Desolate World

After that, Ace tried to ask Doom a few questions. Like, what was his main ability?

He answered that he could raise complete bones into a skeleton. When Ace asked him how many mana he would need to raise a level 1 ordinary skeleton. He answered that he needed 2 mana. He also said he only needed 6 mana to raise a level 1 elite skeleton.

It shocked Ace. It meant, Geo needed 5 times more mana to raise a skeleton. However, Doom said that he couldn't raise a skeleton that had a level more than 3 than him. It meant somehow his skill was restricted. His factual level was 36 because Geo's level was just level 33, so he could only resurrect level 39 dead humanoid. It was somewhat different from Geo. Geo could resurrect any dead humanoid at any level, but the skeleton's level would be restricted to 3 levels higher than him.

Doom explained that he could only raise at most an elite level 39 skeleton. It meant he couldn't raise an undead lord before he was promoted to be a lord. However, his skill was cheaper than Geo. 

Ace then tried to find the reason for the difference in mana consumption and restrictions.

Sofia then guessed that it was because of their species. She said that in a book that she had read, it explained that the skill 'bones resurrection' could only be mastered by two jobs. They were lich and necromancer. Lich was an undead's job, and necromancer was a living creature's job. So, it was possible for the skill to be different when learned by a living person and if it was learned by an undead.

Ace then asked Doom how much the cooldown of his 'bones resurrection' was. Doom answered that it was an hour. It was one-tenth of the cooldown of Geo's skill.

Hearing that, he then remembered the explanation from the skill itself. There was some condition of being (non-lich/ non-vampire). So the skill's mana consumption and cooldown would be different if the one who learned it was vampire or lich. No, the target of the resurrection was also different, as Doom couldn't resurrect lord and someone who had level more than 3 numbers than him.

He then asked Doom if he knew that the skill could be learned by vampires. He said that he didn't know. But, as he knew that vampires were somewhat different from other undead, as they didn't have jobs.

It reminded him of dragons, as they also didn't have jobs, so maybe it made them could learn many more types of skills.

Ace then asked him what else he could do besides resurrecting skeletons. He said he could strengthen the skeletons temporarily, healed the undead, and linked himself to his two allies. 

Ace thought that lich was like a healer in this aspect. However, his healing was only effective for the undead. No, maybe, like the healing skills of living creatures' jobs, his healing skill could also harm the living creatures.

What made him curious was his link skill. He then asked him to explain it. He said that it could link his HP and MP with the HP and MP of his two allies temporarily. It would make them couldn't be killed unless their combined HP was empty.

Ace thought it was a good skill. It somehow could compensate for their low HP. As the skeletons' HP was only one-third of their living selves in the past. He then had an idea. If it worked, it would be cool.

Ace then asked Geo to summon Jumpy. After the elite spider appeared, Ace asked him to link himself with Jumpy and Geo. Hearing Ace's ask, Doom's green lights in his eyes' sockets intensified. Ace thought that he was excited about the idea.

After he did it, he said that it worked. Geo also said that his HP had increased to more than sixty thousand and his mana had increased to more than twenty thousand. It made Ace excited. He then looked at Doom like he looked at a precious treasure. Technically his skill could make a guardian to have more HP than a lord. It was a broken skill. It made him want to catch more lich. 

As if could read Ace's thoughts, Sofia then poured cold water on him. She said that as in the whole world there were only 10 necromancers, so lich's number was surely very limited. So she told him to stop his imagination of getting many liches. It made Ace smile bitterly.

However, he had already been content because Geo had a lich. He had a gut feeling that Doom's existence would be very important not only to his family but also for the guild and night guards.

Ace then asked Doom how smart the other nine elites that were resurrected together with him were. Was it possible to entrust commanding an army to them? 

Doom said that although skeletons had many weaknesses like they needed two times of experience to grow, had little HP, were very stupid, and very difficult to advance into elites let alone into lords, once they advanced to elites, they would regain their intelligence and wisdom. Moreover, as they had an infinite life, they would become wiser and more experienced as time passed. 

Even if they were somehow killed. They would still have the wisdom of their previous selves once they were resurrected. Although, in the aspect of intelligence and wisdom, lich would be superior to others. But, wouldn't it be the same as the living people? Magic casters would always be more intelligent than people who used their muscles to fight. 

Ace was satisfied with his answer. He then appointed him to be Geo's adviser. He also would lead the undead army that Geo had, if they entered a battlefield in the future. Of course, he should also listen to Cloud, as she usually tagged along with Geo. Sofia, Geo, and Cloud agreed with Ace's arrangement.

Doom accepted Ace's arrangement. He promised to always protect Geo's safety and did his job the best he could.

After that, Geo entered Doom into his ring. As Doom was gone. Ace then told Sofia the plan that he had just thought of. Sofia and Cloud widened their eyes after they heard the plan. Cloud even said that he was crazy but if the plan was succeeded, it would make their power promote to different levels.

***