(John's Pov)
Getting the shit kicked out of you by a god and being saved by another god just to be dropped onto a table in the Grave Center did drain what energy I had left. After I took my much-needed nap despite having to hear Joselin's irritatingly loud screaming and yelling.
After what only seemed to have been a couple of minutes, I awoke to the backs of many of my zombies standing guard around the very table I landed on, which seemed to have been repaired while I was asleep.
Sensing my surroundings with my necromancy, I see that most of the main chamber and the corridor leading to it, which I'm currently located, are filled with many zombies and skeletons. With how high and beefed up the defenses were, I could tell that someone else other than Joselin panicked when they saw the condition I was in. Although this was something I was expecting, it was unnecessary considering that if someone were to venture into the sewers, they would be courting death like moths to a flame, mostly since I kept many undead within the maze of a sewer system.
I eventually look closely in the one direction I'm currently stuck looking at and notice a sleeping Joselin with Dixie leaned up against her head. It felt slightly heartwarming seeing them lying there in wait for me to awake, but that heartwarming feeling wasn't needed either as I was pissed by the fact that there was still too much that I didn't know about. Such as the other gods that are against my ascent to godhood.
Without saying another word, I connected myself to our mental connection and yelled, "WAKE YOUR SORRY ASSES UP."
Both Joselin and Dixie rose with shock and fear as if they were employees who got caught sleeping where they shouldn't have been. They weren't the only ones as Joseph, who was making his way back to the main chamber, swung the door open quickly as he was already on the other side of the door.
With all three of them up and surprised, I command A zombie to pick me up while ignoring the embarrassment that came with it, along with the slight jealousy emanating from Dixie's eyes at sight. Even though all three of them wanted to speak, only one had the actual courage to speak while under the influence of my rage, which was seeping out in the form of my blackened mana.
"Master, what... What happened to you?" Joseph said while kneeling with the rest of the zombies. Even Joselin knelt on the ground with Dixie as my oppressive mana formed a dark and will breaking aura.
Even though I had used this my aura like this before, this time it was much more powerful. So powerful that it emitted a vibration strong enough to slightly shake the entire main chamber. I could smirk I would have most definitely have.
I mentally command the zombie carrying me to turn me toward Joseph and said, "I thought I was Billy Bad Ass until Bessie Bad Ass proved me wrong."
As I let up my aura, they all look at me in confusion as I mentally command many zombies to begin moving the furniture around to make more space in the middle of the room. Dixie hesitantly flew up to my face and asked, "What do you mean, John? Nothing should've been able to do this much damage to you without us noticing; remember, humanity could only have done something like this with multiple nukes, and right now, they can't even figure out what's going on right now."
"Yes, that is true, but when big birds divorced wife comes to you proclaiming to be the Goddess of Light, shit gets complicated. Although I would like to discuss the additional plan to hunt that bitch down right now, I need to evolve to get my body back." I said, holding in the inner rage I would've liked to have direct towards everyone in the room despite me knowing they wouldn't have been any help during that conflict.
Although Joseph's face shifted from one of utter despair since he didn't protect me to a face of understanding after realizing that I nor them clearly wouldn't have had a chance against a god. Joselin's expression stayed frozen between that of fear and confusion as she feared that she would lose the one person who accepted her and that she remained ignorant about what was going on like the child she was. Although those two were for a loss of words, Dixie's face almost went paler than what it was already at the mention of another god that she knew nothing about. The look on her face was enough to tell she was in disbelief over what she had just heard but undoubtedly knew she had to take what she had just learned as facts after seeing my body as it is.
I pull up my status window to see that I have reach level 40. I looked at my stats with little to no amazement seeing how useful they were when it came to fighting the Goddess of Light.
Stats
-John- Level 40/40
Species: Grand Demonic Lich
Str: 1097 Wisdom: 1225 Stat points: 200
Dex: 1075 Mana:10530
Agi: 1075 Hp: 2395 (updated health stat thanks to everyone who pointed out this error 30X40=1200 base health after special evolution was 1195)
Int: 1205 Luck: 200
I looked at my health stats as it's the only one to grow on its own yet didn't help me one bit during my fight; despite this though, I was amazed to see that I was now level 40 thanks to my idle war tactics and just letting my minions autopilot themselves. I was under the impression that I'd reach my max level every 10 levels, yet it seems that I went past level 30 and reached my max level at 40 instead. This made me wonder for a moment on if evolving this time was going to be any different than my normal evolution if you exclude my last lucky evolution.
Seeing this new development, I question Dixie on it who just says, "Most likely your going up a tier since there isn't really any clear signs before that happens other than an increase in max level and a longer evolution time."
I stare at dixie while cutting our mental communication so she won't hear my thought on how to skin her ass alive for not divulging such information beforehand. Alas, I clear my mind and open my evolution menu to see my options.
Bone Collector: A creature that hunts and gathers bones from corpses or living victims and adds it to itself to grow in strength and size, often fusing several bones into much larger bones to grow bigger.
Undead Demon King: A Demon King who has failed to resurrect correctly and is now a ravenous undead who intends to continue to bring terror to all those who aren't demons while feasting on demons.
Demonic Death Shade: A creature who looks like a moving human shadow but is really a deadly spirit combination of multiple souls that would have made it a poltergeist if not for most of the souls that fused together to make it being thousands of demonic souls of mixed varieties.
Demonic Grim Reaper: A sentient Grim Reaper who, after being corrupted after seeing the disturbing acts of humans throughout its existence, sided with the demons to bring an end to humanity and their wicked ways.
Undead Dragon: A dragon who has died rotten away while their magic core remained within their body. Because their core wasn't taken or destroyed along with their bodies not being destroyed, they became mindless draconic undead with no other desire but to wreak havoc.
Special Fusion: A fusion option gifted by the Goddess of Darkness as an apology for failing to prevent the Goddess of Light from making her way to you. The option to fuse two evolution paths to make your own species. Said option will replace the evolution screen with the Species Modification Screen since a new species wouldn't naturally have a documented evolution path.
I just about lost my shit once I saw the last option but gladly kept it in since appearances mean everything, even in front of my minions. I wanted to give the Goddess of Darkness my gratitude, but after re-reading the description of Special Fusion, I read in between the lines and realized that that emo bitch was the reason I'm cracked and almost broken skull in the first place.
Looking around, I could see that I was leaking my mana aura out, making everyone frightened, so I calmed myself down for the moment and explained to them my current options and what they think I should choose. I didn't ask them for their opinions because I cared for them, I merely needed their thoughts on what they believed was the best evolution with the best potential growth. Even with their collective minds put together they were still undecided, even Dixie as she had only heard of most of the creatures I told them about from myths. The two she did know of where that of the Undead Demon King and Bone Collector which sent shivers down her spine with a quick wave of fear across her face that she quickly covered with a smile in hopes that I didn't notice.
Thinking back on it Candice had a hobby studying mythological creatures so I looked through our connection to see what she was doing. Through her eyes, I could see she was cautiously approaching some survivors that I had let hide in a specific area before I went on my little training expedition and got my ass kicked. I could've forcefully conjure her back to the headquarters instantly, but allowing her to start my cult first is currently a priority at the moment. That was a lie but her mission still is a priority so I'll be patient.
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