A Zombie's Path to Power

'Damn, the situation is tense' was the recurring thought that continuously circulated through Azel's mind every five minutes or so. Their small group consisted of a woman who had shot him twice earlier, a knight who seemingly had a notorious reputation for following his whims and Azel, an undead whose very intelligence was hanging by a slowly deteriorating thread.

Well, on the bright side, at least the duo had gotten bored of analysing Azel's every move. Previously Lyra had made deliberate slow steps to maintain distance from Azel in case of a sudden attack.

Not that Azel had any intention of attacking them, he could feel his "mana" leaking out, but there was a large enough reservoir within him that he could last for a week without needing a top up. So when they reached the Enclave and a more permanent solution was found Azel should still have a few days worth of mana left... That was if everything went well of course.

The enclave was on an island surrounded by the sea of fog, an endless ocean that had a peculiar effect on the mind. It was pretty much only possible to enter through a teleportation circle, and according to Colwyn, the nearest one was about three days away.

So that meant Azel would have to bear this awkward tension for at least three days, and then of course, he had to become an initiate for the sun chasers... Azel would admit he was feeling slightly nervous, from what Colwyn had stated, they had to keep Azel's identity as an undead a secret.

Not many people would agree with letting an undead roam around unchecked, so only a select few would be allowed to know his true identity.

"So, how did you become a Sun Chaser?" Azel finally broke the silence, his curiosity getting the better of him. He directed his question at Lyra, hoping to ease the tension with some conversation.

Lyra hesitated, her eyes narrowing slightly as she assessed whether to answer. After a moment, she sighed and responded, "I was recruited young, like most of us. Showed a talent for archery and had a knack for finding things. The Seekers took me in, and I've been training ever since."

Azel nodded, he had to admit, his understanding of the world was pretty pathetic. He was a bit worried the Initiation test would be him and a bunch of kids... Damn, that would be embarrassing.

Sensing his unease, Colwyn clarified, "You don't need top worry about that, you have to be at least sixteen to apply for the test, by 'recruited young' Lyra meant she was registered in one of the orphanages run by the order."

As they continued their journey, the silence between them grew heavier. Azel's mind churned with questions, but he held them back, sensing that now was not the time for inquiries. Colwyn led the way, his steps confident and purposeful, while Lyra trailed slightly behind, casting wary glances in Azel's direction.

"Do you ever regret it?" Azel asked, breaking the silence again. "Joining the Sun Chasers, I mean."

Lyra considered his question before answering. "It's not easy. There are sacrifices, and it's dangerous. But it's also rewarding. We make a difference. We protect people and preserve knowledge. That's worth a lot to me."

Azel nodded, understanding the weight of her words. He didn't really see any purpose he could pursue apart from his own survival, but he could understand the passion that came with following a goal.

The group drew to a sudden halt as they entered a clearing, Colwyn nodded to himself before gesturing to Lyra. Azel watched in confusion as a large backpack appeared from nowhere before the young woman. She opened it and began to pull out various supplies—camping gear, food, and other necessities.

"We'll make camp here for the night," Colwyn said, his voice commanding and matter-of-fact. "We'll need rest before we continue to the teleportation circle. Azel you'll follow me for a moment."

Azel followed Colwyn to the edge of the clearing, a sense of apprehension settling over him. Colwyn turned to face him, his expression serious. "First off, if we are going to hide your identity we have to do something about that passive consumption of mana, sit down here..."

Sitting down regardless of his thoughts, Azel voiced his disbelief, "I thought you said that mana is leaked in place of energy? How could I begin to hide it something like that without paralysing myself?"

And Azel was right, to completely hide the mana leakage he would have to bring his energy usage to zero, it was an impossible concept to grasp. And something the young zombie wasn't nearly skilled enough yet to even attempt.

Colwyn knelt down and placed his hand on Azel's chest, closing his eyes. Azel felt a warm surge of energy flow through him, and for a moment, the leaking mana seemed to stabilize. "There are techniques to control the flow," Colwyn explained. "It's not about stopping it completely but about managing it, minimizing the leak to the point where it's not detectable to the untrained eye."

Azel tried to focus on the sensation, feeling the mana within him responding to Colwyn's guidance. It was like trying to hold water in his hands, but with Colwyn's help, he could feel it becoming more manageable.

"There's no point wasting mana to give you the strength of a bull when all we're doing is walking around, you'll need to lower the consumption in exchange for your strength," Continued Colwyn.

And then the knight broke contact and the control Azel previously sustained disappeared and his mana broke free. The zombie went back to releasing a flood of mana wherever he went. But it was a start, If he could get this down like Colwyn had shown him then his efficiency would sky rocket, he would be able to last weeks without needing a top up.

"Try and remember that feeling... You'll practice here through the night, so I expect results in the morning," Ordered Colwyn, "Oh, and I know you don't need to eat but the rest of us still do, so we'll be hunting tomorrow,"

Azel nodded, determined to make progress. He focused on the feeling Colwyn had helped him find, trying to replicate it. As the night deepened, the forest around them fell silent, save for the occasional rustle of leaves or distant animal call.

It was a difficult objective Colwyn had given him. After all, the only way to limit the flow was to create a blockade out of more mana, the very thing he was stopping from leaving.

Imagine building a dam out of water, it just doesn't make sense... So Azel changed his method. The mana was naturally expelled through any action he took in the form of energy, but by limiting the amount of energy that his body used, less mana was released.

The natural result was that Azal felt himself become more sluggish, his body felt heavier and his mind felt slower, but it was a start... He still had hours until sunrise, plenty of time to experiment with the concept.