Reborn As A Ghost: Time To Build My Undead Army!

-----

After they finally arrived in the island, the party wasn't even allowed to get in there and fight some monsters, as the instructor kept yapping and yapping about information everyone here knew already… except Maria and Nyx, who weren't inhabitants of this world, and who listened to it rather attentively.

"I suppose if we bring the Nightmare Cores broken, the energy inside would have been lost already, huh?" Sofia asked. "I had guessed as much I suppose."

"Indeed, although the bodies of Nightmare Beasts are valuable. Unlike the normal Nightmares they remain and don't disappear. If their skin is hard enough, their fur has special properties, or their bones, horns, fangs, and claws are tough and sharp enough, they can also be manufactured into weapons, armor, and perhaps used as materials for technology in general," explained the instructor, readjusting his cap.

Then he pointed at the bracelets the girls were already wearing, which had a special, vital function to at least try to guarantee the safety of the students.

"And the bracelets are the same that were once given to you before, if anything too bad happens, and one of you is in lethal danger and something you cannot handle, use it and I'll come to your rescue… but that might mean a disqualification, so be careful." He said. "Although it is a bit harsh, but even then, don't risk your lives for a good grade, you can always try again later, if your life ends then there's no point to it after all."

"We understand," nodded Maria. "Not like we'll ever need it anyways, instructor, so don't worry! Anyways, can we go now? I'm getting bored of waiting…"

"Hahaha! Student Maria, you're indeed as the rumors say, very direct," laughed the instructor. "You may go now. Take care. I'll be right here."

"Wait a second instructor, there's no map or something for this island? What if we get lost?" Sofia asked.

"It's part of the test to be able to make your own maps," said the instructor with a slightly cocky smile. "It's up to you girls to find the way back! You're all strong and got good grades yesterday so come on, show me what you've got."

"Cocky bastard…" groaned Martina. "Fine, let's go!"

Once they walked far enough from the instructor, the group stopped right in front of the massive alien jungle, avoiding the weird floating gooey bubbles moving around sometimes.

"Wait for a bit, girls," Maria said. "Just in case, let me do this for you."

Maria quickly harnessed her Mana and activated one of her skills, spreading a Domain that made the girls gaps in surprise, except with Nyx.

She entered the Domain, which resembled a lugubrious, dark and demonic farm with a starry night sky and a crimson moon atop the skies. Once inside, the quickly spread her Mana around the farm, as dozens of giant red bones popped out of the ground constantly.

The red bones were actually from Blood Dragons, as she took them out, they floated around her, and with a mere command, they flew towards her friends.

"W-what is this?!"

"Bones? Wow!"

"Woaah!"

"Eeh? W-Wait a second!"

They all panicked a little bit, but Maria made sure to end the process quickly, covering their bodies with armor made of crimson draconic bones, making the girls gasp in surprise.

"Oh wow this is kind of awesome?" wondered Emily. "Yeah! What in the world?"

"It's amazing!" said Alma. "It's like a cool armor made of bones… Uh wait it's a bit weird."

"Is this part of your Magic Powers, Maria?" asked Sofia. "I just had no idea…"

"Yep, it is one of my techniques," Maria nodded. "It's called Blood Dragon Bone Armor. It has lots of special effects, you'll find them out as you fight. Ah right Emily, don't worry, the armor will combine with your own armor, so it won't interfere. It might give it a little boost."

"Damn, I don't feel like I needed it but thanks I guess! Though I don't want to rely on it too much…" said Emily, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Thanks anyways, yeah."

"Alright…" Maria nodded. "We're ready then!"

"Uh, but what about you?" asked Martina. "You don't need armor? And Nyx?"

"We'll be fine!" said Nyx.

"We're tough as hell, don't worry about us," Maria nodded, shrugging.

"Yeah, yeah!" Nyx nodded happily.

"Aaalright then, let's get this started," Emily nodded. "I'll lead the party of course, as the toughest of the six!"

"I wanted to do that!" Nyx complained.

"Leave her be," Maria said. "It's better if she leads the party, she's really in high spirits."

"Umm, okay…" Nyx sighed. "But Emily don't screw it up!"

"I-I would never screw anything up!" Emily said.

Maria smiled a bit as she noticed her daughter socializing much more with everyone else. It seemed to have been a good choice to bring her along.

They entered the deadly jungle of all sorts of colors, the first deadly trap they stepped into were blade-like grass that was as sharp and hard as actual knifes.

"Ouch, that would've hurt if I didn't have these…" Emily said, looking at her armored boots combined with Maria's blood bone dragon armor. "Look how sharp this looks!"

"I wonder if we could harvest them? If they're as hard as blades they're made of some sort of special metal, right?" wondered Alma.

"Well said! Let me grab some," Maria kneeled, grabbing the blade grass with her bare hands!

"Wait, Maria, you're going to cut yourself!"

Sofia tried to stop her, but Maria grabbed the bladed grass like nothing, her delicate-looking hands were completely fine, like nothing.

"What are you panicking for? I'm alright."

"E-Eh? Oh… okay…"

Sofia was shocked, although she had seen Maria fight a lot, she still remembered their fight and how she seemed to always prioritize keeping a distance from foes.

The Maria she remembered was a bit more cautious than the one right now, and she used to bleed a bit when she was hit.

She was definitely not as tough as rocks as she is now…

"Maria… Since when you have been so tough?" she asked.

"Yeah I remember you weren't as tough…" Emily nodded.

"She got a special ability or a second awakening?" Alma asked.

"Yeah, that!" Maria nodded slightly nervously. "D-Don't worry about me, I'm fine! Oh, got a bunch!"

She quickly placed them in her shadows, and then…

RUMBLE!

Out of nowhere, the floor beneath them trembled.

And a massive creature surged from the forest floor, covered on these blade grass all over its shell!

"GRUOOOHHHH!"

The girls were sent flying away as the creature emerged from the ground, resembling a giant black and dark green turtle with several eyes across its body.

Its size was big, surpassing four meters of height, and a bit more of width. It had a sharp beak with even sharper fangs, and it looked furious its spikes were taken away.

"Wait a second the glass were the shell's spikes?!" asked Emily. "You can't be serious right now!"

"Oh, I really didn't see that one coming…" Maria nodded. "Yep, that was a surprise for sure."

"Don't be so calm! It's a Nightmare Beast! Everyone to formation- Uwaah?!" Sofia panicked.

RUMBLE!

However, they didn't stop coming, once one appeared, dozens after dozens of the same turtles all appeared out of the forest floor, revealing huge holes where they were hiding, perhaps sleeping or hibernating.

-----