Before going to bed, Kai sat up on the edge of his bed, his curiosity piqued after the intense battles of the day. "Status," he said aloud, and with a faint shimmer of light, the familiar black-and-blue status screen materialized before him, hovering in the air.
Kai leaned forward, his red eyes scanning the detailed display. The information was laid out cleanly, each line precise and straight, making it easy to read:
---
**Name:** Kai Vale
**Age:** 17
**Species:** Human (Reborn)
**Gender:** Male
**Level:** 15
**Class:** Death Mage
**Occupation:** City Savior, Chaos Bringer
**Nicknames:** Necro Prince, The Walking Calamity
**Health Points (HP):** 980/980
**Magic Points (MP):** 3600/3600
**Strength:** 150
**Agility:** 170
**Attack:** 200
**Intelligence:** 350
**Defense:** 120
**Luck:** 80
---
**Skills**
- **Bone Spike (Level 4):** Summons sharp bone projectiles from the ground.
- **Shadow Bind (Level 5):** Restrains enemies with shadow tendrils.
- **Soul Harvest (Level 4):** Absorbs the life force of defeated enemies to restore HP or MP.
- **Mana Manipulation (Level 6):** Enhances control and efficiency of mana usage.
- **Bone Wall (Level 3):** Creates a defensive barrier of bones.
- **Corpse Puppet (NEW - Level 1):** Animates a single corpse to fight under Kai's control with enhanced strength and agility.
- **Spectral Veil (NEW - Level 1):** Temporarily turns Kai intangible, allowing him to phase through physical attacks or barriers.
---
**Magic Skills**
- **Dark Vision (Passive):** Allows perfect vision in complete darkness.
- **Shadow Bolt (Level 5):** Fires a concentrated bolt of shadow energy.
- **Shadow Step (Level 4):** Allows instant teleportation through shadows.
- **Summon Undead (Level 6):** Summons skeletal warriors or undead creatures.
- **Resurrection Master (Unique):** Can resurrect fallen creatures as loyal minions.
- **Void Slash (NEW - Level 1):** Sends a cutting wave of void energy capable of slicing through magic barriers.
- **Grave Mist (NEW - Level 1):** Summons a mist that weakens enemies' strength and obscures vision.
- **Necrotic Surge (NEW - Level 1):** Increases the power and regeneration of all undead under Kai's control for a limited time.
---
**Unique Skills**
- **Immortality:** Prevents death by conventional means, though injuries can still be sustained.
- **Undying Body:** Allows regeneration of physical injuries over time using mana.
- **Necrotic Synergy:** Increases the power and efficiency of undead summons when near other undead.
- **Void Mastery:** Grants control over void-based magic for offensive and defensive spells.
---
**Items**
- **Soul Scythe:** A weapon that drains life force and enhances death magic.
- **Bone Whip:** A flexible, bone-crafted weapon with high attack speed.
- **Shadow Cloak:** A defensive item that increases stealth and reduces incoming damage.
---
**Weapons**
- **Soul Scythe**
- **Bone Whip**
- **Soul Sword**
---
Kai couldn't help but grin as he read through the extensive list. "Level 15 already, huh? Not bad," he muttered to himself, his fingers brushing over the edge of the glowing screen. "And look at these new skills. Spectral Veil? Grave Mist? This is just getting better and better."
His eyes lingered on his unique skills. "Immortality and Undying Body… Still feels weird knowing I can't die like a normal person." He let out a soft chuckle. "Guess that makes me a cheat character."
He leaned back against the bedframe, a satisfied smile playing on his lips. "Not bad for just two days. Two days in this world, and I'm already stronger than I ever imagined." He let the thought linger for a moment. "If this is just the start, I can't wait to see where I end up."
With a wave of his hand, the status screen vanished, leaving the room quiet once more. Kai lay back on the bed, closing his eyes and letting himself drift off into well-earned rest.
Kai was sprawled across the bed, his limbs tangled in the soft sheets. The gentle light of morning peeked through the window, but Kai had no intention of acknowledging it. Instead, he buried his face into the pillow and let out a dramatic groan.
"Why do mornings exist?" he muttered to himself. "Two days of sleeping on the ground, surrounded by monsters and screaming classmates, and now that I finally have a real bed, they expect me to get up? Not happening."
He rolled over, his red eyes lazily scanning the ceiling. "This bed… it's perfect. It's calling me. Maybe I'll just stay here forever… Who needs adventuring anyway?"
Just as he was settling back into his self-indulgent monologue, a loud knock came at the door, jolting him upright.
"Kai! Get up already!" came Sean's voice from the other side.
Kai groaned again, dramatically flopping back onto the bed. "Nooooo. I refuse."
Another knock, this time more insistent. "Kai, seriously. Everyone's downstairs waiting," Liam added. "The knight captain's here too. Don't make her come up here."
Kai sighed heavily, dragging himself up into a sitting position. His hair was a mess, his eyes half-closed. "Fine, fine. I'm up," he called out, his voice thick with exhaustion. "But just so you know, this is cruel and unusual punishment."
He shuffled over to the door and cracked it open, revealing Sean and Liam standing there, both looking annoyingly awake and ready for the day.
Sean crossed his arms, smirking. "You look like death."
Kai squinted at him. "Thanks for the compliment. Death Mage, remember?"
Liam chuckled. "Come on, everyone's downstairs. We need to figure out what we're doing next."
Kai leaned against the doorframe, yawning loudly. "Tell them I'll be there in a minute, okay? I need to mentally prepare for more chaos."
Sean shrugged. "Suit yourself, but don't take too long. The captain doesn't seem like the patient type."
Liam nodded. "And she's already annoyed enough with you. Don't make it worse."
Kai gave them a lazy salute. "Got it. Now go on, shoo."
With a final sigh, Kai closed the door and leaned back against it. "Why do mornings have to be so relentless?" he muttered, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. After a moment, he stretched, letting out a small groan before shuffling toward the basin of water by the window to freshen up.
"Alright," he said to himself, looking at his reflection. "Time to face the day. Whether I like it or not."
Kai sighed as he finished splashing water on his face, the cool sensation waking him up slightly. He ran his fingers through his messy hair, fixing it just enough to look presentable, before pulling on his clothes. With a final stretch, he muttered, "Alright, let's make an entrance."
With a smirk, Kai activated his skill. "Shadow Step," he whispered, and in an instant, his form dissolved into the shadows, vanishing from his room.
---
Downstairs, the rest of the group was already gathered in the inn's dining hall. Plates of food were spread across the tables, though most of them sat untouched as the classmates discussed their plans for the day.
"So, what's the plan?" one classmate asked. "Are we just going to wander around and hope for the best?"
Sean shook his head. "We need a strategy. This isn't some school trip where we can wing it."
Liam chimed in, "Yeah, but what are we even supposed to do? It's not like we have a map or anyone guiding us."
Another classmate leaned forward, excitement in their voice. "Maybe we should try to join a guild or something. Isn't that what adventurers do in these kinds of worlds?"
"Or we could just find somewhere safe and figure things out later," someone else countered. "We're not exactly ready to go fighting monsters yet."
The conversation quickly devolved into a cacophony of voices, each person voicing their opinion:
"I want to explore more!"
"We should focus on getting stronger!"
"What about going back home? Isn't that the real goal?"
Amid the chaos, Elara stood to the side, her arms crossed as she watched them with a mix of curiosity and confusion. She didn't understand where these people had come from or why they seemed so unprepared for the realities of this world. However, they had saved the city, and as the knight captain, it was her duty to assist them.
*They're strange,* she thought to herself. *Untrained, inexperienced, yet somehow they managed to fend off the bandits. They don't act like any adventurers I've ever met. But… they did help. That counts for something.*
Her musings were interrupted by a cheerful voice. "Hey, guys! What's up?"
The room fell silent. Everyone froze, their eyes darting around in confusion. The voice had come from nowhere.
"Where did that come from?" one classmate muttered nervously.
Before anyone could answer, the shadows near the far wall shifted, dark tendrils twisting together before forming into a familiar figure. Kai stepped out of the darkness, his trademark grin firmly in place.
"Miss me?" he asked casually, his red eyes glinting with amusement.
The room erupted into a mix of exclamations:
"What the hell?!"
"Kai, seriously?!"
"Do you have to be so creepy all the time?!"
Sean groaned. "Can you not make an entrance like that for once?"
Liam sighed, shaking his head. "Of course he'd use his magic just to show off. Typical Kai."
Elara's eyes narrowed, her irritation palpable. "You…" she started, her voice low but sharp. "Do you ever walk into a room like a normal person? Or is everything you do designed to get on my nerves?"
Kai feigned a thoughtful expression. "Hmm, good question. I think I'll go with option two."
Elara's hands clenched at her sides as she muttered under her breath, "Insufferable… completely insufferable."
Kai flashed her a playful grin. "Aw, don't be like that, Captain. I'm just keeping things interesting."
The rest of the group laughed nervously before returning to their discussion. Each person seemed to have their own idea of what they wanted to do in this world, and the room quickly filled with overlapping voices again:
"I want to become a famous adventurer!"
"We should find a way to get stronger first."
"How about finding more about this world's magic system?"
"Do you think there's a way to go home?"
Elara rubbed her temples, trying to process the sheer chaos. She still didn't know where these people had come from, but their inexperience and strange priorities only made her more skeptical. "Focus," she snapped, her voice cutting through the noise. "You need to decide on something concrete. Wandering around aimlessly won't help anyone."
Kai, leaning casually against the wall, observed the chaos with a faint smirk. After a moment, he raised his hand to silence them. "Alright, listen up," he said, his voice calm but commanding. "You guys can argue all you want about what to do, but as for me… I've made up my mind."
The room quieted, everyone turning to him in surprise.
"I'll be on my own," Kai announced, crossing his arms. "I'm going to explore this world, figure out what's out there, and get stronger in my own way."
Sean frowned. "What do you mean, on your own? You're just going to leave us?"
Liam looked equally concerned. "Come on, Kai. We've been through all this together. Why split up now?"
Kai shrugged, his expression softening slightly. "Look, it's not like I'm abandoning you guys. I just… need to do this my way. You'll be fine without me. You're tougher than you think."
A murmur of uncertainty spread through the group, but Kai's confident tone seemed to reassure some of them.
"I'm serious," he added. "This world is massive, and there's so much we don't know. If we all stick together, we'll just slow each other down. I'll figure things out and maybe even find some answers for all of us."
Elara watched him closely, her expression unreadable. "You're confident," she said finally, her tone laced with skepticism. "But overconfidence can get you killed."
Kai grinned. "Maybe, but I've got a few tricks up my sleeve."
Sean sighed, clearly unhappy but unwilling to argue further. "Just… don't do anything stupid, alright?"
Liam nodded reluctantly. "Yeah, and don't forget about us when you're out there."
Kai gave them a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. I'll be back before you know it."
The group exchanged uneasy glances as Kai leaned back against the wall, already planning his next move in his head. *This is going to be fun,* he thought to himself.