The gate pulsed with a dull, ominous glow as Min-jun approached it. The F-rank dungeon beyond it was small, almost unremarkable, but he knew better. Dungeons weren't measured by size—they were measured by what they demanded of you.
Seo-ah waited beside him, checking her bowstring one last time. "Remember," she said softly, "don't rush. Let your skeletons do the work, but keep control. They'll respond faster than you think."
Min-jun nodded, feeling the familiar tingle of mana under his skin. "Understood."
He activated Skeleton Storage.
Clack.
Clack.
Crack.
The three skeletons appeared: Basic, Warrior, and Elite. The elite's black mist flickered faintly, unstable but alert.
Min-jun clenched his fists. "Stay close. Listen to me. Do not move without my command."
The warrior skeleton stepped forward, towering, bones scraped faintly as it adjusted to his instructions. The basic skeleton shuffled, fingers cracking audibly, while the elite leaned slightly forward, its glowing eye sockets locked on the dungeon's dark entrance.
*This is the first time I'm commanding more than one evolved unit at once,* Min-jun thought, tension knotting his stomach.
The moment they stepped into the dungeon, shadows stirred. Three goblins leaped from the walls, screaming.
"Frontline!" Seo-ah shouted.
Dong-hyun barreled ahead, swinging his mace, but one goblin dodged and slashed his leg. He grunted, staggering, and Min-jun reacted immediately.
"Move!"
The warrior skeleton blocked the attack, cracking a rib but holding the goblin's attention. The basic skeleton jabbed awkwardly, missing entirely, but the distraction was enough for Dong-hyun to regain balance.
The elite skeleton leaped high, striking one goblin down with a snap of its reinforced arm.
*Good… that's it.* Min-jun thought, feeling a rush of control and relief.
[EXP Gained: 12]
[Battle Contribution: High]
The goblins were quickly dispatched, but the dungeon didn't wait. A low, guttural roar echoed from the end of the hall. The ground trembled slightly, and Min-jun's stomach dropped.
A massive mutant wolf stepped forward, larger than anything he had seen in the F-rank dungeons so far. Its fur bristled with spikes of bone, eyes glowing red.
"Alpha," Hye-jin whispered.
Min-jun's system chimed urgently.
[Boss Detected]
[Level 15]
[Battle Difficulty: Moderate-Floor Rising]
He inhaled deeply. "Skeletons… evolve if necessary. Don't hold back."
The elite's black mist flared. The basic and warrior skeletons stiffened, their bones rattling as mana surged through them.
Min-jun felt it too—his own mana stretching to compensate for their growth, linking them together in a fragile balance.
The wolf charged.
The warrior skeleton met it head-on, clashing against bone and claw. The basic skeleton tried to flank, only to be thrown against a wall. The elite skeleton moved with terrifying precision, slamming the wolf's snout into the ground.
Min-jun gritted his teeth. "Hold… hold it!"
[Hierarchy Advancement Progress: Elite → Commander 25%]
The wolf roared, shaking debris from the ceiling. Min-jun could feel the adrenaline surge, his heart hammering as he coordinated three skeletons simultaneously, dodging the wolf's strikes and countering with bone-shattering precision.
Seo-ah's arrows flew with deadly accuracy, striking open gaps created by his undead soldiers. Dong-hyun blocked the wolf's claws with his shield, while Hye-jin's spells kept it off balance.
Finally, with a synchronized strike from the elite skeleton and Seo-ah's arrow to the heart, the wolf collapsed.
Silence filled the dungeon.
Min-jun exhaled shakily. The three skeletons shuffled, bones cracking as they straightened.
[EXP Gained: 200]
[Level Up!]
[Level 12 Reached]
He slumped slightly against a wall. "We… did it."
Seo-ah approached, her smile soft but genuine. "You're really learning to command them."
Min-jun looked at his skeletons. Each one bore scratches, cracks, or slight imperfections—but they stood, ready.
*This is the first real test of command,* he thought. *And we passed.*
The system window flickered quietly in the corner.
[Hidden Condition Progress Updated]
[Commander Skeleton Path: 33%]
Outside, dusk was falling over the city.
Somewhere, distant eyes watched, sharp and calculating, noting every level, every skeletal movement, every surge of mana.
And Kang Min-jun, common necromancer, was slowly beginning to step into a world where levels, power, and attention never rested.