---
Chapter 33: Return of the Ghost Rider
The Academy gates loomed ahead, torches flickering against the night.
Normally, late-night missions ended with wounded students limping back alone…
or sometimes never returning at all.
But tonight—
every patrolling student and guard froze.
A figure approached out of the mist.
Riding atop a giant frost-covered Wraith Hound.
The beast's cold breath turned the air into glittering fog.
Its ghostly paws made no sound on the cobbled path.
And on its back —
sat Ray, calm and dangerous, eyes shining faintly in the moonlight.
---
> "Who the hell—?"
> "That's— that's Ray!"
> "How the f*ck did he tame that monster!?"
> "Is he even human?"
---
Whispers spread like wildfire.
Even teachers stationed on the outer towers leaned forward, stunned.
> Notification: [Special Achievement Unlocked]
[Ghost Rider]: Successfully return riding a summoned beast from a Death Zone.
Rewards:
100 Bonus Academy Points
Hidden Skill Path Progression
---
Seventeen hummed proudly in Ray's mind.
> "Eyes on you, Host.
Good. Let them fear first. Worship later."
Ray didn't bother acknowledging the stares.
He guided the Wraith Hound straight toward the Mission Hall.
The beast's claws left frosted prints across the marble.
The Mission Overseer, an older man in mage robes, sputtered as Ray calmly dismounted.
"...Target corpse retrieved?" the Overseer croaked.
Ray tossed a frozen body-seal crystal at his feet — inside it, the preserved Wraith Hound's true corpse.
Mission complete.
Mission OVER-complete.
---
Mission Complete:
> Objective Met
Bonus Condition Achieved: Corpse Perfectly Preserved
Special Condition Achieved: Summon Extension
Total Rewards:
500 Academy Points
150 Country Coins
One Random F-Rank Beast Egg Ticket
---
> [Random Beast Egg Ticket - F Rank] acquired!
Seventeen chimed:
> "Luck unlocked.
Small beginnings, Host.
Massive endings."
Ray casually pocketed the ticket.
But the Mission Overseer wasn't done.
The old man adjusted his glasses and peered at Ray closely, lowering his voice.
> "There's something else...
You've been noticed.
Higher instructors have placed you under 'Observation Tier 1'."
Ray's eyebrow twitched slightly.
Seventeen immediately explained:
> "**Meaning, Host, you are now being considered for...
Secret Advanced Classes
Special Bloodline Training
'Elite Units' Recruitment**"
Ray grinned internally.
Good.
The more they watched —
the deeper he would burrow into their bones.
---
Meanwhile...
At a different corner of the Academy, hidden behind layered barriers, instructors gathered.
Floating screens replayed Ray's battle at Deadwood Ravine.
One stern-looking instructor with grey armor grunted.
> "Efficient. Ruthless.
He's a dangerous one."
A woman with silver hair smiled faintly.
> "And still just a hatchling."
An older mage stroked his beard.
> "Initiate 'Project Scythe.' Observe.
If he survives the Blood Trail within three months...
Groom him."
---
Night: Ray's Room
Ray finally returned to his small dorm, the Wraith Hound dismissed for now into his domain.
He lay back on the bed, staring at the cracked ceiling.
Around him, frost crystals from the Wraith Hound still clung to the air.
Elsa barged in a few minutes later, hair messy, worry on her face.
> "You idiot!" she hissed.
"Do you know what you did!? Everyone's talking about you!"
Ray shrugged.
"Good. Let them."
Elsa threw a pillow at him.
He caught it easily.
She flopped down on the floor, arms crossed, pouting.
> "Next time... take me too."
Ray blinked.
Then laughed.
Softly, but genuinely.
---
Later that Night
As Ray closed his eyes to sleep, Seventeen whispered:
> "Host,
new pathways detected in the Domain."
> "**New Shop items unlocked.
F-Rank Beast Trees
Weapon Roots
Slave Contracts (Basic)
Mana Wells (Basic)**"
> "Time to grow faster, smarter, bloodier."
Ray grinned in the darkness.
His empire of bones and frost was just beginning.
---
(End of Chapter 33)
---
---
Chapter 34: Blood Trail Declaration
Morning sunlight filtered through the Academy's towering crystal windows, bathing everything in golden warmth.
But inside the Grand Assembly Hall, the air was heavy.
Tense.
Electric.
Thousands of students stood shoulder to shoulder, their uniforms crisp, faces serious.
At the very front, on a raised obsidian platform, the Headmaster appeared — a tall man draped in silver-and-black robes, eyes sharper than blades.
Beside him stood several terrifying figures —
Instructors, Generals, and Magisters — all powerful beings who could destroy cities alone.
---
> "Today, begins the Blood Trail."
The Headmaster's voice boomed, no magic needed.
> "All first-year students must participate.
Survive — and you rise.
Fail — and you are forgotten.
Only those with blood-stained hands deserve true power.
Remember this: The world owes mercy to no one."
---
Blood Trail Rules (Posted on the Hall's Grand Board):
Location: Blackwater Wilds (External Forbidden Zone)
Duration: Seven Days
Objective: Survive, Hunt, Conquer, Protect
Requirements:
Minimum 10 Beast Cores gathered
Kill at least 5 Opponent Students (Fake death tokens used)
Build a temporary Fortified Base
Rewards:
Top 100 Survivors = Direct Access to Elite Classes
Top 10 = Special Bloodline Selection
Top 1 = Personal Apprenticeship under an Elder
Failure:
Expulsion
Loss of Academy Rights
No second chances
---
As students gasped and whispered, a small smile tugged at Ray's lips.
Seventeen's voice vibrated excitedly in his mind.
> "War training disguised as competition.
Host — your playground is expanding."
Ray nodded slightly.
Blood, survival, betrayal.
Exactly the world he was born for.
---
Afternoon - Preparation Phase
The Academy allowed students one day to prepare for the Blood Trail.
Students rushed the Resource Halls.
Weaponsmiths and armorers did record business.
Magic shops overflowed with desperate customers.
Ray, calm as ever, visited the Beast Garden instead.
There, using his new Academy Points and Country Coins, he bought:
> Beast Nourishment Packs (to strengthen his summons)
Mana Infusion Stones (to temporarily boost magic recovery)
Emergency Beast Eggs (instant hatch after 24 hours)
Seventeen guided him smoothly:
> "Invest in sustainability.
Host, remember — not a sprinter's race.
It's a siege."
---
Ray's Personal Blood Trail Plan:
Deploy Frost Wolves from Beast Trees every day.
Build a semi-hidden base using ice and death magic.
Recruit summoned undead scouts.
Ambush students for cores and kill-tokens.
Steal others' bases if necessary.
Victory wasn't about surviving.
It was about dominating.
---
Nightfall
As Ray finished final checks on his gear, a soft knock came at his door.
It was Elsa, along with Cain and a few other trusted friends.
All of them wore determined faces.
> "We want in," Elsa said firmly.
"We'll join your team. If you'll have us."
Ray looked at them —
at the trust, the hunger in their eyes.
He smiled faintly.
> "You can follow," he said, voice low, almost teasing.
"But don't slow me down."
Elsa grinned.
Cain chuckled darkly.
They would survive together.
Or die together.
---
(End of Chapter 34)
---
Chapter 35: Blood in the Wilds
The Academy's grand portals opened at dawn, revealing the twisted expanse of the Blackwater Wilds.
Fog rolled over gnarled trees and poisoned rivers.
Predators — beasts, insects, even mutated plants — stirred at the edges, sensing fresh prey.
The Blood Trail had officially begun.
---
Ray stepped forward first, calm and confident.
Behind him, Elsa, Cain, and the others followed silently.
A dark glint burned in Ray's eyes.
> "Seventeen, deploy first wave."
> "Acknowledged, Host. Activating Frost Wolf Tree."
— Rumble!
From Ray's hidden mini-domain, a shimmering portal blinked open.
Ten Frost Wolves padded out — sleek, icy fur glinting under the mist, fangs dripping frozen mist.
Each one an F-Rank beast... but thanks to Ray's careful feeding and mana infusions, they were already nearing E-Rank in power.
---
First 30 Minutes: Scouting and Preparation
Most students rushed blindly into the Wilds, desperate to kill beasts and each other.
Ray didn't.
Instead, he found a natural stone basin surrounded by cliffs on three sides — perfect for a temporary fortified base.
> "Cain, Elsa — set traps here and here,"
"Frost Wolves, patrol perimeter in three squads."
Ray quickly organized everything with sharp efficiency.
Seventeen's calm voice guided him through setup:
> "Host, suggest placing Death Magic runes beneath the soil.
Trigger on intruders."
Ray's fingers weaved black runes into the earth — invisible to normal eyes.
---
Two Hours Later
The first enemy team arrived.
Five students — armed, cocky, confident.
They spotted the seemingly "empty" basin and rushed in, shouting:
> "Oi! Lucky! They haven't even set up def—"
CRACK!
The earth exploded beneath them.
Black tendrils shot out, binding their legs, draining mana, freezing muscles.
And then —
Howl!
— the Frost Wolves descended.
---
Battle Scene:
The wolves moved in terrifying synchronization:
Two flanked the left, forcing the enemies into the open.
Three lunged directly, aiming at their weapons.
Five circled wide, cutting off escape routes.
Ray moved like a shadow.
He didn't even summon his full power yet.
A simple Bone Spear spell pierced one student's thigh — knocking him flat.
Another tried to use a Flame Shield, but Ray's wolf shattered it with a freezing bite.
Cain ambushed from the right, hammering a mace into another student's chestplate — cracking it.
Elsa's daggers danced like rain, slicing tendon and armor alike.
Within two minutes...
It was over.
All five students were defeated.
Ray calmly took their cores and kill-tokens.
> "Pathetic," he muttered, not even breathing hard.
---
Aftermath:
Seventeen chuckled inside Ray's mind.
> "First blood.
Good start, Host.
But stronger opponents will come."
Ray simply nodded.
He fed the stolen beast cores into the Frost Wolf Tree — enhancing its growth.
A notification blinked:
> [Frost Wolf Tree: Growth +2%]
[New Passive Ability unlocked soon.]
---
Deeper into the Wilds
As the sun climbed, more groups began clashing violently across the Blackwater Wilds.
Ray, however, wasn't interested in random skirmishes.
He wanted something more.
He wanted territory.
An entire hill region deep inside the Wilds, rich in mana, crawling with beasts.
If he could seize it early, it would become his blood fortress.
A place to build an undead army.
A place to dominate the Blood Trail.
Seventeen's voice whispered like poison and promise:
> "Conquer it, Host.
Raise a kingdom of death.
Make this Trial your battlefield."
Ray's smile sharpened.
And he moved, wolves at his heels, toward his true throne.
---
(End of Chapter 35)
-
---
Chapter 36: Rise of the Dead King
The Blackwater Wilds howled under the bloody sun.
Ray moved swiftly, a silent shadow weaving between dead trees and cursed rivers.
The Frost Wolves flanked him, their cold eyes scanning everything.
Ahead — the Mana Hill.
A jagged, rocky mound covered in poisonous shrubs and guarded by natural beast packs.
Target Acquired.
---
Mana Hill:
Height: 50 meters
Natural Mana Density: +40%
Beasts Present:
1x D-Rank Bloodfang Leopard (Boss Beast)
5x E-Rank Poison Hounds
Dozens of mutated insects
Controlling the hill meant controlling the Wilds.
And Ray had no intention of sharing.
---
Seventeen's Plan
Seventeen spoke crisply in Ray's mind:
> "Phase One: Eliminate external beasts.
Phase Two: Bait Bloodfang Boss.
Phase Three: Capture, enslave, and corrupt the hill."
Ray's fingers twitched in excitement.
He deployed:
5 Frost Wolves as vanguard
5 Frost Wolves in reserve
Himself as the spear.
And then...
He attacked.
---
The Assault
The Frost Wolves charged first, howling icy death.
Poison Hounds snapped and lunged, but their toxins couldn't pierce Frost armor.
Ray weaved Bone Lances and dark chains, binding and smashing the hounds.
Snap!
Crunch!
One after another, the Poison Hounds fell, their cores ripped free by the wolves.
Ray stored the bodies instantly — fodder for his necromancer skills later.
---
The Boss Awakens
RRAAAGHHH!
The Mana Hill shook.
The Bloodfang Leopard leaped down from its rocky throne, muscles rippling, crimson eyes blazing.
Power:
Rank: D-Rank Early Stage
Skills: Blood Burst, Shadow Step, Razor Claws
Strength: Brutal speed, sharp instincts.
It spotted Ray and snarled, saliva dripping from jagged fangs.
Seventeen calmly whispered:
> "Host, suggestion: Do not kill.
Injure and enslave. Valuable future lieutenant."
Ray grinned darkly.
> "Fine. Let's dance."
---
Epic Fight Begins
The Leopard blurred, vanishing into mist — Shadow Step!
Ray's senses sharpened.
A single breath, a half-step sidestep—
SLASH!
Razor claws tore through empty air.
Ray responded instantly.
Death Bind!
Black chains burst from the ground, trying to latch onto the beast's legs.
But the Bloodfang tore them apart with raw strength.
> He's fast. He's brutal.
Ray's heart raced.
He wasn't a physical powerhouse yet.
But he didn't need to be.
He had Seventeen.
He had wolves.
He had death.
---
Battle Flow:
The Leopard blitzed and slashed, carving scars into the ground.
Frost Wolves distracted it with freezing bites and feints.
Ray unleashed spells: Bone Spears, Soul Arrows, minor Death Curses.
The battle tore through trees, split stones, and churned earth.
Little by little, the Leopard weakened.
Its breath grew ragged.
Wounds bled across its sleek body.
---
The Enslavement
When the Leopard finally staggered, Ray struck.
> "Necromancer's Chain: Soul Capture Mode!"
A black soul-chain shot from his palm, piercing the Leopard's chest.
The beast roared in fury — but the chain coiled tighter, sinking into its very soul.
Seventeen shouted in his mind:
> "Now, Host! Offer pact: Serve or Die!"
Ray roared:
> "Submit or perish!"
The Bloodfang Leopard resisted for two heartbeats —
then collapsed, beaten by Ray's will and the Domain's suppressive force.
A flash of system text appeared:
> [Bloodfang Leopard (D-Rank) has submitted.]
[Bound as Lieutenant Beast.]
[Soul Chain Active: Growth Accelerated by 30%.]
---
Ray walked forward, placing a hand on the Leopard's bloody head.
> "Good boy. Welcome to the family."
The Bloodfang panted weakly... but bowed.
Around him, the Frost Wolves howled in victory.
---
Seizing the Mana Hill
Ray planted the first black flag into the rocky ground.
A surge of dark energy flowed from his mini-domain, sinking into the earth.
Seventeen announced:
> "Mana Hill captured.
Passive Benefits unlocked:
Core Growth Rate +15%
Beast Recovery Speed +20%
Summoning Efficiency +10%
(Limited to Blood Trail duration.)**
And more than that —
Ray now had his first outpost in enemy territory.
A place where he could harvest beasts, build an undead army, and crush anyone who dared oppose him.
---
Chapter End