The Evolving Stealth System Chapter 46: Necrotic Pathway

Duncan followed the arrow until he arrived in front of a large tower in the black water depths, and the numerous gargoyles and statues on the towers pillars seemed to come to life....

Bernie and Alberta then ran into the building as Duncan floated above the tower waiting for their report on the tower's premises...

[Ding! It appears there are no traps in the tower... Host may proceed into the tower halls...]

"Alright… thanks…" Duncan swam and entered into the large stone creaking doorway as the gargoyles and golems got off the wall and appeared in front of Duncan's team…

"So, you've come for the inheritance challenge…"

"You're going to be the 1743rd person to try to earn our master's reward…" The gargoyle looked like a dragon as it spoke, but the room Duncan entered into had dead bodies all over the floor… so, he took the ticket, and… what did he have to do?

"Just go up the stairs, and you'll be offered a reward every few levels… If you make it to the eighth level, you should just try and make it to the eighth level…" The gargoyle flapped its wings and a skeleton fell from the chandelier…

It had flesh on its face…

It looked like it could've been Bernie's long lost brother, and he had death possession, so he figured his chances of surviving had increased manifold in the stages ahead of him…

"Hmmm, I bet 200 years of service that he dies…" The gargoyle said to the golem…

"Nope, look at his skinny bones! I've seen goblin knights get killed, and… wait… don't walk up that staircase! Wrong staircase!"

Duncan paused and laughed before he walked up the right staircase…

It felt like the eyes of death were just on his body…

He scrambled up the stairs over the dead pile of bodies riddling the staircase passage, and Wormy, Alberta, and Bernie walked right next to him…

Wormy and its two heads began munching on a few of the rotting bodies to clear the pathway, so finally he came up to the first doorway for the challenge and pushed it open…

[Ding! Host has started the inheritance challenge, and system has found information on the first 10 levels in the database…]

[When host gets to the tenth level, details on the rewards state that there is a low grade heavenly catalyst, so host is recommended to proceed to the 10th level…]

"Wait… but didn't it say there was 100 levels…?" Duncan looked at a sign written in an impish archaic writing he barely knew from his language research class, and he couldn't help but kick wormy because he tried to eat a sharp stone…

"Wormy! It would be bad if I didn't have you for the competition... Please don't eat anything sharp...!"

The worm felt bad after being admonished by Duncan but swallowed the glowing stone anyway because it tasted good…

This stone may or may not benefit the Worm, however, how many people truly looked at the statue when they feared death or even a challenge…?

In fact, that stone in Wormy's mouth may be the true reward…

However, it could also be just a common rock that it ate from the statue…

Duncan may or may not find out about this soon because wormy swallowed it and its tummy began aching with the pangs of a bad decision…

[Ding! Host has entered into the first level of the Water Lords Tower, and… host has 96 days and 20 hours until over 2000 humans die…]

"96 days… this wouldn't take 96 days would it?"

[Ding!]

[According to data on the tower… the fastest completion time of the first ten levels was 22 hours, and the longest appeared to have taken over a year…]

"So… I just fight and kill things right?" Duncan caused the doorway to creak as Wormy's stomach started growling…

He regretted his decision to eat the rock!

Ouch!

He ate tons of disgusting things all the time, lots of skeletons lined his endless belly, and… he began glowing slightly as Duncan noticed the systems soundless presence in the large palatial chamber…

It usually only did this when something powerful arrived around Duncan, and thousands of wraiths merged in front of Duncan into one incorporeal body...…

It looked at Duncan, and Wormy plopped down on the ground as its chest vibrated...

"Hi, I am my master's lich soul… Please choose one of the three paths, the necromantic path, the warrior path, or the path of deceit…" The lich waved its arms and three doorways appeared…

The lich squinted at him, and smiled before he nodded his head with profound delight… "Actually, you appear to be a necromancer according to my senses… You're the first one master has seen since this inheritance began over 2000 years ago… I recommend the necrotic path for you, and its best to listen to me…"

"Okay… thanks for the recommendation… However, I may be better at the path of deceit, so would you explain to me how it works…"

The two men looked at each other once again. One, a very ugly goblin, the other a floating skull... Next to them Wormy started crawling towards the pile of bodies on the wall...

His stomach really hurt, and he began eating all the skeletons in nervousness to rid himself of that feeling in his gut…

Duncan looked at him and sighed.... 'He definitely ate that rock...

On the other hand, the lich soul smiled and couldn't believe what that Worm had in his stomach...

Such luck this man would have if he survived!

"Ah… I used to have a flesh worm…" He waved him towards the necrotic doorway on the left side... However, your best choice is the necrotic path, so you will listen to me or not receive any reward…"

"After all, necromancers are one in a billion species in the Netherworlds, and… please take care of your flesh worm..."

Duncan shook his head, though, and the man couldn't believe it...

"I have a feeling deceit is the best path… I have extensive training in--"

"Sorry… but it's my decision as overlord… Good luck in the necrotic path!"

"Wait… that's not fair!" Duncan had practiced being a spy for 300 years, and he had only been a necromancer for 6 months…

He wanted to use his strengths, but then he crashed into the doorway, and he then found himself in a room of flesh as Wormy exploded...

[Ding! Host has selected the Necrotic Path, and is currently surrounded by flesh golems... Wormy also appears to be undergoing a transformation, and will begin reforming in a few minutes...]

Chapter end