The countdown hit zero. The violet Gate in the factory exploded, not just with energy, but with sound. A horde of D-Grade Armored Orc Grunts charged out, their leather armor thick enough to resist small-arms fire. Hae Seong's Skeleton Warriors held the line, locking the Grugnts in combat, giving the soldiers vital time to fall back.
Hae Seong was in the thick of the fight, using his Rune-Sword and [Quick Step] to carve paths through the Orcs. Just as the tide seemed manageable, a chilling howl ripped through the air, silencing the battle. A creature burst from the Gate: tall, hulking, with eyes that burned yellow and claws longer than knives.
[C-GRADE BOSS: FERAL WEREWOLF] – Target Priority: High
The Werewolf was faster than anything Hae Seong had ever fought. It tore through a line of soldiers and shattered one of his newly summoned Skeleton Warriors in a single swipe, demonstrating a threat level far beyond the D-Grade warning. Hae Seong realized the hidden D-Grade Ogre from the tutorial was a pattern: the System always throws a higher-grade curveball when a player takes a leadership role.
The Werewolf turned its savage, intelligent gaze directly on Hae Seong, sensing the source of the undead opposition. It roared, launching itself across the field in a terrifying blur of muscle. Hae Seong knew simple dodging wouldn't work. He gripped his Rune-Sword, Level 19 resources flooding his veins, preparing to unleash his most powerful skill yet to survive the C-Grade threat.
Chapter 8 ended with the C-Grade Werewolf launching its terrifying attack. Hae Seong's life, and the safety of the entire camp, hinges on this fight. Since he is a Necromancer, his victory should be strategic and dark, not just brute force.
The Werewolf's charge is lightning-fast. Hae Seong uses [Quick Step] not to simply dodge, but to dive under the creature, turning the movement into a calculated risk.
While the Werewolf is mid-air, Hae Seong channels his available souls and unleashes his first powerful, offensive Necromancer skill. This skill should target the living—perhaps a [Soul Bind] or [Shadow Claw].
[Shadow Claw] manifests as a massive, spectral hand that grapples the Werewolf's leg mid-pounce, dragging it violently back down to the ground. The creature is stunned and partially crippled by the spiritual attack.
The Skeleton Warriors, seeing their master's opening, swarm the pinned Werewolf, distracting it with minor, annoying attacks. Hae Seong, using his Rune-Sword, delivers a precise, lethal blow to the boss's exposed weak point (a knowledge advantage he would have gained from his high Intelligence stat).
The Werewolf dissolves into a massive pool of glowing soul essence—a far greater harvest than anything he's collected before. Hae Seong immediately draws it in using [Soul Extraction].
The sheer volume of C-Grade soul energy immediately triggers another massive System event.
[ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: C-GRADE SOLO KILL]
[LEVEL UP! Level 20]
Hitting Level 20 is a major milestone in the game's mechanics, and it unlocks a huge new benefit:
New Core Skill: He gains [Master Summoner: Undead Wolf]. This allows him to use the Werewolf's own soul essence to summon a permanent, higher-grade minion—a spectral Werewolf—to guard the camp. This is the key lesson: Necromancy turns the enemy's strength into his own.
The global leaderboard flashes again, showing Player [DELETED USERNAME] - Level 20. The distance between him and Rank 2 grows exponentially.
The Werewolf drops its most valuable loot: a C-Grade Rune of Defense or Stat-Boosting Potion. This loot is now vital for fortifying the camp's defenses.
Hae Seong stood over the glowing remains, his breath hitching as the [Master Summoner] skill integrated into his mind. He didn't look at the soldiers or the terrified students. He looked at the shadows.
"Rise," he commanded.
The ground groaned. The shadow of the fallen Werewolf didn't vanish with the body. Instead, it thickened, clawing its way upward like a drowning man reaching for air. What emerged was a Spectral Direwolf—translucent, skeletal in frame, but burning with an ethereal blue flame. It let out a silent howl that vibrated in the very marrow of everyone present.
[NEW MINION: LUNAR PHANTOM (GRADE C-)]
Status: Bound to Player [DELETED USERNAME]
Trait: Terror Aura (Weakens nearby E and D grade enemies).
Hae Seong turned to the military commander, his eyes now flecked with the same blue fire as his summon. "The factory is clear, but the 'Break' caused a ripple. More gates will open within a ten-mile radius in the next twelve hours. Your 'Safe Zone' is no longer safe."
The New Strategy: The Outpost System
Hae Seong realized he couldn't be everywhere. He needed to delegate. He walked toward the group of Level 5-7 players who had watched his fight in stunned silence.
"You," he pointed to a girl holding a basic wooden staff—a fledgling Mage. "And you," he signaled to a sturdy-looking guy with a heavy shield. "I'm going to show you how to actually use your Class Skills. I'm leaving the Lunar Phantom here to guard the perimeter. If anything larger than a Goblin shows up, it will handle it. But you need to clear the stragglers."
He turned to Chae-won, who was approaching him tentatively. She looked at the spectral wolf, then at him. "Hae Seong... you're changing. Your skin... it's so pale."
He looked at his hands. The cost of Necromancy was starting to manifest—a faint, marble-like coldness to his skin. "I'm doing what I have to, Chae-won. To keep everyone alive, I have to stay ahead of the System."
The Next Objective: The Seoul Central Hub
Hae Seong knew from his Ascension Protocol memories that the "Tutorial Phase" was about to end. When it did, the regional Safe Zones would merge, and a World Boss would manifest in the center of Seoul. If the players weren't leveled enough to take it down, the entire city would be "Deleted" by the System.
"I'm heading into the city center," Hae Seong announced. "There's a Hidden Cache in the subway tunnels. If I get it, I can unlock the [Mass Resurrection] branch. Then, even if we lose people... I can bring them back."
Hae Seong didn't go into the city alone. He knew the value of logistics. He convinced the military commander to provide a "Steel Vanguard"—a convoy of three armored humvees and a transport truck.
"I provide the radar and the heavy artillery," Hae Seong told the Commander, gesturing to his [Map Sense] and his Lunar Phantom wolf. "You provide the transport and the suppression fire."
As the convoy rumbled toward central Seoul, they hit their first snag. A barricade of overturned buses blocked the main bridge. Standing atop a bus was a man clad in gleaming, high-tier leather armor, flanked by five other armed players.
The Rival Encounter: The "Heavens' Guard" Guild
The man was Kang-ho (Level 14), a former pro-gamer known for his aggressive playstyle. He had gathered a small "guild" and was shaking down anyone trying to enter the city center.
"The city is closed, kid," Kang-ho shouted, spinning a dual-headed mace that glowed with a faint, holy light. "The military doesn't run things anymore. The high-levels do. Turn that convoy around unless you're paying the 'tax'."
Hae Seong stepped out of the lead humvee. He didn't draw his sword. He simply let his Level 20 aura flare—a cold, oppressive weight that made the air feel thin.
[SKILL ACTIVATED: SOVEREIGN'S PRESSURE]
Kang-ho's cocky grin vanished. His knees buckled. Behind Hae Seong, the Lunar Phantom let out a low, guttural growl that resonated in the players' chests.
"I'm the tax collector today," Hae Seong said quietly. "Join the convoy and help clear the path, or stay here and die when the World Boss awakens. I don't have time for a duel."
Terror and greed battled in Kang-ho's eyes, but seeing the Level 20 tag confirmed by the System, he lowered his weapon. The "Heavens' Guard" joined the convoy—not as allies, but as reluctant, terrified subordinates.
To reach the Hidden Cache, they had to descend into the Myeong-dong Subway Station. The tunnels were a death trap: pitch-black and teeming with [Level 15 Tunnel Creepers]—giant, multi-legged horrors that moved along the ceilings.
Hae Seong ordered the military to hold the entrance. "If I'm not back in thirty minutes, seal the tunnel. You won't survive what comes out."
He entered the dark with Kang-ho's group following at a distance, hoping to scavenge his leftovers. But Hae Seong had a different plan. He needed to test his new AOE (Area of Effect) capabilities.
Inside the station, thousands of glowing red eyes blinked open. The Creepers descended like a wave of chitin and teeth.
"[Shadow Step]," Hae Seong whispered.
He vanished, reappearing in the center of the swarm. He didn't use his sword. He slammed his hand onto the grime-covered floor.
[NEW SKILL UNLEASHED: GRASP OF THE BEYOND]
·
Effect: Skeletal hands erupt from the ground in a 20-meter radius, pinning all enemies and draining their health to restore the caster's Mana.
·
The station filled with the screeching of monsters. As the Creepers were held fast, Hae Seong's Lunar Phantom tore through them like a blue blur.
[EXP GAINED]... [EXP GAINED]... [EXP GAINED]...
The level-ups flashed so fast they became a blur. By the time he reached the end of the platform, the station was a graveyard of husks.
At the end of the tunnel, behind a reinforced maintenance door, Hae Seong found it: the [Vault of the First Necromancer].
Inside, there was no gold. Only an altar holding a blackened, beating heart made of obsidian. This was the [Heart of the Lich], a C-Grade Unique item that acted as a battery for necromantic energy.
As he touched it, the System screamed a warning:
[WARNING: EQUIPPING THIS ITEM WILL PERMANENTLY ALTER YOUR HUMANITY STAT.] [DO YOU WISH TO PROCEED?]
Hae Seong didn't hesitate. He looked at the notification, thinking of Chae-won and the students back at the camp. If he stayed "human," he wouldn't be strong enough to stop the World Boss. He crushed the heart in his hand.
The obsidian shards melted into his skin, forming black, vein-like markings up his arms.
[EVOLUTION COMPLETE: LEVEL 25 REACHED] [CLASS EVOLVED: SOUL RULER (ELITE)] [NEW ULTIMATE SKILL: MASS RESURRECTION (TUTORIAL VERSION)]
The Climax: The World Boss Awakens
Hae Seong emerged from the subway just as the ground began to heave. In the center of Seoul, the Gwanghwamun Plaza exploded. A massive, skeletal hand the size of a building gripped the edge of the crater.
[WORLD BOSS IDENTIFIED: THE ABYSSAL COLOSSUS (GRADE B-)] [TIME UNTIL TOTAL DELETION: 1 HOUR]
Hae Seong stood before the retreating military and the terrified rival players. He looked at the black veins on his arms, then at the towering monster.
"Everyone who died in the breach," Hae Seong's voice was now layered with a haunting, echoey resonance. "Get ready to stand up."