Assassination

"You attempt to enter a meditative state..."

"Your focus has reached the minimum level required to enter meditation. Your perception successfully contracts..."

"You have successfully entered a meditative state!"

"Based on your level of focus, you are currently in a state of shallow meditation."

"..."

"Meditation has ended."

"Based on your performance during meditation, your maximum mana has increased by 6 points. Current mana: 6/6."

"Shallow meditation cannot provide special feedback."

"You have earned the Speed Achievement [Beginner]."

"[Beginner]: Successfully meditate once. Base reward: +2 Spirit. While equipped, meditation effects are increased by 10%."

...

After checking the system log, Rhode felt a surge of delight. In his previous life, he had also earned the [Beginner] achievement, but he hadn't received the extra reward for earning it as a speed achievement.

"I remember the Beginner achievement in my previous life only gave +1 Spirit, and equipping it didn't provide any extra benefits. Now it gives more Spirit, and equipping it also enhances meditation effects." Rhode reminisced.

After comparing it with the achievement he remembered, Rhode once again realized just how much an achievement earned through speedrunning could boost his attributes. At the same time, he understood all too well how powerful his basic attributes would become, given his ability to earn a large number of speed achievements.

Shaking his head, Rhode forced himself to put thoughts of achievements aside for now and turned his attention to the Necromancer Apprentice and his group on the ground not far away. With Eagle Eye, Rhode observed the enemy.

At the front of the group marched a number of Skeleton Soldiers. Rhode didn't count them exactly, but there were probably more than a dozen. In the middle of the group rode a figure in a black robe, his entire body hidden beneath it—the standard attire of a necromancer. He was likely the one controlling this group of undead: the Necromancer Apprentice.

Four fully armed Skeleton Warriors followed at the apprentice's sides and behind him. At the rear of the group was a dense mass of Walking Corpses. Since they were the slowest, they could only trail behind, shambling along. Rhode guessed this was why the apprentice had placed them at the back.

Rhode watched quietly from the tree. His position was well concealed; unless the apprentice was already certain someone was up in the tree and looked carefully, he wouldn't spot Rhode.

When the apprentice and his group moved a little closer to the tomb, Rhode slowed his breathing, minimizing any chance of giving away his position.

...

On the way back, Alot had been thinking about how to spend all the gold coins he now had once he returned to the Necromancy Magic Academy.

First, he would take all the courses he hadn't been able to afford before: Mysticism, Deep Meditation, and the like. Then he would learn some powerful spells. Once he had finished all that, he would be a first-rate necromancer. He could then choose whether to take part in the various wars across the continent or become a great lord of some territory...

As Alot drew closer to the tomb he'd discovered, he suddenly felt that something was wrong. He didn't know where the feeling came from, only that it made him deeply uneasy.

Before he had even reached the tomb, Alot was shocked and furious to discover that the entrance he'd sealed was open again. He clearly remembered having the Undead Creatures seal the tomb's entrance before he left.

Who...? The thought surfaced in Alot's mind.

Alot first suspected that someone had been here, but the tomb had existed for so long without being discovered. The chances of someone finding it by luck alone were slim.

If no one else had come here, then the most likely explanation was that the Undead Creature sleeping inside the tomb had awakened. Alot reached this conclusion.

Alot checked mentally and found that all the Mental Marks on the Undead Creatures he'd stationed in the passage had disappeared. They must have all been destroyed.

He had no time to mourn the loss of his undead minions. After considering the situation for a while, Alot's reason told him that he already had the gold he needed. The safest choice was to leave immediately, exchange his remaining Undead Creatures for gold, and hurry back to the academy.

But another voice inside him refused to give up and leave just like that. There was a sleeping Undead Creature in the tomb. In his view, the most likely explanation was that it had awakened, not that someone else had discovered the tomb.

Alot had already claimed the Undead Creature in the tomb for himself. He believed that with the help of such a powerful Undead Creature, he would soon distinguish himself at the academy.

The only way to know for sure was to go deep into the tomb and see for himself. With that thought, Alot dismounted and began assigning tasks to his undead.

First, Alot ordered all the Skeleton Soldiers to guard the surrounding area against possible enemies. Then he sent the Walking Corpses to spread out along the perimeter and keep watch. After assigning the Skeleton Soldiers and Walking Corpses, Alot prepared to enter the passage.

Another wave of unease washed over him. Alot was sure there was something inside the passage.

Since he didn't know what was inside, Alot sent two Skeleton Warriors into the passage first to see if any enemies were lurking there.

Skeleton Warriors were low-tier Undead Creatures and couldn't convey detailed information. After confirming that nothing was amiss inside the passage, Alot prepared to enter and investigate himself.

...

Watching the Necromancer Apprentice assign tasks to his undead from the tree, Rhode couldn't help thinking how close a call it had been.

Rhode had considered hiding in the passage to assassinate him, but there were too many uncertainties there, so he had abandoned the idea. The necromancer's cautious approach now only confirmed that he had made the right choice. Without this tree, Rhode couldn't think of anywhere else suitable to hide.

Rhode saw the Necromancer Apprentice send two Skeleton Warriors down into the tomb. This was undoubtedly good news for him. Besides figuring out how to deal with the Necromancer Apprentice, Rhode also had to consider what to do with the remaining undead.

If this whole group of undead surrounded him, their fearlessness in the face of death would be at its most dangerous, and with four Skeleton Warriors backing them up, he would probably have trouble escaping.

Fortunately, the apprentice had sent two Skeleton Warriors into the tomb first. Although the remaining undead were numerous, as long as Rhode wasn't surrounded, he could deal with them given enough time.

As the Necromancer Apprentice walked toward the passage, Rhode assigned his remaining Free Attribute Point to Speed to improve his chances of a successful assassination. His Speed attribute was now 9.

Since this was an assassination from above, the sharp blade combined with the force of gravity would inflict tremendous damage. The success of the attack depended not on Rhode's strength, but on his accuracy.

Although he was almost certain not to miss, Rhode still assigned his remaining attribute point to Speed just in case. The Speed attribute not only increased attack and movement speed, but also improved his reflexes.

The Necromancer Apprentice reached the entrance to the passage. He first looked down, then stuck one foot forward, preparing to step inside.

Just then, while the apprentice's attention was entirely focused on the passage, Rhode moved.

Rhode leaped from the tree branch five or six meters above the ground, gripping his sword with both hands, its blade pointed down. The blade was aimed squarely at the Necromancer Apprentice, who had one foot inside the tomb.

As if sensing something, the apprentice turned and looked at Rhode. His body instinctively tried to dodge the attack from above, but it was already too late. In the blink of an eye, Rhode's sword struck, and a trace of bewilderment remained in the Necromancer Apprentice's eyes.

Rhode's sword easily pierced the Necromancer Apprentice's back, entering diagonally from above at a point just above the spine. With gravity behind him, Rhode barely had to exert any force. He only needed to grip the hilt with both hands for the blade to sink completely into the apprentice's body.

Blood spurted from the wound as the sword pierced him, but the flow quickly stopped as his muscles contracted. The scorching blood splattered across Rhode's face. Unlike fighting in games in his past life or slaying cold undead in the tomb earlier, Rhode could feel the warmth in the blood.

The warmth... of life.