ch 55,56,57
---
Chapter 55 – Threads of Trust and Sparks of Conflict
The silver-blue sky above the academy training grounds stretched wide and endless, with clouds drifting lazily. The soft hum of wind clashed against the sharp echoes of clashing weapons and roaring skills. The Tier 1 Portal Trials were in full swing—and so was the chaos.
Arin stood at the edge of the platform, his eyes wide as he watched two teams go head-to-head in the sparring arena. Sweat ran down his brow, but it wasn't from combat—it was from nerves.
Not fear, not exactly. But something heavy was coiling in his chest.
Responsibility.
"Arin," a soft voice called. He turned to see Lira jogging toward him, her crimson hair bouncing. She looked more excited than nervous.
"You alright?" she asked, stepping beside him. "You've been spacing out."
Arin scratched the back of his head. "Just... thinking."
"About what?"
He glanced around, lowering his voice. "About how long we can keep my Domain and class hidden. The others are growing fast. So am I. But... it still feels like I'm lagging behind sometimes."
Lira smirked. "You? Behind? You summoned a beast tree last week that spat out a flaming monkey that almost roasted our camp."
"It was an accident!" Arin groaned.
"You named it Spitfire the Second," she said with a laugh.
"…Okay that part was not an accident."
Their laughter was light, and for a moment the tension faded. But then the trial bell rang. Another team eliminated.
A teacher stepped forward and read names from a long scroll. "Next group: Team 7, step forward."
Arin's heart sank. His team's name was next.
---
The trial they entered was a small mock dungeon. At the center, a beast core hidden inside a simulated forest cave. First team to retrieve and extract it wins. Simple on paper.
Inside, the air was thick with mana. Trees loomed overhead, casting strange shadows. Arin's team moved cautiously—Lira beside him, a quiet boy named Kael behind, and Juno, a beast summoner who loved spiders, on rear guard.
They weren't the strongest group. But they had chemistry.
Halfway in, the ground shook. A roar echoed through the dungeon.
A Tier 2 Simulation Beast had been released early.
"That's not part of the trial!" Kael shouted, eyes wide.
"Nope. But it's here anyway!" Arin responded.
Before anyone could panic, Juno's eyes glinted. "I'll hold it. You guys go. Arin—get that core."
"No," Arin said, shaking his head. "We don't leave anyone behind."
He touched his ring—his personal domain hummed inside. His System's voice—Seventeen—whispered calmly:
> "One point: Use the Skeletal Guardian. Hold the beast, retrieve the core, and exit together. That's your best odds."
He summoned.
A 7-foot skeletal warrior emerged, shield in one hand, jagged sword in another. The others gaped. Even Juno, who lived with venomous pets, whistled.
"Where were you hiding that?" she asked.
"Secret tree," Arin muttered, face red.
They fought together—Skeleton clashing with the beast, Arin using shadow vines from his class, Lira striking pressure points. Kael threw ice shards with careful precision.
The battle was rough. Lira got clipped, Juno's spider was torn apart. But in the end—Arin grabbed the core.
His body was bruised, blood on his lips. But the moment they stepped out and handed the core to the instructor, cheers erupted.
They won.
And no one had to be left behind.
---
Later that night, while the academy glowed with soft lanterns and laughter, Arin sat on a stone bench in the garden. His bones ached, and his robe was half torn.
Seventeen's voice echoed in his mind again.
> "You did good. You didn't just win—you earned trust. Slowly. Brick by brick. That's how a king builds his castle."
Arin smiled. "I'm not a king."
> "Not yet."
He chuckled, closing his eyes. In the quiet of the garden, he felt something inside him settle.
No shortcuts. No skipping steps.
Just slow, powerful g
---
Chapter 56 – Threads of Change
Morning sunlight poured over the Academy's eastern courtyard, warm and golden, as if the gods had draped a soft blanket across the world after a hard battle. The air was fresh, and the gardens bloomed in shades of blue and crimson.
Arin sat on the steps outside the dormitory, a half-eaten apple in one hand and his eyes on the sky. His body still ached from the trial the day before—bruises on his ribs, a dull throb in his shoulder—but it was the good kind of pain. The kind that reminded you that you did something worth remembering.
He wasn't alone for long.
"Yo, boss." Juno flopped beside him, her hair messier than usual. "You know we're kind of famous now, right?"
"Famous is a strong word," Arin mumbled, taking another bite.
"You summoned a walking skeleton knight to fight a Tier 2 beast in front of two instructors and walked out without losing a teammate. You tell me what that is if not famous."
Arin groaned. "Why are you like this?"
"Because I live for this," she smirked.
Lira joined them a few minutes later, carrying a tray with warm bread and honeyed tea. She handed it to Arin without a word and sat down on his other side. She was still favoring her left leg, which had been cut during the trial, but the healer had done a good job patching it up.
Kael arrived last, quiet as ever, slipping beside them with a nod and a cup of steaming water.
Together, the four of them sat in the courtyard as the rest of the academy bustled awake around them.
They didn't speak for a long time.
And they didn't need to.
They were a team now—not by force, not by assignment, but by experience. By trust.
By choice.
---
Later That Day
The Head Instructor, a stern man named Varun, called Arin to his office.
The room was simple. Old bookshelves lined the back wall, and a single window overlooked the mountain range beyond the academy walls. Arin stood stiffly in front of the desk as Varun reviewed a scroll.
"You hid your class well," the instructor finally said.
Arin swallowed. "I wasn't trying to deceive anyone."
"No," Varun agreed. "You were trying to survive. I respect that."
He put the scroll down and looked Arin in the eye.
"You're a Necromancer."
Arin didn't respond.
"I won't report it. Not yet. Your control is impressive. And your restraint, even more so. But Arin," Varun leaned forward, voice low and sharp, "you must understand—this path is not one of light. People will judge you long before they understand you. Are you prepared for that?"
Arin didn't hesitate.
"I don't care if they understand me. I'll protect the people I care about. That's enough."
Varun sat back, nodding slowly. "Then you'll be tested. Again and again."
"I'm used to it," Arin said quietly.
---
That Night – Inside the Domain
Arin stood at the edge of his domain, watching as the latest addition from the shop—a Tree of Beasts—grew slowly in the soft soil. Its bark shimmered like bone, and small pods hung from its branches like fruits.
The first had already ripened.
A F-Rank Monkey Beast crawled out, yawning and stretching before bounding toward the skeletal warrior stationed nearby.
Arin smiled faintly. "They're getting along."
Seventeen's voice hummed gently in his mind.
> "One step at a time. Your army will grow, not just with numbers—but with loyalty, purpose, and balance."
"Yeah," Arin whispered. "But we're still missing something."
> "Then let's find it. Shall we look at the shop?"
He opened the interface. A soft glow outlined new items:
[Basic Weapon Crafting Kit – 30 Points]
[Beast Egg – Uncommon – 50 Points]
[Skill: Shadow Chain – 75 Points]
[Domain Upgrade (Expand by +2 km) – 100 Points]
Seventeen's voice chimed in thoughtfully.
> "If you're looking to build an army that grows with you—skills like Shadow Chain will help control the battlefield. But if you want to expand your home, the domain upgrade might be a better first step."
Arin tapped his chin, thoughtful.
"No rush," he said. "Let's save the points for now. I don't want power I can't handle."
> "Wise."
The domain breeze rustled through the leaves of the Tree of Beasts. In the distance, the skeletal warrior trained with the monkey beast, and two new fields of herbs had started sprouting—minor healing plants and energy roots.
It wasn't much yet.
But it was his.
---
Back at the Academy
The next day, a notice went out.
The first portal gate would open in ten days.
Every student who had awakened a class would be allowed to enter a limited exploration zone inside a pocket realm created by one of the lesser gods. It was a tradition. A rite of passage.
And it would be the first time Arin faced other awakeners outside the academy.
As he read the announcement, something stirred in his chest. Not fear.
Not exactly excitement.
Something between.
Whatever it was, it whispered:
Be ready.
---
Chapter 57 – A New Step Forward
The scent of blood clung to the air as the sun dipped behind the western ridge, casting long shadows over the forest clearing. Liam crouched beside the corpse of the horned bear that had nearly mauled him minutes ago. Its fur was scorched where his skeleton warrior had landed the final blow, and smoke still curled from the beast's snout.
"Seventeen, status," Liam muttered, chest rising and falling.
A familiar soft glow lit up behind his eyes as the System responded.
> [Status Panel – Liam Virehart]
Race: Human
Age: 12
Class: Necromancer (Tier 1)
Level: 7 [ 83 / 100 EXP ]
HP: 145 / 180
Mana: 230 / 230
Strength: 14
Agility: 13
Endurance: 15
Intelligence: 22
Spirit: 28
Skills:
– Summon Skeleton Warrior (Lv.2)
– Corpse Storage (Lv.1)
– Mana Vision (Lv.1)
Domain: [Hidden – Accessible Only to Host]
God Points: 19
Shop Access: Partial
Titles: – Child of Rebirth – Hidden Chosen (Locked)
"Just seventeen more experience…" Liam whispered, brushing dirt from his sleeves as he stood. His small frame trembled slightly—not from fear, but the fading rush of battle. For a moment, he just stood there. Alive. Breathing. Growing.
He was getting stronger. Slowly, yes. But it was his own strength. Not inherited. Not given. Earned.
---
As he walked back toward the edge of the domain, where his portal remained hidden beneath a thick patch of bluegrass, he noticed a faint tremble in the air—a response from the Tree of Horned Beast, one of the trees he'd bought using his god points earlier that week.
From its bark, a fresh bud had begun to swell.
"Another beast is ripening," Seventeen said warmly. "You'll have a new companion in twelve hours. F-rank, but consistent."
Liam smiled faintly. "They'll make good training partners."
His hidden personal domain was only five kilometers wide, but to him, it felt like an entire kingdom. The trees he planted thrived in fertile god-blessed soil, and the bones of defeated beasts were buried beneath the black earth to enhance its mana.
Three skeleton warriors marched along the edges, patrolling like loyal guards.
"Let's go deeper tomorrow," Liam whispered to them. "We need stronger enemies. We're almost at Level 8."
---
That night, as the stars blinked across the darkened sky, Liam sat cross-legged beside a flickering campfire within the domain. The warmth licked his face, casting shadows that danced in the eye sockets of the warriors sitting opposite him.
He remembered his mother's soft hands wrapping his scarf that morning, and his father placing a hand on his head with that awkward affection only a quiet man could give.
"You don't need to be a hero," his father had said, voice low. "Just don't lose yourself."
Liam clenched his fists. "I won't."
---
The next morning, they set out.
The mission was clear—head toward the canyon to the east where a group of rogue elemental beasts had been spotted. They were E-rank, quick and unstable. And if he was lucky—deadly.
By noon, he reached the base of the canyon. The air shimmered with heat, and the stones underfoot were cracked and jagged.
He summoned two skeleton warriors to scout ahead.
It didn't take long before the first strike came—a blast of wind shattered a boulder nearby. Liam spun, eyes wide, just in time to see a pair of creatures made of rock and air charging down the slope.
> [Beast Identified: Wind-Touched Stoneback – E Rank]
Weakness: Piercing magic, heavy impact
Strength: High speed, deflective armor
"Engage!" Liam shouted.
The skeletons ran forward, blades raised. One leapt and was instantly smashed into pieces by the beast's charge. Liam winced. The other circled and slashed, barely drawing a crack.
Liam raised his hand, eyes glowing with mana. "Corpse Storage—open!"
A black ripple appeared, and with a pull, Liam withdrew a fang-tipped dagger taken from a previous hunt.
He lunged. The stoneback roared, but Liam dodged under its swiping claws and jammed the dagger into the thin seam behind its shoulder.
Crack.
The beast howled—and shattered into shards of stone.
The second one howled, wings flaring—and charged.
Liam whispered: "Summon Skeleton Warrior."
The newly born skeleton appeared in front of him, absorbing the brunt of the attack, giving Liam enough time to roll, rise, and slash the beast across its flank.
> [EXP +17]
[Level Up!]
Liam's body glowed faintly as the system rang again.
> [Level 8 Achieved]
+1 Skill Point earned
New passive skill unlocked: Lesser Control – Undead
Summoned units gain 5% more speed and 10% loyalty.
He exhaled, wiping sweat from his forehead.
Seventeen's voice came gently. "You've done well. Want to spend your point now or wait?"
"I'll wait. I want to build something... not just fight."
---
That night, back in his domain, Liam stood atop the central hill, gazing at his land. The bones of beasts buried beneath his feet. The trees swaying with growing power. And the firelight of his camp reflected in the sockets of his warriors.
This was no longer just a place to
L