29 New Companion

I didn't hesitate and informed the system that I wanted my new companion to remember its life. I heard a soft clicking noise in my mind as the system acknowledged my response.

The beam that was emanating from my hand began to lessen in intensity, and the spider's corpse began to slowly and stiffly move once more. Before my very eyes, its closed eyes began to slowly open once more. One by one, all eight of the orbs opened and then turned to gaze at me. As they did so, I felt something seep into me.

I felt a powerful sort of emotional energy, a profound sense of relief, energy, and purpose surge into me. It was so immense and significant that I fell to my knees and had to take a breath, in order to be able to handle it. I was on my knees, not far from the arachnid horror my magic brought to an unholy mockery of life, when the thing completed the struggles that came with reanimation.

[What you're feeling is the sensation of gaining a worshiper. When your magic first began to surge into the spider you've now transformed into a ghoul it first revived the creature's predatory mind, which was immediately inundated with information about you. The spider now worships you as the god that you are, and rightfully views you not only as its god but also as its creator and master.] The system told me, explaining that my magic was responsible for this.

[Whenever you gain a worshiper, especially in the beginning you'll experience sensations vaguely similar to this, powerful sensations that might even bring you to your knees and fill you with powerful emotions. It's... a lot. We know. But there will come a time when you can gain a world of worshipers at once, and only barely feel a thing.] The system explained, informing me as to why I had fallen to my knees.

[The spider views you as its master, god, and creator. Ghouls are one of the more pious types of walking dead, and as you grow in strength you may find yourself being the object of worship of entire cults of the things, even ones who've only heard of you.] My oldest companion revealed, slowly educating me as to the sorts of undead worshipers I could expect to gain in the years to come.

[The emotions that you are experiencing are shadows of the sensations that your worshiper is experiencing. They pale in comparison to what the ghoul is experiencing.] My companion informed me, causing my eyes to widen. And this caused me to reflect on the powerful emotions my creation was emitting.

A series of powerful emotions flooded my mind, coming to me from the ghoul itself. First, there was a reverence I had never felt before. A sort of incredibly loud and dynamic sense of awe. Then there was an... eerie version of love. An eerie and unholy obsession with pleasing me. And lastly, and interestingly enough most powerfully, there was a hunger.

The hunger was incredible. It gnawed at the edge of my mind, and I could feel it in my throat. And I was experiencing but a sliver of it.

"Is there anything I can do to quiet this hunger the ghoul is feeling? It's... immense." I asked the system while staggering slowly to my feet. I looked at my strange companion and smiled.

[There isn't, at your current level of power anyway. That said, don't give up. As a god, one who... we hope is seeking ultimate power, the key is to strive to improve your influence over the various domains and subdomains that exist out in the world.] My almost robotic companion informed me, a slight smile audible in its voice. I sighed and continued to slowly get back on my feet.

Once I was back on my feet I walked slowly over to the creature and placed a gentle hand on its head. As I did, I received more notifications.

[Creature analysis complete:

This is the first time you've made direct physical contact with a creature who is both totally under your influence and also sapient. When you do that, one of the powers of your knowledge domain is that you'll immediately learn about the creature's powers and other vital information. The system has opted to award you by unlocking this power, the 'Creature Analysis' power.

Creature name: Chizi

Creature type: Purple-Skinned Spider

Template: Ghoul, Poisonous

Abilities \u0026 Traits: Web-spinning

Venomous (when Chizi bites or stabs someone paralytic toxin floods into them).

Diseased (creatures bitten by Chizi begin to suffer from a potent sickness known as 'Ghoul Plague' that has a 5% chance to kill them and resurrect them as ghouls under Althos' control).

Poisonous (Chizi wasn't originally poisonous, but its transformation into a ghoul has made it poisonous. If someone ingests its skin, then are guaranteed to transform into a ghoul upon their deaths).

Age: 15 years old

Stats:

25 strength

28 dexterity

24 constitution

10 intelligence

20 wisdom

8 charisma]

I read some of the information I was presented with and had questions about it. So, as usual, I turned my mind inward and prepared to ask a question to my old friend: the system.

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"What are templates, and what are these stats that I keep seeing?" I asked the eerie entity that had both restrained me from accessing my power and thus far had frequently rewarded and encouraged my curiosity and nurtured my odd sense of adventure.

[Templates are tools used by gods and other higher powers to categorize certain states of being. When you create a ghoul, you are not creating a 'type of creature', you are applying a set of changes to an existing being. Even in cases when you are 'creating' an undead being, most of the time you are taking a creature that once lived, that existed, and applying changes to it.] The system replied, addressing my first question first.

[The stats that you see are quantifications, though admittedly shallow ones, of vital aspect's of a creature's physicality and the potency of their mind. Many of them are easy to understand, though the distinction between intelligence and wisdom might not be.] My companion began, before taking a second to consider how to proceed.

[Intelligence refers to the act of gaining and processing information. Wisdom refers to the ability to apply that information to a range of situations. Intelligent creatures are not always wise. Charisma refers to one's social skills as well as their attractiveness. Most undead are not very charismatic, though some creatures like vampires and certain kinds of magical undead are extremely charismatic.] My long-time ally told me.

With that new knowledge in my mind, I smiled and refocused on my surroundings.

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The ghoul-spider shivered as I patted its head. I grinned at the thing and studied it. Its eight eyes were now wide open and staring at me, with that same almost mindless awe that I felt and was still feeling.

"So... how are you?" I asked my many-eyed minion. The thing blinked at me and stared at me somewhat vacantly before I suddenly heard a voice speak into my mind.

"I am... alive? Well... that may not be the right word. I am... animated. And that is good. I am... good. I am Chizi." The creature said, its mental voice ringing into my mind in the same way that the system's voice did.

"Hello Chizi. It is nice to meet you." I mentally spoke, while physically chuckling. I transmitted my message to the thing, hoping that by mimicking the process I did when I spoke to the system I would be able to communicate with my minion silently.

The spider began to bob excitedly and made a number of chittering noises. I grinned at it and motioned for it to follow me.

Now I had two companions. One of them was my majestic deer, and the other was my eerie spider. I was on my way to collect one more, another deer, before I made my way in the direction of the goblins. As I did so, I continued to speak to my newest friend and first worshiper.