Evolving My Undead Legion In A Game-Like World

Chapter 1188: Learning More About Death Heir

The ghost floated closer. Michaelʼs muscles tightened slightly as he stopped himself from making a move. If it werenʼt for the sliver of danger he couldnʼt sense from her, he would have run away long ago.

She stopped directly before him and stared into his eyes.

”You arenʼt the strongest Iʼve seen.”

Michael wasnʼt offended. That was obvious. She herself was stronger than him. And if she had existed long enough to encounter numerous outsiders, she had probably seen things far beyond his understanding.

”But…”

Her silver eyes narrowed.

”Why do you feel close?”

Michael froze.

The ghost leaned nearer.

”Very close.”

Her face approached his again. Michael resisted the instinct to move backward as her cheek brushed against his.

”…”

Michael remained completely still.

The ghost finally pulled away. Her expression became confused.

”But we arenʼt the same.”

She looked down at herself. Then at him.

One spiritual being. One living human. They were completely different existences.

The confusion in her will was genuine.

Michael didnʼt respond. It wasnʼt because he lacked an answer. He was afraid that if he opened his mouth, he wouldnʼt be able to contain his joy and would start laughing out loud.

His heart started racing again. But this time, not from fear, but from excitement. His eyes gradually brightened.

Itʼs the class!

Deathʼs Heir. There was almost no other explanation.

When Michael had first transitioned into the class, the description had stated that he possessed near absolute dominance over undead creatures. At the time, Michael had understood how absurd those words were. But only theoretically.

Since then, he had repeatedly witnessed pieces of what they actually meant. Weak undead were the simplest examples. Even Rank Four creatures. The moment they entered his influence, resistance practically ceased to exist. They obeyed him naturally. Some even worshipped him.

The effect remained incredibly strong even against Epic-grade undead. The Bone Hounds had proven that. Even when a creature possessed a higher Rank than Michael, it had still been unable to truly resist his authority.

There were differences in attitude, differences in how much individuality remained, but obedience itself remained.

Until Rank Five.

That was the only point where Michael had ever felt the absolute nature of Deathʼs Heir begin to loosen. He remembered clearly what happened when his undead were temporarily boosted into that realm. They still obeyed him and still recognized him. They would never attack him, and their instinct to protect him had remained. But something changed.

The unquestioning obedience became slack. If Michael gave an instruction, they might interpret it, choosing how far they wanted to obey it and deciding the method themselves. Their thoughts became far more independent.

The command still mattered. Michael still mattered. But they were no longer loyal subjects moving exactly according to his wishes. And that had happened with undead already contracted to him. Creatures whose souls were directly connected to his own.

Michael had never encountered a wild Rank Five undead before. Until now.

His gaze locked onto the ghost. This was his first opportunity to experience Deathʼs Heirʼs authority against a naturally existing undead at the Demigod level.

And the result was fascinating.

She wasnʼt kneeling. She wasnʼt obeying him. She wasnʼt even treating him as someone above her.

Yet she felt something. Closeness. An inexplicable familiarity strong enough that she felt no different from family.

Michaelʼs thoughts accelerated. Perhaps at this level, Deathʼs Heir couldnʼt impose direct dominance on a wild undead. But the authority wasnʼt gone. It was still influencing something fundamental.

Is it her instincts, or her perception of me? Maybe both.

Perhaps when I advanced it would be different.

The ghost floated around him once more.

”I donʼt understand.”

Michael finally spoke through his will.

”Neither do I.”

That wasnʼt entirely true. He understood more than she did.

Her silver eyes fixed on him.

”Youʼre lying.”

Michaelʼs expression stiffened before he offered a strained smile. At this point he was sure this ghost had some extremely strong senses.

Michaelʼs smile remained for a moment before he decided not to push the subject. The ghost didnʼt seem particularly bothered by the lie either. She simply floated around him again, silver eyes studying him with that same intense curiosity.

Michael, meanwhile, had become much more confident. Not careless, though. The creature in front of him was still a genuine Demigod. If his interpretation of Deathʼs Heir was wrong, or if something suddenly changed, she could probably reduce him to nothing before he had time to regret it.

But the strange familiarity she felt toward him was real. More importantly, he still couldnʼt sense hostility from her.

Michael glanced toward the Nether Soul Tree. He hesitated briefly.

”Is that tree your treasure?”

The ghost followed his gaze.

”The tree?”

”Yes.”

She stared at it for several seconds. Then shook her head.

”No.”

Michaelʼs eyes brightened.

What he didnʼt know was that the ghost hadnʼt interpreted the question in the way he intended. She understood what a treasure was. She had seen treasures before. Objects filled with power. Things fought over.

But this tree? She had simply found it growing here long ago. Sometimes she stayed near it. Sometimes she left for years before returning. It produced pleasant energy, and she liked resting beside it. Calling it a treasure had never crossed her mind. To her, it was like her home.

So naturally, she answered no.

Michael, unaware of the reasoning behind her response, became cautiously optimistic.

”If it isnʼt your treasure…”

He pointed toward the tree.

”Can I take it?”

Suddenly, an enormous pressure descended upon the ravine.

BOOM!

Michaelʼs pupils contracted. The ground beneath him cracked. Isabella collapsed to one knee with a violent clatter of bones.

Michaelʼs Wisdom State surged to its absolute limit as his mana instinctively erupted around his body. His heart slammed against his chest. For the briefest instant, it felt as though the entire world had become heavy.

Shit!