ch2. Mordis

Jeremy stared at the skeleton in front of him, still in disbelief. The bony creature tilted its head again, then, with excruciating slowness, raised a hand and gave an awkward little wave.

"…Okay. I think we've officially crossed the acceptable level of insanity."

Despite how absurd everything was, Jeremy knew he had to get a grip on the situation. He had ended up in an unknown world, had become a necromancer, and now had a skeleton as his only companion. What was his next move?

Then, a thought crossed his mind.

"Time flows differently for those who see beyond."

Those were the stranger's words. They made no sense… or maybe they did?

Jeremy looked around. The mausoleum seemed old, but it had been built with a precision that set it apart from the surrounding ruins. As if… it was hiding something.

He turned back toward the altar, the necromancer's tome still in his hands. Flipping through it quickly, he searched for anything unusual. The pages were written in a language he didn't recognize, yet… some phrases seemed readable.

"For those who see beyond, the path will be revealed."

"Okay, that's weird."

He traced the inscriptions with his fingers until he noticed something in the altar: a small indentation, perfectly shaped to fit the book.

"There's no way it's this easy."

Still, he placed the tome inside.

Click.

The mausoleum trembled slightly. A violet light seeped through the cracks in the floor, and slowly, a section of the back wall slid open, revealing… a hidden chamber.

Jeremy swallowed. "Oh, crap."

With a mix of hesitation and curiosity, he stepped inside.

At the center of the chamber stood a lone stone pedestal, and on top of it, a small, pulsating black crystal. It didn't look dangerous. Well, at least not too dangerous.

[Ancient Artifact Detected: "Core of Unique Death"]

[100% Compatibility. Do you wish to absorb it?]

[Accept] - [Decline]

Jeremy rubbed his temples. "Yeah, sure, why wouldn't I grab something called 'Core of Unique Death' with my bare hands? Sounds perfectly safe."

But, once again, he didn't really have a choice.

With a deep sigh, he reached out. The moment his fingers touched the crystal, a jolt of energy shot through him. The world around him vanished for an instant.

A flood of knowledge poured into his mind. He saw ancient symbols, heard whispers speaking in an unknown tongue. Then, finally, a clear message appeared before him.

[Congratulations! Your class has been upgraded.]

[New class acquired: Necromancer of Uniqueness.]

Jeremy's eyes snapped open, his breathing quickened. He felt… different. Stronger.

Dark energy surged through his veins, but it wasn't suffocating or evil. It was his, and it answered to his will.

[Your skill "Summon Skeleton" has been enhanced!]

[All summoned skeletons will be unique, with independent abilities and growth.]

Jeremy turned toward his skeleton, who was currently scratching its skull with a detached hand.

Another message popped up.

[Summon Name Recognized: "Mordis."]

[Mordis has acquired unique traits.]

Jeremy studied his first undead companion with newfound interest. Mordis's bones were no longer just dull remains—they had a faint glow, and his eye sockets now shimmered with a dim blue light.

"Mordis, huh? Well, nice to meet you, partner."

Mordis stared at him for a moment… then, with the same agonizing slowness as before, raised a thumb in approval.

Jeremy burst out laughing. "Oh my God, I summoned an idiot skeleton."

But idiot or not, Mordis was no longer just a mindless servant. He had a spark of individuality.

Jeremy felt… strangely proud.

"Alright, things just got a lot more interesting. Now, let's find out where the hell we actually are."

With Mordis by his side, Jeremy stepped out of the hidden chamber, ready to uncover what this strange, dark world had in store for him.