ch 28 ,29,30
Here's Chapter 28 — a slower-paced
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Chapter 28 – A Name on the List
The day after the dungeon trial, the Academy was strangely quiet.
Not because students were resting—but because whispers had taken over the halls.
"Team 7 cleared the boss."
"I heard Ray Nightshade took the MVP."
"And he used… undead?"
Ray sat under the willow tree near the library courtyard, the sun casting thin shadows across the grass. He had opened his scroll three times in the last hour, but never tapped it.
The new Dungeon Shop tab remained unopened.
"Are you okay?" Kira sat down beside him. Her robes were patched and dusty, but her smile was gentle.
Ray nodded.
Then paused.
"…Do they hate summoners here?"
She blinked. "No. Not really."
"Necromancers?"
She hesitated longer this time.
"…Some do."
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Later, in the upper chamber of the East Tower, seven instructors sat around a stone table.
At the center was a projection of Ray's final attack in the dungeon trial. His beasts, his skill use, his movement—they watched it all again.
> "Too controlled for someone his age."
> "No hesitation. Even let his team think he was sacrificing himself."
> "A danger."
The eldest among them leaned forward.
> "Place him on the Observation List. Grade: Yellow."
---
Meanwhile, Ray stood alone in the resource center.
He wasn't looking at skill scrolls or combat manuals like the others.
He was staring at the glass display case near the back.
Inside it, a glowing bone-shaped shard pulsed gently. The placard read:
> [Undead Core Fragment – Restricted Item – 800 Merit]
> "You like that one?" asked a quiet voice.
A boy stepped beside him—silver hair, perfect posture, crest stitched into his robes. Clearly noble.
> "Elias Von Darkwell," he introduced himself. "Third prince. Shadow Blade class."
Ray nodded slightly, unsure what this was.
Elias smiled. "You've caught the eye of someone you shouldn't have."
Ray said nothing.
Elias continued. "Instructor Voren teaches Defense and Elite Strategy. He was once part of the Church's Purge Division."
Ray finally looked up.
"…Purge?"
Elias smirked.
> "Necromancers were once executed on sight."
> "They changed the law… but not the people."
---
In his room that night, Ray finally opened the Dungeon Shop tab.
> Merit Points: 20
F-Rank Beast Egg (5 points)
Rotten Bone Pile (3 points)
Weapon Fragment Chest (8 points)
Undead Mutation Essence – Locked (requires permission)
Shadow Beast Token – Locked (requires Black Rank Access)
He bought the Rotten Bone Pile—not because it was strong, but because it was his style.
Seventeen's voice echoed lightly.
> "It's not powerful. But it has a soul whisper inside it."
> "If you feed it the right death energy, it may birth something… special."
Ray smiled faintly.
> "Then I'll feed it."
---
Outside the academy's main tower, Kira was stopped by a group of older students in gold-trimmed robes.
> "You were on Team 7?" one asked.
She nodded.
The boy's smile was sharp. "Tell your little necromancer friend to stay in line. Or next trial… he might not come back."
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Here's Chapter 29 — a mix of character bonding, hidden strength, and a peek into what lies ahead.
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Chapter 29 – Whispers Beneath the Bone
Ray didn't sleep well.
The warning Elias gave him circled his mind like a predator in the dark.
Still, he rose before dawn, pulled on his training robes, and met Kira outside the arena. The stone yard was empty, lit only by the pale-blue lightstones lining the walls.
"Couldn't sleep?" she asked.
He shook his head.
"Then let's make that a good thing," she grinned and tugged him toward the field. "We're due for morning sparring."
---
It started slow—light dodges, basic swings. But something shifted midway.
Kira pushed harder. Her blade whistled. Ray responded not with brute force—but subtle movement. A summoned bone gauntlet parried a strike. A flicker of shadow blocked her sweep.
They weren't sparring anymore. They were fighting.
Kira leapt back, panting. "You've improved."
Ray didn't answer—he looked at his palm, where a ghostly flame had flickered and died.
A new passive had awakened.
> [Undead Instinct – Level 1]
Your body adapts to the habits of undead. Slight resistance to pain. Slight boost to reaction time when controlling summoned undead.
> "It activated during battle," Seventeen said in his mind. "You're syncing with your own summons."
Ray clenched his fists.
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After training, Ray visited the God Shop.
> Current Points: 65
New Category Unlocked: Domain Expansion Trees
Seventeen hummed softly. "You now have access to Rank E Domain Trees. Want me to list them?"
Ray nodded.
> Carrion Crow Tree (E Rank) – Spawns 1–2 low-level scavenger birds daily. Can scout and collect shiny objects.
Grave Wolf Tree (E Rank) – Spawns 1 wolf every 3 days. Weak, but loyal.
Spine Lizard Tree (E Rank) – Spawns 1 defensive lizard every 4 days. Spits bone needles.
Bone Tool Tree (E Rank) – Generates basic bone weapons every 2 days.
Each tree cost 40 points.
"You can afford one," Seventeen whispered. "Or wait until your next merit gain and grab two."
Ray chose the Grave Wolf Tree. He placed it in the corner of his domain—where the ground was already graying, soft with death mana.
And as the sapling took root, he felt it.
> A howl echoed quietly in his soul. The domain accepted it.
---
Later that day, during lunch, Ray was approached by a tall girl with bright green eyes and a lightning-shaped scar across her cheek.
"You're Ray?" she asked bluntly.
"…Yes?"
"I'm Mareen. Top of second-year Summoning class."
Ray stayed silent.
She smirked. "I want a duel."
Kira's fork stopped mid-air. "He's just a first-year—"
"I know. That's why it'll be quick."
Ray stood up calmly. "After classes. Arena 4."
---
That evening, the crowd gathered early. Word spread fast. A Necromancer vs Elemental Beast Tamer duel? Unheard of.
Ray entered the arena alone. His robe fluttered. Shadows clung to his steps.
Mareen grinned from across the ring. "Don't hold back."
> "Don't worry," Ray said.
He didn't summon a skeleton.
He summoned five.
And behind them… the Rotten Bone Pile.
It writhed, whispering.
> "It's hungry," Seventeen chuckled. "Let it feed."
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Chapter 30 – Duel of Flesh and Bone
The arena buzzed with tension.
Most expected Mareen to win. She was the second-year star of the Summoning class, known for controlling high-speed beasts and elemental combos. Ray, a first-year, was still considered a "weird village prodigy" with bone tricks.
But now… the crowd saw something different.
Ray stood surrounded by five skeletal warriors—each armed differently. One had a bone club, another a sword, a third a broken tower shield fused from scrap bones. Behind them, a new summon rose—a disgusting, pulsing Bone Pile, stitched together from discarded remains.
Mareen raised her eyebrows. "You've been busy."
She flicked her fingers.
Three circles flared around her. From each, a beast emerged.
A Thunder Lynx, sparks jumping from its fur.
A Fire-wing Hawk, glowing with embers.
And a Stoneback Boar, its hide tougher than iron.
The duel officially began.
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Seventeen's voice echoed in Ray's mind.
> "Focus. Don't waste energy. They're faster, stronger—but not smarter."
Ray didn't issue orders aloud. His link to his summons was mental, refined. That was his edge.
The Thunder Lynx dashed forward, electricity crackling around its paws.
Ray's first skeleton was obliterated in one strike—but the second intercepted, slashing a tendon.
> [Skeleton Warrior A: Destroyed]
[Skeleton Warrior B: -60% HP]
[Thunder Lynx: -20% Speed from leg injury]
"Not bad," Mareen said, summoning another hawk. "Let's see how many you can handle."
Ray raised his hand.
> [Skill: Bone Grasp – Level 2 Activated]
The arena floor cracked. A bony hand burst up and latched onto the Stoneback Boar's leg, freezing it in place.
A spear-wielding skeleton dashed forward and jammed its weapon into the beast's eye.
> [Stoneback Boar: Critically Wounded]
[Skeleton Spearman: Destroyed in counter-charge]
Ray wasn't smiling—but he was calm.
This wasn't just a duel. This was training.
He tapped the Rotten Bone Pile in his domain with his will.
> [Skill: Punarjanam – Level 1 Activated]
The two destroyed skeletons jerked back to life—barely—but with flickers of corrupted purple in their eyes.
> "Seventeen?" Ray asked.
> "Yes. They're getting used to dying," the System chuckled. "Each revival strengthens them… in a twisted way."
---
Mareen narrowed her eyes. "Alright. You want serious?"
She pressed her hand to her chest.
> [Skill: Elemental Merge – Level 1]
The Thunder Lynx and Fire-wing Hawk fused—becoming a Blazing Thunder Cat. Fast. Deadly. Covered in crackling flames.
Ray's skeletons wouldn't last two seconds.
So he didn't use them.
He used the Rotten Bone Pile.
With a deep rumble, it surged forward—shapeless but dense, like sludge laced with teeth.
The fused beast struck it—and screamed.
> [Blazing Thunder Cat: Burning failed]
[Rotten Bone Pile: Corruption Spread – Minor Infection Applied]
Mareen gasped. "It resists fire?!"
Ray remained silent.
He walked forward slowly, while his remaining skeletons formed a protective wall around him.
> "Your beasts are fast," he said. "But I don't need to chase you."
> "I just have to outlast you."
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Ten minutes passed.
Mareen's beasts were injured. Her stamina dropped.
Ray? He hadn't moved more than ten steps.
His bone warriors revived again. The Rotten Bone Pile dragged down anything that came too close. And his domain pulse increased slightly with each minute.
Finally, Mareen raised her hand.
"I yield."
Gasps rang out across the arena.
Ray simply nodded, eyes cold.
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Later that evening, as the crowd dispersed and the stars began to shine, Ray sat in his room—alone.
Seventeen appeared as a faint silhouette beside him.
> "You know what they're calling you now?"
> "What?"
> "The Bone Wall. Cold, patient, unbreakable."
Ray didn't react.
Seventeen chuckled. "It's better than 'village freak.'"
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+40 God Points Earned
Reputation: Neutral to Respected (Summoning Department)
[Passive Skill Unlocked – Domain Flow Level 1]
> Your domain pulses stronger during stress. Slightly buffs all summons during battle within 10 meters.
Ray looked out his window.
The stars felt closer than ever.
And war was coming.
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