Ethan took a look at his stats, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the numbers.
"...Abysmal," he muttered under his breath.
He scratched his head, frustration creeping into his voice.
"I'm basically a twig in comparison."
Curious, he tried to interact with the item shop, hoping to find something—anything—to improve his situation.
But as soon as he tapped the interface—
ZAP
"ACK!"
A jolt of energy sent him sprawling to the floor, smoke curling off his body.
He sighed and propped himself up, dusting off his tattered clothes.
Looking around, he took in the grim landscape—a sprawling graveyard of the dead. Tombstones stretched as far as the eye could see, their weathered surfaces almost covering the entire field.
"Mass graves... If I'm correct, I'm near the Corseir Deadlands," he muttered, his voice low and contemplative.
A wave of unease washed over him as he gazed at the sea of graves, but beneath it, there was something else—a faint flicker of nostalgia.
"I've got a weapon, but my stats are barely enough to fight a single zombie," he grumbled, poking at his stats
HEALTH:30/50
MANA: 0/100
"....."
He stared at the numbers, his expression a mix of resignation and mild annoyance.
He then looked back at his stats, scanning the details:
--------- ----------
Name: Ethan Cross
Level: 2
Status:Decrepit Undead
Attributes:
- Strength:4
- Agility:6
- Intelligence: 7
- Dexterity: 4
- Perception: 8
- Endurance: 10
---------- --------
"Hmmm, wait... Where are the points I earned?" he muttered, scratching his head.
He looked around, confused, before deciding to check his inventory.
------------ -------------
Inventory:
- Weapon: Kensei Katana
- Clothing: Officer's Uniform (0 Armor)
- Points: 10
___________ _____________
He rubbed his eyes, squinting at the interface.
"Why is it using the old layout system...?"
He stared at the system, his expression filled with doubt.
"Are you...?"
The system seemed to hesitate, as if it was about to give Ethan Zap
"Never mind," he said, shaking his head and dismissing the thought
Now, he faced a choice.
"Where should I place these points?" he pondered aloud, scratching his chin.
"Strength would help me gain more health, make me tank, and let me brawl with anything I come across. Agility would boost my speed, enhance 'Dance of the Dead,' reduce its cooldown, and help me dodge more attacks. Intelligence... well, I don't really have mana right now, but it could help with mana recovery and magic damage if I ever get something magic-related..."
He paused, considering the other options.
"Dexterity would improve my precision and control, making my attacks more accurate and efficient. Perception would heighten my senses, letting me detect threats earlier and react faster. And Endurance... well, that's already my highest stat. It keeps me going, even when I'm battered and broken."
He stared at the options, weighing the pros and cons, his mind racing.
He shrugged, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"...10 points into Strength, cause why not?"
As he allocated the points, he felt an immediate surge of energy coursing through his body. Each muscle fiber expanded and contracted, the sensation both exhilarating and overwhelming.
"ACK! I guess it ain't that easy," he grunted, gritting his teeth as the transformation took hold.
His decayed body began to recover, the rot receding as new strength flooded his limbs. He grew taller, his frame filling out with bulkier muscle. The change was drastic, almost unnatural, but undeniably powerful.
"Alright, let's see how this goes," he muttered, cracking his knuckles.
He walked over to one of the tombstones, his newfound strength surging through his veins. With a single punch—
*BANG.*
The tombstone shattered into pieces.
"Okay, not bad,"
He then looked up to see zombies stirring from their graves—some freshly turned, others old and rotten, their decayed forms shuffling or lurching toward him.
GRRRRR.
They all started running at him, a horde of undead closing in fast.
"Inventory," he commanded, his voice steady despite the chaos.
In an instant, the Kensei Katana materialized in his hand, its blade gleaming with an otherworldly light.
"HUP!"
He didn't even unsheathe his sword, opting instead to use the hilt as a blunt weapon.
SMACK
A zombie's head caved in with a sickening crunch.
"One," he counted, his voice calm but focused.
SMACK
Another zombie went flying, its body crumpling like a ragdoll.
"Two," he said, already turning to the next target.
SMACK
The third zombie was driven into the ground, its skull burying into the earth.
"THREE!"
Finally, he unsheathed the Katana, the blade singing as it slid free.
"HAHHH!"
His body twisted with precision, the sword cutting through the air in a deadly arc. The blade cleaved through the rest of the horde, each strike a testament to his newfound strength and skill.
"....I'm never gonna make it, am I?"
He collapsed to the ground, his body aching from the fight. The adrenaline faded, leaving only weariness and doubt.
"I can't even access the shop to restock, and what's with this debuff? I'm slow as hell," he muttered, glaring at the system interface as if it had personally betrayed him.
PING
He looks up, startled by the sudden notification.
"Objective screen has been updated and added to the list."
Curious, he taps on the notification, and a new screen pops up:
Main Objective: Survive
Side Objectives:
- Reach Level 10
Rewards: 500 Gold, 600 Exp
A flash of hope flickers in his eyes as he reads the rewards.
"...Perfect," he mutters, a determined grin spreading across his face.
He got to his feet, brushing off the dirt, and made his way to the next set of graves.
"Keep them coming," he says, his voice steady and confident.
------------ -------------
Updated Status
Name: Ethan Cross
Level:2
Status: Decrepit Undead
Attributes:
- Strength:** 14 (+10)
- Agility: 6 (-2)
- Intelligence: 7
- Dexterity: 4
- Perception: 8
- Endurance: 10
Coins: -20,000
Inventory:
- Weapon: Kensei Katana
- Clothing: Officer's Uniform (0 Armor)
- Points: 0
Debuffs:
1. Undead Hunger: Gradually reduces Strength over time. Eating mitigates this effect.
2. Debt Trap: Cannot purchase from the Item Shop until debts are paid. -2 Move Speed.
Corseir Deadlands
"Once a sanctuary of ancient forests, where spirits whispered and elves danced beneath the canopy, now a desolate wasteland of death and decay."
Lore:
The Corseir Deadlands were once a thriving forest, home to ethereal forest spirits and the elusive elves who guarded its secrets. But centuries of war between the human kingdoms of Eryndor and the relentless Vyrrak Horde turned this sacred land into a grim testament to carnage.
As battles raged, the victors—whether human or Vyrrak—dumped their fallen into mass graves, heedless of the land's sanctity. Over time, the forest's lifeblood was choked by the weight of countless corpses, and the spirits themselves were consumed by the encroaching darkness.
Now, the Corseir Deadlands stand as a cursed expanse, where the dead stir restlessly beneath the earth, and the air hums with the echoes of forgotten wars.