Azrael's POV:
//===
System Notice:
Congratulations! You've met the requirements to fully activate the Boundless Necromancer class.
Requirements fulfilled:
Kill at least any three creatures as sacrifice.
1st kill: Normal Goblin
2nd kill: Normal Goblin
3rd kill: Normal Goblin
You can now gain a skill!
===\
The screen flickered, and a buffering icon appeared before revealing another message:
//===
Skill obtained!
Skill Name: Me and My Army!
Description: Every kill you make can summon troops depending on its class level.
Do you wish to summon the three troops into battle?
===\
"Absolutely!" I pressed Yes, and suddenly, three skeletons burst from the ground, each holding a sword and looking fierce. The skeleton warriors were about the same size as an adult human. I could not contain my excitement.
With this I can summon an army of skeletons.
Well, not technically an army, but with these summons I can fend off the Goblin Chief and get out of here alive.
//===
System Notice:
Successfully summoned skeleton warriors
Troops in Action (TIA): 3
Max: 10
===\
"As my first command, take down any goblins approaching us!" I commanded.
The skeletons quickly sprang into action, scattering to fight the goblin horde. I ran over to check on my father.
"Father, are you alright?" I asked, worry clear in my voice.
"Yes, son. Thank you," he replied as I helped him stand. "Where's the little girl?" he asked.
"I'm not sure. She must have fled when the Goblin Chief charged at us," I said.
Just then, another screen popped up:
//===
Your summons have leveled up by killing 26 normal goblins!
Skeleton Warrior Level: 4
HP and resistance increased.
26 goblin souls added to your inventory.
You have leveled up!
Current level: 7
===\
Wait, what? They killed that many goblins in such a short time?
Suddenly, the Goblin Chief let out a terrifying roar as it fought the injured man.
"Let's go, Azrael! We need to leave now!" my father urged.
"But Father, that man is sacrificing himself for us! We can't just leave him!" I protested.
"No, we should..." He stopped mid sentence and raised his spear. He looked scared at what he was seeing.
"Get behind me, Azrael!" he said, frightened by my skeleton summons.
I quickly stepped in front of my father and lowered his weapon. "No, Father! They're allies!" I exclaimed.
"What? What do you mean by that?" he asked in confusion.
"I summoned them! I have magic now!" I said with a proud smile. "I'm surprised they are this good at fighting those goblins," I added.
"Summoned? What? I never heard anything about that. Since when?" he asked in disbelief.
"Just a while ago, while fighting those goblins," I explained. "You two, quickly help the old man and fight the Goblin Chief," I commanded as they dashed off to battle.
My father, still confused, asked, "You awakened your abilities late? But it does not make sense. The priests already told us they could not sense any mana from your body. So how can you do all this?"
"I do not know what happened, Father. It just happened out of nowhere. But getting you out of here is my priority," I replied. I pointed at one skeleton waiting for orders. "You, take my father away from here and get him to safety!"
"Wait, Azrael, I forbid you to do that. I am not leaving without you..." He coughed and stopped mid sentence as blood came out, showing how bad his condition was. "Azrael, we should leave now," my father pleaded, but I resisted.
"I can't let any of you die here, Father. Don't worry, I will come back safe," I said. The skeleton grabbed my father and carried him on its back. My father resisted but was too weak to fight back. "AZRAEL, PUT ME DOWN!" he yelled while being carried away.
"You better get my father to safety," I said seriously as it ran off. I watched them go.
I then called the system through my mind, and it appeared in front of me again.
//===
Skeleton Warriors: Level 4
Summoned Troops: 3
Max: 10
Would you like to summon more troops in action?
Yes or No?
===\
I pressed Yes, and seven more skeleton warriors rose from the ground.
//===
7 dead goblin souls have been deducted from your inventory.
Total: 19 goblin souls left.
===\
The fight continued as the Goblin Chief let out a loud howl that echoed through the silent forest night. The two skeletons I sent earlier helped the old man and delivered a deep cut to the Goblin Chief's shoulder, making blood burst out from the wound.
But the Goblin Chief was still too strong to be taken down easily.
I sent my six summons to assist the two skeletons fighting the Goblin Chief.
"Kill," I ordered. Without wasting a second, my skeleton warriors rushed into action.
"You, the remaining one, go get the injured man and take him to safety too," I told the last skeleton.
It quickly moved to the unconscious man lying beside a tree and a rock, then ran toward the direction where my father went. It was like they already knew the way.
"GRAAAH!" The Goblin Chief howled in pain as another skeleton stabbed its chest. In return, the Chief threw a strong punch, sending two of my summons flying.
Then a notification appeared:
//===
System Notice:
Skeleton Warriors are immune to blunt and physical attacks.
===\
"Whoa, they are immune to physical attacks? That is very useful," I thought as I watched them fight.
The skeleton warriors moved together and attacked from all sides, delivering fast cuts to the Goblin Chief's thick hide. They kept moving after every attack. Three attacked from the front. The Chief roared and swung its fists, stopping them, but it was clearly outnumbered. It did not see the others coming from the side and behind.
As it tried to dodge, it tripped over a rock. One skeleton jumped high and made a deep cut on the Goblin Chief's neck, as another followed up with a slash near its chest.
The Goblin Chief dropped to its knees and quickly covered the deep wound on its neck with its arm, trying to stop the blood from spilling out.
One skeleton stepped forward and made a powerful slash, cutting off the hand that the Goblin Chief used to cover its wounded neck. The severed hand flew through the air and landed on the ground.
The Goblin Chief roared in pain, its body shaking as blood poured out even faster.
Another skeleton moved in and slashed across its ribs, while one leaped again and carved a deep wound along its shoulder.
Fueled by pain and anger, the Goblin Chief grabbed a massive rock and hurled it at the skeletons, knocking several of them back.
But they quickly stood again.
Three skeletons rushed in at once. One cut deep into its remaining leg, making it lose balance. Another pierced its side. The last one leaped high and delivered a strong slash across its neck again, making the wound even worse.
The Goblin Chief collapsed to one knee, breathing heavily, its body covered in wounds.
While it struggled to stay upright, one skeleton dashed forward and delivered a clean and powerful strike.
Its blade flashed.
The Goblin Chief's head was severed.
The head slowly fell and rolled across the ground, while its body dropped with a heavy thud.
Silence followed.
The skeletons paused, then turned to look at me, waiting for my next command.
I stood there, stunned.
They really killed him.
Every attack was meant to weaken him and finish him.
//===
System Notice:
You have defeated a boss ranked monster at your current level
You have leveled up!
Current Level: 7 to 13
New Skill Obtained: Soul Traversal
Description: Momentarily increase your speed, become invisible, and become immune to all attacks.
Duration: 1 minute
Cooldown: Same as time used
===\
"What an insane skill," I smiled. "So if I use Soul Traversal for 3 seconds, the cooldown will also be 3 seconds." Hehe, this is broken.
//===
System Notice:
The maximum number of skeleton soldiers has increased. You can now have up to 20 skeleton summons in action.
Max: 10 to 20
===\
Then the screen changed again:
//===
System Notice:
Goblin soul added to your inventory.
Goblin souls: x14
Goblin Chief soul added to your inventory.
Goblin Chief soul: x1
Note: Summoning the Goblin Chief will consume 5 max summon slots.
Goblin souls: x33
===\
"Whoa, I can summon a Goblin Chief now?" Azrael said, grinning.
---
3rd Person POV:
Meanwhile on a nearby watchtower...
The little girl rushed forward, breathing hard.
"Help! Please! There are people being attacked in the forest! A Goblin Chief is there!" she shouted.
A guard frowned. "A Goblin Chief? That is not something you should joke about, little girl."
"I am not joking! They are still inside! Please, we have to save them!" she said, grabbing his sleeve.
The guard gently pulled her arm away. "Calm down. If a Goblin Chief is really there, it is too dangerous for a rescue at night."
"But they saved me! One of them is still there fighting! He will die if you do nothing!" she pleaded.
The guard shook his head. "We cannot send men into a Goblin Chief area with just a report from a child. We need proof first."
The girl stepped back, her hands shaking. Her eyes stayed locked toward the forest.
"Please… you have to believe me…" she said, voice breaking.
Another guard spoke. "Even if it is true, we will lose lives. We cannot risk it."
The first guard sighed. "I am sorry. We cannot help you right now."
The girl froze.
"No one is going to help?" she whispered.
Silence.
Her breathing turned uneven as she looked toward the forest.
"Who… is still in the forest… who saved my life…" she said softly.
Before anything else could be said, movement came from the forest.
A skeleton emerged from the trees.
It was carrying a wounded man on its back.
The guard immediately drew his sword.
"Everyone, ready! Stay alert for any movement the skeleton will make!" he ordered.
Steel was drawn as the guards formed a defensive line.
"Do not let it approach! Watch every step!" another guard said.
The skeleton stopped a few steps away.
It did not attack.
It slowly knelt.
Carefully, it placed the wounded man on the ground.
No sudden movement.
No hostility.
Just silence.
The guards stayed focused, watching closely, still unsure if it was a trick.
Then the skeleton turned.
And ran back into the forest.
Only after several seconds did the guards slightly lower their weapons, still watching the forest line carefully.
The little girl rushed forward and knelt beside the wounded man.
"Sir! Are you okay?" she asked.
The man coughed weakly.
One guard stepped in and checked him. "He is badly injured. We need to stabilize him now."
The little girl leaned closer.
"Where are the others? There were two more people with me in the forest!" she asked.
The wounded man grabbed the guard's arm tightly.
"My son… my son is still in the forest… please help him…" he said weakly.
The guard's expression turned serious.
More guards arrived shortly after.
"What happened here?" one asked.
"There is a survivor. He says someone is still inside the forest," the first guard replied.
The little girl stepped forward quickly.
"A Goblin Chief is there," she said.
The atmosphere immediately changed.
"A Goblin Chief…" one guard repeated slowly. "That is not something we can handle casually."
Another looked toward the forest. "This requires a full unit response and proper formation."
Before the discussion continued, the little girl raised her hand.
She pulled out an insignia.
The air shifted instantly.
"I, Elise D. Marquiz, 1st Princess of the Marquiz clan, command you to search for the two people still in the forest."
Silence fell hard.
Then shock hit them immediately.
"The 1st Princess…?!"
One guard stepped back slightly, then dropped to one knee immediately and lowered his head not daring to look up.
Then the others followed instantly.
Not from hesitation.
From absolute recognition of rank.
The sound of armor hitting the ground echoed as all of them knelt at once.
They all stayed down, heads lowered, none go dared to raise them immediately.
The lead guard then lowered his head fully and placed a hand on his chest.
"We are sorry for our failure, Your Highness," he said.
A short silence followed.
No one moved.
The girl looked at them.
Then she spoke.
"Raise your heads." she ordered
The guards paused for a second, then slowly lifted their heads while still kneeling.
They were now looking at her, waiting for orders.
She stood straight and calm.
"That is not important right now," she said. "There are still people in the forest. Go and bring them back."
The lead guard nodded once.
"Understood, Your Highness."
He stood up.
Then the others followed.
"All units, move out," he ordered.
And they rushed into the forest without even looking back.
.
.
.