---
Chapter 30: First Mission — Abandoned Village Hunt
The wind howled as Ray tightened the straps on his leather armor.
Around him, his small team prepared for departure.
Jonas — a sword-user, reckless but loyal.
Elsa — an archer, sharp-eyed, calm.
Lena — a healer, soft-spoken but stubborn.
And of course, Ray — the hidden necromancer with a beast domain secret under his skin.
They had accepted the same mission:
Scout and investigate the abandoned village beyond Green Hollow Woods.
Reward: 100 Academy Points + 20 Country Coins each.
---
Departure
The Academy gates creaked open.
Hundreds of students poured out, groups forming, heading to different mission zones.
Ray's group moved quickly, crossing the outer walls, then into the wilderness.
The scent of damp earth and the rustle of unseen beasts filled the air.
Jonas chuckled nervously.
"This is it! Our first real mission! I feel like a hero already!"
Elsa rolled her eyes. "Focus, idiot. Heroes die first."
Lena just smiled faintly and adjusted her small staff.
Ray said little, his mind focused.
Inside, Seventeen guided him.
> "Observe, Host.
The world outside the Academy is cruel.
Missions are not 'training' — they are wars written small.
Trust your instincts... or die."
Ray's lips twitched into a cold smile.
He wouldn't die.
Not today.
---
Green Hollow Woods
The trees grew thicker as they entered Green Hollow.
Moss dripped from the branches.
Thorny vines covered the ground.
It felt...wrong.
Too quiet.
Jonas whispered, "I don't like this."
Neither did Ray.
He extended his senses slowly, subtly tapping into his Domain Link, sensing if any summoned beast of his tree was nearby.
[Frost Wolf (Lv1)]
— Location: Far behind, but following quietly.
Good.
If things got ugly, he had backup.
They moved carefully, eyes scanning.
Suddenly — a howl echoed from deeper inside the woods.
Low. Guttural. Hungry.
Not wolves.
Something worse.
---
Abandoned Village
They found the village near sunset.
Broken fences.
Collapsed roofs.
A single rusty bell swinging in the breeze.
And blood.
Old stains on the stone streets.
Jonas muttered, "Looks abandoned alright."
Elsa drew an arrow to her bow.
"No. Look again."
Ray's eyes narrowed.
Tracks.
Clawed footprints.
Deep drag marks.
And —
a carcass, freshly killed.
Half-eaten.
Something still lived here.
Something hungry.
---
The Attack
Without warning, a black blur launched from a rooftop.
Ghoul!
Its grey skin stretched tightly over bones, glowing yellow eyes locked on Ray.
(Fast!)
Ray dodged sideways, spear flashing out instinctively —
— slashing a deep line across the creature's ribs.
Jonas roared and charged, swinging his sword wildly.
Elsa loosed arrows, striking cleanly.
Lena threw up a healing shield just in time as another ghoul leapt at Jonas.
> "Two Ghouls, Host. No... more nearby.
Alert. Incoming."
Seventeen's voice was sharp.
Ray gritted his teeth.
This wasn't a simple scouting mission.
It was a trap.
A survival test.
---
Ray's Move
Ray thrust his spear, pinning one ghoul to a wall.
But three more slithered out from the ruins.
Too many.
Not enough time.
Ray's eyes flickered coldly.
He sent a silent call to his hidden Domain.
[Summon: Frost Wolf Lv1]
In a burst of silver light, the small Frost Wolf emerged beside him —
— sleek fur bristling, fangs dripping cold mist.
Jonas yelped, "What the hell?! Where did that come from?!"
Ray barked, "Later! Fight now!"
The Frost Wolf howled and leapt into battle, slamming into a ghoul, freezing its legs solid.
---
Brutal Fight
The battle became chaos.
Jonas and Ray fought back-to-back.
Elsa sniped from rooftops.
Lena scrambled to heal.
Ghouls hissed and screeched, swarming.
But they underestimated Ray.
Spearing one through the chest, he muttered under his breath:
[Rise Undead]
A dark pulse ran down his arm.
The dead ghoul jerked —
then stood.
Its eyes now burned blue.
Under Ray's control.
Jonas nearly dropped his sword.
"W-what did you just do?!"
Ray smirked faintly.
"Adaptation."
---
Victory
Minutes later, the last ghoul fell, head crushed under the Frost Wolf's fangs.
The ruined village grew silent once more.
Blood steamed in the cold air.
Ray stood panting slightly, surrounded by corpses, one frost wolf, and one freshly-risen ghoul minion.
Jonas stared at him like he'd grown horns.
Elsa narrowed her eyes.
Smart girl.
She suspected.
Lena just looked relieved.
Seventeen spoke again:
> "Good harvest, Host.
First blood spilled.
First victory seized.
Continue. This is only the beginning."
Ray wiped blood from his spear.
He agreed.
This was just the first step.
---
Chapter 31: Whispers in the Academy
The academy gates loomed ahead under the rising moon.
Ray and his team stumbled through, bruised, bloody — but alive.
At the outer checkpoint, guards blinked in surprise.
Low-rank students.
First mission.
And they returned alive...and victorious?
It was rare.
Very rare.
Ray felt the stares already building like heat on his skin.
---
Mission Hall
Inside the great Mission Hall, hundreds of students bustled.
Tired faces.
Some victorious.
Many broken.
The Mission Board master — a grim-faced man named Instructor Harrow — stood waiting.
He waved them over.
"Report."
Jonas banged his chest proudly. "Mission completed, sir!
Ghouls eliminated!
Village cleared!"
Instructor Harrow's brow furrowed.
"Ghouls?
That wasn't in the assignment briefing."
Ray spoke coolly, "Ambush. Hidden infestation."
Elsa added sharply, "They would have spread beyond the woods if left unchecked."
Harrow stared at them.
Then — he smiled.
A rare, dangerous smile.
"You lot. Good instincts."
He flicked a seal onto their badges.
[Mission Cleared — Bonus Reward Granted]
+120 Academy Points
+30 Country Coins
Ray bowed lightly.
Inside, Seventeen whispered:
> "Academy Points: 160
Country Coins: 50"
Progress.
Slow.
Steady.
---
Whispers Begin
As they exited, Ray heard it.
The whispers.
"That's them?"
"The newbies who survived Green Hollow?"
"One of them summoned a beast out of nowhere!"
"I heard one raised the dead—"
Ray kept walking, face blank.
Elsa fell in step beside him.
"You showed too much."
Ray shrugged. "Had no choice."
Lena looked worried.
Jonas just grinned like an idiot, soaking up the attention.
Above, hidden in the tower windows, instructors watched them too.
Some curious.
Some calculating.
Some...hungry.
---
First Internal Rankings
That night, the Academy released the First Internal Rankings.
Projected by glowing mana screens across the dorms:
> Top 100 Rookie Teams — Preliminary List
Ray's team?
Rank #37.
Jonas screamed so loud that night half the dormitory woke up.
Elsa rolled her eyes.
Lena quietly clapped.
Ray just stared at the number, mind calculating.
#37...
Still weak.
Still too visible.
---
The System's Advice
Alone in his room, Ray sat cross-legged on the bed.
Seventeen spoke.
> "Host, warning:
Visibility is a double-edged sword.
Strength draws envy.
Growth invites assassination.
Be prepared.
Accelerate internal power-building."
Ray smiled faintly.
"I know."
He opened his Status window.
---
[Status]
Name: Ray Winterborn
Class: Necromancer (Hidden)
Level: 7
HP: 240/240
MP: 410/410
Skills:
[Rise Undead Lv2]
[Beast Domain Link Lv1]
[Summon: Frost Wolf Lv1]
Summons:
[Frost Wolf x1]
[Ghoul x1 (Controlled)]
Academy Points: 160
Country Coins: 50
---
He needed more.
Faster.
And the next mission...
He would aim for blood.
More undead.
More beasts.
A stronger Domain.
Slowly, steadily, until no one could touch him.
Not even the instructors.
---
(End of Chapter 31)
---
---
Chapter 32: Choosing the Bloody Path
The Academy buzzed with restless energy.
The First Rankings had shaken everyone.
Students who had stayed in safe zones before... now sharpened their weapons.
Teachers began hinting:
"Survivors thrive. Cowards rot."
And worst of all —
the Mission Board released new notices.
Glowing banners flashed across every hall:
---
> [Solo and Duo Missions Unlocked for Top 50 Rookie Teams!]
Warning:
Higher risk
High casualties reported
Survival not guaranteed
---
Ray stood before the towering Mission Board, arms folded.
Around him, groups murmured, terrified.
Only a few dared to approach the new missions.
Elsa tugged his sleeve, nervous.
"Ray, are you sure?"
Ray's lips curved slightly.
"I'm taking a solo mission."
Elsa opened her mouth — but Seventeen spoke before she could.
> "Good choice, Host.
Greed for survival leads to true power."
Ray scanned the list carefully.
---
Mission Selected:
> [Special Mission - Corpse Recovery]
Location: Deadwood Ravine
Objective: Retrieve the body of fallen Soldier-Class Beast — Wraith Hound
Reward:
500 Academy Points
100 Country Coins
Hidden Bonus
---
"Perfect," Ray muttered.
Deadwood Ravine was cursed land.
Only fools went there voluntarily.
Or monsters.
Ray chuckled under his breath.
He was becoming both.
---
Preparation
Back at his dorm, Ray packed lightly:
Two potions
Basic survival kit
Mana-restoration berries (provided by Academy)
Summoning Crystals for Frost Wolf and Ghoul
Then, quietly, he added a new item from the God Shop:
> [Frostbite Dagger - F-Rank Artifact]
Deals bonus cold damage
Increases kill efficiency by 10% against beasts
Bought for 30 Academy Points — cheap but lethal.
Seventeen approved:
> "Efficiency is key.
Speed is survival."
Ray slid the blade into his belt.
Tonight, he would hunt...
and steal from Death itself.
---
Deadwood Ravine (Later That Night)
Moonlight barely touched the twisted black trees.
Ray moved like a ghost between the broken stones, senses sharp.
Frost Wolf trotted silently beside him, breath misting in the cold.
Ghoul slithered behind, eyes glowing faintly.
The ravine stank of rot.
A thick, sickening miasma rolled along the ground.
Ray's lips twisted in disgust — but he didn't slow.
His target was close.
Very close.
---
> "**Warning, Host.
Three hostile entities detected.
Types:
Lesser Gravehound (F Rank)
Lesser Gravehound (F Rank)
Gravehound Alpha (E Rank)**"
---
Ray's eyes narrowed.
"Perfect warmup."
He raised a hand.
"[Rise Undead] — prepare to feast."
---
Battle Begins
The first Gravehound leapt from the shadows —
massive jaws snapping.
Frost Wolf met it midair, howling.
The clash sent snow and blood spraying.
Ray sidestepped the second Gravehound's charge easily, driving the Frostbite Dagger deep into its neck.
The cold blade hissed — freezing flesh instantly.
The Gravehound shuddered, slowed — then collapsed.
Dead.
The Alpha Gravehound snarled.
Thicker.
Faster.
Smarter.
It circled, red eyes gleaming with hatred.
Ray smiled coldly.
"Come."
---
The Alpha charged — a blur of death.
Ray whispered:
"[Summon: Frost Wolf — Double]"
With a flash of icy blue light, a second Frost Wolf materialized.
Two wolves crashed into the Alpha — biting, freezing, tearing.
Ray wove between them, dagger flashing.
Finally —
with a final stab to the spine, the Gravehound fell.
Silence.
Blood pooled at Ray's boots.
He straightened, breathing hard.
Then smiled.
---
> "[Skill Absorption Attempted — Success!]
[Grave Howl Lv1] obtained.
(An AOE fear skill — usable 3 times/day.)**"
---
Ray's grin widened.
More tools.
More terror.
Seventeen praised him:
> "Beautiful. Efficient. Bloody.
Just like a Necromancer should be."
---
Mission Target Found
Deeper into the ravine, they found it.
The Wraith Hound's corpse.
Huge.
Half-eaten by scavengers.
Still oozing faint mana.
Ray hurried.
He threw a Corpse Preservation Seal onto it (bought from God Shop earlier).
The body froze in time — stopping decay.
Mission done?
No.
Ray knelt beside the corpse, eyes gleaming.
He whispered:
"[Rise Undead] —
Fang of Ice, answer my call."
---
[Temporary Summon Acquired: Wraith Hound (F-Rank)]
(Durability: 48 hours)
---
A ghostly, frost-clad hound rose, snarling silently.
Seventeen laughed softly:
> "Cheating death. Good boy."
Ray mounted the Wraith Hound casually.
"Let's go."
They vanished into the mists —
leaving only blood and silence behind.
---
(End of Chapter 32