Luke sat in his chair deep inside the cave while the others busied themselves with maps, plans, and whispered arguments about how best to scout the forest and hunt its creatures. Charlie stood beside him. She knew exactly what he was about to do. Her interface glowed before them, a massive notification pulsing across the screen. Princess Charlie had finally reached level 50 as a Death Knight.

**Mandatory Class Evolution of the Dark Lord's Servant!**

There are many types of beings across the multiverse, but among those you know are humanoids, monsters, and Magical Beasts. Each of these races has its own version of the System, some more restrictive, others more open. Within them lie countless evolutionary paths. Races classified as monsters have a stronger synergy with their classes, though they are limited by their own nature. For this reason, when a monster approaches evolution, a new evolutionary path may open according to its class.

Choose wisely, Dark Lord, for your servant's evolution will be directly tied to the class you select. Taking advantage of the opportunities on this path will be in your hands.

Warning: Until the new class is chosen, your servant will gain no experience, learn no new skills, and once the choice is made any unspent free points will be lost forever.

Charlie had done it. Level 50 in a class. A milestone most could only dream of. Luke knew exactly what came next. He had crossed that threshold himself before. The attribute points at that stage were ridiculous, a surge of power that could redefine a build. But before locking in her evolution, he intended to allocate every last unspent point she had.

Name: Princess Charlie Level: 42 Race: Skeleton Rank: F Class: Death Knight (Lvl 50) 2nd Class: Pugilist (Lvl 41) Title: [Servant of the Dark Lord] Health Points (HP): 2860/2860 Mana Points (MP): 2190/2190 Stamina: 2435/(3090)

Stats: Strength: 434 (504) Agility: 221 Endurance: 269 (309) Vitality: 286 Perception: 180 Intelligence: 219 Free Points: 6

Class Skills: [Basic Weapon Handling (Common)], [Heavy Strike (Common)], [Basic Spectral Charge (Rare)], [Crescent Slash (Uncommon)], [Whirlwind Strike (Uncommon)], [Spectral Chain (Rare)], [Spectral Barrier (Rare)], [Doomblade (Rare)], [Mark of Doom (Rare)], [Force Infusion (Rare)], [Doom Explosion (Rare)], [Spectral Soldier (Ultra-Rare)]

Second Class Skills: [Advanced Hand-to-Hand (Uncommon)], [Steel Fist (Rare)], [Stunning Punch (Uncommon)], [Battle Roar (Uncommon)], [Concentrated Kick (Uncommon)], [Power Punch (Uncommon)], [Pugilist's Leap (Uncommon)], [Muscle Reading (Uncommon)], [Movement Echo (Uncommon)], [Flame (Common)], [Flame Fist (Rare)], [Flame Aura (Rare)]

Race Skills: [Demonic Servant Perception (Uncommon)], [Basic Bone Regeneration (Rare)], [Bone Endurance (Rare)], [Iron Bones (Ultra-Rare)]

Rune Skill: [Berserker Flames (Rare)]

Luke wasn't about to let Charlie's six free points go to waste. He split them without hesitation: two into Strength, four into Vitality.

Stats Updated (Princess Charlie): Strength: 434 (504) -> 436 (506) Vitality: 286 -> 290 Free Points: 6 -> 0 Health Points (HP): 2860/2860 -> 2900/2900

The moment he confirmed, a new prompt flickered into existence.

[Accept Class Evolution? Y/N]

There was no real choice here. He tapped Yes.

[Sorting Class Options…]

Seriously? A loading screen? For a cosmic multiversal power?

He tried to make sense of it. Maybe it had something to do with the soul, some safeguard so the mind didn't shatter under a flood of data. The loading vanished. The class evolution options for Princess Charlie's Death Knight appeared. But something was off.

Only two?

That wasn't what he expected. He'd braced himself for five choices and a full hour of weighing pros and cons, knowing their fate might hinge on the decision. Two options might still be complex, but at least it cut the mental agony in half.

Was it because she was technically a monster? Monsters probably didn't have the same sprawling class trees humans did. He wondered how the systems for Magical Beasts worked. Evangeline had once mentioned her raven Jerry didn't even have a level.

As Luke read through the two possibilities, the term "Evolutionary Path" finally started to make sense, and it only made things more complicated.

[Death Knight Commander]: You have accepted the burden most fear, walking the veil between life and death, belonging fully to neither. Once, your blade reaped alone. Now a fallen soul marches under your banner, the first of many. By claiming the title of Commander, you seal a pact with the specters, deciding the dead will not rest, not while they can still fight for you.

Your presence draws from beyond. Every soul that dies by your sword feels the call. Few resist. Few desire it. But all, eventually, bow.

Your dominion over the spectral realm will grow over time, step by step, soul by soul. Skills once hidden will reveal themselves. Spirits will heed your command. And with each battle, your power digs deeper into the darkness.

You are no longer a lone knight. You are the beginning of a legion.

(Attribute Bonuses per Class Level: +14 STR, +12 INT, +7 END, +7 VIT, +6 AGI, +4 PER, +10 Free Points.)

The second option was even more enigmatic.

[Blood Death Knight]: When night rises and the world falls asleep, the Blood Death Knight awakens. They are not merely a knight; they are a harbinger of ruin, marked by blood and vengeance. Their blade is cold and silent, shaped by the touch of death, reflecting only the insatiable hunger of a soul that devours both hope and life alike.

The night is their cloak. Blood, their inheritance. Every strike is a ritual, every battle a sacrifice, every fallen foe a tribute to the dark power that sustains them. No army to command, no pact to uphold. Only the pure will to corrupt, consume, and grow stronger with every life taken.

Their skills are not mere attacks. They are living curses, echoes of necromancy and blood magic. Doomblade, Mark of Doom, and Doom Explosion are only the beginning, signs of a deeper power where blood and curse intertwine to transform each confrontation into a crimson ritual.

The Blood Death Knight is forged on the edge between life and death, between blood and darkness. Many were Death Knights betrayed, warriors who crossed the threshold of death and returned forever changed. They seek not legions or glory. They seek transcendence through the power of blood.

Only those marked by trauma, curse, or a special bloodline can walk this path. In the hands of the Blood Death Knight, blood is not merely fuel; it is weapon, shield, and offering. With every battle, they draw closer to their true destiny: to become not just a knight of death but a lord of blood and perdition.

(Attribute Bonuses per Class Level: +18 STR, +10 INT, +8 END, +8 VIT, +4 AGI, +2 PER, +10 Free Points.)

(Warning: This class resonates deeply with Princess Charlie's soul and will influence the evolutionary path of her race. If you let this opportunity pass, that path will be lost to your servant forever.)

A storm of questions churned in Luke's head. It was obvious now—because Charlie was a monster—he would have to be even more careful. This wasn't just about skill trees or future branches of specialization. There was something larger at play, something hidden. He just couldn't see what it was yet.

For a moment he stared at her interface, expression hardening. If the System wanted to stay mysterious, fine. He'd just have to cheat a little.

He dragged the window aside, pulled up Charlie's notification history, and began scrolling. Not one notification, not ten—dozens. Then hundreds. He scrolled back through months, flicking the feed like a madman until the System itself balked. His thumb ached, but it worked.

Finally he stopped on a single entry, one that stood out from the endless stream. It was from the day Charlie had chosen her class inside the dungeon of the Forgotten Temple. Opening it, he felt a strange wave of nostalgia wash over him, a ghost of that moment rising to the surface.

Servant Path: Through evolution, the servants of the Dark Lord transcend their limits, transforming into creatures worthy of his legacy. Even the humblest skeleton may ascend and become a legendary beast.

(Warning: Weaker monsters tend to have more versatile evolutionary paths.)

[Knight: A stalwart figure of honor and endurance, the Knight stands at the front lines, shielding allies with a blend of discipline and sheer resilience. Stat Bonus: +2 Endurance, +1 Strength, +1 Agility, +1 Vitality, +1 Free Point Final Path: Skeleton Knight -> Apocalypse Knight]

[Archer: A master of distance combat, the Archer strikes with deadly precision and speed. Stat Bonus: +2 Agility, +1 Vitality, +1 Perception, +1 Intelligence, +1 Free Point Final Path: Skeleton Archer -> Wraith of Desolation]

[Warrior: A brutal frontline combatant, the Warrior charges into battle wielding heavy weapons and raw strength. Stat Bonus: +2 Strength, +1 Agility, +1 Endurance, +1 Vitality, +1 Free Point Final Path: Skeleton Warrior -> Hollow Spectral]

[Assassin: A swift and lethal striker, the Assassin eliminates targets with sharp precision and blinding speed. Stat Bonus: +2 Agility, +1 Strength, +1 Vitality, +1 Perception, +1 Free Point Final Path: Skeleton Assassin -> Reaper of Dusk]

[Mage: A master of arcane knowledge, the Mage exchanges brute force for mystical power, striking from afar with deadly magic. Stat Bonus: +2 Intelligence, +1 Vitality, +1 Agility, +1 Perception, +1 Free Point Final Path: Skeleton Mage -> Profane Archlich]

**Warning: A servant's evolution may shift drastically over time, unlocking new paths, skills, or forms. Some far darker than expected. Their future depends on the guidance of the Dark Lord. Mold your minions wisely, for they may become the generals of your legion.**

The clue had been there from the very start. A monster servant's class could actually shape the evolution of its race. It made sense: a skeletal mage would gradually twist its frame, step by step, until it became a lich. Monsters and classes weren't just loosely connected—they were locked in some kind of symbiotic feedback loop. Still, it wasn't mandatory. It simply opened new doors, new race evolution paths, if you were smart enough to take them.

I didn't pay attention to that detail when I picked the Death Knight class.

But he remembered the subtle changes afterward—her bones shifting, her presence growing quieter and heavier. The class had been shaping her, literally and otherwise.

Luke closed the notification window and turned back to the evolution screen. The divide in power was unmistakable. Death Knight Commander would plunge Princess Charlie deep into the spectral arts, letting her command a growing host of ghostly soldiers. Blood Death Knight would instead funnel that power inward, making her far stronger on her own. One path offered a powerful army. The other, the power of an army embodied in a single being. The difference between the two was more than semantics.

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But Luke didn't make the choice. He dragged the window toward her. This wasn't his decision. Princess Charlie slid the interface back to him and shook her head. She didn't want to decide either.

I thought I'd shaken off this doubt, and here it was again, tossed right back at me.

[Death Knight Commander]: You have accepted the burden most fear, walking the veil between life and death, belonging fully to neither. Once, your blade reaped alone. Now a fallen soul marches under your banner, the first of many. By claiming the title of Commander, you seal a pact with the specters, deciding the dead will not rest, not while they can still fight for you.

Your presence draws from beyond. Every soul that dies by your sword feels the call. Few resist. Few desire it. But all, eventually, bow.

Your dominion over the spectral realm will grow over time, step by step, soul by soul. Skills once hidden will reveal themselves. Spirits will heed your command. And with each battle, your power digs deeper into the darkness.

You are no longer a lone knight. You are the beginning of a legion.

(Attribute Bonuses per Class Level: +14 STR, +12 INT, +7 END, +7 VIT, +6 AGI, +4 PER, +10 Free Points.)

[Blood Death Knight]: When night rises and the world falls asleep, the Blood Death Knight awakens. They are not merely a knight; they are a harbinger of ruin, marked by blood and vengeance. Their blade is cold and silent, shaped by the touch of death, reflecting only the insatiable hunger of a soul that devours both hope and life alike.

The night is their cloak. Blood, their inheritance. Every strike is a ritual, every battle a sacrifice, every fallen foe a tribute to the dark power that sustains them. No army to command, no pact to uphold. Only the pure will to corrupt, consume, and grow stronger with every life taken.

Their skills are not mere attacks. They are living curses, echoes of necromancy and blood magic. Doomblade, Mark of Doom, and Doom Explosion are only the beginning, signs of a deeper power where blood and curse intertwine to transform each confrontation into a crimson ritual.

The Blood Death Knight is forged on the edge between life and death, between blood and darkness. Many were Death Knights betrayed, warriors who crossed the threshold of death and returned forever changed. They seek not legions or glory. They seek transcendence through the power of blood.

Only those marked by trauma, curse, or a special bloodline can walk this path. In the hands of the Blood Death Knight, blood is not merely fuel; it is weapon, shield, and offering. With every battle, they draw closer to their true destiny: to become not just a knight of death but a lord of blood and perdition.

(Attribute Bonuses per Class Level: +18 STR, +10 INT, +8 END, +8 VIT, +4 AGI, +2 PER, +10 Free Points.)

(Warning: This class resonates deeply with Princess Charlie's soul and will influence the evolutionary path of her race. If you let this opportunity pass, that path will be lost to your servant forever.)

Setting aside the attribute points and focusing on the raw potential of each class, it was obvious that Death Knight Commander was a long game. A very long game. For anyone else it would be tempting, an exceptional option, but there was a catch. They were still trapped inside the tutorial. That meant both Luke and Charlie would be capped at level 60 in the class, unlocking only the level 60 skill. Everything hinged on that one skill, and they might not even live long enough to reach it. The Midnight War could easily kill them both, which made the decision even heavier.

Blood Death Knight, on the other hand, screamed immediate destruction. Its signature, the Mark of Doom, was deceptively simple yet devastating. With it, Charlie could curse an enemy so that every hit landed on them dealt ten percent more damage. Ludicrous. If she marked a monster like the Midnight Lord and Luke followed up with a heavy strike, the combined damage would be catastrophic. And then there was Doom Explosion, which made every marked enemy explode, damaging everything nearby. In terms of short-term firepower, nothing else compared.

The real question was whether to gamble on an unseen epic skill from Death Knight Commander or seize the raw offensive power of Blood Death Knight, especially since Blood Death Knight also promised to open a new evolutionary path for Charlie, whatever that actually meant.

He looked at her.

"Are you sure?" he whispered.

She nodded. It was a coin toss, but he placed his bet.

**Congratulations! Princess Charlie's Class Has Successfully Evolved!**

[Princess Charlie has evolved into Blood Death Knight]

For a heartbeat her interface went dark, then flickered back to life.

[Princess Charlie's Evolutionary Path expands a little further…]

[The bones in Princess Charlie's body feel a strange, dormant energy stirring…]

Then the notifications vanished on their own. It was done. The new class was locked in. In another ten levels, she'd gain her first epic skill.

***

The exploration points were marked with deliberate precision, neat circles and sharp strokes etched across the map. The plan was to split the party in two. Each team would sweep one stretch of the river, clearing the banks all the way to the edge of the city. Only after the area was secure could they call in reinforcements for something larger. Preparations unfolded in a quiet, focused rhythm. The metallic snap of buckles and clasps punctured the heavy air. Amid the movement, Allison strode up to Luke with purpose.

"I'm going after the octopus," she said flatly. "We don't want that thing lurking in the river when we bring in civilians."

Luke recognized the opening. He straightened. "I've marked the creature with a skill. I can track it. If you want, I'll take you to it."

She nodded once, approving.

Charlie was inside Luke's soul. He wanted to talk to Allison so that over the next few days she could team up with Charlie to hunt creatures. He couldn't tell the others that she could level up. Until then she had been a powerful familiar equipped with many enchanted items. It would be strange for him to have her stealing experience from the others during fights.

There was another reason why he wanted to go with Allison. I need to test my new epic skill in a real fight.

***

"I get it. You need Charlie to reach the peak of her rank," Allison said as she walked beside Luke. The river's constant rush murmured in the background, a steady curtain of sound.

"Not just one class. Both," he answered, eyes fixed on the bank. "She'll gain two epic skills, and that could decide the final challenge."

They followed the river's edge into the gray zone that marked the beginning of the abandoned city. With every step, the damp scent of stone and rust mingled with low, creeping vegetation. Luke tracked the flow of the water, senses sharpened, scanning for traces of mana with his Assassin Tracking skill, strengthened by the Predator's Mark.

"Why don't you just hunt with her yourself?" Allison asked, breaking the silence.

"Because I'm not staying with you at the hideout anymore." His reply was immediate. "Now that we know the final challenge won't be won by simply surviving the siege, I'm going to map everything. This entire city, maybe the whole area inside the barrier. I want to locate every powerful creature still out there and mark the points. There are still monsters like the octopus loose. You see where I'm going with this, right?"

Allison nodded, eyes fixed on the horizon. "Bigger experience sources. And because they're unique, they might drop valuable items when they die."

Luke inclined his head. "I don't plan to kill them myself. I'll leave that to the people in the Haven. The more people with epic skills, the better."

As he spoke, he was already charting other plans. Mapping resource-rich zones. The forest near the second fortress had caverns with mines; now he understood this world better. He would look for similar places in the city.

"I won't have time to help Charlie level up. It's going to be a solo job, covering ground fast," he added.

"With the way things are going, we'll have to start using the third fortress as a base anyway. You won't be that far from her," Allison said.

The sun was already dipping low, staining the water with streaks of gold. A breeze carried the smell of damp earth, warning of a cold night ahead.

"And Erza Grimhart? Is she really going to help?" Luke asked.

Allison hesitated. The name carried weight. Her family served Lakarion, the God of Assassination—a fact impossible to ignore. "I'll talk to her. Noble to noble," she said at last, resuming her pace.

Luke sensed a story there but didn't push. He knew better than to poke at her past.

Allison shifted the subject. "How do you think the Midnight Lord will turn out? I mean, what kind of creature?"

Luke drew a long breath, eyes still scanning the water. "Undead. That's my bet. He commands the Wardens, after all."

Exactly the kind of opponent he expected: an undead boss, armored and resistant to most forms of attack.

"There's still another way to avoid all this," she murmured.

"What way?"

"We could stay in this world," she replied.

Luke stopped. For a heartbeat he thought she was joking, but her eyes told another story. "Weren't you the one who wanted to leave to get your revenge?" he asked.

"It's what I want more than anything." Allison started walking again. "But at the same time, this is all I have left. Back on Earth, I don't have a home to return to…"

***

Silence settled between them, broken only by the murmur of the river. They walked on for several minutes. The bank widened, the current deepened, and the sky slipped from gold to violet, heralding nightfall.

"The octopus is here?" she asked at last.

Luke focused. Thanks to the Predator's Mark, he saw a red outline pulsing at the bottom of the river. The creature was right there.

"It is," he replied. "And how are you planning—"

Before he could finish, Allison leapt into the river. She didn't sink. Instead she walked across the surface, each step freezing the water beneath her and leaving behind translucent plates that shattered and reformed in her wake.

"One of my skills," she said, a hint of pride in her voice. "Lets me walk and freeze where I step. Works for running, escaping… or things like this."

Luke gave a low whistle, impressed.

"The monster's rising," he warned.

"Good," she called back without looking over her shoulder. "Tag it with a little damage. I need all the experience from this one."

Luke nodded. He was itching to test his new epic skill anyway. Perfect opportunity.

The river's surface roiled as something massive stirred below. Huge tentacles burst from the depths, breaking the water into wide rings. Allison dashed across her self-made ice, each step cracking and refreezing beneath her boots.

Luke closed his eyes for a heartbeat, feeling his blood shift. Then he triggered the skill.

[Demonic Predator Hands (Epic)]: Upon activating the skill, his hands transform into monstrous forms, absorbing the power of [Dark Blood], [Corrupted Blood of Mother Freya], and [Wraith Form]. While wielding his weapons with the predator hands, his physical strength and the lethality of his strikes increase drastically. The skill emits a constant black mist. Enemies touched by it suffer continuous Acid damage. The blades wielded by these hands deal additional Acid damage with every strike. The demonic claws also allow you to scale any solid structure. A true assassin and predator can use this power both to kill silently or to unleash destruction openly.

The effect was immediate. Luke's blood reacted, rising through his pores like thousands of living threads. They converged over his skin, spilling down his arms and covering his fingers, wrists, and forearms until they formed a thick, pulsing layer. It wasn't flesh mutating. It was his own blood reshaping itself into a second skin, clinging to him like something alive.

The texture looked like living black leather, slick and veined, with faint currents running beneath the surface. From the tips of his fingers, curved claws grew out of the same material, sharp and wet-looking like blades. With every movement, small cracks vented a dark, acidic mist that hissed against the air and scorched the nearby grass.

Luke clenched his fists and felt the fusion complete. These weren't human hands anymore. They were living weapons, ready to cut, climb, or kill.

"Damn…" he muttered, watching his own body change. Power thrummed through every fiber of muscle. When he touched the ground, the smoke corroded the grass, leaving dark scars behind.

He'd chosen this skill for its versatility. Perfect for bow work, kukris, or brutal close combat. A real predator could adapt. And there was the bonus: when he wielded his kukris, they gained the same boosts—strength, lethality, and acid damage.

With a thought he summoned the blades from his inventory. The moment they touched his altered hands, the steel turned blacker still, pulsing with the epic skill's energy.

Acid damage added.

Luke grinned. This was exactly what he needed to test.

Ahead, the octopus erupted with a wet, guttural roar, tentacles thrashing. Allison slid across her ice path, darting in with precise strikes.

"I'm throwing the kukri!" Luke shouted.

He felt the weapon grow heavier, denser, energy pooling in his grip. He pushed further, activating Strength Infusion and Mana Infusion with care—enough to charge it without shattering the blade. The power hummed inside the metal, vibrating with dark energy.

"Move!" he called to Allison.

She sprang back, opening a clear line for him. Luke steadied his stance, shoulders lowering as he drew a breath. The kukri in his hand bled black mist that coiled into thin, corrosive ribbons. He tightened his grip, feeling the weapon's pulse match his own heartbeat, and then moved.

The throw left his hand with a violent snap, the blade slicing through the air in a silent streak of black steel. It hit the octopus like a battering ram, smashing through tentacles and plating in a single, fluid strike. For a fraction of a second the monster convulsed, its body arching against the force, then the entire mass ruptured in a wet, concussive burst, spraying water, gore, and fragments across the river.

[You have slain a Greater River Octopus – Level 55]

Shreds of flesh, streams of blood, and globs of slime burst outward, raining across the river and spattering the banks. Luke stood rooted to the spot, the scene flickering before him in stunned fragments. He could still feel the tremor in his arm from the throw, a violent echo of power. He hadn't expected the strike to land with such crushing force.

Allison stared at him, equally shocked. "You were only supposed to wound it… I was the one who had to kill it," she said, half in disbelief.

Luke looked at the remains floating on the water. "I swear I didn't think it would be that strong," he said, still holding his second kukri, its edge wreathed in black fumes.

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