Chapter 55 – Growth Beyond Limits
11:02 AM – The Spoils of Victory
Kyung-min leaned back against the car seat, his fingers hovering over his status window as he reviewed the results of his first solo dungeon clear.
The moment the Rotting Fields Gate collapsed behind him, his system notifications had flooded in—his levels had risen, new skills had unlocked, and his pockets were noticeably heavier.
His smirk deepened.
This was what he had been waiting for.
A proper confirmation of his growth.
He opened his status window.
🔹 STATUS WINDOW – Han Kyung-Min
🔹 Level: 1 → 5 (+4 Levels Gained)
🔹 Rank: E
🔹 Class: Revenant Necromancer
🔹 Title: The Lone Necromancer
🔹 HP: 365 → 600 (+150 from Level Up, +10% HP from Light Combat Suit bonus)
🔹 MP: 580 → 900 (+270 from Level Up, +10 MP from Manaforged Gloves Bonus)
🔹 Attributes:
🔹 Strength: 26 → 45 (+9 from Level Up, +10 from Manaforged Gloves Bonus)
🔹 Agility: 34 → 54 (+10 from Level Up, +10 from Agility Boots, +10 from Phantom Mask Bonus)
🔹 Stamina: 33 → 44 (+11 from Level Up)
🔹 Intelligence: 71 → 89 (+14 from Level Up)
🔹 Perception: 40 → 55 (+10 from Level Up, +5 from Phantom Mask Bonus)
🔹 Free Stat Points: 20 (Unallocated)
🔹 Equipped Gear:
🔹 E-Rank Light Combat Suit → (+5 Defense, slight reduction in blunt force damage, +10% HP.)
🔹 C-Rank Obscured Phantom Mask → (+10 Agility, +5 Perception, conceals identity from non-SSS-grade detection abilities, slight mana concealment.)
🔹 E-Rank Agility Boots → (+10 Agility, slight movement speed increase.)
🔹 E-Rank Manaforged Gloves → (+5% Summon Strength, +10 Strength, +10 MP.)
🔹 Active Skills:
🔹 Summon Zombies (Lv.1 → Lv.2)
(Revives nearby corpses temporarily. Mana Cost: 10 MP per summon. Zombies now last longer and are slightly more durable.)
🔹 Summon Skeletons (Lv.2 → Lv.5) [Upgraded!]
(Summon up to 15 skeletons at once. Base skeleton type upgraded to Skeleton Warrior. New summonable variants unlocked: Skeleton Mage, Skeleton Archer, Skeleton Reaper.)
🔹 Abyss Step (Lv.2)
(Allows movement through shadows. Current cooldown: 5 seconds. Efficiency increased. MC feels it is close to evolving.)
🔹 Passive Skills:
🔹 Undead Persistence (Lv.1 → Lv.2)
(Summoned creatures last 15% longer before decaying.)
🔹 Mana Affinity (Lv.1 → Lv.2)
(Slightly reduces mana consumption when summoning undead. More efficient MP usage.)
11:05 AM – Allocating Power
Kyung-min leaned back in his seat, fingers tapping idly against the armrest as he stared at his status window.
His eyes flicked to the Free Stat Points section.
20 Points.
He had earned them.
He wasn't about to waste them.
His stats had grown from training, but natural growth alone wouldn't be enough. He needed to push further.
He exhaled slowly.
Where to invest?
🔹 Strength: He had 45, already bolstered by his Manaforged Gloves. His physical combat still needed work, but it wasn't his priority.
🔹 Agility: He had 54. His movement speed was fast enough for now. Besides, Abyss Step was his real trump card.
🔹 Stamina: Sitting at 44. It determined his HP, endurance, and overall survivability.
🔹 Intelligence: At 89. His mana pool was decent, but…
🔹 Perception: A critical stat for both combat awareness and detecting dangers.
He made his decision.
🔹 +5 to Stamina → Boosting his endurance and HP.
🔹 +7 to Intelligence → Increasing his mana pool for longer battles.
🔹 +4 to Perception → Strengthening his combat awareness and enemy tracking.
🔹 +4 to Strength → Improving his overall physical performance.
The moment he confirmed his allocation, a faint pulse of energy surged through his body.
His breathing steadied. His muscles felt denser. His mind sharper.
His stats updated—
🔹 HP: 600 → 675 (+75 from Stamina increase)
🔹 MP: 900 → 1,035 (+135 from Intelligence increase)
🔹 Strength: 45 → 49 (+4 from Allocation, +10 from Manaforged Gloves Bonus)
🔹 Agility: 54 (Unchanged, but still enhanced by gear bonuses.)
🔹 Stamina: 44 → 49 (+5 from Allocation, +10% HP from Light Combat Suit bonus.)
🔹 Intelligence: 89 → 96 (+7 from Allocation.)
🔹 Perception: 55 → 59 (+4 from Allocation, +5 from Phantom Mask Bonus.)
🔹 Free Stat Points Remaining: 0
11:08 AM – Reviewing the Loot
Kyung-min reached into his Dimensional Storage Ring, pulling out the spoils of battle.
The haul was impressive.
🔹 Gold Earned: 1,340 Gold (Dropped from slain undead and hidden loot spots.)
🔹 Mana Crystals (Lesser – Rare): 17 Crystals (Used for crafting, MP restoration, or selling.)
🔹 Undead Essence (Low – Mid-Grade): 9 Essences (Boosts necromantic spells and summons.)
🔹 Bone Fragments: Too many to count. (Common material for skeletal reinforcements.)
🔹 Rusty & Damaged Weapons: 6 Pieces (Could be reforged or used by skeleton minions.)
🔹 Cursed Accessories (Low-Tier): 2 Items (Grants minor buffs to magic, mana regen, or undead affinity.)
🔹 Spell Tome (Necromancy – Low-Rank): 1 Tome (Chance to learn an E-Rank necromancer spell.)
🔹 Boss-Specific Drop – ??? (An unidentified loot piece from the field boss.)
His fingers hovered over the Spell Tome.
That was unexpected.
But the Boss-Specific Drop caught his eye.
It was unidentified.
His grip tightened slightly.
He'd need to appraise it later.
For now—
He leaned back in his seat and exhaled.
The dungeon run had been worth it.
He had leveled up.
He had gained real combat experience.
And most importantly—
He had survived.
A satisfied smirk played on his lips.
11:10 AM – Unlocking the Tome
Kyung-min flipped the ancient, leather-bound tome between his fingers.
The cover was cracked, the edges frayed from age, yet the faint glow of mana inscriptions pulsed beneath the surface.
It was a Necromancer's spell tome.
A rare find.
Even at low rank, necromancer spells weren't something just anyone could get their hands on.
He exhaled slowly.
Time to see what he had earned.
🔹 [Would you like to absorb the spell from the tome?]
A system prompt flashed before him.
Kyung-min's eyes narrowed slightly.
There was no description. No preview of the spell.
It was a gamble.
But—
He didn't hesitate.
🔹 [Confirm.]
The tome crumbled to dust.
A surge of dark mana rushed through him, spiraling into his core.
His vision blurred for an instant—then a new notification appeared.
New Skill Unlocked!
🔹 [Corpse Explosion (Lv.1)]
(A necromantic spell that detonates a nearby undead body, dealing AoE damage to enemies within range.)
Explosion Radius: 2 meters.Base Damage: Scales with Intelligence & Summon Strength.Mana Cost: 30 MP per corpse.Cooldown: None (Can be used as long as corpses are available.)Additional Effect: The explosion weakens nearby enemies, reducing their defense by 15% for 5 seconds.
Kyung-min's breath hitched.
Then—
A slow, dark chuckle escaped his lips.
This...
This was good.
Really good.
His mind raced with possibilities.
His undead army wasn't just disposable fodder anymore.
They were walking bombs.
Detonating a single corpse could turn the tide of battle. Chaining multiple…
His smirk widened.
He had just become a lot more dangerous.