Blood dripped down Suho's arm as he hid between the ruins of goblin huts.
All around him, torches flickered — goblins searched the village, snarling and shouting in their tongue. His vision blurred from pain. Every breath hurt.
> "I… can't escape like this…"
He peeked out and froze. The **troll** that had crushed his skeleton was walking nearby — only this time, there wasn't one.
There were **dozens.**
Suho's stomach turned. "A whole… army of trolls?"
He bit his lip, holding back a groan of pain as he crawled through broken walls and shadows. Then, in a dark corner of the village, something caught his eye — a **human skeleton**, chained to a wall, half-buried in stone.
Its armor was rusted beyond recognition, and moss had grown around its bones.
It looked ancient — centuries old.
Suho, desperate, reached toward it.
> "Please… just once more. Help me."
He placed his hand on the skeleton's chest and poured every drop of **dark magic** he had left.
Nothing happened.
His mana was too weak outside the safe room.
He clenched his teeth, hiding as goblins passed by. After recovering a bit, he tried again — this time focusing every bit of darkness in him.
The bones began to glow faintly.
A sound like cracking ice filled the air.
> **[Necromancy Successful]**
> **[Summoned – Skeleton Warrior (Basic)]**
The skeleton **stood up**, tall and broad, once a knight perhaps. Its eyes flickered faintly blue, as if remembering life.
Suho almost collapsed in relief. "We… we did it."
With the new skeleton warrior by his side, Suho began moving through the shadows, striking down lone goblins and hiding from larger patrols. Slowly, step by step, they made their way toward the cave exit.
When they reached the place where Suho had fallen before, he stopped.
His heart twisted. There, scattered in the dirt, were the broken bones of his **first skeleton goblin**.
> "You idiot…" Suho whispered, kneeling beside it.
> "You really fought till the end."
He tried to revive it.
> **[Error: Cannot proceed – body too damaged.]**
Suho's throat tightened. He bit back tears, then tried something else.
> **[Combine Skill: Activated]**
> **[Error: Command invalid.]**
Before he could curse, the **respawned version** of the goblin skeleton — the one reborn from the dungeon — stepped forward.
It made a simple gesture, pointing at the crushed bones, then at itself.
> "You want me to… combine you both?"
The skeleton nodded.
Suho activated the skill again.
> **[Combine Successful]**
> **[Skeleton Goblin – First Summon Restored]**
> **[Talent: Swordsmanship | Level: 1]**
The small skeleton looked up at him. Suho dropped to his knees and hugged it tightly.
> "Why did you have to do that…?"
The Skeleton Warrior stood silently nearby, watching Suho — its empty eyes flickering, as if confused by the human's emotions.
Then, the sound of goblin screams echoed through the cave. They had been found.
"Run!" Suho ordered.
The Skeleton Warrior lifted Suho onto its shoulder, charging through the narrow paths as arrows flew past. Goblins swarmed behind them, and at the exit — the same **troll** waited, roaring loud enough to shake the ground.
Suho tightened his grip on his sword.
> "We're not running anymore. If I don't face this thing now… it'll haunt me forever."
He looked down at his skeletal companions. "Positions!"
The Skeleton Warrior nodded, setting Suho down. The goblin skeletons formed a line behind him.
Suho exhaled, his heart pounding.
> "Let's end this."
The Skeleton Warrior suddenly **threw Suho into the air** — straight toward the troll.
Dozens of goblins had gathered below, shouting in panic. From midair, Suho raised both hands — gathering **aura** in his right, **fireball** in his left. The energy trembled violently.
> "Come on… come on!"
He landed on the troll's head. The monster swung its arms wildly, trying to grab him, but Suho dodged, channeling both forces into his palms.
> **[Combine Skill: Activated – Fire + Aura]**
A surge of red-gold light burst out, flames wrapping around the aura.
Suho slammed his hand into the troll's face — the explosion burned its flesh, making it roar in pain.
For a moment, Suho felt hope.
Then the troll's wounds **healed instantly.**
> "No way…"
He looked up and saw it — his old **knife**, still buried in the troll's forehead from their first fight.
> "There you are."
He poured every last stat point into **Strength**, every drop of aura into his trembling hands, and reached for the knife.
But he couldn't pull it out. His power wasn't enough.
The troll raised its arm for the final blow—
Suddenly, the Skeleton Warrior appeared, blocking the hit. Bones cracked, but it held firm.
Then the **first goblin skeleton** leapt onto the troll's chest, slashing wildly with its tiny sword.
> "Now!"
With both undead holding the troll back, Suho shoved the knife deeper, pouring **aura and dark magic together** —
> **[Skill Combine – Aura + Dark Magic + Fireball]**
A deafening blast followed.
The troll's head burst open in flames, its roar echoing through the entire cavern.
Dozens of goblins screamed as fire and smoke filled the air.
> **[Boss Monster Defeated – Level Up +3]**
Suho fell backward, gasping, as the Skeleton Warrior caught him mid-fall.
He looked around — an army of goblins and trolls was already rushing toward them.
> "Run!"
The Skeleton Warrior lifted him again, leading the retreat. The other skeletons followed, fighting as they moved. The narrow tunnels slowed the trolls' pursuit.
As Suho looked back one last time, the burning corpse of the troll illuminated the cave — and in that flickering firelight, Suho saw what he had truly become.
A survivor.
A necromancer.
A man still too weak — but refusing to die.
⚡ **End of Chapter 4**
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