Underworld - Vampire Gate: A LitRPG Series

by Apollos Thorne

  Advanced Mana Control

  The amount of total mana you possess is now calculated with a multiplier of 200(+300) for every point of Intelligence.

  Mana rejuvenation is calculated with a multiplier of 10(+2) for every point of Wisdom.

  All spells cost 90% less mana to cast.

  All spells are 100% more powerful.

  11x Master Mind Buff didn’t change in cost or effectiveness as mana flooded my mind. Nothing dramatic happened despite the fact that my mana pool exploded. Having 10,000 Wisdom permanently pushed my mana past 1,000,000, but 10,000 Intelligence was like adding rocket fuel to the tank. With over 5,000,000 MP, I continued the process. Besides Shamash, the others didn’t even notice that there had been a change.

  Travis practiced cycling while he waited for me. When he got bored with that, he sparred with Queen Degima. I felt bad that I’d mostly neglected her. She’d chosen to come with us even after we’d killed her people and we’d taken her captive against her will when we first met.

  When the Minor Dark Orbs were depleted, I moved on to the Intermediate ones. They were much rarer than even the Advanced Dark Orbs, but I wasn’t sure why. I kept a few just in case because of their rarity.

  Shamash had been right. Dark Aligned orbs were far more costly to absorb, and the higher rank ones were even more costly. I was finally starting to gain more mana from the minor ones when I reached the end of them and had to move on. The Advanced ones were a real chore. If the Minor ones were worth 20,000 Dungeon Points, or 200,000 MP and the Intermediate ones were 30,000 DP or 300,000 MP, the Advanced ones were a much bigger jump in power. They were worth 80,000 DP, or 800,000 MP, and cost twice that to absorb because of their density.

  It seemed that my ability to refine mana to a liquid consistency of the quality of Lilith’s wasn’t just limited by the level of Succubi’s Caress, but also my core itself. The core condensed the mana, and Succubi’s Caress allowed me to draw it into myself. It wasn’t much of a mystery, but now I was sure that that was the case. There were hundreds of the Advanced Orbs, so if we stayed until I finished it would take days. Better inventory them and work on them as we traveled. After a full day of absorbing them, Shamash agreed.

  He led me around the mounds of skeletal corpses and didn’t speak for many minutes. It seemed that he wanted me to first focus on them, or the scene, but after spending so much time wading through them and taking their orbs, I no longer saw the horrors that these creatures had been. They were just debris.

  Bringing up my Character Sheet, I looked at it still feeling like it belonged to someone else. But that wasn’t the case at all. It was me.

  Elorion

  Character Sheet

  Level: 2,277

  Health Points: 495,316

  Mana Points: 1,051,899 [5,041,899 with buffs]

  Mana Per Minute: 100,000(1,666.66 Per Second) [179,400(2,990 Per Second) with buffs]

  Attributes

  Strength: 4,589

  Dexterity: 4,252

  Constitution: 4,660

  Intelligence: 5,050 [10,000 with buffs]

  Wisdom: 10,000 [14,950 with buffs]

  Stats to Spend: 178

  Finally, the lich spun around to face me. He had the purple energy of his mana-flesh and his eyes of spinning colors unveiled. I’d been with him long enough now to conclude that any time he revealed his true form he meant business.

  I closed my character sheet and prepared to listen.

  Chapter 21 – Embar

  “For the sake of time, I will explain to you the many options afforded you as a Blue Magic Necromancer,” Shamash began. His eyes glowed brighter with his voice’s inflections. “Many seek out fields of carnage such as this.” He waved his hand over the piles of skeletal beasts, both whole and broken. “Their pride forces them to choose the path of numbers. To face their enemies with the largest army possible. This is vanity and a grave mistake. Necromancy based on Blue Magic will never be able to compete with true necromancer numbers and quality of summons. It is, after all, an imitation.

  “However, there is one facet in which a Blue Mage can hold their own. It only works if you focus on quality of summons above all else. Tell me of your experience so far with necromancy.”

  I thought for a moment before pulling my Skeleton Warrior out of my inventory that I had cast Undead Dominance on long ago. Then, I began to explain how I’d been able to resurrect a minion and it could level up. The problem was that if it died, then I couldn’t restore it, so I hadn’t spent the time to level the ability. It was too situational, requiring a lot of pet sitting, or hunting down higher level undead creatures—a monster type we hadn’t seen since the Head Mistress’s dungeon.

  Bringing his hands together, there was a wave of power that burst from the lich. It seemingly had no other effect than to get my attention. “Then you understand one method of summoning and its limitations. It was further limited because your necromancy was based on Light Magic and not Dark. Why do you think that is so?”

  I searched my memory as I considered the question and realized I didn’t know. “It must have something to do with the difference between Light and Dark Magic, but other than that I’m not sure.”

  “Precisely. You’ve just unlocked a few Dark Magic spells through your Blue Magic now, correct?”

  “I have.”

  “It’s understandable that you don’t understand Dark Magic as thoroughly as you do Light. Cast the cheapest Dark Magic spell you have into the sky.”

  Looking up, I made sure there was nothing that could fall on my head if I accidentally struck it. My worry was unfounded. The cavern’s ceiling was far out of reach. Hesitating, I considered casting something over my human hand to protect it, but I needed to know if casting Dark Magic in my human form would harm me.

  Lifting my hand high overhead so as not to take any chances if Dark Magic became unwieldy, I cast Shadow Bolt.

  Shadow Bolt

  This is the simplest of Dark Magic spells that even the most magically inept Dark Aligned creatures eventually learn if they live long enough. A Dark Magic Bolt is fired in the general direction that you aim.

  My mana pooled immediately for the spell, but there was a long, five-second delay as my mana transitioned into Dark Magic. Something resembling a purple lightning bolt shot out of my hand leaving me unscathed. The bolt was—a disappointment. Its purple glow was dim, and it only reached about ten feet in the air before dissipating into nothing. At a cost of 10,000 MP, it was utterly underwhelming.

  “Good choice of spell,” Shamash said. “This one is similar to the base spell for natural Dark Mages. Unlike the Elemental Schools, real Dark Magic doesn’t have a skill tree. Just like Light Magic, it is all based on a single spell. Cast it please.”

  I did as he asked and cast Heal into the air above me, supplying it 5 MP. There was a stream of light particles that quickly headed for the ceiling hundreds of feet overhead. It reached it and billowed into a cloud of Light dust.

  “You see the difference?” Shamash said. “Look past your Dark Magic’s lack of proficiency to its simple nature. Light Magic is lightweight and gentle in nature. Dark Magic is unwieldy and violent. Through mana manipulation, both magics can be used to heal creatures of the same alignment or kill those of the opposite. Dark Magic’s nature makes it dangerous for elemental alignments as well, but Light Magic takes significant manipulation to do the same damage. These are the most obvious differences.

  “But how does its nature affect these piles of bones compared to that of Light Magic?” With a twirl of the lich’s finger, the skeleton of a humanoid creature started to shake and come together. It had been lying in an unnatural position when it started to rise, coming to its feet. “Your limits with Undead Dominance were because of your Light Magic. Where your natural magic seeks harmony, Dark Magic seeks control. A Blue Mage with a Dark alignment would’ve been able to raise five times the number of undead you were, not because of the base spell, but because necromancy was born of Da
rk Magic. They’re of the same nature.”

  Without warning, the undead humanoid Shamash had raised shot forward. With a single blow, its fist shattered my Skeleton Warrior’s chest. Its spine snapped under the same blow. I’d spent hours leveling my minion, so even if I hadn’t used him in weeks, my work was destroyed in a moment.

  “Now show me your Summoner’s info page,” Shamash said, floating toward me and ignoring my look of protest.

  As much as I wanted an apology, I was under no illusion that I was going to get one. I did as he said and brought up the new info page that had unlocked after using Forced Learn on so many undead.

  Blue Magic Pillar - Summoning

  Necromancy

  Undead Familiar

  Rank: Novice

  Allows you to raise your choice of the undead you are familiar with. Does not require a corpse to raise—only familiarity with the specific creature. The only cost is mana.

  Capture Familiar

  Rank: Novice

  Allows you to observe the individuality of a dead creature’s skeleton to familiarize yourself with them. Once captured, you can summon them at will. The higher the rank, the more you can capture.

  Note: The more captured, the harder it is to capture more creatures in the future.

  Undead Dominance

  Rank: Novice

  You’re able to both bring the dead to life and command those that are already raised unless the being is directly controlled by the necromancer. The level of undead you can control or raise depends on the level and rank of the spell.

  Undead Mastery

  Rank: Novice

  As this mastery levels, it will allow you to choose an area of focus in the Necromancy skill tree. Areas of Focus are Familiar Undead, Capture Familiar, Undead Dominance.

  Note: At each rank, you can choose to pick a different area of focus. Be warned that this will allow you to specialize in more than one area but will limit the mastery you can have over each one. To fully master any single area of focus, you must choose that area to focus on at every rank.

  Animation

  When used, you gain the ability to create and control a Golem…

  Unknown

  This form of summoning has yet to be discovered.

  It was the second time I’d run across a Blue Magic Pillar. Shapeshifting was the other one I’d learned. How many there were, I could only guess. The only information I had on them was what the information pages told me.

  “Perfect. You have unlocked every Necromancy area of focus. I hoped as much. This gives you all the tools necessary, for Undead Mastery does not unlock unless you first have the other three. To get the most out of it, you must set your focus on Undead Familiar on every rank up of Undead Mastery. Once it reaches grandmaster, you’ll be limited in the number of minions you can raise, but their quality will match all but the greatest Necromancers. There are other options, but besides clearing dungeons that are below your level, only this approach will gain you a few captains that can fight by your side. You will still have the other spells that will be limited because the Mastery won’t bolster them, but you’ll be able to have a small army with Undead Dominance alone. Its practicality will be limited though.”

  I studied the information for a long moment before giving any response. “So a focus on Undead Dominance will allow me to summon a much larger army, but at a lower level?”

  “Yes, but there’s much more to it than that. Undead Dominance requires you to have a corpse to summon a minion, and the minion’s prowess depends on how powerful the creature was while alive. It can level in your care, but once it dies, it’s gone. Undead Familiar allows you to summon without a corpse, level the creature as you like, and when they die, you can simply resummon them again. Their prowess is also based on the creature captured, but their progress is never lost.”

  My mind turned to the past and I remembered the undead armies of Lord Darius and the Head Mistress. Lilith wasn’t a good example, because it was just as likely as she was playing with him as showing her real power. But Darius, he’d had a decent sized army. His lesser minions had been almost too much for us to handle at our lower levels, but now they wouldn’t be a challenge. It was Lord Darius’s captain that was his true force and had a far higher level than I was capable of discerning at the time.

  Then I remembered Mel. I’d seen him studying skulls more than once. There were probably differences because he was a natural Dark Mage, but that must have been him using Capture Familiar. It didn’t seem to be a quick cast spell.

  Something was missing. I’d seen Mel take the form of an Incubus through the use of the Crimson Incubus’s skull. I asked Shamash about it.

  His magic form glowed brighter momentarily before growing dull again. “Your friend is an anomaly. A Light Magic creature talented in Dark Magic, and with a natural specialty in Necromancy… He should not exist. But since he does, he’s not a good example of what’s possible for a Blue Magic Necromancer. What he did with the Incubus’s skull is the first and only time I’ve heard of it happening. It must be specific to his talents. If he was showing signs of more ambition I would’ve chosen him over you.”

  I was sure Shamash wasn’t trying to offend, and I certainly didn’t take it that way. It did bring the danger of his possible betrayal to the forefront of my mind. Might as well give him something to chew on. “He’s more ambitious than you know. The only reason he hasn’t left Sanctuary to go off on his own is because he wants to protect the others. After our contract is complete, I know you’re reluctant to form a contract that would extend your services to more than one person at a time, but if you did, you’d have both of us.” Contract or not. If Shamash thought there was more to gain from working with us than against us, he’d actively look for a way to help and not hurt us. At least, that’s what I hoped.

  “You’re ready to bargain?”

  “There is no doubt of your worth, but I’ve chosen to remain undecided. For now.”

  “Very well. Have I convinced you that Undead Familiar is the correct area of focus?”

  I took one last look at the information sheet. “I’m convinced.”

  “Then you must choose,” he said, spinning around with his arms extended. Tendrils of mist reached out like lengthy fingers, dancing above the numerous piles of skeletons. “Your first capture is always the easiest, and often the most important in the beginning. Through it, Raise Familiar will progress and so will Undead Mastery. Pick a creature too weak, and it can be difficult. Choose one that is limited in ability, and the leveling process can be just as tedious. Fighting is not the only activity that minions gain experience from, but also any action in your service. If you’ll allow me to make a recommendation, pick one that can act as a mount and fight on its own.”

  “Why would I need a mount?” I said. “I doubt many of them would be much faster than I am…”

  “Not for speed, but convenience. Haven’t you grown tired of trying to create orbs while going on foot?”

  I froze as I was about to say something. My mouth drooped open. “You have a point.”

  “Take your time as you scan the field of corpses. There are many good choices here.”

  At first, I wanted to ignore his advice and capture the skeletal giant that had been over level 5,000, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. His goal wasn’t to guide me to the strongest minion I could gain at the moment, but one that could grow with me as my Necromancy progressed. In the end, any I chose would become far greater than anything I’d faced today.

  After nearly a minute of holding my breath, I let go of my initial instinct. I heard Richard in my head even though he wasn’t there. Welcome to the Necromancy Supermarket! We have skeletons in all shapes and sizes! And they are mostly intact!

  There were the frames of mighty wolves and cats, monstrous serpents and drakes, something resembling a horse. I stopped to get a closer look. The horse-like creature’s skeleton was whole and stood a head taller than even the tallest thoroughbred. In place
of its snout, there was a beak that resembled that of an eagle with a few long fangs protruding over its bottom jaw on either side. Instead of ears, it had forward-facing horns to impale whatever it ran into. If I was going for something that looked scary, it fit the part.

  “The Embar would be a fine choice,” Shamash said. “Its charge is deadly for creatures many levels higher than itself, and if choosing a minion for speed is your priority, there are few choices here that could match it.”

  I nodded and moved on. At the bottom of a pile a few dozen feet away, there was an interesting skull of something that looked like a dragon.

  “Sonic Lizard,” the lich said. “They grow too large to be used for transportation indefinitely but become forces to be reckoned with. Sonic Magic is rare, so most creatures are unprepared for its attack. It wouldn’t be a bad choice for now, but riding would be impossible in narrow caverns.”

  As I moved on, he continued to name and describe the numerous creatures. I almost decided on a Dire Bear on the spot because this one had been over level 4,000, but it had the same problem as the Sonic Lizard with its size. It would have also been possible to capture a humanoid but gaining access to their innate schools of magic took time, and I’d be limited to what they’d learned in life. Beasts and monsters were often better because their abilities didn’t often depend on magic mastery.

  After making the rounds, I found myself examining the Embar once again. “What is its natural alignment?”

  “Dark. They closely follow the natural characteristics of their alignment, being as powerful as they are fast. Even if they aren’t as large as the largest beasts in the higher levels, their mana density mimics that of monster races, making them just as dangerous.”

  It was the single creature that seemed to best fit Shamash’s recommendations. I couldn’t deny the help he’d given me up to this point. I’d trust him in this as well.