Volume 1: "The Awakening of the Great Necromancer"
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A Humble Beginning
Jinwoo lived in the village of Ryodan, where life was harsh and opportunities for success were rare. He was a quiet, hardworking young man, often working odd jobs to make ends meet and care for his sickly mother. But everything changed when he stumbled upon an ancient, dusty book in the ruins of an old temple hidden deep within a forest. As soon as he touched the book, the **Necromancer's System** awakened within him, an interface only he could see, filled with quests, skill trees, and mysterious rankings.
At first, Jinwoo struggled to understand this newfound power. It seemed like a curse—a magic long forbidden, as necromancers were hunted and executed by the Mage Order centuries ago. The first quest was simple: raise a dead creature. Hesitantly, he ventured into the forest and found the body of a fallen wolf. Channeling his newfound energy, he successfully resurrected the beast. Though the wolf was weak and its movements jerky, Jinwoo knew this was the start of something monumental.
But this new path came with dangers. If anyone discovered he was a necromancer, it would mean immediate death. Determined to survive, Jinwoo vowed to hide his powers from the world, even as his ambitions grew.
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The Journey Begins: Low-Level Raids
After discovering his abilities, Jinwoo realized he needed to practice and grow stronger quickly. Hiding his true powers, he registered as a **low-level summoner** in the **Adventurer's Guild**. He claimed his summons were simple undead creatures—weak skeletons and low-tier zombies, a class of magic that, while rare, was not particularly impressive in the eyes of the guild. It was the perfect cover for a necromancer.Â
Joining a team of novice adventurers, Jinwoo began taking part in **low-level raids**. His first raid was in a simple dungeon filled with **goblins**. The other adventurers mocked Jinwoo, believing his summoned skeletons would be useless. But unbeknownst to them, Jinwoo was secretly bolstering his undead with the power of necromancy. His skeletons, enhanced by his system, moved with unnatural speed and precision, cutting down goblins with ease.
Each kill made Jinwoo stronger. The **Necromancer's System** rewarded him with **experience points** and **soul energy** that he could use to raise more powerful undead. With each dungeon he cleared, he added more fallen creatures to his growing army but kept them hidden, only summoning a few at a time to avoid suspicion.
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Mastering the Art of Secrecy
As Jinwoo's skill with necromancy grew, so did his reputation—though not for the reasons people might expect. To the guild, Jinwoo was known as the **"Undead Summoner,"** a title that made him seem unimpressive compared to the powerful knights, mages, and rangers he often teamed up with. However, his quick reactions, strategic use of summons, and quiet efficiency made him a reliable asset in dungeon raids.
Jinwoo quickly rose through the ranks, joining increasingly difficult raids. He entered **orc-infested caves**, **werewolf dens**, and **ancient crypts** filled with traps. His skill at clearing dungeons quickly caught the attention of more experienced adventurers, who invited him to join their teams. Jinwoo's ability to navigate dangerous situations and his seemingly endless supply of undead summons gave his teams a major advantage.Â
But despite the praise, Jinwoo was always careful. His most powerful undead were kept hidden deep in the forests or summoned only in the dead of night, far away from prying eyes. His primary strategy was to feign weakness, summoning weaker creatures during raids while secretly using his more powerful army to clear more difficult dungeons on his own.
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A Year of Rapid Growth: Uncovering the System's Power
Over the course of the year, Jinwoo mastered the **Necromancer's System**, learning to manipulate its mechanics in ways that others couldn't. He discovered that his **experience gain** was directly tied to the quality and number of undead he commanded. By seeking out dungeons with more powerful monsters, Jinwoo could rapidly level up—faster than anyone else in the guild.
The **soul energy** he harvested from fallen enemies was stored within the system, which allowed him to upgrade his undead with new abilities. Skeletons became **swordmasters**, zombies turned into **berserkers**, and fallen beasts like **trolls** and **ogres** were raised to serve him as elite undead warriors.
While his peers took **4 to 5 years** to reach Level 70, Jinwoo achieved it in a single year. His **Undead Summoner** skill was ranked **B-rank**, while his legendary skills in necromancy had risen to **S-rank** abilities. This rapid ascent was unprecedented, but Jinwoo's careful strategy ensured that no one realized how powerful he had truly become. Most believed he was simply a skilled adventurer with modest summoning abilities, unaware of the **legion of undead** that followed him from the shadows.
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Facing High-Level Dungeons in Secret
By the time Jinwoo reached Level 70, he was no longer content with low-level raids. Secretly, he began targeting **high-level dungeons**, places where even the most skilled adventurers would tread cautiously. These dungeons were home to terrifying monsters: **giants**, **behemoths**, and **elder trolls**. Jinwoo knew that to grow stronger, he needed to challenge these dungeons without anyone knowing.
In one particularly dangerous dungeon, Jinwoo encountered his first **high-level boss**, an **ancient lich** guarding a long-forgotten crypt. It was in this battle that Jinwoo truly unlocked the full potential of his necromantic powers. After a fierce battle, the lich fell, and Jinwoo raised it as one of his own, adding a **lich lord** to his ever-expanding undead army.
As Jinwoo's powers grew, so did the scope of his ambitions. He realized that necromancy wasn't just about raising the dead—it was about **controlling the balance of life and death itself**. Each battle pushed him closer to understanding the true nature of the **Necromancer's System**, but it also brought him closer to an inevitable confrontation with those who would seek to destroy him.
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The Rise to Mythic Rank: The Battle Against the Black Dragon
Jinwoo had grown increasingly confident in his abilities, but he remained careful not to draw too much attention. One day, he received word from the **Adventurer's Guild** about an **A-rank dungeon** that had recently appeared in the mountainous region near the capital city. High-rank dungeons were dangerous, but Jinwoo, now Level 70 and with an army of 1,000 undead soldiers at his command, believed he was ready to take it on.
The guild's readings indicated the dungeon was well within A-rank parameters, meaning Jinwoo should be able to clear it with some effort. His plan was to join the raid with a group of adventurers and secretly use his undead army to take control of the situation when things got tough, as he had done many times before. However, this time would be different.
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A Dungeon Full of Deception
Upon entering the dungeon, something immediately felt off. The air was heavier, the atmosphere darker than any A-rank dungeon he had faced before. The dungeon itself was a vast labyrinth of ancient ruins, with crumbling stone structures and eerie silence that seemed to stretch for miles. As Jinwoo and his team ventured deeper, they encountered **weaker monsters**, which bolstered the group's confidence. They thought this would be a routine dungeon run.
But as they descended further into the dungeon, a deep rumbling echoed from the depths, and the dungeon's layout **shifted**. The walls trembled, the ground split apart, and a surge of dark energy erupted from beneath. The system interface in Jinwoo's mind flashed with a sudden, urgent message:
"WARNING: Dungeon Recalibration in Progress."
Jinwoo's eyes widened as the dungeon's rank on the guild's scanners suddenly changed. What had once been an **A-rank dungeon** was now recalibrating to its true state: a **Rank Above S**. The system had been wrong, and the dungeon's true power had been cloaked.
The other adventurers panicked as the guild's emergency alarms went off in the distance. Realizing the true danger they were in, they tried to retreat, but it was too late. The dungeon sealed itself, trapping them inside. The monsters they had thought were weak began to transform into terrifying beasts, their true forms now unleashed. An army of **wyverns**—vicious, draconic creatures with leathery wings and venomous talons—descended from the high ceilings of the ancient ruins, shrieking as they closed in.
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The Army of Wyverns
As the wyverns launched their attack, Jinwoo knew the adventurers stood no chance. They were outclassed, and he could no longer afford to hide his power. With a sharp command, he summoned a portion of his undead army: **skeletal archers** and **swordmasters** materialized from the shadows, surrounding the adventurers and shielding them from the onslaught. The other adventurers, stunned, watched in disbelief as Jinwoo's summons cut through the wyverns with surgical precision.
But the battle was far from over. As Jin
woo fought, he felt a presence growing stronger from the depths of the dungeon. It was a looming threat, one he knew he would have to face head-on.Â
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The Black Dragon Awakens
At the heart of the dungeon, Jinwoo and the remaining adventurers arrived at a massive chamber filled with towering columns of obsidian stone. In the center of the chamber lay the **boss monster**—a colossal **black dragon**, its scales like molten shadow, shimmering with an aura of death and destruction. Its eyes, glowing with malice, locked onto Jinwoo and his forces.
With a deafening roar, the dragon took flight, sending shockwaves through the dungeon. This was no ordinary dragon. Its power was beyond anything Jinwoo had ever faced. The system flashed another message:
"Boss Monster: Ancient Black Dragon. Danger Level: Above S+."
Jinwoo quickly realized that defeating this dragon would take everything he had. He sent his most powerful undead—troll berserkers, ogre warriors, and spectral liches—charging at the beast, but the dragon was no ordinary foe. It breathed torrents of **black fire**, incinerating the undead soldiers as if they were made of paper. Each swing of its massive tail demolished entire columns, crushing everything in its path.
But Jinwoo wasn't finished yet.
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A Battle for the Ages
With a fierce determination, Jinwoo tapped into the full power of his **Necromancer's System**, summoning every ounce of his magic. He raised the fallen wyverns from the earlier battle, turning them into undead under his command. The skies were now filled with a **swarm of undead wyverns**, clashing with the dragon in the air while Jinwoo's army fought it on the ground.
The battle raged for hours. Jinwoo's mana reserves were stretched to their limit, but with each powerful attack from the dragon, he adapted. His strategic mind and mastery over necromancy allowed him to whittle down the dragon's defenses slowly. After what felt like an eternity, Jinwoo saw his chance. With one final push, his undead wyverns distracted the dragon long enough for his **lich lord** to bind the beast with dark magic. Seizing the opportunity, Jinwoo launched his most powerful spell, a necromantic curse designed to corrupt even the strongest lifeforms.
The dragon let out a final, thunderous roar as its soul was torn from its body. In a flash of dark energy, the once-mighty black dragon collapsed, its massive body falling to the ground with a crash that shook the dungeon.
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The Mythic Rank Upgrade(ss)
Jinwoo stood before the fallen dragon, panting and exhausted. His vision blurred as the system interface opened once again, but this time, it revealed something new:
**"Congratulations. You have defeated the Ancient Black Dragon."**
**"Mythic Rank Unlocked."**
A surge of power rushed through Jinwoo as his system evolved. His skills, which had once been at the legendary level (**S-rank**), now transformed into **Mythic Rank** abilities (**SS-rank**). He could feel his control over the undead expanding beyond anything he had ever imagined.
And then, the system presented him with another option:
**"Would you like to raise the Black Dragon as your servant?"**
Without hesitation, Jinwoo accepted.
In an explosion of necromantic energy, the dragon's skeletal remains rose from the ground. Its bones shimmered with dark magic, and its empty eye sockets glowed with an eerie blue flame. The **undead black dragon** was now under Jinwoo's command, its massive wings unfurling as it bowed before its new master.
Jinwoo had done the impossible. He had conquered an S-rank dungeon, slain an ancient black dragon, and now commanded the mythical beast as his soldier.
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A Shocking Revelation: Dungeon Ownership
As Jinwoo basked in his victory, another notification appeared in his system, one that would change everything. The system had unlocked a new feature: **Dungeon Ownership**.
With **10,000 undead soldiers**, Jinwoo would gain the ability to challenge dungeon bosses and seize control of their domains. If he won, the dungeon would become his personal fortress, a place where he could command legions of monsters and gather untold riches.
But Jinwoo couldn't help but feel conflicted. The power to own a dungeon was unlike anything he had ever imagined, but it also came with unimaginable responsibility. Could he truly handle such power? And what would happen if the world found out about his abilities?
The questions weighed heavily on Jinwoo as he stood atop his undead black dragon, staring out over the ruined dungeon. He had risen to **Mythic Rank**, but his journey was far from over.
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Volume 1: The End
As the volume concludes, Jinwoo begins to realize the true scope of his potential. Will he be able to gather **10,000 undead soldiers** and challenge the dungeons for ownership? Will he rise to become the **King of the Dungeons**, or is something far more sinister waiting for him in the shadows?
The rise of the **Great Necromancer Jinwoo** is just beginning.
**Stay tuned for the next volume**, where the stakes grow higher, and Jinwoo faces new challenges that will test the limits of his power.