Chapter 247: Reanimated

Chapter 247: Reanimated

Gained Major Title: [Reanimated].

Description: Reanimated after death and placed under the control of the one responsible, your body and mind have mutated into a facsimile of life. Death has become a source of health, and life a poison.

Species Gained: Undead

Innate Trait: [Life-Death Inversion MAX] Acquired.

The thought-light flickered as I waited, reminding me of the changes that came with death. The same changes that I had experienced under the control of the Death Core, but without that terrible control that hid me away from myself. That kept the Great Cores light distant.

I was myself, and that was all that mattered.

The Coreless shouted around me as I healed; I did my best to hide that from the enemy Coreless, carefully using what stores of light I had left. It wasnt perfect, but it didnt seem like they were paying much attention.

There was a lot of shouting. A fight between the blasphemers and the faithful, I guessed. Even if it was clear that, without my help, the faithful would lose - like they already had, to be bound by threads in the way that they were.

Still, it was enough of a distraction that what came next would come easier. Enough that any failures to hide what was happening to my body with [Illusion Spark] might be missed. Enough that, despite the blasphemers surprising power, I could still win.

David stepped backwards, bucket sloshing, his eyes fixed on Garricks bleeding corpse. And pointedly not at what was below it. Not after he saw it twitch.ned bastards! You killed Garrick! one of the supposedly injured prisoners shouted, veins protruding from his neck as he pulled furiously at his chains. They rattled harshly, bouncing against the metal ring they had been tied to.

A lot of strength pulling at those chains for someone who, just the other day, had broken his hand. Somehow, the guards didnt notice that. They were too busy backing David into a corner, mouths set into grim lines.

The Overseer led the pack, Windspear pointing lazily in Davids direction. His - and all the other guards - armor enchantment had been turned off, which was the only reason he could hear a damn thing. They couldnt afford to keep it running for too long, now that the threat was gone. As strong as their enchantments were, they were also limited; like most enchantments that used xenlite as a catalyst, they sacrificed a constant effect for a more powerful one. Powerful, but horrifically temporary.

He peeked past the guards again as they lumbered a little closer, risking a glance at the Ascendeds corpse. A wisp of darkness flashed into being for a moment before it was wiped away. Hed have thought it was his imagination if it hadnt been the first one he saw.

The little Ascended was definitely still alive. Even if there was no way it should have been, with how shredded it was. With how much it had bled.

For just a moment, the Overseer turned around, barking back at the other prisoners and waving his Windspear at them threateningly. Davids hand tightened around the handle of his bucket, but he didnt dare do anything else. It was enough to kill a monster, sure, but nowhere near as effective as a spear for killing a man. Even ones with as much mana infusion as the Overseer and his fellow guards.

Distracted as he was, the man never noticed the little snakes corpse on the other side of the room looking decidedly more whole than it had just moments before. David had to fight back the urge to shout in alarm; even knowing that the little monster had been healing rather than hurting people, even suspecting that it was tame, it was hard not to say anything.

The ground above me, already solidified again by [The Golems Fading Heart], cracked as the Coreless tried to strike back. I dove deeper still, the stone softening in front of me and solidifying in my wake. Far enough that the Coreless attacks couldnt reach me.

Then, after freeing enough space to turn, I finally reached for my tail. Clamped down. Waited, hoping that my guess was right.

[The Snake That Eats Its Own Tail] - and more importantly, [Mana Restoration] - activated. And, just like I hoped, the slight healing effect of [The Snake That Eats Its Own Tail] wasnt affected by [Life-Death Inversion].

It didnt use life essence for its healing, and so it didnt end up hurting me like other ways I normally healed would have.

Which meant that keeping myself going wouldnt be as hard as I had thought. Even if [Transient Reanimation] forced me to constantly expend tiny amounts of death essence to stay alive, I wouldnt run out. Not with [Mana Restoration] to keep me going.

As long as I was careful, at least.

With that worry gone, I turned my attention back to the Coreless somewhere above me. I could still feel the one that I had bitten, the death essence within his body as easy to find as looking with my eyes would have been.

Easier, maybe.

I focused, flexing my will. Watched as the stream of death essence moved again, twisting itself in a way that I was sure the Coreless couldnt have enjoyed. Then, finally, it reached his heart.

[Life Hunter] activated as the Coreless died, and I suddenly felt just a little different. More solid, the ever-present chill of death beaten back slightly. Not nearly enough to bring me back to life, but it was a start.

The thought-light flickered.

Mana-Infused ./././.././ D-

I reached out and stopped it, somehow just knowing that I could - and sensed the remnants of death essence in the Coreless body twist upon themselves.

The thought-light flickered again, showing me something new.

Condition Met.

Core Skill - [Transient Reanimation] Activated.

Applying Reanimation.

Reanimation Complete.