The third skeleton stood quietly, its empty eye sockets facing forward.
Min-jun stayed kneeling for a few seconds longer than necessary, his palm still pressed against the cold ground. His mana had dropped noticeably, and a dull ache throbbed behind his temples.
So raising more isn't free…
"Hey," Dong-hyun said, lowering his mace slightly. "You okay there?"
Min-jun pushed himself up. "Yeah. Just… tired."
Seo-ah looked at the new skeleton carefully. "It feels different."
"It does," Hye-jin agreed. "Not stronger. Just… steadier."
Min-jun didn't know how to explain it either. He only knew that when he focused on the three skeletons at once, something inside him stretched—uncomfortable, but not painful.
Like a muscle learning a new limit.
They moved on.
The subway tunnel curved downward, lights flickering weakly along the walls. The monsters became fewer, but stronger. Mutated dogs this time, their bodies twisted, muscles bulging unnaturally.
"Two at a time," Seo-ah said. "Don't rush."
Min-jun nodded and raised his hand slightly.
The skeletons moved without him needing to speak.
The warrior skeleton took the front, shieldless but unflinching. The two basic skeletons flanked it, attacking from the sides.
Claws scraped bone. One skeleton lost three fingers. Another cracked at the shoulder.
Min-jun felt each impact like distant pressure, not pain—but enough to make his jaw tighten.
So this is the cost.
The final dog fell.
[Monster Defeated]
[EXP Gained: 22]
[Level Up!]
[Level 8 Reached]
Min-jun blinked.
Already?
Seo-ah noticed his expression. "You leveled again."
He nodded. "…Yes."
Dong-hyun let out a low whistle. "That's scary."
There was no mockery in his voice this time.
They reached the dungeon's final area soon after. A wide platform where the tracks ended, broken walls opening into darkness.
Something breathed in the shadows.
"Boss," Seo-ah said quietly.
A hulking rat emerged, its body covered in bone growths, eyes glowing a dull yellow. It screeched, the sound sharp enough to make Min-jun's skin crawl.
"Bone Rat Alpha," Hye-jin murmured. "Careful."
The fight was brutal.
The alpha moved fast. Too fast.
One of the basic skeletons was smashed into fragments almost instantly.
Min-jun's chest tightened.
Again…
The warrior skeleton roared soundlessly and charged, taking hit after hit. Cracks spread across its ribs.
"Min-jun!" Seo-ah shouted. "Can you hold it?"
He didn't answer.
He was staring at the scattered bones on the ground, something burning behind his eyes.
Why does it feel wrong to lose them?
They're not alive… so why—
The system chimed sharply.
[Stress Threshold Reached]
[Temporary Synchronization Enabled]
Min-jun moved without thinking.
He slammed his hand down.
"Stand," he whispered, voice shaking. "Stand up."
Darkness surged.
Bones flew together—not neatly, but violently.
The skeleton reformed.
Stronger.
The system flashed.
[Basic Skeleton → Elite Skeleton (Incomplete)]
[Stability: Low]
Min-jun gasped. Blood trickled from his nose.
"Hyung—" Dong-hyun started, then stopped. "What the hell…"
The elite skeleton lunged, grappling the boss rat, holding it in place just long enough.
Seo-ah didn't hesitate.
"Now!"
Her arrow pierced the monster's skull.
The alpha collapsed.
Silence followed.
System messages flooded Min-jun's vision.
[Boss Defeated]
[EXP Gained: 180]
[Level Up!]
[Level 10 Reached]
[New Skill Unlocked: Undead Reinforcement (Passive)]
Min-jun dropped to one knee, breathing hard.
Seo-ah rushed over. "You're bleeding."
"I'm fine," he said weakly. "Just… give me a second."
The skeletons stood around him—one warrior, one basic, one unstable elite.
They didn't move.
They waited.
Seo-ah watched them, then looked down at Min-jun.
"You know," she said quietly, "people are going to notice you."
Min-jun wiped the blood from his lip and laughed softly.
"…I think they already have."
Far above the dungeon, in an office lined with glass and steel, a man stared at a screen showing Min-jun's name.
"Level ten," the man murmured. "Common necromancer?"
He smiled.
"Interesting."
And for Kang Min-jun, the quiet days of growing unnoticed were already coming to an end.