Chapter 12: Summoning Minions

After resting for some time and familiarizing himself with his current power level, Shiva resumed his journey, with the towering figure trailing behind him.

His destination was already determined—a tomb. But not just any tomb—a dungeon, to be precise.

Dungeons were places where space itself twisted and contorted, leading to isolated realms that existed neither on Earth nor within the Tower. These mysterious spaces came into being alongside the Ruined Tower, serving as trials for those brave enough to venture within. Successfully navigating these trials promised great rewards, such as powerful relics, newfound skills, and increased strength— serving as essential preparations before attempting the actual trial of the Ruined Tower.

In his previous life, Shiva had stumbled upon this encounter by chance—a fateful meeting with his first Apostle, the Knight of Death.

It had been a mere coincidence in his past life, but not now.

He moved with purpose, intent on reuniting with his first Apostle once more. Not to mention the enticing rewards awaiting within that particular dungeon—a prize he couldn't afford to miss.

And so, he journeyed forth with his first summon, Aghora, by his side.

His destination lay approximately 10 miles from his current position. To reach it, he would need to traverse for at least a day, assuming he avoided all encounters with monsters. However, Shiva had no intention of doing so. Before arriving at the dungeon, he aimed to assemble his small army of undead.

Thus, it was estimated to take him a day and a half to arrive.

The sun was already descending on the horizon, marking the passage of half a day since the tutorial had begun. Factoring in the time required for rest, Shiva calculated he still had two days remaining to clear the dungeon and fulfill his quest.

"Yet, there are other matters to attend to," he mused.

Not only was his first apostle out there, but his third apostle as well, surviving somewhere within the tutorial. However, lacking knowledge of their precise locations, Shiva resolved to rendezvous with them at the same place where they had crossed paths in his previous life.

As he journeyed, numerous monsters attempted to assail him, yet not a single one dared approach. Each threat was swiftly obliterated by the corruption giant, torn asunder before they could draw near to Shiva.

Observing the four-handed giant decimate the monsters was indeed awe-inspiring, but it was imperative to preserve the corpses intact.

"Don't damage them too much; they still have their uses," Shiva instructed.

Responding with a low growl, the giant adjusted its approach, dispatching the monsters with minimal harm.

Thus far, Shiva refrained from utilizing his Raise the Dead skill again after summoning the corruption giant. Though he handle summoning of at least five more monsters, he deemed it wasteful to summon weaker creatures that would merely drain his mana.

After all, hee had already selected the monsters he intended to summon.

The Orcs.

These large, green-skinned creatures stood twice the height of humans, towering at around 2-3 meters.

Moving toward their anticipated location, Shiva wasn't entirely certain of its exact coordinates. However, his uncertainty was short-lived, as an orc soon appeared before them, hurtling toward Shiva with ferocious speed.

The creature's charge did not go unnoticed by the corruption giant, which intercepted its path, steadfastly holding its ground. Yet, the orc seemed undeterred, plowing headlong into the giant.

The resulting clash sent shockwaves rippling through the vicinity, momentarily pushing the corruption giant back. Indeed, as expected of orcs, they possessed formidable strength.

"It's astounding how you can hold your own against an orc at level zero," Shiva marveled.

The corruption giant's level had been reset to zero following the Tower's blessing, and it had yet to gain any experience. Yet, even in this state, it displayed remarkable strength, standing firm against an orc likely ranked around level 9 or 10—a feat in itself.

But that wasn't the only remarkable aspect. The corruption giant was Shiva's summon, and Shiva possessed a particularly advantageous title that extended to all his summons.

<Your Summon 'Aghora' has been attacked>

<Your title 'Crafty Vengeance' has been triggered>

<Your next attack will be twice as strong>

As the Tower's voice echoed in his mind, Shiva sprang into action. With a powerful and precise swing, he wielded his flail, delivering a devastating blow to the orc's head, leaving it barely clinging to life.

Yes, Shiva could activate his title by utilizing his summons as cannon fodder. The downside was that while they could trigger the title, only he could benefit from its effects. Yet, even so, this capability bordered on being overpowered.

"Kill it," Shiva commanded.

Responding swiftly, the corruption giant brought down its massive hammer-like arms, delivering a crushing blow that ended the orc monster's life.

<Your summon 'Aghora' has killed a level 10 orc>

<Your summon 'Aghora' has leveled up>

The giant leveled up twice in a single instance, but Shiva wasn't finished yet!

"<Raise the dead>," Shiva commanded using his skill on the orc that was just killed.

Mana surged from him, enveloping the deceased orc. Unlike when summoning Aghora, this time the orc's flesh and muscle began to rapidly decay, leaving behind nothing but a bare skeleton. It wasn't the most pleasant sight to behold. Yet, soon, the skeleton's eye sockets ignited with blue flames as it rose to stand behind Shiva. Though lacking in intelligence and appearing somewhat crude, it would serve him with unwavering loyalty—such was the nature of an undead minion.

With an orc skeleton now at his side, Shiva resumed his journey. After all, there were still four more orc skeletons he could summon!

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