Time passed.
Lucien Vaelthorn, now thirteen years of age, was far from the helpless infant once buried under the wreckage of a ruined carriage. His body remained frail and confined to the bone-crafted wheelchair that Alazaar had constructed for him, but his mind, sharpened through years of experimentation and study, had matured far beyond his age.
Within the crypt's endless gloom, Lucien had immersed himself in study—of magic, of necromancy, of the system and the forge. Under Alazaar's guidance, his understanding had deepened, and over time he began crafting more capable undead. Of course, few ever survived long. Alazaar's very presence exerted pressure so intense that most creations crumbled into dust if they dared approach. But Lucien kept improving. He tested formulas, enhanced structures, and refined soul infusion techniques.
And eventually… one held.
A goblin swordsman skeleton. A product of high-quality goblin bones, well-shaped and intact, carefully arranged with reinforced joints and balanced limb ratios. Into this creation, Lucien had infused 200 mana—doubling what he had used on the chimera—and that investment had borne fruit. The construct moved like a duelist, graceful and fluid. It wielded a bone-carved blade with frightening precision. Where the chimera was raw ferocity, this one was cold, deliberate technique.
Lucien named it simply: "Swordsman."
Today, Lucien sat near the crypt's entrance, the goblin swordsman standing silently beside him like a bodyguard. His Soul Points sat at 2,450—just shy of the requirement for his next goal. The moment he turned thirteen, the system had notified him:
**Class Unlock Requirement Met: Class Available at Level 10.**
He needed 2,700 Soul Points to reach that mark. And now, finally, he was close.
Lucien glanced over his shoulder into the graveyard, a sea of wandering undead. Zombies, skeletons, ghouls—mindless, soulless things. He had avoided using them for testing for years, but now? He needed more points. He needed progress.
He left the chimera construct behind and moved out into the open, wheeling himself between the headstones. His presence barely registered to the aimless dead… until his sword-wielding construct stepped forward.
With a silent command from Lucien, the construct sprang into action.
The skeletons were level 25, and though stronger than goblins, they were still no match. The goblin swordsman moved like a ghost, cutting through them with surgical precision. Bone clashed against bone as the duel began, and Lucien watched—wide-eyed—as his creation spun, ducked, and parried like a true master of the blade. The sword wasn't just slashing wildly; it was deflecting strikes, exploiting openings, countering with poise.
Each kill earned him 250 Soul Points. And after three quick eliminations…
**+250 Soul Points [Lv. 25 Skeleton]**
**+250 Soul Points [Lv. 25 Zombie]**
**+250 Soul Points [Lv. 25 Skeleton]**
**[Soul Points: 2,950]**
Lucien opened his interface, hand trembling with anticipation. Finally, he tapped the glowing "Level Up" button.
**[Level Up!]**
**[Level: 1 ➝ 10]**
A rush of energy surged through him. He clenched the armrest of his wheelchair as his body tingled with raw power. With each level gained, the system allocated stats based on his class path, even if he had yet to officially receive it.
And then, at level 10:
**[Class Unlock: Necromancer]**
**[Necroforge Detected – Assigning Class Automatically]**
**[Class Assigned: Necromancer]**
**[Trait Gained: One with the Grave]**
*While standing in a death-infused area, Mana Regeneration increases by 50% and Spell Damage increases by 10%*
**[Skill Gained: Bone Thorn]**
*Conjures 3 sharpened bone spikes that hurl toward a target. Damage scales with INT.*
**[Skill Gained: Animate Dead]**
*Raises corpses to serve as basic skeletons. Limited by summoning slots.*
Lucien took a deep breath and opened his updated status:
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
**Name**: Lucien Vaelthorn
**Race**: Human
**Class**: Necromancer
**Level**: 10
**Title**: None
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
**HP**: 20
**MP**: 1,020
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
**Stats:**
• CON: 1 (Locked – Glass Bones)
• STR: 1 (Locked – Glass Bones)
• DEX: 0 (Locked – Bound to Chair)
• INT: 56
• WIS: 19
• CHA: 17
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
**Soul Points**: 250
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
**Traits:**
• Bound to the Chair *(Negative)*
• Glass Body *(Negative)*
• Cursed Bloodline *(Negative)*
• Mana Fiend
• Magic Prodigy
• Eidetic Memory
• Scion of the Necroline
• Darkness Affinity
• Blood Manipulation
• Cold-Blooded
• One with the Grave
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
**Skills:**
• Necroforge
• Bone Thorn
• Animate Dead
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
**Summons (Necroforge)**: 2/18
• [Goblin Swordsman - Mana Infused]
• [Chimera - Mana Infused]
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
**Summons (Animate Dead)**: 0/10
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
**Mastery**: 0
00.00% / 100%
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Lucien exhaled slowly. He had done it. He finally had a class.
He waved his hand toward a nearby zombie crawling from an open grave.
"Let's test it…"
He whispered, "Bone Thorn."
Three ethereal spikes of bone spiraled into the air behind him—glowing faintly with necrotic light. With a flick of his finger, they launched forward and skewered the zombie clean through.
**+250 Soul Points [Lv. 25 Zombie]**
He smiled.
Then, he turned to the field littered with corpses from the earlier massacre. With another gesture, he activated his second new spell.
"Animate Dead."
The system responded.
**[10 Skeletons Raised – Summoning Limit Reached]**
**[Animate Dead Slots: 10/10]**
The skeletons assembled in front of him in formation, then dropped to one knee in perfect unison.
Lucien grinned, eyes sharp, mind already planning.
The world would come to fear the name Vaelthorn again.
Lucien sat silently as his summoned skeletons continued kneeling before him. He crossed his legs, placed his hands neatly in his lap, and tried his best to look like a cold, commanding young noble. His silver hair caught the faint green glow of the skeletons' eyes, and his narrowed gaze scanned the horizon as though lost in deep, sinister thought.
Then came the voice.
"Interesting," Alazaar said, his tone rich with amusement.
Lucien jumped slightly, startled, then turned to see the Archlich standing nearby, arms folded behind his back, observing the scene with a curious gleam in his hollow sockets.
"You were watching?" Lucien asked, composing himself quickly.
Alazaar stepped forward, his tattered robes dragging against the mossy stone. "Indeed. I wanted to see how far your control and instinct had developed. That construct of yours…" — he turned to regard the goblin skeleton swordsman — "is proving rather impressive. Dispatching level 25 undead as though they were nothing."
Alazaar then turned to the line of kneeling skeletons. His sockets flared with green energy. "And I see… you have also awoken."
The skeletons didn't move or respond, but Lucien noticed a faint shift in the atmosphere — as if Alazaar's very presence compelled even the undead to remain still.
Lucien smirked quietly to himself. It wasn't just performance anymore. He was starting to become the role.