The aftermath of combat always brought clarity to Theo's thinking. Standing over three beetle-creature corpses in the crystalline chamber, he felt the familiar satisfaction of a tactical problem solved efficiently. These weren't just defeated enemies—they represented an opportunity to experiment with his necromantic abilities.
Shadowstep stood ready beside him in the crystalline chamber, while he could sense Grimjaw maintaining its distant watch at the warehouse entrance above. Both undead awaited orders with the patient attention that marked their developing intelligence. Theo could sense their readiness through the mental link that connected him to his servants, but it was the notification that appeared in his vision that captured his immediate attention.
CHARACTER STATUS
Name: Theodore Blackwood
Race: Human
Class: Wizard
Subclass: Necromancer
Level: 1
Experience: 80/300
EXPERIENCE GAINED:
Beetle Warrior (Level 4): 125 XP
Beetle Scout (Level 3): 95 XP
Beetle Drone (Level 2): 75 XP
Total Gained: 295 XP
Current Experience: 375/300
LEVEL UP!
Level 2 Reached
Experience Overflow: 75/600
Primary Stat Increase: Intelligence +2 (Automatic)
Choose Secondary Stat: +1 Point Available
Free Attribute Points: +2
The advancement to level 2 brought immediate changes he could feel throughout his entire being. His mana reserves expanded significantly, and something about his connection to negative energy felt more refined, more controlled. The interface prompted him to select which secondary attribute to enhance—a choice that felt important enough to consider carefully.
Based on his recent combat experiences, improved reflexes and agility could mean the difference between life and death. He allocated the secondary point to Dexterity, then distributed his free points to Constitution and Wisdom for improved survivability and better undead coordination.
Theo accessed his updated status to review the changes:
CHARACTER STATUS
Name: Theodore Blackwood
Race: Human
Class: Wizard
Subclass: Necromancer
Level: 2
Experience: 75/600
Attributes:
Strength: 14
Dexterity: 17 (+1)
Constitution: 16 (+1)
Intelligence: 20 (+2)
Wisdom: 17 (+1)
Charisma: 12
Health Points: 25/25
Mana Points: 55/55
Mana Regeneration: 5.5 per hour
Permanent Undead Limit: 2 (increases to 3 at level 3)
Known Spells:
Cantrips: Mage Hand, Prestidigitation, Minor Illusion, Chill Touch
1st Level: Magic Missile, Shield, Detect Magic, Speak with Dead
Special: Animate Dead (15 mana, permanent undead, current limit: 2)**
NEW ABILITY UNLOCKED: Summon Temporary Undead
Basic Tier: 5 mana, 3-minute duration
Enhanced Tier: 10 mana, 1.5-minute duration
Elite Tier: 20 mana, 45-second duration
Maximum Active: Limited by Wisdom (current: 8 basic, 4 enhanced, 2 elite)
The new temporary summoning ability exceeded his most optimistic expectations about what advancement might bring. Not only had his mana pool increased substantially, but he'd gained access to an entirely new category of necromantic capability. The ability to field multiple undead for short periods represented tactical flexibility he hadn't dared hope for.
But it was the three beetle corpses that captured his analytical attention. From his experience with the goblin skeletons, he understood that stronger corpses should produce stronger undead—skeleton warriors that retained the combat abilities and tactical knowledge of their former lives. Both Grimjaw and Shadowstep had been created from goblin corpses, giving him a baseline for comparison, but these beetle-creatures represented a significant upgrade in potential.
The engagement had provided him with higher level corpses to test whether beetle skeletons would be stronger than goblin skeletons. But as Theo studied the creatures' chitinous shells and segmented limbs, a fundamental question occurred to him that his basic education had never required him to consider before.
Beetles had exoskeletons, not internal bone structures like mammals. What exactly would happen when he tried to animate creatures that possessed no actual skeleton? Would the spell fail entirely, or would it adapt to create something different—perhaps zombies instead of skeletons? The necromantic magic that had worked perfectly on humanoid goblins might produce entirely different results when applied to insectoid anatomy.
His understanding of undead creation was limited to the two goblin skeletons he'd successfully animated. Both had retained personality mannerisms while gaining absolute loyalty to his commands, suggesting that the creatures' former abilities and instincts could transfer to their undead forms. If the beetle-creatures' coordination and natural armor translated to their animated versions, the resulting undead might prove significantly more capable than his current servants.
This experiment required making difficult decisions about his current force. His two-servant limit meant he could test at most two of the three beetle corpses without gaining another level. With three potential upgrades available, he needed to choose which corpses offered the best testing opportunities.
Theo studied his undead servants while considering his options. Grimjaw displayed the aggressive directness that had characterized its living form, while Shadowstep moved with the fluid stealth that had made it valuable for reconnaissance. They weren't just animated tools anymore; they had become genuine assets with individual capabilities and tactical specializations.
But sentiment was a luxury he couldn't afford when suboptimal decisions might cost lives. His mission as a chosen one required maximum capability development, and maintaining weaker undead for emotional reasons violated every principle of strategic optimization he'd learned through years of strategic gaming and analytical problem-solving.
He made his decision with the same calculated pragmatism that guided his approach to character optimization in games. The level 4 and level 3 corpses represented the best opportunities to test his theories about corpse quality, while the level 2 creature could wait until he gained additional undead slots through advancement.
Theo began with Grimjaw, focusing on the mental connection that linked them across the distance back to the warehouse. He concentrated on severing the necromantic bonds that maintained its existence, sending the command through their established link. Even from the underground chamber, he could sense the process beginning—not a violent dissolution but a gradual fading as the magical energies that animated dead bone simply... stopped.
Through their connection, he felt Grimjaw's final acknowledgment, a sense of understanding that somehow conveyed the skeleton's acceptance before the link dissolved entirely. Back at the warehouse entrance, the remains would have collapsed into ordinary bones, returning to the peaceful rest they'd known before his magic had called them back.
With Grimjaw dismissed, Theo turned to Shadowstep beside him. He placed his hand on the skeleton's skull and concentrated on severing the necromantic bonds. The process was gentle—a gradual fading as the magical energies simply stopped. The skeleton looked at him with empty sockets that somehow conveyed understanding, then performed a graceful bow that maintained the fluid elegance that had characterized its movements before collapsing into ordinary bones that scattered across the crystalline floor.
When both servants had been properly dismissed, Theo positioned himself beside the largest beetle-creature's corpse and began the animation process. The spell structure flowed through his consciousness with increasing familiarity, but something felt different this time—the complexity of the corpse seemed to require more intricate magical manipulation than the simple goblin anatomy had demanded.
The animation took nearly two minutes rather than the one minute he'd experienced with goblin corpses, though the mana expenditure remained consistent at 15 points. But as the necromantic energy settled into the creature's form, something unexpected happened. Instead of simply reanimating the existing body, the magic seemed to... choose. As if the spell itself was selecting the most appropriate form of undeath for this particular corpse.
When the transformation completed, the result was unlike anything he'd expected based on his goblin skeletons.
UNDEAD CREATION SUCCESSFUL
Corpse Level: 4 → Undead Level: 3
Type: Death Beetle
Rarity: Common
Class: Fighter
UNDEAD CREATED: DEATH BEETLE
Level: 3
Class: Fighter
HP: 24/24
Type: Death Beetle (Common)
Evolution: Stage 1 at Level 7
The creature that rose from the corpse bore only passing resemblance to either a skeleton or traditional zombie. Its chitinous shell had turned jet black with veins of sickly green light pulsing beneath the surface. The natural armor remained intact but now radiated an aura of cold that made the air around it shimmer. Its compound eyes glowed with malevolent intelligence, and its mandibles clicked with anticipation of violence.
This wasn't a skeleton using bones that didn't exist, nor a rotting zombie stumbling through decay. This was something else entirely—a death beetle that retained its natural advantages while gaining the relentless purpose of undeath. Its six legs moved with predatory grace as it oriented toward him and raised one clawed foreleg in acknowledgment of his authority.
"Carapace," Theo decided, watching the way the creature's enhanced shell seemed to absorb light around it. The name fit both its most distinctive feature and the defensive capabilities its form clearly possessed.
The success with the first beetle corpse made his decision about the second corpse straightforward. With one permanent slot remaining, he could test the level 3 Scout to see if different beetle corpses produced different types of undead. The level 2 creature would have to remain unused for now, though the 24-hour time limit meant it wouldn't stay viable much longer.
He moved to the level 3 Scout's corpse and began the animation process again. Once more, the spell seemed to choose the most appropriate form of undeath for the corpse.
UNDEAD CREATION SUCCESSFUL
Corpse Level: 3 → Undead Level: 2
Type: Spectral Stalker
Rarity: Uncommon
Class: Rogue
UNDEAD CREATED: SPECTRAL STALKER
Level: 2
Class: Rogue
HP: 18/18
Type: Spectral Stalker (Uncommon)
Evolution: Stage 1 at Level 7
This creation was entirely different from the death beetle. Rather than preserving the beetle's form, the magic had transformed the corpse into something altogether new—a vaguely humanoid figure composed of shifting shadows and translucent energy. The spectral stalker stood roughly human height but moved with an otherworldly grace, its form constantly shifting between solid matter and ghostly transparency. Its eyes glowed with cold blue light that seemed to pierce through darkness, and when it moved, it left no tracks on the crystalline floor.
The spectral stalker's natural stealth abilities had been enhanced beyond anything Shadowstep had possessed. It could become nearly invisible while moving, and its partial incorporeality suggested it might be able to pass through solid obstacles when necessary.
More intriguingly, this undead showed "Uncommon" rarity—a step above the death beetle's "Common" classification. The spectral stalker felt more powerful, more refined in its abilities. Was the rarity random, or did certain factors influence what type and quality of undead his magic produced? With only two examples, he couldn't determine if the level 3 corpse had simply been lucky, or if there were patterns he hadn't recognized yet.
"Prism," Theo named it, watching how the creature's form bent light around itself in patterns that made it difficult to focus on directly.
With his two permanent slots filled, Theo studied the remaining level 2 corpse thoughtfully. The beetle's body showed no signs of decay yet, but his necromantic knowledge told him it would remain viable for animation for only about twenty more hours. Unless he dismissed one of his current undead or somehow gained additional slots, this potential servant would be lost to the twenty-four hour time limit.
With his two permanent slots maximized using higher level corpses, Theo felt amazement at the variety his magic had produced. Two completely different types of undead—death beetle and spectral stalker—each with distinct capabilities and tactical applications. The spell hadn't simply created stronger versions of what he'd had before; it had selected entirely new forms of undeath based on principles he didn't yet understand.
But it was the coordination between his new undead that truly impressed him. Despite their different forms and abilities, Carapace and Prism instinctively complemented each other's combat styles. When he tested their responses to potential threats, Carapace naturally positioned itself for direct engagement while Prism faded into stealth positions for flanking attacks. They didn't move as a unit, but rather as specialists who understood how to support each other's strengths.
The strategic implications were significant. His necromantic force had evolved from basic skeletons suitable for simple tasks to a specialized duo with entirely different capabilities. Carapace provided heavily armored assault capabilities while Prism offered superior reconnaissance and stealth, creating a balanced force that could handle varied tactical situations.
Testing his new temporary undead ability required experimentation, and the beetle-creatures' former nest provided a safe environment for learning. Using 15 mana, he summoned three basic temporary undead from the ambient negative energy that lingered in the chamber.
The results were fascinating—three ghostly skeletons materialized with translucent forms that followed his commands but showed none of the personality development or tactical intelligence that marked his permanent servants. Unlike his permanent undead's varied forms, the temporary summons appeared as simple skeletal warriors that existed only to follow basic orders.
For three minutes, he commanded a force of five undead with combined capabilities that could overwhelm most threats through coordinated assault from multiple angles. When the temporary summons faded, his two permanent servants remained ready for whatever challenges the converging reality might present.
The experimentation had revealed that his necromantic abilities were far more complex than he'd realized. Rather than simply creating stronger versions of the same undead type, his magic apparently selected the most appropriate form of undeath for each corpse—sometimes producing results that defied his expectations entirely.
As Theo prepared to leave the crystalline chamber with his upgraded undead force, movement from Prism indicated detection of something in the tunnel system beyond. The spectral stalker's enhanced perception and stealth capabilities were already proving superior to anything his goblin skeletons had possessed.
He gathered Shadowstep's scattered bones from the crystalline floor and carefully placed them in his pack. When he returned to the warehouse, he would arrange them properly alongside Grimjaw's remains. Both skeletons had served loyally during the initial phase of his development, and their sacrifice for optimization deserved the respect of being laid to rest together.
The convergence rate continued its steady progression toward the 15% milestone where more powerful entities would begin manifesting. But with varied undead types, temporary summoning capabilities, and level 2 advancement providing enhanced mana reserves, Theo felt confident that he could handle whatever challenges the merged reality presented.
His analytical approach to necromantic optimization had revealed that undead creation was far more complex than simple reanimation. The magic itself seemed to possess some form of intelligence, selecting appropriate forms based on factors he was only beginning to understand. Each corpse represented not just potential strength, but potential variety that could provide tactical options he hadn't even considered.
In the crystalline depths beneath Portland, surrounded by the remains of defeated enemies and accompanied by undead servants that defied his expectations, Theo felt the excitement of discovery. His necromantic abilities were revealing depths he hadn't suspected, and the next phase of his development promised even greater surprises as the convergence continued its inexorable progress toward cosmic catastrophe.