I wouldn't say I was very used to this kind of covert action but I managed to follow the group back to their camp without getting noticed. The fact that I didn't make much noise while crawling on the patches of short grass, as well as my lack of standard living functions was really useful. It was nothing I bragged about but I was confident in my ability to adapt.
Once I saw the group enter a silent forest of thin grey trees and silver leaves, I didn't try to enter. I waited outside this forest with my eyes locked on their fading figures. It might have been strange since I was just a zombie, but my eyesight was several times better than when I was human. Since this was the first time I seriously tried to keep my eyes on something after coming to this world, I wasn't sure if it was just my trait as a zombie or if it had something to do with the amount of undead I absorbed.
Time slowly passed by as I watched them build a camp and make dinner. It was just dried meat and other rations but it still made me a little curious. I no longer needed to eat, but I wouldn't mind tasting meat again. However these were all but idle thoughts to occupy me as I kept watch.
Like I was but a corpse lying on the ground, I never moved while watching them. Therefore, I didn't miss the moments when three of the group went to their tents and the remaining one stayed up.
'Finally.'
Once I decided to attack I wouldn't be reckless. I still couldn't fight all of them at once, but I had a chance if I could take one of them by surprise.
It was finally time to act but I wasn't impatient. Despite the distance that separated us, I could tell when the other three started sleeping. Maybe since I was a zombie, my ability to sense their statuses was very strong.
Once they were asleep, I could begin, but I had to make sure that my surprise was perfect.
*Rustle*
I threw a small rock near the forest and stared at the one left to keep watch. As expected, he glared in the direction of the rock with a suspicious look. He glanced at his comrades in their tents before carefully approaching where the rock fell. It wasn't long before he made it out of the forest and looked around.
'Now!'
As he took one step further, the rock that was at his feet suddenly released black gas that wrapped around his body like a snake. He recognized this gas at first glance so he desperately tried to resist, but it was useless. From my training I figured out how to control when my curse would activate after using Imbue Curse. The default setting was for a curse of decay to attack whoever broke the object Imbue Curse was used on, but I could not only change it to a curse of immobilization by properly imagining it, I could also activate the curse with my own will.
'It takes a sizable amount of energy though. And it only lasts a couple seconds too.'
Even though I didn't think he could break out of this curse, I only tried it on my fellow undead so I couldn't be sure. As soon as I saw that he was stuck in place, I fired Curse Shot right at his head. Without being able to let out a scream, his face was melted enough to show the skull that was beneath it.
'Yes! I got him. Magic sure is convenient.'
The fact that I was so calm that I killed someone was slightly surprising, but this wasn't my first time seeing someone die. Besides, I was a zombie so it wasn't odd for me to be able to kill humans. Since I felt neither the emotional nor the rational guilt, I walked over and grabbed the head of the body that had fallen over after the curse of immobilization wore off. While using Assimilation, I wondered how much power I would be able to steal, however as we became one, the line between our cores blurred.
I fell to my knees due to a sudden headache and held my head as I tried to stay sane.
'Ahh!'
I forced my screams down my throat as I resisted the confusion and pain caused by the rush of memories.
'I' was born in a small village. Though 'I' was always handsome and popular with the girls, the other guys would bully me because they felt inferior. But once 'I' discovered my talent in the sword 'I' easily got strong enough to beat them all up.
'No! That's not me! Don't trust it!'
After a few years 'I' got bored of that backwater village and went to the city to become an adventurer. With my abilities it was easy to reach bronze rank on my own, but after that 'I' figured it would be easier if 'I' had some support so 'I' joined a few parties, naturally only the ones with cute girls. 'I' made some progress with each of them but not a single one lasted after it got found out that 'I' was sleeping with the girls.
'No! This isn't me!'
'I' ended up in a group with a fighter, a mage and a priest. The fighter obviously had a crush on the priest but he was just a stupid virgin so 'I' didn't need to worry about him. 'I' could take my time winning her over.
'Get the hell out of my head!'
The memories kept pouring in like water from a busted pipe, but I could only accept the distortion of my mind. Whether it would still be me at the end was unknown.
Damn it, what the hell was that! We went to the Valias graveyard because it was supposed to be a easy place to gain experience but 'I' somehow got attacked by some strange curse. 'I' was slightly surprised when a skull came flying at me but to think 'I' would get cursed for destroying it. As 'I' looked down at my arm 'I' was sure, if it wasn't for Shia's quick response 'I' would have lost it.
After 'I' nearly lost my arm and we retreated, we had a vote as to whether or not we should continue hunting in this place. 'I' was definitely against it but if 'I' said we should leave then 'I' might come off as cowardly. So 'I' voted that we should continue while thinking that the vote would be tied and 'I' could let myself be persuaded to give up. However, to my surprise, Shia and Ron also voted that we should stay.
Ron was just an idiot who only knew how to swing his fists, and he was probably glad that 'I' nearly lost an arm so 'I' expected him to vote yes, but 'I' was surprised when Shia also raised her hand. 'I' was extremely curious as to why she, who was our priest and usually the most cautious among us would choose to stay, but 'I' had my hands full holding back my regret.
After preparing for a few days we went back to the graveyard. 'I' thought we should at least change our hunting area but 'I' couldn't say that in front of Shia who was oddly motivated. Though it was only few days, we were surprised to see that the zombies and skeletons had gone back to their original numbers but with how weak they were that was just a buffet. While wary against whoever cursed me last time, we defeated undead that were clumped together. After repeating this a few times, 'I' started treating the incident on the first day as an accident and loosened up. Maybe 'I' should take this time to get closer to Carly.
"Ha...ha...ha..."
With laboured breaths, I attempted to recall myself after the rush of memories ended.
'I, I, I'm a zombie.'
Luckily, I managed to save a sliver of myself. At first I was overwhelmed by the volume of memories and was close to forgetting which was the real me, but luckily my unique experiences kept me in control of my body.
'That was way too dangerous! I should have seen this coming.'
I knew that using Assimilation also gave me their memories but I didn't think of what would happen if I forgot that those memories weren't mine. It was a needless concern with zombies and skeletons, but I had to think about it when it came to sentient beings.
'I was one step away from losing myself. I never want to do that again.'
Even so, it wasn't like it was a completely painful experience.
[Assimilation successful.]
[Mental capacity has improved.]
[Magic limit has increased.]
[A new skill has been obtained.]
[Strength +16
Agility +12
Dexterity +20
Defence +7]
[Conditions have been met. You may evolve.]