The Crimson Hollow was alive.
Not in the metaphorical sense—no. It pulsed with a heartbeat. Every corridor whispered. Every wall watched. And deeper still, the air rang with haunting hums—long, drawn-out melodies sung by no lips, echoing like choirs through bone-halls and blood-slick chambers.
Kael strolled calmly behind a trail of carnage.
Seradin was a one-knight army, cleaving, crushing, and staggering forward like a herald of undeath. Limbs flew. Screams echoed once—and then ended.
The monsters never stopped.
Crimson Shades, floating spirits with broken faces.
Whispering Fangs, crawling beasts with serrated tongues.
A Wraith Maiden, screeching spells carved from madness.
All were silenced.
Kael barely cast a single spell. His undead held formation. Seradin waded through blood. The Hollow Grimoire didn’t even bother whispering most of the time. It purred.
Bored, Kael walked beside the knight.
“I’ve seen the way you fight. You’re no footsoldier.”
Seradin did not look at him. His voice was low, thick with memory. “I was Commander of the Black Choir. Hollowspire’s last blade. Before the Silence fell.”
“Hollowspire?”
“It was a city that sang to the dead. Necromancers, summoners, bonewrights. We lived in harmony with death.” Seradin paused, then crushed a beast’s skull with his boot. “Then came the Light.”
Kael frowned. “Holy war?”
“They called it cleansing. We called it extinction.” Seradin stopped. “I fell protecting the last Sanctum.”
Kael was silent for a while.
Then smirked. “Guess you’re still protecting one.”
By the time they reached the final corridor, Kael could feel the dungeon’s tension. Magic thickened. The walls bled mist. The humming grew louder.
The Boss Room was near.
Kael raised a hand, halting Seradin.
“Wait.”
He opened his System Window, the crimson interface flaring to life.
[Kael Vire – Status Screen]
Level: 5
Class: Necromancer
Race: Drakenborne – Nightblood Lineage
Health: 180
Mana: 375
Stamina: 110
Attributes (Post Allocation):
– Strength: 9
– Endurance: 11
– Agility: 12
– Intelligence: 20 (+1 summon cap; now controls up to 8 undead)
– Willpower: 22 (enhanced control and summon stability)
– Mana Affinity: 23 (spell speed, dark synergy boosted)
– Charisma: 13
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– Luck: 10 (crit chance, rare loot, event triggers improved)
Stat Points Remaining: 0
Skill Points Available: 3
Trait:
– Soulbrand (Unique)
– Veilheart Ascendant (Trait – unlocked at Level 5)
Summons Active: 1 (Seradin, Elite)
Soul Vault: 2 empty slots
Kael nodded in satisfaction. His focus was exactly where it needed to be: magic, control, and power through others. But the two points into Luck? That was instinct. Gut feeling. A little chaos never hurt.
He flicked to the Skill Menu, now offering him expanded options for level 5.
[Available Necromancer Skills – Level 5 Unlocks]
You may choose up to 3 skills with your current points.
1. Bone Stitch (Rank I)
Fuses damaged undead together to form larger, temporary units with enhanced stats. Lasts 2 minutes.
2. Hungering Pulse (Rank I)
Sends a wave of necrotic energy that heals all summoned undead and grants temporary attack speed and aggression bonuses.
3. Grave Sense (Passive)
Sense corpses, unbound souls, and undead within 30m. Helps locate hidden enemies or interactable remains.
4. Death’s Reach (Rank I)
Animate dismembered limbs or partial corpses as crawling, slashing minions. Max 2 active.
5. Rites of the Hollow (Passive)
Kills made by Kael or his undead may leave behind Soul Residue, usable for mana recovery or dark rituals.
6. Gravetide Burst (Rank I)
Cause one of your undead to violently detonate, dealing area necrotic damage. Destroys the summon.
7. Soulchain (Rank I)
Links up to two undead to Kael directly. They absorb a portion of damage meant for him and act with enhanced speed and loyalty.
8. Dreadbrand (Rank I)
Marks a target with a cursed sigil. All undead deal increased damage to the marked enemy for 10 seconds
Kael browsed the Skill Menu, fingers drifting through the list of possible paths—each a different flavor of death. He didn’t hesitate long. His choices were measured, not impulsive. These were tools for a battlefield, not toys.
He selected the first.
[Skill Learned: Hungering Pulse (Rank I)]
Mana Cost: 50
Sends a wave of necrotic energy that heals all active summons for 15% of their health and grants +20% movement and attack speed for 10 seconds.
? Synergy: Great for swarm strategies and long fights where minions need sustain.
A warm ripple surged through his chest—necrotic, but comforting, like the steady beat of marching bones.
Next, his gaze locked onto a sigil that pulsed like a heartbeat.
[Skill Learned: Dreadbrand (Rank I)]
Mana Cost: 35 | Cooldown: 30s
Marks a single enemy with a spectral sigil. All summoned undead deal +25% damage to the target for 10 seconds.
? Synergy: Strong burst window when coordinating multiple summons or elite minions against bosses.
The rune etched itself into his palm briefly, then faded, sinking into his blood.
But he wasn’t done.
He returned to the core. The foundation. The spell that bound everything.
[Skill Upgraded: Raise Lesser Dead – Rank III]
Upgrades:
– Summons now retain greater combat instincts: flanking, shielding, coordinated strikes.
– Able to raise larger or hybrid corpses (ogres, monstrosities, beasts).
– All summons gain 5% physical damage resistance.
– Reduced mana cost by 10%.
– Unlocks Named Summons: Kael may now raise one rare undead capable of retaining skills, identity, or memory from life.
Kael closed the System Window, the air humming around him with new power. The Grimoire quivered excitedly, and even Seradin turned to glance back.
“You’ve changed,” the knight rumbled.
Kael smirked. “No... I’m just ready now.”
He turned toward the heavy, rune-sealed gates of the Boss Room.
The air beyond was trembling. Like the dungeon itself was holding its breath.
“Let’s see what you were guarding.”
And together, necromancer and knight stepped into the dark.
