Aiden returned to the inn long after midnight. The place was as quiet as ever. The owner was already asleep downstairs, and the creaking wooden stairs echoed through the empty hall as Aiden walked up to his room.
Once inside, he locked the door and sat on the edge of the old creaking bed. Then he summoned the transparent screen only he could see.
[You have gained 200 EXP for killing Stoneclaw Bear.]
[Level Up!]
Aiden leaned back with a small sigh. "So that thing gave me two hundred... not bad."
The status window shifted before him.
[Name: Aiden (Level: 3)]
Class: Necromancer (Death God — Locked)
Basic-Grade Summon: 2
Bronze-Grade Summon: 0
Iron-Grade Summon: 0
Silver-Grade Summon: 0
Gold-Grade Summon: 0
Legendary-Grade Summon: 0
Mythical-Grade Summon: 0
Summon Slot Available: 2/3
Skills: Lord of the Dead, Bone Shield]
Aiden rubbed his eyes. "Level three already, huh... Not bad for a first couple of days in another world."
He glanced at the list of summons again, still empty. At least his two skeletons were part of his basic undead slots and didn’t count toward his grade summons.
He let himself fall backward into the bed, staring up at the wooden ceiling.
Aiden stared at the floating screen for a moment longer before letting it fade away. He folded his arms behind his head and exhaled softly.
"Tomorrow... I need to find a powerful dead person in this town," he muttered. "If I can use Lord of the Dead on someone strong, I might be able to raise a bronze-grade undead."
Just the thought made him feel a bit more secure. The basic skeleton he had, the one that knew a single martial arts form, was already strong enough to fight a fearsome beast. If that was the strength of a regular undead...
Then what would a bronze-grade one be like?
---
weakly through the cracks in the wooden shutters. After washing up with the cold water provided in a small basin, he headed downstairs for breakfast.
The inn was quiet, just the owner wiping down the counter with his usual grumpy face. Aiden sat on a stool, and the owner slapped down a bowl of thin porridge and a dry piece of bread without a word.
Aiden took a few bites before clearing his throat.
"Sir," he began casually, "I want to ask something a bit... strange."
The owner paused mid-wipe, narrowed his eyes, but didn’t say anything.
"Is there anyone... powerful who died in this town?" Aiden asked. "Someone strong, maybe a practitioner. Anyone like that buried around here?"
The owner stared at him for a moment, lips pressed into a thin line. "That’s a weird thing to ask first thing in the morning," he said. "Most people ask about work. Or food. Not corpses."
Aiden shrugged, playing it off. "Just curious."
The owner snorted but eventually sighed. "Well... there is one."
Aiden perked up. "Oh?"
"He wasn’t originally from this town," the owner said, leaning on the counter as if settling into a story. "But he became... something like a local hero. Helped a lot of people."
Aiden squinted. "Helped... as long as you paid him, right?"
The owner chuckled bitterly. "You know how it is. Help isn’t free. But he solved problems no one else could. Monsters, thieves, disputes between families. Whatever it was, he handled it."
Aiden continued eating slowly. "And he died?"
"One day he just didn’t show up," the owner replied. "People found him dead near the outskirts. No wounds... no signs of a fight. Just dead. The cause is still a mystery."
Aiden’s eyes narrowed in thought. ’Perfect. A strong corpse with an unknown death... this might be the one I need.’
"Where is he buried?" Aiden asked calmly.
The owner jerked his thumb toward the window. "Small cemetery north of town. His grave’s the one with the stone marker."
Aiden nodded. "Thanks."
The owner grunted. "Tssk, what kind of weird hobby young people have this days."
---
It didn’t take long for Aiden to reach the cemetery. Compared to the forgotten graveyard in the forest, this one felt different. The paths were clean, the graves arranged in neat rows, and the grass was trimmed. Someone still cared about this place.
He slowed as he approached a large tombstone near the center. It was made of solid stone, polished despite its age, and at its base sat a small bundle of fresh flowers. The petals were still bright, untouched by time.
"So he really is still remembered," Aiden murmured.
He stood there in silence for a moment, then raised his hand and activated Lord of the Dead.
The world shifted again.
Dark, faint orbs appeared above the graves around him, hovering quietly like dying embers. Most of them were small, weak, barely noticeable. But the one floating above the tombstone in front of him was different.
It was larger.
Denser.
Its darkness felt heavier, more complete.
Aiden’s breath caught slightly. That has to be him.
"I only have three chances," he whispered, steadying himself. "So don’t screw this up."
He placed his hand on the cold stone, eyes fixed on the larger orb.
"Come on," Aiden muttered. "Lady Luck... be on my side this time."