A Kingdom’s Notice

The scent of burned flesh lingered in the air.

The villagers were speechless.

They had seen violence before—rogue bandits, wild beasts—but nothing like this.

One moment, the bandits were standing. The next, they were gone. Vaporized.

And the cause of it all?

A goat.

A golden goat that stood lazily beside Ren, casually chewing on a tuft of grass, as if it hadn't just erased a group of men from existence.

Garrick was the first to speak. He turned to Ren, his voice hushed. "That… wasn't normal."

Ren shrugged. "Define normal."

"Normal," Garrick said, "is not a goat turning people into ash."

"Fair point."

The village chief, an elderly man with a thin beard, stepped forward. His voice was cautious. "Sir Ren… What exactly is that creature?"

Ren glanced at Goaty, who blinked at him.

"A goat."

The chief frowned. "Goats don't do… that."

"Well, mine does."

The awkward silence stretched.

Garrick finally sighed, rubbing his temples. "This is going to cause problems."

Ren tilted his head. "How so?"

Garrick gestured at the still-smoking crater where the bandits used to be. "Bandits don't just roam freely. They belong to groups. Some serve warlords, some work under the kingdom itself." His voice lowered. "And if these men were part of a larger group, then their absence will be noticed."

Ren's smirk faded.

That was a good point.

Killing a small band of thugs was one thing. But if they were tied to a larger faction, then it was only a matter of time before someone came looking for answers.

And Ren had a feeling they wouldn't be too happy with the one who wiped them out.

His mind raced.

I need to prepare.

The bandits had been nothing mere fodder. But if actual knights or mercenaries came?

Even with his undead minions, it wouldn't be an easy fight.

He needed more power.

That night, Ren sat alone in his room, staring at the floating system menu.

His mana had recovered, but his options were still limited.

He could summon basic skeletons and ghouls, but that wouldn't be enough against a real army.

He needed something stronger.

Ren tapped the air, opening the Necromancer's Call menu.

[Current Level: 1][EXP Required to Level Up: 500][Current EXP: 310]

He clenched his jaw. I need more kills.

Leveling up would unlock new summons stronger undead. But the problem was…

There weren't enough enemies.

At least, not yet.

Ren closed the menu and sighed. He needed a plan.

Before he could think further, a knock came at the door.

"Come in," he called.

The door creaked open, and Garrick stepped inside.

His expression was grim.

Ren sat up. "What is it?"

Garrick hesitated. "Scouts saw something… troubling."

Ren frowned. "Troubling how?"

Garrick exhaled. "There's a group of soldiers approaching from the south. At least twenty men, armed and armored."

Ren's heartbeat sped up.

That was fast.

"Whose banner?" he asked.

Garrick's face darkened. "The Kingdom of Zevran."

Silence.

Then, Ren smiled.

"Perfect."

The next morning, the village was eerily quiet.

The villagers had been moved to safety. The houses were dark, the streets empty.

It looked abandoned.

Which was exactly what Ren wanted.

From his position atop a rooftop, he could see the approaching soldiers.

There were twenty of them, clad in polished steel armor and bearing the royal crest of Zevran. They moved with discipline, their swords gleaming in the morning light.

At their head was a knight mounted on a black stallion. His armor was thicker than the others, his cape flowing in the wind.

Ren's eyes narrowed. That one's the leader.

The soldiers halted at the village entrance.

The knight raised a hand. "Search the area. Find the bodies."

The men spread out.

They had no idea they were walking into a trap.

Ren smirked.

Then he raised his hand.

"Rise."

The ground trembled.

From the dirt, from the shadows, from beneath the very feet of the soldiers—bones began to move.

The bandits who had died yesterday?

Their corpses had been reanimated.

With a horrific rattling sound, their skeletal remains rose, gripping rusted weapons.

A ghoul burst from the shadows, snarling.

The soldiers froze.

Then 

"AMBUSH!"

Panic erupted.

One soldier swung at a skeleton, but his sword passed through empty ribs. Another tried to run, but a ghoul pounced, dragging him down with a guttural snarl.

Ren watched from above, arms crossed.

"Too easy."

Then he turned his gaze to the knight.

The man had drawn his sword, a silver-bladed weapon that glowed faintly. His horse reared back, but he held firm, scanning the battlefield with sharp, tactical eyes.

Then, those eyes locked onto Ren.

"You." His voice was like steel. "This is your doing."

Ren smirked. "Took you long enough to notice."

The knight's grip on his sword tightened. "By order of King Aldric of Zevran, I hereby place you under arrest."

Ren laughed.

"You can try."

He snapped his fingers.

A golden blur shot past.

Goaty moved.

One second, the knight was on his horse. The next, his horse was gone—blown apart by an invisible force.

The knight hit the ground hard, rolling before springing back up.

His eyes were wide with shock.

"W-What the hell ?!"

Ren stepped forward. "You came here thinking you were the hunter."

His grin widened.

"But you just walked into a lion's den."

The golden goat took another step.

The air shook.

The knight swallowed hard.

For the first time

He looked afraid.

---

he battlefield was a storm of chaos.

Swords clashed against rusted bones. Soldiers shouted commands, their disciplined formations shattered by the sheer unpredictability of the undead horde.

Yet, in the middle of it all, Ren only had eyes for one man.

The knight commander.

The highest-ranking soldier in this group. The strongest.

And the most terrified.

He held his sword tightly, his breathing uneven as he stared at the golden goat standing between them.

Ren could see the flicker of doubt in his eyes.

Good.

"You seem nervous," Ren said, stepping closer. "Not used to facing enemies who fight back?"

The knight gritted his teeth. "You fool. Do you have any idea what you've done?!"

Ren tilted his head. "Enlighten me."

"You attacked soldiers of the Zevran Kingdom. This is no longer a simple skirmish. This is treason."

Ren grinned. "Treason? Against a kingdom that never ruled me? Sounds like a personal problem."

The knight's expression darkened. "You may laugh now, but you will regret this. The entire kingdom will come for your head."

"That depends," Ren said, rolling his shoulders. "Will there be a kingdom left to come after me?"

The knight's eyes widened.

And that's when Goaty moved.