He charged forward, grabbed the hilt of his dagger still jammed deep in the Death Knight's chest, and twisted with all his might. Holy energy surged out, bursting through the monster's armor like a crack of lightning.

BOOM!

The Death Knight stumbled, but refused to fall. It roared, teleporting backward in a haze of black mist — its severed hand already reforming mid-air. It blinked again, and again, hovering unsteadily as if trying to stay above the ground it could not fly over.

Raito grinned. "Teleporting mid-air to stay afloat, huh? You really don't want to die."

He stomped forward, mana exploding beneath his boots. "Then I'll make sure you do!"

He vanished in a blur.

The Death Knight's glowing eyes darted wildly—too slow.

Raito appeared behind it, dagger raised high. "Goodbye," he said quietly. "It was a pleasure fighting you."

He drove his dagger straight into the Death Knight's core.

[Critical Hit!]

The blade pierced through armor and bone. Holy energy detonated from inside the Death Knight's body — light bursting through its cracks like sunlight through shattered glass.

The Death Knight screamed, its body breaking apart mid-air before crashing to the ground in a rain of bones and dust. The Cursed Blade clattered free, spinning before landing upright in the stone floor, humming faintly with dark power.

Raito hovered mid-air, panting hard, his right arm missing but his grin wide.

"I… I did it."

He landed, knees bending slightly as the exhaustion hit. Then he walked forward, picked up his severed arm, and pressed it against his shoulder.

"System. Auto-heal—no limit," Raito commanded.

[Auto-Heal Activated.]

[LP Cost: 3,000]

[Wound Restoration Complete.]

His arm fused back perfectly, glowing green before returning to normal. His wounds sealed. His breath steadied.

Then—

[SYSTEM NOTICE]

[Level Up!]

[Level 9 → Level 16]

The air shimmered with system text.

[Item Acquired: Legendary Weapon – Cursed Blade]

[You are now recognized as the rightful master of the Cursed Blade.]

[Passive Unlocked: Summon Defeated Undead]

[Stats Increased]

Speed +100 | Strength +100 | Stamina +100 | Shield Capacity +100

[Total XP: 15,000 | LP: 27,000]

[GREED: Core Essence Of Death Knight Detonation Detected — Beginning Full Absorption.]

[Skill Acquired — "Foreshadow."]

User can create afterimages of themselves formed from concentrated shadow mana.

Each afterimage mimics user's movements for 5 seconds before fading.

"Foreshadow, huh? A unique skill… nice. And that stat boost—damn, that Death Knight really paid off."

He stretched his arm, watching faint sparks of energy crackle across his gauntlet.

"Level sixteen already. If I keep this pace, once I hit forty-five…" he smirked, "I'll unlock Sparrow Punch."

He chuckled under his breath.

"Guess Drill Assessment wasn't such a bad deal after all."

Then, his gaze fell upon the broken armor lying across the floor—the remains of the Death Knight.

"Wait… didn't the system say I could summon any undead I've defeated?"

A sly grin crept across his face.

"Could I really call that thing back?"

He raised his right hand, mana swirling around his palm. The air thickened with dark energy.

"Death Knight… descend."

For a moment, the air trembled. Then—nothing. Just silence.

Raito blinked, then sighed.

"Heh. Figures. Was worth a shot anyway."

But then—

[SYSTEM NOTICE]

Command Denied. Summoning Impossible.

Reason: Greed has absorbed the Core Essence of the Fallen Death Knight.

The entity cannot be resurrected.

The ruins of the fallen castle trembled under Raito's boots. The air was thick with death mana and the fading echo of battle. Dust still drifted from the ceiling, and cracks ran along the marble floor like veins of an ancient corpse.

Raito exhaled, his eyes glowing faintly.

"I solved it… finally."

He smirked to himself, confidence surging. But something still lingered in his mind. The Undead Dragon—the colossal creature that had fallen into the endless void beneath the castle during the fight.

"Wait…" he whispered. "What about the dragon? The one that fell into the void…"

He clenched his hand, his mana flaring dark and hot.

"Can I still summon it, no matter where it is?"

A grin spread across his face.

"Let's find out. Time to test this skill."

He raised his hand toward the cracked ceiling, mana swirling violently around him.

"Undead Dragon… I summon you!"

The entire castle groaned. Outside, the clouds split apart, and a violent gust tore through the ruins. From far beyond the castle walls came a piercing shriek—deep, guttural, and ancient.

Raito froze.

"No way…"

Something enormous was moving—fast. He could hear the rush of wind, the massive beat of wings, the sheer velocity of a creature breaking through reality itself.

Then, with a thunderous crash, the Undead Dragon smashed its head through the outer wall of the castle. Dust and stone exploded outward. Its hollow eyes burned with blue necrotic fire. The ground cracked under its presence.

Raito stumbled back, his heart racing.

"It actually worked…" he whispered in awe. "It's really under me now."

The dragon roared—a deep, echoing sound that shook the entire structure.

Raito grinned wildly.

"Unbelievable. I thought Greed absorbed everything from that leech, like when it created the Necromancer Heir skill… but it didn't destroy it."

He extended his hand again.

"Let's test this too. Fallen Lich—I summon you!"

From the far end of the collapsed hall, the Lich's skeletal remains began to stir. Its bones levitated, swirling together as mana seeped into them. The shattered cloak reformed around it, and the staff it once wielded ignited with dark light. Slowly, it glided toward Raito.

Raito's eyes widened as he watched.

"Even the Lich… and this dragon… they're both mine now."

He turned in a slow circle, taking in the destruction around him.

"But… how will they follow me? If I leave this place, they'll vanish."

He paused, thinking. Then, a notification blinked before his eyes.

[SYSTEM NOTICE]

New Feature Unlocked: Hunter Domain

"Hunter Domain?" Raito read aloud. "What does that mean?"

The system's cold, emotionless voice answered.

[Hunter Domain: A private dimension for the Hunter and their tamed creatures. Entry Cost for Hunter: -10,000 LP.]

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