The space they found themselves in was vast—nearly ten meters high, spanning seven or eight hundred square meters. The massive skeletal remains before them towered at least seven to eight meters tall and stretched over thirty meters in length. Several of its bones bore visible fractures, and the entire skeleton lay in a prone position, as if it had been deliberately placed there after its demise.
Jack Williams scrutinized the enormous skeletal frame before him. After a few moments of careful observation, he was certain—this was a Western dragon. The eerie stillness of the scene suggested it had been slain by someone and subsequently left here, shrouded in an unsettling aura. As he admired the sheer presence of the creature, he smirked and muttered, "Not bad, not bad at all! A bone dragon, huh? If I could make this my personal mount, imagine how spectacular that would be! Hahaha…"
From within his pocket, two tiny moles, Tobs and Cons, huddled together, trembling uncontrollably. "That's a dragon! You can't just turn it into a mount! The gods will punish you!"
"Gods? Pfft! What gods? If they exist, let them strike me down right now! See? Nothing! No gods, no judgment, just me and my soon-to-be magnificent bone dragon!" Jack scoffed at their fear and strode deeper into the chamber. However, as he approached an old bed, his gaze fell upon something that made him pause. Lying atop the dusty mattress was a human skeleton.
A gust of wind stirred the tattered clothing, causing it to disintegrate into dust, revealing pale bones beneath.
"Whoa! A dead guy!" Tobs poked his tiny head out of Jack's pocket, exclaiming in surprise.
Jack rolled his eyes and flicked the little creature on the forehead. "No kidding. What else could it be?"
Ignoring Toby's indignant squeals, Jack surveyed the room. It was in complete disarray—scattered books, overturned tables, shattered glass. The place bore a striking resemblance to an abandoned laboratory.
"Could this person have been a necromancer?" Cons wondered aloud, his beady eyes fixed on the skeletal remains, as if recalling some distant memory.
"A necromancer?" Jack's eyes gleamed. "Like the ones in Warcraft? The badass, all-powerful type? Oh man, there's gotta be some real treasures hidden here!" His gaze burned with excitement, like a starving wolf that had just spotted a plump lamb.
Tobs and Cons exchanged looks and rolled their eyes in unison.
Jack wasted no time. He rolled up his sleeves and initiated what he proudly called his "internationally acclaimed looting operation." Within minutes, the once-organized chamber was in utter chaos, objects overturned, broken, and flung aside without a second thought.
"Ugh, a worn-out boot? So much for the mighty necromancer… Oh, what's this? A drinking cup? Seriously?"
Clang! Clang!
Amidst the mess, Jack's eyes locked onto something beneath a slab of rock—a small, intricately crafted box, no larger than his palm.
"Wow! This box is beautiful!" Cons squeaked in delight.
"No shit. And who found it? That's right—me," Jack retorted with a smug grin, flipping the lid open.
The moment the box was unsealed, a brilliant white light erupted from within, shooting straight into Jack's forehead. He recoiled in shock, but before he could react further, his vision blurred, and an image materialized before him—a middle-aged man, his expression solemn and dignified.
"To the one who has found this box… By the time you hear my words, I, Basil, will have long since perished. Your presence here means you possess both fate and ability. As such, I shall bestow upon you my greatest legacy—the art of necromancy. May you carry forth my will and bring my unfinished work to completion…"
Jack barely had time to process the words when his mind was flooded with an overwhelming influx of knowledge. Spells, incantations, and rituals unfurled in his consciousness—summoning the dead, death coil, vampiric aura… every skill imaginable within the domain of necromancy.
His breathing hitched. Necromancy?!
The spectral voice continued, its tone heavy with regret.
"This bone dragon was meant to be my ultimate masterpiece. However, just as I neared completion, my enemies stormed in, forcing me to halt my work. Their strength far exceeded my expectations, and in the end, I was mortally wounded. I leave these words in hopes that someone will finish what I started…"
The voice faded, and with it, the glowing image dissipated into nothingness.
Jack's hands trembled. He turned his gaze back to the massive skeleton before him, excitement creeping into his voice. "Controlling a bone dragon? Sounds pretty damn amazing…" He glanced down at the two quivering moles in his pocket and grinned. "Looks like my luck is finally turning around."
Tobs whispered, "Dear, do you think he's gone insane?"
Cons sighed. "Seems like it. Should we… leave before it's too late?"
Their muttering was swiftly silenced by Jack flicking them both on the head. "Shut up and watch greatness unfold!"
His eyes were drawn to the dragon's skull, where a fist-sized, dark crystalline object was embedded.
"Holy crap, is this the magic core? Damn, it's ugly."
Without hesitation, he climbed onto the dragon's skeletal frame, using its ribs as footholds.
Tobs and Cons shrieked, "What are you doing?! This is suicide!"
"Less talking, more watching," Jack shot back. "Say one more word, and I'll roast you both for dinner."
It took him twenty grueling minutes to reach the dragon's neck. Breathing heavily, he extended a trembling hand toward the core. Instead of grabbing it outright, he bit into his own finger, smearing his blood over the stone's surface.
The reaction was instantaneous.
A burst of black energy exploded outward, nearly throwing Jack off the skeleton. The surge of power sent Tobs and Cons screaming in terror as the room was engulfed in shadows.
Jack felt his very life essence being siphoned away. His vision darkened, and his limbs turned weak.
"I… I'm being drained…" His voice was barely a whisper.
Then, the unexpected happened.
Tobs and Cons, too, were pulled into the ritual, their small bodies hovering in midair as the contract's energy wrapped around them. Their forms shrank as their life force intertwined with the necromantic bond.
Time lost meaning.
Just as Jack was on the verge of unconsciousness, a thunderous boom echoed through the chamber.
When he finally opened his eyes again, his body was drained of strength, his mouth parched.
"Damn… Feels like I just battled a Valkyrie for three days straight…"
"You almost got us killed!" Cons fumed.
"My… my belly! Where did my belly go?!" Tobs wailed, gazing in horror at his now emaciated form.
Despite the near-death ordeal, their interference had prevented Jack from being completely drained by the contract.
Then, a sound rumbled from the shadows.
The bone dragon stirred. It turned its skull toward Jack and, in a slow, deliberate motion, lowered its head. With eerie gentleness, it nudged him before lifting him onto its back.
Jack was stunned.
"Y-You… What are you doing? Help! Somebody—"
A deep, resonant voice echoed in his mind.
"Master, I am Bruno. I await your command."
Jack's lips curled into a wicked grin.
"I did it… I actually did it!"
Not long after they left the chamber, a faint white light flickered in the darkness.
A shadow stirred.
"That damn brat… How dare he claim what is mine? I'll make him pay…"