ch 63,64,65
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Chapter 63 – Whispers Before the Storm
The smell of ash and wet earth clung to the air.
Lucien stood at the edge of his domain, arms folded as he watched the Fire Basilisk test its aim on a moving target — a rag-stuffed dummy nailed to a tree. With a sharp hiss, it spat a stream of fire. The dummy went up in flames instantly, the skeletons clapping their bony hands in eerie celebration.
"Not bad," Lucien muttered. "You'll make a fine general one day."
Behind him, a soft voice broke the moment.
"Lucien… you've changed."
He turned. His little sister, Lira, stood barefoot on the grass, carrying a basket filled with herbs and blue wildflowers.
Lucien's sharp smirk softened. "Lira. I didn't hear you come in."
"I brought you this." She held out the basket. "Mom said these can grow better in the domain's soil. She thinks your place is starting to feel like home… a scary home, but still."
Lucien crouched down and ruffled her hair. "Thanks. I'll plant them near the monkey tree."
Lira looked up with her big brown eyes. "You scare the other kids now, you know? Even Darek said your eyes look like fire."
Lucien paused. "Do I?"
She nodded. "But I don't think you're scary. I think… you're just not the same anymore."
A twinge of something stirred in Lucien's chest. He smiled and stood, glancing at Seventeen's floating status screen nearby.
[System Notice: You have received +50 EXP from daily training. Total EXP: 480/1000 until next level.]
[Current Level: 14 | Summoner Class: Necromancer | Domain Level: 2 | Status: Stable]
[Beasts: 7 | Undead: 36 | Domain Defenses: Low | Hidden from outsiders: Active]
Lucien's mind drifted to the academy entrance trials, now only two weeks away. He had heard whispers—noble heirs, beast-tamers, elemental mages, sword saints in training. Some even had gods watching them closely.
And he was just a boy from a border village, surrounded by corpses and beasts.
But he wasn't afraid.
He walked Lira back to the portal gate, gave her a pat on the head, and returned to his training field.
"Seventeen," he said aloud. "I need to upgrade my skeletons' equipment. Any blacksmith shop in the god store?"
[Yes. You can purchase a Basic Forge of Bones for 800 points. Allows minor gear creation and weapon repairs for undead.]
"Buy it. Then summon a set of bone-forged spears and bucklers."
[Purchase confirmed.]
The forge rose from the ground like a jagged tooth, belching faint white smoke. The skeletons gathered around it, excitedly reaching for the half-formed weapons that appeared inside.
Lucien chuckled. "Greedy little freaks."
[Spoken like their true master.] Seventeen added.
That evening, a red flare appeared in the sky above the academy's capital city—a sign of final invitation.
Lucien's name glowed at the top of the sky message, followed by several others.
Ranking Trial Invitations – Top 100 Qualified Candidates
Lucien Blackthorn – Class: Necromancer
Helena Vaelin – Class: Spirit Dancer
Jorik Fen – Class: Ironheart
…
Lucien narrowed his eyes. "So... that's the competition."
He clenched his fist.
"I won't just pass the trial. I'll crush it."
But beneath the bravado, his heart beat with excitement — and a tinge of fear.
The gates to the academy would lead to new races, new enemies, and unknown dimensions. Monsters and beasts stronger than anything he had faced before.
And somewhere out there… the Tier 12 Gate pulsed.
Waiting.
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Chapter 64 – March Toward the Unknown
The wind carried a strange scent that morning.
Lucien stood at the portal stone near his village — the one gifted by the human god. A golden ring of runes shimmered over the ground, slowly opening into a tunnel of swirling blue mist. On the other side, the capital continent awaited: the heart of the Academy, the City of Gates.
Behind him, villagers gathered, staring in silence. His mother held back tears; his father, standing with a proud but stern look. Lira clutched a cloth-wrapped doll and ran forward.
"You forgot this!" she cried, pushing the doll into his hands.
Lucien smiled and kneeled, hugging her. "Thanks, little one. I'll come back stronger… and taller."
"You better."
She punched his shoulder — lightly, but bravely.
He rose, his black robe fluttering in the breeze. The monkey tree in his domain had grown overnight, now producing two low-ranked beasts daily. His undead numbered nearly fifty. The Fire Basilisk and Shadow Wolf remained loyal at his sides, while the Forge of Bones clanked in the background, shaping gear.
But this was only the beginning.
[System Notice: Your portal access to the Capital Continent is now open.]
[Estimated Trial Participants: 1,000+]
[Status: Academy Trials – Phase One: Race, Power, and Gate Knowledge Assessment]
[Estimated Threat Level: Medium to High]
Lucien stepped through the portal.
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The City of Gates was breathtaking.
Massive floating crystals hovered in the air, channels of energy connecting them to towering spires. Gates of all tiers glowed along the horizon — tier 1 to tier 9 — each pulsing with strange colors. The Tier 12 Gate, massive and dormant, loomed in the distance like a warning from the gods.
The city itself was alive with activity.
Dwarves barked orders in their guttural tongue as they transported weapon crates. A group of tiger-skin beastfolk wrestled in a training arena, laughing like thunder. Slender elven archers meditated under spirit trees while goblins scrambled around the alleys, selling glowing stones and potions.
Lucien walked with wide eyes, his domain now temporarily sealed but linked through his status screen.
He felt small.
Yet a flicker of fire lit in his chest.
"They don't know me now. But they will."
A tall orc girl bumped into him. Her red armor shimmered like molten steel. "Watch it, bone-boy."
Lucien looked up calmly. "Try me."
She paused, then smirked. "You've got sharp eyes for a human runt. Hope you last past round one."
She strolled off, her twin axes rattling on her back.
Seventeen's voice echoed in Lucien's mind.
[That's Zura, daughter of the Steelblood Warlord. A ranked fighter. We'll need a strategy.]
"Noted."
[Also, would you like to review the dimensional gate rankings now?]
"Yes. Let's make things clear."
[Confirmed.]
> Dimensional Gate Ranks
Tier 1–4: Minor worlds. Training realms. (Time allowed: 6–12 hours)
Tier 5–8: Combat worlds. Resource-heavy zones. (Time allowed: 1–3 days)
Tier 9–10: High-risk. Often occupied by elite beast races. (Time allowed: 5–7 days)
Tier 11: Opens every 5 years. Currently in control of the insect world. (Time: 2 months)
Tier 12: Catastrophic level. Can only be opened once per 5 years. Hosts worlds like the Demon Realm, Death Realm, Mechanical Realm.
Lucien clenched his fists. "When can I enter the gates?"
[Once the academy ranks you and confirms a team. You'll be assigned based on performance.]
He looked out at the sprawling city, the towering spires, and the giant arenas forming in the distance.
A new world had opened.
Friends. Rivals. Enemies.
And somewhere among them… monsters stronger than anything he'd ever faced.
Lucien took a deep breath.
The real trial had begun.
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Chapter 65 – The First Trial: Circle of the Gate
Lucien stood before the Trial Arena — a circular coliseum of floating platforms surrounded by tiered seating. Blue flames burned along obsidian braziers, lighting the names of the first-year participants as they hovered midair.
[Welcome to the Academy Ranking Trials.]
[Phase One: Trial of the Gateborn – Test of Combat Potential]
[Trial Format: 1v1 battles across 10 rings. Winners advance. Points rewarded based on creativity, control, and survival.]
[Participants: 1,286]
Lucien stood in line with dozens of others, all between the ages of 12 and 15, each more anxious than the last. Beastfolk, humans, elves, hybrids — the arena echoed with murmurs of nervous laughter and heavy silence.
A boy next to him, no older than 13, trembled as he gripped a wooden sword.
"You alright?" Lucien asked.
The boy looked at him with watery eyes. "I-I don't want to die."
"You won't," Lucien said quietly. "It's a trial. They won't let you die. But if you run, they'll mark you as a failure forever."
The boy nodded slowly.
"Name?" Lucien asked.
"Ren. I'm… F-rank Wind Manipulator."
Lucien looked up toward the arena. "Then use your wind. Don't freeze. Just survive."
When Ren was called, he gave Lucien a shaky smile before walking into the arena.
He lost. But he didn't run.
Lucien was next.
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[Next Match: Lucien Vale vs. Rynos Darl]
[Arena 7: Skeleton Ring]
Lucien walked toward the seventh platform, where bones littered the battlefield like a graveyard under a crimson sky. Magical runes glowed on the ground, pulsing gently.
His opponent, a tall lizardkin boy with green scales and lightning tattoos across his arms, cracked his neck.
"You look weak," Rynos hissed. "But those eyes say something else."
Lucien smiled politely. "And yours say you underestimate people."
[Combat Initiated – Countdown: 3... 2... 1—]
The moment the trial began, Rynos dashed forward, lightning dancing across his limbs. His claws sparked, striking like fangs of thunder.
Lucien didn't move.
"Summon: Bone Wall."
A wall of white bone erupted between them, taking the hit.
Rynos flipped over it — fast, agile, deadly.
"Summon: Skeleton Warrior x3."
Three bone warriors rose from the field, clashing with Rynos mid-air. Lucien ducked behind a fallen rib cage and whispered.
[Forge of Bones: Active – Soul Threads Linked]
His undead moved with unusual fluidity, as if alive. Rynos roared and shattered one, then spun and kicked another.
Lucien's hands danced.
"Summon: Grave Fog."
A dark mist spread through the ring, lowering visibility and slowing movement. Rynos growled and charged blindly.
Lucien whispered, "Summon: Shadow Wolf."
The beast shot from beneath the bones, tackling Rynos into a pit.
[Opponent Disarmed. Match Complete.]
The fog cleared. Lucien stood calmly at the edge of the ring, the Shadow Wolf snarling behind him.
The crowd was silent for a second — then erupted in cheers.
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[Winner: Lucien Vale – Style Points Awarded: +20]
[Hidden Class Detected – Observer Mode Activated for Special Staff]
[Ranking Progress: +12 Positions | Current Rank: #487/1286]
As Lucien left the ring, Seventeen's voice hummed inside his head.
[You handled that well. Would you like to review your current beast count?]
"Yes."
> Lucien's Active Forces:
Skeleton Warriors (Basic): 7 active
Shadow Wolf: 1
Fire Basilisk: 1
Newborn Bone Apes (From Monkey Tree): 2/day
Forge of Bones Constructs (Lesser Tier): 3
> Undead Storage (Within Domain):
Corpses: 32 (F-rank), 4 (E-rank)
Spirit Core Fragments: 17
> Domain Status:
Hidden (Cloaked by System Authority)
Accessible to Beasts and Undead at Will
Tree of Beasts: Producing Bone Apes
God Shop Access: Active
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Later, Lucien walked along the Academy garden, passing towers of flame and waterfalls of mana.
He met eyes with a familiar face — the red-armored orc girl, Zura.
"Not bad, bone-boy," she said, arms crossed.
"You watched?"
"I smelled blood. That's all I need."
Lucien chuckled. "You're strange."
"So are you."
They both stood in silence for a moment.
Lucien turned to leave, but then asked, "Why are you really here?"
Zura grinned. "To fight. To earn a spot. And because I like chewing bones like yours."
Lucien walked away, shaking his head with a small laugh. "See you in the finals then."
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