Necromancer: Infinite Undeads In The Apocalypse

Anvil sorted through the information in his mind. He rubbed his temples, a headache forming from the overload of what he had just learned.

[Awakeneds] — a general term for those who had awakened supernatural powers. People called these powers [Skills]. However not all [Awakeneds] have [Skills].

There were three known ways to Awaken:

Natural Awakening

Individuals who spent prolonged time inside dungeons without taking protective medicine often suffered severe side effects: chronic disease, organ failure, insanity, and eventually a painful death.

However, on rare occasions, some survived. Their bodies adapted to the corrupted energy and developed powers.

These powers came in the form of energy known as [Mana].

[Mana] could enhance strength, defense, speed, reaction time, and other physical abilities. The more [Mana] one possessed, the more power could be circulated through the body.

However, carelessly flooding the body with [Mana] could lead to organ failure—or worse, the body could explode like an overinflated balloon.

Training was essential to control [Mana] and use it safely.

By Consuming a [Core]

There were two types of cores extracted from monster corpses:

[Mana Core] and [Skill Core].

A monster could only possess one of the two.

[Mana Core] was a condensed, purified form of [Mana]. Eating it granted the user clean [Mana] without the corruption of dungeon energy.

[Skill Core], similar to a [Mana Core], was said to carry the monster's DNA. While it wouldn't mutate humans, it could grant both [Mana] and a [Skill] specific to that monster.

It was incredibly rare—only one in ten thousand monsters had a [Skill Core].

Direct [Mana] Injection

Scientists had developed a method to extract and refine [Mana] from dungeons for direct injection into the human body.

However, the success rate was poor—only one in a hundred survived. Others went insane, exploded, or were driven to suicide from the pain.

This method was unreliable and took far longer to train effectively compared to Natural Awakening or consuming Cores.

Natural [Awakeneds] were the rarest and most powerful. They trained faster, were stronger, and developed unique [Skills] that were far more potent than artificially obtained ones.

[Cores] had a higher success rate but still carried the risk of rejection, bodily collapse, or death.

In short, [Awakeneds] were few, and every one of them was valuable. Thousands died daily in the pursuit of creating them.

To address this, the Knight Association created [Awakened Academies] to offer free training.

It was virtually mandatory to attend if one wanted certification to join any organization.

As for dungeons, little was understood.

Monsters spawned daily. Any minerals or vegetation inside would regenerate automatically.

Dungeons were ranked from F to S, with F being the easiest and S being the most dangerous.

Clearing a dungeon meant reducing monster populations to below 30% daily—otherwise, a [Dungeon Break] would occur.

Normally, monsters couldn't leave dungeons. But if left unchecked, they would spill out and wreak havoc.

And once outside, they became much harder to deal with.

Monsters too were ranked from F to S.

F-ranked were stronger than mutated animals but still within range of firearm effectiveness.

From D-rank upward, modern weapons became useless—only [Awakeneds] could take them down.

Some monsters could absorb radiation or explosive energy, growing stronger—making traditional weapons a bad idea.

There were monsters smaller than ants and others bigger than buildings.

The [Knight Association] was the global governing body formed after the dungeons appeared.

It was led by the strongest human alive—a naturally Awakened man with a massive [Mana] reserve and a multitude of powerful [Skills].

Though many powerful [Knights] belonged to the Association, the organization severely lacked freedom, which gave rise to guilds.

Guilds were private organizations created by powerful [Awakeneds], offering better pay and greater freedom.

In emergencies, however, both [Knights] and [Hunters]—freelance [Awakeneds]—were obligated to defend humanity without question.

The naming made sense:

[Knights] protected cities, like ancient knights protected castles.

[Hunters] focused on clearing dungeons, managing monster populations, and ensuring no Dungeon Breaks occurred.

[Adventurers], also under government control, explored lands overrun by monsters after the first dungeon appearance.

Anvil skimmed through more pages.

There wasn't much info on guilds or other [Awakeneds]. Even [Knight Association] data was limited.

He browsed monster records—names, images, strengths, and weaknesses.

After finishing, he let out a long sigh and placed his hand on his chest.

His heart was pounding.

So fast it felt like it might burst out of his ribcage.

Excitement.

He felt a rush of joy, a giddy anticipation he could barely contain.

He wanted to jump up and dance. But he forced himself to calm down.

"Calm, Anvil… calm…" he whispered, taking long breaths.

He'd always wanted to live in a city, to enjoy luxuries he could never afford.

And now… that dream was finally within reach.

"Man, I'm not getting any sleep tonight…"

That's what he said—but soon enough, he was snoring loudly, fast asleep.

"Good morning, Mr. Osborn. I hope you had a pleasant dream."

When Anvil opened his eyes, he saw a face staring directly into his own.

He flinched and jerked upright, heart pounding.

The voice of Will echoed in his ears.

"Can you please not give me a heart attack first thing in the morning?" Anvil snapped, pressing a hand to his racing chest.

He wiped away sweat. "Can't you guys just wake me up normally? Why wait for me to wake up on my own? Do you enjoy jump-scaring people?"

He was clearly annoyed.

"Haha, sorry. We just didn't want to disturb your sleep. But now that you're awake, can we begin our questioning?"

"Seriously, dude…" Anvil muttered. "Can't I at least wash up first? Eat something? Freshen up a bit before we start?"

"Sorry to inform you, but we're on a tight schedule. We have to hurry to the next location."

"What, more [Awakeneds] to interview? Shouldn't there be more staff for that?"

"Mr. Osborn, we're from the Knight Supervision Department. We're severely understaffed. Not just anyone can do this job."

"Okay, okay…" Anvil sighed. "Just ask your questions."

"Then please explain in full detail how you ended up in that sealed room."

Anvil nodded, then began recounting everything—from the giant mouse, all the way to diving into the mysterious hole.

He omitted the part about the orb. He simply said that he had hit some buttons in the darkness, one of which shot at his leg, and then he lost consciousness.

Half-truths, half-lies.

The two men nodded. The younger one, Park, recorded everything on a device.

Will placed his hand on his chin. "That was all we needed to know. Thank you for your cooperation. Now, if you have any questions, please ask."

"Can you explain again properly where I was found and in what state?"

"Of course. You were found unconscious in the sealed room. Due to the Giant Mouse, more than ten miners were killed. Soldiers killed the Giant Mouse, and while patrolling the dungeon, they discovered a new area that had never been found before. That's where they found you. You were immediately taken to the nearest clinic," Will said, pausing briefly.

"There, it was discovered that you had active [Mana] in your body—quite strong, at that—so we were informed. You were then transferred to this hospital for the fastest recovery possible."

"Ah. Thanks. That's all." Anvil asked a few more questions about the [Awakened Academy].

After the questioning, the two men left in a hurry.

Anvil ate breakfast and fell asleep.

Like that… a week passed.

"Mr. Osborn, you are all fine now. You can be discharged from the hospital."

"Thank you for all your care. I'll be leaving this afternoon after lunch."

"Please do."

The smiling doctor left the room.

"Man, I'm gonna miss this place. The food was so delicious. The nurse was so caring. But I guess I can pursue higher luxury now," Anvil muttered, shaking those thoughts off.

"I need to learn about my powers first. I feel a bit different, but I can't feel any power yet." He had tried for several minutes every day to exert some power.

But every time, he failed. He had no idea how to control [Mana].

"I should first return to the dungeon. I need to investigate that area. Was the secret room I went into never found? Or is there more to it?" he wondered.

Anvil exited the building and found himself in a bustling area.

The street was packed with people.

There were some peculiar sights too. Some people were in suits, others wore casual clothes, and many were dressed in various types of armor.

Ancient bulky types, slim ones, even modern tech-based armor.

The road was well-developed. It was smooth, spotless—no dust or dirt. Different cars zipped around constantly; the traffic never paused for a moment.

High-rise buildings towered over the streets. Shops, restaurants, and all kinds of establishments lined the sidewalks.

Anvil stood at the hospital entrance, mouth agape.

It wasn't like he hadn't seen the scenery before—he had glimpsed it from inside the hospital and had taken a few short walks during recovery—but now, seeing it all up close, with the crowd and the motion, filled him with mixed emotions.

The slums and the city really were two different worlds.

Anvil didn't have any money.

He could go straight to the [Awakened Academy], where he'd be fed and housed for free, albeit only for a month.

However, something inside him told him otherwise. His instincts whispered that the academy wouldn't help him understand his powers.

He needed to return to the dungeon—to that same room where he had lost consciousness.

"Time to head there... Bus!"

Good thing public transportation was free in the city.

He boarded the bus and returned to the slums.

He headed straight for the dungeon, eager to reach the room as quickly as possible.