The hall was filled with buzzing excitement as students gathered for the most important day of their lives. Today, they would discover their professions—the one thing that would define their future. The anticipation in the air was palpable, with whispers and nervous glances exchanged across the room.
“Are you ready for this?” whispered Lars, nudging the boy next to him.
“I don’t know. What if I get something low? Like…a farmer?” The boy’s voice trembled slightly.
“Relax, man,” Lars grinned, though his own hand shook slightly. “It’s all luck. Besides, we trained for this, didn’t we? You’ll probably end up a warrior or something cool.”
In the front row, Nephy, the second-ranked student in the class, sat with an air of calm confidence. Her long, silver hair cascaded down her back, and her emerald eyes gleamed with determination. Everyone knew Nephy would likely get something rare—she had a reputation for being not only brilliant but incredibly gifted in magic.
The instructor stepped forward onto the platform, a glowing orb in his hand that shone with an otherworldly light. His voice echoed through the grand hall. “Today is a day that will shape your destinies. The Profession Orb will determine your path, aligning your strengths and talents with a profession that will guide your future. Step forward when your name is called, and the orb shall reveal your fate.”
The first student was called.
“Aldrin!”
A thin, nervous-looking boy walked up to the stage, his hands visibly shaking. He placed his hands on the orb, and for a moment, it glowed softly before projecting a small holographic image above it.
“Farmer,” the instructor announced, his voice steady.
A few stifled laughs came from the back of the room, but Aldrin nodded and stepped down, his face slightly pale but determined to make the best of it.
One by one, the students were called, receiving professions that ranged from low to normal—basic warriors, tailors, blacksmiths, and healers. Some sighed in relief, while others frowned, disappointed in their luck.
Then it was Nephy’s turn.
“Nephy Aleris.”
The room fell silent as she stood and walked gracefully to the stage, her posture impeccable. She placed her hands on the orb, and for a moment, it pulsed with a vibrant green light. The room held its breath.
A brilliant flash of light exploded from the orb, casting an image in the air. The symbol was intricate, the lines delicate but powerful.
“Archmage,” the instructor declared with awe in his voice. “A rare profession.”
A murmur ran through the crowd. Nephy smiled slightly, her confidence reinforced. She had expected nothing less.
“Of course she gets something rare,” Lars muttered, leaning over to his friend. “She’s basically perfect.”
The ceremony continued, and one by one, students received their professions, but the excitement in the room had dimmed slightly after Nephy’s reveal. The last few were called until finally, it was his turn.
“Lucas Evernight.”
Lucas stood, his heart hammering in his chest. He could feel the weight of the moment pressing down on him, but he took a deep breath and walked forward. His mind raced with possibilities—what if he ended up like Aldrin, with something as simple as a farmer? Or maybe, just maybe, he could get something useful like a warrior or a mage.
As he reached the orb, he placed his hands on it, feeling a strange warmth seeping into his palms. The orb glowed, dim at first, then suddenly flared with a deep, ominous purple light. The room darkened as if shadows had gathered around them. A collective gasp went through the audience.
The image that appeared above the orb was not like the others. It was dark, almost indistinct, but the shape of a skeletal hand reaching out was unmistakable.
The instructor’s face paled, his eyes widening in shock. He hesitated before speaking.
“N-Necromancer,” he finally managed to say, his voice barely a whisper. “A… unique hidden profession.”
The entire hall went silent, the air heavy with tension.
Lucas blinked, frozen in place. **Necromancer?** His mind struggled to comprehend what he had just heard. Unique? Hidden?
“That can’t be right,” someone from the crowd muttered. “Necromancers don’t exist anymore.”
“They’re… dangerous,” another whispered.
Lucas stepped back, his heart pounding. He could feel the eyes of his classmates on him, the weight of their stares. Some were filled with curiosity, others with fear or disdain. He had heard stories about necromancers—outcasts, feared by society, wielding power over death itself.
The instructor cleared his throat, trying to regain control of the situation. “Lucas Evernight has been granted a unique hidden profession. This means that his path will be unlike any other. As the only necromancer, he will be bound to this profession until the end of his life.”
Lucas stood there, numb. Until he died? Was that even real?
Nephy’s voice cut through the silence. “A necromancer? I didn’t think that was still possible. Are you sure, instructor?”
The instructor gave her a sharp look. “The orb does not make mistakes, Nephy. The profession has been assigned.”
Nephy’s expression was unreadable, but there was a glint of interest in her eyes. “Well, Lucas, it seems you’ve got something truly unique. I wonder how you’ll handle it.”
Lucas swallowed hard, his throat dry. “I…I don’t know.”
Lars leaned over, whispering to the boy next to him. “A necromancer? He’s dead meat. No one’s going to want to be around him.”
The instructor raised his hand, signaling the end of the ceremony. “That concludes the profession reveal. You are dismissed for the day. Reflect on your new roles, and remember, your profession is your destiny.”
As the students began to leave, Lucas found himself standing alone, the weight of his new title pressing down on him like a boulder. The whispers followed him as he walked through the hall, the others giving him a wide berth.
“Lucas!” Nephy’s voice rang out.
He turned, surprised to see her approaching him. Her usual calm confidence was still there, but there was something else in her eyes—curiosity, perhaps even a hint of amusement.
“So, necromancer,” she said, folding her arms. “How does it feel to have the rarest profession in the room?”
Lucas gave a bitter laugh. “Rare? More like cursed.”
Nephy raised an eyebrow. “Maybe. But rare also means powerful. I wouldn’t dismiss it so quickly if I were you.”
“Powerful? I’ve heard nothing good about necromancers. All they do is control the dead. That’s… dark.”
Nephy shrugged. “Dark, maybe. But every profession has its strengths and weaknesses. It’s up to you how you use yours.”
Lucas frowned. “Why are you even talking to me?”
She smiled faintly. “Because you intrigue me. I’ve never met a necromancer before. I want to see what you’ll do with it. Who knows? You might surprise everyone.”
Lucas wasn’t sure how to feel about that. Part of him wanted to crawl into a hole and hide, but another part of him—one that had been buried deep for a long time—felt a strange spark of excitement. **Powerful**, she had said. Could this really be something more than a curse?
As Nephy turned to leave, she glanced back at him. “Don’t waste it, Lucas. You might have something no one else does.”
And with that, she was gone, leaving Lucas alone with his thoughts, his new profession, and a world that suddenly seemed a lot darker and more dangerous than before.
The sun was barely peeking over the horizon the next morning when Lucas found himself standing outside the entrance to a small dungeon, tucked away in a forgotten part of the city. Most students would never dare venture here alone, especially after just receiving their profession. But Lucas wasn’t most students—not anymore.
His mind still reeled from the events of the previous day. **Necromancer.** The word echoed in his head, carrying both dread and curiosity. No one else had that profession. Even Nephy, with her Archmage title, had hinted that there was more to it than he realized.
He stood at the entrance, gripping the hilt of the rusty short sword he had borrowed from the academy’s armory. His hands were trembling, though whether from fear or anticipation, he wasn’t sure. The dark mouth of the dungeon loomed before him, inviting and foreboding.
“This is a bad idea,” he muttered to himself. “But if I don’t test my powers, I’ll never understand them.”
Taking a deep breath, Lucas stepped inside. The air immediately became cooler, and the dim light of the dungeon’s corridors made the atmosphere thick with tension. He could hear the faint rustle of something moving deeper inside. **First level,** he reminded himself. **Nothing too dangerous here. Just basic monsters.**
The first few minutes were eerily quiet. Lucas walked cautiously, keeping his sword drawn and his senses alert. He knew from his studies that the first monsters in beginner dungeons were usually low-level—slimes, small beasts, and sometimes rogue skeletons.
As he turned a corner, a faint clattering sound caught his attention. His heart raced. **Something’s here.**
A skeleton appeared from the shadows, dragging a rusted sword behind it. Its hollow eye sockets seemed to glow faintly as it lurched toward him. Lucas froze for a moment, unsure of what to do. Then instinct kicked in.
“Alright… let’s see what I can do.”
He raised his hand, focusing on the skeleton before him. The faintest tingle ran through his body, and then… something clicked. He could feel it—the connection. The skeleton paused mid-step, its sword scraping the ground, and then, slowly, it turned to face him.
“Is it… listening to me?” Lucas whispered.
The skeleton stood motionless, awaiting his command. His heart pounded in his chest, but a slow grin spread across his face. “Move forward,” he said, testing his control. The skeleton took a shuffling step forward, then another.
“I can control it,” Lucas breathed. He hadn’t even summoned this skeleton—it was already part of the dungeon—but his necromancer abilities had taken over. The realization hit him like a wave. **This is my power.**
Suddenly, two more skeletons rounded the corner, their weapons clattering as they charged toward him. Without thinking, Lucas gestured toward his newly controlled skeleton. “Attack them!”
The skeleton obeyed immediately, raising its sword and charging at the other two. Bones clashed against bones as the creatures fought, the echo of steel on steel filling the corridor. Lucas stepped back, watching in fascination as his skeleton swiftly overpowered one of the attackers, slicing through its ribcage with surprising strength.
The other enemy skeleton turned its attention to Lucas, rushing toward him. He swung his rusty sword just in time, knocking its weapon aside, but the impact sent a jolt through his arm. His grip faltered for a moment, and the skeleton lunged again.
“Too close!” Lucas cursed, instinctively raising his hand. Without thinking, a dark energy surged from his fingers, and a skeletal hand erupted from the ground, grabbing the enemy skeleton by the leg and holding it in place.
“What…?” Lucas stared in shock, but then quickly took advantage of the situation, slashing the immobilized skeleton with all his strength. With a final blow, the bones crumbled to dust.
Panting, Lucas stood there for a moment, staring at the remains. His controlled skeleton stood by his side, awaiting further orders.
“I can do this,” Lucas said to himself, feeling a strange sense of exhilaration. “I can really do this.”
As he moved deeper into the dungeon, Lucas began to test his abilities further. He encountered more skeletons and weak monsters—rats, slimes, and other low-level creatures. Each time he faced an enemy, his powers grew more familiar, more controlled. He learned to summon skeletal hands from the ground to immobilize his foes, to command the skeletons he took control of, and even to raise the ones he defeated to fight for him.
After several hours of fighting, Lucas felt a surge of energy flood through him. A faint, golden light surrounded him for a moment, and he felt stronger, faster, more attuned to his abilities.
“Level up,” he murmured. “I must be around level four now.”
He had started at level one, but with every fight, he felt himself growing stronger. His skeletons, too, were becoming more resilient, their movements smoother, their strikes more precise. And the more he leveled up, the more skeletons he could control at once. He now had three following him, and he could feel the potential for more.
As Lucas ventured further into the dungeon, the enemies grew slightly stronger, but so did he. His level had risen to six after another round of battles, and he found himself commanding five skeletons at once, their bony forms moving as a unified force at his command.
In one of the deeper chambers of the dungeon, he encountered a pack of wolves, their glowing red eyes filled with hunger. They snarled as they circled him, teeth bared.
Lucas swallowed hard, gripping his sword. “Alright, let’s see how far I can push this.”
“Go!” he commanded, sending his skeletons charging at the wolves. The clash of bones and fur was chaotic, but Lucas remained focused. He raised his hand, summoning skeletal hands from the ground to grab the wolves’ legs, tripping them up and slowing their attacks.
As one wolf lunged at him, Lucas ducked just in time, driving his sword into its side. The wolf yelped and fell, its body crumpling. His skeletons swarmed the others, their bony limbs moving with precision. In minutes, the fight was over.
Another surge of energy coursed through Lucas, stronger than before. His level had jumped to eight, and he felt an overwhelming sense of power. His skeletons, now fully under his control, were stronger, faster, and more coordinated than ever before.
“This is… incredible,” he whispered, staring at his hands. His connection to the skeletons felt more natural, as if they were an extension of himself.
He could now control up to seven skeletons at once, and they had grown more powerful with him. Their bones no longer looked fragile—they were reinforced, stronger, able to withstand more damage. He hadn’t expected his abilities to progress this quickly, but the thrill of it was intoxicating.
Lucas ventured deeper still, feeling an odd sense of anticipation. He wasn’t sure what lay at the end of the dungeon, but he felt ready for whatever came next.
As he rounded a corner, the final chamber came into view. A large, skeletal beast stood in the center, its eye sockets glowing a deep red. It was clearly the dungeon boss, much larger and more dangerous than anything he had faced so far.
Lucas took a deep breath, his heart racing. “Alright, this is it. Let’s see what I’m really capable of.”
With a wave of his hand, his seven skeletons surged forward, charging at the beast with a fury that matched Lucas’s determination. The fight would be hard, but for the first time in his life, Lucas didn’t feel fear.
He felt power.
And he was ready to embrace it.