Undeath infection

"Do you have everything?" Lesley leaned against the front door casually as he looked at Mel, who had in thankfully regrown his other eye.

It had been fifteen minutes after Lesley bonded with Mel using [BLOOD FAMILIAR], and a few things had changed, other than Mel's new eye. Their stats had grown, and Mel had more Sanity now. He was back to the way he was before, and Lesley had been overjoyed.

He practically kissed Mel - on the cheek, he wasn't cheap enough to consider a corpse. Magical or otherwise.

After that, Lesley told Mel to find some knives in the other rooms, to break down doors if he had to, but if there are zombies, he should not kill them. Mel had gone out, and Lesley spent the rest of his time in the bedroom, checking the new things on his status. Besides their increased physical attributes, Mel had [FAMILIAR ABILITIES] and a new title.

[Primordial Familiar; The Primordial Heir has chosen you as his familiar, you are like no other, for there can be no other. You can and will surpass the Powers of your race, to bring glory to the Heir.]

Lesley was getting the feeling that being this [Primordial Heir] had alot of expectations and significance, more than he could understand. He just hoped he would one day fully understand what he had become.

Another interesting thing were Mel's abilities as Lesley's familiar. When he got the details, Lesley felt very pleased...after he calmed down.

[SOUL LINK] As a familiar, you must know what your Master is thinking, and as his companion you must be ready to help him just as he will be able to help you. So, the secrets of your thoughts must be bare, for true companionship to grow and your souls can speak where words fail. Mental communication between Master and Companion. [Level 1]

That ability was traumatic!

They shared thoughts now!?

What about freaking privacy?

Lesley had almost rethought the whole Familiar idea, but he eventually calmed down and saw the advantages to such an ability. They could communicate over distances and report to each other during zombie hunts. After testing it, when Mel was outside, Lesley found out that it only worked for 20 metres. He was able to talk to Mel using his mind, and Mel replied, their voices sounded the same, so it was like a phone call using their brains.

[PRIMORDIAL ATTUNEMENT] The Primordial Phoenix burned with the First flames, power and energy is it's nature, as it is your Master's. Energy perception and attunement is increased during absorption and cultivation. {+20 increase in Spirit.} [Level 1]

It was after reading this that Lesley became aware that despite Mel being termed his companion, he was Mel's 'master'. That term didn't sit right with him, but he decided for the Primordial Phoenix Bloodline, that's all he could be. That didn't mean he'd treat Mel like a pet, they were going to be a team. The last ability strengthened his resolve more.

[TWO TO ONE] You have shared blood, so you can share power. Entering a Primal state where all Physical and Magical stats of Master and Companion are added together. {Sanity drops by 75% and safe period is for Five minutes, exceeding the time leads to doubled Soul damage} [Level 1]

The ability sounded cool but the warning made it seem very unattractive. Lesley decided he'd use it only when their lives were on the line. But, he was glad with what they had. It was all useful and would help them survive, but first he had to fix something.

Lesley adjusted his scarf, and looked at his bite mark, slightly black as if the skin has been infected with necrosis, which it had. He was slowly turning into a zombie, so he had go and cure himself, killing ten zombies and absorbing their Aether. So he'd sent Mel to get knives, hammers and anything useful as a weapon, which he had in a backpack he found in one of the apartments.

"So, how many zombies are there in this floor?" Lesley asked Mel as he reached into the back and took out a rusty meat cleaver and an old metal hammer.

"Ugh...this many." Mel lifted his hands and showed seven fingers.

"You don't know numbers?" Lesley asked with a raised brow.

"No...yes...it's....hmmm...seven." Mel answered," I forget and remember. It's hard."

"Sorry, but it's okay. We have seven zombies, we'll find the other three on a different floor." Lesley twirled the weapons in his hands and nodded his head,"Okay. Let's go. Remember not to step in without my permission or you see I'm in real danger."

Mel nodded his head and together they left the apartment, going to one of the apartments next to them. Mel stayed behind Lesley, carrying the bag and looking around with apathetic blue eyes. Inside the room they found a female zombie, and Lesley turned off his [DEAD AURA] getting her to attack him.

Lesley quickly engaged, his body honed for zombie slaying was swift as he struck her in the head with the hammer, then side stepped afterwards to avoid her arms. Unfortunately, he underestimated his strength and her skull caved in, her brains bashed down like a cracked nut.

"Hmmmmm. I should have scanned her before attacking, she seems so weak." Lesley frowned at her fallen body. He had wanted to polish his rusty skills after weeks of not fighting undead, he didn't count Mel as an average zombie anymore.

Mel looked at the dead body,"Can I...eat her?"

"What?" Lesley looked at her with raised brows,"You want to eat...a zombie? But you're a zombie too."

"Yes, but I feel like...hmmm...if I eat her...I'll become stronger." Mel tried to explain the feeling in his body, his instincts craved the energy he sensed in her.

"Okay, wait a moment." Lesley raised his hand and activated his ability [Necros Absorption] on the body. A grey mist rose from the body and swirled into Lesley's body, going into his Aether Soul sea.

[1/10 Zombies killed]

[+2 Aether points!]

[Time till Undeath; 1 hour and 48 minutes]

"Woah, that felt cold." Lesley gave a slight shiver,"Okay, go ahead, eat her. I'll try to look away though, this is like cannibalism. Haha."

"I can't, she doesn't... look...I no longer want to." Mel tilted his head thoughtfully," The energy...is gone."

"Oh, so I absorbed it. Hmmm." Lesley mulled it over, and reached into the bag taking out two hammers, three knives and a rake and throwing them down across the corridor." You go and hunt upstairs, I'll finish down here. I'll call you if anything happens."

"But...I can't leave you...I have to-" Lesley put a hand across Mel's mouth and rolled his eyes.

"I'll be fine, trust me. Besides, we're linked, I know you'll be there if I need you." Lesley pushed him out of the room and pointed to the stairs."Go."

Mel hesitated but eventually left eventually, as soon as he was gone, Lesley held his weapons at the ready and faced the corridor, eyeing each door.

"Let's get started" he said softly and started his slaughter fest.

...

[7/10 Zombies killed]

[+5 Aether points]

[Time till Undeath; 58 minutes]

Lesley gave a big sigh as he finished absorbing the Aether from the seventh zombie he'd killed so far. He had changed weapons twice, even having to run to the corridor to get a new hammer when his broke fighting a Grey Mid rank zombie. That was another thing he'd learnt, the zombies were ranked by their Aether cores which , so far, he'd seen were labelled [Awakening] and ,rarely, [Nascent] where they are termed Grey Low rank and Grey Mid rank, depending on which stage their core was. He had asked his interface what this meant and had gotten a rank system for Undead Creature cores.

[

|•|

Undead Creature/Spirit Core Rankings;

1. Grey

2. White

3. Black

4. Onyx

5. Obsidian

Further ranks are unavailable due to your low cultivation level.

|∆|

Aether Core Stages are set in the following order;

1. Awakening [Low rank]

2. Neascant [Mid rank]

3. Apex [High rank]

|•|

]

The core information had been really useful, and he knew his own Aether core was an [Awakened Core] and he was in the [Mortal coil] stage of his cultivation path. It was the weakest level on the Physical cultivation path, practically rock bottom, despite being [Level 2]. But, it only motivated him to bash zombie heads, and cure himself faster of his impending Undeath.

Another interesting thing he had learnt was that the zombies he faught had Aether, but no functioning cores. Apparently, they were in the awakening stage of , well, awakening their cores but had lacked sufficient Aether, until his Primordial Bloodline brought a wave of Origin energy, enriching the Aether. So his interface measured them from Grey Low rank to Grey High rank using the level of Aether it scanned in the zombie's bodies and their unused cores. He hasn't met a High rank zombie like Mel, but according to his Bloodline interface, if left alone, the zombies were going to awaken their cores, and in time, evolve.

Lesley did not like that idea, because it involved stronger undead hunting him down. If anything, learning this made him realise he was short for time and had to become stronger than anything the Plane would produce. Luckily, he wasn't alone in this mission.

[Familiar has killed two zombies]

[+2 Aether points]

Mel was busy killing undead upstairs, and getting Aether for them both. Strangely, this Aether did not go into curing his infection of Undeath. It all went into his [Aether Soul Sea] and he felt it was expanding like a balloon. He kept checking to see if it changed on his Bloodline interface but nothing at all was changing.

"Where is the Aether going?" Lesley wanted to know where this accumulated energy was going, because Mel had killed eight zombies.

[The Aether gathered by your Familiar is placed in your Soul Sea]

[The Aether Sea will expand when you accumulate double your current level of Aether]

"Oh, okay." Lesley gave small nod," Have I accumulated double yet?"

[No]

[Necros Aether: 32/40]

"Why is it called Necros Aether?" Lesley opened the corridor and looked around, considering the next place to go.

[Aether is an attributeless energy, that gains a concept when influenced by laws. Necros Aether is for Aether influenced by Death oriented laws and Death Creatures/Spirits who posses high levels of Death laws.]

"Okay, that... nevermind. Note to tell me of different Aether that are important to my cultivation." Lesley asked as he walked to the first floor.

[Noted!]

[Primordial Perception set to find vital Aether energies]

[Due to Mortal laws in the plane, chances of finding various Aether is 0.2%]

"Oh, do it anyway." Lesley reached the first floor , and three zombies were walking the corridor." Perfect. Time to see what I can really do."

Lesley pulled out his rake, his other weapons were broken and useless, only the rake was left. He looked at the corridor and eyed the zombies for a few moments, noting everything he could use to his advantage. Which was nothing really, the corridors were bare, but he could improvise his attacks based on any factor. Just like Liam taught him.

Lesley turned off his [DEAD AURA] and the zombies instantly noticed his presence. He didn't let them attack first, charging ahead to deliver the first blow, his hands gripping the rake tightly. Moving faster than typical human capabilities, he struck the first zombie with a left swing that bashed it's head against the wall. Using his strength and speed to create equal level momentum , he struck with the rake teeth at the other zombie, shoving them through its jaw.

"Ahh!" Lesley used his strength to lift the zombie up, smashing it's skull on the ceiling.

The third zombie didn't wait for a queue, it charged and aimed to bite Lesley's head off. The teenager didn't allow it, he stepped back and let his hands drop the rake. Using his fists, he landed a left hook that dislocated the creature's jaw, snapping it off and leaving it hanging. Not letting up, he threw a kick that tossed it across the corridor.

Lesley raised his hand at the two zombie bodies he'd killed and absorbed their Aether, leaving him at the brink of being cured. He eyed the zombie across the corridor and gave a hard glare, before he charged straight at it, like a bullet. When he was close enough, he jumped and double kicked it on the chest, smashing it, and for the wall, he left a sizeable crater that was one step from busting a hole through it.

"Done." Lesley smiled as he absorbed the last zombie.

[10/10 zombie's killed!]

[+5 Aether points]

[+5 Aether points]

[+2 Aether points]

[Necros Aether assimilated!]

[Aether Soul Sea; 80/80]

[Necros Aether: 4/80]

[Spiritual cultivation; Level 5 {Soul Awakening}]

[Undeath infection nullified!]

"Yes!" Lesley cheered as he looked at his shoulder, the vivid grey infection started to fade away right before his eyes."That's better."

Mel, Lesley used their [SOUL LINK] to contact Mel.

"Yes?"

"I'm done, come down after you are done killing the ones up there. I'll be back in the apartment."

"Alright."

Lesley started walking back up stairs to the apartment. It was time to see Lych and Liv once again.