Maurise felt the skeletal unicorn beneath him quiver slightly.
Immediately after, a flash of light appeared on both his left and right sides. In the blink of an eye, they transformed into two identical skeletal unicorns, each carrying a "Maurise" on its back. Not only were their appearances identical, but even their facial expressions mirrored his exactly.
Before he could closely examine these two clones, they suddenly began to twist and morph, shifting into the forms of Cinder and Tin.
"Creating illusions?" He raised an eyebrow.
The skeletal unicorn turned its head toward him and nodded.
"To what extent?" Maurise asked. If it was merely visual trickery, it was better than nothing, but not exactly groundbreaking.
Understanding its master's intent, the skeletal unicorn's horn flared with that eerie blue light once more. This time, it was exceptionally bright, nearly swallowing the entire room.
Then, the world in Maurise's eyes changed.
The floorboards vanished, replaced by damp soil and decaying leaves. The walls fell away, transforming into towering, ancient trees. The air itself grew thick with the distinct, fresh scent of earth after a heavy rain.
Maurise dismounted. His boots met the soft, yielding ground. Crouching down, he prodded the dirt with a finger.
It felt exactly like real soil.
No, it wasn't real. It was just an illusion spun by the skeletal unicorn. Yet, the phantom was so remarkably vivid that it completely deceived not just his eyes, but his hearing, his sense of smell, and his touch.
He picked up a pinch of soil and placed it on his tongue.
'Ah. Taste as well.'
Maurise looked back at the skeletal unicorn. Through their magical link, he could feel its mana draining at an alarming rate. Maintaining an illusion of this scale was still far too heavy a burden for a newly advanced Tier 3 undead creature.
"That is enough. Stop," he ordered.
The moment he spoke, the surrounding scenery rapidly blurred. The walls, floor, and ceiling of the workshop bled back into reality.
The skeletal unicorn stepped up to Maurise and bowed its head. However, Maurise wasn't in the mood for a joyride just yet. He patted its skull and slowly circled it, deep in thought.
This illusion ability undoubtedly possessed immense potential. And this was only at Tier 3. Perhaps he could perform another evolution ritual to amplify its power even further.
'Let's do it.'
Having made his decision, Maurise immediately began drawing the necessary magic circle. Once completed, he retrieved every single Gap Energy Crystal he had left—five full glass jars, roughly five hundred crystals in total—and placed them nearby. Since he didn't know the exact consumption requirement for a Tier 4 evolution, he had to be as prepared as possible.
"Go on," Maurise commanded.
The skeletal unicorn obediently stepped into the center of the array.
"The world of the living has not yet forgotten you. The slumber of death is not your final chapter."
As the incantation ended, the magic circle flared to life.
Just as before, Maurise began tossing the Gap Energy Crystals into the array. After consuming two full jars, a sudden mutation occurred.
The grayish-black mist abruptly turned violently turbulent, swirling as if trying to tear something apart before funneling frantically into the skeletal unicorn. Under the sheer force of this energy, the soul fire burning in the creature's eye sockets flickered wildly, growing extremely unstable.
Maurise frowned. A moment later, the skeletal unicorn began to tremble violently. The mist had almost been completely absorbed.
'It needs more!'
Reacting instantly, Maurise dumped the remaining three jars of energy crystals into the circle all at once.
What happened next completely defied his expectations.
A dense, intricate web of crimson threads suddenly bloomed across the unicorn's skeletal frame, weaving and spreading endlessly until they encased its entire body.
'It was growing flesh and blood!'
Maurise watched in awe as his skeletal unicorn transitioned from a construct of pure bone into a creature of flesh and muscle. Honestly, the sight was a bit macabre.
Finally, the evolution ritual concluded.
The creature standing in the center of the magic circle had been completely transformed. It was no longer a mere skeleton. A coat of dark, dusky-white fur covered its entire body, clinging tightly to the powerful muscles beneath. Its limbs were long and sturdy, and it had even grown a full tail. It looked almost identical to an ordinary, living unicorn.
However, the singular horn protruding from its head remained a sinister pitch-black, and instead of normal eyes, eerie soul fire still burned fiercely within its sockets.
Skeletal unicorn... no, "Undead Unicorn" would be a far more fitting name now.
Maurise stepped forward and stroked its neck. The touch was as freezing cold as ever.
The undead unicorn suddenly let out a cry. Much like a living unicorn, it was a clear, resonant whinny, ringing with undeniable joy.
"To be completely honest," Maurise said, stroking his chin, "I preferred how you looked before." He still found the bare, skeletal aesthetic far more appealing.
"!"
Hearing this, the undead unicorn's joyful whinny choked off instantly. The eerie blue light flared upon its horn once more. In the blink of an eye, the fur and flesh vanished from sight, reverting completely to its original, skeletal form.
Maurise burst into laughter. His loyal undead unicorn had actively used its illusion magic to alter its outward appearance just to cater to his aesthetic preferences. It looked like bare bone, but the flesh and blood still existed underneath.
"Alright, alright," Maurise tapped its skull affectionately. "Now, let us test your new capabilities."
Two hours later, Maurise had essentially figured out the extent of the Tier 4 changes.
First was the physical transformation. The newly grown flesh and blood weren't just cosmetic; they had fundamentally reconstructed the creature's body. This modification allowed the undead unicorn to store and channel vastly greater amounts of mana—a comprehensive, across-the-board evolution.
Secondly, its illusion abilities had been drastically enhanced. Not only could they be sustained for much longer periods, but the area of effect had also expanded significantly. Most importantly, the undead unicorn could now flawlessly mask its own appearance to look exactly like a living unicorn.
This meant Maurise could openly ride it outside without drawing suspicion. While it was still an impressive mount, it wouldn't incite mass panic the way riding a walking skeleton would.
Overall, Maurise was exceedingly satisfied. The only drawback was the staggering consumption rate of the Gap Energy Crystals. If he were to attempt this with his bone dragon, his current stockpile wouldn't even make a dent.
---
Early one morning, a week later.
Maurise rode his undead unicorn into the Forbidden Forest, enjoying a leisurely stroll for the first time in a while.
The undead unicorn moved slowly, its hooves falling completely silently against the lingering snow. Currently, it was cloaked in an illusion, rendering it indistinguishable from a normal unicorn.
Maurise had done the same for himself. He had instructed the unicorn to mask him with the appearance of Kyle. He wanted to test if normal unicorns would still react aggressively to him while he was under this perfect disguise.