Observing the dark space around this inner world where her spirit rested, Elinor reflected on what Butter told her in regard to how it adapted to their desires.
It’s worth a try.
The void behind was replaced by black wooden planks that materialized with a thought; it was more flexible than she expected. Holding her hands behind her back, she walked along the edges of her side of the room, expanding it to accommodate Butter and herself.
She opted for a simple gothic-themed room with a stone fireplace housing blue flames; it was a start to texture the environment and set the mood. The windows only showed a void beyond, but that didn’t bother her.
Elinor moved to her seat by the fire yet remained standing while gazing into the flickering gas; it was close enough to her blonde doppelganger’s side that she could reposition her own throne to chat. It was about time she customized her new home a little, and this was a suitable start.
A twist came to her lips as she turned to redesign the walls from timber to stone, drawing from one of the cycling pictures of gothic cathedrals she’d utilized on her laptop background. Rugs designed around ravens and butterflies took shape on the black floorboards, and she made sure to add a light creak that could be heard when walking across them.
Hidden speakers were fitted into the arched ceiling, high overhead throughout her side of the room, and a shelf of records came into being, taken from her past music collection.
She released a relishing sigh as the ambiance of a dark church organ played in the background from one of her favorite playlists, setting her mood. Perhaps this personal space wasn’t so terrible, and if Butter didn’t like it, she could add her own filter to her side of the area to remove Elinor’s preferred palate.
Satisfied for the time being, Elinor took her throne. Crossing her legs, she leaned against the side and pulled up her status sheet; the saliva in her mouth thickened upon seeing the fascinating options that drew some intriguing questions:
[2 Stat Points Available]
[1 Stat Modifier Point Available]
[1 Refinement Point Available]
[1 Branch Feat Point Available]
Elinor took a few minutes to ponder the implications revealed about her future path involving these abilities and where this could take her; this was an important milestone, she concluded, and it was important to choose wisely if she wanted to maximize her growth.
Knowing that Stat Points were seemingly common, even if the Modifier Point was new, she decided to start with what took her attention the most: the Branch Feat. Having the option of a more powerful attack or something to help her body’s weak structure could be vital.
These were tied to her Lich and Empress off-shoots, yet new growths would likely introduce entirely new sets of Feats in the future; she’d likely need to think carefully about which direction to go.
It appears I may get a Branch Upgrade every 10 levels after Level 5. So, my next one will be at Level 15, which means I’ll get something else at Level 10. This is turning out to be more fun than I imagined.
Her thoughts lingered on each, knowing what she’d choose in the end at a glance—thinking carefully or not—yet she wanted to ponder the full possibilities:
[Attack Feat Branch: Chains of the Damned I - Summon a chain [Current Max: One] that splits space within one meter of the caster to bind the spirit of the individual. User can interact with the links. Modified by Constitution and Strength.]
[Defense Feat Branch: Gates of the Dead I - Summon a frontal barrier that blocks all spiritual and physical damage. Modified by Constitution and Defense.]
[Utility Feat Branch: Prose of the Potentate I - Allows all of the user’s subjects to perfectly understand them while also giving the user the ability to speak and read any language [Current Max: One] of an intelligent minion they possess. One day [subject to the planet implemented on] is required to change languages. Modified by the subject’s grasp of said language.]
Obviously, Prose of the Potentate was exactly what she’d desired, almost as if it had been consciously added to the pool due to her wish for such a Feat; however, it also made her question the other two paths she could take.
If she were going off of modifiers alone, the Gates of the Dead would be the next best option, considering her bonus was Above Average in that area, while her Strength was Low. Why had it selected these particular directions, though?
Not discovering an answer, she chose the third opinion without hesitation, subconsciously choosing Mika’s understanding of her people’s language. A small smile lifted her lips as the woman’s grumbles fed through the Nexus; she could invade her minions’ thoughts, it seemed.
“On one hand, she controls the dead, so that means she must be empowered by the Supreme Chiefs, but what one is in charge of that area? Dirt licker, I should have paid more attention to the Mystics while a tadpole… Is she the reckoning brought forward to punish those who are falling away from the old ways, or is she a fiend from the Pits? Who controls the Pits?!”
Her thoughts swapped gears as Eduardo found another spy, speaking dully to the agitated toad. “Got another one, Boss… Think they set some kind of trap? This is so boring…”
“Ugh. All he does is complain! Why can I understand them to an extent, yet I have to jump around, waving my hands and making pictures in the dirt? It’s so… frustrating! If she is a Supreme Chief or Mystic sent by them, why can’t she talk to me?! I’m coming, annoying one…”
Eduardo sent a shocked pulse through the Nexus. “I… I can understand you? What the…”
Mika paused, freezing in her crouching position as she prepared to circle around the building the spy was using to lure in humans, apparently by hanging a live kitten from its belly on a doorway.
“You can understand me?”
She sounded like an overworked woman in her thirties that likely enjoyed a bit too much wine; at least, that was the impression Elinor instinctively had.
Indeed, Mika. Elinor chuckled at the shiver that ran down the discolored, green toad’s spine. I have made it so that every one of those that serve me can understand your language. It will be a necessity moving forward.
Butter’s soft laughter filled the following silence in the Nexus as Eduardo and Carlos listened to gain a better grasp of the developing situation. “It is about time; a wonderful choice, Priss. I so look forward to getting a better grasp of your culture, Mika… Oh, is there another name we should call you by, dear?”
“Umm… No, High Queen,” the toad mumbled, sounding nervous. “I have abandoned my former name out of shame after… Well, after I was made into your servant. I don’t know what to make of this current… life? I don’t know what to call it anymore.”
“Ho-ho! I would say you are adapting very quickly, which is wonderful,” the golden butterfly chimed. “Do you have any questions for her, Priss? I’ve been learning a lot about Carlos, and he has quite a colorful background. When you get a chance, we should discuss our next steps because a lot more has changed with his addition than we originally anticipated.”
Her new Staff Sergeant remained completely silent, possibly following a chain of order, and only speaking when spoken to since she was the highest in command, followed by his direct superior, Butter.
I am still mulling over a few items. Continue to run operations until I call a meeting to discuss our next steps. Hmm? Hehe. I see you’re on your way back to retrieve your third recruit. Filled on Death Energy already?
“As a matter of fact, I am!” Butter clapped, practically bubbling with energy and enthusiasm. “I see we are growing quite the reserve—twenty-seven now, hmm—and if we count the six I can keep with these beautiful floating storage bugs, we can have a maximum of thirty-three. We have certainly come a long way from that depressing start. Wouldn’t you agree, Priss?”
I would, Elinor whispered, studying the flames and wondering what her divine twin might think when seeing how she’d decorated her side of the room. I must say, you have exceeded my expectations for a fatty stick of lard; you are more of a team player than I gave you credit for.
“My! Hehe. Look at you; I’ll take that as the closest thing to an apology I can get. I’m growing fonder of working with you, as well, Priss. May we continue gathering bones to act as the foundation for the future of our glorious Empire!”
Cheers, she mused, finding some measure of satisfaction in the progress she’d made; even if she had a long way to go, she’d come further than she thought possible. I look forward to hearing what devilish surprises Carlos and you will bring me.
Elinor could sense the quiver that went through Eduardo and Mika’s spines at their public conversation, yet Carlos had an edge of thrill at the prospect of what was to come, which made him far more interesting than she first anticipated.
Filtering out the conversations passing between Butter and the others as the shimmering insect clarified further orders, Elinor returned her attention to the screen in front of her to address the rest of her Level Up, now that her Branch Feat had been decided.
The Stat Points should have been an easy choice. After all, she required more storage to have the leniency to rebuild if things went south, as they did with Butter, yet the new modifier had her curious about putting it into Control Resistance or Elemental Resistance, even if she would likely increase her Constitution regardless.
Each Stat would probably help her skills in different ways, as her Branch Feats showed; there was much to ponder regarding this obscure System. The question was, should she increase a Stat that was already high, or bring a sub-par one up to average?
Currently, she was centralized in the Empress Branch and kingdom-building areas, which were quite powerful, given her current circumstances, and she knew it would be an invaluable start for her early journey.
Sure, she could move into a more personal approach when it came to strengthening her individual power, yet her current sheet spread wasn’t geared toward that, so it would be hindered overall. That wouldn’t be the case if she could Prestiged and was able to enhance a specific area, such as Strength.
Overall, turning Power from Low to Below Average wouldn’t be that helpful to her, but changing Control Resistance or Constitution, which included her mental fortitude, from Extremely High to whatever the next stage was, she could further cement her authority on those she brought back.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Elemental Resistance could strengthen her diamond against the Life Element, and it was good to cover her bases; all she needed was to neglect her resilience to find herself in a sticky situation down the line.
Then again, Control Resistance was certainly something she had to take. If there was one thing she’d learned through becoming an Empress of the Dead, it was that it was always better to be the one in control.
After some debate, she brought Constitution from Extremely High to Maximum, providing her with two extra Death Orb for every point: five DO per point instead of the original three. It also included an extra two to her Base of five, bringing it to seven.
At seven Base, plus five DO per point, her cap went from eleven to an astonishing seventeen. Two more points into the Stat, and she was at a grand total of twenty-seven pool capacity; if she included her butterfly holding limit, that could be brought up to thirty-three. She’d tripled her pool in one fell swoop.
Elinor’s focus drifted from the black and white screen and text to stare at the flickering blue flames. Carlos was chatting with Butter, gaining a further understanding of this new undead life and what was expected of him as he simultaneously dealt with the many questions being asked of him by the humans seeking shelter in the building.
Thirty-three Death Orbs will allow me to summon an Uncommon-Grade when I need to without being too stressed with the current loss, and I’ll have enough for emergencies if Butter needs to get her daily ten doses of medicine to keep functional.
How much do I need to increase my [Raise Undead]’s Grade… Right, sixty unintelligent and fifteen intelligent, where I’m currently thirteen and four… I suppose that isn’t the worst ratio, given how long I’ve had these powers. Still, that’s a lot of Death Orbs to invest.
Finally, Elinor looked towards the final action required to complete her Level 5 advancement: the Refinement Points.
Hmm… It can refine a Feat to offer a greater attunement and range of base functionality… Oh? Well, this is interesting…
Only one thing caught her immediate attention; [Butterfly] could be refined to connect to two Feats.
It’s already a broken ability, as it stands, but if I do this… I can create a direct link between them and myself by connecting it to [Raise Undead]. Would I be able to pull energy directly from the butterflies despite the distance?
No… Not taking it personally, but there is an exception; I could send it to them and draw it out of the others while in the process of raising the dead. So long as I keep one with me, it can act as a tether to pull from the others with Butter, allowing her to keep hunting and me to instantly use what she gathers, bypassing the danger of transporting it back to me. Perfect.
Engaging the refinement, Elinor frowned upon seeing a timer pop up; it would take six hours to accomplish. It was worth it, however. The ethereal insects were powerful, accomplishing much of her abilities. They could also pass solid objects to raise the dead underground and give her the ability to scan the earth for hidden soldiers.
Finished leveling, she scanned her status sheet, happy to see more information filling in as time went on. The mystery of these undead powers was gradually revealing itself, and the prospect of reaching whatever level this System ended at tickled her curiosity as to how powerful she’d become after arriving at that lofty goal.
How many nations must I topple to reach such a level, though? Elinor pondered to herself, creating a mirror to her side to stare into her cold, burning emerald irises. What if this invasion is only one small pocket of many? Will the world be the same when all of this is over, or will there be a new order that rises from the chaos?
The ominous implications of this alien attack with these crystal gateways to another planet played on her increasingly paranoid mind; the more she thought, the more she concluded this couldn’t be random.
Out of everywhere on Earth, why did they attack during this trip? Why was she marked for kidnapping in this exact town? Why was this cartel given this job to push her parents into this trip outside of the United States?
It was all too convenient of a trap not to be staged, yet it was certainly not these toads that orchestrated this plot, meaning they were possibly pawns in some larger scheme. The snow worked against them, as much as the surprise first wave came in favor of the alien invasion. There was a bigger game being played, and the strings of the organ playing in the background wove a grim tapestry in her troubled mind.
Vision wandering to the flickering sapphire flames in the hearth, Elinor’s eyes narrowed. Armando, the cartel leader in this area, had the answers to who hired him for this job. Although she highly doubted that would bear fruit, it was likely another middleman for some other entity because she was clearly not dealing with a normal human.
Someone wanted me out of the picture… because they knew I’d gain these powers, and they were afraid of me. Then again, perhaps it was Butter that terrified them?
A slight smirk twisted her lips at the thought of her elegant, bleeding goddess-like twin striking terror in someone’s heart; she’d been damaged by something, and perhaps that was the opportunity that allowed them to be trapped together in this manner. Whatever the reason, they’d been severely underestimated.
“You should have done the job yourself, my mysterious, faceless enemy,” Elinor whispered to the aether. “I never give up on something I want… Tattoos, perfect grades, State cheer champion… If I want something, I find a way to get it.
“I know you’re out there, and I will find you, whoever you are. So be afraid from wherever you are, controlling these crystals safely in your little room—playing your games. If anything happens to my parents… Hmm-hmm. Well, let’s both hope we don’t need to go down that rabbit hole.”
She ceased her one-sided conversation as Butter entered her side of the room in a flash of golden light, eyebrow lifting upon seeing her decorated space. “Eh, heh… Wow. It’s so… you, and while I do enjoy the heavenly sounds an organ can make, I am rather appalled at the corruption of such a beautiful instrument. How can you make lovely things so… dark?”
“It’s a talent,” Elinor chuckled, gesturing for her to take a seat across from her; she rolled her eyes when her twin did a slow circle on her way over, humming an unfamiliar song.
The ground became a gaudy gold, polished white marble decorating the walls with fine art of, unsurprisingly, self-portraits, yet there were several lavish pieces that displayed the majestic heavens and blue skies.
Elinor filtered out the calm, soothing organ music the blonde countered with, as she was sure she did for her own taste. Plucking at the black dress she wore to cross her legs in the opposite direction, she asked, “What have you learned?”
“A lot!” the blonde returned, taking her throne and using a mirror to fuss with her liquid-like locks. “For one, these toads call themselves ri’bot.”
“Hmm-hmm-hmm. You’re joking?” Elinor snickered, shooting an incredulous look at her doppelganger. “That is the sound we say they make on Earth.”
“I thought it was kind of cute, to be honest,” Butter absently stated, moving on to examining the healing cuts on her skin and white gown. “Mika has moved beyond the state of resistance and has been questioning if we are some divine arm sent to whip their people back into shape. It is certainly possible, considering I am involved. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Elinor gave her an incredulous look. “You, an instrument of providence?”
“Look at me,” Butter arrogantly mused, showing an admittedly gorgeous smile. “How else could you describe such beauty, than that of the divine? No matter how you poke fun at me, Priss, I know in my soul that I am more than just a picture of perfection.”
Shrugging, Elinor’s smirk didn’t falter. “Perhaps the goddess of getting her ass kicked? How else would you explain not only losing to whatever sent you tumbling into my soul but then being put to work by me?”
“Yes, well… we all have our bad days,” Butter mumbled, adjusting her dress to glare at a few gashes that were barely sealed. “I have lost my memory, powers, and, yes, even my very essence seems to have taken a beating… But I am not out of this fight yet. I try to look at it on a more positive note. Hmm-hmm. I would have never gotten to know this side of you otherwise, Priss!”
“How blessed I am,” she dully responded. “In any case, you were talking about Carlos having a plan? I see he’s finished answering a lot of the basic questions.”
Butter twirled her finger in the air, causing her throne to twist to the side. “Why don’t we pull him in here and have him give the report?”
“Can I do that?” Elinor muttered, suddenly curious, and the answer came instinctively. She could, and it also revealed a new interesting detail: those she shackled were drawn into her, and when they died, they didn’t float off into the void outside, but the one inside her own soul.
“Of course you can,” Butter giggled. “Priss, isn’t it funny how I tend to know more about your abilities than you do?”
“Obvious, I’d say,” Elinor said with a light glare. “You did interfere with them before they solidified, so you intercepted the insight I should have gotten, or so I assume.”
Butter put an unashamed smile on her face, showing a peace sign. “I did win that little victory, didn’t I? You must take your wins where you can! Impressed?”
Elinor sighed. “Admittedly, it was a rather daring play, but you were basically gasping your last breath, so… you didn’t have many options.”
“Lamentingly, I did not,” she muttered. “Yes! But we should get away from such depressing topics to move forward on our progress to the next stage. Shall I bring Carlos in to introduce himself?”
Giving her acceptance, Elinor folded her fingers in her lap as the spiritual visage of a handsome man in his late twenties or early thirties materialized between them. He kept to Butter’s side, which was actually an interesting point of protection and a clear indication he was not worthy to enter her space with the barrier between them; her little goddess of a butterfly took her job seriously, it seemed.
“Empress!” Carlos cheerily greeted her in a low, gravelly voice, bowing to her without hesitation. “High Queen.”
“Go on,” Butter instructed. “Priss wants to know what you’re about, so introduce yourself.”
He bowed again before facing her with a grin; Carlos was completely whole as a spirit, sporting a suit that was probably suggested by Butter, and bull horns grew out of the side of his head. Elinor couldn’t help but notice the tail swinging behind him.
“My name’s Carlos, ma’ams. If I’m allowed to be blunt, I can’t wait to get to work. I’ve been a soldier of sorts, and, as I understand it, we’re at war with these ri’bot that attacked us out of the blue.”
Elinor’s interest was piqued by his identity as a soldier. “You’ve seen live combat?”
Carlos’ smile became strained. “Empress, let me explain something. I’m about eighty-three years old, and, thanks to that weird vibrating thing with the lights in the sky, and your powers, I may look to be in my prime, but I’ve lived a long… troubled life before retiring here in this village. In fact, I know many a poor soul with that backstory—most dead, probably—they’re not the type to not fight when ambushed.”
He straightened and flashed his teeth. “Small towns like this are used by a lot of shady organizations and freelance workers. I’ve been associated with them all—far-left communist revolutionaries, far-right military types, cartels, corrupt officials—you name it, I know something about it, and I know a dozen good men that would jump at a second chance to take down the little shits that put them in the dirt—eh, pardon my language.”
Elinor waved her hand dismissively. “Are you saying you can get me a capable force—how capable are we talking? And note that I only have a single intelligent spot open, at the moment, at least.”
Carlos’ expression fell as he stroked his dark mustache, glancing off to the side. “If I’m being honest, ma’ams… I’m not sold on Eduardo, eh, remaining a part of the unit. Sure, I’ve heard of him through a few contacts, but he’s more of a desk-pushing media user, manipulating code and people into compromising positions to be exploited—a private contractor with a focus not suited for this kind of job.”
Glad to have someone more proactive in the hunt, Elinor sat back, feeling Mika and Eduardo were returning with the bodies of the scouts they’d killed. “He certainly does complain a lot… However, what are your thoughts on his curse? It is effective, and he can act as a great spy in the blizzard.”
Butter nodded, looking to the man for his rebuttal with an entertained gleam in her illuminated turquoise eyes. “He does have a rather useful skill, despite his attitude. Who would be your top three two picks since we only have one—potentially two—spots open?”
“Mmh,” Carlos sucked on his bottom lip while pondering the tight selection. “Maybe I can whip him into shape, and Mika seems to have a lot of good promise… I know a bomber from the Gulf Clan criminal gang who probably has an idea where we can get some real munitions. I saw them in the pile. My idea, snatch them back from Mr. Death, and we have a shot at some stuff that can do some real damage.”
A gleam lit in the man’s glowing red eyes, changed by his spirit being assigned a Class by her powers, and it was then Elinor saw the new tab on the side that showed her units, including the classification Carlos had:
Carlos Sánchez: Secret Core - Common-C - Terrorist - N/A - Lv. 1
“Hehe. I’m talking nines, forty-fives, three-five sevens, and m-500 rifles—grenades, C4—hell, maybe we can get our hands on an RPG! We load up some of your unintelligent undead—oh, I saw a boy with a drone on the way in… Hehe. We’re huntin’! We attach some C4 to that, and, as The High Queen told me, all we need to do is fly that baby into a crystal… Boom! Problem solved; that’s how we do it.”
A devilish smile lit Elinor’s lips. If this was what Common-C-Grade units got her, how much stronger would an Uncommon be? “I like your approach, Carlos. My main objective is to find my parents, however, but we can certainly prepare… We do need to level and draw some attention. Let’s see about this bomber of yours.”
Butter pressed a hand against her stomach as it shook with soft laughter. “Hasn’t this taken a turn? I’m unsure what those random numbers and words mean, but Priss certainly is enticed by them. I look forward to seeing these m-500s and RPGs in action.”
“Oh… it’s beautiful,” Carlos grinned. “Personally, I like a more… physical approach, but when we’re dealing with numbers like this, we gotta step it up a notch. We may need to kill a few gangsters bunkering down, but I don’t see that being a problem, right?”
“Right,” Elinor returned, picturing her skeletal toads running around with machine guns and acting as suicide bombers. “Well, point me to your man.”
“Woman, actually,” Carlos said. “She’s a bit on the quieter side, from what I’ve been told, but she’s fairly OCD when it comes to being clean and working in a tidy space—I mean, she works with explosives.”
Butter’s eyes widened. “Oh! Is that what we’re doing? I look forward to the fireworks; are they big in this world?”
Carlos’ mouth twisted into a half-grin. “Oh… they can be pretty big. I’m on my way back in, Empress. Hehe. These fools won’t know what hit them.”
