Chapter 7: The Catalyst & The Steelbone Warriors
[The Secret Sepulchre]
The safe house Sera had secured was not glamorous. It was a decommissioned warehouse unit tucked away in a maze of industrial sprawl, far from the regulated mana grids of the city center. It was dusty, silent, and, most importantly, invisible to the Stellar Halo's mana-scanning drones.
Rudraunsh pulled the shutters closed, sealing himself into the cavernous space. The moment the door locked, he felt the heavy burden of the Ancient Ossuary Fragment pressing against his mana core. The obsidian bone was a magnet for death energy, constantly pulling and filtering the residual Necrotic mana from the Black Market raid.
He was exhausted, but adrenaline and the presence of the catalyst wouldn't allow him rest. This was the moment of transformation.
He placed the fragment on a clean sheet of plastic wrap laid on the concrete floor. It looked benign, yet it resonated with an ancient power that dwarfed his initial E-Rank summons.
I must not rush this. The essence of the Undying Authority was order and control, not explosive power. A botched evolution could destroy the catalyst and set back his ascent indefinitely.
Rudraunsh focused his mind, reaching deep into the cold void of his Immortal Sepulchre. He pulled the two Rusted Bone Skeletons forth, summoning them from their dormant state. They materialized instantly, perfect and silent, their blue eyes reflecting the warehouse lights.
"You have been upgraded," Rudraunsh whispered, his voice gaining a new, authoritative edge. "You will be strengthened by the essence of true, immortal decay."
He channeled a focused stream of his Undying Authority mana—the high-tier energy derived from the Dao—into the fragment. The obsidian bone immediately began to glow, the silver streaks turning into ribbons of pulsing, cold light. The entire air of the warehouse dropped several degrees.
[The Forced Evolution]
The process was not slow or methodical; it was forced, driven by the intense energy of the Grade 3 catalyst. Rudraunsh had aimed for a smooth Grade 1 evolution, but the power of the Ossuary Fragment demanded a higher leap.
The two Rusted Bone Skeletons shambled toward the fragment, drawn by the irresistible pull of the Necrotic Earth Mana. As they touched the obsidian surface, the bone structure of the summons began a violent, terrifying transformation.
The rust and decay vanished instantly, peeling away like old skin. The brittle, cobbled-together fragments fused, compressing with an audible CRUNCHING sound. The bones darkened, turning from pale gray to a dense, metallic sheen of black. Their frames swelled, growing from three feet tall to nearly five and a half feet, acquiring the broad, muscular shoulders of hardened warriors.
The Undying Authority channeled through Rudraunsh acted as the binding agent, forcing the Ossuary Fragment's power to integrate perfectly. He felt a sharp, burning pain in his core as the mana flowed out of him, not just to sustain the summons, but to rewrite their very existence.
The transformation climaxed in a loud, resonant CLANG! as the final pieces of their new, dense armor-like frames locked into place. Where two Rusted Bone Skeletons had stood, there were now two towering, imposing figures clad entirely in polished, obsidian bone.
They were the Steelbone Warriors.
[The Cost and the Power]
Rudraunsh gasped, collapsing to one knee. His mana core felt like a vacuum. The transformation was complete, but it had cost him nearly 90% of his current total mana. It was a crippling cost, far exceeding the drain of the Black Market stunt.
However, the result was staggering.
He checked their status with his internal system interface:
> [Summon Status: Steelbone Warrior (x2)]
> Rank: D-Rank (Mid)
> Core Material: Necrotic Earth Mana + Ancient Ossuary Fragment
> Primary Ability: Undying Authority (Grade 1) - Physical damage below the threshold of continuous B-Rank assault is nullified by instant, perfect repair.
> Secondary Trait: Necrotic Earth Resistance - Immune to all Earth-based magical damage.
> Sustained Mana Consumption: 8% per Warrior (Down from 12%)
> Note: Efficiency has increased dramatically due to material density.
>
The efficiency was the true victory. Despite being vastly more powerful—jumping from weak E-Rank to solid D-Rank—their sustained mana cost had decreased! The density of the new bone material acted as a better mana conduit, requiring less effort from Rudraunsh to maintain them.
He had gained two reliable D-Rank allies, armed with perfect repair functions, and he was still only an E-Rank student. This was the true power of the Catastrophe: disproportionate force at minimal cost.
Rudraunsh quickly stored both Steelbone Warriors back into the Immortal Sepulchre. The moment they vanished, his remaining mana began the slow, painful process of regeneration.
He then retrieved the Ossuary Fragment. It was now dull, gray, and completely inert, all its active power consumed. It had served its purpose. He tossed the dead fragment into a corner.
[The First Assignment]
Rudraunsh spent the next eight hours in a meditative trance, aggressively absorbing mana to replenish his core. By dawn, he was back to 80% capacity, feeling the raw, refined strength of the Undying Authority coursing through his veins.
His burner phone chirped. It was a new message from Sera, sent while he was meditating.
> [S.S.] : Congratulations on the acquisition. I assume the evolution was successful. I've initiated the next phase.
> [S.S.] : The Stellar Halo investigation has been slowed but not stopped. Officer Kang, D-74, is proving persistent. He has narrowed his search to abandoned public facilities in this industrial sector. He is operating alone, hoping to grab the credit for catching the "Dark Mage."
> [S.S.] : He is in your quadrant. Your mission has changed.
> [S.S.] : Goal: Neutralize Officer Kang. Do not kill him. You must instill enough fear and psychological terror to force him to file an Internal Stress Report, resulting in his reassignment or forced early retirement. If he catches you, the Stellar Halo will have physical proof of the Indigo Trace. You are a ghost. You must remain a ghost.
>
Rudraunsh stood up, the fatigue entirely gone, replaced by a cold, thrilling focus. This was his first true operational conflict against the authority of the Stellar Halo—the organization that would eventually hunt him across continents.
He wasn't hunting a monster, but a Hunter. He wasn't using strength, but psychological warfare. He was testing the limits of fear against a dedicated Hunter—the perfect assignment for the ultimate Necromancer.
He reached into the Immortal Sepulchre, feeling the cold, heavy presence of his two newly forged Steelbone Warriors. They were ready to fight, or ready to terrify.
"It's time to show the Stellar Halo what happens when they chase the dark," Rudraunsh muttered, his expression grim and absolute.