Aiden raised his hand, and with a thought, the transparent screen appeared again. This time, he opened the Skills section.
The display shifted, unfolding into a branching skill tree made of faint, glowing lines. Most of it was grayed out, locked behind requirements he couldn't yet meet. Entire paths vanished into darkness, their names blurred or completely hidden. For now, only the most basic necromancer skills were available to him.
At the corner of the screen, a small line of text caught his eye.
Skill Points Available: 2
"What skill should I get," Aiden muttered.
He slowly scrolled through the list. Each skill hovered in place, accompanied by brief descriptions, buff for summon, minor control enhancements, mana efficiency improvements. Nothing flashy. No instant power-ups. Just steady, practical abilities meant to keep a necromancer alive long enough to grow.
Aiden leaned back against the headboard, eyes narrowing as he read carefully.
Some skills improved summon durability. Others reduced mana drain over time. A few focused on control, faster commands, sharper responses, better coordination between undead. They weren't impressive at first glance, but Aiden knew better. In real fights, these were the differences between survival and death.
He scrolled again, slower this time.
After a long moment of hesitation, Aiden finally made his choice.
His finger hovered over the skill tree, then tapped once.
The first node lit up, its dull gray glow turning a steady pale blue.
[Skill Acquired: Mana Channeling
Effect: Reduces mana consumption of summoned undead by 15%. Increases mana recovery speed while resting.]
Without wasting time, he selected the second skill. The screen shimmered again as another branch activated, thin lines of light spreading through the tree.
[Skill Acquired: Necrotic Sustain
Effect: Summoned undead can remain active longer with reduced passive mana drain. Slightly improves stability of undead constructs.]
The moment the skill settled, Aiden felt it. A faint warmth spread through his chest, subtle but real, like his mana flow had smoothed out. The constant pressure he usually felt while maintaining a summon seemed… lighter.
"So that's what it does," he murmured, clenching his fist once.
Satisfied, Aiden dismissed the screen. The room returned to its quiet stillness, lit only by a dim oil lamp near the wall. Outside, the sounds of the city had faded into distant murmurs, the night settling in.
He lay back on the bed, exhaustion finally catching up to him. His body felt heavy, but not uncomfortable. The mattress was firm enough to support his back, and the blanket carried the faint scent of dried herbs.
"Tomorrow's going to be busy," Aiden said to no one.
With that, he closed his eyes. His breathing slowed, the last of his mana settling naturally as sleep took him. The room grew silent, and the floating screen remained gone as Aiden drifted into a deep, dreamless rest.
---
The next morning, Aiden woke to the faint smell of food drifting up from downstairs. His body felt lighter than the day before, his mana steady and calm. After washing up, he pulled on his robe and headed down to the common area.
Behind the counter, Lira was already busy. A small pot simmered over a low flame, and she moved around with practiced motions, though there was a hint of nervousness in her steps.
When she noticed Aiden, she straightened and bowed slightly. "Good morning, sir. And… thank you for yesterday."
She hesitated, then added, "I forgot to introduce myself yesterday. My name is Lira."
"Aiden," he replied, offering a small nod.
She placed a simple bowl of food on the counter, steam rising gently from it. As Aiden took a seat, he glanced around the inn. It was quiet, too quiet.
"So," Aiden said calmly, "companion of those thugs haven't come yet?"
Lira shook her head. "No. But they will. I'm sure of it."
Aiden picked up his spoon, pausing midair. "Do you know anything about them?"
Lira hesitated, then spoke in a lowered voice. "They belong to a gang. They're well-known in this district. Every month, they come to collect money from small businesses like ours. They call it protection money, but it's just an excuse to rob us. If we can't pay…" Her fingers tightened around the edge of the counter. "They threaten us."
"I see," Aiden said, his tone even. "That's enough to work with. Thanks."
She let out a small breath of relief, as if just talking about it had lifted a weight from her chest. After a moment, she looked around the inn, then back at him.
"Um… sir? Where is your companion? I didn't see him."
Aiden didn't even blink. "I sent him out early to take care of something."
Lira nodded, accepting the answer without question. "I see."
She pushed the bowl a little closer to him. "By the way… this meal is on the house."
Aiden looked at the food, then back at her. "Thanks."