The apartment door creaked open.
Min-jun stepped inside quietly, slipping off his shoes as if making noise would somehow make everything worse.
"Hyung?"
A boy's voice came from the living room.
Kang Ji-ho peeked out from behind the sofa, his eyes lighting up the moment he saw Min-jun.
"You're late," Ji-ho said. "Did the awakening take long?"
Min-jun froze for half a second.
"…Yeah," he replied.
Ji-ho didn't notice the pause. He ran over excitedly. "So? What did you awaken? Mom's been waiting all day."
From the kitchen, the sound of chopping stopped.
"Kang Min-jun," their mother called. "Come eat first. Then you can tell us everything."
Min-jun swallowed.
How do I say it?
He walked to the dining table and sat down slowly. The smell of warm soup filled the room, comforting and cruel at the same time.
His mother placed a bowl in front of him. "You must be nervous. Eat."
Ji-ho leaned forward, eyes shining. "Was it a sword class? Or magic? Please tell me it was magic."
Min-jun stared into the soup.
"…I awakened Necromancer."
Silence.
Ji-ho blinked. "Necro… what?"
Their mother stiffened slightly, then forced a smile. "That's… a hunter class, right?"
"Yes," Min-jun said quickly. "It is."
Ji-ho frowned. "Why do you sound like that? Is it bad?"
Min-jun didn't answer.
The system window flickered faintly at the edge of his vision, but he ignored it.
Their mother sat down slowly. She didn't panic. She didn't shout.
She just looked tired.
"…Common tier?" she asked gently.
Min-jun nodded.
Ji-ho's face fell. "But… people say that class is weak."
"I know," Min-jun replied quietly.
The words tasted bitter.
Their mother reached out and placed her hand over his.
"Min-jun," she said softly, "your father didn't become strong overnight either."
Min-jun clenched his fist.
Dad died in a dungeon.
He didn't say it. None of them did.
After dinner, Min-jun went to his room and closed the door.
The moment he sat on his bed, the system window opened fully.
[Player Profile]
Name: Kang Min-jun
Level: 1
Class: Necromancer (Common)
HP: 120 / 120
Mana: 300 / 300
Stats:
Strength: 8
Agility: 9
Vitality: 10
Intelligence: 18
Luck: 7
Skills:
Skeleton Storage (Passive)
Basic Skeleton Summon (Active)
"…Status windows really exist," he muttered.
His gaze stopped at Skeleton Storage.
"What does that even mean?"
He focused.
A strange sensation tugged at his chest.
Then—
Clack.
The skeleton appeared again, standing awkwardly in the corner of the room.
Ji-ho screamed from the other side of the door.
"HYUNG WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT NOISE—"
"WAIT," Min-jun shouted. "DON'T COME IN!"
The skeleton froze.
Min-jun stared at it.
"…You can't just appear like that," he whispered urgently.
The skeleton tilted its skull.
The system chimed.
[Skeleton Storage Activated]
The skeleton dissolved into black particles and vanished.
Min-jun exhaled sharply.
"…Okay," he murmured. "That's useful."
His heart was still racing.
He lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
Useless class…
Dumped in five minutes…
Common tier…
His phone buzzed.
A message popped up.
Seo-yeon:
"Take care of yourself."
That was it.
Min-jun laughed softly.
"Yeah… sure."
The system chimed again.
[Hidden Condition Detected]
[Class Compatibility: Extremely High]
[Requirement Not Met]
Min-jun sat up.
"…What?"
The message disappeared before he could read more.
His fingers tightened around the blanket.
So you're saying… there's more?
Outside, sirens wailed in the distance.
Dungeons were opening somewhere in the city.
Min-jun closed his eyes.
"Just wait," he whispered to no one in particular.
"I'll prove you wrong."
In the darkness of his room, something ancient stirred.
And the skeleton, waiting silently in storage, did not sleep.