The world blurred the moment Arel stepped through the dungeon gate. Cold static surged through his spine as gravity seemed to twist. His vision blurred, and a second later, he landed on one knee—barely able to catch himself.
The air was heavy. Stagnant. Like an ancient breath held too long.
[Dungeon Environment: Root-Level Trial Space][Difficulty: Beginner – Adaptive][Mobility Restriction: None][Map Unavailable][Objective: Survive until Sync Completion – 12 Minutes Remaining]
The stone walls around him pulsed faintly, veins of glowing green-blue energy tracing like cracks in the earth. It was as if the dungeon was alive, breathing slow and deep.
Behind him, Kael materialized silently—his armor humming softly with spectral energy.
"This place reeks of old blood and forgotten gods," the Fallen Knight muttered, hand resting on the hilt of a blade that had no scabbard. "Be wary."
Arel nodded, trying to steel his nerves. The system hadn't given him a weapon. Just a minion… and a warning.
They began to move—careful, quiet, step by step through the twisted corridor. The dungeon seemed endless, a looping maze of stone and root, echoing every breath they made.
Then came the sound.
Click.
Skittering. Then silence.
Kael raised a hand, halting Arel.
A shape dropped from the ceiling.
[Entity Detected: Bonecrawler][Classification: Corpse-Type Beast][Rank: F+][Weakness: Fire/Light][Aggression Level: HIGH]
It looked like a spider—but without skin. Bone plates locked over its body like jagged armor. Empty sockets glowed green. Its fangs clattered as it hissed.
Arel flinched.
"Can you handle it?" he asked, barely above a whisper.
Kael didn't reply with words.
He moved.
The knight surged forward, blade flickering. The Bonecrawler lunged with terrifying speed, but Kael met it head-on, sword crashing into bone, sparks flying.
Clang. Crack. Roar.
It was brutal, loud, terrifying—and beautiful.
Arel could do nothing but watch as his minion fought with lethal efficiency. Yet every swing of Kael's sword cost something. A flicker of energy. A flash of light across the bond.
[Minion Status: Kael — Vital Integrity 84%][Mental Load: 18% → 23%]
The fight ended as suddenly as it began.
The Bonecrawler collapsed, its skull cleaved in two.
Kael staggered slightly. "Its spirit… resisted. It wasn't fresh."
Arel stepped forward, heart pounding, and knelt beside the remains.
He expected rot. Smell. Decay.
But it was… still. Dry. Hollow.
Only a faint blue glow hovered above it.
[Corpse Compatible — Initiate Binding?][Warning: Capacity Exceeded]
Arel shook his head. "No. One is enough… for now."
But the system had other plans.
[New Trait Detected: Fragment Storage][Partial Soulbind Possible — Memory Slot Reserved]
He hesitated… then accepted.
The glow vanished. A shiver passed through him.
The path ahead opened—literally. The wall melted into mist, revealing a small chamber filled with strange runes.
In the center lay a pedestal.
On it — a book.
Bound in old black leather, sealed with iron straps and a glowing red emblem.
[Skill Book: Bone Grasp][Necromancer-Only][Type: Utility Spell — Control][Learning Requirement: System Sync ≥ 10%]
Arel touched it.
And felt fire surge through his veins.
[Skill Learned: Bone Grasp (Lv. 1)][Cooldown: 30s | Range: 3m | Effect: Temporary bind of skeletal target][System Sync: 12% Achieved]
The dungeon began to shake.
[Trial Complete — Exit Opened]
Arel turned to Kael, chest rising and falling.
He had survived.
He had learned.
This was only the first step… but it meant everything.
He stepped through the exit gate, heart pounding with strange pride.
—
Back at the forge, the world had not changed.
But Arel had.
Elia greeted him at the door, hugging him tight. She looked tired—too tired for a child. But her eyes sparkled faintly.
"You brought something back with you," she said.
He blinked. "What do you mean?"
She pointed to his chest. "The light. It's bigger now."
Arel didn't know what scared him more.
That she saw it… or that she was right.