ch 34,35,36
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Chapter 34 – Gate Breach: Death World Creeps In
The sky cracked.
That was the only way to describe the sound that echoed across the eastern edge of the Blackwind Forest. A shattering thunder that made birds flee and even high-rank beasts pause. The clouds above twisted into a whirlpool of shadow and ash.
Ray stood among the dozen hand-picked academy students, his black robes fluttering, the silver expedition badge glowing faintly on his chest.
A portal had torn open.
And it wasn't just a rift.
It was a Tier 3 Death Gate—an unstable connection to the Outskirts of the Death World. A realm ruled by decay, bone, and monstrous hunger.
Head Instructor Varun's face was grim.
"This wasn't supposed to open for another two years. Something is interfering with the Gates. Prepare for chaos."
---
[Mission: Survive the Death World's First Surge.]
> Objective: Clear the field of invading monsters.
Bonus: Capture or subjugate undead creatures for your domain.
Reward: Domain Points, God Points, Title Progression.
The first creatures stepped out of the portal.
Malformed humanoids, with bone armor fused into rotting flesh. Some crawled on six limbs. Others carried rusted weapons made of dark metal and soul-wrought bone.
[Identified: Bone Gnashers – D-rank Undead]
[Weakness: Fire, Light. Resistant to Shadow and Piercing.]
Ray didn't wait.
He drew in his energy and shouted, "Open Domain Gate!"
From behind him, a massive portal formed—his Necromancer's Domain briefly flashing as roots, bone structures, and graves shimmered beyond the veil.
"[Summon: Bone Spiker Guard]!"
Three spiked undead erupted from the ground, forming a defensive triangle.
"[Summon: Ironhide Ox Zombie!]"
A massive zombified ox crashed forward, its body stitched together from armored plates and fused bone. Its hooves shook the earth.
> [Domain Enhancement Triggered – Ox's Charge now causes Ground Rupture.]
Ray's summoned force clashed with the first wave of Bone Gnashers.
Blood, rot, and shattered bone filled the battlefield.
---
But then—something new stepped through the gate.
A hunched figure with elongated arms and no face. Its chest pulsed like a heartbeat, and its claws shimmered with poison mist.
[Identified: Silent Reaper – C-rank Elite Undead]
[Skill: Soul Mute, Venom Claw, Warp Shift]
Ray felt it before he saw it.
The air around him grew still. His undead trembled. Even the Ironhide Ox stepped back.
> System Warning: Enemy class suppresses standard undead commands within a 10-meter radius.
Ray's mind raced.
"Seventeen—override suppression?"
> "Not yet. You'll need a domain anchor here to resist its aura."
Ray's eyes narrowed.
"Then I'll force one."
He thrust his hand into the ground. "[Skill: Anchor Graveyard]!"
A skeletal tree burst forth from the dirt—one of the F-rank constructs he'd planted earlier. A temporary domain anchor.
The suppression lifted.
His beasts howled in unison.
"[Necrotic Bond – Bird Swarm Formation!]"
A flock of ten shadow crows emerged from his domain, circling above. They dived at the Silent Reaper, pecking and exploding with necrotic energy.
The Reaper blinked—literally disappearing—before emerging behind one of the students.
It raised its claw.
Ray shouted, "[Summon: Bone Aegis!]"
A wall of bone slammed between them just in time. The student collapsed, barely alive.
Ray dashed forward.
He activated [Deathbrand] again, his palm glowing.
The Silent Reaper slashed—Ray ducked under the blow and slapped its chest.
> [Brand Failed – Target possesses Soul Ward. Cooldown: 3 minutes.]
He grit his teeth.
Then—he made a choice.
"Seventeen. Unlock shop item—Soul Stitcher's Hook."
> "Unlocked. Item summoned."
A dark chain formed in his hand, glowing purple. It pulsed like a heartbeat, drawn to the Reaper's energy.
"[Hook!]"
The chain flew, binding the Silent Reaper. Not to restrain it—but to link its soul to his domain.
> [New Attempt: Convert via Domain Thread – 14% Success Chance…]
[Fail. Attempt again?]
"Yes!"
The Reaper shrieked.
Ray poured God Points into the hook.
> [Consumed: 45 God Points.]
[Conversion Attempt 2… Success!]
[You have enslaved a Silent Reaper.]
[Named: Shadeclaw.]
Ray collapsed to one knee. His vision blurred. The drain was heavy, but the prize was undeniable.
A C-rank Undead—under his command.
---
As the Gate trembled, more monsters crept forward—but the squad had time now.
The first surge was stopped.
Ray stood, eyes glowing with power, his shadow twisting unnaturally.
The war had started.
And he was building an army.
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End of Chapter 34
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Chapter 35 – Shadeclaw's Hunt Begins
The air was still charged with death.
Ray stood atop a slope of cracked stone and blood-soaked roots. Around him, the ground writhed as bones and rotting earth formed paths—growing his Necromancer Domain further into the battlefield.
The Silent Reaper—now named Shadeclaw—crouched behind him, bound by threads of soul-stitched energy. It didn't speak, didn't snarl. But it obeyed. Its hollow chest pulsed faintly, feeding on stray fragments of death energy nearby.
> [Domain Expansion: +3 Radius.]
[New Passive Activated: Death Saturation (Tier 1) – Undead heal slowly inside your domain.]
But even as the portal to the Death World flickered closed, the true danger had only begun.
From the west, winds howled. Grass flattened. Trees bowed.
A massive presence entered the battlefield—nothing from the Death World this time.
This one… was from their world.
---
"That's…"
Instructor Varun's voice faltered for the first time.
Ray turned. His domain trembled as a spirit beast entered.
It was majestic.
Its fur shimmered like gold-threaded clouds. Its whiskers trailed light. And behind it, five tails burned with soft violet fire.
[Identified: Dreamlight Fox – A-rank Eastern Spirit Beast]
[Affinity: Illusion, Fire, Wind. Non-hostile. Status: Observing.]
It stepped through broken trees without a sound, each pawprint leaving behind flowers and faint light.
But it wasn't alone.
In the trees above, another form perched—tall, thin, robed in jade-green leaves.
[Identified: Forest Judge – B-rank Beast Elder]
[Race: Eastern Wood Court. Type: Sentient Spirit Beast.]
Ray lowered his stance.
Beasts like these didn't come for battle.
They came for balance.
---
Suddenly, the Dreamlight Fox's gaze locked onto Shadeclaw.
Its tails rose.
The pressure hit instantly—so pure, so divine it felt like his own domain would crack.
> System Alert: Opposing Force of Nature Detected. Would you like to open diplomacy protocols?
Y/N
"Y." Ray whispered, his hand clenched. "Seventeen, do it."
> Initiating Beast Speech through domain link… Activated.
Ray stepped forward. "He's mine," he said, meeting the Dreamlight Fox's ethereal eyes. "This undead is bound. It won't harm your forest."
Silence.
Then… a thought echoed in his mind—not words, but a shared understanding.
Balance. Watch. Choose.
The Fox turned.
Then, with one blink, it vanished into light. The Forest Judge followed—fading like wind-blown leaves.
---
Ray staggered back.
He had faced A-rank pressure.
And survived.
> You have gained Title Progress: [Walker Among Beasts – 12%]
New Domain Blessing: Spirit Root Chance increased.
Seventeen's voice hummed softly.
> "Ray… you're beginning to step into the greater world now. Beasts like those don't appear without reason. The Death Gate… and your domain… are changing the balance."
Ray stared at the battlefield, then looked down at Shadeclaw.
"I need to grow faster."
---
Later that night, inside his private domain space, Ray opened the God Shop.
He scrolled past the regular items.
Something new glimmered.
[NEW: Beast Contract Trees – Rank F to SSS]
F-rank: Bird Tree (1 basic bird per day, grows nests over time)
F-rank: Wolf Tree (Produces territorial wolf beasts every 2 days)
E-rank: Venom Fang Bush (Spawns a poison snake every 3 days)
D-rank: Mist Deer Grove (Summons rare speed-based beast, good scouts)
C-rank: Fire Goat Pillar Tree (Spits flaming hooved beasts every week)
B-rank: Lightning Falcon Spire (Rare flying battle-beasts)
A-rank: Moon Tiger Shrine Tree (Bonded tiger spirit every 10 days)
S-rank: Phoenix Root Tree (Chance of hatching phoenix spirit beasts)
[Requirement: High-tier Domain Soil and God Points]
Ray's breath quickened.
This… was the future of his army.
Not just undead.
Beasts. Powerful, intelligent beasts… drawn to his growing world.
---
But as he closed the interface, a tremor rippled through the floor of his domain.
A new rift was forming.
Inside his domain.
Not from the Death World.
Not from Earth.
Something else.
-
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Chapter 36 – The Roots Beneath Ash
The wind in the domain had changed.
Ray stood with his hand over the newly formed Wolf Tree. Its bark was warm. Alive.
Already, two pups with shadowed fur and glowing eyes circled the base, growling and play-fighting like cubs unaware of their dark origin.
Beside it, the Bird Tree shed downy feathers as a third egg hatched. A talon poked out. Chirps filled the air.
> [Current Army – Domain Status:]
Undead: 42 active (Skeletons, Rotten Hounds, Bone Crows)
F-Rank Beast Trees: 4 (Bird Tree, Wolf Tree, Snake Tree, Mole Tree)
Beasts: 13 (6 Birds, 4 Wolves, 2 Snakes, 1 Mole)
Each one bore his soul mark, and each tree yielded one beast per day—unless upgraded.
They were still weak. F-rank at best. But they were his.
He hadn't named them yet. He wasn't ready for that.
Ray looked around the fog-thick domain, which had begun to grow edges. The central stone throne had vines now—ones that pulsed faintly in response to his heartbeat.
It no longer looked like death.
It looked like something waiting to awaken.
---
Seventeen's voice echoed lightly in his mind.
> "You've reached the minimum foundation for a functioning domain-based army. But you're not the only one who can summon."
Ray nodded slowly.
"I need control," he said aloud.
> [Shop Updated – New Item Unlocked: Control Tab]
[Item: Soulbound Collar (F-Rank)]
Type: Control Tool | Limit: 1 Use per Collar
Effect: Forces submission of captured creature or person. Will cause mental rejection if forced without weakening the target's will.]
Cost: 12 God Points
Ray stared at the blueprint glowing in the air.
"Slave collar…," he whispered.
He didn't like the word.
Didn't like what it implied.
But he'd seen how beasts behaved in the outside world—how some couldn't be reasoned with, how others would gladly slaughter him for sport.
> "You don't need to use it now," Seventeen said gently. "But know that it exists. If you ever face a beast too strong to kill—this may be your only path."
Ray didn't answer.
He just reached down and picked up a soul crystal from one of his undead scouts—a burned-out beast core from a Bone Crow that died during patrol.
The domain was peaceful… too peaceful.
He felt the shift before it happened.
The mist rippled.
Soil cracked beneath the central altar.
From the ground, something ancient stirred.
Not undead.
Not beast.
Not demon.
> [Warning: Rift Opening – Unknown Origin]
[Classification: Eastern World Energy Detected]
[Emergent Entity: Beast-Type – Class E+]
[Sealed for 1421 Years]
Ray's heart skipped.
A translucent claw burst free from the earth, dragging with it a figure wrapped in moss and shadow.
Six legs.
Feathered tail.
A single horn like a blade curling over its head.
It wasn't attacking.
It was watching.
And it had awakened inside his domain.
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End of Chapter 36