“To make them learn a mana absorption technique, I need to raise their intelligence. I have two ways to achieve this. First, I can educate and feed them with nutritious magical resources. It is expensive, but I can choose the second option. That is to bring back their old memories when they are alive.
“The spirit contains backup data. I have to bring it out to the middle layer of the soul, the character. To do that, I have to master the Soul Manipulation Technique. No wonder Gerard told me it is a necessary technique for a necromancer.”
Allen had understood the information he brought from the tower’s orb. He wrote it again in his system just in case he caught up in a memory loss incident again.
He willed several minions to come inside the tower. They were the minions that were made by Gerard. They knelt before him. “I have to practice Soul Manipulation Technique.”
A skeleton walked to him. Allen touched its chest.
He pulled its spirit halfway out of its chest. As soon as he did it, the core that floated inside the minion's chest dimmed. Allen pushed the spirit inside.
He took a deep breath. “Concentrate.”
Allen tried to control the purple mist that surrounded the minion. At the same time, he pulled the renegade spirit inside the minion again.
Allen focused his gaze at the core. It occasionally dimmed, but most of the time it shone brightly. He pulled the spirit completely from the minion. “I did it. The second step is controlling their movements.”
Allen moved around his fingers and tried to move the minion. However, it didn’t move a bit.
Allen scratched his head. “Of course it won’t be easy.”
Allen kept doing it nonstop for almost a day. He rested at night. On the third day, he was a success.
Allen extended his hands toward the minion. It took a step forward and performed a roundhouse kick. Then, it launched a barrage of punches, ducked, jumped, and roundhouse kick again.
Allen nodded. “The second step is done. The last step is increasing the number of minions I can control. However, this is enough for now.”
Allen let out a renegade spirit from his soul cage and exchanged the minion's spirit with it. As soon as he did that, the purple flame-mist turned black. He was trying to connect himself with the minion.
The black mist-flame that surrounded the skeletal minion’s body was the middle layer of the soul, the character; he had felt the connection. The blue core inside the chest was made by mana; he had connected with it.
After feeling the connection with the renegade spirit inside the minion, Allen sent his mana into the minion’s body. The renegade spirit inside the minion shook.
He remembered Morning’s quote, “Spirit vessel is indestructible, but a soul master can move out the spirit data.”
Allen could see the imaginary words coming out of the renegade spirit. The black flame that surrounded the minion swayed wildly as the spirit data imbued it.
“H—help!”
A voice came to Allen’s mind. The minion sent a telepathic message to him. He smiled. “It is working.”
The minion’s middle layer of soul had copied a personality of the past life from the spirit data. The spirit data went back to the spirit vessel.
The minion looked at Allen and tilted his head. He sent a telepathic message, “Who are you?”
“I am your master. Do you remember your past life’s memory?”
The minion looked at his body and wept. “So, I have died. I was just a farmer. My life was happy.”
The minion started telling Allen his past life. In the end, he gave his name, “My name is Rangga.”
“Well, it is no use to feel sad. You can only serve me faithfully from now.”
The minion looked down as if feeling reluctant. Allen clucked. It is better if I can change his personality. I can do it in the future, but I need a resource to fill the orb above the tower.
“You are a level 30 skeletal minion. You can’t advance further without the help of an undead coffin. But, you have a chance if you learn a mana absorption technique.
“You never became a magus in your life as your spirit doesn’t contain a mana absorption technique. Your spiritual roots are similar to mine, so I guess you can only learn dark attribute mana absorption technique.”
“Do you have any mana absorption technique that you can teach me, Master?”
Allen smiled. “Of course, I have many.”
Allen wrote the description of top tier mana absorption techniques in his possession. He waited as Rangga was choosing.
“Have you found one to your liking? I have resources, so you choose the best.”
Rangga shook his head. “No, the master is a considerate person, but I want to hear your opinion. What is your plan for now? Do you need me to do something?”
Allen took his suggestion seriously. He started to ponder. “I will participate in a war to gain resources. However, I don’t want to command my army directly. I need you in the front line.”
“I see. You need a commander. However, if I can, I don’t want to be a close combat fighter. I have learned martial magic as the previous owner's undead, but I was an ordinary farmer. Fighting scares me now that my memory is coming back. I can command your army from the rear. My choice is either Black Priest, Night Warlock, or Necromancer.”
Allen took a good look at him. “You know. I have come to like your personality. It is fine. I have witnessed Black Priest’s might. So, you choose it.”
Rangga nodded. “Alright, how do I consume the resource, by the way?”
Allen chuckled. They walked to an empty coffin. He ordered Rangga to enter. He threw many resources inside it.
“You can’t speak, so I will chant the spell to activate your mind rune.”
Rangga nodded and Allen closed the coffin. He drew a rune circle on the coffin and chanted a spell.
The rune emitted light. The gem in the middle of the coffin glowed too. The letters slithered like a snake and entered the coffin.
Allen waited. The coffin trembled for a minute and stopped. He opened the coffin and looked at Rangga. “How is it?”
“So, how do I use a spell? I can’t speak.”
Allen smirked and summoned the minion who had learned a mana absorption technique from Gerard.
The minion formed a magic circle before him and shot a flame ball.
“Like that. You summon your mind rune. I can’t do it too, but we will learn together. Tell me what can you do as a black priest?”
Rangga rubbed his bone chin. “My mana absorption technique is called Dark Prayer. My prayer will attract a higher existence. I can perform equivalent exchange with them and they will give me pure mana to be absorbed.”
“I see. It is said that only a black priest can learn the original magic called Sinister Condition. I want you to learn this right now.”
“Yes, Master.”
Allen left Rangga with a note of the Sinister Condition Technique. He went outside. His minion found a man walking toward the Harvest King’s grave direction. He was Eren.
Allen headed to the hill where the grave of Harvest King lied. As soon as he found his friend’s figure, he waved his hand. “Eren.”
Eren gave him a bear hug. “So, you live here. Why?”
Allen shrugged. “I can hunt magical beasts here.”
Eren gave him a book. “This is the copy of the manual to become an alchemist. Lord Vinesmoore gifted it to father.” He put another book above it. “This is the recipe of strength potion.”
“How about my share of resources?”
“We have prepared it in the village. We didn’t know where you live, so we didn’t know where to send it.”
“It is alright. My minions will bring it. Let’s go to your village. I have something to discuss with Don.”
Allen and Eren traveled to the village at night. The minions followed him. They entered the village from Night Cricket’s former field. Don had waited for him.
“Welcome, lad. I don’t have to be formal to you, do I?”
Allen chuckled. “We are a close friend.”
Don slapped his back. “It is good you have decided to visit us. My granddaughter missed you.”
Allen imagined Eren’s foster daughter who liked to pester him. He smiled wryly. “I come here to discuss business.”
“Of course, of course, let’s go inside.”
Don led him inside. They were sitting inside the guest room.
“So, this base is ours now,” Don said. “You can state your business now. After that, you have to visit my granddaughter.”
“I want you to join the Alliance.”
Don tapped the table. “Why? Lord Vinesmoore has advised to join them after the case with the church is done.”
“That’s why you have to join them now. I want this village to participate in the war against the church. Before you ask the reason, let me explain.
“As you know, I am a necromancer. I have an army. You can just say you want to participate in the war to gain contribution. In truth, I will fight the church with my army.”
Don raised his eyebrows. “Oh, so you want the contribution points. May I ask for what?”
“I want to trade the contribution points for a way to become a magic foundation realm magus. We can share the benefit. The armies can disguise themselves with illusion magic and full armor.”
Don nodded. “I see. But, if I remember correctly, your armies have decreased. How do you make your minions? Killing people?”
Allen was silent for a while before he answered calmly, “Yes. I don’t kill innocent. Corpses are many in this war. So, I want you to open a burying service for the dead people in the war. What say you, Don Sandino? You will have a chance to establish a good reputation and get stronger.”
Don laughed loudly. “The conversation is done here. Let’s go to see my granddaughter.”
Don stood up and pulled Allen by his wrist.
“Wait, is that a yes?”
"Wait, is that a yes?" LOL