Ethan began experimenting with how exactly he could control his undead thralls. They could follow basic commands, nothing too complex, as long as those orders aligned with their natural instincts.
Simple things like attack, scout, retreat, or follow.
Even before becoming undead, these creatures already had those basic behaviors hardwired into them. So while they might be mindless, they weren't completely dumb. They could still act on instinct, which made them surprisingly practical.
That was a huge relief. Because the more undead he controlled, the harder it would be to micromanage each of them individually.
In battle, he could issue broad commands: send the Wild Boars to charge and pin enemies, direct the Dusk Fangs to circle and strike from weak points, and have the Venom Bites swarm and harass while openings were created.
He also made sure to use them efficiently. Ordering only the necessary amount of force to bring down a target. Because the more he used them in combat, the more it drained his Animus stamina. Management was everything now.
Ethan sent two of the Venom Bites, the oversized rat monsters, to stealthily track the human party from a distance. He wasn't planning to approach yet, but he definitely wanted to know where they were heading.
As for him? He'd spend the day recovering his Animus stamina, and give his undead some much-needed rest as well.
One more crucial thing Ethan had discovered: because those undead essentially operated through his Animus Soul, he could issue commands to them no matter the distance between them.
And surprisingly, almost magically, he could also sense their whereabouts whenever he called to them. Not an exact location, but more like a vague, instinctive feedback. He could feel their presence and roughly pinpoint the direction they were in.
So yeah, sending those Venom Bites out to scout had definitely been the right call.
**
Ethan resumed his hunt the following night, driven by a clear goal: to find his very first Monster Core.
His target this time was the undead lizard monster he'd first encountered when he arrived in these ruins.
He had no interest in turning this one into one of his undead, so instead, he carefully sliced open the lower chest area, just where he'd overheard the core was usually located. And yes…
There it was.
A jagged, uneven object, more crystal than stone, gleaming with a strange dual hue of dark and purple.
So this is a Monster Core?
Interestingly, Ethan had something similar embedded in the hollow of his ribcage. It had formed when he claimed his first class. Unlike the monsters, his own core was exposed, with nothing to shield it.
He could even touch it.
He wondered if pulling it out would kill him. Would that be a way to commit suicide as a skeleton? Ha!
Ethan decided to continue his hunt in a direction opposite from where he'd last seen the human party.
His mission this time was to expand and refine his undead army. He needed monsters with unique abilities, something he could rely on when facing stronger enemies or overwhelming numbers.
That night, he stumbled upon a rather unusual creature, or at least, that's how he'd describe it.
It was a plant-like monster: jagged, and covered in thorns. At its top, a massive flower bloomed. A grotesque thing that could snap shut like a trap to catch anything unfortunate enough to pass above it.
Stupidly enough, this flower monster couldn't move. It was rooted firmly in place, buried deep beneath the soil.
It would hide underground, then suddenly lunge upward and chomp down on any creature that walked directly over it.
Ethan tested it by tossing a small rock in its direction. Nothing happened.
Then he threw a much larger one.
The flower exploded upward, snapping around the boulder and gnashing as though chewing. A moment later, it spat the stone out and buried itself once again.
Could he make use of this thing?
Ethan decided to bait it. He ordered one of his Wild Boars to walk directly over it, triggering the trap. The flower shot upward, clamping down on the boar. That was when Ethan gave the signal, the wolf lunged in, slashing at the plant.
Its thick hide made it resilient to damage, and it wasn't going down easily. So Ethan stepped in himself, driving his sword deep into the roots beneath the flower. With a sharp twist and a few swift strikes, the monster finally wilted and went still.
[You have killed Deathtrap Lily Lv. 13]
[You received 16 Exp]
[Exp: 183/185]
[Your skeletal frame has grown stronger.]
Level 15. If nothing else, Ethan figured he might as well keep this flower monster. Who knew? It could come in handy later on.
The thing wasn't all that large, so he could easily store it in his inventory and only deploy it when needed.
Like… setting up traps? Playing Plants vs. Zombies, but for real?
The area Ethan was exploring sat near what used to be the city's central park, now reduced to overgrown ruins. It was once a place for recreation or gatherings, though whatever it used to be had long since been swallowed by nature.
A small forest patch still remained here, which probably explained the presence of plant-based monsters like this.
Not far from the last one, Ethan encountered another creature of a similar type. This time, it looked like a tangle of thorny vines jutting out of the ground. Silent and unmoving at first. But the moment anything got too close, they would lash out, snare their target, and drag it in.
As usual, he used one of his undead Wild Boars as bait. The vines reacted instantly, whipping toward the boar. That was his cue.
Ethan darted in, driving his sword down into the base, right where the roots connected. And after a few precise strikes, the monster went limp and was subdued in no time.
[You have killed Thorn Crawler Lv. 15]
[You received 17 Exp]
[You have leveled up]
[Level 15]
[Exp: 15/241]
[Your skeletal frame has grown stronger.]
Ethan decided to add this vine-like creature to his undead army.
He figured a monster like this would be especially useful when dealing with larger enemies. Its natural crowd control ability could hold targets in place, giving his other undead the perfect opening to strike.
The way it could snare and pull enemies from a distance made it a valuable tactical asset. Maybe having two of them would be even better. More coverage, more control. Definitely worth the effort.
Ethan continued exploring the surrounding area and managed to capture one more of the Thorn Crawler monsters. That brought his total undead count to twelve, and still, there was no sign that he was anywhere near reaching his slot limit.
As he continued his hunt, he also took a moment to glance over his overall status. Fifty available stat points. Just sitting there, waiting for direction.
It was time to start thinking carefully about where to allocate them next.
[Name: Ethan]
[Race: Skeleton Caster]
[Level: 15]
[Strength: 43 | Agility: 22 | Magic: 20 | Constitution: 30 | Animus: 37]
[Luck: 1]
[Available Stat Points: 50]
[Class: Grave Caller]
Ethan still hadn't figured out the exact relationship between his Animus stat and the number of undead he could command. But he had a working theory.
For now, he decided to take the balanced route. After all, it was becoming increasingly clear that his strength lay in three core stats: Strength, Magic, and Animus.
His Magic allowed him to unleash devastating magic skills, powerful tools for both offense and control.
But he also fought in close quarters with a weapon in hand, relying heavily on Strength for raw physical combat.
Then there was Animus, the backbone of his undead army. The more undead he controlled, the more demanding that stat became. It wasn't just about command limits; he could already feel the weight it put on his stamina the larger his army grew.
Balance, at this stage, seemed the smartest move.
[Strength: 50 | Agility: 30 | Magic: 40 | Constitution: 40 | Animus: 40]
[Luck: 1]
[Available Stat Points: 2]
His stats looked a lot more satisfying now. Balanced, polished, and ready to support whatever build he aimed for next.
Ethan continued his hunt through the night. Having already encountered a cluster of flower-type monsters in this area, he decided to focus his efforts there, specifically seeking out those with unique abilities he could make proper use of.
Then came another discovery. A strange flower monster, its petals tightly shut until provoked. The moment it sensed danger, it began charging something deep within its bloom.
Then, suddenly, it launched something, something like its seeds. They arced through the air and exploded at a distance, creating a burst of impact.
Wow… that's definitely unique.
[You have killed Bloom Flare Lv. 15]
[Your skeletal frame has grown stronger.]
Within minutes, Ethan had chained four of the Bloom Flare monsters into his undead army. Four felt like the right number, enough for ranged firepower and crowd control without stretching his control too thin.
That brought his undead count to sixteen.
Continuing through the area, he decided to add another Dusk Fang Wolf to his ranks. This time, he faced off against a full pack. Six of them, charging and flanking him from all sides.
Ethan immediately deployed his Thorn Crawlers to trap and slow them, then positioned the Bloom Flares to rain down explosive seeds from a distance. His Wild Boars surged in next, causing chaos and scattering the wolves' formation.
In a short burst of controlled mayhem, all six wolves were overwhelmed.
"Adding four more wolves should round out my current army nicely."
That brought the total to twenty undead.
Which, based on his theory, should be right at the limit of what he could command for now.
But what if… he tried claiming just one more? Would it work? Or had he hit the true cap of his undead slots?