Endless Warfare
The moonlight barely touched the battlefield within the Echoing Rift, a twisted pocket dimension Markus had crafted from harvested mana cores.
Here, his undead clashed endlessly, pushing past their previous limits, grinding away any inefficiencies.
Tonight wasn't about power, it was about control. Mastery.
His Abyssal March was powerful, but a raw force was meaningless if it lacked precision.
Summon speed needed improvement, too slow for large-scale battles.
The undead lacked coordinated attack patterns, some units overlapped, wasting movement.
Lich Summoners weren't efficiently reinforcing the frontlines.
All of that would change tonight.
Markus stood atop a darkened hill, watching his forces move across the battlefield.
With a thought, Abyssal March surged, calling forth waves of undead.
Wraiths (👻) – First Strike Assassins
Deployed silently before the battle, positioned in concealed areas.
Task: Eliminate enemy spellcasters & high-value targets first.
Command: "Strike unseen. Kill first. Retreat second."
Death Guards (⚔️) – Immovable Defenders
Frontline tank formation, reinforcing choke points.
Task: Hold the line against enemy charges, protect summoners.
Command: "Endure. Break them. Do not move."
Lich Summoners (🧙♂️) – Tactical Reinforcements
Summon skeleton waves to replenish lost units.
Task: Maintain continuous waves of undead soldiers.
Command: "Keep the dead rising. There is no retreat."
Result: His army no longer moved as scattered units. It moved as a cohesive, war-ready force.
[Abyssal March has reached Level 4.]
Total Summon Limit Increased from 100 → 180.
Summon speed increased – reinforcements arrive faster.
Better combat instincts – undead now react faster to Markus' commands.
Stronger frontline – Death Guards automatically adjust formations when enemies attack.
Echoing Rift – Testing Multi-Core Infusion
Markus retrieved multiple monster cores and activated Echoing Rift, feeding it different core combinations.
Goal: See if the Rift's power scales based on resources used.
1 Core → Basic Rift (Low-tier monsters, short duration.)
3 Cores → Stronger Rift (Longer duration, more enemies.)
5 Cores + 2 Mana Crystals → Greater Rift (More stable, better loot, longer lifespan.)
Outcome:
Echoing Rift became more refined – now properly scales with resource investment.
Mana Crystals stabilized Rift distortions, extending dungeon life.
Clear time decreased as Markus' undead army overwhelmed the enemies faster.
[Echoing Rift has reached Level 5.]
Markus paused during one of the Rift battles.
Something felt off.
📌 He wasn't sensing mana this time… He was sensing something missing.
His eyes narrowed.
A sudden void in the battlefield.
No mana. No presence.
Yet, something was there.
Then, a ripple in the air.
A Wraith.
[Mana Sense has reached Level 10. Evolution Available.]
Now detects not just mana signatures, but also the absence of mana.
Hidden enemies, magical voids, and stealth tactics are now visible to Markus.
Passive Effects (Always Active):
Mana Optimization – Spell costs reduced by 10%. (Stacks with previous reductions. Becomes more efficient at higher levels.)
Mana Regulation – Passive mana regeneration increased by 20%. (Allows longer sustained battles.)
Void Detection – Detects hidden enemies, cloaked threats, and mana voids within 100 meters. (Assassins, wraiths, or anti-magic zones are now visible.)
Active Effects (Mana Shaping & Flow Control)
Raw Mana Infusion – Markus can reinforce his undead, weapons, or armor by infusing them with mana stability. (Boosts durability and power.)
Mana Redirection – He can steal loose ambient mana from slain enemies and redirect it to himself or his undead forces. (Minor absorption effect, increasing at higher levels.)
Spell Flow Stabilization – Can prevent enemy interference in his spells, making his casting harder to disrupt. (Prevents counterspells and mana-breaking abilities.)
Markus smirked. "No more hiding from me."
[Abyssal March has reached Level 5.]
Conclusion – The Night's Gains
Abyssal March Improved (Lv. 5) – Undead army moves with better coordination, faster reinforcements.
Echoing Rift Improved (Lv. 5) – More stable, scalable dungeons, better loot control.
Mana Sense Evolved → Arcane Perception (Lv. 1) – Now detects voids, exposing hidden threats.
The sky was still dark, though the first hints of dawn threatened the horizon.
Markus hadn't rested, not that he needed to. His undead army was optimized, his mana efficiency perfected, and his Void Detection now revealed even the unseen threats lurking around him.
Now, there was only one task left before morning.
Return to the Undead Sovereign.
Take three more abilities to finalize his necromantic arsenal.
Decide whether to save his last copy or kill it and close the gate.
Activating Silent Phantom, Markus vanished from sight, teleporting between shadows, phasing effortlessly through the empty streets until he reached the undead dungeon once more.
The portal shimmered darkly, pulsating with necrotic energy.
Lesser undead shuffled aimlessly, no longer aware of Markus' presence.
He moved like a wraith, unseen and unstoppable.
The Undead Sovereign wasn't a threat, it was a resource.
He bypassed the corridors, avoiding every obstacle, every creature.
Straight to the throne room. The Undead Sovereign – The Third Extraction
There it was.
Seated on its throne of charred bones.
Ethereal blue flames flickering in its empty sockets.
A presence that once commanded armies of the dead.
Now? Just a cow being milked dry.
The moment Markus stepped forward, the floating skill cards materialized, waiting for his selection.
The Third Copy Session – Maximizing Necromantic Power
Skills Chosen:
Dark Authority (Lv. 6) – Lesser undead now follow his will without resistance.
Ritual of the Forsaken (Lv. 7) – Allows undead resurrection to become permanent.
Death's Grasp (Lv. 5) – A mass necrotic wave, crippling enemies across the battlefield.
Markus exhaled slowly as the new skills settled into his mind.
Dark Authority would ensure absolute control.
Ritual of the Forsaken would allow true necromantic permanence.
Death's Grasp would expand his battlefield control even further.
With these, his army wouldn't just grow, it would last forever.
The Final Copy Decision – Save It or Use It?
Now, he had only one copy left from the Undead Sovereign.
Was it worth waiting?
All the key abilities were already his.
Anything else would be redundant.
He had maximized his gains from this dungeon.
Final Decision: Markus chose to kill it and close the gate..
Conclusion – Gains from the Third Copy
Dark Authority (Lv. 6) → Lesser undead follow his will absolutely, no mental resistance.
Ritual of the Forsaken (Lv. 7) → Allows permanent undead resurrection (Needs training to reach evolution).
Death's Grasp (Lv. 5) → Large-scale necrotic wave cripples enemies, battlefield-wide effect.
The undead dungeon had served its purpose.
For days, Markus had extracted everything he needed, its secrets, its power, its knowledge. The Undead Sovereign had nothing left to offer.
Now, it was time to end it.
The Systematic Annihilation of the Dungeon
Markus stood at the heart of the death-soaked ruins, his army stretching before him in perfect formation.
The lesser undead shambled aimlessly, oblivious to the command that would erase them from existence.
"End them."
His Death Guards surged forward, unbreakable walls of blackened steel, cleaving through skeletons like dried twigs.
His Wraiths flickered in and out of reality, silent reapers of death, tearing apart the ghouls before they could even react.
His Lich Summoners raised their staffs, flooding the battlefield with shadowflame, reducing the remaining monsters to ash.
Skeletons? Gone.
Ghouls? Erased.
Wraiths? Cut down by their own kind.
The dungeon was cleansed, its lifeblood drained dry.
Looting the Remains – Taking Everything of Value
Markus moved through the battlefield, collecting everything worth taking.
Mana Cores – A dozen of them, extracted from slain undead.
Necrotic Crystals – Pure condensed death energy, useful for enchantments.
Ancient Relics – Scraps of weapons and armor, imbued with lingering curses.
The dungeon's wealth now belonged solely to him.
The Final Kill – Ending the Undead Sovereign
The throne room loomed ahead, its silence absolute.
The Undead Sovereign still sat motionless, its burning eyes watching Markus with empty indifference.
It had seen Markus take everything.
It had felt the essence of Markus, a kinship, a similarity. Yet superior.
And so, it did not resist.
"I should thank you."
Markus stepped forward, his tone laced with mock sincerity.
"For your generous contributions to my holy cause."
A slow smirk.
"Rest assured, your power will be put to great use."
He raised a single hand.
Death's Grasp.
A torrent of necrotic energy erupted, spiraling into a massive black wave that engulfed the throne, consuming everything.
The Undead Sovereign didn't scream.
It didn't resist.
It simply crumbled into nothingness, its reign over the dungeon erased.
[Dungeon Boss Defeated – Gate Collapsing in 60 Seconds.]
Markus took the mana core of the boss, turned away, not even bothering to watch.
The Undead Sovereign had existed only to serve.
Now, it had fulfilled its purpose.
A flicker of movement, Markus teleported out, leaving the collapsing dungeon behind.
The Final Refinements – Strengthening His Defenses
Markus stood alone, the morning sun barely rising, as he reviewed his final preparations.
His army was vast, his magic deep, but there was one glaring weakness, defense.
It was time to fix that.
His undead could absorb damage for him, but he wasn't untouchable.
His Arcane Shield had served well, but he needed more than a temporary barrier.
A passive defense, a permanent, automatic layer of protection.
And now, it was time to evolve it.
Evolution – Arcane Shield Becomes an Absolute Defense
The moment Arcane Shield reached Level 10, a familiar system prompt appeared before him.
[Arcane Shield has reached Level 10. Would you like to evolve this ability?]
[YES]
The moment he confirmed, his mana pulsed outward, shifting, restructuring itself into something deeper, more instinctive.
The shield that once required activation was now integrated into his very existence.
Arcane Shield has evolved into [Arcane Aegis] (Lv. 1).
[Evolved Ability: Arcane Aegis (Lv. 1)]
Now a Passive Skill – Always Active.
Magical Defense Increased → Now absorbs up to 70% of incoming magic damage.
Physical Defense Increased → Now reduces all non-magical physical damage by 30%.
Auto-Activation – Instantly deploys reinforcement layers if Markus takes consecutive damage.
Zero Mana Cost – Does not require activation or upkeep.
Markus exhaled, feeling the difference instantly.
The faint shimmering barrier that once flickered into existence on command? Gone.
Instead, a permanent, invisible layer of protection now wrapped around him at all times.
Magic would bend and dissipate before reaching him, and physical attacks would hit with reduced force.
This wasn't just a shield. It was an armor made of magic itself.
Reviewing His Gains – The Status of Power
Markus opened his newly optimized status window, now cleaner, categorized, and perfected.
No more clutter.
No more endless scrolling.
Only the power that mattered.
[Core Stats & Combat Data]
Level: 10 (2,000/11,000 EXP)
HP: 2,760 / 2,760
MP: 4,980 / 4,980
SP: 2,208 / 2,208
Strength: 184
Agility: 167
Endurance: 276
Intelligence: 498
Wisdom: 391
Luck: 118
Total Inventory Slots: 249
Unspent Free Stat Points: 50
[Resistances & Defensive Capabilities]
Physical Resistance: 30% (From Arcane Aegis – Passive).
Magic Resistance: 70% (From Arcane Aegis – Passive).
Necrotic Resistance: Immune (Necromantic Energy Mastery).
Mind Control Resistance: High (Due to Dark Authority & high Wisdom).
Stealth Detection: Detects hidden threats & mana voids (Arcane Perception).
Poison Resistance: Moderate (Necrotic energy enhances bodily endurance).
[Acquired Skills – Fully Categorized]
[Necromantic Mastery]
Abyssal March (Lv. 10 – Ready for Evolution!) – Controls 300 undead, stronger coordination.
Ritual of the Forsaken (Lv. 10 – Ready for Evolution!) – Permanent undead resurrection.
Dark Authority (Lv. 6) – Absolute command over lesser undead.
[Arcane Mastery]
Arcane Perception (Lv. 1) – Detects mana voids, hidden enemies, and weak points.
Echoing Rift (Lv. 5) – Creates scalable dungeons, stronger with resource infusion.
Arcane Aegis (Lv. 1 – Passive) – Permanent damage mitigation (70% magic, 30% physical).
[Elemental Magic]
Blazing Execution (Fire, Lv. 5) – Explosive fire magic.
Piercing Frost (Ice, Lv. 5) – Freezing projectiles.
Death's Grasp (Necrotic, Lv. 5) – Battlefield-wide energy drain.
Death Coil (Necrotic – Wraith Skill, Lv. 6) – Direct necrotic attack, drains enemy life.
[Defensive & Utility Skills]
Silent Phantom (Lv. 5) – Enhanced stealth ability, removes sound and visual presence more effectively.
Void Blink (Lv. 7) – 90 meters (Instant short-range teleportation, bypasses obstacles).
[Regeneration & Passive Abilities]
Greater Regeneration (Passive) – Rapid wound healing, regenerates lost limbs over time.
[Effective Ranges for Markus' Skills]
[Elemental & Offensive Abilities]
Blazing Execution (Fire) – 40 meters (Explosive fire magic, wide-area effect).
Piercing Frost (Ice) – 55 meters (Freezing projectile, can pierce multiple enemies).
Death's Grasp (Necrotic) – 50 meters (Battlefield-wide energy drain, weakens enemies).
Death Coil (Necrotic – Wraith Skill) – 35 meters (Direct necrotic attack, drains enemy life).
[Arcane & Movement Abilities]
Arcane Perception – 100 meters (Detects mana voids, hidden enemies, weak points).
Void Blink – 90 meters (Instant short-range teleportation, bypasses obstacles).
Silent Phantom – Passive (No range limit, fully stealth-based ability).
[Current Undead Army Status]
Summon Limit: 300 Active Undead
Stored Units (Inventory):
Lich Summoners (🧙♂️ x10) – Summon additional undead.
Death Guards (⚔️ x15) – Frontline tanks & elite knights.
Wraiths (👻 x10) – Assassination & stealth operations.
[Next Steps – Power Growth Objectives]
Power Growth Priorities:
Evolve Abyssal March → Unlock higher undead & increased army size.
Evolve Ritual of the Forsaken → Allow permanent high-tier undead.
Expand Elemental Arsenal → Hunt for missing elements (Lightning, Earth, Void, etc.).
Immediate Plans:
Seek out high-tier creatures with rare elemental affinities.
Find the next dungeon target to strengthen core abilities.
Train Death's Grasp & Arcane Perception further.