Chapter 7: The Gifts of Infamy.
As the shock of the woman's transformation began to settle into him, in the form of adrenaline, another system notification shimmered into existence.
[Vlad the Impaler explains that there is no logical reason for a necromancer to fear their own undead creations, as the bond of the soul ensures absolute fealty.]
"Hmm, you've actually got a very good point there," Jacob admitted, his voice calming down as he recalled the fundamental rules of necromancy from the countless games he had mastered over the years.
It was a basic rule of the necromancy class that the summoned could never turn their blades against the summoner, and he realized that his instinctive flinch had been a remnant of his old, powerless self rather than the IRL player he should be becoming.
[Vlad the Impaler also notes that there has been a slight misunderstanding on your part; he clarifies that she is not yet a true ghoul, but rather a lesser ghoul.]
[Vlad the Impaler reveals that you possess the capability to increase the strength of your undead through the process of evolution. He adds that while your skeletons require the consumption of souls to evolve, the lesser ghoul requires the raw flesh of organic creatures to reach her next stage.]
"Alright, I'll be sure to keep all of that in mind for the future. Thank you for the insight," Jacob said, offering a polite, respectful bow to the shimmering system panel that hung in the stagnant air of the hallway.
He figured that if he was going to be watched by anyone, he might as well show them the courtesy they were due.
That and it was more beneficial to him to have these guys as allies rather than enemies.
[Vlad the Impaler is clearly pleased with your display of manners.]
[Vlad the Impaler has decided to offer you a personal reward for your conduct.]
[Accept reward: ????]
[Yes/No]
'A blank notification?' Jacob stared at the system panel in silence, his brow furrowed as he tried to decipher what this could possibly mean.
Since he had no way of knowing whether the gift was a boon or some sort of trap, he hesitated for a moment, but the more he thought about it, the more he believed that this viewer was simply testing the depth of his trust by withholding the description.
'It's not like I really have anything to lose at this point if the reward turns out to be a dud or a prank,' he thought to himself, though a more experienced survivor might have called his outlook dangerously naive.
Driven by a mix of curiosity and the desperate need for any advantage he could get, Jacob reached out and tapped the "Yes" icon to accept the mystery gift.
[Player Jacob has accepted the reward]
The very next moment, the air in front of him seemed to warp and chill, and a light, black dagger materialized out of thin air, dropping into his open hand, feeling cold to the touch.
[Item: Vampiric Dagger]
[Item rank: Uncommon]
[Item description: A wicked blade created by Vlad the Impaler on a sudden whim. It possesses the unique ability to steal the vitality of any living target upon a successful hit and imbue it into the wielder, temporarily increasing their physical stats.]
Jacob marveled at the dark sheen of the blade, but his attention was quickly diverted by a frantic series of new notifications that suggested his audience was far from harmonious.
[Jack the Ripper stares at Vlad the Impaler in genuine surprise.]
[Vlad the Impaler remains silent, maintaining a stoic front.]
[Jack the Ripper sneers at Vlad the Impaler's blatant attempt to buy the player's favor.]
[Jack the Ripper offers you a reward of his own.]
[Reward: ????]
[Accept Reward: Yes/No?]
'Wait, are these two literally fighting over me right now?' Jacob found the idea completely unexpected, as he hadn't anticipated that Jack the Ripper would be so easily spurred into a competition by the Impaler's generosity.
Seeing that the Ripper was clearly itching to outdo his fellow viewer, Jacob suspected that the second reward wouldn't be any weaker than the first, and considering how impressive the vampiric dagger already was, he didn't hesitate for even a second before accepting the new offer.
[Player has accepted the reward]
[Jack the Ripper is highly pleased with the player's decisiveness.]
[Vlad the Impaler frowns deeply at Jack the Ripper's interference.]
[Jack the Ripper smiles smugly, basking in his minor victory.]
Jacob decided to ignore the bickering notifications of the two legendary viewers for the time being, instead focusing his full attention on the new prompt regarding the specific item he had just received.
[Skill: Eyes of a Killer]
[Skill Description: A potent passive skill that allows the host to view the vital points and structural weaknesses on any target with astonishing clarity.]
'Wow...' Though the description was relatively short, the sheer utility of the skill was enough to leave Jacob stunned, as he hadn't expected to receive such a versatile ability so early in his journey.
'With this active, combined with my natural knack for throwing knives, wouldn't I be able to effectively snipe down those monsters from a distance before they even realize I'm there?' Just the thought of systematically picking off goblins from the shadows filled his heart with a dark, triumphant glee.
"Thank you very much, Mister Ripper," Jacob said, offering an equally respectful bow toward the space where he imagined the infamous killer was watching from.
[Jack the Ripper is satisfied with your gratitude.]
[Jack the Ripper urges you to put his skill into immediate action.]
"Of course, it would be a total waste not to use it right away," Jacob chuckled lightly, his confidence growing by the second as he felt the new skill settle into his mind like a familiar memory.
'But before I go hunting...' he thought, his gaze shifting away from the screens to the two goblin skeletons and the silent, pale woman who had become his lesser ghoul. Particular the brunette in question who stared at him with dull eyes.