Chapter 129 Shadows Of The Night

Nathan jolted in surprise as the dark mist suddenly materialized, out of which a woman's figure emerged. She was wearing an ethereal-looking, long, dark dress that cascaded to the ground, and her shoulder-length, wavy blonde hair glowed against her pale skin.

"Rowena?" Nathan muttered under his breath, saying the name of the woman he had previously seen in the system.

Then, several bats enclosed in black energy burst out from under the ground, quickly multiplying until the fog had engulfed them completely. Dozens of bats flew in unison towards Linda, causing her to frantically dart around, her eyes blazing with rage.

"Mr. Nathan, that is Undead!" Meriel exclaimed in shock as the figure who had identified herself as Rowena appeared.

The spellbook "The Book of Darkness" whispered to Nathan, drawing him in with its ancient magical spells. It proclaimed its loyalty to him, offering itself as a devoted companion.

Luna whispered gently into Nathan's ear, "Do not worry, Master Nathan. You have just accomplished something remarkable - Rowena is now the first of your Undead army. You have earned the title of Necromancer!"

Nathan felt his legs trembling and his heart beating rapidly as if all the energy had drained from his body. He slowly lowered himself to his knees and then collapsed onto the ground, his breathing labored and ragged as if he were about to pass out. "What's wrong with me?" he asked, his voice faint.

"Our Mana and Stamina have recovered after the contract we just made." Meriel explained,  "But it seems your Mana and Will Power have decreased drastically because you forced summoned that Undead, Mr. Nathan."

[Blue Bar (Mana): 30%]

[Green Bar (Energy): 80%]

[Yellow Bar (Will Power): 10%]

Meriel tenderly patted Nathan's shoulder, allowing them both to finally release a sigh of relief. By his hand, he had managed to summon a creature from the undead, powerful enough to buy them some respite from Linda.

"But you don't need to worry," Meriel said in a soft, calming voice. "Now that we are bound, I can transfer more of my stamina to you than I could before."

[Rowena - Vampire Queen (Undead) Lv. 64]

Rowena, the Vampire Queen, had been dead for centuries, her body entombed in a deep, dark crypt deep beneath the earth. For many years, her spirit had been trapped in a state of limbo, unable to move on to the afterlife. But now, after centuries of waiting, Rowena was finally ready to rise again.

Rowena suddenly bolted from her spot, becoming a dark mass of energy with an endless swarm of bats erupting from her. When she shifted back to her undead form, she had moved right up behind Linda and was pushing her with both hands. Fortunately, Linda managed to evade her quickly.

Linda smiled, revealing her sharp teeth and burning eyes, then lunged towards Rowena, thrashing her with her razor-like fingers, yet each time she attacked, Rowena managed to slip away by transforming into a black cloud of energy.

Nathan watched with amazement as Rowena seemed to be playing with Linda, who was struggling to keep up with her opponent. He noticed the calm expression on Rowena's face, and he knew that she had a plan to deal with Linda.

"Rowena, please don't hurt her," he said quietly.

Rowena glanced over at him with a mischievous smile before she resumed the battle.

Nathan glanced up as a Grimoire flew by, a dark and ominous-looking book with a black cover stained with blood. Its pages were open, and it cycled through various strange symbols.

"This grimoire looks very ancient," Meriel said excitedly, her eyes sparkling with fascination. "It has a high level of dark element."

"I don't believe this is from Yunatea," she continued, her finger outstretched towards the Grimoire. However, as soon as her finger made contact with the ancient book, it flew away from her touch. "I think this is The Book from some ancient Necromancer."

Meriel beamed as she saw the Grimoire seemingly come alive. "This Grimoire is truly extraordinary; I'd say it's at least at a General grade, possibly even higher. It almost seems like it has a consciousness. And with chapter one alone able to summon undead of its level...." She paused and turned to look at Rowena with admiration in her eyes.

"A vampire queen..." she whispered in awe, her eyes wide with wonder. "I can't even begin to imagine how powerful she must be, even in her weakened state due to your low level, Mr. Nathan. She could still easily overpower Linda."

Nathan reached out and touched the Grimoire, which was sitting on his right hand. "Hello," he said softly with a hint of a smile.

[The Book of Darkness]

[Grade: ???]

[Durability: 54/100]

[A mysterious, ancient tome of power holds the secrets of necromancy - the dark arts of manipulating life and death. This magical book contains powerful spells and rituals, enabling one to raise the dead, manipulate the forces of life and death, and even create new undead servants.]

[Unlocked Chapters: 1/4]

[Unlocked Undead Generals - 1]

[Rowena - Vampire Queen (Undead) Lv. 64]

[Normal Undeads - 0/5]

Nathan attempted to inspect the Grimoire, and his assumption that it did not have any visible grade was correct. This was also the situation with all the artifacts he acquired from the Crescent Moon Dimension, apart from the Sword of Disidia, maybe.

After Yudan and Meriel made it clear that the place they were in was not Yunatea, Nathan became even more determined to find a world that was intimately connected to it. He believed that, though many of the inhabitants of New Earth were unaware of its existence, there must be such a place.

Then, when he saw the name of this pocket dimension, the Crescent Moon Dimension, Nathan began to wonder if Luna was privy to some of its secrets. However, it seemed that she was not allowed to divulge all the information she had.

Nathan encountered many mysteries even in such a short time after receiving an awakening and two blessings. Then, he encountered the past Sloth Holders, who gave him the task of killing gods.

Now, he had another fact before him: another God Apostle, those who came from the God of Virtues.

Nathan nodded thoughtfully, musing on Meriel's words. "I think you're right. This Grimoire must have come from a world linked to this pocket dimension - a realm that's still shrouded in mystery, even to me. I think if I can increase my level and affinity with the ancient element, I may be able to uncover more secrets about this pocket dimension." He trailed off, trying to draw a conclusion.

Meriel smiled and nodded. "I won't ask how you gained access to this pocket dimension, Mr. Nathan. But it's clear to me that whoever gave it to you cares a great deal for you and has great plans in store. I can sense a lot of remarkable artifacts here."

Meriel continued, "Now that I'm contracted with you, Mr. Nathan, I'm excited to witness all the amazing accomplishments you'll make." A hint of a smile twitched at the corners of her mouth, despite the exhaustion that was evident on her face.

Nathan nodded in agreement, "Indeed, but let's first focus on wrapping up the current matter at hand."