The Sublimated Warrior

Chapter 5: The Sublimated Warrior

Norris, still reeling from his recent battle, focused on modifying the skeleton warrior's remains. He transformed the undead warrior into a formidable guard, one that would serve as a temporary protector of his shelter. As Norris worked, he sealed the environment to reduce the leak of energy. The ambient mana felt like a cold, oppressive fog that lingered in the air, and he added intricate seals to the spell, ensuring that the Death Realm's chaotic energies wouldn't interfere with his makeshift haven.

Having successfully constructed a miniature haven that blended seamlessly into its surroundings, Norris set out to scout the surrounding areas. The landscape was bathed in an eerie, otherworldly glow from the swirling patterns of mana that danced in the distance. His goal was to gather valuable information about the local terrain and potential threats.

As he explored, Norris occasionally encountered corporeal undead—skeletons, ghouls, zombies, and mummies—which he engaged in combat. These skirmishes allowed him to hone his melee combat skills so he could adapt to the unique challenges of this eerie world. Each encounter refined his combat awareness and helped him correct data that he used to develop strategies tailored to the local environment.

The mana use of the undead creatures was primitive and instinctive, and with Norris's mana scent from his undead body, he could sense the mana as it moved. Mana scent was an ability that undead possessed, an instinctive capability to perceive mana at their level, aiding them in the absence of conventional senses like smell to feel their surroundings. The data collected during the fights enabled Norris to predict the enemies' movements based on the way they used their mana. This advantage allowed him to stay one step ahead in each skirmish, making him a formidable opponent.

During his encounters with the undead, Norris observed that some of them seemed more spiritual and resourceful than others. Most initiate undead were barely intelligent, almost non-sentient, operating purely on basic instincts. However, as they evolved into Adept undead, their intelligence increased, becoming as smart as animals. The more spiritual and resourceful ones resembled primates in their cunning and adaptability. These cunning warriors appeared to possess a primitive form of instinct, allowing them to sense and avoid potential threats. Norris noted that they would deliberately steer clear of him, and he reciprocated by not pursuing them. This unspoken understanding allowed them to coexist, each respecting the other's space.

As he navigated the twisted landscape, Norris's keen mana sense caught sight of a heavily armored skeleton warrior. This one was different, exuding an aura that matched Norris's own. The dense and heavy presence of its mana screamed caution to Norris's instincts, and he prepared himself for a potential confrontation.

Norris cast aside his sword, realizing he couldn't beat a sublimated warrior in a sword fight. "Oh my God, it's a sublimated warrior on the same level as me," he thought to himself. "I gotta use magic." Norris swiftly decided to use his original mana instead of arcane energy so that he could augment the spells without having to perform strict calculations on the spot, and control the flow of the fight more easily.

Consciously keeping his distance, Norris was aware that his lack of long-range spells necessitated strategic positioning. He couldn't afford to get too close, but staying too far away would leave him vulnerable to the warrior's attacks.

As he focused his mind, Norris rapidly assessed the situation. His upgraded soul granted him immense calculation power. In a split second, he processed numerous scenarios, weighing the pros and cons of each spell.

The landscape around them was desolate, shrouded in a perpetual twilight. The ground was cracked and dry, with an eerie mist clinging to the surface. The air felt heavy with mana, pulsing like a living entity.

A "Clone spell" (4th-level) spell was cast, and a clone materialized beside him. The clone created an unsophisticated barrier that sealed the area, preventing anyone from interfering in the fight without Norris's knowledge, and also concealed any evidence of the battle.

The warrior charged, undisturbed by Norris's little actions, its movements swift and deadly. Norris sidestepped, avoiding the attack by mere inches. The warrior retaliated with a devastating vertical energy blast using the sword as a medium, unleashing a torrent of negative energy that carried a withering effect on the already desolate environment of the Death Realm. The blast created a gaping ravine in the cracked ground, the air around them growing colder as if the very life force was being drained from the surroundings. The ground vibrated violently, causing rocks to shatter and bones littering the area to be flung into the air. Nearby undead were unfortunate victims, vanquished by the sheer force and withering effect of the blast.

Norris dodged the blast by a hair's breadth, but the residual energy still managed to crush several of his bones. He gritted his teeth, the distance was still too close to the warrior.

With a swift motion, Norris used his "Cure Wounds" (1st-level) spell, he made a little change to it adding concentrated death mana. The spell manifested as a deadly pale green light, giving off a feeling of twisted vitality. Although the spell was not harmful to the undead warrior, it was successfully cast, creating a debuff that slowed the warrior down. The undead's body recognized the spell as a buff, bypassing its resistance.

Undead creatures can assimilate vitality as a potent energy source, fueling their growth and development. Vitality is broken down and assimilated, often slowing them down in the process except for undead with regeneration. The skeletal undead warrior couldn't rapidly regenerate, making the addition of Norris's death energy to the vitality harder to digest and further slowing the undead, creating a debuff.

Norris's strategy was to debuff the undead even if only briefly, bind it, and use this opportunity to play with it slowly.

A "Bind (1st level spell)" spell followed, created by stunning the soul of the warrior, making him have the hallucination that he is restricted. Norris's soul strength was far stronger than the undead, allowing the spell to bypass the soul's inherent barrier and hold the warrior in place for some seconds—enough time for Norris to cast the "Bone Binding" (3rd-level) spell. Skeletal bones erupted from the ground, joining together in a bone cage-like structure that looked like weeds entangling a bird, restricting the warrior's movement. Enraged, the warrior attempted to break free, its energy surging. Norris reinforced the bind with additional energy to maintain control.

The warrior unleashed another energy blast using his body as a medium, breaking the bone cage and delivering Area of Effect (AoE) damage. The impact created a shockwave that shattered Norris's clone and damaged the surrounding landscape. Rocks shattered, bones littering the ground were pulverized, and nearby undead were once again unfortunate victims. Norris's robe, imbued with the "Ethereal Barrier" (5th-level) spell, resisted the energy impact while he shielded himself against the physical effects of the attack like shock. Norris saw the energy shield of his robe about to break as the attacks were gradually approaching the limit.

Realizing the formidable nature of his opponent, Norris knew he had to take risks against a foe of the same level. He created two more clones, and then another, making three clones in total.

Norris, along with two of his clones, rushed towards the warrior. The third clone remained at a distance, acting as a decoy.

The warrior, having escaped the binding, unleashed another energy blast—this time far less potent as it was intended to shatter the clones before focusing on Norris himself, shattering two of Norris's clones. Norris, disguised as the remaining clone, seized the opportunity to get close to the warrior.

With a swift motion, Norris touched the warrior, using his "Vampiric Touch" (3rd-level) spell to suck the energy out of it. Dark, pulsating energy flowed from the warrior into Norris, creating a visible stream of power transfer. The warrior's strength began to wane, its body losing energy at a very fast pace, making it disoriented. Norris augmumented the spell, making it achieve more than what it normally could. The Vampiric Touch was aimed at the energy of the undead, and it was successful because of the warrior's poor control of its energy, allowing the spell to bypass the undead's magical resistance and soul barrier.

Norris realized the warrior was still alive, despite his attempts to drain its energy. As a sublimated being, the warrior's energy was too vast to absorb. Norris figured that if he delayed any longer, the sublimated warrior might get used to the state of losing energy and might counterattack—which was very dangerous as he was practically touching the warrior, a fatal distance.

He promptly decided to seal the warrior by forming a stable loop that used the warrior's own energy as an energy source to bind him. The Sealing Array spell was designed to draw power from the warrior, creating a self-sustaining loop that kept the warrior immobilized. The array glowed with an intense blue light, its runes and symbols pulsing as they absorbed and redirected the warrior's energy. The temperature around them dropped further, and the air grew heavy with the concentrated mana.

Norris knew this method wouldn't work for mages, as they could easily use their energy to disrupt the seal. Warriors with excellent control of their energy could also potentially escape. However, having fought the warrior and seen firsthand its energy control, Norris was confident that this particular skeleton warrior could not escape the seal.

The air around them crackled with energy as the sealing array took hold. The warrior's energy was redirected and contained within the runes and symbols of the array. The skeletal warrior's movements slowed, its energy being continuously drawn into the loop. The low hum of the array resonated through the ground, creating a stable and powerful binding force.

Finally, the warrior stood motionless, its energy nodes locked within the array. Norris had successfully sealed the sublimated warrior, ensuring it could no longer pose a threat.

---

While feeling victorious, Norris was not happy. His heart was heavy, as the warrior's behavior was out of the norm. A sublimated skeletal warrior not wanting to escape was unusual, and if it had wanted to, Norris was not sure he could have kept it under control. Although Norris quickly sealed it, giving it no chance to flee, Norris was practically in control throughout the fight. The undead not running after seeing it was at a disadvantage was very strange.

To get answers, Norris decided to use a spell way above his level, "Control Undead." This spell could only be used by a legendary mage. To use this spell, Norris needed the use of spellcasting materials and other variables to increase the success of the spell. He needed to add an elemental component to make sure the spell was very targeted, a catalyst to enhance the spell's effectiveness, and make a personal sacrifice to provide the necessary energy boost.

Carefully, Norris drew the intricate symbols on the cracked ground using a small, delicate brush dipped in a special ink that shimmered with magical energy. The atmosphere was tense, the air heavy with mana. As he worked on the array, Norris channeled his magical energy into it. The array began to glow with a faint, eerie light, casting long shadows on the desolate landscape. The temperature dropped further, the cold seeping into his bones as the array took shape.

Norris's mana perception allowed him to sense the flow of energy within the array. It felt like a steady stream, drawing power from the ambient mana and concentrating it within the symbols and runes.

Determined and focused, Norris gripped a spiritual crystal shard tightly and chanted the incantations necessary to activate the spell. He could feel the raw power of the Death Realm flowing into him. With determination, Norris sacrificed a small amount of his mana, feeling a brief but intense drain on his life force. His voice was steady, but his mind raced with thoughts of the potential backlash. Having fought the warrior and seen firsthand its energy control, Norris was confident that this particular skeleton warrior could not escape.

Finally, Norris activated the custom array he had created, intricately designed to channel and enhance the spell's effects. The array's glow intensified, and Norris felt a surge of power as the spell took hold, linking his will to the skeletal warrior.

The warrior's movements slowed, its resistance waning as the spell asserted control. Norris's heart was still heavy, but he was determined to find answers. With the warrior now under his command, he could finally uncover the truth behind its unusual behavior.

---

Finally, the seal took hold, the warrior's energy dissipating. Norris stood victorious, but his curiosity remained unsated. Seeking answers, Norris decided to interrogate the warrior's spirit. "Why did you come here to fight?" he asked.

The warrior's spirit responded, its voice like a rusty gate. "To eat... for evolution."

Norris raised an eyebrow. "Evolve?"

The warrior's spirit hesitated. "Grow stronger."

Norris sensed desperation behind the warrior's words. "What drives you to evolve? Is it desire for power or something else?"

The warrior's spirit responded flatly. "Evolve."

Norris's eyes narrowed, his mind thinking of oaths. "You're avoiding the question. It seems like an oath that restrains you from answering certain questions."

The warrior's spirit remained silent. Norris pressed on because, while sublimated undead should be as many as stars in the Death Realm, their evolution is usually like creating gu with the king gu becoming intelligent and sublimated. Whatever was done during the process of evolution usually contributes to the final form. This skeletal warrior instead revealed sophistication unlike the randomness and chaos of evolution. The warrior's structure looked more sophisticated, arousing his curiosity and wariness.

"Tell me about your structure," Norris demanded.

The warrior's spirit answered, "I have an evolved skeletal frame that's as hard as metal and use armor as a node to carry more energy, with runes on the bones aiding in the energy flow."

Norris's eyes narrowed further. "This doesn't seem like wild evolution. Instead, it's more like a standard template," he thought. The standard template easily revealed a sort of organization behind the warrior. So he asked more questions, and from its answers, he determined that the warrior was under an oath because it unconsciously or consciously denied revealing information about the organization behind him.

Having gotten the answer, Norris brought out a contract to bind the undead in an oath to avoid divulging any information about their encounter. The undead's answers and the standard template indicated an organization, and Norris, as the victor, decided to show mercy as a sign of goodwill to whoever sent the warrior.

The warrior's spirit nodded in compliance. Norris sensed the oath taking hold, securing his trust. With the oath in place, Norris released the warrior from his control, leaving it sealed and powerless.

He kept his distance, turning to leave. As he hastened to his temporary abode, he disrupted any attempts that might be made to track him. Although he felt uneasy, his sense of security skyrocketed the nearer he got to his haven. Although he felt uneasy, his sense of security skyrocketed the nearer he got to his haven. The backlash for using his worn-out soul to cast spells in a high-intensity battle would soon come to bite him, and being out in the open with an unknown enemy chasing him brought a whole new sense of crisis to Norris.

---

The reference to "gu" and "king gu" comes from a concept in Chinese folklore and mythology, where "gu" refers to a type of venomous insect or poison that is used in dark magic or witchcraft. The "king gu" is the strongest and most dominant one, having absorbed the others' essences. This process is chaotic and unpredictable, leading to the creation of a powerful yet unique entity.

In the context of the story, the comparison is used to illustrate the typical chaotic and unpredictable nature of undead evolution in the Death Realm, where the final form is often influenced by various random factors.