Announcement: This chapter marks the end of the rapid releases. It has finally caught up to my other site and real life is getting busier. I'll be posting at least a chapter a week every Friday from now on. Thank you everybody for enjoying my story thus far.

Today is finally the day. After months of anticipation, I'm now on my way with Takashi towards the secret training grounds. He's leisurely riding a Yagi with several days worth of supplies, while I'm following close behind on foot. Our short trip will take us across the snow covered fields and into the naked woodlands at the base of Dragon's Spine.

"It's a good thing my daughter can now manage the entire branch in my stead."

"True, though she was still reluctant about letting you go alone in the cold. In the end, you could only promise her a few days."

"Actually Enbos, I never intended to train you for longer than a week. While I should accompany you for the most dangerous part like I did with Chiyoko, I'm far too old now to endure the same trial. I'll be with you in spirit."

"Oi, oi, that sounds pretty carte blanche considering my life is on the line here!"

"At least be glad I'm here to prepare you. Back in my youth, I had to master everything on my own!"

Prepare me, eh...

"..."

"Enbos?"

"... Takashi, I think it's time you told me everything. Why are you so determined to teach me ?"

For months on end, he has been dangling this promise like a carrot, and yet only recently did he mention the training might be lethal. There's also the distressing matter of my levels he's been hiding. While I am suspicious of him, I want to believe he's doing this for my own good.

"To be honest Takashi, I don't think it's worth the risk. The only reason I can think of is if I don't learn this spirit art soon... I won't last much longer. My spiritual energy has been decreasing more rapidly recently, and I can't help but think it's related. Am I wrong?"

Takashi halts his Yagi and faces me in silence. There's no hesitation in his eyes, only silent contemplation. While I figuratively hold my breath, he slowly shakes his head and gives me an answer.

"... No. No, you're not wrong. I do think it's time I told you everything. But before I can explain, there are a few things you must know."

He ushers his Yagi onwards and as I continue to follow him, I quietly listen to his words.

"There are two types of undead, Enbos: those that are formed by black magic, and those that are naturally formed called the forsaken. It goes without saying that you should fit in the former category, but I'll talk about the forsaken first.

You see, sometimes a deceased soul with strong earthly ties may bind themselves to their body using their residual energies upon death. The World Stream remedies this by salvaging both. However, there are areas where the World Stream is absent or where its influence is too weak. These places are called Dead Zones, a breeding ground for the forsaken, the biggest of which are the areas around the Wasteland, where anti-magic radiation has weakened the World Stream and yet it's not enough to destroy a . Like you, they feast on the living to survive, but can last for decades without prey since their do not deteriorate. In fact, most can subsist on their connection to the World Stream alone."

"In that case, why bother using at all?"

"Enbos, when I said, "strong earthly ties," I was referring to feelings of resentment. They are not sentient. Their consciousness are broken and controlled by the will of their last moments. It is ingrained in their very nature upon returning to crave for the life of others..."

Takashi says in a serious tone while looking at me with cold, hard eyes. I feel ostracised by his gaze as I realise the horror of my existence, what he and Chiyoko must have secretly known over the past year. My sudden pause seems to tell Takashi everything I am feeling.

"I-I'm sorry Enbos. I wasn't trying to detest you. On the contrary, I only want you to understand why so many despise the undead."

"It's okay Takashi. Considering that most of the branches pass through the Wasteland, it must be natural for you to smash skeletons. I guess that explains Chiyoko's reaction when we first met."

"Even so, she was still too discourteous. Come to think of it, Chiyoko never gave you an apology..."

"Never mind about that. What about the artificial undead? Is there anything other startling revelation I should know?"

"A-actually there is, Enbos. You see, there is one major difference between the two kinds of undead. While the forsaken spawn due to wandering souls, the risen undead... are spawned for the sole purpose of being a weapon. From the outset, they are designed to kill others, and Necromancers suppress the will of their risen to better direct their bloodlust."

Oh joy.

"However, these spells tend to be temporary. Just take yourself for an example. You were raised from a mass skeleton ritual and all of the others fell apart the instant you slew the conjurer. He was probably sharing the bare minimum of spiritual energy, so it's a good thing they never touched the villagers. From then on, you've been sustaining your by forcefully imprinting your soul in order for it to accept your mana signature. I'm surprised you did all this subconsciously."

"Well, I think it's because I read the tooltip for . I had the general idea it was keeping me alive."

"That's impossible. If it were true, it would be on the level of openly rewriting your soul. Anyway, this brings us to the heart of the issue..."

Takashi stops the Yagi again, but he turns it around in order to draw my full attention.

"Enbos, I don't think you fit neatly into either category of undead."

"Eh?"

"Think about what I have said. If risen undead are short lived by design, why are you living like one of the forsaken? The thing is, I suspect you're a combination of the worst aspects of both types."

"Please Takashi, stop beating around the bush. Just tell me what is wrong with me!"

"The risen undead are made to kill, right? The true purpose of is to sustain the risen in battle... and to evolve them while doing so. By combining parts of their victim's souls with their own, it manifests as an incremental boost to their power. That's the true nature of your levels, Enbos. It's not an illusion. Your was simply portraying something that was always there."

"B-but that can't be right. I can still level up without using that skill!"

"Do you level up every time you use ? No, you don't. By using your skills in combat, or mastering new ones, you strengthen your soul by allocating the inactive pieces you have absorbed. That's why you sometimes acquire new abilities or improve your existing ones when you do level up. The fact you are conscious has greatly exploited this process. As for your skill points, I still have no idea... Hrm? Enbos, are you listening?"

I'm... literally eating their souls... A part of Helena's soul is now permanently bound to myself... Wait, those this mean...!

"W-what happens to the souls you store! Are they absorbed over time!?"

"N-no, they don't. only collects the "loose" fragments of the soul, but the act of storing them is still related. You see, once a risen reaches a critical mass, which you call the "level cap", their soul will undergo a change to stabilise all the acquired pieces. This is your version of a class change, though most undead simply get stronger instead of developing new abilities. There is a short cut, however. For undead with a greater rank or higher, once it reaches maximum capacity all the souls can be sacrificed in a ritual to trigger a class change."

"S-sa-SACRIFICED!?!?!?"

"Yes Enbos. Don't be so surprised. Just as new souls can be born, they can also be destroyed. In fact, it's the main reason I wanted you to follow our teachings. I wasn't sure if the ritual would trigger automatically or not."

Phew! So as long as I don't use the ritual, Helena's soul will be safe. I wish you told me sooner, but there is still something you haven't clarified...

"Tell me Takashi, why are you trying so hard to stop me from evolving? If I have to guess, each time I grow, the amount of spiritual energy required to sustain myself will increase, and at some point... it'll become too much. That's why you want to teach me , right?"

"... Well, that's partly true. If I have to make one addition, I'm not just worried for your life... I'm worried of what you'll become."

"Huh? What are you trying to say, Takashi?"

"Enbos, the risen undead are given a short lifespan on purpose. If not, they may break free of their master's will. But with the sustainability of the forsaken, and the intelligence of a modern man... there is every chance you may become a very rare kind of forsaken undead..."

"... A lich?"

"No Enbos. Something far more vicious. It's called an Undead Ravager, a being so powerful it must consume a life with every passing minute. The entirety of its body, mind and soul is dedicated to satisfying its ceaseless hunger. Only 3 Undead Ravagers have ever been recorded over 3000 years of history, and each have caused unfathomable destruction, only to consume themselves in the end..."

Being told that to my face, I start to feel weak around the knees. In order to live, I have to take souls, but with each soul, I grow and in turn need more. And at the end of this self-destructive spiral, I become an actual monster?

"W-what the hell, Takashi? Do you r-really think I w-would let myself..."

"It wouldn't take much, Enbos. The smallest change in your mentality could veer yourself on this path. I never told you this before because I was afraid it would make you desperate."

"... and you're saying this now because you think you can save me?"

"... I'm sorry. will only help delay it, but I never believed it could stop it."

"Then w-why... why are you trying to help!? Wouldn't it be better to just kill me!?"

"... It's because I believe in you. I believe you can break that cycle and become something... greater. Follow me, Enbos, we're almost there."

He resumes his travels, and after a few minutes we reach our destination. I spy a small wooden cabin next to a curious cave sealed by a large, stone boulder. Looking closely, I notice a wooden sign in front of the cave with the words, "Warning. Dead Zone. Do not enter."

"Listen Enbos. Not everything is set in stone. Do you know what the average life expectancy for a kobold was before I came along?"

I turn to face Takashi as he answers with a surprising number: twelve. He's almost lived three times that number, and probably extended that statistic by another ten for the rest of his kind.

"I was pretty surprised when I found out too, and yet here I am. So don't look so down, Enbos. While you may be cursed with the worst of the risen and forsaken undead, you're also blessed with the gifts of Earth and Garea...

... and I am here to help you take your first step."