By then, it would have been impossible for Adam to get back to any civilization.
Eight days quickly came to pass. Adam’s skeleton had gone past half the entire length of the Beril River. Just then, the system announced — “Success! Your body has fully recovered!”
Adam’s skeleton crashed against the riverside and was flung into the muddy bank. The strange coating, however, prevented dirt from sticking. Gradually, the coating wilted—its bright luminescent glow fading ever so slowly—and revealed a pearly-white skeletal body underneath. Separated skeletal parts reassembled; reforming the entire skinless cadaver.
Adam soon regained consciousness. “I am back,” he softly muttered. He looked up and inspected the surrounding area. Besides the lofty trees toward the horizon, the place had nothing remarkable in it; only a clearing with tall grass scattered everywhere greeted him.
‘Where is this?’ Adam wondered. He had no clue where the river led him. He couldn’t make any estimates either. The river flow was just as unpredictable as anything else in Mother Nature; one moment it could be calm, and in the next, it could be wild and raging.
“This doesn’t feel right.” Adam had a bad premonition. A cleared open space this close to a river usually meant people were around. Oddly enough, no one was. A secluded village, or even a small town, could easily thrive near similar banks. But there was none of that here.
Adam inspected the place further by scouring through the tall weeds. He had to look for clues to know where he was; a map could well be a godsend right now. Soon, a glinting object caught his attention. Adam knelt and quickly cleared the obstructions to have a clearer view of what it was. He then saw a block of what looked like polished metal.
The block’s shimmer looked extraordinary, like a peculiar fusion of both gold and silver.
Adam cleared the dirt atop the block as its colors gleamed in bizarre unison.
“What’s this?” Adam wondered. The strange object piqued his curiosity. The strange block became a lot more mysterious as Adam tried pulling it out—because he somehow can’t. It wasn’t heavy but merely stuck. Adam dug out the soil around the block, only to discover the object wasn’t even a block, but something else that was buried deep under.
Adam, with his thin boney hand, clawed the surface of the object buried underneath. Half an arm in and Adam still couldn’t feel the end of the “block”. The damp soil made digging deeper a lot harder. He pulled his arm out as he couldn’t dig further. Rather than a block, the object felt like a slab—a tal, flat pillar of sorts—with most of it hidden underground.
Suddenly, a rustling sound came from behind Adam. The tall grasses were whipped strongly to the sides. Adam quickly turned his head to see what made the noise. A large dog, about as tall as an adult man with a build comparable to that of a water buffalo, was charging at him.
The enormous hound pounced at Adam as it let out a deafening bark. A jaw filled with razor-sharp teeth gnawed at the undead. [Health - 299/ 300]—Strangely enough, Adam wasn’t taking any significant damage. The hound’s teeth nibbling at his bones were barely scratching the surface. With its rosy tongue sticking out and giving Adam a few soft licks, the big dog was simply attracted to the pearly white bones of the unsuspecting undead.
“Attaboy!” Adam said as he petted the big black dog. He stood up after lightly pushing the hound back. The dog seemed friendly towards Adam; Its crimson eyes, which looked very menacing, held no malice or hostility.
“Where did you come from?” Adam softly asked the hound as he scrubbed his hand against its smoke-like fur. Woof! And of course, it could only bark in reply. Adam smiled. “Well, I don’t need you to answer anything,” he said, still brushing the hound’s beautiful dark coat. Adam then used his “Analyze” skill—
…
Church Grim
Class - Undead (Spirit)
Level - 18
Health - 570
Mana - 55
…
“A church grim?” Adam wondered as he read the sheet. The name sounded familiar.
‘Aren’t these the spirit guardians of the Divine City?’ he guessed, but had many doubts. It was only a year ago when the Cyrus Kingdom seized control of the Divine City, so Adam knew nothing more than what gets around from hearsays. Drafted prisoners like himself know little of the outside world after getting captured.
The two knights who had chased him back then were part of the organization — Order of the Holy Knights — that was once under the full control of the Divine City. Besides having their own knightage, the Divine City had a strong, widespread influence throughout the entire Peregrine Continent by building churches in all the countries they could pervade.
Adam cupped his chin as he glanced at both the church grim and the shiny object.
“So it’s a buried cross.” he concluded, “But I have never seen one this grand before.”
Most church crosses were made of simple, unvarnished oak wood, so it was strange to discover a refined metal cross in the middle of nowhere. Adam inspected the cross, specifically the top of it, once more. ‘And why is it buried so deep? What happened here?’
Puhak!
A crackle resounded from beneath Adam’s feet as he took a step closer to the object.
The church grim, as if to warn Adam, barked loudly. The murky soil wriggled unnaturally. Suddenly, the ground collapsed and a wide-open pit swallowed both Adam and the grim.
A thud and a conspicuous snap sounded as Adam crashed against solid ground.
[Health - 282/ 300]
Fortunately, he didn’t fall unconscious. Adam quickly looked around, the spark of light in the empty sockets of his skull, which dimmed slightly from the fall, reignited itself as he regained his vision. The place was dark and gloomy, but Adam could still make out the surroundings.
The spot he landed on had a suspicious lump. If Adam had a guess, it was what snapped when he fell down. Either that or one of his bones took a serious hit. But from the amount of health he still had, the latter was unlikely. Adam took a closer look, “This is...” he gasped in shock. Instinctively, he took a step back after seeing what the clump was — A corpse!
It wasn’t the only one; more dead bodies were lying around. The church grim let out a low howl as it stood steadily behind Adam. The hound’s eyes gleamed with sympathy at the ridiculous amount of littered corpses. The gruesome, hellish scene hit too close to home.
Adam quickly dismissed his welling emotion. Perhaps being unable to cry made moving on a lot easier. He mourned for the fallen, but not as much as for his beloved family whom he could save still. He could waste no more time. And so he searched for the whereabouts of the cross.
Close to where Adam stood was a building as tall as the height of their fall. What little light that could trickle down from the hole above illuminated the metal cross. The reflective sheen dribbled down the entire front porch, making visible the dilapidated white church. Ruined yet intact, the church stood erect even under the weight of the ground above it.
The church grim let out yet another soft growl as it paced towards the church. The hound's movement came with a sense of familiarity. Adam had guessed right, but knowing something he already knew didn’t help much. And so he walked with the grim.
‘I need to at least know the name of this place prior to its destruction.’ Adam pondered. ‘From there, I could retrace the path my unconscious self took during the recovery state.’ The underground church and the dozens of rotting corpses outside was his best lead so far.
“Good boy, Goo. You did well, little buddy!” Upon entering, a voice suddenly spoke.
Adam turned his head to where the voice was coming from. At the pulpit laid a dead man wearing a long silk robe. Around his neck, a golden vestment. Adam needed not guess who he was—It was the church’s priest. Tightly wrapped in his arms, a black-and-gold coffer. “Come. There’s no need to be afraid,” said the unmoving corpse.
Just like the church grim, Adam felt no malice from the d
ead priest.
He walked closer to the pulpit. “What happened here, Father?” Adam queried. Albeit having no religious alignment, he still addressed the vicar politely. “This doesn’t look like the aftermath of ordinary war,” he added.
“It is not. Sadly, this is the doing of my faith. This is what the Divine City wanted.”
“I... I don’t understand, Father.”
“I do not, either. This is not what God would have wanted. Those innocent lives...” replied the vicar, a slight tremble apparent in his voice. “It was too late for me to do anything. I am not innocent. I am at fault for doing the bidding of greedy men! Please, help me gain salvation.”
“Enlighten me, Father. What does this have to do with me?” Adam asked confusingly.
It was a mere coincidence he ended up in this place.
“I am lost and came to pass this place. I am looking for my way home. Back to my family.”
Adam paused for a moment as he heaved a sigh. “...This has nothing to do with me.” A flash of thought came to his mind. The dead bodies outside had nothing to do with him, that is for certain. Everything and anything that happened here was none of his concern. But why did it feel heavy to neglect what the priest had to say?
“I am merely lost. Where is this place?” Adam cut short his wandering thoughts and rephrased his question.
A deafening silence followed.
It was only after a moment before the priest spoke. “I understand... I know this isn’t something I can force upon you. If the realm beyond the heavens granted you such a gift, then who am I to shift the path you have built yourself. I wanted a second chance...”
“... But perhaps it's not my time yet.” If the dead priest could move like Adam, he would’ve had his head crestfallen.
And just when he thought he could have his chance, it wasn’t it.
Again, the heavy sensation was there—burdening Adam’s supposedly non-existent heart. ‘Why am I feeling this way?’ he questioned his emotions. Memories from his past surged back in a flood-like manner — His wife… his daughter… his village. The appalling scene overlapped those painful images. They were no different.
These people had suffered as much as his village-men.
The weak had to band together to overcome the strong.
The Cyrus Kingdom or the Divine City, they were all the same...
Just then, another voice sounded. It was the system. “Empathy and free will; the difference between you and the common undead. Do as your heart desires. Be empathetic, it’s what keeps you human — You’ve unlocked an ability: ‘A Will That Emanates’.”
Chapter IX
Priestly Vessel
As if the system heard the priest’s plea, a peculiar ability unlocked the moment Adam felt the slightest urge to help the vicar amidst his own predicament. Adam opened his status sheet without delay. Meanwhile, the priest did not know that all this was happening.
---
...
[Abilities] (New)
“A Will That Emanates”
Enables Life Share - Life Charges can now be distributed to empty vessels with intact consciousness (does not work on irrational and tormented souls). Life Charge now has a charge cooldown of 24 hours. Vessels under Life Share will have their own will. (100% of the experience points gained by the vessel will be attributed to the user.)
If the soul achieves its goal, it will be released and a puppet version of the vessel will be granted to the user.
(Current max. Life Share charges: 2)
---
Adam thoroughly read the ability’s description. It all came so suddenly that he had to check if he misheard anything.
‘Isn’t this... necromancy?!’ he thought after going through everything.
If raising the dead was what all it takes for an ability to count as necromancy, then this was it, basically. Adam was now undead... and a necromancer. Instead of having a spell that could raise the dead on a whim, however, Adam can now share his spare life—on his own —to others who weren’t granted the same second chance.
“No, Father. It is exactly your time. Let me…” Adam paused, making sure he had the resolve to handle a different burden other than his. “Let me help you,” he continued. As if an unseen force tweezed out a thorn pricking his heart, Adam felt a lot better on the inside. Carefully, he extended an arm towards the priest’s unmoving corpse.
“Tell me, Father. What is it you desire?”
“I wish… to stop the Pentagon Project.”
As soon as the vicar answered, the system notified: “Life Share has been activated! A Life Charge will now be consumed—”
A flashing bolt of light sprung out of Adam’s chest and into the priest’s. The dead vicar writhed and a gentle glow bloomed in his empty ribcage.
“Life Charge successfully consumed...”
Following the revival, a plethora of information came flooding in. Details regarding the priest and the Pentagon Project appeared. Adam read through it all without delay. “Third Corner,” he muttered. It was the name written above a small riverside village on the map. Scribbled on the topmost side of said marked map was the label—the Pentagon Project.
Red dots—each numbered and labeled as “corners”—marked five different locations on the map. Every mark had a symmetrical distance between each other, ultimately forming a massive illusory pentagon, encompassing the entire continent and even the lands beyond.
Click! Clack!
Cluttering noises took Adam out of his mulling. In front of him stood a baffled skeleton. Adam could see the confusion on the priest’s face, even with his lack of skin and muscle, as the latter was testing himself, clashing his palm against his own boney body. He then took a curious look at the calming glow inside his chest, “I’m alive!”
“Sort of,” Adam said as his firm jaw slightly arched upward, painting what equals a smile.
The priest paused in a reverie, staring at one of his boney hands.
“Th—thank you. This is... something I did not expect you to do, but I am very grateful for it. My name is Terrence.”
For a priest, Terrence seemed very calm after witnessing himself turn into an undead. It was the total opposite of what Adam expected. But from his plea moments ago, it would not be a mistake to assume he had abandoned his beliefs and other religious attachments.
His desire to stop the so-called “Pentagon Project” could well be a solid testament to this. That, and he did not address himself as “Father Terrence” for an introduction made things all the more clear. Dropping formalities aside, the resolute Terrence had in accepting such drastic and costly change made Adam feel like he made the correct decision to help.
“But… Why? What made you change your mind?” Terrence asked, to which Adam replied, “I have my reasons.” To be fair, he couldn’t have done anything even if he wanted to if not for the system. Circumstances could only change so much given the opportunity to do so.
The priest did not push further, but it was Adam who followed up. “How were you able to keep your soul alive?” Even if the Divine City had some method in replicating necromancy, it would be way outside their religiously structured “moral compass” to make use of such. ‘Come to think of it, this whole Pentagon Project does not align with their teachings either.’
"Ah! I made use of this ritual box," Father Terrence handed Adam the coffer, "Here.”
Adam then carefully opened the box: Inside was a carcass of a small animal and a rotting human finger. He instinctively looked at the priest’s hand; a ring finger was missing. From that alone, he got the gist on how the vicar’s soul “survived”. Adam refrained from asking about the know-how of the said ritual box, as those nuances were none of his concern.
“And this is Goo, right? I recall you saying the name back then. Is it for this spirit guardian?” Adam queried, setting the other topic aside as he pointed at the box.
Sure enough, the church grim beside him responded. It let out a bark and had its pinkis
h tongue droop out, swinging back and forth. Both he and Terrence could only let out a smile.
…
After a brief exchange, Adam finally understood the essence of the Pentagon Project. Reading about it gave little insight, but hearing from someone first hand made things clearer. The situation was far worse than what Adam expected—
The Divine City established five special churches in the name of ill faith. They constructed each with a gold and silver cross, which Terrence referred to as ‘Artifacts of the Chosen One’. For an artifact to work, the church needs to sacrifice a hundred believers during the month of cold, buried alive under the snow and soil by an assigned geomancer.
“I have to stop the madness. This is just… wrong!” Terrence vented his frustration.
Only two of the five artifacts were activated, so far. Terrence preserving his soul voided the hundredth count of the third. “If we hurry and destroy the other two artifacts before the winter solstice, then this insane project could finally seize!” the priest fervently said.
Contrary to Terrence’s passionate expression, Adam was fairly quiet. His fingers cupped his chin. His jaw shut tight. “I understand that we have to destroy those artifacts as soon as we can, but, aren’t we far too weak to do that now? How are we going to destroy one in the first place? Or is that even possible at all?” Adam finally spoke up and asked… a lot.
“All I’m saying is, if we don’t plan and go straight at them, we will undoubtedly fail.”
Years of unfruitful waiting made Adam cautious. But who could blame him?
A bit too trusting? Perhaps. But being gullible? Not anymore. “If we cannot destroy them at once, do we get another chance to do it again? I don’t think the Divine City is that stupid to allow us that. We may be immortals—but everyone else isn’t. They do not have the same liberty as we do. This applies to both our enemies and the unfortunate innocent lives that get caught in the crossfire,” Adam explained his thoughts thoroughly.
Undone- Resurrection of Murdock Page 5