<Alex, Real - Endure, Inside the Undead Spawn-Queen>

With his coat removed, the blood was not kept from him now, and it burned him in turn, seemingly containing or composed of an acid that didn't seal wounds. Rather, it seemed designed to cause the affected areas to bleed more.

Perfect.

Each time parts of the undead spawn-queen touched his blood, he could feel the creature weakening. Because of this, the insides of the creature pulled away from him reflexively. This was likely the only reason why his hasty body-diving expedition hadn't ended in his being crushed, asphyxiated, or stymied in his attempts to move inward.

In truth, the path was practically opening up before him as quickly as he could cut it free, much like going through a jungle where every vine or bush was springloaded to jerk out of the way after being severed.

It was a bit of a surreal experience honestly. Thankfully, the System had seen fit to ensure he had plenty of pain to help keep him grounded and utterly sure that this was, in fact, happening.

Despite his progress, however, he could tell that he would lose the battle of attrition.

The main issue was its acid, which didn't affect its own flesh, only him…

While it did ensure he kept bleeding, allowing his blood to affect it in turn, it had far, far more blood at its disposal—and the ability to spray it over him from a greater distance—than he did.

If only its blood burned it too.

It was so frustrating that he was affected by the caustic liquid, and it wasn't. Though, he supposed it made sense. Nothing could survive if its own blood burned its flesh.

It would have to be resistant.

He hitched mid-step.

Oh… I really should have thought of this sooner, and I need to remember that the System gives me blaringly obvious clues if I would only actually look for them. He jerked slightly, his single-word thought translating into 'what he had meant to convey' before he could even properly think it.

That was still disconcerting.

Regardless, he would not lose the thread. The undead spawn-queen's blood didn't affect its own flesh.

Alex slapped his hand outward—ignoring the renewed acidic burning—and sent a large pulse of Life into the creature, not to destroy—as that would be rejected—but to learn how its body resisted the acid.

A moment later, his Life came back to him bringing with it a System notification.

System Notice: New Attribute Acquired

Basic Resistance - Acid (Lvl 1)

Details: Innate ability to combat magical acid. Your Life energy has a minor boost when combatting magical acid.

Description: So, you've fallen into a vat of acid, eh? Life does take some funny turns… Wait… You stepped in? It seems like your safety is only a secondary concern… Seems to be working out though.

Your Life has learned to combat magical acid, allowing you to directly oppose that which others must simply bear through or heal against… assuming they survived at all.

Alex barked a single laugh, then coughed and spat out the ick that had gotten in his open mouth.

It hit him like the spiciest dish he'd ever had, but it didn't destroy his tongue, teeth, or throat as it might have a moment earlier. He wasn't sure if he was grateful or disgusted that it didn't actually taste bad… He'd had worse curries, though they had been made by 'aspiring' cooks back in college, and he'd not wish those dishes on anyone…

No, taking some and trying to dehydrate a spice from it would be foolish and disgusting… Don't even consider it.

That which continued to splash across his skin—having long since obliterated what was left of his clothing—now simply burned and itched like particularly horrid poison-oak.

Not great, but certainly better than the immediate, open and weeping wounds that it had created before.

Still, he was already covered nearly completely by raw, open wounds, and he fought to keep them from closing, forcing his own natural healing to work on other injuries to let his blood continue to flow.

That was, thankfully, a self-reinforcing cycle, because blood loss seemed to be a wound that his healing could be directed to, though it didn't seem to actually replenish his blood, more to mitigate the negative effects lowered blood-volume was having upon him.

Wait… If I know a large spurt is coming, can I put some of it into my Inventory? He tried, and found that, if he focused really hard on it, he could, in fact, place some of the incoming blood in that skill.

It wasn't a lot, and it took entirely too much thought, but it was possible. He stopped the effort for the moment, expelled the blood down near his feet, and made a mental note to investigate the idea later… when he wasn't in such dire straits.

That sorted… at least slightly, he pressed onward, hunting for that which called to him.

Attribute Level-Up: Basic Resistance - Acid Level 1 → Level 2

He waded through severed muscle and stabbing bone, sloshing fat and spraying blood. Within the creature he would have thought that it would roll around in an attempt to crush him, or things of that nature, but it seemed like the thing's desire to keep out of contact with his blood was strong.

Instead, it sent the little doll-like things at him, scrambling down the flesh-tunnel behind him even as he did his best to advance.

The incredibly muffled sound of gunshots told him that his companions were still trying to thin the numbers, but many still came at him.

The fact that he'd yet to get a kill—or even kill assist—notification for the things made it pretty clear that they weren't separate entities. They were the same beast, like a bone-spike shot across the room.

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These just happened to stumble-run on little, horrifying legs as they gnashed their teeth and shot ravenous hatred from their eyes.

Yeah… he didn't want to die under a tide of teeth and doll-sized bodies.

Every two steps, his Danger Sense made him spin and deal with the newest batch of oncoming things. To do so, he'd usually have to take a step back toward the entrance to ensure that the kill-session was worth it.

I'm literally taking two steps forward, one step back.

Still, it was progress, and he soldiered on, cutting with alacrity letting his blood—his very Life—do most of the work by scaring back the undead spawn-queen's flesh and innards.

Then, he found it.

A wave of more powerful acid washed over him, something like heart's blood surrounding the core, and he only barely kept from screaming, knowing that if he did, his mouth, throat, and lungs would fill with burning horror.

Attribute Level-Up: Basic Resistance - Acid Level 2 → Level 3

Oreos in chicken soup, that smarts! He grit his teeth, trying to focus through the searing pain. The level-up did help in that department, even if just barely.

His bloodshot eyes locked onto the orb that was the size of his two fists pressed together. It was at once multi-colored and utterly white. More than anything, however, it called to him.

He Analyzed it.

Life Core of the Undead Spawn-Queen

He almost laughed again, but he kept his mouth shut this time.

He reached out and touched it, even as the flexing tunnel-slot he was in jerked and tried to knock him aside.

Do you wish to absorb the Life Core of the Undead Spawn-Queen?

Yes/No

Alex immediately selected 'Yes,' and there was a moment of fierce resistance. The whole creature bucked, contracting around him in a crushing motion that utterly ignored the burning of his blood.

Insufficient Magical Power and Fortitude to overcome the Undead Spawn-Queen's hold.

Absorption failed.

Alex groaned, coughing up blood as the open wound around him pulled away once more.

One good side effect of the defensive reaction was that all the little evil flesh-puppet things coming after him had been utterly crushed into uselessness.

There's always a bright side.

He shook his head, trying to focus.

I can't overcome her… so what if I take her out of the picture?

He knew he couldn't kill her quickly, but what if he could just take the core out of her body? Would physical separation be enough, or would he actually have to get back out of the wound? Would even that be enough?

He had no idea. But I gotta try.

He put away his dadao, leaving a mini-cascade of blood to rain onto the floor as he left that behind. He then pulled out a sturdy camp-knife that the System had provided within his apartment in this city.

He grabbed the core again—ignoring the prompt for the moment—and ran the knife all around the outside, cutting it free.

The undead spawn-queen burbled and flapped around him.

He accepted the prompt, and once again was met with resistance he couldn't overcome, but it was less.

He was sure it was.

So, he turned around and stumbled outward.

It was a gamble. He had no idea if this thing needed the core to survive, and he knew that he'd not survive another attempt to cut his way through it.

They'd not kill it from the outside, so this was the last chance he had.

Still, he thought his understanding of everything that was going on was sufficient to make this guess a minimal risk.

The flesh-dolls had begun coming at him again, and he did his best to fight through them, his stamina reaching dangerously low levels, even with the others supporting him from range, the steady pop, pop of John's guns and the very occasional woosh of Pilar's fire finally audible once more.

Finally, finally, he practically fell out, his foot catching in the outer opening and tripping him to fall on the pavement with only a thick, coagulating pile of blood to cushion his fall.

Still, he was out, core in hand.

Do you wish to absorb the Life Core of the Undead Spawn-Queen?

Yes/No

Alex immediately selected 'Yes,' and while there was still some resistance, it felt like it came from the orb itself rather than the creature that no longer surrounded him.

With an odd distorted feeling of pressure on his palms, the core seemed to almost be sucked into him through his outstretched hand.

He felt it flow up the limb and into his chest before spreading out, suffusing his entire being.

Life Core Absorbed.

Note: Undead Life Core absorbed. Initiate evolving into Undead.

Error… Initiate's race and volitional will are incompatible with undeath…

Error Resolved: Undeath unable to take hold. Life Core subsumed regardless.

Processing…

Congratulations! You have taken one more step on your path toward evolution.

Racial Rarity Advancement Quest Your Race is Rare, but it could be Rarer. (Well, Epic.)

Complete the tasks to allow your Race to actualize some more of its latent potential. (2/3)

Increase the power of your Life Force by whatever means you deem best (42/100) Absorb the Core of a source of Life (1/1) Make a meaningful Contribution to your group or tribe (3/3)

Alex had done it. He'd found a Life Core and absorbed it.

The System—or someone with power over it—had tried to set a trap for anyone needing a Life Core, but he'd been prepared… on accident… Well, he wouldn't have been able to do any of that without his race, so 'accident' was hardly fair. Hey, what got me here will get me there… Who knew?

The spawn-queen behind him—and the mini-tide of flesh-dolls around him—shuddered and fell limp, the kill notification following a moment later.

You killed Undead Spawn-Queen (Epic), level 21

Reward: Experience to be granted when in a safe location.

So, it did need that core to survive. I wonder if the removal was enough, or if I had to absorb it first to actually get the kill. He didn't really have a way to know at the moment.

If it's dead… He tried sending out his health once more with Basic Life Transfusion, with an aim to destroy what's left, and the bodies ashed around him.

He sucked in a lungful of air, realizing only then that it had been at least a minute since he'd been able to draw a full breath as he tried to focus on doing what needed to get done.

He also breathed in a bunch of ash, causing him to hunch over into the blood-now-ash that he was lying in, coughing and retching, trying to clear his lungs of the awful, sticky substance.

It became almost like tar when it got wet, and it tasted foul.

A moment later, the whole thing was ashed, including the bits that were on him, and that reminded him to release his hold on his healing, allowing his open wounds to begin to close.

He staggered back upright, incredibly surprised to still be on his feet.

His group was still back near the magic shop, and they were staring at him, eyes wide.

He lifted his hand and gave them a tired wave. "It worked! Is Grant alright?"

The man was laying on the ground, propped up against John, and he gave a tired wave in return. "All good." He hesitated for a moment before shouting once more. "Put on some pants."

Alex froze, then looked down, finding that, yes, all of his attire had been burned away in acid viscera, leaving him clothed only in his sticky, fast-drying blood and a patchy layer of ash.

Well… I believed the spam caller… I'm exposed.

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