Alec paid no mind to the Stitched Abomination's peculiar remark. His attention was entirely fixed on the display before him, even ignoring the fact that his body had been scorched black by the bonfire.
The character panel clearly indicated that, through his epiphany in the cave and the bonfire's cleansing outside, his level had increased. He was now a Rank 2 Necromancer.
As a reward for leveling up, in addition to a point each in Undead Fundamentals and Undead Constitution, four new professional skills awaited his selection at the bottom of the character panel.
Soul Crystal Lv1: A branch skill of the Soulcraft tree. Requires Soul Summon Lv1. When used on a corpse that has been dead for no more than three hours, it can forcibly extract its soul and seal it within a crystal, creating a Soul Crystal (which can be used to create various Undead creatures or cast special Necromantic spells).
Bone Mastery Lv1: A branch skill of the Command tree. Requires Command Undead Lv1. Enhances control over bone-type Undead. Increases the number of bone-type Undead that can be controlled by 5%, and increases their combat effectiveness by 10%. Note: Bone-type Undead refers to units such as Skeleton Warriors, Skeleton Mages, and Skeleton Knights.
Special Hex Lv1: A branch skill of the Curses tree. Requires Basic Hex Lv1. Uses a cursed individual's personal item to cast a hex on them at a specific time. This process is time-consuming but highly effective, and difficult to detect or dispel.
Soul Link Lv1: A branch skill of the Scholar tree. Requires Dark Wisdom Lv1. When Soul Link is cast on a target creature, if that creature takes damage, the caster gains a certain amount of mana. The mana gained is equal to the damage taken by the creature divided by 40. Note: Soul Link Lv1 can only link to one creature at a time.
Alec hesitated as he looked at these four skills. It wasn't that he didn't know their functions and effects; he had learned all of them in the game before.
His hesitation stemmed from the path he needed to take now. Originally, Alec had planned to follow his in-game route, starting with Dark Wisdom and eventually becoming a Lich Lord of the Scholar tree.
However, his recent contemplation in the cave had made him realize that some things couldn't be forced.
For Alec, the most crucial aspect wasn't his future path, but the abilities he needed right now.
To avoid hindering his future growth while also addressing the current situation, Alec had to adjust his development direction, ensuring his choices didn't stray too far.
Carefully recalling the in-game skill tree, Alec finally made his choice: the Soul Crystal Lv1 skill immediately appeared on his character panel.
After completing all of this, he finally had time to examine his physical condition. Although the bonfire hadn't caused significant damage, it had altered his original appearance.
Initially, Alec, inhabiting Marcus's body, looked like a young man who had died just after reaching adulthood, his complexion pale to the point of being greenish. But after the bonfire's scorching, everything changed. Many parts of his body now revealed bone.
Alec himself didn't care for this appearance. Most who chose the Necromancer path underwent this transformation. In the game, he had even ended up as just a skull.
However, this wasn't the best time for such a transformation. Alec still needed to rescue Princess Ilyss.
If he appeared before the Princess in his original form, she might hesitate to follow him. But in his current state, she would undoubtedly treat him as an enemy.
This situation gave Alec a headache. At that moment, the Stitched Abomination approached and bluntly stated, "Are you done? If so, let's go. I hear the bells of Carbuth ringing more urgently."
Alec had naturally heard the bells from Carbuth. He even felt the Necromantic aura emanating from Carbuth's gigantic Necromantic Transmutation Array as it began to activate.
He understood that the Princess of Carbuth could no longer hold out. The entire realm of Carbuth would be Undead-ized within days. Simultaneously, the birds in the sky were slowly beginning to rot. Before long, the entire territory of Carbuth would become a dead zone.
As a native hero of Carbuth, the Stitched Abomination, with its own consciousness, would never miss an opportunity to aid Carbuth.
If Alec delayed any longer, the Stitched Abomination might leave on its own, and finding such a powerful helper again wouldn't be easy.
For this reason, Alec no longer procrastinated, leading the Stitched Abomination towards the location he had calculated.
At the same time, in the hills of Carbuth, a group of Werewolves began to set up camp.
In this world, there were many types of Werewolves. These particular Werewolves were all from a Beastfolk clan. They possessed their own traditions, habitually used bludgeoning weapons, and typically fought in groups, unlike Werewolves transformed from humans, who usually acted alone.
It was precisely because of their habit of group combat that they often cooperated in their tasks, even for minor things like setting up camp. Regardless of a Werewolf's status within the clan, they would participate in some form of labor.
Only in a corner of the Werewolf encampment did a few Werewolves stand upright and motionless.
These Werewolves wore leather armor, carried rusty iron clubs, and had daggers made of wolf fangs at their waists. From their demeanor, it was clear they were the most powerful individuals in this Werewolf clan.
Among these Werewolves, an elderly Werewolf was interrogating a girl who appeared to be around thirteen years old.
However, no matter what the old Werewolf asked, the girl stubbornly shook her head, refusing to answer anything.
The old Werewolf was quite patient. Regardless of how the girl shook her head, he continued to repeat his questions.
It wasn't until a white light appeared in the distance that the old Werewolf ceased his futile efforts. He instructed the nearby Werewolf guards to keep a close watch on the girl, then headed in the direction from which the white light had emanated.
At the source of the white light, a man completely shrouded in a black robe was waiting.
Upon seeing the old Werewolf's arrival, the man immediately said, "Graul has failed. I hear he's severely wounded and won't be able to emerge for a year. His last message indicated that the individual has a Rank 9 Stitched Abomination with him and is well-informed about our situation.
They should be heading this way now. You absolutely must not let the Princess out of your sight until Agrae arrives."