Min-jun arrived at the meeting point ten minutes early.
The dungeon gate stood between two abandoned warehouses, its surface rippling like dark water. Yellow warning tape fluttered in the wind, and two Association guards stood nearby, chatting casually.
Yoon Seo-ah was already there.
She leaned against a concrete pillar, arms crossed, bow resting at her side. When she saw Min-jun, she straightened and gave a small nod.
"You came early," she said.
"Habit," Min-jun replied. "Did the others arrive yet?"
"Soon." She studied him for a moment. "You look calmer than yesterday."
Min-jun let out a quiet laugh. "I don't know if that's true. I'm just… used to the fear now."
Seo-ah smiled slightly. "That's how hunters are born."
Two more people arrived shortly after. A stocky man with a mace and a woman in a long coat holding a spellbook.
Introductions were brief.
"Choi Dong-hyun. Tank. Level 15."
"Lim Hye-jin. Support mage. Level 13."
When Min-jun introduced himself, Dong-hyun raised an eyebrow.
"Necromancer?" he asked. "Didn't think anyone still chose that class."
"I didn't choose it," Min-jun replied honestly.
Dong-hyun snorted, but Seo-ah cut in. "He's stronger than he looks."
That shut him up.
The gate pulsed brighter.
"Alright," Seo-ah said. "Same rules. Stay alert. Min-jun, can you summon before we enter?"
Min-jun nodded and focused.
[Skeleton Storage Released]
Black mist swirled beside him.
Clack.
Clack.
The basic skeleton appeared first, slightly hunched. Then the warrior skeleton emerged, heavier, more solid, its presence making Dong-hyun whistle softly.
"…That thing doesn't look basic."
"It's not," Min-jun said quietly.
They stepped through the gate.
The dungeon interior was a ruined subway station. Broken tracks. Collapsed ceilings. The air smelled of rust and old blood.
A screech echoed down the tunnel.
"Rats," Hye-jin muttered. "Big ones."
They didn't have to wait long.
Mutated rats poured out of the shadows, red eyes glowing.
"Frontline!" Seo-ah called.
Dong-hyun charged, mace swinging. Seo-ah's arrows flew past Min-jun's shoulder, piercing skulls cleanly.
Min-jun hesitated for half a breath, then lifted his hand.
"Advance."
The skeletons moved.
The warrior skeleton crushed a rat beneath its foot, while the basic skeleton stabbed awkwardly but persistently.
System notifications chimed rapidly.
[Rat Defeated]
[EXP Gained: 6]
[Rat Defeated]
[EXP Gained: 6]
Min-jun felt the familiar warmth.
This pace… it's steady.
A rat slipped past the frontline, leaping toward Hye-jin.
"Behind!" Min-jun shouted.
The warrior skeleton reacted instantly, throwing itself between them. Its arm was bitten deep, bone cracking.
Min-jun felt a sharp sting in his chest.
So damage transfers… partially.
He clenched his teeth.
"Hold," he whispered.
The skeleton didn't retreat.
Seo-ah glanced back, eyes sharp. "Good control."
The last rat fell.
The station fell silent again.
[Battle Contribution: High]
[EXP Bonus Awarded]
[Level Up!]
[Level 7 Reached]
Min-jun exhaled slowly.
Hye-jin approached him, eyes curious rather than afraid. "Your summons… they protect others."
Min-jun nodded. "They listen."
She smiled faintly. "That's rare."
As they moved deeper, Min-jun noticed something strange.
Bones.
Not scattered randomly, but piled carefully in the corner of the station, as if someone had gathered them.
His head throbbed again.
[Corpse Cluster Detected]
[Optimal Condition for Necromancy]
Seo-ah noticed him slowing. "Something wrong?"
"…I think," Min-jun said carefully, "I can make another one."
Dong-hyun frowned. "In the middle of a dungeon?"
Min-jun swallowed. "I won't if it's dangerous."
The system chimed.
[Raise Basic Skeleton – Available]
He knelt and placed his hand on the bones.
"Just… stay quiet," he whispered.
Dark mist spread.
Clack.
Crack.
A third skeleton rose.
This one was slightly taller. Its bones darker. Its posture straighter.
The system window flashed.
[Basic Skeleton Created]
[Compatibility: High]
[Skeleton Storage Capacity Increased]
Min-jun stared, heart pounding.
"…Three."
Seo-ah's eyes widened just a little.
"Min-jun," she said slowly, "do you realize how abnormal that is?"
He looked at the three skeletons standing in a loose line.
"I'm starting to," he replied.
Deep within the system, unseen text updated again.
[Hierarchy Stability Improving]
[Next Advancement Threshold Approaching]
And somewhere beyond the dungeon walls, unseen eyes turned toward the gate, drawn by the quiet rise of a necromancer no one had taken seriously.