A Zombie's Path to Power

Azel opened his mouth to scream in annoyance, but the combination of the freezing winds and the fact he had been yelling for over an hour now meant that his hoarse voice could only produce an anguished whisper.

His muscles were beyond tired, but any damage to them would quickly be healed by his undead body. As a result, despite his exhaustion Azel was still climbing upwards. At some point the limestone became coated in a thick layer of snow, making gripping onto it very difficult.

The only reason that the zombie was still clinging on was because the mountain had become significantly less steep. The mountain wall was now a much gentler slope that, while still requiring his hand to grasp for handholds, Azel could much more easily manoeuvre around.

He was sure that the herb would grow in these elevated altitudes, after all he felt his body pouring mana into his fingers to regenerate them from what was presumably frost bite. The only problem was that the oncoming snow storm was so thick that Azel was having a hard time seeing anything.

Hanging his head low, Azel let out a sigh. Somewhere along the way he had given up on preserving mana, instead he decided that he would hunt whatever he found up here to replenish his energy reserves.

Remembering Gryphons words: "There is a particular type of beast that enjoys the herbs smell, nothing to scary really, you should be fine." Azel grimaced. Of course after hearing such a foreboding sentence the zombie took it upon himself to do some research.

From the same library he had gotten the map, Azel read that the monster he should look out for was none other than a Yeti. The yeti was a predator of pure muscle and force, its strength so unnatural that even other stalker-rank beasts avoided its territory.

But it was still strong. Its arms were supposedly as thick as tree trunks, and the beast would supposedly wrestle with its kin in frequent territorial disputes. Considering Azel's combat experience was limited to being bullied by Colwyn, the yeti was probably a better fighter than him.

Finally reaching a level where he could stand up straight, Azel stretched his arms and let out a pleasant sigh of relief. Sitting down for abit Azel continued his pondering. The mana was doing an efficient job repairing his muscles and rejuvenating his energy, but it wasn't instant.

"...A yeti, huh?" Spoke Azel with curiosity, "I wonder what that would taste like."

After all, while the mana core held the most use for him, Azel would need every morsel of mana for his trip back down so he couldn't let anything go to waste. Of course, Azel had to kill the beast first.

 Holding out his hand, Azel tried establishing a dagger. Just like he practised in his home, it appeared with ease. Nodding, the zombie twirled the translucent blade with a smile. He was confident he could kill the monster with this.

Once again trying to peer into the blizzard, Azel felt his confidence quickly evaporating into the frosty winds. The zombie would have to find shelter first, looking for dragons-breath would be impossible like this.

Standing up with a groan, he begun walking perpendicular to the slope. Hopefully Azel would be able to find some kind of cave to hide in until the weather passed.

Azel trudged through the knee-deep snow, his undead body sparing him from the worst of the cold but not the mounting frustration. It was horrendous having to deal with the wind bashing against him, and it didn't help that his hood kept getting blown down by the gale.

The storm's howling masked most sounds, but Azel's instinct picked up faint echoes of movement somewhere beyond the swirling snow. He stopped in his tracks, straining to listen. It could have been the wind, but the irregular rhythm of the noise suggested otherwise.

Something's out there.

His grip on the dagger tightened as his eyes darted around, searching for anything that stood out in the white void. The thought of encountering the yeti now, while he was still drained and half-blind in the storm, sent a shiver through his spine—not from fear, but from the calculated realization that he'd be at a serious disadvantage.

The sound came again, closer this time. A faint crunch of snow followed by the low growl of a predator. Azel froze, instincts kicking in as his undead nature amplified his hearing and sight. For a moment, he spotted movement—large, hulking, and unmistakably alive.

Azel clenched his jaw.

The growling grew louder, resonating through the icy air like a drumbeat of tension. Then it appeared—a silhouette slowly forming through the snow. The creature's massive frame became clear as the storm momentarily eased. The yeti stood on all fours, its snow-matted fur blending perfectly with the environment. Only its piercing, icy-blue eyes betrayed its position.

So much for 'nothing too scary,' Gryphon, he thought bitterly.

The yeti let out a guttural roar, its breath misting in the freezing air, before charging forward. Azel barely had time to react. He leapt to the side, rolling awkwardly in the snow. The beast's massive paw slammed into the ground where he had been standing, sending a spray of ice and rock flying.

Scrambling to his feet, Azel slashed at the creature's flank as it turned, but the dagger only grazed its thick hide. The yeti snarled in annoyance rather than pain. Azel cursed under his breath—he needed to aim for weak points, not waste energy swinging blindly.

The yeti didn't give him time to think. It charged again, faster than something its size had any right to be. Azel dodged, narrowly avoiding a swipe that could have sent him flying. The creature's raw strength was terrifying; even a glancing blow could crush bone. Not that Azel's undead body would break permanently, but he doubted he'd survive long enough to regenerate if he got caught.

Come on, Azel. Focus!

He ducked beneath another swipe, rolling to the side and driving the dagger into the yeti's leg. This time, it howled in pain, the mana-infused blade sinking deeper than before. Azel smirked despite himself—he could hurt it. Now he just needed to keep his distance and wear it down.

The yeti turned on him with surprising agility, swiping at him again. Azel parried with the dagger, but the force of the impact sent him stumbling backward. His feet slipped on the icy ground, and he fell hard onto his back.

The beast loomed over him, its blue eyes gleaming with primal fury. Azel raised his dagger in a desperate defence, but the yeti's massive paw slammed down before he could react. The blade shattered, fragments of mana dissipating into the air.