Chapter 54 – The Undead King’s Grave

10:27 AM – March of the Dead

Kyung-min stood before the final gate.

The entrance loomed before him, a twisted archway of cracked stone and withered roots, its frame half-buried in the earth like a remnant of a forgotten civilization. Thick mist pooled around the threshold, seeping outward in slow tendrils.

Behind him—a legion of undead.

Not three. Not five.

Over twenty shambling corpses, all raised from the battlefield he had left behind.

Rotting flesh. Hollow eyes. Some still clutching rusted weapons, others missing limbs yet standing through sheer force of necromantic will.

This was his army.

His first true undead horde.

And yet—it wasn't enough.

Kyung-min tightened his grip, feeling the weight of his past mistakes.

The first fight had drained more stamina than he expected.

The second wave had nearly overrun him.

The boss battle? He had no idea what to expect.

That's why he had saved his energy.

Why he had summoned as many undead as he could.

There was no turning back.

With a slow breath, he stepped forward.

The gate groaned open.

And the dungeon's final challenge began.

10:28 AM – The Domain of the Fallen

The moment he entered—his breath turned visible.

The air was colder.

Not the natural chill of a cave or tomb, but something else—a presence pressing down on the world itself.

He took in his surroundings.

The room stretched farther than the eye could see, its vast space filled with towering stone pillars wrapped in aged iron chains. Faint embers flickered along crumbling sconces, barely illuminating the shattered remnants of a long-forgotten battlefield.

Weapons. Armor. Bones.

The remains of warriors who had once stood here—who had fallen here.

And at the far end—

A figure.

10:29 AM – The Knight That Would Not Die

It stood motionless atop a raised stone dais, half-shrouded in the swirling mist.

Not a throne.

Not a corpse waiting to rise.

But a warrior.

A giant clad in battle-worn armor, its once-golden plating dulled with age, the crest on its breastplate long since eroded. A greatsword rested in its grip, its edge buried in the ground.

For a moment, Kyung-min thought it was simply another statue.

Then—

Its fingers twitched.

A faint pulse of magic rippled through the air.

The ground rumbled beneath him.

From the surrounding battlefield—bones rattled, shifting.

Something was coming.

10:30 AM – The First Move

🔹 [Undead Knight Lord – Lv. 10]

🔹 HP: 5,000

🔹 Abilities: Command Undead, Heavy Cleave, Dark Regeneration

🔹 Weakness: Holy Magic, Precision Strikes

Kyung-min's instincts screamed.

"HOLD FORMATION!"

His zombies reacted instantly, their shambling formation tightening.

And not a second too soon.

The Knight Lord moved.

Not sluggish. Not hesitant.

A blur of steel and rotted cloth as it charged forward.

It swung its greatsword in a single, earth-shattering arc.

The ground split beneath the force, sending a shockwave outward.

Five zombies were **instantly erased—**reduced to nothing but shredded flesh.

Kyung-min gritted his teeth.

It was strong.

Faster than a mindless undead. Smarter.

He had one chance.

🔹 [Abyss Step – Lv.2 Activated]

His body flickered, vanishing from sight.

10:31 AM – A Game of Numbers

Kyung-min reappeared several meters away, his mind already calculating.

The Knight Lord could command undead.

Which meant—

His own forces could be turned against him.

But he had something the boss didn't.

Strategy.

"Swarm it!"

His zombies rushed in.

Not to fight—but to restrict.

They grabbed onto the Knight Lord's legs, latched onto its back, clawed at its arms.

Slowing it down.

Even as it tore through them one by one, Kyung-min was already moving.

His mana surged.

🔹 [Summon Skeletons – Lv.2 Activated]

Seven skeletal warriors rose from the ground.

But this time—

They weren't attacking from the front.

They emerged directly behind the Knight Lord.

10:34 AM – The Breaking Point

The Knight Lord roared in frustration.

It **spun, swinging wildly—**but Kyung-min's skeletons weren't standing still.

They dodged.

They slipped through its guard.

And one—landed a clean strike.

A blade pierced through the gap in its armor.

The Knight Lord staggered.

And in that moment—

🔹 [Abyss Step – Activated]

Kyung-min closed the distance.

His dagger drove into the exact same weak spot.

A critical hit.

The Knight Lord stumbled back, violet embers flickering in its eyes.

It was weakening.

But it wasn't done yet.

10:41 AM – The Final Exchange

The Knight Lord let out a chilling wail.

The remaining corpses lurched to life.

The battlefield itself rose against him.

Dozens of undead pulled themselves from the ground, their hollow gazes locking onto him.

Kyung-min's breath steadied.

He had already planned for this.

"Come."

🔹 [Summon Skeletons – Remaining Mana Used]

His last reserves of mana brought forth reinforcements.

Another wave of skeletons clashed with the risen undead.

The battlefield erupted into chaos.

And Kyung-min—

He charged directly at the boss.

10:45 AM – The End of the Undead King

His feet slid across the dirt.

His dagger flashed.

One final strike.

Straight through the Knight Lord's exposed core.

Its body seized—then crumbled.

A thick silence followed.

And then—

🔹 [Dungeon Boss Defeated!]

🔹 [Level Up! You Are Now Level 5.]

The battlefield stilled.

The dungeon was cleared.

And as the Knight Lord's remains faded into dust, Kyung-min turned his gaze downward.

A pile of loot had appeared at his feet.

10:46 AM – The Spoils of War

🔹 Gold Earned: 1,250 Gold

🔹 Items Dropped:

[Knight's Warblade – D-Rank] (Too heavy to wield.)

[Faded Cloak of the Undead – E-Rank] (Enhances necromantic abilities.)

[Lesser Necrotic Core] (A rare necromancer crafting material.)

[Spell Tome: Dark Chains] (New Skill Unlockable.)

Kyung-min exhaled.

Not bad.

He picked up the cloak, inspecting its texture.

Something in him stirred.

If he could keep growing like this—

If he could keep breaking through—

Then it didn't matter that he had started at the bottom.

The system would not hold him back.

Not now.

Not ever.

10:55 AM – His First Mark in History

🔹 [Dungeon Clear Time: 55 Minutes – New Record!]

🔹 [Achievement Unlocked: First Solo Dungeon Clear]

🔹 [Title Earned: The Lone Necromancer]

Kyung-min exhaled, steadying himself.

Just as he prepared to use his Return Rune—

The air before him shifted.

A portal formed in the space where the dungeon boss had fallen—silent, unnatural.

He narrowed his eyes.

This… wasn't normal.

But he didn't hesitate.

Stepping forward, he let the portal pull him in.

—

A flash of light. A rush of weightlessness.

And when he emerged—

The outside world was waiting.

Silence.

Stares.

Then—

The moment Kyung-min stepped out of the portal, the whispers began.

Low murmurs, snide remarks, casual mockery—exactly what he expected.

"See? Told you. Bet he wet his pants and ran back out."

"Pfft, soloing a Gate? What a joke."

"Hush, he'll hear you."

"What's he gonna do about it? He barely lasted five minutes, I bet."

Kyung-min ignored them, his steps calm as he walked forward. His mask concealed his expression, but he could feel the amused smirk tugging at his lips.

But then—

"Well… I kinda hoped he could do it."

A different kind of voice. Quiet. Almost hesitant.

And another—

"At least I can relate… Even though I'm close to C-rank, I still can't clear an E-rank Gate without at least a three-man team."

A scoff followed.

"Tch, you got a big mouth, huh?"

Kyung-min kept walking.

His butler was already waiting by the car, standing beside the sleek black sedan as if this were just another day. The moment Kyung-min approached, the older man gave a slight bow, his expression unreadable.

"Welcome back, Young Master."

Kyung-min simply nodded. No words were needed.

He reached for the car door—

And then—

A gasp rippled through the crowd.

"Wait—"

A trembling voice broke the silence.

"Is… is the Gate disappearing?!"

Heads snapped toward the Gate entrance.

And sure enough—

The once-stable rift, swirling with the ominous gray mist of The Rotting Fields, was collapsing.

Vanishing.

Sealing shut.

Another moment of stunned silence.

Then—

"Holy shit."

"He cleared it."

"No way. That's— that's impossible, right? E-rank Gates need at least three parties—!"

"Who even was that?"

Kyung-min didn't stop.

Didn't acknowledge them.

But beneath his mask—

A slow, satisfied smirk stretched across his lips.

He stepped into the car, the door closing behind him with a quiet click.

And as the sedan pulled away, leaving behind a crowd of stunned awakeners and confused officials—

One particularly bold hunter rushed toward the nearest Association handler.

"Oi, that guy—who the hell was he?"

The manager, a middle-aged woman with sharp eyes, didn't even glance at him.

She simply sighed, flipping through her records before responding in a cool, clipped tone.

"That information is confidential."