After allocating the various points to where they would function best, Darius closed the Character menu and focused on the still transforming Mikey and Joneson. The area around them losing its blight faster and faster.
Darius measured a radius of 500 meters and growing for the absorption, which was crazy. He could even set up a small estate in this patch of unblighted land. Or a safe haven, which would arguably be a better choice. He was unsure if the blight would return though, so for now, he just entertained the idea.
He rested with Gunner as they waited for the undead to emerge in their evolved form. Darius used this time to consider his next actions once they reached the Adept band.
The closer he got, the more he felt like he fulfilling his inevitable fate. He could no longer prolong it, nor run from it, especially not now when he knew what he needed to do and only had to fill in the motions successfully.
Gunner who was sitting beside him was similarly lost in his own thoughts. This new Mageward Barrier skill made him ponder about his own clan and people.
He had read the description of the manual and these ancient knights who killed mages reminded him of a certain legend in the Giant Race concerning the Primordial Titans who had been Gaia's first children.
They also had skills catered to killing their foes, the Gods and Devils of Faust. Elysium and Armadon went against everything Gaia stood for, so there had always been a deep enmity.
Unfortunately, the great titans had ended up sealed by the Gods, for unlike the deities and high-ranking demons, they could not be killed. Darius had promised to help Gunner solve this matter, but that was a matter for later.
After all, Gunner's situation with his clan was quite problematic in the first place, and the only thing tying him to them was their shared closeness with Gaia.
Soon enough, Mikey and Joneson emerged from the cocoons, their bodies slightly shorter and more humane compared to before. Mikey and Joneson possessed identical looks and features yet again, like a bizarre set of twins.
They had angular faces, sharp noses, oval-shaped eyes with soft brows, and oiled white hair. Their lips were the same color as their skin, pasty white and extremely pale. They had average builds that were slim and did not seem very muscular.
Interestingly enough, they wore full noble liveries that were colored black. The only thing missing from their attires was a family crest, although Darius was certain that they were capable of creating their own Vampire Clan/House.
Darius had extensively researched the undead, so he was aware of their ranking within Faust.
At the very bottom, there were undead skeletons of no particular designation. Starting from there were the Common Rank undead, which were split into the mage path and the warrior path.
For the warrior path, there were the Skeleton Fighters, Skeleton Warriors, Skeleton Knights, Skeleton Kings, Wights, Wight Lords, and Wight Kings.
For the mage path, there were Skeleton Summoners, Skeleton Mages, Skeleton Adepts, Skeleton Archmages, Wraiths, Wraith Lords, and Wraith Kings.
Next came the Lord Rank Undead. Just like their lower-ranked undead brethren, they too split up.
On the warrior path was the Blood Golem, the Bone Golem, the Abomination, and the Butcher. On the mage path was the Specter, the Banshee, the Watcher, the Soul Stealer, and the Bone Dragon.
Above the Lord Rank undead were the Commander Rank undead. The warrior path had the Dark Knight, the Reaper, the Dread Knight, and the Death Knight. The mage path had the Necrolich, the Shaman, the Dread Lord, and the Lich.
Chief of them all was the so-called Supreme Undead. Here, they were not exactly split into paths as all of them had abilities in both categories. There were few in numbers and none outranked the others.
They were the Vampires, the Lich King, the Banished Ones, and the Necromancer King.
Although the vampires were arguably the weakest of their ranks, they more than made up for it with their growth capabilities, since they had the potential to become mightier than the Lich King, the Banished Ones, or the Necromancer King.
Vampires also had their internal species rankings. From lowest to highest they were the Blood Ghoul, the Thrall, the Initiate Vampire, the Halfblood Vampire, the Pureblood Vampire, the Vampire Lord, the Vampire King, the Ancient Vampire, and the Progenitor Vampire.
Darius wondered what rank of vampire Mikey and Joneson had evolved into, so he quickly checked their character menus to be sure.
[Name: Joneson
Race: Undead
Class: Pureblood Vampire
Subclass: Growth
HP: 5,475/5,475
MP: 3,360/3,360
Level: 35
Strength: 73
Agility: 78
Endurance: 75
Intellect: 96
Charisma: 74
Luck: 0
Abilities: Raise Dead, Heal Undead, Sacrifice, Promote, Create Initiate, Summon Thralls, Create Blood Warriors, Life Drain, Shadow Manipulation, Shadow Blade, Hail of Spears.
Traits: Magic Immunity, Damage Ward, Absorb, Ultra Dominate.
Weapons: Magic.]
[Name: Mikey
Race: Undead
Class: Pureblood Vampire
Subclass: Growth
HP: 5,475/5,475
MP: 3,360/3,360
Level: 35
Strength: 73
Agility: 78
Endurance: 75
Intellect: 96
Charisma: 74
Luck: 0
Abilities: Raise Dead, Heal Undead, Sacrifice, Promote, Create Initiate, Summon Thralls, Create Blood Warriors, Life Drain, Shadow Manipulation, Shadow Blade, Hail of Spears.
Traits: Magic Immunity, Damage Ward, Absorb, Ultra Dominate.
Weapons: Magic.]
Darius raised an eyebrow. The duo's stats were finally on display, and well… it was a lot higher than Darius had expected. As he suspected, stats varied per race, with 'superior' races having better numerals than their counterparts at the same stage, even in categories they did not specialize in.
Before he checked their Abilities and Traits to notate the difference, he removed his steel spear from his Inventory and tossed it over to Mikey, who caught it deftly.
"Uh, boss?" Mikey questioned uncertainly.
Darius ignored him and took out an iron sword he had in his Inventory all this while as a drop from misc battles and concentrated.
[Would you like to change the iron sword into a steel sword? This will cost 1.5 Conversion Points.]
Darius made the change and admired the weapon in his hands, swinging it around lightly.
