The clang of metal against the ground echoed in my senses as the knight crashed once more into the floor and rolled away.
"Even less".
I was trying to reduce my strength and speed as much as possible while contending with the knight. A few bouts and clashes had already decided this match yet I was more interested in refining my reflexes and my battle prowess.
Back in my previous life as an angel, I had been skilled enough to land in the legendary rank and Angel tier. Yet I wasn't good enough.
It was obvious from how much the knight was able to hit me or would have hit me if my senses weren't active. I even tried dimming my awareness to make it a tad less efficient giving the knight time to almost, almost give a hit.
Then evade at the last minute or counter.
I brought up various battle styles from my previous life to incorporate into this fight as I leaped about and ducked. Defended and attacked. The knight if it was human would have been panting by now.
The undead spell long completed had cleared up to reveal my new Octos. But, they'd have to wait. It and the new rune that had appeared after their creation.
At this moment I was crouched my clawed feet digging into the ground my wings tucked into my back and away. The knight was in an almost replica stance a few meters from me. Its armor was dented and cracked in various places. The squeaks of its metal gave out the message that it was barely holding up.
I had fought enough though and was already bored of him. So I was aiming to end this with one strike, a complete show of dominance yet without the use of my overpowered attributes.
The ground groaned a bit beneath me as I dug in further building force. My dash forward caused a lesser effect than I expected but it was still good enough for me. It meant there was little to no power in my charge.
Knight moved just as well flickering and then reappearing before me. He'd used this so many times in our clash that I already knew it instinctively. Its body appeared from my left its blade aiming to cleave off my head. While that would have done nothing I was testing myself so I twisted away
The hiss of the wind as his blade passed close to my ear made me grin, yet as I turned to strike a sight stunned me. His sword had frozen like a glitch and turned back to aim for me once more. Impossible since the force of inertia had to carry the damn blade going on its normal path.
The arm strength needed for such change... 'Ah. It's an undead. Strength isn't an issue'. I remembered.
My legs moved and kicked at the knight using the moment to push away while simultaneously grabbing the long mane on his helmet. My body moved up speedily while the sword flashed below me.
This time I didn't wait for the blade to perform a sudden reversal as I tugged hard at the mane.
The knight was pulled up savagely and into my arms like a lover where my fist struck out as savagely as his blade.
My claws ripped through his armor and revealed ribs beneath.Without distraction, I fisted my hand and punched albeit without much force. Yet the knight dropped only to be tugged back as his mane hooked him.
My clawed feet descended like a reaper's scythe in a full roundabout airborne kick shattering the last of the helmet and sending the Knight digging into the floor.
Dropping on my feet I stood staring down at the unmoving knight. Then with a grin, I turned to return to my new Octos.
A shattering of stone behind me had me turning with a head shake. Just in time to see the knight fling his sword at me. The thing was like a helicopter blade. It spun in the air before arriving before me and getting slapped down by my left hand.
"You won't stay down till I have destroyed you eh. The joys of an undead. No defeat no surrender. Just fighting till the very end. I guess when you're dead life has no meaning". I was quite glad yet annoyed at the same time.
" I'm beginning to understand what villains think when beating a hero that refuses to stay down". I grumbled while waiting.
As I watched the knight rose his armor creaking now even louder, soundingout its imminent shattering.
.
'What if..?'
The moment I had the thought my miasma reacted. Like a body part that had been willed, it surged around me and then spread in a 180° arc toward the knight.
He halted his head whipping about as the dark storm of blackness raced at him. Then unbelievably this ass shot forward, stumped his feet into the floor, and shot above the storm.
'Cool. But..Hehehe. My miasma isn't mindless. The Storm not stopping simply surged upwards and the knight caught now could only shield his head as he descended into the black smog.
- New Skill - Miasma Manipulation - Leaned
- New Skill - Miasma Wave - Gained
Before I could think much of it a harrowing screech resounded from within the smog. I didn't know the undead could make noises that weren't bone clickings. As I gazed into the miasma it parted sensing my desire to see. The miasma created a red sea effect with the knight at its center bound in a chain of smog as it writhed while the miasma rolled over it.
- New Skill - Undead Suppression - Learned
- New Skill - Undead Judgement - Gained
Still befuddled a new rune engraved into the air for me to see.
- Knight Commander (Horserider) has been suppressed :Deal your judgment
: Glutton
: Kaizen
: IRA
Glutton - Disassembles the selected undead with all energy within it, bones, skills, and essence. Can be devoured to increase strength.
- +100 str, +100Ern, +100 Souls
- Can also be used to upgrade any undead of choice -
- Kaizen - Forcefully infuse your miasma and Ozes into undead. Make it loyal and also enhancing or mutating it.
- IRA - Obliterate the undead from existence returning it to dust.
"This is sweet. That's even better. Now I can create rules to work with this for the undead to be raised. If most are like Octo there then they might soon all have a bit of sentience.". I glanced back to Octo who was glaring at the other seven in annoyance.
Looking back to the knight I tapped my lips.
"What to do with you though? " I muttered.
I could consume its stats or supply my undead with some other creature but not being able to see the difference wouldn't help me to decide if it was a waste or not. IRA was a waste though. Maybe it would work as a show of force and strength terrifying one's opponent when they watched you turn something into dust. But for now not an option.
Which left Kaizen. Honestly, I'd been leaning toward Kaizen the moment I saw it. The more undead in my ranks the better. Powerful and skillful ones at that.
If I could have Knight train the undead lacking in skills somehow. Shiver. Just imagining an army of undead, not just meat shields but elites upon elites all to the very last of the weakest skilled enough to down an angel in a one-on-one made me shudder.
I would be terrifying.
The thought settling in the internal couch meeting in my head, I chose.
"Kaizen".
The knight's head rose as it locked its empty sockets with my gaze. I wasn't certain if it was grateful or annoyed but it didn't matter as that moment my miasma a little flicker of blue flame, that would be Ozes in it streamed into its eyes like a rewind of black smog.
It screeched even louder as the miasma storm shrouded it and swirled like a sea of blackness around it.
Yet I could see into it. And man was I fascinated.
My runes must have agreed as a new one popped up.
- Magic Eye - Lv6 - 12/300exp -
"I'm loving rewards more and more ". I chuckled my eyes returning to the scene before me. My lips stretched in a dark grin as my miasma reforged the Knight into something more terrifying.