Footsteps thunder across the courtyard. Lanterns flare to life one after another, light spilling wildly as confused disciples rush out of their rooms.
"What's going on?!"
"Upstairs, I heard something!"
The entire sect jolts awake in an instant. Steel scrapes as weapons are drawn. Doors slam open, and shadows dart across the windows of the upper floors.
Then, a familiar sensation washes through him.
Warm. Clean. Undeniable.
A translucent notification flickers into existence before his eyes.
Experience gained.
Aiden's gaze sharpens.
So they succeeded.
The sect master is dead.
Up above, the noise falters. A scream is cut short. The commotion loses its center, turning chaotic and unfocused. Disciples hesitate, shouting over one another, no longer sure where to go.
The moment the experience settles, Aiden doesn't hesitate.
He unsummon the two.
Both bronze-grade undead vanish without a sound, their figures dissolving into faint motes of darkness before anyone can get a clear look at them. By the time the sect disciples rush toward the third floor, there's nothing left to find, no intruders, no traces, only the corpse and blood.
Aiden slips away.
He moves fast, keeping to the shadows, taking narrow streets and back routes until the noise fades behind him. In a dark alley, he stops and pulls off the cloak and layered garments that make him stand out. The suspicious attire disappears into his storage, replaced by ordinary clothes fit for just another passerby.
Only then does he slow his pace.
By the time he returns to the inn, the streets are quiet again. Lantern light flickers gently as if nothing unusual happened tonight.
Aiden climbs the stairs and enters his room, closing the door behind him. He leans against it for a moment, exhaling.
'Killing a beginner practitioners… and still not enough to level up? Or that guy was a fake.' he thinks.
He moves to the table, sits down, and focuses.
The transparent screen appears once more. This time, he opens the skill tree.
Branches of dark symbols unfold in his vision, some glowing faintly, others locked behind ominous seals. Paths of power stretch outward, summoning, control, enhancement, domination.
Aiden's eyes trace the options carefully.
"…Let's see what's good," he murmurs.
At level seven, the skill tree doesn't look grand or overwhelming.
It's simple. Bare. Almost crude.
Aiden sits on the edge of the bed, eyes half-lidded as the translucent screen hovers before him. Dark lines branch out like veins, each ending in a faintly glowing symbol. These are beginner necromancer skills, nothing flashy, nothing world-shaking.
But even the basics can kill people.
He scrolls slowly, reading each description with care.
One skill allows him to strengthen summoned undead, reinforcing their bones and muscles for a short time. Simple, but effective. Another focuses on mana efficiency, reducing the cost of maintaining active summons. There's a skill that improves control, making undead react faster and follow commands with greater precision.
He exhales softly and mutters, "From what I remember… level twenty is when things actually start getting interesting."
That's when new branches open. Skills that go beyond basic summoning. Abilities that let necromancers do things people fear, things that earn them their reputation.
But he isn't there yet.
Right now, he has two skill points.
Aiden leans back, eyes narrowing as he weighs his options. At this stage, raw power matters less than survival. Mana conservation. Control. Efficiency. Those are what keep him alive long enough to reach level twenty.
After a few minutes of careful thought, Aiden makes his decision.
He isn't looking for anything flashy. He needs skills that keep him alive, and keep his undead useful.
His focus settles on the first skill.
Undead Reinforcement.
The description is straightforward. By channeling mana into his summons, Aiden can temporarily strengthen their bodies for one minute. Bones become harder, muscles denser. Their strikes hit heavier, their movements become sharper, and even low-grade undead gain a noticeable boost in combat ability.
No permanent increase.
Just sixty seconds of overwhelming pressure.
Aiden nods slowly. "That'll do."
In a real fight, one minute is more than enough.
He confirms the selection. The skill icon darkens, sinking into the tree as a faint warmth spreads through his chest. He can feel it, an instinctive understanding of how to use the skill.
One point spent.
He moves on to the second skill.
This one is different.
Undead Sight.
For one minute, Aiden can see through the eyes of one of his summoned undead. Distance doesn't matter, as long as the summon exists. The skill consumes little mana.
A scouting tool.
With this, he can send undead ahead, scout buildings, watch enemies without exposing himself. In a world where stepping into the wrong place can get him killed, information is priceless.
He selects the skill.
The second point vanishes.
The skill tree dims, its available options closing off. For now, he's done.