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Chapter 12: The Calm Before the Storm
The morning sunlight barely filtered through the thin curtains of Ray's small room.
Today was supposed to be a simple day. A day of rest, after the chaos of the awakening ceremony.
Ray, however, didn't know what "simple" meant anymore.
Seventeen's voice rang in his mind, full of lazy amusement.
> "Host, your body is still adapting. Minor changes detected. Energy flow is stabilizing. Recommendation: no combat today."
Ray stretched, feeling a strange strength in his limbs. His muscles were leaner, his senses sharper.
Even his heartbeat sounded heavier in his ears.
He looked at his [Status Window].
---
Name: Ray
Age: 12
Class: Necromancer (Hidden Variant)
Level: 1
EXP: 40/100
Skills:
[Raise Undead I] (Novice)
[Absorb Core] (Locked)
[Shadow Storage] (Locked)
[Punarjanam] (Locked)
---
> "Good. You're growing properly." Seventeen hummed like a proud parent.
Ray smiled slightly, then got up to get dressed.
---
Village Celebration (Morning Scene)
Outside, the village was alive.
Children were laughing, carrying their class scrolls proudly.
Families hung colorful banners on wooden houses.
Old men set up tables piled high with food: roasted meat, sweet bread, and jugs of berry wine.
Today wasn't just any day.
It was a Harvest Festival — and thanks to the blessings of the awakening, crops had grown larger, livestock healthier.
Ray walked towards the central square. People noticed him — some smiled, some hesitated.
He wasn't stupid. His "Necromancer" identity was still making them uneasy.
Still, he bowed respectfully to the elders.
Old Man Degar — the village chief — chuckled and waved him over.
> "Boy, come! Your powers may be strange, but today, you are still one of us. Eat, drink!"
Ray nodded, grateful.
In his heart, though, a slight sadness lingered.
He would never be 'normal' again.
---
Small Trouble Brewing (Midday Scene)
Later that day, while Ray was resting under a tree, he noticed a group of kids arguing.
Lina — a young girl with green hair (a future [Nature Mage]) — was crying.
A rough boy named Garan (a newly awakened [Earth Warrior]) was towering over her.
> "Your class is weak!" Garan sneered. "You'll just heal flowers. I'm the real warrior here!"
Ray's fists clenched automatically.
He hated bullies.
Without thinking, he stood up and walked over.
> "Enough, Garan." Ray said quietly.
The older boy turned, surprised — and a little scared.
Ray's reputation was... complicated now.
> "Tch. Fine." Garan muttered, backing off.
Ray knelt in front of Lina, handing her a small wildflower.
> "Your magic is important, too. Never forget that." he said gently.
The girl sniffled and smiled shyly.
From a nearby rooftop, Seventeen observed everything through Ray's senses and muttered,
> "Good job, Host. Building future connections... acceptable. Friendships are important assets."
---
System Notification
Suddenly, Ray's vision flickered.
> [Quest Created: The Bonds of the Future]
Form bonds with at least 5 future talents in the village before leaving for Academy.
Reward: 200 EXP + [Mysterious Seed] (F Rank).
Ray's heart skipped.
Seventeen explained casually,
> "Connections matter, Ray. Your army won't just be the dead. The living are equally useful... if not more."
---
Small Training (Evening Scene)
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Ray slipped out of the village.
He found a quiet clearing, raised his hand — and focused.
> "[Rise Undead]."
The earth trembled slightly.
A single, skeletal rat clawed its way up.
It was pitifully weak. Bones cracked when it moved.
Still, Ray's eyes gleamed.
It was a beginning.
Seventeen spoke again, his voice deep and serious.
> "Every king started with a single follower.
Raise, grow, and command — until the world bows before you."
---
Chapter End Scene
Under the starlit sky, Ray trained alone.
One weak undead after another.
Over and over, until his mana ran dry and his body shook from exhaustion.
He fell back against a tree, breathing hard, a tiny smile on his face.
He was weak now.
But someday — someday — he would be strong enough to protect his family, his village...
and carve
---
Chapter 13: The First Hunt
The next morning, Ray was woken not by sunlight — but by a system notification.
> [System Update!]
Skill Unlocked: [Absorb Core I]
You can now absorb energy from defeated beasts' cores.
Ray blinked, rubbing his eyes.
Seventeen's voice chimed in smoothly.
> "Congratulations, Host.
Step one toward greatness:
Kill, harvest, and grow."
Ray couldn't help but grin slightly.
Even if it sounded morbid... it felt right.
---
Village Alarm (Morning Scene)
Suddenly, urgent bells rang out from the center of the village.
DONG! DONG! DONG!
Ray jumped to his feet.
In the distance, villagers were gathering with weapons — spears, farming tools, whatever they could find.
He hurried to the square, where Chief Degar shouted,
> "Everyone! Small beasts from the southern forest have been sighted! Minor wave!"
"All Class Holders Level 1 to 3, prepare to defend!"
Mothers pulled children inside houses.
Men and women set up barricades.
Ray's blood boiled with excitement — and fear.
This was real.
His first true battle.
---
First Battle (Beast Raid)
A group of Horned Rabbits charged from the tree line.
They were F-Rank beasts — barely the size of dogs — but their razor-sharp horns could gore a man cleanly.
Ray moved carefully, staying behind stronger villagers at first.
Then — he saw one rabbit break through, heading toward a group of kids!
Without thinking, Ray raised his hand.
> "[Rise Undead]"
The skeletal rat from last night leaped from his shadow.
It wasn't strong — but it was fast.
The skeletal rat latched onto the rabbit's face, distracting it long enough for Ray to grab a broken spear and thrust.
CRACK!
The rabbit twitched once, then went still.
A faint, glowing stone rolled out of its body — a Core.
Seventeen's voice was calm but urging.
> "Host. Absorb it. Now. Before it fades."
Ray pressed his hand to the core instinctively.
The core shimmered, breaking apart into wisps of blue light — which flowed into his chest.
> [EXP +30]
[Core Absorbed. Minor Agility Increase.]
Ray gasped. He could feel the difference immediately — his movements sharper, his body lighter.
---
The Aftermath
After a few tense minutes, the villagers managed to kill or drive away the remaining beasts.
Three minor injuries, no deaths.
Everyone cheered.
Ray stood quietly in the corner, wiping blood from his hands.
No one approached him — but he noticed a few glances, not of fear, but of respect.
He had fought, too.
Seventeen whispered proudly,
> "Good. Fear will turn into awe. Awe will turn into loyalty.
Step by step, Host. Step by step."
---
Private Meeting with the Chief
Later, Chief Degar called Ray into his house.
The old man studied him for a long moment before speaking.
> "Ray, I don't pretend to understand Necromancers... but today, you defended the village."
"If trouble comes again, we may need you. Will you answer the call?"
Ray nodded without hesitation.
> "I will protect my home. No matter what."
The chief smiled tiredly and handed Ray a small, crude badge.
It was made of wood, carved with the village's symbol — a shield and a stalk of wheat.
> "Take this. Officially or unofficially... you're part of the village defense force now."
---
Small System Reward
As Ray left the chief's house, another notification popped up.
> [Hidden Achievement Unlocked: First Defense!]
Rewards:
+1 Free Stat Point
50 EXP
5 God Coins (Currency usable later in [God Shop])
Ray felt a rush of excitement.
His journey had truly begun.
---
Late Night Training
That night, while the village slept, Ray trained silently under the moonlight.
Raising undead.
Absorbing low-level cores from leftover beast bodies.
Testing his growing mana control.
Seventeen guided him, pointing out small flaws.
> "Correction: Channel mana slower, maintain flow."
"Mistake detected: Overexerting left arm. Balance needed."
Little by little, Ray was changing.
Not just physically...
but mentally.
He was becoming someone new.
-
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Chapter 14: Echoes of the Forgotten
The next morning, Ray was ready before sunrise.
His wooden badge tied tightly to his belt, he stood with the village's small scouting party — about ten people, armed with whatever weapons they could afford.
Chief Degar nodded at him.
> "Stay sharp, everyone.
Our job is to clear any lingering beasts... and investigate strange sightings near the southern forest."
The group moved cautiously toward the tree line.
Ray could feel his heart pounding.
Not from fear — but anticipation.
Seventeen's voice echoed calmly.
> "Today's hunt is not just for beasts.
Opportunity hides where fools fear to tread."
Ray grinned. He loved how Seventeen always hinted at bigger things.
---
Journey into the Forest
The woods were dense and misty in the early light.
The air smelled of wet earth, moss, and something... else.
Old. Forgotten.
Birds cried overhead. Small creatures scurried through the underbrush.
After an hour of cautious marching, the group found the remains of several dead beasts — already half-decayed, their cores missing.
Someone — or something — had beaten them here.
A burly scout cursed.
> "Maybe it's a rogue hunter... or worse, a bigger predator."
Chief Degar ordered the group to split.
Ray was sent with two older teens — Erik and Mara — to sweep a side path.
He didn't mind.
It meant less supervision — and more freedom.
---
Discovery: Ruins of the Old World
After another thirty minutes of hiking, Ray stumbled across something strange.
A clearing.
And at its center — half-buried in vines and earth — a massive, broken statue.
It depicted a figure wearing tattered robes, with one hand pointing upward toward the sky, and the other... missing.
Strange runes circled the statue's base, flickering faintly even after what must have been centuries.
> "Seventeen?" Ray whispered.
The system's voice was sharper, focused.
> "...Host.
Unknown structure.
Recommendation: Investigate cautiously.
Probability of 'Opportunity' — 68%."
Ray didn't hesitate.
While Erik and Mara stayed behind (muttering about "bad omens" and "ghost curses"), Ray stepped forward.
As he touched the statue's base —
— a pulse of blue light rushed through him.
A sudden wave of visions flashed in his mind.
Ancient battles.
Monsters towering like mountains.
Humans wielding powers drawn from... Domains.
> [Hidden Event Triggered: Memory of the Lost Era]
You have glimpsed the ancient power of Domains.
Ray staggered back, breathing heavily.
The system chimed again, voice more excited than usual.
> "Host.
This statue contains a [Seed of Domain].
However... it is damaged. Not suitable for immediate use."
Ray's eyes narrowed.
A seed.
Even if broken, this was proof that Domains truly existed — not just legends.
And Seventeen promised — in the future, Ray would create his own.
This was the first step.
---
Finding the Broken Seed
Beneath the statue's collapsed foot, Ray found it:
A small shard — dark crystal-like — pulsing faintly.
> [Item Obtained: Fragmented Domain Seed]
(Cannot be used until later system upgrades.)
Ray tucked it carefully into his pouch.
He knew better than to flaunt treasures before strangers.
Erik and Mara barely noticed — too busy arguing about some wolf tracks nearby.
Ray smiled.
> "Let them stay blind."
---
Wolf Ambush
But luck didn't favor them for long.
The ground rumbled slightly.
From the trees emerged a small pack of Greyback Wolves — low-level F-Rank beasts, but vicious and coordinated.
Five of them.
Fast, hungry, and angry.
Ray immediately summoned his skeletal rat.
Its bones rattled eagerly.
Erik and Mara panicked.
> "We need to run!"
But Ray stepped forward calmly, placing himself between them and the wolves.
Seventeen's voice came — low and cool.
> "Host. Kill. Harvest. Evolve."
Ray felt mana surge through him.
This time —
he didn't hesitate.
---
Battle Scene
The first wolf lunged —
Ray sidestepped neatly, letting his skeletal rat bite into its throat.
Blood sprayed.
The beast howled and collapsed.
One down.
Two more wolves came from the sides —
Ray ducked low, slashing with a scavenged blade, leaving a deep gash in one wolf's side.
Another wolf bit his arm — armor-less flesh tearing.
> "[Pain Resistance I] Unlocked!"
Ray gritted his teeth, using his own blood as bait — yanking the wolf close and stabbing it under the chin.
Erik finally gathered his courage, throwing a spear that pinned a wolf to a tree.
Mara screamed and bashed another with a branch.
Finally, with Ray's rat finishing the last one, the field fell silent except for heavy breathing.
Five dead wolves.
Ray's arm burned with pain —
but he felt alive.
> [EXP +160]
[Core x5 obtained.]
---
Aftermath
As they bandaged themselves and returned to the main group, Erik kept stealing glances at Ray.
Not with contempt —
but with respect.
Ray didn't say anything.
He just absorbed the cores silently, feeling his body grow stronger with each one.
The system whispered,
> "Good. Every battle tempers the blade.
And you, Host, are forging yourself into a weapon the world has never seen."
---
Chapter 14 End
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Chapter Highlights:
Ray discovers broken Domain ruins
Gains Fragmented Domain Seed
Unlocks Pain Resistance I
Battles wolves, first true solo kills
Earns major EXP and cores
Small respect from peers starts