, so the exchange is made between skill cores or items of equal value, excluding currency. You can compensate for the lack of golem skills with enchanted items. A weapon with high-grade fire enchantment could, for example, make up for Murdok’s inability to use imbued attacks. Such enchanted weapons cost a lot, but they’re worth it at your level and would prove effective in the second tier as well. As for armor, that is up to you. Considering the way you fight, it might be senseless to invest a lot in equipment that will be constantly susceptible to damage. There’s only so much self-repair enchantment can repair before depleting."

“If you do happen to come across skill cores for sale, you might want to look for the Manifest Weapon skill for Harmony, as her current manifested weapon from lightning body will never be as stable and powerful as a proper skill provided by the system,” Hugo suggested.

With Manifest Weapon, Harmony would be free to focus on empowering lightning arrows rather than channeling a mana bow.

“Another skill core both you and your golems would benefit from is a movement skill different from the half-arsed Quick Dash you learned yourself.”

“I, uh, thank you for that. Is Quick Dash that bad?” Bones inquired.

“Quick Dash isn't a bad movement skill, but it is a bad choice for you. Advancing the skill requires a physique you don’t have because you don’t have muscles, and I doubt you’ll ever advance the skill to the next tier. I’m surprised you’ve gotten the skill as high as you did. What you should look for is a movement skill relying entirely on mana, a movement spell,” Hugo suggested.

“That... entirely depends on whether I can find skill cores for sale. What other ways are there to acquire skill cores?” Bones asked.

“Places like these,” Hugo said, gesturing around them at the interior of the grand library.

“I’m guessing you’re referring to the remnants of lost cities, similar to Necropolis, and not libraries,” Bones remarked.

With a slight nod and a grin, Hugo listed ruins, tombs, former palaces, and dungeons as the most likely places to obtain cores.

“Basic skill cores can be rewarded for clearing small dungeons and rarely as a drop from bosses in medium-sized dungeons, while advanced cores are obtained for clearing medium-sized dungeons and as boss drops in large dungeons, making them quite rare and expensive,” Hugo explained.

“Dungeons…” Bones muttered. “Are there dungeons here in the Nether Realm?”

“There are! But they are different from the dungeons you’ve seen so far. The dungeons here are corrupted, twisted, and closely similar to wild dungeons. It would be too soon for you to try and clear one, even a small one. Once you transition to chaos mana, you won’t need to consume mana potions anymore, and you would be free to roam outside the Necropolis, even exploring dungeons! When the time comes, I’ll personally guide you there. They are a sight to behold!” Hugo exclaimed with enthusiasm.