Chapter 423: Expert Necromancy Sub-Talent, Skeleton Berserker
"Here," Leon spoke as he gave the [Undead Lich Scepter] over to Emilia, since she was the only one in the group who used this type of weapon, the glowing staff passing from his hands to hers with a soft hum of power that seemed to resonate with her own magical energy.
In fact, Leon found it quite funny how everyone in their group used a different weapon, each one suited to their unique fighting style and personal preferences, creating a diverse and versatile arsenal that could adapt to any situation they encountered.
Leon used swords and staffs, Emilia used scepters, Celeste used spears, and Violet used rapiers, making it so that no two members of the group competed for the same type of equipment.
That made it possible for Leon to gift each of them the best possible item of each category he found, ensuring they all had top-tier equipment that complemented their abilities perfectly.
Of course, nothing stopped Leon from using a scepter or spear himself if the situation called for it, but he simply preferred it the way it was, sticking to what felt most natural and comfortable to him in combat.
"Wow... that’s much better than my current one!" Emilia exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement as she examined the new weapon, turning it over in her hands to admire its craftsmanship.
Emilia grabbed the new scepter and simply threw away the [Spirit Scepter (Mythical)] that she had been using all this time, the old weapon clattering to the ground without a second thought as she eagerly equipped her new prize.
Of course, she couldn’t use necromancy at all, lacking the talent for it, but the spirit bonus was so high her combat power soared through the roof with a single equipment change, the difference immediately noticeable.
With 40,000 Spirit bonus, multiplied by 10 due to her unique title, it was +400,000 Spirit from this staff alone, or 800,000 Combat Power, a massive increase that would transform her effectiveness in battle.
With such high spirit, even high potential level 100 monsters and players would struggle to survive the assault of her spells, making her a true threat on the battlefield who could turn the tide of any fight.
"As I said before, I just need to find the correct monsters, and I’ll be able to obtain the best equipment for each of us, until then, let’s focus on growing stronger as a group and preparing for what’s to come," Leon said, his voice filled with determination.
Leon then poured his mana into the sub-talent scroll and tore it apart, allowing it to seep into him.
The energy integrated with his soul and expanded his necromantic abilities.
Ding!
[You have evolved "Advanced Necromancy (B-Level)" to "Expert Necromancy (A-Level)"]
But he didn’t immediately check the new sub-talents panel either, wanting to complete all his upgrades first before examining the changes in detail.
Instead, he then consumed the two essences he had been given by the lich, swallowing them in quick succession, the powerful energy flowing through his body.
Nom! Nom!
Fwoosh!
[+30,000 Spirit.]
But that wasn’t the main thing that interested Leon, instead, he looked at the two panels that appeared next to it, his eyes scanning the notifications with growing curiosity.
Ding!
[Your necromancy sub-talent has been upgraded.]
Ding!
[Your necromancy sub-talent has...]
Leon felt the power of the essence course through him, fueling his sub-talent and making it stronger, the energy flowing through his veins like liquid fire as it reshaped his abilities.
And though it wasn’t to the point where it evolved to S-Rank, since even Malachar wasn’t able to achieve that despite decades or perhaps centuries of practice, there was still a noticeable change that brought him closer to that goal.
Ding!
[Your "Expert Necromancy" sub-talent has evolved from A-Level to A+.]
"Huh, it can do something like that I guess," Leon mumbled, genuinely surprised by the evolution and the fact that essences could affect sub-talents in this way.
Only then did he decide to open the sub-talent panel to check what it was about.
[Expert Necromancy (A+-Level): You are an expert necromancer who understands the very essence of the undead, and are able to summon them to aid you in battle.]
[Skeleton Summon Limit: 60.]
[Each of the skeletons has 80% of your combat power (stats).]
[Current Undead Types: Undead Skeleton, Undead Mage, Undead Berserker]
[You can only summon one skeleton every 30 seconds after their death.]
[Only the master can interact with his skeletons.]
Malachar was able with his sub-talent to summon 50 skeletons, each one with 75% of his stats, making his army formidable and difficult to overcome.
But due to the sub-talent’s upgrade, Leon could instead summon 60 skeletons with 80% of his combat power, a significant improvement that would make his undead army even more effective in battle!
In addition to that, Leon gained another type of undead: the Undead Berserker, expanding his tactical options and giving him more flexibility in combat.
If Leon had to assume based on the previous logic, this one would be focused on strength more than anything, a heavy hitter for his army that could break through enemy defenses.
Undead Skeletons were balanced in all stats, Undead Mages focused heavily on Spirit, so the last one was logical to complete the trio of undead types available to him.
He lifted his staff and summoned one of the berserkers before him, curious to see its form and capabilities with his own eyes.
It rose from the ground of the chamber, standing tall and imposing, its bones creaking as it took shape from the earth, a terrifying sight to behold.
The [Undead Berserkers] were around 2 and a half meters tall, wearing a set of armor that gleamed with dark energy, with a massive battle axe in their hands that seemed to hum with power.
Indeed, their strength was extraordinary, capable of devastating blows that could shatter even the toughest defenses, though to make up for it, their Spirit was at zero, and their Agility was fairly low, making them slow but powerful.
Then Leon stored the skill stones and enhancement stones away in his inventory, adding them to his growing collection of valuable resources.
[Skill Stones x110]
[Enhancement Stones x49]
He actually had a decent enough haul already, though he knew he needed more to fully upgrade everyone’s abilities before they faced the challenges ahead.
’I can start grinding for them soon, that way all of our skills will be at max level by the time we enter the Eternal Battlefield,’ Leon thought, planning ahead for the future.
Max-level skills will evolve and grow into stronger versions, much like [Cataclysmic Fireball] did when it reached its peak, so it was in their best interest to do all of this before facing greater challenges.
It was also a way for Leon to grow much stronger at a quick pace, as his evolved [Shadow Bullets] or [Eclipse Dance] might be able to defeat opponents he never could touch before, expanding his capabilities.
And finally, Leon moved on the very last item that Malachar dropped, and the most cryptic one: [Malachar’s Plan], a piece of paper that held secrets about the lich’s true allegiance.
’Come on, Malachar, show me what you were planning to do.’