Graelish looked at Elias and commented,
"I think we can begin with necromancy, right? Or is there still something about elemental magic you haven't grasped yet?"
Elias paused for a moment. As skilled as Graelish was, he could only guide him so far. The rest depended on his own practice, and practice was exactly what he needed now.
"I don't think so. And to be honest, I'm more intrigued by necromancy."
Graelish nodded with a slight smile.
"As you've probably noticed, I prefer a sokratel approach. But I recognize that no method is absolute. In the end, it will depend more on you than on me."
"Sokratel approach?" Elias raised an eyebrow, curious.
"The sokratel approach is a method of inquiry and teaching based on the ideas of Sokrat, an ancient philosopher. He taught through dialogue, using questions to provoke reflection, expose contradictions, and help the other person discover their own answers."
The idea felt oddly familiar to Elias, but he chose not to dwell on the feeling and pressed on.
"Alright. So… where do we begin?"
Graelish crossed his arms and watched him closely.
"Let's start with the basics. Tell me, what do you, or your system, understand by necromancy?"
Elias paused, focused, not looking at the panel, and then replied, "I think of it as the manipulation of death."
Graelish smiled and said, "That's exactly the answer I expected. Indeed, that's what it means, but in reality, the term broadly encompasses many other aspects under the unified umbrella of necromancy."
"Necromancy can be categorized as alchemy, time and space manipulation, summoning, poison, enchantment… In essence, necromancy includes all abilities that interact with life and death."
Elias pondered for a moment and replied, "But in that case, wouldn't most abilities fall under necromancy?"
Graelish looked at him and answered, "Indeed. But the truth is, in magic, most fields overlap when it comes to specializations, necromancy being a clear example."
Elias was surprised. He had imagined the concept in a much more simplified way, but at the same time, he was excited.
Who would have thought magic would, in a way, resemble science?
Graelish smiled and said, "I want you to show me your necromantic abilities. After that, I'll demonstrate some others and help you become a complete necromancer."
Elias hesitated and replied, "I know a bit of alchemy and corpse manipulation."
"For both, I need materials. To manipulate or reanimate a corpse, I obviously need one. And for alchemy, I have a recipe that cures zombification and helps me get stronger."
Graelish considered that for a moment and then said, "You're terrible at necromancy. I expected more, but this is better. Now I can teach you from the ground up."
Elias stood silently as Graelish finished, then replied, "Did you really have to be that rude?"
"Sorry. I'm a Ghoul, I'm not as sensitive as you humans."
Then, spontaneously, Graelish asked, "Do you have a necromancy grimoire?"
"Yes, but I haven't learned everything in it."
Surprised, Graelish asked, "But don't you have a system to help with that?"
Elias shrugged and answered, "I didn't know the system could help me learn things until I managed to learn from your elemental magic book and the swordsmanship manual."
"It must have some kind of specific requirement…"
"Yes."
"Alright then. Let's start from the beginning…"
Graelish gave Elias a mysterious smile.
"You know how to manipulate corpses, that's good, but impractical. Unless you want to become infamous and walk around with a horde of dead, you'll find it inconvenient to need a new body each time."
"So let's learn the fundamentals… and after that, summoning."
Elias nodded, eyes gleaming with interest. He knew this was the next step in deepening his necromantic knowledge.
"We'll begin with the basics," Graelish said, motioning for Elias to focus.
"Necromancy is not just about raising the dead. It's about manipulating forces beyond death. And for that, you must learn to communicate with what lies beyond the mundane."
"But first, Cursing, something essential for a necromancer."
"Cursing?" Elias asked, intrigued.
"Yes. Curses are one of the most basic ways to control death energies. A curse can weaken, corrupt, or afflict the living, or even the dead, depending on your intention."
"The first step in casting a curse is directing your intent toward the target and declaring what you wish to happen."
"Next, conjure the geometric pattern, channel mana into it… and cast."
"It's a simple concept."
Graelish looked at Elias and said, "Silence."
He extended his hand, tracing intricate patterns that formed a circle with a hexagram in the center.When mana filled the magic circle, Elias felt his lips seal unnaturally, no sound escaped them.
Graelish made a horizontal motion with his right hand, as if slicing the air, dispelling the curse. The circle dissolved.
"Simple, right?" he remarked.
Elias coughed and teared up, as if he were choking. "You bastard…"
Cough! Cough!
Waiting for Elias to recover, Graelish continued:
"That was a simple curse. It would last only as long as I had mana to sustain it. But more advanced spells can be permanent… and can be cast on anyone, anywhere in the world."
Elias frowned. "Isn't that a bit too absurd?"
Graelish smiled. "It is. But there are methods. I don't know them, nor do most necromancers. But I can say it's possible. Theoretically, at least. It would require a very high level of power and knowledge, but it is possible."
Elias nodded, absorbing everything he could, and began to practice. When he felt he had reached a reasonable level, he asked to be taught the next ability.
"Very well," said Graelish with a nod of approval. "Next is Vital Manipulation, a powerful skill. This refers to manipulating the life force that keeps living beings functioning."
"Vital manipulation?" Elias repeated, his mind already spinning with new possibilities.
"Yes. Vital manipulation can be used to heal, to corrupt, or even to take life. To do so, you must connect with the flow of vital energy, the force that animates all bodies. But remember: this doesn't come without a cost. To manipulate life, or death requires balance."
Graelish made a gesture, and a blue, almost translucent energy formed in his palm.
"Now you try."
Elias extended his hand, feeling the energy pulsing before him. He focused, imagining he could influence something's vitality.
The energy that flowed from his fingers was faint but genuine, a simple breath of power.
"You did it," said Graelish calmly. "Now let's move on to Spirit Summoning. Unlike corpses, spirits have will. They may carry valuable information or even assist in certain tasks, but they're difficult to control."
Elias focused, now attempting to summon something non-physical.
He took a deep breath, trying to sense presences beyond the material world, those that had no body but still existed.
He extended his hands and murmured a low-power invocation.
A dark mist appeared before him, and then, a ghostly figure floated in the air.
It was a lost soul, nearly transparent, with empty eyes and an expression of eternal sorrow."Control it," said Graelish.
"Summoning isn't enough. You must dominate them."
Elias exerted mental effort, trying to impose his will upon the spirit. He ordered it to move, and slowly, the ghost obeyed.
With an approving nod from Graelish, Elias dismissed the spirit. The dark mist surrounding the apparition slowly faded into the air, as if pulled back into the beyond.
"Now," Graelish continued, "let's go to the creation of custom undead minions. When reanimating corpses, you can manipulate them to create soldiers with unique traits."
He gestured with his hands, and a dark portal opened on the ground with a deep, muffled sound.
A shape began to emerge from the darkness.
A deformed, yet intact body floated upward, as if being spat out from the abyss itself.
When the body touched the ground, the portal snapped shut with a dry crack.
Graelish raised his hands, and a dark energy took shape around the corpse.
Fragments of bone, metal, and shadow enveloped the body as it was molded.
"Watch closely," he said, never taking his eyes off the creature taking form.
"You can add weapons, armor… even control the size and appearance of the minions. Each one can become a unique weapon in your arsenal."
The creature before them now wielded a spear made of bone and condensed shadow, with light armor formed from corroded plates and dark leather straps.
Its eyes, devoid of humanity, glowed with a faint spectral blue.
Elias watched silently, fascinated.
He copied the gestures with growing confidence, imbuing the corpse with an aura of power, shaping it into a skeletal warrior wielding a sword.
"Good," said Graelish. "Now, let's go to the final skill for now: Imbuing Weapons with Miasma Effects. Miasma weakens and corrupts enemies. When you imbue a weapon with it, it can poison and sap the strength of your target with just a touch."
Elias took a sword and, following the instructions, focused on the energy of death and physical corruption.
He touched the blade and felt a wave of miasma take form, covering it with a dark aura.
"That's enough for now," said Graelish, watching with approval.
Calmly, he stated, "Next, I want to teach you how to manipulate space and seal your undead in another dimension."