Alexander slashed at the last of the kobolds heads, releasing its head from its body. Nanites went to work immediately devouring the kobolds. The first one had already been striped and cleaned of its organic materials, and when they where starting on the bones, Alexander noticed something in his system.
//Acquire undead? Y/N//
Alexander stoped the nanites on the Kobold, even as the Grey Kobold grunted for the others to come back. He got closer to the bones, noticing a faint green glow, the closer he got.
'Well, nothing ventured nothing gained. This system is compltly friendly but it's never turned against me, even though it's been just a few hours. Keep watch over the skeleton, Lu. If anyt45hing strange happens, destroy it.'
Alexander thought yes. Mana siphoned from from his core, mitigated by Luaris, nearly draining him completly. The green light flared as Mana surged into the skeletal Kobold, revitalizing its body. It flexed its appendages and adjusted its body as it stood up. It's glowing eyes focused on Alexander with a knowing light and a recognizable hunger.
Necromancy was known in the world as a science but wasn't widely used as it was associate terrible instances of human greed and monsters. Vampires being some of the accepted undead, and zombies or skeletons the least acceptable ones.
//Undead Kobold: 1//
Alexanders skeletal Kobold had lines of black nanite wire wrapped around it, a failsafe incase the skeleton attacked Alexander, that likely hood becoming unlikely as Alexander ordered it around.
"Attack." He ordered it to go to the Grey Kobold. It ran at full speed towards its former leader, its aggression and hunger directed in full force at it. To the Kobold, it was a gruesome sight, as one of its kin was stripped of its flesh and now ran at him with a terrifying green light in its eyes that held it in place with fear.
The skeleton darted through the swamp with ease, jumping through the wet undergrowth, leaping on top of the Grey Kobold. The skeletal Kobold bit, slashed with sharp claws, and kicked furiously at the Grey kobold, causing him to stir from his frightened stupor.
The Grey Kobold grabbed at the skeletons ribs and tried to rip them to get to its spine. The nanite wire prevented much of the damage and caused great pain to its hands and claws. It tore the skeleton apart soon enough, bashing it with hits hardened fists and feet. It limped away from the broken skeleton, making its way towards a cave in the distance.
"Oh, no you don't." Alexander whispered to himself. He placed his sword and shield together, allowing the nanites to reform into a heavy bow, taking designs from bows Lunaris had devoured before they tried his Artefacts. The bow was black and red, with a nanite string and when drawn a black arrow appeared.
Alexander aimed with Lunaris calculating the distance and trajectory, telling him exactly when to fire at the hobbling Kobold. The arrow flew straight, adjusted by nanites that made the arrow, lodging into the kobolds back dead center. It fell over and twitche..
The kobolds around Alexander were devoured while he used Accumulation to recoup the mana he lost from raising the skeleton. 'How was I able to make an undead without the runes to do it? Well, however I did it, I shouldn't do it again before I have enough mana.'
The nanites outside of Alexanders body, those that didn't have enough room inside his body, was kept in small black balls highlighted with blue. It made transporting thousands of nanites simpler.
"Well let's go find out what we're dealing with."
The cave where the Grey Kobold was heading to was just a hunting cave, holding some Artefacts and mana stones lunaris devoured. His Mana was nearly back to normal and the nanites felt denser and stronger, able to make simple constructs like a weak sword or a bow. With stronger materials, that could change.
'The caves a bust, but where could they have been heading? Why didn't those kobolds have souls I could absorb. This gate is confusing, but now I know that some monsters don't have souls., but they do have mana stones.lets get the next group then, Lu.'
'Agreed, next life signs are due East.'
Within the night five groups of six kobolds were killed with arrows and blade
,devoured by nanites that I creased in power. Body after body he searched but none of them had a soul for him to absorb. He was frustrated until he found the kobolds Sanctuary in the deep swamp, where not even his waut was above the waters.
'There is a path of roots alon the water, invisible to the naked eye, but pulses of mana has revealed them. Follow the trajectory I have laid out and we should get there safely.'
The trail led to a group of humble huts, yelping and whining coming from inside.
'Ten life signs inside. They are the last. Caution, as the boss is protecting the last few within.' She warned as Alexander prepared a flaming nanaite arrow. The arrow shot and set the roofs ablaze.
Arrgghhh!
A bulky Kobold roared into the night, it's stress and rage evident. It smashed through the roof, landing on the deck of the house, looking and snorting heavily. It took note of everything but Alexander.
Hidden around the corner Alexander aimed at its head and let the arrow fly. It soared through the air and missed as the Kobold snarled.
'I guess boss level monsters have better reflexes. But we planned for this,' his thought as the gleam of his wires disappeared. The boss turned towards the direction of the attack and roared, stomping on the deck in Alexanders direction. It's large feet nearly crushing the mossy wood, going for a swipe.
As the Kobold boss neared Alexander, it snarled and backed up, sensing the blood of its kin. It's eyes narrowed and with an unimaginable intelligence, lept over the wires that blocked its way to Alexander.
"Checkmate!" He yelled as his bow reformed I to a spear. Learning that the kobolds smelled the scent of blood from the nanites, lunaris planned an alternative to the wires. The trajectory of the Kobold was set and the spear was angled. When the kobold landed its heart was pierced before it knew what to do, it's mind racing as it tried to pull the ever invasive spear dug deeper. The red rage in its eyes faded into clear blue of understanding lookin onto Alexander.
"You..too..will fall." It mimicked a guttural English.
"What was that? Did that creature just speak?" Alexander starred for a second before a message indication a soul to absorb poped up. He accepted it and felt a warm feeling was over his entire body, his senses increasing along with his Stamina. The portal opened up behind him as the fire started spreading towards him. The nanites consumed as much as the boss as it could before returning to the orbs.
The gate closed and Alexander was returned to the carved stone entrance. 'That's was weird, but stranger things have happened. That soul has increased my mana twice fold, I'll need more to be any use in the coming trial. But first some sleep.' He though hearing the birds chirping and the sunlight nearing it's rise. The blues and oranges starting to break through the dark hues.
Alexander looked at his stats,
//Body:14.5
//Magic:10
//Stamina:7
//souls: D ranked:3
"I need more."