Chapter 61: Power Up.

[Congratulations! You have defeated an Ancient Being’s Clone.]

[Experience Gained: +100,000]

[Summoned Entities: Experience Gained +50,000]

[Spirit +10]

[Gold Coins +100]

[Congratulations! You have saved your race from impending doom.]

[Experience Gained: +100,000]

[Summoned Entities: Experience Gained +50,000]

[Spirit +10]

[Gold Coins +100]

Thoren stared at the glowing notifications suspended before his eyes, his mind blank for several seconds.

His jaw slackened slightly.

He knew that defeating an existence tied to an ancient being would reward him handsomely.

He had prepared himself mentally for a massive surge of experience.

But this…

This was far beyond anything he had imagined.

“One hundred thousand…” Thoren muttered hoarsely.

His breathing quickened as his heart slammed violently against his chest.

For a brief moment, he wondered if exhaustion or lingering shock from the battle had finally pushed him into hallucination.

He blinked once.

Twice.

The glowing system notifications remained, unwavering and unmistakably real.

“Oh my…” he whispered.

A radiant grin slowly spread across his face, stretching wider and wider until it felt like his cheeks would ache.

He tried, he genuinely tried to restrain himself, to maintain some semblance of composure.

But it was futile.

The giddiness bubbling inside his chest exploded outward.

“Hahahahaha!”

Laughter burst from him, echoing wildly through the ruined chamber.

It was raw, unrestrained, and filled with every ounce of pent-up emotion he had been suppressing.

Relief.

Triumph.

Joy.

And disbelief.

That laughter carried the weight of survival, the joy of standing victorious at the edge of annihilation.

Only Thoren himself knew just how close he had come to defeat.

Before this battle, he had believed himself invincible. With his undead legion at his command, he had thought there was nothing in the Abyss’s first floor capable of shaking him.

He had been wrong.

So painfully wrong.

That ancient being’s clone had driven him to the brink.

One wrong decision.

One delayed realization.

One misstep…and he would have been erased completely.

If he had not uncovered the secret behind the monster’s immortality…

If he had hesitated even for a moment longer…

Thoren’s laughter slowly faded. He raised a hand and wiped the tears of exhilaration from the corners of his eyes, then drew in a deep breath.

Steady.

Calm.

The rewards were not over yet.

[Experience Gained: +1,000]

[Summoned Entities: Experience Gained +500]

[Spirit +2]

[Silver Coins +2]

Thoren glanced at the new notification and nodded in understanding. This reward belonged to the Level 18 Royal Stonewall Tribe warrior, the non-ancient entity that had guarded the chamber.

“Not bad,” he murmured.

But even as he spoke, his heartbeat began to accelerate again.

Because he knew what was coming next.

The air around him shimmered faintly as the system updated his status.

[Level: 11 (208,400 / 32,000)]

[Level Up!]

[Attribute Points +5]

The first surge hit him like a tidal wave.

Before he could even process it, another followed.

[Level: 12 (176,400 / 40,000)]

[Level Up!]

[Attribute Points +5]

Thoren’s breath hitched.

Again.

[Level: 13 (136,400 / 49,000)]

[Level Up!]

[Attribute Points +5]

His eyes widened.

[Level: 14 (87,400 / 61,000)]

[Level Up!]

[Attribute Points +5]

His heart nearly leapt out of his chest.

[Level: 15 (26,400 / 75,000)]

“Level… fifteen…” Thoren whispered.

He froze.

For several seconds, he simply stood there, staring blankly at the floating numbers, unable to react.

Level 15.

The ancient city had given him more than he could have ever dreamed of.

He exhaled slowly, then inhaled deeply, forcing himself not to overreact.

Yet no matter how hard he tried, elation flooded his eyes, and the corners of his lips lifted into a glowing, uncontrollable smile.

With his level rising, the effects rippled outward.

[Assassin Skeleton 1 – Level Up!]

[Level: 12]

[Assassin Skeleton 2 – Level Up!]

[Level: 12]

[Undead Mad Dog (Mini Boss) – Level Up!]

[Level: 11]

[Level Up!]

[Level Up!]

[…]

One by one, notifications appeared.

Most of his weaker undead servants leveled up as well. The Archer Skeleton reached Level 10, while his high-level skeleton warriors saw their experience bars surge to nearly half-filled.

Even the terrifying Level 16 Undead Stonewall High Nobles experienced a noticeable spike in experience.

When the cascade of notifications finally ended, Thoren summoned his status panel.

[Name: Thoren Starfall]

[Occupation: Necromancer]

[Rank: Iron]

[Level: 15 (26,400 / 75,000)]

[Attributes]

Strength: 20

Agility: 14

Constitution: 14

Intelligence: 20

Perception: 17

Charm: 12

[Spirit: 62.44]

[Skills: Undead Summoning, Bone Manipulation]

[Talent: Ex-Rank Undead Space]

[Sub-Talent: SSS-Rank Soul Lantern of the Eternal Crypt]

[Abyss Market: Unavailable (Unlocks at Bronze Rank)]

[Unassigned Attribute Points: 30]

[Inventory]

Thoren studied the panel carefully, nodding in satisfaction.

“Thirty unassigned attribute points…” he mused, tapping his temple lightly.

“Should I assign them now… or let them accumulate?”

As a necromancer, he rarely relied on his own physical prowess.

His undead legion fought in his stead.

Strength and constitution mattered far less to him than spirit and intelligence.

“For now…” he murmured, waving his hand dismissively. “I’ll hold onto them.”

His gaze shifted.

It landed on the massive, fallen body of the Level 18 Royal Stonewall Tribe warrior.

A slow grin spread across his face.

“Now then…” Thoren said softly. “Let’s see if you can join my undead legion.”

Originally, he had planned to wait until he reached an even higher level before attempting such a conversion.

But now?

His spirit reserves were vast.

His confidence surged.

He raised his hand.

[Undead Summoning]

[Bone Manipulation]

Necrotic energy erupted violently around the fallen Royal Stonewall warrior. Dark mist coiled upward as the corpse twitched.

Its shattered chest began to knit itself together.

Broken arms realigned.

Cracked stone bones fused, piece by piece.

With a low rumble, the massive figure rose.

Its hollow eyes were dull, lifeless—yet its presence alone distorted the air around it.

It towered over the Level 16 Undead High Nobles like a living mountain.

Thoren deliberately left its stone skin intact. Unlike ordinary undead, the Stonewall Tribe’s stone flesh granted immense defense. Stripping it away would only weaken it.

“Good,” Thoren murmured approvingly.

He sent ten streams of soul fire into the undead’s body.

The Level 18 Undead Royal Stonewall Tribe warrior trembled violently as the soul fire ignited within its hollow sockets, burning brighter and brighter.

Slowly, it turned its head.

Its gaze locked onto Thoren.

Compared to the others, its intelligence was unmistakably higher.

It stepped forward in heavy strides, stopping before him like a towering giant.

Thoren nodded.

“Very well. From now on, you’ll be my commander.”

[Undead Commander]

With a Level 18 undead under his control, anticipation surged through Thoren’s veins.

He turned his gaze around the ruined chamber and then his eyes fell upon the coffin.

“How could I forget about you…” he muttered, grinning.

He climbed onto the altar and peered inside.

His brows furrowed.

Reaching in, he picked up the object within.

A new notification appeared.

[Skill Evolution Orb]

[Details: Allows the user to evolve a chosen skill to a higher grade, unlocking new effects, increased efficiency, and expanded potential.]

Thoren’s heart skipped a beat.

“…My goodness!” he exclaimed.

Looking at the orb, he knew this was something that should not be present in the first floor.

Yet…

Here it was, glowing brightly in his palm.

“Everything is just getting better and better.” he murmured.

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