'What the hell?' Byan's foot pushed back into the soil.
[Evolving from Skeleton to Zombie.]
Suddenly, a whorling, colorless, tangible aura got sucked in and created a spiral around Byan.
The aura drilled into him, it healed his bones. It made them stronger. Then it began to piece together slowly on his body and created his heart, then different organs, then it coated his body in flesh. It was like a reverse time-lapse of a decaying corpse.
It stopped only after covering all his bones under rotting flesh.
Just as he was blown away, the voice spoke again.
[Do to your extraordinary feat, your prowess have shot exponentially.]
[Displaying status.]
● Level: 3
● Mana: 4/4
● Race: Zombie (Undead)
● Prowess: 11
● Skills: Undead, Small Regeneration
● Special Condition: Bound
"Wha-at the heeck?" Byan stared at his body with a droopy jaw. Realising his sudden ability to speak.
Shock? Perhaps joy? No, maybe it was disbelief! Myaz just couldn't help but pinch her cheek to confirm what just happened.
"Y-You! What did you– How did... ?" Her eyes scrutinised him as he examined his new body. The Solace still clasped in his hand.
'Will he go for me next?' It was a ridiculous thought.
She had created him! She was this zombie's master! It's God! It couldn't possibly do so... but something inside her made her feel so nevertheless.
The odd incantation, the bizzare scenario, it all made her shudder, "W-Who are you?"
"Me-e? I am, B-Byan!" Byan frowned at the stressful nature of his speaking skills. For the first time, he felt the pain and embarrassment of people suffering from a stammering disorder.
"Bya-?" Her face fell, "I know that much." She shook her head, sneaking glances at him from behind the strands of her hair that had fallen over, "But like... who are you?"
If it could, Byan's face would've stretched back from the jolt. His head lowered, "I think... I-I-I am from another wor-ld."
"A-another world?" Myaz's face turned odd, "Do... Do undeads always have the capability of humor?"
"No, not at all!" Her hand found itself holding her chin thoughtfully, "Moreover, undeads capable of speaking, or even possibly retaining their memories," She gulped while sneaking a glance, "Are very, very high-tired!"
'And there's no way I could've made one!' Shs screamed begrudgingly in her mind.
Byan stared at the corpse in his feet before asking, "Would you ex-plain? My ci-ci-ci-cir—" Byan face visibly contorted, 'WHAT IS THIS EMBARRASSMENT IN FRONT OF SUCH A HOTTIE??'
"Uh? Sure... I guess." She weakly exhaled while taking a bottle out of her spatial ring and sitting down, "Then let's get to know each other shall we?" She smiled, "My first undead?"
Her little cheesy grin made Byan freeze in his steps, despite the rising heat in his body.
"I am Myaz, my full name is rather long. So just call me Master, Myaz or whatever you please."
"Th–en girlfriend!" Byan nodded.
Myaz's lips spasmed, 'This Undead... This Byan... he feels just like a cheeky human.'
"Don't get carried away!" She rolled a fist, "I am your master! Treat me with respect. Your existence is batten upon mine... I can be rid of you, but you can't!"
"Master?" Byan mumbled, "Sure, anything you say." His lips crudely pulled back.
Myaz traced the curve of that smile before getting serious, "I am in a predicament."
"Obvious." Byan nodded, "Cut t-to chas-e."
Her teet grounded, but she took a deep breath and started after throwing a daggerish pair of cold eyes his way.
"I have ran away from a very powerful organisation. They have strong people chasing me," her head turned to the Venator, "Like him! Countless!"
"Him?" His mouth opened, but his gleeful mood broke as a strange cracky groan left his throat instead of a laugh, "Th-en... nothing to be w-worried for."
Myaz glanced at the corpse, then shuddered, and cautioned without raising her voice, "No. If you think they are weak... that's your terrible mistake."
She paused, then asked him with a sheen in her eyes, "What's your prowess per say?"
"Prowess?" Byan's face tilted, before his thoughts drew back, 'That voice, huh?'
He focused in his head and the sheet appeared again. Reading it, he muttered aloud, "Eleven."
"Eleven?" A grin cracked on her face. Not the amused kind, but a dark, sarcastic one, "Those Venators! Their prowess would be in the fifties in the least!"
'Ahhhh! There's no way we can make it! His last time's fluke won't cut it this time... I doubt we have any time before the other Venators come charging... I am a sitting duck here!' As her heart filled with despair, and urgency began to knock at her feet, she suddenly paused and stared at him.
'No... he is... maybe he is something special?' Thinking so, she asked aloud, "What about you? Who are you?"
"M-e?" Byan paused, before looking up, "I am just an... a-a-average human."
"Th-ough, I mi-ght have come from an-other world." He added after a moment.
"Another world? What kind of a... joke are you making?" Her face twisted in thought.
"T-The world I came from... there was n-n-n-no magic. N-no odd voice. No— no necromancy. No u-undead." The air turned solemn.
"T-That's..." Her face turned strange, 'The ancient language on the tombstone, too? ...Could it be?'
She gulped, before asking slowly, "Wh-Where are you from?"
"Hmm...." He slowly stared at her, "From a pl-anet named Earth!"
Her eyes pulled back, her breath began to turn ragged, 'No, no! It couldn't be!'
Her mind raced. Her lost face beckoning the worship of Byan.
"The tomb! Yes, the tombstone!" She exclaimed and turned back to pat the stone she had been leaning against the entire time.
"Come, Byan! Try and read what's written here!"
Byan stared at the slate and then at Myaz, before beginning to stagger over.
He squatted down and focused under the dimming light of the extinguishing spell the Venator had cast.
'This language!' Byan's face shifted, 'This is... This is!'
"Your face says it all..." Disbelief was jolting Myaz's eyes. "You are from the Ascended World!"
'The Ascended World?' Byan paused and stared back at her.
A bunch of questions were popping in his mind, but, there was one that took priority.
"Is this world..."
Myaz nodded before his question could even complete, "You haven't come from another world. This place is— or used to be— your world too!"
Byan's heart stirred. 'What... the heck?'
His eyes stayed pierced into Myaz, then they turned toward the blob of light suspended high without any physical source. Then, finally, they turned to his own body.
'This place is... Earth? This isn't an isekai?'
Just as Byan was losing his wits. Myaz yelped in fright and crawled back.
Her burning gaze staring daggers into Byan. Or past him on the corpse of the Venator.
"Shit... we are screwed!"