A Level 8 Sandbone Scorpion was surrounded by tens of skeletons, attacking from all sides.
The previous intimidating Level 8 beast howled helplessly under the relentless onslaught of the skeletons.
Ace Number 1, Ace Number 2, and Ace Number 3 weaved through the battle and delivered a killing blow.
Shriek!
The beast cried out in pain and staggered backward, blood gushing from its eyes, mouth, and neck.
Thoren was the beast, struggling to cling to its life, but the effort seemed futile. It was already at death's door.
His summons would have slain the beasts long ago, but he wanted to preserve their bodies for his undead army.
Crash!
The Sandbone Scorpion fell to the ground, battered and broken. It twitched one last time, then lay still forever.
[Experienced Gained +200]
[Summoned Entities: Experienced Gain +100]
[Spirit +0.16 Copper Coins +16]
Thoren looked at the dead beast and could not help but smile. Although he had lost a few Level 6 skeletons, the loss was nothing compared to the value of a Level 8 summon.
[Undead Summoning]
[Bone Manipulation]
Watching the Level 8 Sandbone Scorpion shed its skin, leaving only its skeleton, he nodded with a pleased smile.
[Sandbone Scorpion Skeleton]
[Level 8]
[Attributes: Strength 28, Constitution 17, Agility 12, Intelligence 2]
[Trait: Soul Fire, Bone Carapace]
"Now, let's see who dares to stop me...," he muttered, grinning as he walked deeper into the massive tunnel.
Since he had encountered the Level 8 Sandbone Scorpion, he believed there would be more powerful beasts waiting ahead.
He withdrew the Level 6 Skeletons, keeping only the human skeleton and the Level 8 skeleton with him.
Soon, a Level 7 Scorpion rushed toward him.
Bang!
A single strike from the Level 8 skeleton left it on the brink of death. Ace Number 1 delivered the killing blow.
Everything happened in a blink, and the battle was over.
[Experienced Gained +140]
[Summoned Entities: Experienced Gain +70]
[Spirit +0.14 Copper Coins +14]
He turned the Level 8 skeleton into his undead servant and continued his march deeper into the tunnel.
Along the way, he saw other awakeners returning from deep within the tunnel. When they saw his undead summons, their eyes widened in disbelief.
Many avoided him when they glimpsed the powerful Level 8 skeleton marching beside him.
As he pressed deeper into the tunnel, word of a powerful Necromancer began to spread among the surface folk.
[Experienced Gained +140]
[Experienced Gained +200]
[…]
[...]
Thoren did not stop his onslaught; every beast in his path was slaughtered and turned into his undead servants.
His experience was increasing at a visible speed. The higher the level, the more difficult it became to level up. Yet for him, that was not a problem.
After slaying numerous Level 7 and Level 8 beasts, Thoren arrived at another junction where the tunnel split into five massive passages.
Before one of the tunnels stood a party of five, standing with confidence. When they saw Thoren and his skeleton, they were stunned.
Their leader, a tall, confident boy, furrowed his brow as he regarded Thoren.
"A Necromancer... not just any Necromancer, but a powerful one," he thought, stepping forward.
Thoren looked at the approaching boy and furrowed his brow as well. He did not dwell on it; he prepared to enter one of the tunnels.
"May I have a word with you?" Thoren asked calmly, his voice steady with quiet confidence.
"What?" Thoren halted in his tracks and regarded him coolly.
"My name is Orven, Level 8 Awakener." Orven said, his voice laced with pride. "These are my party members."
He gestured to the group behind him.
Thoren nodded but said nothing. He did not yet understand why he had been stopped.
"I'd like to invite you to join our guild." Orven's eyes shone with expectation. "Don't rush to reject my offer." He added.
"Our guild is one of the top five strongest on this floor. With us, you won't have to worry about others attacking you because of your occupation.
Also, the government wouldn't target you for turning humans into undead servants," he explained.
Thoren remained quiet, his expression unreadable. In the past, he might have considered such an opportunity to join a top guild, but not now.
What were the top five guilds?
With his ever-increasing undead army, what was there to fear? As for the government, he sneered inwardly.
He had already been targeted by them; why should he care about their opinions? If they thought they could bully him into submission, he would unleash his full undead army in response.
Watching the quiet boy, Orven's confidence grew. To him, it seemed unlikely that a lone Necromancer would refuse an offer to join one of the top five guilds.
It was common knowledge that a Necromancer needed powerful backing to survive in the abyss.
As for those without powerful backing, they were easy targets.
As a member of the Crimson Arc Guild, Orven had been privy to many secrets that eluded ordinary people.
Thoren did not know what was going on in Orven's mind as he looked at him and asked, "What is the name of your guild?"
"Crimson Arc Guild," Orven replied with pride.
Thoren nodded and answered, "I'll keep that in mind, but for now I'm not ready to join any guild."
What?!
Orven and his party members were stunned. They had not expected him to refuse.
"Are you sure?" Orven's eyes darkened. "Don't think that a few skeletons will keep you from being targeted. I'd advise you to reconsider."
Thoren shook his head. "Thank you for the offer, but no."
With that, he strode away.
Watching him go, Orven ground his teeth for a moment before a faint smile escaped him.
"Fool!" one of the party members sneered. She was one of the two females in the group.
"Captain, you don't need to dwell on him. When people start to target him, he'll realize what a golden opportunity he missed, but it will be too late." A boy added.
Orven nodded. He glanced in Thoren's direction for a moment, then decided not to dwell on it.
"Let's return."