The forest floor crunched under the rhythmic, mechanical footfalls of five skeletons. They moved as a single unit, a silent kill-squad sweeping through the underbrush. Every Lynx that dared cross their path was dismantled with cold, surgical precision.
Ethan Sorel didn’t slow down. With his Agility now at 6, his movements finally felt fluid, stripped of the sluggishness that had plagued his initial entry into Myriad Realms. As he walked, he kept his focus inward, his mind a loom weaving the power of [Cataclysm] into his very foundation. He had already suppressed the skill’s visual effects; he didn’t need a pillar of light announcing his location to the entire starter zone while he broke the game’s balance.
[Notification: You have obtained Normal-grade equipment: "Bone Staff".]
[Notification: You have obtained Normal-grade equipment: "Linen Spellrobe".]
In the hierarchy of Myriad Realms Online, gear was everything: Trash, Normal, Black Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Dark Gold, Epic, Legendary, and Mythic. The "Trash" rags players spawned in with were barely better than loincloths—little more than a courtesy to prevent public indecency and a mechanical requirement to channel skills.
Now, with two pieces elevated to Normal-grade, Ethan finally saw a shift in his stat sheet. It wasn’t much—a few points of Spell Power and Physical Defense—but in this game, every scrap of power was a brick in his fortress.
But gear was a secondary concern. The true harvest was the Ascension of his skills.
[Skill Ascension Successful: F-Rank "Summon Bone Minion" has evolved into E-Rank "Summon Skeleton".]
[Summon Skeleton] (Rank E, Level 1): Call forth a skeleton warrior to fight by your side. (Stats scale with player Spirit.)
In the brush ahead, the ten "Bonelings" currently fighting didn't instantly transform. Needs a fresh summon to take effect, Ethan noted. He didn't stop to replenish them yet; there was more work to be done.
[Skill Ascension Successful: F-Rank "Soulfire Burn" has evolved into E-Rank "Soulfire Burn".]
The name remained, but the potency spiked—damage jumped from 150% to 200%.
"Now," Ethan muttered, his eyes sharpening as he selected the cornerstone of his survival. "The real prize."
[Skill Ascension Successful: A-Rank "Life Link" has evolved into S-Rank "Shared Life Pool".]
[Shared Life Pool] (Rank S, Passive): You share a unidirectional health pool with all summoned undead. Your summons act as your vitality.
"Unbelievable." The word escaped him as a sharp exhale.
It had shifted from an active skill to a permanent passive, and the tether now extended to every creature he controlled. To a normal player, an S-Rank skill this early was a mathematical impossibility. But with his Calamity Trait and [Summon Amplification], the synergy was monstrous.
He looked at his HUD. Beneath his precarious '1/1' health bar, a new, massive secondary gauge had appeared, flickering with a terrifying value of over 8,000.
A permanent 1 HP? It didn't matter. He was walking around with a shield thicker than an S-Tier Tank's entire health bar. He wasn't just a Necromancer anymore; he was a walking fortress.
His gaze fell on the final skill.
[Cataclysm initiated. Target: Summon Amplification.]
[Skill Ascension Successful: S-Rank "Summon Amplification" has evolved into SS-Rank "Death Conscription".]
[Death Conscription] (Rank SS, Passive):
1. Summoning cast time reduced by 75%.
2. Summoning cooldown reduced by 75%.
3. Summoned creature attributes increased by 100%.
4. Summon Capacity increased by 10x.
Ethan felt a chill of predatory excitement. The path to his Calamity Legion was shortening. His capacity was now 20, though he couldn't use [Cataclysm] on the capacity itself—it was a stat, not an entity.
Finally, he reached into his bag and pulled out the [Tome of Death]. At Level 1, the book had unlocked its first stat: a meager +10 Spell Power. It was insulting for a unique class item.
He equipped it in his off-hand. Draped in his grey-black robes, staff in one hand and the ancient, death-scented tome in the other, he finally looked the part of a Necromancer. But he didn't want to look like a Necromancer; he wanted the power of a Sovereign.
[Cataclysm initiated. Target: Tome of Death.]
This time, the process took longer. Even with the effects hidden, Ethan felt a cold, heart-stopping pressure radiating from the book. Just as he feared the Ascension might fail, the system chimed in his ear like falling ice.
[Your unique item "Tome of Death" has ascended into "The Death Codex".]
[The Death Codex] (Special Item - Whitenox Exclusive):
▸ Rank: 2 (Scales with User)
▸ Resistance: Physical 23% / Magic 9%
▸ HP Regen: 1.1/sec
Base: +15 Spell Power
Special: Unlocks at Level 10.
(An ancient manuscript of the end-times. As you grow, the Codex reveals the forbidden arts of the Death Sovereign.)
Ethan frowned. Only five more points of Spell Power? But then he noticed the change in classification. It was no longer a "Sub-weapon."
With a thought, the book dissolved into grey light and etched itself onto the back of his left hand as a sprawling, intricate blackened brand. The off-hand slot in his inventory screen snapped open—empty.
He had gained the stats and the potential of the Codex, but he still had a free hand for another shield or orb. It was an extra equipment slot, a mathematical advantage no other player could replicate.
"Time to stop playing around," Ethan said, gripping his staff. "The real grind starts now."
A series of greyish-purple vortices tore open in the air. Out stepped twenty Skeleton Soldiers.
These weren't the brittle, bleached-white husks from before. These skeletons were robust, their bones possessing a dull, metallic luster. The cracks were gone, replaced by smooth, reinforced marrow. They gripped a variety of weapons—rusted swords, spears, clubs—and stood in a disciplined phalange.
At Level 1, with his Spirit attributes surging, each skeleton was a nightmare:
Attributes: 87 (All Stats)
▸ Health: 1,060
▸ Mental Resistance: 58
▸ HP Regen: 3.5/sec
Skill: [Crushing Blow] (Deals 155% Physical Damage)
To any other player, a single one of these would be a boss-level encounter. Ethan had twenty.
He checked his life bar again.
[Shared Life Pool: 34,800 / 34,800] (870 HP x 20 Summons x Calamity Trait Multiplier).
The numbers were pure insanity. He tried to use [Cataclysm] on the skeletons themselves, hoping for a recursive loop, but the system blocked it—they were extensions of the skill. Still, he was satisfied.
"Move out," he commanded.
The skeletons fanned out into squads. The Lynx Territory, which saw other players struggling in groups of five, became a slaughterhouse. The skeletons’ 87 Agility made them blurs of white bone against the green forest.
[Kill confirmed: Level 3 Lynx. Over-level Bonus: +4.5 EXP.]
[Kill confirmed: Level 3 Lynx...]
The notifications scrolled so fast they became a blur. Ethan didn't even have to lift a finger. One of the skeletons acted as a designated looter, trailing behind him and wordlessly handing over copper coins and the occasional scrap of cloth.
A golden light erupted around him.
[Level Up! Level 2 reached. All stats +1, Skill Point +1, Free Attributes +15.]
He dumped every point into Spirit, further buffing his legion. By the time he reached the edge of the Lynx Territory, another flash of gold signaled his transition to Level 3.
The looter-skeleton stepped forward, offering a handful of copper and a pair of sturdy-looking boots. Ethan didn't even look at the base stats before hitting them with [Cataclysm].
[Item Ascended: Black Iron-grade "Padded Cloth Shoes" (Level 5).]
They were too high level to wear yet, but they were ready. Myriad Realms was stingy—most players were still running around without footwear, feeling the breeze in places they’d rather not. Ethan, focused on his dwindling lifespan, didn't care about the fashion. He cared about the destination.
Ahead, nestled in a valley choked with grey haze, was a swirling, two-meter-tall vortex. A massive stone tablet stood beside it, carved with four ominous words: THE MISTWOOD.
This was the first dungeon available to players. While others were still forming parties and debating strategy, Ethan stood before it alone.
[Warning: The Mistwood contains high-level threats. Solo entry is not recommended. Are you sure?]
"Confirm," Ethan said.
[Select Difficulty: Normal, Hard, Nightmare, Inferno.]
"Inferno."
The portal, originally a pale white, began to churn. The mist within turned a bruised, abyssal black, looking like the open maw of a starving predator.
Ethan didn't hesitate. He stepped into the darkness.
[Notification: You have entered "The Mistwood" (Inferno Difficulty).]
The world vanished, replaced by a forest where the fog was so thick it swallowed sound. Visibility dropped to a few meters. It was unnervingly silent, the kind of silence that preceded a massacre.
Ethan didn't need to see through the mist himself. He opened his Summon Capacity.
One by one, twenty skeletons materialized out of the shadows, their eyes burning with forty pinpricks of eerie, blue soul-fire. They surrounded him, their weapons leveled, turning the fog-choked woods into a graveyard before a single drop of blood had been spilled.