Undead Descant

Yu Chen and Mai Lin returned to their peak, the sky above dimming with evening hues. Inside her hall, Mai Lin sat on a velvet cushion beside her jade desk, fingers dancing over translucent coin calculation tablets.

"Master! What are you doing?" Yu Chen asked, walking in shirtless, a towel slung over his shoulder, his hair still damp from the bath.

Mai Lin didn't look up. "Nothing much. Just tallying up our earnings... I've saved about 3.1 million coins from all this. Still need about 12 million more to finally clear my debt."

Yu Chen blinked. "That much debt?!" he said, sitting down across from her. "Wait... if you're making nearly a million from just three Pure Foundation Pills, then with the seven more we have, we can make at least another two million. That brings you down to ten million remaining!" He air-wrote imaginary math in the air.

Mai Lin chuckled faintly, brushing a strand of loose hair behind her ear. "Smart boy… But you still don't understand how this world works."

"What do you mean, Master?"

"The pills may be going for a million now. But this is just the beginning. Soon, the price will surge."

"How?"

Mai Lin smiled mysteriously and stood up, walking to the window. "You'll see."

---

Early Morning

The sun was still rising behind the Mistveil Mountains when Yu Chen woke with a groggy yawn. He stretched his arms, the silk sheet slipping off his bare chest, and lazily walked to the door, scratching his neck.

He opened the door slowly, blinking into the early light—only to freeze.

A crowd had gathered in front of the peak. Dozens of disciples stood in formation, murmuring among themselves. Even a few Peak Masters were present. All had one thing in common: their eyes were glued to Yu Chen's half-asleep, half-naked form.

"Huh?" Yu Chen blinked, then realized. His torso was completely exposed, his hair messy. Slowly, his eyes widened.

"AH—!" He slammed the door shut in a panic.

Inside, Mai Lin, already dressed in her light blue silk robes, raised an eyebrow. "What's with the noise?"

"There's… a crowd. Outside," Yu Chen said, cheeks red. "They all saw me like this."

She walked to the door, opened it in one swift movement, and stood tall, her expression sharp. "What the hell are you all doing outside my home?" she barked, her spiritual pressure subtly sweeping through the air.

The crowd dispersed almost instantly, disciples bowing and retreating in awkward stumbles. The Peak Masters simply stepped back in silence.

Yu Chen walked out behind her, now dressed, head held high and hands clasped behind his back. He calmly stepped onto the floating sword with her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

They flew off together.

"That guy... defiled our fairy goddess..."

"My life's over. I can't even show my face anymore!"

---

Swordflight

"Master, where are we going?" Yu Chen asked, watching the clouds rush past beneath them.

Mai Lin's eyes glinted. "We're heading to a ruin. I used my contribution points from the pills to exchange for a treasure map in the Sect Treasury."

"A ruin?" Yu Chen asked curiously.

"Yes. The location is dangerous… but worth it. By the way, where are the rest of the pills?"

"I have them with me, Master."

[You have received 600,000 Coins.]

[You have spent 350,000 Coins on buying Seven Pure Foundation Pills.]

[Balance: 303,712]

"It'll take a week to auction them, right?"

"No," she replied with a sly smile. "This time, we're using the Imperial Auction—not the Sect's. It happens in three days."

Yu Chen whistled. "Fancy."

They flew for nearly ten hours, chatting, laughing, sometimes just basking in silence. When they arrived, the landscape changed abruptly.

Grey mist blanketed the trees. The air was thick with a green and black aura. Trees had withered, their leaves turned to ash, their roots exposed like veins in dying skin.

"Master…" Yu Chen tightened his arms around her waist. "This place is creepy."

"Don't try to take advantage of the situation," she said without looking back.

"Hehehe… caught me," he thought.

They landed. The ground was spongy, unnaturally dark. A den-like entrance stood before them.

Mai Lin narrowed her eyes, scanning with her spiritual sense while Yu Chen activated a Spirit Flash to light their path.

[Balance: 303,692] (-20)

"Master—" he started.

"Shhhh," she whispered sharply, raising her hand. Her tone was different now. Serious. Protective.

As they stepped deeper, torches on the wall ignited on their own, lighting the path with eerie, dancing flames.

"Well, that's convenient," Yu Chen muttered, dimming his Spirit Flash.

Ahead, a stone door blocked their path.

"Looks like we just need to walk up and open it," Mai Lin said.

They took a step—then whizz—a sword flew past, nearly grazing Yu Chen's neck.

Mai Lin reacted instantly, spinning and pulling Yu Chen behind her. Another sword came, and she dodged, slashing it down with her dagger.

Then came the skeletons.

Brittle bones clattered as humanoid figures crawled from the shadows.

Yu Chen yelped. "Master! There's a dead guy—"

"Duck!" she ordered, slicing another down. But no matter how many she cut, they rose again, fueled by strange energy.

Yu Chen stepped back—then felt something stir within.

A hunger.

He raised his hand instinctively. A swirl of black energy pulled from his palm and wrapped around a skeleton.

[+12 Undead Points Devoured]

[Congratulations! You have unlocked an Attribute: Undead Lv. 1 (12/100)]

Yu Chen grinned.

"Master! Throw me one!" he called out.

"What?!"

"Do you want explanations or results?!"

"...Fine!" she grumbled and slashed a skeleton, tossing its bones toward him.

He absorbed them one after another:

+12

+14

+11

+12

+12

...

Bones fell. Skeletons withered.

Then, all at once, the remaining undead knelt—and crumbled into dust.

[Congratulations! You are officially a Junior Necromancer. Your status has changed.]

The stone door creaked open.

"How… how did they just vanish?" Mai Lin asked, blade still in hand.

Yu Chen stepped past the dust. "Master… let's go find out."

---

Inside, the room was brighter, the air thick with the scent of decay but strangely peaceful.

At the center lay a large skeleton—cloaked in foreign robes. Beside it, a dusty book and a black ring.

Yu Chen stepped forward and opened the book.

If you're reading this, I'm already dead. You must be a Necromancer.

I am not of this world. I came here through an empty portal—believing it to be treasure. But the currency here is different. The energy is strange. Cultivation… they call it.

He flipped another page.

I killed some of them. Studied their bodies. Found their energy was like the trees—alive, flowing. But I couldn't cultivate it. I could only grow stronger by devouring.

I became hunted. One of them—he came flying—killed me with a single slash. I died a virgin. Damn it.

Yu Chen chuckled under his breath.

If you've found this, take the ring on my hand and it will guide you. You'll need three items to unlock your full potential as a Necromancer. For now, this will give you partial access. Find them. Find the legacy. Become my descendant.

Yu Chen took the ring gently.

Mai Lin stared at him, confused and a little worried. "What now?"

Yu Chen smiled, his hand glowing faintly with undead aura. "Now, Master…I will follow you."