Embrace of the void

Michael groaned as he sat up, a severe headache pounding in his temples. "Damn, it feels like my body was split in two." He fished a healing potion from his ring and gulped it down. "Much better."

"What happened? Did I succeed in reviving the corpse?" He glanced around, realizing he was back in his room instead of the basement where he had last been. Confusion washed over him.

"Wait, did I use the Undead Storage skill during the revival?" He checked his status and saw the notification: {Undead Summoning {1/5}}. A wave of excitement surged through him. "It seems I succeeded!"

Determined, Michael attempted to summon the corpse. Moments later, a dark purple portal materialized, and a figure stepped through, strolling casually with its hands in its pockets. To Michael's astonishment, the figure was clad in his own clothes.

Michael sprang to his feet, drawing his sword and pressing the blade against the intruder's neck. "Who are you, and why are you wearing my clothes?"

The figure remained calm, its demeanor unfazed. "I am your first servant. You revived me."

Michael was taken aback. The person before him bore no resemblance to a typical undead.

"Why do you look like this? You appear completely human."

"I adopted this form because I prefer it. I can revert to my original appearance if you wish."

"Not right now. We'll deal with that later."

"What's your name?" Michael asked.

"You may name me," the figure replied.

Michael pondered for a moment. "I will call you Nyxar."

"That works for me," Nyxar said nonchalantly.

"Why do you look different now?" Michael inquired, curious about the change.

Nyxar's eyes were a striking purple, and his skin and hair were black, reminiscent of Michael himself. "My appearance is a fusion of your features and my original form, which altered when you revived me."

"What do you mean?"

"I've inherited your memories along with my own from my life. My soul merged with a fragment of yours, hence the change."

Intrigued, Michael decided to check Nyxar's status.

Status:

{Name: Nyxar}

{Age: 15}

{Class: Void Reaper}

{Bloodline: Dark Elf}

{Race: Voidwalkers}

{Rank:E+}

{Strength: E+}

{Agility: E+}

{Stamina: ∞}

{Perception: E+}

{Intelligence: E+}

{Mana: E+}

{Charm: E+}

{Affinities: Shadow (SS), Space (SS), Darkness (EX), Void (SSS)}

{Skills: Dagger mastery (Intermediate), stealth (Intermediate), archery (Intermediate)}

Techniques:

Rare: {Shadow's Embrace (Intermediate 49%), Aetherial Grasp (Beginner 25} 

Class Skills: {Void Dagger, Void Manipulation, Voidstep, void senses, Soul Rend} 

{Bloodline Skills: Dark Vision, Night Enhancement, Silent Feet} 

{Race skills: void immunity}

{Innate Abilities: Dark Teleportation}

"Wow, this is amazing!" Michael exclaimed, laughter bubbling from him. "I can create powerful soldiers with this!"

Nyxar's tone turned serious. "Don't get ahead of yourself. Even if you create more, they won't be like me."

Michael paused, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Because I merged with a part of your soul, you can't expect to survive another attempt to split your soul."

"Why is that?" Michael pressed.

"The soul is a delicate thing and only a few can survive a soul split. Perhaps an S-rank might manage it, but for lower ranks, it's a death sentence. Your soul was too large for your body—most likely due to the merging of two souls."

"You succeeded in reviving me and survived the split because your body was repairing itself by shedding excess soul. Your innate skill only allows for imprinting a fragment of your soul into the revived target, thus binding them to you. This ability is extraordinary, but what happened to me was sheer luck, and it won't happen again."

Frustration washed over Michael. "That doesn't matter now. Let's go out and test your skills!"

"Alright, let's do this."

Michael quickly changed into his outdoor gear and prepared to venture into the forest once more.

"I can't take you out with me right away," he mentioned.

"Where were you hiding when you woke up?" Michael asked.

"I was in the Void World," Nyxar replied.

"It seems your Undead Storage skill created a small pocket dimension in the void. Currently, it can accommodate five beings, and that capacity will increase as your rank improves."

"That's fantastic! Will you return to that dimension now?"

"No, while it's comfortable, it requires a portion of your magical energy to access. I opened it using my will since you were unconscious."

"You'll need to train this skill for smoother access. For now, I'll hide in your shadow. It's already connected to the void."

"Can anyone sense you?"

"I doubt it. Anyone below SS rank probably won't."

"What about your class and race? Can anyone discover that?"

"The Void Immunity skill grants me complete immunity from detection methods, It also allows me to survive in the void world without any issues."

"That's incredible! Can I enter the Void World without that skill?"

"No, and I advise against trying. You would disintegrate into nothingness; the empty energy would consume you."

The thought sent a shiver down Michael's spine. "Let's head out now; I'm eager to test your abilities!"

"Let's go."

With that, Nyxar slipped into Michael's shadow, and Michael dashed out into the forest, excitement coursing through him as he anticipated the chaos they would unleash together.

Michael navigated through the forest for half an hour, finally arriving at Fenrir's hiding place.

"Fenrir, come out," he commanded, his voice firm. At that moment, Nyxar emerged from Michael's shadow, observing the scene with keen interest.

"What do you think? Should I turn him into one of my summons?" Michael gestured toward Fenrir.

Nyxar shook his head. "No, he's too weak."

Michael sighed, disappointment settling in. "As I thought." He turned to Fenrir, a somber expression on his face. "Rest in peace. You've been a good companion." With that, he canceled his summon, and Fenrir fell lifeless once more.

"You need to dispose of the body," Nyxar advised. "We don't want anyone knowing a necromancer is here."

Michael ignited the body in flames. "I encountered some bandits. Do you think they'll cause trouble?"

Nyxar smirked. "No, they're just bandits. They won't dare approach the city. But we should eliminate them as well."

"Why?" Michael asked, puzzled.

"We don't want unnecessary complications, and besides, killing is fun," Nyxar replied, a glint of excitement in his eyes.

Michael chuckled, shaking his head. "You seem a little crazy."

With an evil smile, Nyxar responded, "You're just as crazy, my friend."

"Let's head to the bandits' den and take our revenge!" Nyxar suggested eagerly.

"Do you know where their hideout is?" Michael inquired.

"Yes, I do."

"How do you know?"

Nixar looked at Michael with an evil smile. "I was a member of an assassination organization. Did you forget? I still retain my memories from when I was alive. I know all the bandits' dens, thieves' hideouts, and the secret locations in this forest. I even know of treasures and relics that nobles keep hidden."

A wicked grin spread across Michael's face as excitement bubbled within him. "This means we can steal it."

"Of course we will," Nyxar replied, mirroring Michael's enthusiasm. "But first, we need to upgrade your rank. You're still too weak."

"You're only one rank above me. You're weak too," Michael countered.

"I'm different from you," Nyxar retorted.

"In what way?" Michael asked, intrigued.

"As long as you are alive, I cannot die."

Michael's eyes widened in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"Even if I'm injured or killed, as long as you have a little mana left, you can heal me, regenerate me, or summon me again," Nyxar explained, his tone grave yet triumphant.

The realization struck Michael with awe.

 " that is why all the races fear necromancers? Because of their followers who cannot die as long as the necromancer lives?"

"Exactly. We, the dead, possess infinite stamina. We do not tire or hunger; we can exist forever," Nyxar added, his voice filled with conviction.

"It seems your class is more than just a necromancer," Nyxar mused.

"I can say that I am both dead and alive at the same time. Even with infinite stamina, I can still feel hunger and breathe as if I were alive. If every corpse, you revive at only 10% of my potential, we will unleash chaos upon this world."."

Michael was amazed at the tremendous potential his class had. "Now, let's go kill some bastards."

With that, Michael and Nyxar continued their journey through the forest, laughter echoing around them. Their shared madness painted a vivid picture of the chaos they were about to unleash upon the world.