《The Necromancer King of Ironvale》


 Chapter 1

    Rodrick pushes the large throne room doors open and swiftly strides through the echoing chamber. He kneels on one knee, head bowed, a respectful distance from the throne. There, seated in full plate armour, is King Nicholas Valthorne, the Ironvale crown perched upon his head¡ªa symbol of absolute authority in the kingdom.


    "Sire, I''m afraid the city has fallen. The dead fiends breached the walls a few hours ago have overrun most of the districts, and it won¡¯t be long before they reach the castle."


    King Nicholas Valthorne says nothing. Slowly, he stands and walks to the large window, gazing down at the smoke-filled city below.


    "Sire! What are your orders?" Rodrick exclaims after receiving no reply.


    After a long pause, the king finally speaks. "Sir Rodrick," he asks, "how long have you served the crown?"


    Rodrick lifts his head to meet his king¡¯s gaze. "Sire, I served your father, the late king, for almost fifteen years before he fell to the plague. I have been in your service for the past two."


    Nicholas turns his head toward his closest aide, his voice solemn. "Sir Rodrick, what was the kingdom like before all this madness? I was quite young when word spread of a plague that turned the infected into flesh-eating monsters. Even a mere scratch from those beasts would doom a man."


    Rodrick hesitates for a moment before answering. "Sire¡ªno, Nicholas. We need to go. There are rumours of other surviving settlements, and¡ª"


    "No," Nicholas cuts him off. "That¡¯s all they are¡ªjust rumours. And you would have me, their king, abandon the people who have depended on me all this time? No. I will not leave. Whatever may come, we will face it together."


    Rodrick smiles in acknowledgment of his king¡¯s decision. "As you wish, Sire."


    King Nicholas Valthorne¡ªfirst and soon to be last of his name¡ªtakes one final look at the burning city below before turning to his aide.


    "Sir Rodrick, give the order, gather any men left in the castle and meet me in the courtyard that''s where we will make our last stand."


    As Rodrick rises and turns to leave the chamber, he pauses at the door and looks back at King Nicholas. "I am proud to be your aide, Sire. I am sure that in different times, you would have made this kingdom prosper like no king before." Then he exits, leaving the king alone.


    King of Ironvale? What a joke. I am nothing more than the captain of a sinking ship. No¡ªworse. We are cattle, waiting to be butchered.


    With a surge of frustration, Nicholas tears the crown from his head and hurls it across the chamber. He stands there for a moment, breathing heavily, before forcing himself to calm down. Taking a deep breath, he walks over, picks up the crown, and places it back on his head.


    I must show strength¡ªfor the brave and valiant people who have believed in me, for those who have helped us survive this long.


    Steeling himself, he exits the throne room to join his waiting men, determined to offer them what little comfort he can. He knows his words will be empty, little more than fleeting solace before the wave of death descends. But still, it will be his final speech.


    As the king slowly walks down the decorated halls, he examines the paintings and the gaudy, expensive d¨¦cor lining the walls. What use are these now? We could have fed the kingdom for months for the price of these so-called treasures before the plague cursed our lands, and just looking at it all sickens me.


    Nicholas reaches the end of the hallway and walks through the doors leading to the courtyard. He can hear shouting, screaming from his people, and even the guttural moans and shrieks of the dead beyond his castle walls. He does not falter. He must present himself as the king they want and need.


    He walks down the steps to where Rodrick stands before more than one hundred frightened faces. As the king approaches, Sir Rodrick notices him and bows his head.


    "Sire, these are all the men left in the castle grounds, They had no families and no where else to go, the ones with families had gone earlier to try to help... but none have returned."


    Nicholas gave Rodrick a nod of acknowledgment before addressing the remaining men before him.


    "Look around you. This may be the last time we stand together. The city has fallen. Our families, our homes¡ªeverything we once knew¡ªare lost. And yet, we remain."


    He took a step forward, his gaze hardening.


    "The dead are at our gates, and they will not stop until they have taken every last one of us. But there is one thing they cannot take from us: our courage. Our will to fight."


    He clenched his fist, raising it high for all to see.


    "I do not ask you to fight for a city that is already lost. I do not ask you to fight for me. I ask you to fight for each other, for the brothers who stand beside you. For the honor of those who have fallen. We may be the last of our kind, but by the gods, we will not die like animals cowering in the dark!"


    The king¡¯s voice thundered, filled with the fire of defiance.


    "We are men of Ironvale! We have bled for this land. We have bled for our families, for our kingdom. And now, we will bleed one last time¡ªfor each other!"


    He stepped back, meeting the eyes of every soldier, his expression fierce and unyielding.


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    "They may have our city. They may have our homes. But they will never have our spirit. They will never have our resolve. When they come for us, we will show them what it means to face the fury of a kingdom that will not bow, that will not break!"


    He paused, letting the words settle, letting the weight of his command fill the air.


    "Today, we fight not for survival. We fight for honour. We fight to make sure that the story of Ironvale ends with dignity¡ªour dignity. So stand tall, my brothers. Stand tall and fight with everything you have, for we are not just soldiers. We are the last hope of a broken world. And we will go down fighting, together."


    With a final, fiery glance at his soldiers, King Nicholas Valthorne raised his sword high.


    "For Ironvale! For the fallen! And for the last stand of men who refuse to be forgotten!, May I see you all in the afterlife!"


    As the soldiers bash their swords against their shields the shrieks and groans grow louder on the other side of the gate, a loud banging starts emitting from the iron trimmed wooden gate.


    "Sire the monstrosity is here" Sir Rodrick quickly said.


    hearing that King Nicholas shouts his orders "Defensive positions!"


    After hearing the orders, the remaining soldiers scrambled to face the gate, shields and spears raised, bracing for the coming onslaught. The few archers stood behind them, arrows nocked, as the relentless pounding on the gate grew more intense.


    As they waited, cracks began to splinter through the heavy wood, sending unease rippling through the ranks. Then, a massive, grey fist punched through, splintering the barricade. A pair of eerie, yellow eyes peered through the breach.


    "Loose arrows through the hole!" King Nicholas barked.


    The archers let fly, their arrows striking the monstrous face beyond the gate. But to their horror, the creature barely reacted. It resumed its assault, pounding relentlessly until the gate finally gave way.


    As the debris settled, they saw it¡ªa hulking, grey-skinned corpse standing fifteen feet tall, its grotesque form riddled with bulging masses of diseased flesh and muscle. It wore no clothing, its bloated body a terrifying sight. Surrounding it were smaller humanoid creatures¡ªthe twisted, rotting remains of the kingdom''s own people, now turned into ravenous undead fiends. Then, as one, they lurched forward.


    As the horde poured in, Nicholas positioned himself behind the shield wall, Rodrick at his side.


    "Hold!, wait for them to come to us!" he shouted, gripping his sword tightly as they braced for impact.


    The regular undead, their movements sluggish and erratic, fell easily to well-placed arrows through the skull. But the monstrous giant barely flinched, the arrows either shallowly piercing its thick hide or bouncing off its skull entirely.


    Then the dead reached the shield wall, and the true battle began.


    Every soldier knew that the only way to stop the undead was to remove the head or destroy the brain¡ªknowledge they had trained with since the plague first spread over a decade ago. The lesser undead were slow and weak, but their overwhelming numbers made them a formidable threat. Worse, those that consumed flesh grew stronger over time. In recent years, the massive monsters that now stood before them are rare, but when they did appear, they were nearly impossible to defeat, capable of tearing through any meagre defences they could muster with sheer, unstoppable strength.


    No one knew how the plague had begun. It had first appeared in the distant kingdom of Lowe, its lands falling silent as communication ceased. Soon, the infection spread across the continent, sweeping through cities and kingdoms faster than anyone could comprehend, let alone combat.


    The soldiers fought valiantly, but for every five undead that fell, a soldier was lost. And still, the monstrous giant had yet to reach them.


    Nicholas tightened his grip on his weapon and charged into the fray, ready to meet their fate.


    Nicholas swiftly dispatched any undead that approached him, cleanly severing the heads of the humanoid creatures lumbering toward him with outstretched arms, their emotionless faces betraying no fear. Left slash, right slash¡ªhe moved with precision, shoulder-barging an undead that lunged from the right before driving his sword through its skull. This was all Nicholas knew, all he had been trained for since as far back as he could remember.


    But everything changed when he heard the sickening crunch of the giant¡¯s palm crushing soldiers at the front. Their strength was no match for the sheer might the monstrous creature brought to bear.


    At that moment, King Nicholas took a step back to assess the battlefield. Soldiers and undead fell all around him. Some of his men were being devoured where they lay, the undead tearing off and around armour pieces to reach the flesh beneath. Yet the soldiers fought on. Though they knew their efforts were futile, they would rather go down fighting side by side than cower and wait for death¡¯s embrace.


    Nicholas steeled himself. If I must fall, I will bring that monster down with me.


    With his gaze locked on his target, he hacked his way through the horde, cutting down anything in his path as he advanced toward the source of his rage.


    As he drew closer, the screams of his men filled his ears. The monster was grabbing them alive, shoving their upper torsos into its gaping maw. Nicholas sneered at the sight, his fury boiling over. Without hesitation, he charged at its back and slashed at its ankles. His sword sliced through the creature¡¯s rotting flesh, but it didn¡¯t even flinch. Instead, its massive head turned toward him, its hollow eyes locking onto its attacker before swinging an arm around in an attempt to grab him.


    Nicholas barely managed to step back, narrowly avoiding the monster¡¯s swipe¡ªonly to stumble straight into the grasp of a fiend pacing toward him.


    The undead sank its teeth into his cheek. He struggled, trying to break free, but the creature ripped away a chunk of his flesh.


    ¡°God damn it!¡± Nicholas roared, staggering back, blood streaming from his wound. Without hesitation, he drove his sword through the fiend¡¯s forehead, ending its miserable existence.


    Breathing heavily, he turned back toward the greatest threat¡ªthe towering monster that now slowly advanced on him.


    I won¡¯t have long before this sickening poison takes hold and I turn into one of them. I must bring this monster down before that happens.


    Nicholas took his stance, ready to engage, but before he could move, an arrow struck the creature in the eye.


    Black, viscous blood oozed down its face as it let out a bellowing roar, flailing its arms in pain.


    Nicholas smirked as a plan formed in his mind. This might just work. If not, at least it will be a quick death.


    Slowly, he paced toward the monster. It noticed him with its remaining eye and swung its massive hand to grab him. As its fingers tightened around his waist, Nicholas gripped his sword with both hands and raised it above his head.


    The monster lifted him toward its mouth, its grip crushing the air from his lungs. But just before he was devoured, Nicholas plunged his sword into its remaining eye, driving it halfway down the blade¡¯s length before twisting it.


    The monster reacted violently, howling in agony as it dropped him. Nicholas crashed to the ground, gasping in pain, while the beast stumbled backward. With one final roar, it collapsed onto its back with a thunderous crash, then lay still.


    Nicholas groaned, his body aching, but he forced himself to his feet. As he steadied himself, his gaze swept over the battlefield¡ªonly to see the few remaining soldiers being overrun and even sees Rodrick¡¯s still body lying twenty feet from him he stumbles onto his back, the poison quickly attacking his body.


    The screams of his men faded into silence, replaced only by the grotesque sounds of moaning, chewing, and flesh tearing as the creatures feasted on his brave soldiers. As darkness consumed his vision, he closed his teary eyes and let it take him.


    Initiation complete. Please choose a starting class before the tutorial commences.

 Chapter 2

    "I repeat, please choose your starting class before the tutorial commences."


    Nicholas remained unconscious. The undead plague coursed through his veins, bringing him closer to death with every passing moment.


    "Last chance to pick your starting class, or one will be chosen for you."


    The prompt fell on deaf ears. In his current state, Nicholas was in no position to make a choice.


    "Choosing class... Scanning target... High levels of death attunement detected. Eligible for rare starting class: Necromancer. Necromancer has been forcefully assigned. Commencing tutorial. Transporting the recipient to the Tutorial Tower."


    Some time passed.


    Nicholas stirred, his eyes fluttering open. The first thing he saw was a concrete ceiling.


    "Where am I? Shouldn''t I be dead?" Questions raced through his mind as he slowly sat up, pressing a hand to his forehead in an attempt to suppress the pounding headache.


    As he clumsily got to his feet, he took in his surroundings. The room was completely bare¡ªfour stone walls, a cobblestone floor, and nothing else except for an ordinary wooden door with a brass knob set into one of the walls.


    As he surveyed his surroundings, a blinking light in the corner of his eye caught his attention. He focused on it, and suddenly, a menu appeared in his vision:


    Notifications


    Status


    Skills


    Spells


    Achievements


    Quests


    Nicholas waved a hand in front of his face, confusion settling in.


    "What is this!? Surely I must be going mad."


    As soon as he thought about making it disappear, the menu vanished.


    Nicholas pinched his arm, wincing at the pain. "What is going on around here!?" he shouted before charging toward the door.


    The moment he touched the doorknob, another window popped up in his vision.


    Introduction.


    There was only one option.


    "Okay... so what do I do here?"


    As his thoughts drifted toward selecting it, a flash of white blinded him.


    When his vision cleared, he found himself in an identical-looking room¡ªexcept for a few key differences. A table now occupied the space, with two chairs set at opposite ends. Seated in one was a masked figure, facing him.


    Stunned, Nicholas opened his mouth to speak, but before he could utter a word, the figure interrupted him.


    ¡°Sit down,¡± they said, not bothering to look up from their papers.


    ¡°But what is¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sit down!¡± they repeated, their voice sharper this time. Only then did Nicholas notice that it was a woman speaking.


    He blinked at her in silence for a moment before slowly walking over and reluctantly pulling out the chair. With a hesitant sigh, he sat down.


    A long pause followed. Nicholas studied the woman as she continued sorting through her papers. She had green hair unlike anything he had ever seen, with the tips of pointed ears peeking through. Her face was concealed by a plain white mask with no visible eye holes¡ªhe couldn''t help but wonder how she could see. Aside from that, her clothes were unremarkable: a simple tunic and pants.


    Just as he was about to ask another question, she finally spoke, still focused on the pages in front of her, not even acknowledging him.


    ¡°Alright¡­ Welcome to the system. Congratulations. You¡¯re now part of¡­ whatever this is.¡± She waved a hand vaguely.


    She glanced at him briefly, then back at her papers. ¡°You¡¯re probably confused. Everyone is. Doesn¡¯t matter. You¡¯ll figure it out.¡±


    Leaning back slightly, she tilted her head as if debating whether she cared enough to explain properly. ¡°You¡¯ve been ¡®granted¡¯ access to the system. Lucky you. Status menu, skills, spells¡ªblah, blah, blah¡ªyou get the idea.¡±


    She tapped the papers against the table to straighten them. ¡°You can bring up your menu by thinking about it. If you die, you probably stay dead. Probably. Try not to test that.¡±


    Gesturing lazily toward the door, she continued, ¡°The tutorial is mandatory. No, you don¡¯t get a choice. No, I don¡¯t care if you don¡¯t want to do it.¡± She paused, finally meeting his eyes. ¡°Questions? Actually¡ª¡± she waved a hand dismissively, ¡°never mind. I don¡¯t feel like answering them. Go. Be gone. You¡¯re the first to arrive, and I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve got a lot more people from your world to get through.¡±


    Nicholas was stunned.


    He quickly stood up, slamming his palms onto the table. ¡°What in the goddamn hell is going on!?¡± he shouted, glaring at her mask where her eyes should have been.


    She held his gaze for a moment, then let out a massive sigh and leaned back.


    ¡°Look, basically, your planet is now part of the system. Every single sentient creature from your world has already been integrated, just like you. Once you complete the tutorial, you¡¯ll be transported back home, where you and all your friends and family can live happily ever after together¡­¡±


    She paused before adding, almost too quietly to hear, ¡°If you survive.¡±


    This brought hope to Nicholas.


    "So you saved everyone else, right? Where are they?"


    The woman scoffed under her mask. "I... didn¡¯t do anything. The system did. And no, the system doesn''t bring back the dead¡ªit only transports the living to the tutorial tower upon integration."


    "Then how am I alive?!" Nicholas was starting to get angry again, growing tired of this woman''s attitude.


    "I was dying from the undead¡¯s poison! Why am I alive?!" he exclaimed again.


    "I don''t know!" she snapped, then paused, considering Nicholas''s words.


    "What do you mean, undead poison?" she asked inquisitively.


    "The things that eat flesh. If you get infected by their poison, you turn into one of them. I should be one of them by now, but I feel fine," he answered simply.


    "That''s... not possible." Her head lowered in thought.


    "Well, I assure you it is." He stood straight, crossing his arms.


    Suddenly, her head snapped back up. "Quickly, check your notifications!"


    "And how do I do that?"


    She scoffed again. "Like I said earlier¡ªjust think about bringing up your notifications."


    Nicholas sighed deeply and did as she instructed. A screen popped up in his vision.


    Notifications:


    Congratulations! You have been integrated into the system.


    Warning: You are poisoned.


    New quest added: Complete the tutorial tower.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    New quest added: Choose a starting class.


    Warning: Please choose a starting class.


    Due to failure to choose a class, one has been assigned to you.


    Class chosen: Necromancer.


    Poison cured: Due to the death attunement of your class, you are now resistant to death-attunement mana.


    Achievement gained: Endangered ¨C Due to being the last sentient alive on your planet, you have been awarded +10% modifier to all stats.


    Achievement gained: Head Start ¨C Due to killing an F-ranked monster before integration, you have been awarded +20 to all stats, +5% modifier to all stats..


    Achievement gained: Hardy ¨C Due to recovering from critical condition without the help of healing magic or potions, you have been granted the skill Regeneration and +10 to vitality.


    As he read the list aloud, the strange woman remained silent until he finished.


    ¡°What the fuck!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°You are one unlucky¡ªbut still very lucky¡ªbastard!¡±


    Nicholas¡¯s face twisted in torment as he processed what he had just read.


    ¡°So... I¡¯m the last one alive from my world?¡± he asked, looking at her expectantly.


    ¡°Yes, yes, boo-hoo. Who cares about that? Will you look at those titles? Even I don¡¯t have achievements like that, and I¡¯ve been alive for over four hundred years!¡±


    Nicholas could no longer contain his fury.


    ¡°What use are these¡ªthese achievements ¡ªif I¡¯ve lost everyone and everything?! I¡¯ve lost my kingdom! I¡¯ve lost all the men who laid down their lives just so I could be here, listening to YOU! I have nothing! NOTHING!¡±


    Nicholas glares at the woman, baring his teeth. She pauses, then places her mask on the table and meets his gaze with her emerald-green eyes. His temper eases slightly as he admires how beautiful she is.


    ¡°Look¡­ I¡¯m sorry,¡± she says. ¡°My name is Tiana. This was meant to be a routine introduction, but by the sounds of it, you¡¯re the only one coming into this instance of the tutorial, so I¡¯ve got time. Firstly¡ª¡± she raises a finger, ¡°what happened on your world should not have happened.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Nicholas asks.


    ¡°Well¡­ the undead are a common species in the system. They live on mana. They eat flesh to grow, but they need mana to survive. And you¡¯re a necromancer, so you¡¯re going to figure that out for yourself.¡±


    ¡°What is mana? And how did this happen?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how it happened, but it shouldn¡¯t have. It sounds like some powerful people got involved, trying to tip the scales. You need a lot of juice to pull off something like that. It sounds like someone flooded your world with death mana before you were integrated. Your world was doomed from the start.¡±


    ¡°I just¡­ don¡¯t understand.¡± Nicholas sighs heavily and looks downward.


    ¡°You won¡¯t. Not yet, anyway. But that¡¯s all you need to know about that for now. Secondly¡ªtitles that affect a percentage of your stats are really rare, and you already have two. Actually¡ªbefore that, why don¡¯t you check out your stats? Just think about them, or your status.¡±


    Nicholas does as instructed, and a menu appears before his eyes.


    Status


    Name:Nicholas Valthorne


    Race:Human


    Age:19


    Level:1


    Class:Necromancer (Rare)


    Occupation:None


    Faction:None


    Aura:None


    Attunements:Death


    Strength:27


    Dexterity:26


    Vitality:38


    Intelligence:26


    Wisdom:25


    Charisma:29


    Willpower:30


    Modifier:+15% to all stats.


    Nicholas reads the page aloud for Tiana to hear.


    ¡°See? You had okay stats before integration, and with your titles, you¡¯ve got a good head start. But I still don¡¯t think you¡¯ll survive the tutorial. It¡¯s a shame, really.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s going to kill me? I¡¯ll have you know, I¡¯m no stranger to a fight,¡± Nicholas retorts.


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand anything. This tutorial was set up for your entire planet. I¡¯m not allowed to tell you exactly what you¡¯ll be facing, but some of it is meant to be fought in massive groups¡ªteams formed by the system from your home world. But you¡¯re alone. You¡¯re the only one here. You have to complete the tutorial solo, and you can¡¯t leave unless you finish it¡­ or die.¡±


    Nicholas takes in Tiana¡¯s words, then sits back down, his expression neutral.


    ¡°So¡­ what can I do?¡± he asks, defeated in his voice.


    Tiana settles into the seat across from him.


    ¡°Well¡­ nothing except try. You can¡¯t stay in the tower forever. You have one week between stages before the system kicks you into the next stage automatically. But¡­¡± She leans forward slightly. ¡°I can give you all the info I¡¯m allowed to share¡ªand wish you good luck.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m listening.¡± Nicholas sits back in his chair.


    ¡°Right, well, I don¡¯t have much time left, so I¡¯ll be quick.¡± She leans forward in her chair.


    ¡°An occupation is, well¡­ an occupation. It gives you skills, but it doesn¡¯t affect your overall level. People usually get occupations to complement their class¡ªlike an archer might become a fletcher or a bowyer to supply themselves. You can have multiple occupations, but you don¡¯t need to worry about that yet.¡±


    ¡°So how do I get one?¡± Nicholas asks.


    ¡°You¡¯ll figure it out later. They¡¯re usually offered for completing certain feats. But again, not your priority right now.¡±


    Nicholas sighs. ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Aura,¡± she continues, ¡°I¡¯m not allowed to talk about it.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m not,¡± she replies flatly. ¡°It¡¯s something you have to figure out on your own. The system regulates what I can tell you right now.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Anything else?¡±


    ¡°Well, your attunement¡­ I¡¯m guessing since you lived in a world filled with death mana and the undead, you got that early. Congrats. That¡¯ll be quite useful to you¡ªbeing a necromancer and all¡ªbut as for what exactly you can do with it¡­¡± She pauses to smile.


    Nicholas just rolls his eyes. ¡°I have to figure it out on my own?¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± She beams at him with exaggerated happiness.


    ¡°Can you please tell me something useful?!¡± he snaps, irritation creeping into his voice.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­ well.¡± She taps a finger against her lips in thought.


    ¡°You learn spells and skills by spending points, which you earn as rewards from certain quests or at set levels predetermined by the system. You can also upgrade or even create skills and spells through certain actions¡­ and that¡¯s all I¡¯m allowed to say on that topic.¡±


    ¡°You get a certain number of points to allocate to your stats each level, depending on your class. And the stat modifier acts as a silent boost to your stats. For example¡ªyour strength is 27, right?¡±


    Nicholas nods.


    ¡°Well, if you get into a test of strength against someone else with 27 strength but no modifier, you¡¯ll be 15% stronger than them.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s why I feel stronger than I did before?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. In simple terms¡ªStrength is muscle mass. Dexterity is how fast you can move those muscles. Vitality is bone density, longevity, and overall how hard you are to kill. Intelligence is how fast your brain works and how much mana your core can store. Wisdom is how fast your mana regenerates, Charisma is how attractive you appear to anyone and also how others perceive your words. And Willpower¡­ helps you shrug off certain spells and also boosts aur¡ªoh. Not allowed to say that.¡± She smirks.


    ¡°Everything else, you¡¯ll have to figure out on your own. So, go play around with your spells before you head off to the first stage.¡±


    Nicholas remains silent in thought before looking back at her.


    ¡°This is¡­ a lot to take in. I mean¡­ yesterday, I was ruling the last remnants of humanity, and now¡ªthis.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you were a king?¡± She stands up and gives a mocking curtsey. ¡°How noble of you.¡±


    Nicholas laughs at her antics but then pauses, wondering why her words make him feel so calm.


    She must have a high Charisma stat for her words to soothe me this much, Nicholas muses before being interrupted by Tiana.


    ¡°Anyway, last thing I¡¯ll say¡ªyou gain levels by killing things, if I haven¡¯t already mentioned that. Also, after you leave this introduction, more places will be unlocked at your door. The options are all pretty self-explanatory, or you can just check them out yourself.¡±


    ¡°Who do I have to kill?¡± Nicholas asks, a note of worry in his voice.


    Tiana smiles viciously. ¡°You can kill whoever you want¡ªand in most cases, you have to. Kill or be killed. That is the path to power.¡±


    Then, with a wave of her hand, Nicholas¡¯s vision goes white. When it clears, he finds himself back in the same room where he first woke up.

 Chapter 3

    As Nicholas blinks away the last remnants of the white flash from his eyes, he remains still, pondering everything he has learned.


    I didn¡¯t even ask what this system is¡­ Ah, gods help me! This is too much¡­ But that woman¡ªher face captivates me even now. I¡¯ve never seen anyone like her.


    Nicholas lets out a heavy sigh.


    ¡°I¡¯m really all alone¡­ Not a single other survivor. This achievement proves it¡ªif it can be believed.¡±


    With that thought, Nicholas resigns himself to his fate.


    ¡°I suppose there¡¯s nothing I can do except keep moving forward,¡± he mutters. I wonder if these spells are like the fiction books I read in the royal library¡ªthose tales of mystical folk who could conjure flames at will. I guess I should check that first.


    With that thought, Nicholas brings up his spell menu.


    Spells


    Raise dead (lvl1): You can summon a corpse of a once living being, using a moderate amount of mana.


    Control dead (lvl1): This spell tethers the undead you create to you and you can use this spell to give commands to your undead uses a varied amount of mana depending on how much control you use, the amount of undead you can control is dependent on willpower.


    Necrotic bolt (lvl1): Fires a bolt of necrotic force, uses a moderate amount of mana, power is dependent on intelligence and distance is dependent on willpower.


    Hmm¡­ At least this system clearly explains what the spells do, but I still don¡¯t know how to use them.


    As he focuses on the descriptions, Nicholas suddenly realizes that simply thinking about the spells grants him an understanding of how to activate them.


    ¡°Aha!¡± he exclaims excitedly. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t use Raise Dead or Control Dead without a corpse, so I¡¯ll try Necrotic Bolt first.¡±


    Raising his palm toward the wall, Nicholas attempts the spell.


    ¡°Necrotic Bolt?¡± he says hesitantly. A black orb forms at his palm¡­ and then plops uselessly to the floor.


    Hmm¡­ What did I do wrong? he wonders. Then, it dawns on him¡ªhe needs to will the spell to travel forward.


    Let me try this again, but this time, I will actually will it to go further.


    Nicholas concentrates. The black orb forms once more, but this time, it shoots from his palm, striking the wall before dissolving into a liquid, then a gas, and finally dissipating.


    ¡°Yes! I did it!¡± Nicholas grins, marveling at his achievement. Then, he notices a strange sensation¡ªan emptiness in his stomach.


    That must be my mana.


    Somehow, he instinctively knows that casting those two spells had drained around a quarter of his mana.


    What a strange thing this system is¡­


    Then, he remembers the skill he received as a system reward and pulls up the skills menu.


    Skills


    Regeneration-Passive (lvl1): upon taking damage regeneration uses stamina to heal most wounds. Regeneration speed is determined by endurance and vitality


    That will definitely be useful, but the fact that it says most wounds is quite intriguing. I hope I don¡¯t have to find out exactly what it can¡¯t heal.


    Satisfied, Nicholas turns to the door and grabs the handle.


    Market


    Training area


    Enter Trial


    He thinks about accessing the market, and the familiar white light fills his eyes.


    As the light fades, he finds himself standing at the far end of a familiar-style hall, lined with plenty of tables and chairs. On the other side of the hall, a small-statured creature is waving at him excitedly.


    ¡°Hello, hello! Welcome, finally!¡± the creature shouts, jumping up and down.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Nicholas instinctively reaches for the missing sword at his hip as he cautiously approaches the ugliest thing he has ever seen.


    ¡°Are you speaking to me¡­ creature?¡± Nicholas asks as he nears.


    ¡°Yes, yes! But I not creature, I Gurgle. Creature my brother,¡± Gurgle says, still jumping excitedly.


    ¡°Ah, yes. Gurgle¡­ what a nice name. Would it be rude to ask¡­ what exactly are you?¡± Nicholas asks, slight disgust on his face as he takes in the thing¡¯s appearance. It wears well-tailored clothes suited for its small frame, but it stands at half Nicholas¡¯s height, with bright green skin covered in warts and a long, pointed nose.


    ¡°I Gurgle, silly human.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, I know, but what are you?¡± Nicholas gestures toward Gurgle.


    ¡°Oh! I goblin. Mother goblin, father goblin¡ªmake Gurgle goblin,¡± he says, smiling expectantly as if Nicholas is slow.


    ¡°Okay¡­ goblin.¡±


    ¡°Name Gurgle,¡± he interrupts.


    Nicholas sighs. ¡°Okay¡­ Gurgle,¡± he says, frustration in his voice. ¡°What are you doing here? Do you have information for me?¡±


    ¡°Information? Yes! Information for sale! Also, I buy and sell stuff.¡±


    ¡°So, are you in charge of this market, Gurgle?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes! I pay lots of family money to be here. My mother, father, and most of family think it was a bad idea, but I tell them¡ªGurgle will make lots more money from new, stupid integrated And here Gurgle is.¡±


    After some thought, Nicholas decides it''s best to inform Gurgle right away that he will be arriving alone.


    ¡°Gurgle¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes, human?¡±


    ¡°Nicholas.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°My name is Nicholas, but that¡¯s¡­ Anyway, Gurgle, I am the only one coming from my world¡ªor so I¡¯ve been told.¡±


    Gurgle begins to laugh.


    ¡°Silly human, that''s a good joke! I can tell a joke too¡ªA goblin and a Gurblesnap walk into a tavern¡ª¡±


    ¡°Gurgle, everyone from my home is dead,¡± Nicholas cuts him off.


    ¡°You¡­ you kill them?¡± Gurgle asks, shock on his face.


    ¡°No! No, Gurgle. There was an undead plague, and only I managed to survive¡ªjust by luck really.¡± Nicholas looks away, sadness evident on his face.


    ¡°No! No! No! You lie! Gurgle smart to come here! Go! Leave now!¡±


    Nicholas slowly backs away, his arms raised in the universal sign of non-aggression. He turns toward the door but glances back to see Gurgle pacing back and forth, muttering to himself.


    What a strange interaction. He¡¯s taking this far worse than I did¡­ Does that make me a bad person?


    Nicholas wondered whether he should scream, shout¡ªanything to rebel against the situation he was in. But he couldn''t bring himself to do it. He had always known their lives were on a timer. From a young age, his training as a crown prince¡ªa king in waiting¡ªhad been centered on one purpose: to hold back the dead for as long as possible. It was the least they could do for the citizens who believed in them.


    Nicholas sighs heavily before steeling himself. Gripping the door handle and stepping into the first trial.


    Interlude.


    A man hurriedly strides across an enormous chamber strewn with corpses and bones, making his way toward two figures¡ªone seated upon an endless throne of skulls, the other standing rigidly at its side. He addresses the one seated.


    ¡°Sir¡­ we did as you asked, flooding that planet with death mana just before it was to be integrated into the system. It was a success, sir, really, but¡­ there have been reports¡­¡±


    ¡°What reports are those?¡± The sitting figure bellows, his voice carrying throughout the chamber.


    ¡°Well¡­ we have reports that at least one instance of the tutorial tower for that planet is still running.¡± General Yow answers with fear, his head staring directly at the floor.


    All General Yow hears is the strumming of bony fingers on top of the skulls that make up the chair. Then a crack as the figure crushes it with his hand.


    ¡°Si¨C Sir¡­ please, we did as you asked, bu¨C¡±


    ¡°Did as I asked?¡± The voice cuts through, silencing him.


    ¡°Sir! I beg yo¨C¡± General Yow¡¯s head rolls to the floor in front of his body, and then his body falls after it.


    ¡°What a shame. It was such an easy task, and yet here we are, adding to my collection instead. All they had to do was flood enough death mana to avoid detection by the system, so low-level undead would emerge and destroy the world.¡±


    ¡°King Morvain, if it would please you, I will deal with this matter personally.¡± The rigid man speaks to his master.


    ¡°Yes, Varros, please see to it.¡± Morvain replies as he levitates the newly added head to his throne.


    Varros vanishes to heed his master¡¯s words, and a large figure appears shortly after.


    ¡°Morvain, still plotting and up to no good, are we?¡± The man walks into view of the throne, wearing full metal plate armor with a red cape, wielding a large two-handed hammer on his back.


    ¡°Thorin!¡± Morvain spits. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I know what you¡¯ve been up to, and I don¡¯t like it.¡± Thorin answers.


    ¡°We both know that there would be no winner if we fought, so just run along and do whatever it is you do, Thorin the Gallant.¡±


    Thorin chuckles. ¡°Haha, I haven¡¯t heard that name in a while. I think people are calling me Thorin the Brave these days.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing here, Thorin?¡±


    ¡°Oh, just a little warning. I know what the Seer told you about someone coming from that planet to destroy what you¡¯ve built. But what you did¡­ tut-tut, that was going too far, Morvain.¡±


    ¡°And what are you going to do about it?¡± Morvain asks with a smile.


    ¡°Me? Nothing. I don¡¯t have to do a thing. Your downfall has already been prophesied, and when it happens, the universe will hold a celebration.¡± Thorin laughs, then teleports out, leaving Morvain alone in the room.


    Me? Downfall? Don¡¯t make me laugh. How could anyone from a newly integrated world challenge me? I only set out to destroy the world on the off chance whoever it is becomes a nuisance.