At dawn, with only a few hours left before the hunt, Kerry sat alone by his bed, slowly running a whetstone against his sword. The sound of steel scraping echoed softly through the room. His hands moved with quiet focus, though a faint unease lingered behind his steady movements.
Outside, the training grounds were already alive with noise. The fire and lightning elementalists were practicing intensely, their shouts and bursts of energy breaking the silence of morning. Kerry scanned the area, searching for Claude among the crowd. But he wasn't there.
Probably still asleep, Kerry thought, turning back to his blade. He didn't give it much thought. What he didn't know was that Claude had already slipped into the principal's office, sneaking through the shadows in search of Serik's confiscated phone.
Claude muttered under his breath as he ransacked drawers and shelves, panic starting to twist his voice.
"Where is it…" he hissed softly.
But the principal wasn't careless. She had taken the phone home, fully expecting Serik to try something.
"Damn it! I've searched everywhere and there's nothing here," Claude whispered shakily. "How am I supposed to face him now… We're even on the same team."
His hands clenched tightly. Fear crept in like a cold wind. He knew what Serik was capable of when he got angry.
Every hunt was organized by system. Elementalists and mages were grouped into their own teams. But nulls had no such privilege, they were placed wherever there was space, treated like spare pieces in someone else's fight.
For mages, power came from the flow of spiritual energy drawn directly from the world around them. Their strength rested in their mastery of spells, enchantments, rituals, and sigils.
Deep beneath the academy grounds was a place few had ever entered, a single iron door that opened not to a room, but to a cavern carved into stone. In the center stood a long rectangular slab of dark rock, large enough to seat seven figures. The Seven Great Lords of Obsidian Star Academy sat in silence, their presence heavy enough to silence the air itself. Among them was Kael.
Bryce, a senior master of the elementalists, entered the chamber. He bowed deeply with quiet respect before speaking.
"Lords of Obsidian, I greet you. I came to speak about the first-year hunt. I ask for your blessings and guidance for their success," he said, keeping his head lowered as he waited for their reply.
Lord Xavren rose slowly, hands folded inside his robe. His voice carried calm weight.
"The areas they're entering are secured by our guards. But the wild remains the wild. No one can predict everything. I give them my blessing."
Another Lord spoke softly, "Our souls shall lead them in peace. You may go."
"Thank you," Bryce replied, then turned and ascended swiftly out of the cavern.
Above ground, the academy grounds stirred with urgency. Only minutes remained before the hunt began. The team leaders, mostly late-stage elementalists gathered first. Mages didn't participate in these hunts. Each system followed its own path. For elementalists, the stages went from early to middle, late, and finally peak, a climb built on discipline and struggle.
An elder stood atop a carved statue overlooking the courtyard, his voice firm and sharp.
"All students, prepare yourselves. Arm up and gather at the park immediately!"
The sound of boots striking stone echoed as students rushed to obey. They formed lines, weapons in hand, some laughing nervously, others silent with tension. Kerry moved through the crowd, scanning every face for Claude. He had to be in their team, but there was no sign of him.
"Everyone, stand according to your elements. Nulls, form your own line. You'll be assigned afterward," the elder commanded.
A null student muttered from the line, "But there's only four of us…"
The elder chuckled lightly but didn't stop the process.
Just as they began counting heads, Claude came running through the rows, panting as he slipped into position. Kerry let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
"Listen up!" the elder's voice cut through the chatter. "This hunt is dangerous for your stage. Don't rely on anyone. Fight to survive, especially you nulls. Each team will have a leader, a third-year student. Don't act recklessly. One mistake can get someone killed."
He gestured toward the fire and lightning users. "You seventeen, you'll form a single unit. Move as a team."
The courtyard grew still. No one dared speak.
"Now," the elder said finally, "you may disperse."
The groups broke apart, each heading toward their designated terrain forest, coast, or mountain. Kerry tightened his grip on his sword. The air carried a sharp chill, as if the world itself was holding its breath.
The hunt had begun.
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They all reached their hunting grounds. The fire and lightning unit, known as Flames, landed deep within the forest. A cold wind drifted between the trees, carrying with it a heavy silence. The only sounds came from the soft rustle of leaves and their boots pressing against damp soil.
"Stay in position," the leader ordered, scanning the shadows ahead.
Claude's grip on his blade tightened. His heartbeat pounded in his chest like war drums.
Serik intentionally approached Claude, voice low and a threat wrapped in a whisper.
"Where is it?"
Claude turned, hands shaking. Before he could answer, one of his teammates murmured, "Stay close."
The forest shuddered as the trees swayed unnaturally. A low growl rolled through the air, deep and unsettling.
"What was that?" someone muttered.
Perched atop a tree, an Ember Fang Wolf emerged from the darkness. Its black fur was laced with glowing crimson and orange veins, magma flowing beneath its skin. Every breath it took released thin curls of smoke into the air.
"What kind of beast is that?" someone cried out. Weapons were drawn in a hurry as the creature moved with slow, deliberate steps, studying its prey.
"It's said those fangs burn brighter than heated iron… they can melt through armor and bone," the leader recalled.
"What!?" Kerry's voice cracked in shock.
"Everyone stay sharp. It can blur into embers and reappear nearby—perfect for ambushes," the leader warned.
Before the words could settle, the wolf dissolved into glowing cinders and reappeared behind Claude, its claws ready to strike.
"Claude!" Kerry whispered, sprinting toward him without a second thought. He shoved Claude aside, taking the blow meant for him. Razor-sharp claws raked across his arm, blood spilling like water over the forest floor.
The leader's blade flashed, one clean strike. The beast's body disintegrated into ash.
"Kerry! Kerry, are you okay?" Claude rushed to him, tearing a strip of his own clothes to tie off the bleeding.
"Thank you, Kerry… I owe you my life," Claude breathed out, his hands trembling.
Kerry managed a faint smile, forcing himself to stand firm with his sword in hand. But before relief could settle in, three more Ember Fang Wolves emerged, their growls echoing through the forest.
Claude pulled Kerry back toward the others as the beasts advanced. Serik unleashed a crackling bolt of lightning, burning one of the wolves to ash. The other two charged but were instantly slain by the leader, steel piercing through flesh with deadly precision.
Then the attacks shifted. The wolves stopped confronting them head-on. They appeared behind the students like shadows, tearing through them before they could react.
Five beasts emerged. Then three more. Eight in total. They lunged without hesitation. Screams tore through the forest. Flesh was ripped apart. Serik's arm was severed and then came the clean strike that took his head.
Out of seventeen, only eight remained.
Kerry and Claude stood side by side, gasping for breath, their knuckles white around their blades.
"What do we do now, Senior?" Claude's voice cracked with fear.
Before the leader could answer, a beast appeared behind him, its jaws clamping down on Claude's leg. It dragged him to the ground like a rag doll.
"Help! Kerry, help me!" Claude's screams filled the air as blood soaked the soil beneath him.
Kerry turned sharply, rushing forward. His sword sliced clean through the beast's neck. It crumbled into ash, and it was his first kill.
"Kerry, watch out!"
—RIP—
Agony ripped through his chest as claws tore him open. A scream left his throat but was swallowed by the chaos around them. Blood splashed against the grounds. Claude's voice echoed his name, but it faded when his eyes shut, and swallowed by darkness.
In that black void, he drifted weightlessly. Cold, empty, no breath and no body.
Just when silence seemed endless, a voice echoed through the void, calm, ancient, and absolute.
[System initializing…]
[Soul Reconstruction in Progress.]
[Necromancer System has chosen host #001 — Kerry.]
A chill surged through what was left of his soul.
[Welcome to the realm of the dead.]
[You are no longer among the living.]
[You are the one who commands them.]
Before him, a cold, pale light appeared not warm like sunlight, but pale and cold as moonlight on a grave.
He saw chains wrapped around his soul, etched with glowing symbols. One by one, they shattered.
[Soul Bound: Necromancer System Activated.]
[First Directive: Rise.]