Chapter 23 : Corpse Veil

Chapter 23 :

Lucas stood at the forest's edge, staring into a sea of gnarled trees and twisted shadows.

A cold wind slithered through the air, carrying the scent of damp earth and something far fouler. A distant growl rumbled in the darkness, sending a prickle up his spine.

A translucent screen flickered into view.

[Ding! You have received a new Quest.]

[Quest: Strive in the Forest of Death.]

Difficulty: A

Description: William, a renowned teacher, wants to see if you have what it takes to become his disciple. Prove your worth—not just by surviving, but by striving.

Rewards: Dependent on performance.

Penalty: No teacher for you.

Lucas sighed. Striving? Bullshit.

With a flick of his wrist, he dismissed the panel. His focus returned to the abyss before him.

The air felt heavier here, thick with the kind of silence that only existed in places long abandoned by life. Shadows curled unnaturally between the trees, shifting as if they had a will of their own.

Behind him, William and Sirius watched with varying degrees of amusement.

Thania, however, stood still. Her arms were crossed, her expression unreadable—except for the flicker of concern in her eyes.

"Go on then," William said, waving him off like a child sent on an errand. "Three days. Ten undead beasts. Try not to die too early. That would be a waste of my time."

Lucas turned to him, deadpan. "Oh, I'm so sorry for the inconvenience of my potential death."

William grinned. "Apology accepted."

Lucas groaned but knew arguing was pointless. He took a deep breath, squared his shoulders—

And stepped into the forest.

The moment he crossed the threshold, the temperature plummeted.

It wasn't just cold. It was the kind of chill that settled in the bones, whispering promises of forgotten things. Mist coiled around his ankles like hungry ghosts, and the trees—massive, ancient things with roots like gnarled fingers—seemed to loom closer with every step.

Worse than the cold, worse than the unnatural darkness, was the silence.

No birds. No insects. No rustling leaves.

Just the distant groans of something lurking beyond sight.

Lucas exhaled slowly. Alright. First step: survival.

Food. Water. Shelter. 

Three days without food and water? Yeah, no thanks.

His body could handle hunger for a while, but dehydration? That would kill him fast. The issue was, he had no idea if there was clean water anywhere around here.

He crouched down, pressing his fingers into the damp soil. If there was moisture here, that meant water had to be close. He scanned the ground for tracks or signs of animals—undead or not, something had to drink around here.

After about fifteen minutes of careful searching, he found a faint trail of disturbed earth leading downhill. A good sign. Water always pooled in lower areas.

Lucas moved cautiously, keeping an ear out for movement. Every step he took felt like walking through a haunted graveyard, and he wasn't eager to find out what exactly was lurking in the shadows.

A few minutes later, he heard it—

A faint trickling sound.

Water.

Lucas grinned, picking up the pace. He pushed through a tangle of thick roots and found himself at a small stream. The water was almost clear, but something about it made him hesitate.

He grabbed a nearby stick and dipped it in, swirling the liquid gently. The way it moved was… off. Almost oily.

Lucas frowned. Yeah, not drinking that.

He needed fire to purify it.

But that led to a new problem—

Fire meant light. Light meant visibility. And visibility meant that every undead monster in this damn forest would see him like a walking buffet.

Lucas rubbed his temples. Okay, no fire for now. I'll just have to risk drinking small amounts and hope it doesn't melt my insides.

He sighed and cupped a handful of water. Here goes nothing. He took a sip—

—and immediately spat it back out.

"BLECH!"

It tasted like moldy socks mixed with rotten eggs.

Okay, plan B: find fruit or something. 

Something I can eat here. 

Lucas wandered through the forest, keeping low and listening carefully. He didn't have high hopes, but maybe there were still edible plants that hadn't been corrupted by whatever cursed energy tainted this place.

He spotted something that looked vaguely like berries hanging from a vine. Jackpot!

Lucas reached for one—

Lucas wandered through the forest, keeping low. Maybe there were still edible plants that hadn't been corrupted by whatever cursed energy tainted this place.

He spotted something that looked like berries hanging from a vine. Jackpot.

Lucas reached for one—

SNAP.

He froze.

The sound came from above.

Slowly, he tilted his head up.

Perched high in the branches was something that used to be a monkey.

Now, it was a grotesque, rotting thing with hollow eye sockets and exposed ribs. Its long, skeletal fingers clutched the branch tightly.

And it was staring directly at him.

Lucas took a step back.

The creature twitched.

"…You're gonna jump at me, aren't you?"

It screeched.

Lucas barely had time to react before it lunged.

He rolled aside, dodging its bony claws by inches. The creature landed on all fours, head twitching violently.

Lucas didn't wait.

A flick of his wrist—red flames erupted in his palm.

The undead monkey hesitated for half a second.

Then it lunged again.

Lucas thrust his hand forward. Fire burst from his fingertips, engulfing the beast mid-air.

A horrific shriek tore through the night. The flames clung to its rotting flesh, burning it from the inside out. Its body convulsed violently, but—

It kept coming.

Eyes wide, Lucas poured more mana into the fire. The creature screamed, its bones cracking from the heat—

BOOM.

The monkey exploded into a charred husk.

Lucas staggered back, panting.

"Too much mana wasted."

"…And way too loud."

Then—

Rustle. Rustle.

A chill ran down his spine.

Multiple presences. Moving. Fast.

The shadows shifted. Low growls echoed in the distance.

The others had heard the fight.

And they were coming.

"Shit—"

Lucas ran.

A Predator's Evolution

Hours later, he crouched in a narrow ravine, pressed against the cold stone. His breath was shallow, his pulse steady.

A skeletal beast prowled past his hiding spot, empty sockets scanning the area. Lucas held still.

It moved on.

Lucas exhaled slowly. Safe. For now.

But his kill had been messy. Wasteful. Loud. If he kept fighting like this—

He was dead.

He needed to kill smarter. Faster.

No fights. No struggle. Just pure assassination.

And he had the tools.

His blue fire could freeze anything he touched. Silent. Precise.

His Thread of Death let him see how things would die—and where they were weakest.

Lucas focused.

A silver thread shimmered into view, floating from a nearby skeletal bird.

Thin. Fragile. He knew instantly—it would die in thirty seconds.

How?

The thread pulsed.

An image flashed in his mind. The bird. A crack in its brittle bones. A sudden gust of wind. The branch breaking beneath it. A fall.

I can see death before it happens.

A grin crept onto his face.

Now this was useful.

He spent hours testing his skill. Then, he turned to something even harder—erasing his presence.

Undead creatures were cold. Lifeless.

To blend in, he had to become like them.

"Lower my body temperature. Slow my breathing. Dampen my heartbeat."

Easier said than done.

If he lowered his temperature too much, his body would shut down. If he slowed his heart too much, his brain would lose oxygen. If he stopped exhaling heat, his lungs would freeze from the inside out.

A delicate balance.

Lucas closed his eyes, focused on his blue fire, and imagined it turning against him—not as an attack, but as an embrace.

He exhaled.

A thin mist escaped his lips.

His core temperature dropped slightly, but immediately, his body rebelled. His fingers trembled. His muscles tensed as his body tried to generate more heat.

Survival instinct.

It wouldn't be easy. His body was fighting to stay alive, and he had to force it to obey.

Lucas placed a hand over his chest. His heartbeat was steady, too strong, too alive.

"Not for long."

He focused his mana inward. Instead of expelling his blue fire into the world, he visualized it flowing through his veins, cooling his blood.

Immediately, pain shot through his arms. His nerves screamed in protest. His muscles stiffened. His fingers ached, like being submerged in ice water.

Too much. Too fast.

He exhaled sharply, adjusting the flow.

A gradual chill, not an instant freeze.

The pain dulled. His skin prickled, then numbed. His pulse slowed just slightly.

Good.

He opened his eyes—

And nearly gasped.

His breath no longer fogged in the air.

A trickle of sweat on his neck froze mid-drip.

Even better.

But it wasn't enough. His heartbeat was still too strong, his lungs still working too fast.

Lucas needed to go further.

He slowed his breathing, inhaling through his nose, exhaling in shallow wisps. Less heat loss. Less motion.

He concentrated on his heart, sending a faint pulse of blue fire to the surrounding tissue, making it sluggish—not stopping it, just… slowing.

A cold numbness crept into his chest.

He felt lightheaded, almost dizzy. His limbs were unresponsive, his body going still.

He checked his pulse. Barely there.

His breath? Thin. Quiet.

Then, the real test.

A creature passed by the ravine.

A hunched, skeletal beast, its empty sockets scanning the area. Its rotting nose sniffed the air, searching for heat.

Lucas didn't move.

Didn't breathe.

The creature paused right in front of him.

A bead of frost formed on his eyelashes.

For a long moment, nothing happened.

Then—

The beast moved on.

Lucas exhaled silently. His temperature had dropped low enough that the undead beast mistook him for one of its own.

It worked.

But his body ached from the strain. This was an unnatural state—one that risked shutting him down completely if he overdid it.

Still, he grinned.

This was no longer just survival.

This was a weapon.

He spent hours perfecting it, testing the limits, adjusting the flow of mana to keep himself from going completely numb.

By the second day, he could activate it at will. By the end of the second day and the start of the third dat, he could move while maintaining it.

And finally—

[Ding! Congratulations. You have created a new skill.]

Skill Name: Corpse Veil

Effect: Lowers body temperature and vital signs to mimic the undead. Erases heat signature and presence. Use with caution—prolonged use may cause severe frostbite or organ failure.

Lucas opened his eyes.

A thin mist curled from his lips, his body wrapped in an almost spectral cold.

He flexed his fingers. No tremors. No resistance. He could move fluidly while remaining completely undetectable.

He smirked.

"Now… I am ready."

The test finish today. I have to kill 10 intermediate realm monsters. 

Well…let's show them what assassination is. 

End of chapter 23. 

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A/N:

Tell me your thoughts and support with power stones please ;) !