If that Iron Gorilla had decided to kill him earlier, Tim knew he wouldn't have stood a chance.
One swing from that monster and he'd have been turned into paste, no probably reduced to dust.
He hated to admit it, but…
'I was just lucky,' he thought, staring at the bloodied corpse of the wolf before him.
He rubbed his temples. "Lucky and stupid."
Still, this dead monster wasn't just a reminder of close calls… it was also an opportunity.
'Wait… I can raise this, right?'
His class… Dark Necromancer wasn't for show. It was meant for moments like this.
He looked at the corpse again.
Having a shadow or something to help him would make all the difference.
But it wasn't that simple. He knew from the descriptions in history books that even though necromancy was powerful, it wasn't endless.
It was a resource game.
If he poured all his mana into one summon, he might not have enough left to create more later.
And in this hellish place, "later" probably wasn't that far away.
He took a deep breath and said quietly, "But if I don't do it… I'll just die."
He raised his right hand toward the wolf's corpse. Instantly, a glowing tab appeared before his eyes.
[Would you like to use Class Skill: Shadow Raising?]
[Y / N]
He didn't hesitate. 'Yes.'
At first, nothing happened. Then, from the palm of his hand, a flicker of darkness formed… like ink bleeding through the air.
The black flame burst forward and landed on the corpse.
A deep crack sounded as the body began to move.
The sound of bones creaking filled the air as the black fire spread like oil over flesh.
The wolf's limbs twitched, its ribs snapped back into place, and its eyes… four burning purple orbs flared to life again.
Tim took a step back with his heart pounding.
The shadowy creature stood upright. Its fur was now a deep, shimmering black that swallowed all light.
The flame coating its body slowly died down, leaving a thin mist around it. Its eyes locked on him.
"Good boy…" he muttered carefully.
But his other hand gripped his sword tightly, ready to strike if things went south. Not that it would do any good…
The wolf took one slow step forward, then another.
Tim's breath caught in his throat.
Then the beast leaned down and licked the top of his head.
A thick, wet slurp echoed, followed by warm drool dripping down his face.
He froze. "…Okay. That's disgusting."
He pulled up his cloak, wiping at his face with a groan. "Next time, we work on personal boundaries, got it?"
The wolf tilted its head, as if amused.
The familiar ding of a system notification interrupted the awkward silence.
[Congratulations for raising your first Shadow.]
[Shadow Raising can be used an unlimited number of times.]
'That's nice to know,' he thought with relief. Unlimited usage meant that as long as he had mana and corpses, he could build his strength infinitely.
He grinned. "That settles it. I'll raise every single thing I kill."
He could see it now… an army of monsters under his control, shadows upon shadows. Even the strongest beasts would fall to him eventually.
But then, another tab popped up.
[However, you cannot raise an infinite number of shadows.]
[You have unlocked Shadow Slot.]
"…You've gotta be kidding me."
His expression flattened. 'Shadow Slot? So I can't raise an infinite army?'
The system really knew how to ruin a good dream.
[Shadow Slot]
[You currently have 30 Slots.]
[Each Slot can be assigned various positions, like that of a chess piece. Each position carries its own merits and demerits.]
'Oh, interesting,' he thought, reading carefully. He'd never been much of a chess player, but something about this system intrigued him.
[For example, if a Shadow is assigned the position of <
"I see…" he murmured, scratching his chin.
It was actually a smart system… It was limiting but strategic. That didn't change much, even if he had 30 shadows, he could freely switch them from Pawn to Knight to Rook… he already had a good plan in mind.
He looked around the ash field absently.
A small bird caught his attention… it was perched on a distant branch, staring at him.
Its feathers were dark gray, but it was the first normal thing he'd seen in this entire place.
"Hey, buddy," he whispered.
The bird cocked its head and then flew away.
"Yeah, goodbye to you too," he sighed.
Another message appeared.
[Note: Once given a position, it cannot be changed for one year.]
'And that goes down the drain,' he thought, rubbing his temple.
So much for flexibility…
He had planned to promote and demote shadows as needed, but apparently, the system was allergic to convenience.
Still, he needed to start somewhere.
"Well then," he said, glancing at his newly revived wolf. "Let's see the chessboard."
A black-and-purple board materialized before him, floating midair.
Thirty squares glowed faintly, arranged in familiar formation.
At the front stood a glowing Queen piece.
'Oh, right… there's a Queen piece in chess.'
His eyes roamed across the board, quickly noticing the layout.
Two Knights, two Rooks, two Bishops, one Queen, and the rest… Pawns.
His eyebrows twitched.
'Wait. I'm only allowed two Knights and two Rooks? The rest are just Pawns?'
He clenched his jaw. "This skill really likes screwing me over."
Still, he extended his hand toward the wolf. "Alright, I grant you the position of Pawn."
A small purple pawn piece shot from his palm, spiraling through the air before merging into the wolf's head.
[Shadow Wolf has been granted the position of <
[Your Pawn has leveled up (↑)]
Tim grinned. "Nice."
He looked at his new companion who stood taller and prouder now… It wasn't much of a difference but any difference in power would be worth it.
"Alright," he said, dusting himself off. "Can I ride on you?"
The wolf tilted its head, then lowered itself obediently.
Tim approached cautiously, placing one hand on its thick, smoky fur.
It was surprisingly dense but also soft, like gripping shadows that had weight.
"Alright, here goes nothing."
He climbed onto its back carefully, adjusting himself. The moment he was settled, the wolf lifted its head abruptly, tossing him upward.
"Whoa—!"
He landed back awkwardly, barely holding on as the wolf let out what could only be described as a chuff… a sound suspiciously like laughter.
"Very funny," he grumbled, tightening his grip.
Still, once he steadied himself, the view from above was… different.
The world stretched before him… an endless expanse of gray ash and skeletal trees fading into fog.
He exhaled. "Alright, let's mo—"
His words froze.
Something in the distance caught his attention.
High above, cutting through the fog, a black shape circled.
It was the bird from earlier or so he thought.
"Oh, is it coming back?" he muttered.
But then came another.
And another.
And another.
Within seconds, the sky began to darken not from clouds, but from wings.
Dozens of them.
Then dozens more.
A thick swarm of winged shapes filled the air, spiraling in perfect, predatory motion.
The screeching sound they made sent chills down his spine.
A notification popped up.
[Winged Terror]
[This monster captures victims and eats them slowly, savoring every bit of flesh, whether human or monster. Upon sighting a human, it calls its entire flock to feast upon their tender flesh.]
Tim's eyes widened as he looked up. The entire horizon had turned black.
"Oh, come on," he groaned, dread rising in his chest.
'I'm triple fucked.'
He slapped the side of the wolf. "Run! Run like your life depends on it… because it does!"
The Shadow wasted no time… It was off!