Still, there was a clear difference.
Aiden narrowed his eyes slightly as he studied them.
"...No will of their own."
Just like his direct summons, these undead are equally dull. They had no awareness, no instinct beyond the most basic response. Yet, when he let a faint trace of his intent leak out, the entire group shifted almost instantly, their bodies reacting in unison.
They understood.
Aiden gave a simple test.
"Step forward."
The front row of skeletons moved at once, their bones clattering as they took a synchronized step.
"Stop."
They froze imdiately.
Aiden gave a small nod.
"That’s enough."
"They’re not intelligent," he said calmly, glancing at Carrion, "but they can follow simple commands. That’s all I need."
Carrion stood beside him, silent as always, his presence steady like a pillar.
"Yes, my lord."
Aiden’s gaze shifted again, this ti sharper.
"And they don’t co back once destroyed," he added. "Not like mine."
Carrion lowered his head slightly, acknowledging the limitation without question.
"I understand."
Aiden looked at the mass of undead one last ti. Five hundred skeletons, standing in uneven formation, and behind them, the five body tempering undead, their half-flesh bodies carrying a heavier, more oppressive presence.
Even without intelligence, their sheer number alone was enough to change things.
"...Good enough."
He turned his back on them.
"Carrion."
The undead knight straightened.
"My lord."
"I’ll leave them to you," Aiden said, his tone calm but firm. "Organize them. Keep them under control."
Carrion placed a hand over his chest, bowing his head slightly.
"They will be guided as your will commands."
Aiden paused for a brief mont, then added, "Use them well. They’re expendable."
"Yes, my lord."
There was no hesitation in the response.
Aiden didn’t say anything more.
With that, he began walking back toward the villa, his steps steady, his figure gradually fading into the dim light of the town.
Behind him, Carrion turned toward the newly created army.
For a brief mont, nothing moved.
Then, slowly, the undead shifted, responding not to thought, but to the authority that now stood before them.
----
Inside his room, the silence welcod him back.
Aiden closed the door behind him and walked straight to his seat, his movents calm but purposeful. The faint exhaustion from earlier still lingered in his body, but his mind remained sharp, already moving to the next step.
He raised his hand, and the familiar screen appeared.
His eyes went straight to one line.
"Gold coins..."
The number settled clearly in front of him.
[Gold Coins-1500]
Aiden let out a quiet breath.
"...That dropped fast."
Between the blueprint and everything else, the cost had eaten through a good portion of what he had just gained. Still, there was no regret in his expression. Everything he spent had already started paying off.
Then, without hesitation, he opened another interface.
The gacha system.
The screen shifted, darker than the others, carrying a different kind of presence. Unlike the building system, this one felt unpredictable, almost tempting in a way that wasn’t entirely rational.
At the center, a single option stood out.
One draw.
Cost: 1500 gold coins.
Aiden stared at it for a second, then let out a short, quiet laugh.
"...You’ve got to be kidding ."
He leaned back slightly, shaking his head.
"I just went up four levels, and this thing decides to increase by five hundred."
His tone wasn’t angry, more amused than anything.
Of course it did.
Nothing in this system ever ca easy. Still, he have enough for one draw.
Then his eyes steadied.
"Fine."
There was no hesitation after that.
He reached forward and confird it.
The mont he did, the gold count dropped sharply.
1539 to 39.
The room grew quiet. The interface reacted instantly.
The dark patterns began to move, slowly at first, then faster, spiraling inward as if sothing was being pulled from a distant place. The glow intensified, filling the room with a faint, eerie light that made the shadows shift unnaturally.
Aiden watched in silence.
The swirling condensed into a single point.
Then, it burst.
A flash of dim, grayish light filled the room, not bright, but heavy.
Sothing dropped onto the floor with a dull, tallic sound.
[Subordinate Acquired
Na: Durnak
Race: Graveforged Revenant
Role: Blacksmith
A special undead forged from the remnants of fallen craftsn and warriors, bound together by necrotic energy and tal essence. Possesses high proficiency in forging weapons, repairing equipnt, and enhancing materials using both conventional and necromantic thods.]
Aiden’s eyes moved imdiately.
The light faded, revealing a figure kneeling on one knee.
At first glance, it looked like a skeleton.
But not a normal one.
Its bones were thicker, darker, almost tallic in texture, with faint cracks glowing from within like dying embers. Its arms were larger than the rest of its body, especially the forearms and hands, shaped in a way that made them look more suited for gripping tools than weapons.
Fragnts of old, lted tal were fused into its body, especially around the shoulders and chest, as if armor had once been there but had beco part of it over ti.
Its head slowly lifted.
Inside its hollow eye sockets, a dim orange light flickered to life.
Not empty.
The figure lowered its head imdiately.
"My lord."
Its voice was rough, like tal scraping against stone, but steady.
Aiden stood up slowly, his gaze fixed on it.
He stepped closer, studying it carefully.
"Your purpose?"
The undead did not even pause.
"I forge," it said simply. "Weapons, armor. I shape what is broken and make it serve again."
Aiden’s eyes narrowed slightly.
"...A blacksmith."
A faint smile ford on his lips.
"Not bad."
Aiden looked at Durnak for a mont longer, then gave a small nod.
"Stand."
Durnak rose imdiately, his movents heavy but controlled, the faint sound of tal grinding echoing with each motion.
Aiden turned slightly, already thinking ahead.
"...Looks like I won’t need to worry about equipnt anymore."
Durnak spoke again, his tone firm.
"Give materials, my lord... and I will build you power."
Aiden let out a quiet breath, a faint hint of satisfaction in his expression.
"For fifteen hundred..."
He glanced at Durnak.
"...this is more than worth it."
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