The Third Return of the Necrotic Magic Swordsman

Before Evan’s Return…

While Evan was still inside the dungeon, the situation outside had turned troublesome for many hunters.

The entire dungeon area had been sealed off due to the incident that had occurred.

A team of officers and association hunters had been stationed in front of the gate, monitoring it for any fluctuations. Their job was simple: report anything unusual immediately.

For three days, nothing changed.

Then, on the third day, a faint fluctuation was detected inside the dungeon.

The officer on duty immediately alerted his superiors. Within minutes, the entire association sprang into action. A defensive perimeter was formed, and every officer and hunter stood on high alert, prepared to eliminate whatever emerged from the gate.

Tension ran high as the dungeon gate’s fluctuations intensified. Beads of sweat formed on the hunters’ brows as they tightened their grips on their weapons.

And then—

Something stepped out.

A figure walked through the gate, riding an undead horse.

The sight was shocking.

The creature looked human, but its presence was unnatural. And the undead mount beneath it was anything but ordinary.

The gathered hunters were seconds away from attacking, their instincts screaming at them to act. Yet, they hesitated, waiting for Lilia’s command.

She, too, was in shock.

She recognized the undead horse. She had seen it before.

But the person riding it… looked completely different.

And as for what happened next—well, you already know.

In Confrontation at the Gate

Lilia stepped forward, her voice cold and sharp.

”No, you can’t be the same hunter. You went inside three days ago. There’s no way anyone could survive in that dungeon for so long—not without supplies, not if you were at the center of the catastrophe.”

Evan froze.

”What…? I was inside for three days straight!?”

His shocked exclamation echoed through the air.

Before he could process what was happening, a barrage of skills was cast on him.

Debuffs. Restriction spells. Sealing formations.

Even Darian, who stood beside Lilia, had already deployed multiple formations, locking Evan in place.

Evan sighed. Struggling would only make things worse.

Raising his hands in surrender, he spoke.

”I surrender. No need to make things more problematic, Miss Lilia. I’ll cooperate.”

The officers around him turned to Lilia, awaiting her command.

She narrowed her eyes, watching him closely. There was no deception in his voice. After a moment’s hesitation, she took a pair of mana-restraining cuffs from an officer and stepped forward.

Evan allowed her to place the cuffs on him without resistance.

If he was truly innocent, then he would be proven so in due time.

With Evan secured, the tension in the area finally eased. The hunters lowered their weapons, though their gazes remained wary.

Darian followed as Evan was escorted back to the association’s investigation rooms—the same place Lucas had been held for the past two days.

While in the Lucas Incident.

By the time Lilia and Darian arrived with Evan, Lucas was already gone.

Two days after being detained, he had been released—not due to lack of evidence, but because of an undeniable force backing him.

Lilia had tried to trace the source of the order.

What she found shocked her to the core.

CGA Main Headquarters.

The Central Guild Association’s top branch had issued the command for Lucas’s release.

This was not an organization she could oppose. Even in her entire lifetime, she would never be able to stand against their authority.

She had no choice.

Despite Lucas’s attack on association property… despite her suspicions about the strange, immense power he had wielded… she had been forced to let him go.

The truth behind Lucas’s abilities was now buried.

And there was nothing she could do about it.

In Evan’s Interrogation

Evan was placed under heavy surveillance.

Every possible appraisal skill was used on him.

Time and time again, the results were the same.

[Evan Ravencall]

[Hunter Class Rank:?]

[Class: Necromancer]

The scans confirmed his identity.

He was, without a doubt, the same Evan Ravencall who had entered the dungeon three days ago.

But there was one problem.

His body had changed.

His presence had changed.

And yet, no matter how many times they appraised him, they could find nothing suspicious.

Evan smirked internally.

He had already anticipated this situation.

Before getting arrested, he had modified his system’s display, ensuring that any appraisal attempts would reveal only what he wanted them to see.

The item he possessed was beyond this world’s comprehension.

No one could peer into him without his permission, and the result which Lilia got from all of this was:

◇ Name: Evan Ravencall (Evan Windstone)

◇ Race: Human (100%)

◇ Age: 18

◇ Title: None

◇ Rank: Tier 0

◇ Level: 1 [0 / 100 EXP]

◇ Class:

-Necromancer (?)

◇ Talents:

- None

”Core Stats”

◆ HP: 150 (Regen: 1.5/min)

◆ MP: 100 (Regen: 1.0/min)

◆ Strength (STR): 15

◆ Agility (AGL): 15

◆ Vitality (VIT): 15

◆ Intelligence (INT): 10

◆ Endurance (END): 15

◆ Stamina (STA): 15

◆ Unassigned Stats: 0

◆ Attack Power:36 (Physical, {STR+AGL} 1.2) | 15 (Elemental, INT1.5)

◆ Defense:30+160 ({END+STA} 1)

”Skills”

Passive: None

Active: Phantom Bond – Zephoros (Lv.?)

➤ [Class Skills]

Necromancer (SS):

Raise Undead (Lv.1), Necro Heal (Lv.1), Undead Storage (Lv.1), Death Bolt (Lv.1)

__

A basic Level 1 Hunter stood before them—a Hunter who was supposed to be Level 40 or higher. That was the main reason they felt something was off. He wasn’t the same as before.

After hours of relentless check-ups, Lilia and Darian finally entered the room. They took their seats, and the atmosphere grew tense as Lilia spoke.

”Are you really Evan Ravencall, the one we met a few days ago?”

”Yes, Miss Lilia,” Evan replied calmly. ”I am the same person you met after that dungeon destruction—right after my test. I even explained the reason behind it and the summon you witnessed.”

”Then answer just two questions, and I’ll let you go,” Lilia said, her sharp gaze fixed on him. ”First, why is your status back to Level 1? And second, what’s the deal with your class grade rating?”

”Oh, that? I’m not entirely sure,” Evan admitted with a casual shrug. ”But I think it has something to do with a fortunate encounter I had… about three days ago.”

”What encounter?”

”Well, as you know, the dungeon was in a mutated state. After pushing through countless challenges, I finally reached the boss’s core region. When I got there, the boss was in some kind of hibernation, absorbing… something. He didn’t even sense my presence. So, I took the chance and launched a surprise attack, easily taking him down.”

Lilia narrowed her eyes. ”And you expect me to believe that?”

Evan continued undeterred. ”It seemed like he was on the verge of evolving. When my summoned skeletons attacked him, his skin started peeling off, like he was trying to shed it and ascend to a higher form. But I reached him before he could complete the process.

”Afterward, as I searched his body for clues, I found a pearl—big enough to fit in my hand. It was strange… something about it made me instinctively want to consume it. When I tried to store it in my inventory, the system didn’t recognize it. So, following my gut, I decided to consume it.

”That’s the last thing I remember. Everything after that is a blur, but one thing is clear—I absorbed something called the ’Ethereal Soul Core.’ According to the system, it helped upgrade my soul and even changed my class from D rank to something beyond,” which he knew is a real thing as he had witnessed its miracle in his past life to upgrade his class from SS to SSS.

Lilia’s expression darkened. ”No, that’s impossible. You’re lying. If such an item existed, I would have heard of it before. Do you think spouting nonsense will let you walk away from this?”

”I’m telling the truth, Miss Lilia. Believe me or not, it doesn’t change what happened.” Evan sighed. ”And honestly, do you really think someone like me, a Hunter from a common background, could possess something so powerful that even high-tier Hunters like you are getting worked up over it? If I had something like that from the beginning, do you think that incident a few days ago would have even happened?”

”But—”

Lilia wanted to press further, but Darian placed a hand on her shoulder, signaling her to step aside for a private word.

”Manager,” Darian said in a hushed voice, ”I don’t think questioning him any further will get us anywhere. We already checked him with a Tier 2 Ascended Priest, and there was no sign of demonic influence or any kind of possession. We should let him go but keep him under surveillance. Also, we should monitor that Lucas kid to prevent any further trouble from these two.”

Lilia hesitated, but after considering the possibilities, she sighed and reluctantly agreed.

”Fine. Let him go—for now.”

Before letting him go, Lilia asked one final question.

”Alright, Evan, we believe you… But first, tell me—what is your class grade now? And why isn’t it showing on your status?”

”Oh, right! I was going to request a modification for my ID anyway,” Evan said. ”My class is A-rank now, but I’m not sure why the grade isn’t appearing.”

Lilia narrowed her eyes. ”Hmmm...” She intensified her aura, pressing down on him with suspicion.

”Ouch—! Wait, stop! I’ll tell the truth!” Evan yelped, raising his hands in surrender. ”My class is actually S-grade… and that’s it! Even if you put more pressure on me, I have nothing else to hide.”

Lilia remained skeptical, but she could tell he wasn’t lying about that as she couldn’t even think that he could get above S grade class from some item, which he did get but won’t tell her.

”Fine,” she said, crossing her arms. ”Then explain why your skills are back to Level 1. And are those even the same skills you originally had?”

”No, they’re not,” Evan admitted. ”When my class grade changed, my previous skills were erased and replaced with new ones. My level also reset because of my class.”

”Then demonstrate them,” Lilia demanded. ”If your class is truly S-grade, prove it.”

Evan hesitated for a moment before nodding. ”Alright, but can you provide me with some Level 1 to 20 corpses? Most of my undead skills require them. Only two of my skills don’t.”

Lilia frowned. ”Fine. Wait here.” She called an officer and ordered them to retrieve monster corpses within the specified level range. But deep down, she was still unsure how exactly Evan planned to use skills on monsters that were Level 15 or above.

While they waited, Evan turned to her. ”Okay, can you put up a barrier? I need it for my first skill demonstration.”

Lilia raised an eyebrow but complied. She stepped back from the table and erected a mana barrier, signaling him to proceed.

”{Death Bolt}.”

A streak of necrotic energy formed in front of Evan before shooting toward Lilia’s barrier. Upon impact, the bolt dispersed harmlessly, unable to leave even a scratch.

Lilia sighed and dismissed the barrier. ”Hit me directly.”

Evan blinked. ”Uh… are you sure?”

She nodded.

Shrugging, Evan fired another {Death Bolt} straight at her. The energy struck her body—but nothing happened. It dissipated into a faint black smoke, leaving only a tiny black dot on her clothes.

”Well, that should be enough proof, right?” Evan asked.

”No. Show me the next skill.”

”But… it’s a healing skill,” he said hesitantly.

”Perfect. I’ll test it myself.”

”But it’s for undead healing. It won’t work on the living—it might even have unintended effects.”

”Then it’s double the reason to try,” Lilia said with a smirk. ”Go ahead. Use it.”

”If you say so, {Necro heal}.”

He cast down his skill, and a nether mist came out of his body and wrapped around Lilia’s whole body. Being a living being, she was supposed to be hurt by it, but only her armor, which she always wore, was a little corroded, and it even instantaneously self-healed.

”Now, is that fine, or do you need more?”

”No, it’s fine. We’ll wait until the bodies arrive and test it properly,” Lilia insisted, still determined to scrutinize every detail.

After a short wait, an officer entered the room, carrying several bodies. He laid them down one by one—three were monsters: two goblins and a wolf. But the last two were… different.

They were human.

The two young men, seemingly in their late teens or early twenties, lay motionless, their faces devoid of life.

Darian frowned. ”What the hell are you doing bringing human bodies here? Didn’t we specifically request only monster corpses?”

The officer remained unfazed. ”Yes, sir, I know. But I felt no guilt in bringing these two. They were trash in life, a burden to society—at least in death, their bodies might serve a better purpose.”

Darian looked confused. ”What are you talking about?”

”Sir, these two—one was a Shield Warrior (D), the other a Swordsman (C). They were murderers. They lured low-level hunters into dungeons and then slaughtered them to remove competition. We finally caught them, but before they could be punished, they took their own lives.” The officer spat on the ground, which he also covered with his foot instantly so as not to get lectured for in-rage action. ”Scum like them don’t deserve proper burial. If you want me to remove them, I will.”

He moved to pick up the bodies, but Darian raised a hand to stop him.

”Leave them,” he said coldly. ”It’s better this way. We don’t have time for sentiment, and we can also check whether this skill works on humans with class or not and if it does, then what are the changes in them.”

The world was already fighting to reclaim its lands from monsters, both on the frontlines and within dungeons. Yet, some monsters were born in human skin—preying on their kind. Darian felt no sympathy for them.

”Alright, use your skill, and let’s get this over with,” Lilia ordered, showing no objections.

Evan nodded. ”Here goes… {Raise Undead}.”

A chilling aura spread through the room as Evan activated his skill. The temperature dropped slightly, and an eerie silence followed.

Then, the bodies twitched.

A shiver ran down Darian’s spine as he watched the corpses convulse violently. Their flesh started to peel away, disintegrating like dry leaves in the wind. Strips of muscle and sinew crumbled into dust, leaving behind only ivory-white bones.

The goblins and the wolf completed their transformation first, their empty sockets now burning with eerie blue soul flames. But the human corpses—something was different.

Their armor remained, clinging to their skeletal forms like remnants of their past lives. A strange energy flickered around them as if their very essence resisted the transition.

Mana poured from Evan’s body, fueling the process, yet he barely felt the drain—his refined reserves handled the demand with ease.

With only 56 mana consumed, the resurrection was complete.

Five skeletal figures stood before Evan, their postures rigid yet unnervingly lifelike. A sinister presence surrounded them, stronger than any of his previous summons at the same level.

Evan smirked. ”Yeah… these ones... are definitely different.”

[Congratulations, host! You have raised 5 undead from the dead.]

[You obtained: 1× Undead Wolf (Lv.16), 2× Undead Goblins (Lv.12, 14), 2× Undead Skeletons (Lv.18, 19).]

[Do you wish to register them into your summon storage? (Yes/No)]

’Yes, do it,’ Evan commanded mentally.

A faint black insignia resembling a deathly crest appeared on each undead’s forehead, signifying their bond to him. The moment the imprint settled, their auras grew denser, their power subtly increasing—something that did not go unnoticed by Lilia and Darian.

Most necromancers simply summoned undead through skills, pulling them from an unknown plane, their bodies formed entirely from mana. But Evan was different. He was what they had only heard of in old tales—an original necromancer, one who reanimated the actual dead rather than fabricating them.

Lilia crossed her arms, intrigued. ”So, the final skill is your summon storage. Show me that, and you’ll be free to go.”

Evan, growing tired of her endless demands, sighed. Without hesitation, he activated his skill.

Instantly, shadows surged from beneath him like living tendrils, swallowing his undead whole. Within seconds, they vanished completely, sinking into the void of his summon storage.

Lilia’s eyes gleamed with curiosity. ”Interesting… Okay, one last thing. Show me some of your undead’s tricks, and then you can leave.”

Evan exhaled sharply. ”You just don’t stop, do you?”

Despite his irritation, he complied. With a flick of his wrist, two skeletons emerged—one armoured, the other wielding a sword.

He handed his Swordsman Skeleton the Erith-rankIgnis, a blade pulsing with crimson energy. To his Shield Skeleton, he gave his Dusk Guard, a heavy shield designed for pure defence.

”Go. Show her what you can do.”

The skeletons obeyed immediately.

The Swordsman Skeleton dashed forward, its movements unnervingly fluid, like a seasoned warrior. It swung its blade down at Lilia, who casually raised a mana barrier to defend herself.

Clang!

The attack struck cleanly, but her barrier remained unscathed. However, the precision of the strike—its angle, flow, and execution—caught her attention.

”This thing moves like a proper swordsman,” Lilia murmured.

Evan smirked. ”That’s not all. Show her the real deal.”

As if responding to his words, the Swordsman Skeleton suddenly retreated a few steps. Lilia narrowed her eyes. ”What’s it—”

Before she could finish, a crimson glow enveloped Ignis, and an eerie hum resonated in the air. The skeleton lunged again, this time bringing down its sword in a precise arc.

Clang!

Again, the barrier absorbed the impact. But just as Lilia relaxed, a sudden blaze erupted from the point of contact.

Fwoosh!

Fire spread along the barrier, crackling intensely. The Ignis sword’s passive effect—a delayed combustion—had activated. Lilia quickly dispelled the flames, eyeing the skeleton with newfound respect.

”Not bad. A skill like that, hidden within a basic skeleton… impressive.”

The Swordsman Skeleton took a knee before Evan, then seamlessly faded back into his storage.

Meanwhile, the Shield Skeleton was having a rougher time.

Darian, grinning like a kid playing a game, was repeatedly bombarding it with Tier-0 Fireballs. The undead raised its Dusk Guard, attempting to withstand the assault, but the barrage continued mercilessly.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Evan watched in mild amusement. ”Are you seriously bullying my tank right now?”

Darian grinned. ”Just testing its durability.”

Lilia chuckled. ”You better have a way to counter ranged attacks. Otherwise, that thing’s nothing but a punching bag.”

Evan smirked. ”Oh, don’t worry. I’ll show you soon enough.”

Even though the Skeleton Tank had infinite stamina, the relentless assault from Darian’s fireballs still inflicted damage.

Evan wasn’t about to let his summon crumble just yet.

{Necro Heal}

A dark mist enveloped the skeleton, repairing its fractured bones in mere seconds. Darian paused mid-attack, intrigued by the healing ability.

”Interesting,” he muttered.

Now fully restored, the Skeleton Tank activated its class skill and charged straight at Darian.

Darian smirked and casually raised a Tier-0 barrier, curious to see what the summon could do.

Boom!

The Shield Bash landed, causing a faint dent in the barrier—but not enough to break it. Undeterred, the skeleton hurled its shield at the same spot.

Just as everyone assumed it would retrieve its shield, the skeleton did something unexpected.

With a fluid motion, it reached into its armor and drew a concealed dagger-like sword—a weapon likely hidden by its previous owner for sabotage.

Lilia’s eyes widened. ”A hidden weapon? That’s… unusual for an undead.”

Evan smirked.

Without hesitation, the skeleton slashed forward—and this time, the barrier shattered completely.

Before Darian could react, the dagger was already mid-swing, about to reach him—

”Enough.”

Evan’s command was absolute.

The Skeleton Tank halted instantly, then faded back into his summon storage.

Lilia chuckled. ”Well, that was quite a show.”

Evan rolled his shoulders, exhaustion setting in. ”Yeah, yeah. Now, can I go home? I’ve been inside a dungeon for three days straight, and I feel itchy as hell.”

Lilia let out a soft laugh before nodding. ”Alright, you’re free to go. We’ve evaluated your class skills, and I have to say—you’re a rare gem. If you ever decide to join the Hunter Association, come straight to me. I’ll personally train you.”

Evan raised a brow. ”You? A manager? Training hunters?”

She smirked. ”Oh, I do more than just manage.”

Shaking his head, Evan turned to leave—but not before catching Lilia’s whispered words to Darian.

”Hush… this guy is full of surprises. But his biggest downfall as a necromancer is obvious—his summons can’t grow stronger like him. That kind of flaw can cripple his entire class in the long run… unless he finds a way to enhance them. Still… I have a feeling he’s hiding something.”

Evan’s grin widened as he walked away.

’Cunning as always, huh? But sorry, Miss Manager, you have no idea…

The Death Monarch’s perks allow me to upgrade my summons.’

At the main gate, an officer saw him off. ”Sir, I’m a fan of your skills now! If you ever get the chance, wanna raid a dungeon with me? I’d love to see your undead army wreck monsters up close.”

Evan smirked. ”I’ll think about it. But first, I need to level up.”

With that, he signalled his taxi driver.

By the time he arrived at his apartment, the city was still on edge from the incident he had caused.

The uneasy atmosphere weighed on him. ’Damn… people are terrified.’

Though he hadn’t intended for things to escalate that way, he still felt a sense of guilt.

If he had used the Vial outside the dungeon, the consequences would have been catastrophic.

Shaking off his thoughts, Evan unlocked his door and stepped inside.

He didn’t bother changing. He didn’t check his messages.

He collapsed straight onto his bed—and almost immediately, he was pulled into a strange dream.

This time, however, something was different.

The mysterious girl… her face was clearer. Her voice—audible.

A faint smile formed on Evan’s lips as the dream unfolded.

- To Be Continued.

If you feel captivated by the story, then please join me on the adventure.