Alex pointed at the dead rat and murmured, "Raise Undead." As the words left his lips, a black, mist-like gas gathered around the rat's body. Moments later, its once lifeless form twitched, and its eyes glowed with an eerie green flame.
"Good," Alex muttered, nodding in satisfaction. The spell had worked perfectly.
Next, he cast Undead Connect, and his perspective shifted instantly. His consciousness transferred to the body of the undead rat, and he found himself looking at the world through its glowing green eyes.
From the outside, his own body stood motionless, its eyes now glowing faintly with the same eerie green hue as the rat's. "Squeak~" came the sound from his new body, and Alex's thoughts echoed, That looks weird... as he glanced back at his motionless form.
Adjusting to his rat-sized body, Alex cautiously scurried out of the cage. He moved nimbly, testing the mobility of his new form. Outside the cage, he noticed two guards sitting near the door, engrossed in a card game. The guards seemed utterly unaware of the glowing-eyed rodent moving past them.
Perfect, Alex thought as the rat slipped unnoticed through the slightly ajar door. It was almost too easy. With his undead scout in motion, Alex prepared to gather intel on his surroundings.
The undead rat crept along the dimly lit corridor, its tiny claws making faint scratching noises on the cold stone floor. Alex, fully immersed in the rat's perspective, marveled at how agile and silent the creature was. This is a game-changer, he thought.
The corridor extended into a larger room ahead. As the rat approached, Alex could hear voices echoing from inside. Carefully, he positioned the undead rat near the edge of the room and peered inside.
The space was large, dimly lit by flickering overhead lights, and bustling with activity. A group of armed men were moving crates stamped with strange insignias, while another group stood by, seemingly guarding the area. At the center of it all was a man in a sharp black suit—a figure exuding authority.
That must be Fisk... or someone high up in his organization, Alex speculated.
The man barked orders at the workers, his voice sharp and commanding. "Move those crates! The buyer doesn't like delays, and neither do I." He paused, glancing toward one of the guards. "Double-check the inventory. I don't want any surprises."
Alex made a mental note of this. So they're smuggling something. Maybe weapons or drugs? He directed the undead rat closer, hugging the walls to avoid detection.
As the rat moved further into the room, Alex noticed one of the crates had been carelessly left slightly open. Inside, he glimpsed shimmering metal components. His eyes widened in realization. That's tech… advanced tech. Definitely not your average shipment.
Suddenly, one of the guards near the crate noticed the glowing-eyed rat. "What the hell is that?" he muttered, pointing his weapon at it.
Damn it, Alex thought. He had to act quickly. Using his connection to the undead rat, he commanded it to leap at the guard's face. The tiny creature moved with unnatural speed, startling the man and causing him to fire his weapon wildly into the air.
"Jesus! Get it off me!" the guard yelled, swatting at the undead rat. The commotion drew the attention of everyone in the room.
Time to bail, Alex decided. He disconnected from the rat, his consciousness snapping back to his own body just as the connection was severed. In his mind's eye, he saw the rat's glowing flames flicker and die as the guard finally crushed it under his boot.
Alex blinked, back in his body. He clenched his fists, frustration mixing with excitement. He hadn't learned everything he needed to, but what he did find out was valuable.
"Advanced tech, smuggling, and someone powerful giving orders," he muttered.
He stretched, cracking his knuckles. "Guess it's time to get out of this place"
He stood up as Anti-Venom enveloped his body, but this time, it was different from the usual symbiote appearance. Instead of the typical black and white, his suit now sported a sleek design with white, purple, and red elements resembling an advanced tech suit—a result of the fusion with Ceruledge.
"This looks... awesome," Alex muttered as he raised his hands. With a thought, from the top of his wrists emerged two glowing blades—one black, radiating an aura of shadow, and the other white, gleaming with a faint light.
"Blade of Despair and Blade of Hope?" he mused aloud. The system chimed in, confirming his suspicion. The black blade was derived from Ceruledge, while the white blade was a manifestation of Anti-Venom's purifying abilities, symbolizing hope.
"So, the Blade of Hope is powered by positive emotions," he noted with a nod. He could feel the distinct energy flowing through each blade—the Blade of Despair thrummed with the weight of negative emotions, drawing strength from fear, anger, and sadness, while the Blade of Hope exuded warmth, fueled by compassion, determination, and courage.
"Two sides of the same coin," he said with a smirk.
Alex slashed his blades effortlessly, cutting through the cage in front of him.
Thud!
The loud sound of the cage collapsing drew the attention of everyone nearby. Emerging from the shadows, Alex's sci-fi-like appearance caught the startled stares of the others. Many recoiled at the sight of his glowing blades and advanced symbiotic suit.
Without hesitation, Alex crossed his blades and unleashed a powerful slash, cutting through multiple cages at once and freeing everyone inside. The metallic sound echoed through the room as chains and bars fell apart.
"Everyone," Alex addressed the freed captives, his voice firm but calm, "I'll be heading out to cause some mayhem. Stay here until you no longer hear any noise, then leave stealthily. After that, scatter and run as far as you can."
He scanned the group, locking eyes with one individual—a tall, imposing figure who stood out among the freed prisoners. The man was clad in crude armor and carried an air of strength. Alex stepped closer, curious. "What's your name?" he asked.
The man stood straight, his voice low but filled with resolve. "I am... Death Knight."
he didn't comment on his name thinking, he might be an underground fighter or such.
Alex nodded. "Good. I'll count on you to lead them out."
he didn't comment on his tacky name thinking, this guy might be some kind of underground fighter or such.
Without another word, Alex turned toward the exit, his blades gleaming. Death Knight followed silently for a moment, then veered off to help the others.
As Alex stepped out of the holding area, he was met with guards rushing toward him. Armed with rifles and yelling orders, they quickly aimed their weapons at him.
"Stop right there!" one of the guards shouted, his voice shaking with authority.
Alex raised a hand dismissively. "Come at me," he said, his voice laced with a dangerous calm.
"FIRE!" the guard barked, and the room erupted with the sound of gunfire. Bullets tore through the air, aimed directly at Alex.
But Alex didn't flinch. He stood motionless, his symbiotic suit absorbing the onslaught with ease. The bullets either disintegrated on impact or fell harmlessly to the ground. The guards froze in horror as the realization hit them—he was untouchable.
Alex smirked under his mask. "My turn," he said, stepping forward as his blades began to glow ominously.