Rebirth: Necromancer's Ascenscion-Chapter 25: A Third Party

The beast that had emerged from the forest, the one whose mere presence had paralyzed Ian with fear, had been slaughtered in a single effortless strike.

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Ian had thought he was beginning to grasp the power structure of this world. He had believed he understood strength, at least in its relative form.

But now? Now his mind was left reeling.

If that creature had been powerful beyond anything he had ever encountered, and Eli had felled it like it was nothing—then just how terrifying was the man before him?

"What the hell was that?" Ian finally managed to ask, his voice hoarse.

Eli withdrew a cloth from within his robes and calmly wiped the blood off his blade before sheathing it.

"A Hazard Rank mana beast," he said, his voice calm despite the clear tension in his features. "And one that was quite far off from where it should be."

Ian frowned. "What do you mean?"

Eli exhaled through his nose.

"I told you before—we're focusing on the three lower ranks of mana beasts. Vermin rank is the lowest—F-Class—and that's where we are. Vermin territory. We would need to go significantly deeper into the forest to reach D-Class mana beasts—Predators." He glanced toward the decapitated corpse. "A Predator rank could—hypothetically—end up in Vermin territory by mistake. Unlikely, but not impossible."

Ian swallowed, glancing at the still-bleeding carcass.

"So... is that what this is? A Predator rank?"

Eli shook his head. "No and thats the problem. That's a C-Class. A Hazard Rank beast." His golden eyes flickered with something colder. "That is not something that should be here. Not without interference."

"Interference?" Ian's heart pounded. "What kind of interference?"

Eli's expression darkened. "A strong one. Strong enough to control a Hazard Rank beast."

Ian shuddered at the implication. Strong enough to control something that terrifying? That was more than dangerous. That was monstrous.

"So... I'm guessing we leave?" Ian asked hopefully.

Eli's response was immediate. "Leave? No."

Ian blinked. "What?"

"We're going deeper into the forest."

Ian took a step back. "Going deeper? Are we insane? You just said someone powerful enough to control a Hazard Rank beast is out here, and your response is to go toward them?"

Eli's lips curled into something resembling amusement. "They sent it here for one of two reasons—to lure me into a trap, or to threaten me. Either way, they die for it."

Ian felt a chill crawl up his spine. "Or i die in the process," he muttered.

Eli shrugged. "Possibility exists."

"Not very reassuring."

Eli turned to him, his expression unreadable.

"You don't really have a choice."

Ian let out a long, drawn-out sigh, rubbing his temples.

"Fantastic."

And then, as if the system itself had been waiting for him to come to terms with this madness, a notification appeared in his vision.

---

[New Crafting Opportunity Detected]

[A weapon can be crafted from the ribs of the Hazard Rank corpse.]

Skill: [Bonecraft (Rank 1)]

[Cost: 50 Necrotic Energy]

[Effect: Forge weapons or armor from bones. Durability and Potency scale with corpse quality.]

---

Ian read over the prompt twice, making sure he wasn't hallucinating. A weapon. From the corpse.

His eyes flickered toward the beast's massive frame.

"Well," he muttered. "I guess there's one good thing about this mess."

"What?" Eli asked.

Ian turned to him. "I need something from this thing."

Eli raised a brow. "And that would be?"

"Two bones. Specifically, two ribs."

Eli didn't bother questioning him. With a flicker of motion, his blade was in his hands again.

He walked over to the corpse, placed a foot against its torso for leverage, and drove his sword into the beast's body. The sound of cutting flesh and cracking bone filled the air as he worked methodically, pulling the remains apart with eerie ease.

Ian watched, equal parts fascinated and horrified, as Eli finally wrenched two long, curved bones free from the beast's ribcage. The bones were smooth yet firm, shaped almost like elongated fangs.

Eli handed them over without a word.

Ian's system chimed again.

---

[Hazard Rank Twin Daggers can be crafted!]

[Would you like to begin crafting?]

[Time until completion: 18 hours]

---

Ian exhaled. "Alright, let's do it."

The moment he accepted, the bones vanished from his hands, dissolving into black mist before vanishing into his inventory. A subtle progress bar appeared in the corner of his vision, counting down the hours until the process was done.

Ian shook his head.

"Done?" Eli asked, watching him, yet not questioning any of the bizarre things he saw or noticed.

Ian stretched his shoulders. "Yeah."

Eli turned away. "Then let's move."

Ian let out a groan but followed nonetheless. The further they went, the denser the trees became, their twisted branches clawing at the sky.

The darkness of the forest swallowed them, a place where even the air felt heavier.

And with every step, Ian couldn't shake the feeling that something—or someone—was watching them.