"Rank Up...?"
Confusion rolled over Edward as he stared at the remnants of the battlefield. Rank Up? He blinked, trying to digest the words.
Until now, he had been unaware of having any rank at all.
In truth, he hadn't really thought much about the necromancer system. He had used it once—to interrogate the victim—and then again, tonight, to defend himself against the murderer. That was it. Nothing else. No thought beyond immediate survival, no concern for how this strange power ticked inside him.
But now… he couldn't help but wonder.
His mind drifted to his teenage years. Games he had played. RPGs and strategy titles where levels and ranks mattered. Perhaps, he thought, this was similar. If only he could see. If only he could check.
"Show me my rank," he called aloud, voice steady, though tinged with uncertainty.
Nothing.
"What is my rank?" he tried again, but only silence followed.
"Show me the Status—" he began and this time something shifted.
The word Status clicked like a trigger.
A translucent window shimmered into existence before him. Its edges glowed faintly, greenish light reflecting in the mud-slicked woods.
Name: EdwardTitle: NecromancerRank: E—Next Rank: D—Requirements: Kills: 0/5, Soul Extractions: 0/10Souls Controlled: 3/10—Minions: Shadow Soldier x2, Shadow Warrior x1Abilities: Soul Extraction, Soul Summoning
Edward muttered to himself, brow furrowed.
"Huh…" His lips curled slightly as he studied the window. "So I need to kill five people and extract ten souls to rank up…"
He leaned closer, scanning the information again. Numbers, titles, and abilities swirled through his mind. The concept was simple enough in theory—everything was pretty self-explanatory, but it was still hard to believe all of this was real.
After a couple of long moments staring at the screen, he tried to close the window.
He blinked excessively, twitching his head from side to side, in an attempt to make to shake the screen off. He waved his hands. He stomped his foot. He muttered random commands under his breath.
But nothing changed.
The window stayed, hovering in front of his eyes, translucent but insistent.
"There should really be some type of guide for this thing... how am I supposed to know how to close it?"
After countless failed attempts, frustration started to pile up.
In a final, desperate attempt he closed his eyes. This time, he didn't focus on closing the window but rather, he simply imagined opening his eyes and not seeing it.
His eyes flung open once more, and this time... the window was finally gone.
"Yeah..." he muttered, "...this whole system thing will take a while to get used to."
He exhaled, rubbing at the back of his neck, then turned his gaze toward the bodies.
"Now... how the hell do I explain this to the Chief?"
He looked at the aftermath.
The lifeless form of Borr, sprawled across the mud. The familiar soldier he had first shown the crime scene was crushed beneath the massive hammer. The other soldier, lifeless and shredded from. the hammer's impact.
Edward's mind ran through possibilities. He could explain the killer—maybe. One soldier? Perhaps. But everyone? All dead except him? That was… impossible.
He lingered, staring at the mess and weighing his options.
Then, a thought came. Not perfect, far from it, but best he could do right now.
He dragged the body of one of the soldiers toward Borr. His scrawny arms lifted the weight as if it were nothing, the armour and blood smeared, dragging marks visible on the muddy ground. He placed a sword in the soldier's hand and adjusted the posture, forcing the tip toward Borr's stomach.
It looked as if they had killed each other.
Edward tilted his head, surveying the scene. Doubt lingered at the edges of his mind. Smear marks were clear, traces of dragging obvious, but with no tools and nothing else to hide it, this would have to suffice.
He sighed.
"It will have to do."
Then, he turned on his heel and headed toward the village.
Immediately, he noticed something. His body felt… different.
The walk, once exhausting and straining, now felt natural. Limbs moved fluidly, his weight barely noticeable despite the effort he had just put into dragging the soldier. Strength, speed, even stamina all seemed subtly enhanced.
"Did the rank up grant me strength?" he muttered under his breath, but didn't get to dwell on the thought for long.
Before him, the village loomed, houses dimly lit in the near distance.
A single villager passed by.
The moment the man's eyes landed on Edward, he froze.
He opened his mouth but no words came out. His eyes went wide and fear etched across all his features. And then, as if instinctively, he turned and ran as fast as he could.
Edward frowned at the scenary.
"What the hell was that about?"
He looked around, noting three shadowy figures standing silently at his sides.
"Fuck, I forgot about them," he thought to himself, stepping back slightly.
"Return," he whispered with delay and in an instant, all three of them disappeared at once.
Relief washed over him. He noted how lucky he was—only one villager had seen his minions. He doubted anyone would have believe him. A lone villager seeing three shadowy figures in the middle of a night sounded exactly like something straight out of folktale. At best they will laugh it off, at worst, he might become a fire story. Either way, he should be safe from prying eyes, at least for now.
He continued his walk, each step was calm and controlled. His mind building the story he is going to tell the Chief in his head.
Finally, he reached the edge of the village, standing before the massive doors of the Chief's residence. The double doors loomed high above him, precise cravings carved into the heavy wood.
Edward sighed loudly, hands brushing mud from his tunic.
Then, he knocked loudly on the doors.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
He could hear the sound echo faintly inside thebuilding, swallowed by vast insides of the residance.
Few moments passed in silence.
He began to doubt whether now was a bad time, but before this doubt could take root, footsteps echoed from inside.
The door swung open, and there, in its massive frame, stood an unfamiliar girl.