ch 61,62

Chapter 61: The Quiet Before the Storm

Morning sunlight poured across the land, golden and calm, as if the world itself was giving Leon a moment to breathe. He stood on a small hill just outside the academy walls, looking over the training fields. The wind tugged gently at his black cloak, and in his shadow, the faint shimmer of his hidden domain pulsed—alive, stable, and slowly growing.

Behind him, the rustling of leaves came not from the wind, but from the quiet steps of creatures. A skeleton warrior stood to his right, a low-ranked summon named Thorne. It wasn't strong, not yet, but it was loyal. Beside it, a monkey-like beast scampered around his legs, a product of the "Tree of Beasts" he had planted inside his domain. Each day, one F-rank monkey emerged—nothing powerful, but they were agile, clever, and trainable.

"Seventeen," Leon muttered, his eyes still fixed on the horizon, "How are we doing on points?"

Seventeen's cheerful voice echoed inside his mind.

[You currently have 140 Points. Enough to purchase either a D-rank beast egg or enhance the 'Tree of Beasts' to produce E-rank monkeys occasionally.]

Leon tilted his head. "What do you recommend?"

[Enhance the tree.] The System answered immediately. [You need a steady army. Numbers matter more now than raw strength. Besides, eggs are random. You could get something useless.]

Leon smirked. "You really don't hold back."

[That's why I'm here.] Seventeen said playfully. [Also, consider planting a new corpse tree. You've got enough D-rank cores stored.]

Inside the domain, life was beginning to flourish. Small patches of herbal grass he'd bought from the God Shop grew around the beast trees. A storage cave—built from a template sold by Seventeen—contained rows of cores, loot, and bones from beasts he had defeated.

It wasn't much, but it was a beginning.

Suddenly, the monkey beside him stood still, sniffed the air, then chirped in alarm.

Leon spun around.

Across the field, three boys from another class walked toward him. They wore matching dark-green cloaks with silver thread—a sign of high-tier backing. One of them, a tall boy with red eyes and a sharp smile, pointed at the skeleton warrior.

"Well, well," he said. "So the necromancer is playing in the dirt again."

Leon didn't move. He had faced stronger monsters in the wild. But this... this was different. Humans were cruel in their own way.

"I don't want trouble," Leon said calmly. "Go play somewhere else."

But the boy grinned wider. "Trouble? No, no. We just want to train."

He stepped forward—and from his back, a burst of mana flared. A wolf-shaped summon materialized beside him, twice the size of Leon's monkey beast.

Leon didn't respond. He reached behind him, and Thorne stepped forward, its bones creaking. The monkey chattered, leaping onto Leon's shoulder, baring tiny fangs.

The red-eyed boy snapped his fingers. His wolf leapt forward.

For a moment, the world slowed.

Thorne intercepted the wolf, blocking with its shield—but was thrown back. The monkey leaped into the air, scratched at the wolf's eyes, then flipped away.

Leon summoned a second skeleton—one with a spear. Another gift from his Tree of Bones. Not powerful. But with skill, timing, and teamwork—

He moved, directing them with hand signals. Seventeen guided him in his mind.

[Move left. Circle. Let them chase. Spear unit will strike. Monkey to distract.]

He obeyed.

Ten seconds later, the wolf yelped and collapsed, a spear in its side and claw marks across its muzzle.

The boy cursed, eyes burning. "You'll regret that."

Leon stood tall, chest heaving. "Maybe. But not today."

The other two boys backed off. The red-eyed one glared, then turned. "This isn't over, freak."

They left.

Silence returned.

Leon knelt by Thorne, checking its cracks. It would need repairs.

"You did well," he whispered.

Seventeen chuckled. [You too, commander. You're learning.]

Leon smiled faintly. "Not a commander. Just a kid."

[Then you're a kid who's winning.]

---

Later that day, Leon sat inside his domain. The soft hum of life surrounded him. The beast monkey was grooming itself under a tree. Thorne and the spear skeleton stood guard by the cave entrance.

In the God Shop, he bought the Tree Upgrade and a new basic layout for a training yard. Bit by bit, his world was growing.

And beyond that domain, the academy buzzed with new rumors—about the strange boy with a calm face and summoned monsters. About the Necromancer who didn't lose.

But Leon didn't care about rumors.

He just wanted to grow strong enough to protect his family.

The Tier Gates would open again in five years. New threats would descend. He had seen enough of the human world's pain to know what would happen if he wasn't ready.

He looked up at the sky.

"I'll be ready next time," he whispered. "I have to be."

And deep within the domain, his summoned beasts stirred, as if answering the quiet vow of their master.

---

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Chapter 62 – Greedy Roots and Hungry Eyes

The morning sun barely peeked over the hills when Lucien stood at the center of his domain, his fingers curling around a glowing blue core. The skeletal warriors behind him were silent as always, but today, there was a new tension in the air.

"Seventeen," he whispered. "How many points do I have left?"

[System Seventeen: 4,920 points. Would you like recommendations for optimization, Commander?]

Lucien smirked. "Yes, give me options. And make sure it makes everyone else jealous."

[Seventeen's Suggestion #1: Expand the beast fields. Add a Tier F+ Fire Basilisk Tree – costs 1,500 points – spawns one Fire Basilisk every 2 days. Strong against insects and ideal for ranged support.]

[Suggestion #2: Upgrade undead barracks. Increase undead cap by 10 and improve bone density by 30%. Cost: 1,200 points.]

[Suggestion #3: Add a 'Corpse Pond' – a resource node that automatically breaks down corpses into usable materials. Cost: 900 points. Increases undead enhancement rate by 15%.]

Lucien's eyes gleamed. "I want them all. But... the Corpse Pond first. Then the Fire Basilisk Tree. That should leave me some to buy that weird monkey-throwing explosive fruit next time."

[Transaction Complete.]

The ground shook lightly, and the back of the domain shifted. Dark soil cracked and gave way to a glowing green pond, rimmed with sharp black rocks. A faint mist rose from its surface. Near the pond, a baby Fire Basilisk blinked into existence, its scales shimmering like molten lava.

Lucien laughed, a little too excitedly. "You see that?! We're building a damn kingdom, boneheads!"

Behind him, the growing legion of skeleton warriors clattered. There were now 36 in total – 20 normal skeletons, 10 skeleton archers, and 6 elite ones armored with enchanted scraps he'd looted from dungeon beasts.

His beast army wasn't small either:

4 Shadow Wolves (fast, stealthy attackers)

1 Stoneback Rhino (tank-class)

1 Windrider Falcon (scout-class)

1 new Fire Basilisk (ranged elemental)

Soon, the Basilisk would have siblings.

He turned toward a nearby skeleton holding a broken shield and tilted his head. "You're useless with that trash. Remind me to buy weapon upgrades. We need our front line to look fierce."

Seventeen chimed again.

[Reminder set. You're starting to sound like a tyrant. I approve.]

Lucien's grin widened. "Good. Because I don't just want to survive. I want everyone who laughed at me, everyone who called us weak villagers, to bow one day."

He walked through his domain's pathways – now cleaner and more defined. His family had started visiting too. His mother left herbs by the healing shrine. His younger sister planted flowers near the monkey tree, hoping it would make "the little guys less creepy."

It warmed something in him.

But he couldn't forget his purpose.

This world... this brutal, divided world... didn't forgive the weak.

And in a few weeks, the academy trial would begin – with new races, enemies, and dimensional gate selections. He had to be ready.

"Seventeen," Lucien said quietly. "Scan the loot pile from yesterday's dungeon. Anything worth absorbing?"

[Scanning… One C-rank Ice Fang Core detected. 50% chance to absorb skill: Frozen Bite. Attempt now?]

He held the glowing core close, its chill nipping at his fingers. "Do it."

A wave of blue light surged through him.

[Skill Absorption Successful: Frozen Bite acquired. Usable by undead and beast-class summons. Passive slow effect. Congratulations.]

Lucien clenched his fists. "Oh, I like that."

He looked up at the rising sun, eyes gleaming. The days of quiet were ending. The days of hiding were gone.

Now?

Now, it was time to be greedy. Shameless. Ruthless.

Because in a world with dimensional gates, god-forsaken monsters, and ancient races... only the hungriest could truly s