Ketiga skill itu beragam dan berguna masing-masing.
Setidaknya dibandingkan {Acid Shot}, Michael tidak merasa aneh atau ragu terhadap mereka.
Favorit pribadinya adalah skill seri tulang—{Bone Spear} dan {Bone Armor}.
Satu memberikan perlindungan, satunya lagi menyerang dari jarak jauh.
Mereka sempurna untuk orang seperti Michael, yang ingin sedikit aksi tapi tidak ingin menjadi pusat aksi.
"Harus aku coba skill-skill ini nanti," gumamnya.
Meski bisa langsung mencobanya, karena butuh mana—dan sekarang dia punya banyak—prioritasnya ada di tempat lain.
Mengendalikan kekuatannya.
Kalau dia kembali ke dunia nyata seperti ini, menghancurkan gedung baru sedikit masalah.
Tidak mustahil dia membunuh orang tanpa sengaja.
"Dan juga soal itu..." Mata Michael melirik bagian Talent-nya.
[Talent: Infinite Evolution]
Evolution Points: 165
"Masih banyak."
Meski sudah duga akan sisa poin evolusi setelah naikkan semua undead jadi rare-rank, menenangkan bisa memastikannya.
"Ini cukup buat evolusi Lucky dan Prince!"
Sekarang dia Rank 1, dia takut lagi undead naik Rank 2 duluan.
Saat ini Lucky Level 18, Prince cuma satu level di belakang.
Mengevolusikan mereka pasti meningkatkan kekuatan, tapi seberapa jauh masih misteri.
Entah bagaimana, setelah evolusi, hadapi gargoyle di luar pasti bisa.
Pikiran itu membangkitkan kegembiraan.
Meski baru beberapa hari, rasanya seperti hidup dalam sangkar di Land of Origin.
Semoga hari ini dia akhirnya bisa keluar.
"Dulu, aku harus kendalikan kekuatan ini lebih baik."
Kalau setiap gerakan membuatnya nabrak tembok dan hancurkan sekeliling, dia tidak perlu khawatir Lucky dan Prince bisa kalahkan gargoyle.
Malah kekhawatiran terbesar: tidak sengaja mengantarkan diri ke rahang monster.
Michael perlahan menurunkan badan ke lantai dan memulai push-up, bergerak sangat pelan biar tidak melompat ke langit-langit.
Setiap repetisi diukur, membiasakannya dengan kekuatan baru.
Beberapa menit menemukan ritme, dia beralih ke latihan lain, fokus kontrol penuh tubuh.
Akhirnya dia keluarkan tombaknya, niat melatih keseimbangan dan kontrol lebih lanjut.
Latihan senjata tidak cuma memperbaiki koordinasi, tapi juga naikkan proficiency {Spearmanship}.
[A/N: Lupa masukin skill ini di status panel sebelumnya—sudah ditambah sekarang. Maaf!]
Dua jam lewat begitu, dan lingkungan redup tadi jadi terang benderang.
Badan Michael basah keringat, tapi beda sebelum awakening, dia merasa koneksi baru dengan gerakannya.
Kendali tubuhnya kembali.
Oh, kenapa orang sekuat dia masih berkeringat?
Yah, bahkan dewa juga berkeringat kalau cukup ditekan.
"Ha... ha..." Michael menghela napas, memasukkan tombak hampir patah ke storage space.
Dia sudah berusaha tahan kekuatan biar senjata tidak rusak, tapi kalah.
Tombak dari bahan biasa, tahan lumayan tapi sudah di batas.
"Tak heran disarankan Awakener mundur setelah advancement," gumamnya.
"Kalau Rank 1 begini, Rank 2 gimana? Dan di atasnya? Kultivator nanti gimana bisa setara? Ada heavenly tribulation atau apa?"
Pikiran acak lewat saat dia pendinginkan badan.
Napannya stabil, tatapannya tajam.
"Lucky."
Waktunya.
Pendamping undead-nya muncul, memiringkan kepala bingung.
Michael amati undead terkuatnya dengan seksama.
Baru beberapa hari, tapi ikatan mereka tak terungkap.
Belum jadi ikatan emosional, tapi Lucky makhluk yang bisa dipercaya menjaga punggungnya.
Michael tidak naif.
Dia mungkin tidak lama hidup di Earth atau pengalaman hidup sedikit, tapi tidak bodoh.
Di Earth, mati bisa lewat ribuan cara, jadi di dunia magis, bahaya pasti dilipatgandakan.
"Teman" di sini punya alasan lebih untuk mengkhianati.
Tapi bukan undead-nya.
Mereka hidup untuk melayani dia.
Makhluk konyol, setia ini yang bisa dipercaya sepenuhnya.
[Undead Redthorn Wolf Lv. 18]
[Rank: Rare★★★]
[Evolve to Extraordinary★ for 125 Evolution points?]
'Yes'
Cahaya buta familiar meledak lagi, kali begitu terang Michael harus tutup mata rapat.
Meski begitu, indera menangkap perubahan di sekitar.
Aura Lucky jadi ganas, melonjak kuat setiap detik. Begitu ukurannya.
Rasa kekuatan menindas itu kembali, tapi kali ini bawa gembira, bukan ketakutan.
Undead-nya pasti jadi lebih kuat.
Tapi situasi berubah saat Michael merasakan badan Lucky membesar begitu besar sampai menekan langit-langit kamar asrama, hampir enam meter tinggi.
Debu dan puing jatuh, kabut menandai selesainya transformasi.
Beberapa saat kemudian, debu mereda, Michael akhirnya lihat jelas wujud baru undead-nya.
Lucky sekarang menjulang lima meter, badan masif memancarkan kekuatan mentah dan ancaman.
Bulu kehijauan tadi jadi tekstur abu-abu seperti batu dengan aliran hijau cerah halus.
Jambul duri tanaman di leher jadi lebih menakutkan, bergulir seperti hidup, setiap duri menetes getah racun.
Tanaman itu sekarang meluas ke punggung dan kaki, membentuk jubah berbisa hidup yang bergerak kelihatan alami.
Cakar Lucky memanjang, jadi tajam dan berkilau lapisan racun.
Pikiran pertama: Yeah, Lucky jadi pabrik racun berjalan.
Kedua: Tak mungkin aku naik kau lagi.
Dia menatap makhluk masif itu kagum, senyum menarik sudut bibir.
"Hebat sekali."
[Your Rare★★★ Undead Redthorn Wolf has evolved to Extraordinary★ Undead Venomthorn Ravager.]
[Your Undead Venomthorn Ravager {Plant Control} skill has advanced to {Advanced Mastery}]
[Your Undead Venomthorn Ravager {Poison} skill has advanced to {Advanced Mastery}]
[Your Undead Venomthorn Ravager has gained the skill {Viral Growth}.]
[Your Undead Venomthorn Ravager has gained the skill {Toxic Resurgence}.]
All three skills were diverse and useful in their own ways.
At least compared to {Acid Shot}, Michael felt no oddness or hesitation about them.
His personal favorites were the bone series skills—{Bone Spear} and {Bone Armor}.
One provided protection, while the other offered a long-range attack.
They were perfect for someone like Michael, who wanted some action but didn’t want to be the action.
"I’ll have to test these skills out when I can," he muttered to himself.
Though he could test them immediately, since they required mana—and he had plenty of that now—his current priority lay elsewhere.
Controlling his strength.
If the current him returned to the real world, destroying a building would be the least of his concerns.
Killing someone by accident wasn’t out of the realm of possibility.
"And then there’s also that…" Michael’s eyes shifted to his Talent section.
[Talent: Infinite Evolution]
Evolution Points: 165
"It’s still a lot."
Though he had expected to retain some evolution points after upgrading all his undead to rare-rank creatures, it was reassuring to confirm it.
"This should be enough to evolve both Lucky and Prince!"
Now that he had reached Rank 1, he no longer feared his undead advancing to Rank 2 ahead of him.
Currently, Lucky was at Level 18, with Prince just a level behind.
Evolving them would undoubtedly boost their prowess, but to what extent was still a mystery.
Either way, after their evolution, dealing with the gargoyle outside was more than possible.
The thought filled Michael with excitement.
Though it had only been a few days, he felt like he’d been living in a cage in the Land of Origin.
Hopefully, today would be the day he finally left it behind.
"First, I need to get better control over my strength."
If every move he made sent him crashing into walls and breaking his surroundings, he wouldn’t need to worry about whether Lucky and Prince could defeat the gargoyle.
Instead, his biggest concern would be accidentally delivering himself straight into the monster’s jaws.
Michael slowly turned himself to the ground and began a series of push-ups, deliberately moving at a snail’s pace to avoid launching himself off the floor.
Each repetition was measured, allowing him to acclimate to his newfound strength.
After several minutes of finding a steady rhythm, he transitioned to other exercises, focusing on full-body control.
Eventually, he brought out his spear, intending to hone his balance and control further.
Training with the weapon would not only improve his coordination but also increase his proficiency in {Spearmanship}.
[A/N: Forgot to include this skill in the status panel earlier—it’s added now. My bad!]
Two hours passed like this, and the once-dim surroundings had brightened considerably.
Michael’s body dripped with sweat, but unlike before his awakening, he felt a renewed connection with his movements.
His control over his body had returned.
Oh, why was someone as strong as him still sweating?
Well, even gods would perspire under enough pressure. Discover hidden tales at empire
"Ha... ha..." Michael panted, returning his almost-broken spear to his storage space.
He’d done his best to restrain his strength and avoid damaging the weapon, but it had been a losing battle.
The spear, made from ordinary materials, had held up admirably but was clearly reaching its limit.
"No wonder it’s advised that an Awakener should retreat after advancement," he muttered.
"If this is what being Rank 1 feels like, then what about Rank 2 Awakeners? And above that? How the hell do Cultivators later manage to match them? Do they go through heavenly tribulations or something?"
Random thoughts flitted through Michael’s mind as he cooled down.
Once he steadied his breath, his gaze sharpened.
"Lucky."
It was time.
His undead companion appeared before him, tilting its head in puzzlement.
Michael studied his strongest undead closely.
It had only been a few days, but the bond they shared was undeniable.
It hadn’t yet developed into emotional attachment, but Lucky was a creature he could trust to guard his back.
Michael wasn’t naive.
He might not have lived long on Earth or amassed much experience in life, but he wasn’t foolish.
On Earth, death could come in countless ways, so in a magical world, the dangers were surely magnified.
"Companions" here had even more reasons to betray one another.
But not his undead.
They lived to serve him.
These silly, loyal creatures were ones he could trust implicitly.
[Undead Redthorn Wolf Lv. 18]
[Rank: Rare★★★]
[Evolve to Extraordinary★ for 125 Evolution points?]
’Yes’
The familiar blinding light erupted once more, this time so intense that Michael had to keep his eyes tightly shut.
Even so, his senses picked up on the changes happening around him.
Lucky’s aura became violent, surging with power as it grew stronger by the second. So did his size.
That familiar feeling of oppressive strength washed over Michael again, but instead of fear, it brought him joy.
His undead was definitely getting stronger.
However, the situation took a turn when Michael sensed Lucky’s body expanding so much that it began to press against the ceiling of the dorm room, which stood nearly six meters high.
Dust and debris fell from above, creating a cloud of smoke that signaled the completion of Lucky’s transformation.
A few moments later, as the dust settled, Michael could finally get a clear view of his undead’s new form.
Lucky now towered at an imposing five meters, his massive frame radiating raw power and menace.
His once green-tinted fur had transformed into a grayish, stone-like texture with subtle streaks of vibrant green running through it.
The thick mane of thorned vines around his neck had grown even more fearsome, writhing as if alive, each thorn dripping with toxic sap.
The vines now extended across his back and legs, forming a living, venomous cloak that moved with eerie fluidity.
Lucky’s claws had elongated, becoming razor-sharp and gleaming with a poisonous sheen.
The first thought that crossed Michael’s mind was, Yeah, Lucky’s a walking poison factory now.
And the second? There’s no way I’m ever riding you.
He stared at the massive creature in awe, a grin tugging at the corner of his lips.
"What a beast."
[Your Rare★★★ Undead Redthorn Wolf has evolved to Extraordinary★ Undead Venomthorn Ravager.]
[Your Undead Venomthorn Ravager {Plant Control} skill has advanced to {Advanced Mastery}]
[Your Undead Venomthorn Ravager {Poison} skill has advanced to {Advanced Mastery}]
[Your Undead Venomthorn Ravager has gained the skill {Viral Growth}.]
[Your Undead Venomthorn Ravager has gained the skill {Toxic Resurgence}.]
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