The city seemed quieter than usual that evening, though Min-jun knew it wasn't.
Hunters moved through the streets with purpose, some practicing combat in empty lots, others gathering in small guild clusters, their levels floating faintly above their heads. Min-jun could feel them without needing to look. Level tens, twenties… even a few rare Epic class players strolling casually.
*Everyone is already ahead,* he thought. *But that doesn't mean I can't catch up.*
He walked home slowly, his skeleton storage hovering lightly beside him. Basic skeleton in front, warrior skeleton behind, and the unstable elite lingering in the corner. They didn't need him to command, but he kept his hand near his mana. A faint awareness that each skeleton was more than just a tool had begun to grow.
Inside the apartment, Ji-ho was doing homework at the small table. When Min-jun entered, his younger brother looked up excitedly.
"Hyung! Did you see? Level eleven! Mom's talking about you at work!"
Min-jun smiled faintly and ruffled Ji-ho's hair. "Yeah, I saw it."
"But—why are you quiet?" Ji-ho asked, frowning. "Aren't you happy?"
"I am," Min-jun said softly. "But… people will watch me differently now. That's all."
Ji-ho tilted his head. "Watch you differently?"
Min-jun knelt beside him. "When you grow stronger, people will expect more from you. Sometimes, they'll cheer. Sometimes, they'll doubt you. You just… keep moving."
Ji-ho blinked, then nodded slowly. "I understand, hyung."
After dinner, Min-jun sat on his bed, opening the system window again. He studied his skeletons carefully.
[Skeleton Storage]
Basic Skeleton x1
Warrior Skeleton x1
Elite Skeleton (Unstable) x1
[Hierarchy Advancement Progress]
Commander Skeleton: 14%
Boss Skeleton: 0%
[Player Profile]
Name: Kang Min-jun
Level: 11
Class: Necromancer (Common)
HP: 260 / 260
Mana: 580 / 580
Strength: 13
Agility: 14
Vitality: 18
Intelligence: 31
Luck: 9
Titles:
Undead Initiate
A notification blinked faintly at the corner of the window.
[New Message Received]
[Sender: Unknown]
[Content: "We've been watching you. Grow carefully, necromancer. Eyes will follow."]
Min-jun's chest tightened.
*So I'm not just being watched by hunters… but someone else.*
He exhaled slowly and closed the message.
*I can't stop now.*
The next day, at the Association, he walked past dozens of awakened players. Every pair of eyes seemed to flick toward him, some curious, some doubtful, some calculating. Above some heads, levels hovered boldly:
Level 20.
Level 25.
Level 32.
He kept walking. He didn't need to look—they could see him. He could see them.
"Min-jun!" Seo-ah called softly from across the hall.
He nodded. She joined him silently, bow resting on her shoulder.
"Another F-rank gate today," she said. "I hope you're ready."
He swallowed. "I think so. More than before."
She glanced at him, eyes sharp. "Your skeletons?"
Min-jun closed his eyes briefly. "They're ready."
A faint hum filled the hall. Something in the air changed—hunters nearby straightened instinctively. A low-level F-rank dungeon couldn't do this. Something about him was growing, and even he felt it.
*Slow. Careful. Steady.*
The skeletons in storage shifted faintly, sensing his resolve.
*We'll follow you anywhere, hyung.*
A soft chime rang in his head.
[Hidden Condition Progress Updated]
[Commander Skeleton Path: 20%]
Min-jun clenched his fists.
"Then let's move forward," he whispered.
Outside, above the city, faint eyes—hunters, guild masters, and unknown watchers—glimmered in the dusk.
And all of them knew: Kang Min-jun, common necromancer, was no longer someone to ignore.