Kevin, better known as SuperNova, stood at the forefront of the undead contingent he commanded. The pale glow of moonlight bathed the skeletal figures and decayed forms surrounding him, casting elongated shadows across the forest floor. Before him lay a massive pile of vegetation scavenged from the woods.

  Guess this should be enough, he thought.

  “Les… guo bak…” he ordered, his voice barely intelligible. Despite his best efforts to adapt to his altered body, his speech sounded like someone who hadn’t drunk a single drop of water in weeks.

  The zombies and skeletons obeyed immediately, methodically gathering the plant ingredients into multiple cloth sacks. With these materials delivered, Kevin was sure that he would be rewarded immensely. In fact, the Ghost Necromancer’s rewards had been nothing short of astounding—powerful spell models and esoteric magical knowledge he never imagined.

  Yet, even while all this excited him, he couldn’t help also feeling a bit of regret. Despite knowing the players were locked in an all-out war against the undead army, Kevin had found no way to contact the academy or offer any help. He could only hope his former comrades were holding their ground.

  Although the undead obeyed his every command, he felt as though they were watching his every move through their hollow eyes. At the end of the day, they were not his true minions but merely forces he was entrusted with.

  When he arrived near the path to the underground castle where the Ghost Necromancer resided, he ordered his undead contingent to descend first to offer the vegetation. Just as every undead creature had descended, a flare of light broke through the darkness. Kevin’s enhanced instincts immediately raised an alarm.

  Hmm? Ambush? He spun toward the source.

  From the depths of the forest, several people emerged with weapons in hand. Kevin recognized them immediately—they were his friends. Leading the charge was Prominence, his staff raised high as he chanted an incantation that summoned flame projectiles to block his escape. Beside him, Storm followed close behind, brandishing his dual swords. Flanking them were Zero and Mike, ready to unleash their spells.

  The last to emerge was a pretty female player Kevin hadn’t expected to see again. It was the berry seller he’d met before embarking on the exploration mission. She carried a wand tipped with a vibrant, prismatic crystal. He never would have expected such a coincidence.

  “SuperNova!” shouted Prominence. “What the hell are you doing? Why are you leading an undead army?”

  “Tch. Did you get a hidden mission and decide not to tell us, your friends?” Storm complained.

  What friends? Don’t you already have a replacement for me? But damn, it’s a great choice if I were to say so myself, Kevin thought as he sized up his replacement.

  “More importantly, have you been in this game for days?” Zero inquired. “It seems a lot of unknown people are guarding your apartment or something.”

  Really?

  Nevertheless, Kevin remained silent as his friends closed the distance and rained a barrage of questions on him. He would have gladly answered if he were able to.

  Attempting to speak only resulted in incomprehensible mumbles, and he couldn’t even activate his Shadowlink Mark. This left him with no way to explain himself and why he never tried to approach his friends until now. Not to mention they were standing at the entrance of the mastermind’s lair, and the Ghost Necromancer would be able to hear everything they said.

  The thought sank Kevin’s heart. The Ghost Necromancer, a being of overwhelming power—possibly exceeding even the headmaster, the strongest NPC on their side—was undoubtedly aware of their presence. Any careless word spoken here could spell doom for all of them.

  This meant that to protect his friends, Kevin had to send them back to the academy, away from the danger. But the question remained. How?

  He gritted his teeth, brainstorming ways to resolve this issue, but his friends weren’t giving him much time to think.

  “Answer us!” Prominence demanded. “If this is part of a mission, we’re here to help!”

  Mike nodded in agreement. “Yeah! Though, y’know, maybe don’t destroy the academy in the process, or we’ll lose all our progress due to the server reset.”

  “Wait,” Zero interjected uncertainty. “What if he’s been brainwashed by a spell? This game has limitless possibilities, after all.”

  Storm narrowed his eyes, his dual swords gleaming as he raised them slightly. “Whatever it is, you’ve got about ten seconds to explain yourself, SuperNova. After that, we’re not holding back.”

  But their restraint was short-lived.

  Before Kevin could utter a single word, the ground beneath them trembled violently. A low, ominous rumble filled the air as cracks spiderwebbed outward, widening in a matter of seconds.

  “What the—!” Prominence barely managed to shout before the earth gave way entirely.

  A massive sinkhole yawned open beneath their feet, swallowing them into the abyss below. The descent was so sudden that no one had a chance to react.

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  Kevin’s stomach dropped as he fell, gripped by an eerie weightlessness. As darkness engulfed them, his suspicions were confirmed: the Ghost Necromancer was watching, and this was likely her doing.

  They were so doomed.

  ***

  The walls of the academy were battered, both physically and metaphorically. Sean stood atop the western wall with his obsidian staff raised high as Umbra elemental energy swirled around its tip. Around him, players from all walks of life banded together in a desperate bid to defend the academy. Even life-skills players were giving their full support to the combatants.

  Sean wiped the sweat from his brow, only to smear his face further with ash and grime. His mana reserves were running dangerously low, and he had sustained numerous injuries. The air was thick with the acrid stench of decaying flesh, making him wince. The sounds of spell blasts, clashing weapons, and cries of players falling in combat were unending.

  Two days. He had held this position for two days straight, rallying the players and coordinating defensive efforts. Yet, despite their valiant stand, the situation was grim. Fortunately, the academy’s magic barriers had proven to be their saving grace. The concealment barrier, in particular, had thwarted the undead army’s attempts to overwhelm them by limiting the number of enemies that could advance at once.

  As a matter of fact, the only reason that the undead creatures were able to find the academy despite the magic barriers was because of their overwhelming numbers and the undead knight’s power neutralizing the barriers. Not many players knew about this since Sean gathered this information not from the game’s official wiki but based on his observations as well as from reading numerous books and e-books available in the academy.

  But to make matters worse, the Nexus Tower’s resurrection rate was being overwhelmed by how many players were dying. For every body that finished incubating, at least ten more would die.

  “KuroUsagi!” a voice called out. It was Satellite, the strategist of Auralise’s group. “We’re about to execute that ‘plan.’ Get your party ready to hold the enemy—they’re coming in droves. I have received permission from Miss Fairy to open the concealment barrier, so a large number of them will attack the wall.”

  This was a high-risk, high-reward plan. By partially opening the concealment barrier, they would lure the undead toward a single point of attack, directing them all in one massive wave. The defenders would be forced into a defensive stand, but if they could hold their ground, they could cripple the undead army in one decisive strike. On paper, the plan seemed straightforward, but its execution hinged on multiple groups carrying out their roles.

  However, Sean voiced his concerns. “Are you sure about this? Opening the barrier will let the undead general in as well. None of us can take it on—only the headmaster has the power to face something like that.”

  Satellite met Sean’s gaze with unwavering resolve. “There’s no other choice. We’re losing players too quickly. Even with the Nexus Tower and the healing pool in its basement, we won’t hold out much longer at this rate. Besides, the player defending the wall may not even need to lift a hand if this succeeds.”

  Sean clenched his jaw, unable to argue. Satellite was right. If they didn’t act now, the academy—their last bastion of defense—would fall. He took a steadying breath before nodding. “All right. Let’s do this. Everyone, prepare yourselves! We’re holding this line, no matter what!”

  At Satellite’s signal, the barrier shimmered, its protective energy retracting just enough to create a breach. The reaction was immediate. The undead army, sensing the vulnerability, flooded toward the opening like a tidal wave of death. Skeletons, zombies, ghouls, and all manner of decayed monstrosities poured in.

  The defenders braced for impact, gripping their weapons and tightening their formations just as they had against the previous, smaller few waves. Just then, a thunderous cacophony echoed through the forest. StealthPeanut and a dozen players burst into view, mounted atop Dreadbeak Birds—large, flightless, dodo-like creatures with razor-sharp beaks and swift speed. Behind them, a horde of magical beasts followed, roaring and howling as they barreled toward the advancing undead.

  This was the plan: to lure magical beasts from the forest by going through one lair after another by using a special magic tool crafted by Eleanor. It was a risky endeavor, but thanks to the speed and agility of the Dreadbeak Birds, the players executed it with relative ease.

  “Pfft. Riding on massive birds?” Locktekei, one of the defenders, snorted, barely stifling a laugh. “What is this, a comedy show?”

  “Laugh all you want!” Satellite rebuked, a hidden pride in his voice. “These are the only magical beasts that we players have successfully domesticated. And don’t let their appearance fool you! They’re anything but docile.” As if to emphasize his point, the Dreadbeak Birds ridden by StealthPeanut’s group dove headlong into the fray. Their razor-sharp beaks struck like battering rams, smashing through a line of skeletons and reducing them to brittle shards of bone.

  The magical beasts pursuing them unleashed chaos in their wake. Abyssal Bears with dense black fur and scaled foreheads barreled through undead ranks, swiping aside enemies like ragdolls. Shadow Panthers, almost invisible as they melded into the shadows, emerged only to pounce with deadly precision. Thornback Boars, their backs bristling with straight, jagged thorns, charged with earth-shaking force, scattering their foes.

  The undead army tried to retaliate against the rampaging beasts, but their efforts only worsened the situation as they turned their full attention to the undead. Sean’s heart raced as he witnessed it all. The plan was a total success. Actually, the players had considered luring supernatural entities from the forest to fight the undead, similar to what they had done against the bandits. But those beings seemed to avoid the undead entirely, for an unknown reason.

  Yet, as everything seemed to be going smoothly, the undead knight emerged from the chaos. Its imposing figure towered over the battlefield, clad in jagged, blackened armor that seemed to absorb the very light around it. With a guttural roar, it swung its massive greatsword in a wide arc, sending a sickly green slash of energy forward.

  The same horrifying scene unfolded in mere seconds. Dozens of magical beasts that had been lured to fight the undead were sliced cleanly in half, their bodies falling lifeless to the ground. Only the strongest, like the Abyssal Bears, managed to survive the onslaught, though they staggered away with deep, grievous wounds.

  This time, however, the undead knight wasn’t content with a single attack. Raising its greatsword high once more, it turned its attention to the academy walls. Sean’s blood ran cold as he realized where the blow was aimed—directly at the section of the wall where he and his party stood. Oh, shit!

  The knight brought its greatsword down with terrifying force, sending another wave of green energy hurtling toward them.

  “Everyone, jump off the wa—!” Sean's shout was cut off as the energy slash struck.

  The wall beneath them shattered with a deafening explosion, chunks of stone and debris flying in every direction. Sean barely managed to leap clear, the force of the blast throwing him through the air. He hit the ground hard, the impact driving the breath from his lungs before the flying debris crashed down on him, blackening his vision.