After leaving the training hall, Lynch didn't rush back to his dormitory. Instead, he headed straight for the depths of the Undead Major's courtyard.
Soon, he arrived before a gloomy building. Constructed from massive black rocks, it looked like a crouching behemoth at first glance. Several narrow windows flanked its sides, emitting a dim light reminiscent of the squinting eyes of a Nether Beast.
This was the Undead Major's library, the Silent Bone Hall.
In a way, the Silent Bone Hall served as the landmark of the Undead Major. A colossal and intimidating group of statues stood in the black plaza right before its entrance. At the very front of this cluster was a middle-aged man in a loose black Mage Robe. He gripped a Magic Staff topped with a skull, his face hidden beneath a hood that only revealed the weathered contours of his jaw.
Behind him stood an array of Undead System Summoned Creatures. There was an imposing Skeleton War General wielding a giant axe, and a dark Knight clad in battered Armor riding a nightmare beast. A Skeleton Mage floated in midair, gathering a Magic Light Group in its hands, while a terrifying Ghost seemed to radiate a cold, wailing aura.
At the highest point of the monument, a massive Bone Dragon with a ferocious skeletal frame spread its wings, ready to take flight. Although merely carved from stone, every creature was carved with such lifelike precision that they seemed ready to strike. They exuded a suffocating pressure and Evil Qi as they guarded the black-robed Mage at the forefront.
This was Sandru Calder, the legendary forefather who founded the Necromancer lineage in the Grimsby Empire. Sir Calder had repeatedly turned the tide of battle in crucial wars, earning legendary military renown. During the decisive battle of Blood Moon Canyon, which determined the fate of the Empire, he sacrificed himself to single-handedly cast a forbidden Legendary Level Magic. He summoned an extra Bone Dragon king from the Netherworld, stalling the enemy coalition's main forces and creating the opening the Emperor needed to secure victory.
It was because of this feat that the Undead Major existed today.
Unfortunately, the glory days were short-lived. After Emperor Alte passed away, succeeding emperors grew increasingly intolerant of Necromancers. With mounting pressure from the nobility and the Holy Light Church, the status of Necromancers plummeted year after year. Within the academy, the Undead Major's allocated resources shrank until it was reduced to a marginalized department.
Lynch stood before the statue and paid his silent respects. "Forefather Sandro, remember to bless your grand-disciple," he prayed inwardly.
He then stepped into the Silent Bone Hall. The interior was dim, illuminated only by the cold, eerie glow of a few Magic Lamps. A simple counter stood near the entrance, manned by an elderly Necromancer. The hunched man was entirely enveloped in a heavy black robe. Rumor had it he had been stationed here for years, never speaking to anyone, solely responsible for tallying credits and maintaining basic order.
Lynch was already used to this. He placed his student badge on the desk. "Sir, I would like a Spell Learning Scroll for the Skeleton Enhancement Skill."
This famous Skeleton Enhancement Skill was exactly the Magic Lynch intended to learn. He now had Bone Jade and the Skeleton Mage—two highly promising elite summons. If he wanted to nurture them properly, he couldn't just rely on them grinding monsters to level up on their own; he had to give them a push.
Hearing the request, the old Mage shot Lynch a cold glance. He grabbed the student badge with a withered, claw-like hand and disappeared into the darkness behind the counter. A moment later, he returned with a black parchment Scroll. After logging the transaction, he deducted 100 credits and slid both the badge and the Scroll back across the desk.
Lynch picked up the Scroll, unrolled it, and pressed it against his forehead. Focusing his mind, he chanted a Spell.
The next second, a massive stream of information regarding the Skeleton Enhancement Skill flooded his brain. It detailed how to channel Mana to construct the enhancement magic circuit, how to bind Mana with specific Magic Materials, and how to infuse it all into a Skeleton's Soul Fire and bones.
Moments later, the Scroll crumbled into ash, but Lynch's mind felt significantly heavier.
In this world, learning Magic—especially Low Tier Magic—was often this straightforward. Rumor had it that these Skill Scrolls were invented by an almighty Magic God. They could directly "imprint" the basic structure of a spell and the key points of its incantation into the user's mind, drastically reducing the time needed to understand and construct a Magic Model.
A new entry appeared on Lynch's status panel.
[Skeleton Enhancement Skill Lv 0 (0001/1000)]
It was a success; he had technically learned it. However, this method was like swallowing food whole. He had merely crammed the theory and the Magic Model into his head. To truly master the Skill, he would still need extensive study and practice.
Following that, Lynch spent his remaining 110 credits on a large sack of Enhancement Bone Powder. Refined from the bones of powerful Magical Beasts or the remains of High Tier Skeletons, this essence powder was an indispensable material for casting the Skeleton Enhancement Skill.
The 210 credits he had just earned vanished in the blink of an eye. It made his heart ache immensely. Still, it was a necessary step on his path to growing stronger.
After burning through his credits, Lynch didn't immediately launch into the grand project of cultivating Bone Jade. He had other business to attend to. He returned to his dormitory, changed into an inconspicuous gray linen robe, and packed up the loot he had acquired from his recent mission. Leaving the academy, he headed straight for the main city of Saint Roland.
After browsing several shops in the commercial district that purchased Magic Materials and comparing their prices, Lynch finally settled on an establishment named Blackthorn. The storefront was modest, but its interior was elegantly decorated with a subtle, dark aesthetic. An elegantly dressed male Elf received him. The Elf's pointed ears and handsome face were flawless, though his deep eyes glinted with the unmistakable shrewdness of a merchant.
The Elf Boss offered a very fair price. After the transaction, Lynch had liquidated all his Black Pearls, raw gold, and other assorted materials for a solid two hundred and thirty Gold Coins. His total wealth now exceeded three hundred and fifty coins. For a necromancy apprentice, this was an absolute fortune. Patting his heavy coin pouch, Lynch felt a profound sense of security wash over him.
"A pleasure doing business with you, esteemed Necromancer." The Elf Boss wore a professional, elegant smile. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he clapped his hands together. "I almost forgot. We at Blackthorn recently acquired a rather interesting collectible. It might prove helpful to a Necromancer such as yourself. Would you be interested in taking a look?"
"Holy crap," Lynch thought, stunned. So this was why the boss had offered such high purchase prices—he was waiting to spring this trap! The Elf had sniffed out his class and set up a scheme: making money at Blackthorn, spending it at Blackthorn. The guy was determined not to let a single Gold Coin leave the premises!
Nevertheless, the pitch piqued his curiosity. "Alright, let's see it. But I make no guarantees I'll buy it." He already possessed a few pieces of Magic Equipment; if it wasn't top-tier, he definitely wouldn't open his purse.
"Satisfaction guaranteed," the Elf Boss said with a confident grin. He reached under the counter and pulled out a small wooden box engraved with isolation runes, retrieving a ring from within. The ring looked ancient. The band was forged from a chilling, dark silver metal that seemed to have weathered countless ages. Instead of a Gemstone, the face of the ring featured a small, smoothly polished piece of black bone, marred only by a few naturally formed dark red veins.
"This ring is named the Soul Slave Ring," the Elf Boss explained smoothly. "It possesses two rather practical effects. First, it slightly boosts the wearer's Spiritual Power recovery rate.
"Second—and this is its most unique trait—it provides the wearer with an extra contract slot for the Summoned Skeleton Magic."
"What in the world?" Lynch thought, his breathing growing ragged.
An extra contract slot for the Summoned Skeleton Magic? He was instantly rooted to the spot. This was exactly what he had been dreaming of! He currently only had one contract slot. If he gained another, he could summon and contract a second elite Skeleton on par with Bone Jade from the Netherworld.
Not only would his combat power soar, but more importantly, he could continue grinding his Summoned Skeleton Skill. He had just learned the Skeleton Enhancement Skill and planned to use it on Bone Jade. But the enhancement Magic came with a strict limitation: it only applied to a specific, existing Skeleton. If the enhanced Skeleton died, the next one summoned would revert to its base strength.
This meant that unless he was willing to let Bone Jade die, he wouldn't be able to spam the Summoned Skeleton Skill to farm proficiency anytime soon. It had been a massive dilemma.
But this ring perfectly solved his biggest headache.