"What on earth?" Xidrel, a Lich, mumbled upon feeling the sudden pull at its consciousness. Its connection to Raz, the ghoul, suddenly cut. Not weakened, nothing to indicate the ghoul losing a fight. It just suddenly disappeared. Perplexing the lich and ruining its train of thought.

"That can't be right. He had found the reinforcements, and his target was just a measly Tier 2. There is no way the elf survived for a minute." Mumbling, the lich turned to his partner in crime and subordinate. A Flaming Reanimate who was truly close to becoming something more.

They were one of the rarest undeads. Nurturing them took an insane amount of time. It was also often impossible, their condition for entering the higher ranks was by far the strictest.

Unlike other higher undead, a Flaming Reanimate would always be an Unwilling. Most others can be reborn as either an Unwilling or a Higher Undead. Depending on their mental state upon death. This, plus the magic used determined the type they would become.

Flaming Reanimates however are different. They are always born as they are. Much like the others, the major factor in them reviving as undead is whether or not their souls can survive the ordeal. However, unlike other undeads, the torment placed on a Flaming Reanimate's soul is far harsher.

Their souls need to not only survive the normal rebirth process, but also the torture of their flames. An ever-lasting torture that almost always steals their intelligence. Leaving them as robots only following orders.

This particular Flaming Reanimate was different. It was special.

The lich had found a centaur and their significant other together in a group. Their love, while nonsense to the lich, was easy to see with how they did their best to protect each other. This was the perfect opportunity to form a revenant or ghoul, with chances of them being full-fledged Higher Undead nearly a 100%.

However, Xidrel felt that they were too common. Not to mention those had a mind of their own. He wanted a puppet, not another collogue who might ignore him. As often happens.

As such he attempted awakening a Flaming Soul. Something even he only knew the legends of. Ignoring all the warnings in those legends, believing himself to be far more capable than those before.

Even with the little he knew of Flaming Souls, it was enough to make his skeletal frame want to jump in excitement.

The method of accomplishing this was certainly far more complicated, Xidrel however totally felt it was worth it. The first requirement he had met by accident, having two compatible souls to merge. Lovers were perfect for this.

So he had killed them, captured their souls, and then bound them together to one body. Which he then performed the normal Flaming Reanimate creation ritual. He would never admit it, but using two souls had nearly caused him to fail. It made things much more difficult, exponentially so.

Still, he had succeeded. They were a perfect union, one taking the brunt of the flames, leaving the other sane.

Though their sanity was certainly not normal. Constantly hearing their love's soul being burnt and tortured, they had a hatred that knew no bound towards the lich. Yet it could do nothing to the lich. Any thoughts against it would just increase the pain they were under.

Their only outlet was those they once called comrades. By killing other living people and absorbing their souls, the pain can be lifted for a few hours. Only to return later and cause both anguish beyond words.

"Ma-Mas-Master." The flaming skeleton said, its words containing unrestrained anger. Its flames sputtering as it tried to keep control. Its love screaming in pain from the unchecked flames eating at her soul.

"Find Raz. Also, go kill some people."

Shaking from anger, the flaming skeleton nodded and turned to leave. Glad that it was given permission to kill, a way to lessen the burden on its love.

As it left the lich clicked its tongue, even though it had none. "What an emotional child."

It was clear that the Flaming Reanimate hated him, Xidrel did not care. Again he thought he was better than those in the legends. That he would be able to keep control of things.

...

Gengxin rushed into Eldrian's room, having gotten Eldrian's emergency call. He found Eldrian leaning against his desk, extremely tired and depressed.

"Eldrian..." Gengxin approached and sat next to Eldrian, "What is it?"

Instead of answering, Eldrian leaned over and rested his head on Gengxin's shoulder. Falling asleep not long after.

Sighing, Gengxin took Eldrian's tablet and called up his data. Shocked to see what had happened and even more shocked that Joren hadn't called him.

"Bastard, how can you think to keep this from me?" Gengxin cursed as he read through the latest data. Though in Joren's defense he had called him the day before when it was a false alarm. Eldrian having shown no problems even though his readings had been through the roof.

Still, this case was different and Gengxin was pissed that he was not informed. Pushing down his anger, Gengxin knew he needed to focus on Eldrian first. Calling an emergency team he quickly took Eldrian down to the CT scanner.

While theirs was much smaller than any other on the market, it was still too large to be considered portable. After rolling Eldrian in on his hospital bed, Gengxin linked the CT scanner to it.

The rotating machine adapted to the surroundings and starting a full scan of Eldrian. Starting at his head.

This could also be achieved by the immersion chair, however, the degree of detail from the scanner was far more. Looking at the readings, Gengxin found it perplexing to say the least.

He found nothing to be wrong, Eldrian was in peek condition. Looking at the previous data, Gengxin did not know what to say. Those scans made by the immersion chair clearly indicated that his spine was not sending any information to his legs.

There was no physical blockage nor any damage, and Gengxin could attest to that there was not even so much as a hairline fracture. Yet clearly something was wrong. At the moment everything seemed perfectly fine. It had to be a temporary psychological problem.

"Eldrian, Eldrian Eldrian... What are we going to do now?" Gengxin mumbled. He knew how to treat physical injuries, psychological ones were far more difficult.

Gengxin hoped that Eldrian would recover upon waking, or after entering the game again and being healed. Or rather, his avatar being healed. Hopefully, that would resolve his mental state.

"Shit!" Gengxin cursed as he saw through the tablet that Eldrian's avatar was about to be discovered.

"Why did his body not disappear?" Gengxin cursed, rushing to get Joren to safeguard Eldrian's avatar. However, before he could manage that, the reinforcements finally arrived. Evules taking the two wounded ones and quickly taking them to Katania who stayed with another team even further back.

They needed her close, she and her team were already on the way. However, they couldn't risk her being wounded. She was the only one who could save those injured by a ghoul, hence her team consisted of four Tier 6's and two Tier 7's and they strayed further back.

...

Arriving at the scene of the fight, everyone was shocked to see the carnage. They were even more shocked to see the state that both were in. Eldrian's body was nearly past repair, he was also long gone. Kydone was just barely hanging on.

"Take them both, but focus on Kydone!" Pelaros shouted, believing that Eldrian should be alright as a Chosen. Kydone however was in true danger. The venom of a ghoul did not just damage the body, but also the soul. Generally, those who died from it could not be revived. Their soul too damaged to survive the process.

Evules rushed towards Katania's group with the two, the others quickly started looking around. Certain that the ghoul would not act as it did without someone controlling it. That in itself was strange enough.

"There is likely a lich behind this," Pelaros said as he found the charred pieces of the ghoul flesh. From Kydone's state, it was clear that the ghoul had been Tier 6. Making it even harder to believe.

Ghouls would generally hunt however they want, moving from spot to spot to gain an easy meal. It staying in one location contradicted the normal.

As they were scouting the surrounding, a Flaming Reanimate arrived. Stumbling and stuttering as it looked at everyone.

"B-b-be so k-kind... Gi-give her s-some pea-peace." The flaming skeleton stuttered, its speaking shocking everyone, Observe shocking them even more.

Generally, Flaming Reanimates were not a problem for anyone past Tier 5. They were bound to always be lower than Tier 5, generally Tier 4 but in some cases even lower. Yet this one before them was Tier 7. Unprecedented and a shock that sent shivers down everyone's spines. Its stats were just insane.

[Flaming Reanimate - Awakening (Ieres&Althare)] (*1)

[Tier 7 Dual Class; Level 45]

[HP: 20.8k]

[Mana: 20.3k]

[Attack(No Armor): 804]

[Agility: 1818]

[Spirit: 2210]

[An awakening Flaming Soul, a creature of myths and legends. A creature that very few manage to survive their first meeting with. There is some hope though, as this one is still awakening.]

[Status:]

[Immunity to Fire]

[Holy damage half as effective]

[Passive Ability: Flame kisses - Its flames will burn all those who it touches. Damage based on spirit and Tier difference]

[Ability: Welcome the Flames - Sending its flames into the surrounding. Burning all it touches, souls included.]

[This ability robs the souls that are meant to sustain the flames. Robbing the only relief the reanimate can find for its lover. Making the flames even hungrier than normal.]

[Damage: 25.8k]

*1 - Stats gave for reader reference, not what the NPCs see with their Observe

*AN: If you are not reading on Webnovel, then you are reading a stolen work.*