Chapter 81: You'll Be Able to Do Something Fun (7)

I asked, "What... exactly am I supposed to do?"

Tap, tap.

Gith-Za-Rai didn't answer. She smiled slightly, her cold fingers lightly tapping beneath my jaw.

"Experience it for yourself."

Soon, a corpse emerged from the darkness. It glowed faintly with a blue hue, and its lips were sealed. The limbs weren't severed, nor was its belly split. Although its organs were spilling out, it was unmistakably a corpse. As if it had been preserved without decay or wounds, it stood motionless, like a taxidermied figure. It had no heartbeat or breath.

I took a step back, startled by the corpse approaching me.

Clatter!

I recognized the corpse. "This man!"

His clothes, his weapon—I had seen them before. He wasn't someone who would have taken his own life.

I turned to the necromancer and asked, "Did you kill him?"

Her smile widened in response, a silent confirmation. Her expression was smooth, serene, devoid of malice—yet somehow strangely unsettling.

"Why did you kill him?" I pressed.

The necromancer replied with a laugh. "I've awakened him from life. Isn't that right, Chandler?"

The corpse nodded slightly in response, though it remained silent.

I had seen this man in the woods wearing loose red robes with his long black hair tied back by a white headband. His distinct long blade, with its single-edged curve, was still intact. Its handle extended far beyond the grip of one hand, yet he held it effortlessly. The same blade had severed multiple spears at once during that encounter.

"What am I supposed to do with him?" I asked.

Gith-Za-Rai replied with a crooked smile, "Extract from him."

"Extract?"

"He's only been dead for two days. Focus. Don't you see it?"

"What exactly am I supposed to see?"

The necromancer didn't elaborate.

Instead, her cold fingers lightly grazed my skull, urging me forward. "First, try subduing him. Go ahead. You're strong enough to win, aren't you?"

Her tone was coaxing, as if she were teaching a child. The conversation felt disconnected.

"Here."

Out of nowhere, she handed me a longsword. I gripped it and held the blade diagonally. The corpse I knew as Chandler drew his katana.

The blade's metallic cry resonated as he approached, silent footsteps betraying his deadly intent. His glowing blue eyes flickered ominously. We stood in a tense standoff. He shifted slightly, shifting his right foot forward. Holding his katana at an angle, he pointed its tip at my skull—a textbook middle stance.

I mirrored his movements, raising my sword slightly and closing the distance. My left arm retracted, holding the blade high. I deliberately opened a gap in my defense to bait him.

However, he didn't take the bait. He still had his intelligence.

After a long, tense pause, I lowered my blade once more.

Whoosh!

In an instant, he lunged forward, raising his katana high for a swift, downward slash. Had I been caught off guard, it would have struck me cleanly.

Clang!

I deflected the blow, angling the longsword upward to redirect his blade. The katana veered to the side, striking the ground. I stepped to the left and swung my sword, aiming for his neck. The sound of flesh severing was faint. No blood spurted as his heart had already stopped beating.

Thud, thud.

The severed head tumbled across the dark cave floor, making a soft rolling noise. However, the rest of the corpse continued to move. Chandler stepped back, raised his sword again, and resumed his stance as if nothing had happened. The blue aura around him remained intact.

"..."

I gripped the longsword with both hands.

Clang!

I blocked another downward strike from his katana. Then, I kicked him square in the chest.

Thump!

His chest felt dense and rubbery, like a tough mass of flesh. The impact sent him staggering backward several steps.

I rushed forward.

Slash!

I drove my blade into his unmoving heart. Yet, the corpse still didn't stop.

How stubborn.

Chandler swung his katana again. I redirected this blow too, raising my sword to strike the back of his katana with all my strength. The headless corpse dropped its weapon with a sharp clang.

Thud.

Finally, the corpse collapsed.

"Is it over?"

"The essence of that one resided in the blade," Gith-Za-Rai explained, her voice cold and detached. "Dropping the weapon was his defeat."

"Wasn't he just a man walking along the road? Did you really kill him for no reason?"

"Yep."

Gith-Za-Rai’s slow nod seemed to send ripples through the air.

"That's cruel."

She smiled faintly at my remark and replied, "No, it's serene."

I watched as she gently stroked the late Baron Chandler's severed head.

Gith-Za-Rai continued, "There's no need to consume pain. No burden of carrying other lives. Everything becomes clean and simple." She added cryptically, "The world must become a corpse."

Is she saying she wants to end the world?

I stared blankly, unable to comprehend her words.

"Just kidding," Gith-Za-Rai said, "I had work to do. I simply eliminated anyone who might get in the way."

She fiddled with my collarbone. "Why are you so tense?"

I stepped aside, avoiding her touch. My eyes fell on the fallen baron's body because I noticed something strange. A faint green light flickered around his wrist.

"What is—?"

Seeing my startled reaction, Gith-Za-Rai answered, "Do you see it? Try absorbing it."

Above the green light, a faint system message appeared, flashing as if to catch my attention. I focused on it.

[You have successfully neutralized the target.]

[Absorption skill unlocked.]

[Essence Absorption Lv. 1

You can absorb essence from targets deceased within 48 hours.]

Essence Absorption?

[This is an Epic skill. The skill evolves as you repeatedly absorb and digest essences.

As the skill level increases, various limitations will be lifted.]

Almost entranced, I reached out toward the glowing green light.

[Absorption conditions met.]

[Absorbing stats below 50.]

[Due to Absorption Level (1), Absorption is limited to basic skills.]

Brrr...

The air around the light vibrated. I drew the green energy into me, and I felt a strange, swelling sensation as though I were being filled.

Clatter! Clatter!

My bones moved involuntarily, shaking and rattling momentarily before becoming still again.

[You have absorbed 1 point of Wisdom.]

[You have absorbed Iaijutsu Lv. 1.]

[You have absorbed Eastern Language Lv. 1.]

[The absorbed abilities will take effect after digestion is complete.]

The green light, now inside me, slowly spread throughout my bones.

It seems like it takes some time for the abilities to actually activate.

[Digesting absorbed abilities...

Time until digestion is complete: 23:59:59

The skill is evolving.]

"..."

I stood silently, slowly processing how absurd this situation was.

Absorbing stats and absorbing skills...

Is this really something I can do?

I looked toward Gith-Za-Rai. "Is this... your gift to me?"

She nodded. "Yes."

A tingling sensation rippled through all my bones.

This is beyond words... Is this the pinnacle of the skeletal grafting procedure she supposedly perfected?

Essence Absorption. The ability to absorb stats and skills from an opponent...

I assessed my current state. Apart from Wisdom, most of my stats were above Lv. 50. While the stat absorption aspect wasn't particularly beneficial, the ability to absorb even basic skills was incredible. Stats could, in theory, be regained over time—or even after death.

However, skills were far harder to acquire. I spent twenty years rattling around aimlessly in my first life without gaining a single meaningful skill. Things changed after returning from death with the blood of a hero on me. Dungeon clears rewarded skills, but dungeons were finite. Now, a way to surpass those limits had appeared.

I looked at the message again.

[Digesting absorbed abilities...

Time until digestion is complete: 23:58:47

The skill is evolving...]

A skill that evolves...

This likely means that as my skills grow, I'll be able to absorb even stronger stats and skills.

Overwhelmed, I turned to Gith-Za-Rai. "Have you... Have you lived with such power all this time?"

The left corner of Gith-Za-Rai’s human lips curled upward, and she nodded slowly. It was staggering. I couldn't even begin to estimate the extent of her abilities. If I could absorb stats, then I would not need to level up. I'd never hit a bottleneck. Absorbing skills—an even more ludicrous ability—would allow me to steal the fruits of another's innate talent and years of dedicated training.

What else is there to say?

Gith-Za-Rai's voice was calm, almost lazy. "This feels... unnatural, doesn't it?"

Clatter.

Something felt off. I nodded unconsciously.

However, her words carried a different meaning. "It really is strange. I don't even know why I'm giving you all this."

"..."

"Do you have any guesses?"

Of course, I had a suspicion. It was likely due to my Necromancer's Lover trait. That absurd trait must have forced her to like me. It had been horrifying to get kidnapped, crushed by giant trolls, and toyed with.

Now, receiving this kind of overwhelming power as a result—should I feel grateful?

Probably.

I glanced at the status screen again.

[Essence Absorption Lv. 1

You can absorb essences from targets deceased within 48 hours.]

For now, it might not be as efficient as conquering dungeons and earning points. In a war, however, hiding on a battlefield would change everything. Countless corpses could provide essence, and there could be promising knights from various nations. I could absorb their essences, one by one...

No one would be a threat to me.

I'd be able to protect Lady Succubus from anyone. A thrilling sense of exhilaration coursed through me.

Whirrrr!

[Gravity Incantation: Onyx Ring]

Gith-Za-Rai simply said two words. "Instant Incantation.

"

The air within the cave shifted and took on color. Shadows I hadn't noticed before began to tremble. Gith-Za-Rai wasn't tearing down mountains or overturning seas, but with a mere murmur, she had altered the world itself.

The level of preparation was staggering. There were no reagents, scrolls, or mandalas—just a simple invocation she had crafted herself. With it, the world cracked, split, and then reassembled into something new.

Ding!

[S+ Rank Binding Magic: Bound by the Onyx Ring.

— Only life, death, or the master's boredom will break the bond.

— Range set: 100 meters.]

Bound?

I lowered my gaze and stared at myself. I didn’t see any bindings, but just because they couldn't be seen didn't mean I couldn’t feel them. Intuition wasn't exclusive to the living. I knew that if I tried to leave her side, a massive force would restrain me.

My head swirled with questions.

Why... and how?

"I never planned to let you go when I first saw you," Gith-Za-Rai said, her expression coldly amused. "But now, I

really

can't let you go. You're my little transplanted baby after all, aren't you? So you'll stay by my side—until death, of course."