“It’s been a long time since last time I’ve seen someone keep on going doing quests that fast to choose the available ways in this world. I suppose you are going to choose one of the warrior’s path, right now?”

“Yes, that’s why we’re here!

“What does this little zombie want to become? A zombie archer? A Ghoul? A mummy maybe? Ah ah! A plagued? Maybe a zombie knight?”

There is a large variety of development paths available in Alter Life, but we can regroup them in a few huge families.

Tanks: no reservoirs, but blows takers, the best of all.

The ghoul is the most tanky as it has many health points, the power of regenerating while eating corpses, a superior magic resistance for the undead races.

Dealers, or Damage Per Second, or DPS: those who deal damages of course.

Zombie archers attack from far away, under cover.

Zombie knights are a mix between a tank and a dealer, a warrior, quite useful for duels.

In one vs one, the zombie knight is a formidable opponent, as he has enough health points to carry on the damages of a dealer, and enough attack power to eliminate even a tank.

Useful guys, or support: those who modify the behaviour of either allies or enemies.

The plagued has a great palette of poison or curse magic, it’s a really difficult class to manage but when poisons accumulate, enemies fall like flies.

Mummies are a mix between a tank and a support, because they paralyse their enemies with their strips.

“A ghoul!”

***

“And you, little occult adept, what do you wish to become? A black mage? A necromancer? A plagued? A reaper?”

Black mages use increasingly powerful magic: the basic dealer, with both individual or with Area of Effect (AoE) attacks.

Necromancers would be more like supports: they invoke armies who fight for them, but they stay back, leading crowds of monsters.

Both zombies and adepts can become plagued, but some will be more carried toward the transformation of dead people in a zombie army, while others will use and abuse poison magic.

As for reapers, they are dealers incredibly difficult to play: they inflict huge magic damage, but with close combat attacks, with their scythe.

“I’d like to become a psukhôpomp. Do you know which class I have to choose first?”

“Of course! It’s a special class for reapers.”

A reaper, not really what Jean would have chosen spontaneously…

“Jules, are sure I have to choose the reaper way?”

“Yeah, don’t worry, you will still be able to send spells…”

“I would be more comfortable with a necromancer: I’m already a soul raiser and an infuser… it will be great together!”

“I can guaranty you that with me as a ghoul, I will be good enough to take the blows, and as a monster raiser, we will always be well surrounded!

“And yes, the same way it’s necessary to be a ghoul to get the psukhôphage special class, it’s necessary to be a reaper to get the psukhôpomp class.”

“Okay, then, a reaper class for me…”

Jean sighed deeply...

***

Quest of the legendary meat bag (Way 4/4): Becoming a ghoul

To become a legend, you need a legendary class! Ask the instructor the ghoul’s way, and you will be able to get the psukhôphage class after!

Difficulty: G

Reward: Ghoul class

Main quest 3: Complete the tutorial/next step (Class)

To become a warrior, master the competence of the desired class. You will find the instructors at the warrior’s guild.

State of quest: 0/4 competences

Difficulty: F

Reward: +50XP

Class: Ghoul: You transform into a big zombie.

Gandock’s note: It’s the tankiest class for undead beginners, and it’s needed to become a psukhôphage.

“You will find the warrior’s guild next to the market. Truth would be it’s a federation of school masters, in our little town. In more important cities, you can find bigger buildings, with weapon masters or erudite mages, their own living places, where you can get more interesting quests…”

“Okay, thanks Elongoic! We’re gonna go!”

“Good luck my little zombie, and you too young occult adept. Don’t forget to come back to see me often!”

“Promised!”

Elongoic couldn’t help but rub one’s hand.

There are quantities of beginner players who came through this town, but nobody was like those two young folks.

They seemed to follow a path they could not understand, but that would be a huge help for the town.

After all, people who invest in the development of a village like Zymivnyk are a good omen for Komyshany town.

“And polite with that: it doesn’t spoil anything!”

***

“Okay, you come on behalf of Elongoic and you want to become a ghoul? You are at the right place!

A dirty house, in stones like any other, hosting a big stinking ghoul sat on a rock.

For sure, as he is so fat, he would break any chair on which he would sit…

If the zombie is thinner than a human, as his belly is usually tucked in the belly and would even stick to the bones, the ghoul is a very big undead, dripping meat from everywhere.

Burk.

“The first competence is very simple! The niom! It allows you to swallow your opponent. Well... if he moves too much, it can get complicated, so just go training on corpses!”

“So it’s useless on real fights?”

“Think again! It’s a competence that allows you to restore your health points, and depending on what you eat, you can also get back dark energy. Very useful!

“And it costs nearly no mana! Only 20 PM!

“Try using it on one of your slimes!”

Well… I don’t have anything to loose.

Niom !

A window appeared:

You swallowed one of your own slimes! You recover 11HP in 10 seconds and 1 dark energy unit.

Black slime

Level 3

Health points: 11

Submission : 100/100

Gandock’s note: Never ever eat a slime you trained! Only those you just submitted.

“And that’s it! You acquired your first competence!”

***

“The second competence is a little bit more technique, it’s the dark punch. You have to concentrate your dark energy in your fist, and hit the target. Guaranteed damage!”

“It consumes dark energy, isn’t it?”

“Yes, this energy dissipates in the air. If you train well, you can transfer it in the body of your opponent, and at this moment… ouch, ouch, ouch!”

“Just try it on me. You are just a so little beginner ghoul, you don’t frighten me!”

All my body was exuding a black smoke that must be the dark energy coming from my poor slime.

No big deal, with my essence tank competence, I can have up to 2 dark energy units, so I have 2 trials for this punch.

The same way as while meditating, when I put my attention to a place in which I suffered, I think right now real hard at my fist, feel it, close it on itself.

It’s as if all of my strength was inside.

BOOM!

Even if I hit with all my strength in the ghoul belly, it’s as if I had just touched it.

“No pain! But that was a beautiful punch, you have acquired the second competence!

“The third one is the one I just used, it also requires dark energy, the black skin. You have to concentrate your dark energy not in your fist, but in a place in your body that becomes a very efficient shield!”

“Here also, dark energy dissipates into thin air?”

“Not immediately. After having absorbed the shock and so reduced the damage, the dark energy is absorbed by the body to regenerate, leaving only after this energy evading from the body.

“So, now is my turn.”

Sorry?