The wind blew softly across the forest as his eyes slowly opened.
He lay on the cold ground, surrounded by blood—his own. But the pain was gone.
All around him was silence. His teammates were nowhere to be seen. Only their corpses remained, torn, broken, and lifeless.
He lifted his hand. Strange black symbols ran across his right arm like cursed writing, and a dark skull-shaped mark burned into his palm.
A voice drifted through the trees, low and steady.
"You have died once, Kerry. Now live as one who commands death itself."
He wanted to believe it was just a dream. But the cold moving through his veins told him it wasn't.
[Host Vitality: 0%. Status: Undead.]
—
[System Integration: Complete.]
[Welcome again, Host #001.]
[First Task: Command the Dead.]
Kerry's eyes moved to the bodies scattered nearby his teammates, his friends. Their faces were pale, eyes half-open, blood pooling beneath them.
"No…" he whispered, shaking his head. "Not them."
The ground trembled. Bones cracked. One of the corpses twitched, its hand jerking upward like something pulling invisible strings.
Kerry stumbled back, eyes widening.
"Stop… stop it!"
[Task Accepted.]
[Raising the Dead.]
The bodies began to move. Their limbs shifted stiffly, and faint blue light glowed in their eyes. The smell of decay filled the air, heavy and suffocating.
He wanted to scream, to run, to undo everything but the system overpowered his thoughts.
[You are Death's hand.]
[Life obeys the living. Death obeys you.]
He could feel their souls, faint and distant, still clinging to what they once were. But now, they were bound to him.
"Why me?" His voice trembled as he stared at the dead. "Why did you choose me?"
[Because you died… and did not stay dead.]
The forest grew darker. Clouds rolled in, covering the light until everything turned cold and gray.
Kerry looked down at his reflection in a puddle—his skin pale, his eyes empty, a faint black mark glowing on his neck.
He clenched his fist.
"If this is what I am now… then I'll learn to control it."
[System Acknowledged.]
[New Objective: Summon Your First Servant.]
[Requirement: One corpse nearby.]
His gaze fell on the closest body, a boy he had first met when he entered the academy. Claude.
His voice broke softly. "Forgive me."
He extended his hand toward the body. A black aura swirled around his palm, swirling like smoke before seeping into the corpse.
The ground cracked beneath them. Chains of shadow rose and coiled around Claude's body, pulling him upright. His eyes opened, blue light glowing within waiting for command.
Kerry swallowed hard.
"Rise… and serve."
[First Servant Summoned: Rank F Undead— Graveborn Soldier.]
He fell to his knees, staring at what he had done.
A monster born from tragedy.
A necromancer born from death itself.
---
Kerry collapsed to the ground, his aura still burning faintly before fading into silence.
---
Obsidian Academy
All the teams sent for the hunt had returned safely, each with their full numbers. But hours passed, and the elders noticed one team still missing, the Flame Team.
"Lord Kael!" a senior instructor called out as Kael was passing through the courtyard. "All the students have come back… except the Flame Team."
Kael froze. His expression shifted instantly, he knew Kerry was part of that team. Kerry wasn't just any student; he was one Kael personally admired.
"What?" His voice came sharp and low. "How is that possible? Quickly, gather the scouts and return to where the Flame Team was assigned!"
"Yes, Lord!"
Without another word, Kael leapt onto his flying sword and took off into the air, unease twisting inside him. His instincts told him something was wrong, terribly wrong.
It didn't take long before they reached the middle of the forest, only a few kilometers from the academy's boundary. But when they arrived, the scene before them stopped everyone cold.
Corpses.
The entire Flame Team lay scattered across the ground, their uniforms torn, their faces pale and lifeless.
The air grew heavy. No one spoke. Even the wind seemed to die in the silence.
Kael's eyes darted from body to body, scanning desperately. "Where's Kerry?" he muttered. "His body isn't here."
He dropped to his knees, searching the blood-soaked dirt for any trace of him, footprints, a weapon, anything. But there was nothing. Not a single sign.
After a long silence, Kael finally stood. "We're returning," he said, voice tight with grief. "We'll report this to the council. The academy's borders are no longer safe."
---
Far from Obsidian Academy
In a quiet city hospital, Kerry lay on a white bed, his body still and his chest unmoving.
Outside the door, a nurse spoke softly with an old woman, their voices fading into the corridor.
Then, his fingers moved. Slowly, his eyes opened and what he saw wasn't the room around him, but a strange glowing interface hovering before his vision.
A rectangular box appeared, mechanical and cold.
---
💀 [SYSTEM BOOT — VISUAL PROTOCOL]
> [Host Detected: Kerry]
[Location: Medical Ward — Unknown Facility]
[Initiating Biometric Scan…]
— SCAN COMPLETE —
Host Condition:
Vitality: 0 (Undead State)
Heart Activity: Low / Stabilizing
Blood Loss: Significant (External)
Consciousness: Present — Dazed
Body Integrity: 64%
---
[NECROMANCER CORE — STATUS PANEL]
> Name: Kerry
Title: Fledgling of the Abyss
Level: 1
Vital Stats:
Vitality: 0
Mana: 75 / 75
Soul Energy: 4 / 10
Attributes:
Strength: 6 (+0)
Agility: 8 (+0)
Endurance: 7 (+0)
Intelligence: 12 (+0)
Willpower: 14 (+0)
---
Kerry blinked, scanning the hospital room around him. His heart raced, the last thing he remembered was the forest, the blood, and the screaming. Now he was here.
He stumbled out of bed, panic rising in his chest. "What… what's going on?"
Then, another message appeared before his eyes.
---
💀 [Necromancer System — Daily Quest Activated]
Quest Title: "Strength of the Dead"
> Even those who've crossed death must train their flesh to command it.
---
Daily Tasks:
[1] Push-ups — 100 times
[2] Sit-ups — 100 times
[3] Squats — 100 times
[4] Run — 3 kilometers
---
Quest Reward:
+2 Strength
+1 Agility
+1 Endurance
1 × E-Rank Gate Key (Trial of the Fangs)
Quest Failure:
> Penalty Zone will be activated.
---
"Huh? What?"
Another notification appeared immediately after:
---
System Notification:
> [Failure to complete tasks before sunset will result in immediate transportation to the "Realm of the Dead."]
[Survive… or be devoured by your own creations.]
---
Kerry exhaled slowly, forcing himself to stay calm.
"This… this is what I wanted," he murmured under his breath.
No matter how terrifying it was, this power was his only way forward.
If this was the path of a necromancer — then he would walk it without turning back.