Greg is scrambling into the underbrush when Matt grabs him. If Greg was in a human body, he would have panicked and started kicking and screaming, or worse, realized he has a sharp object and used it viciously. However, in the skeleton form, while still able to feel acute fear, a slight numbness pervades his undead body allows Matt to grab the skelly and pull him out the way of the rampaging orcs before he has time to register what has happened.

“Magic Grade 1, Concealment!” the necromancer practically grunts in an attempt at a hushed whisper. The spell wraps the pair in a translucent blanket that mutes their presence to the outside world. They can’t be seen, heard, or smelled, and because the spell has been upgraded to Level 2, it lasts for 20 minutes instead of 10. It is also harder to break it by accident, so as Matt drags the struggling skeleton behind the tree partially splintered by the Orc Scout, he’s only worried about being accidentally trampled by the incoming Orcs.

And they are definitely coming. They crash into the wood line and tore through the under bush in a green tide. Despite their size, or perhaps because of it, the Orcs mowed into the surrounding area breakneck speed, thrashing and stomping as they went. Their snouts were high in the air as they attempted to sniff out and outrun the human, who by their admission had to be surprisingly fast and nimble to outrun them. Eventually the “trail” as old as it was would have led them to their former Orc brother and possibly down a main road in their search for the magic boy.

Meanwhile Matt and Greg hide behind a tree, shivering in fear as death by three pairs of giant, tree-trunk-like limbs seems imminent. But as the Orcs' cries of ‘human’ grow more distant, Matt peels himself from the skeleton warrior who, at this point, is hugging him for dear life.

“Oh GOD!”

“I KNOW!”

Matt looks at the skeleton and realizes something… he saved his life, albeit his unlife, and that fact spreads a bit of warmth inside the necromancer's bitter heart. Could they be… no… You can’t be friends with a minion! Matt thinks. Yet it can’t be denied that he did risk his life to protect a creature more valuable dead than alive to him.

Regardless, the concealment spell ends and the only thing left is the dungeon entrance, a skeleton warrior who found Jesus, and a dead orc.

The necromancer of course focuses on the dead orc, striding to the body with nervous confidence, since the last time he casted Raise Minion…

The same thing can’t happen twice, the necromancer hopes.

Greg follows Matt, observing the energy curling inside of the necromancer as he readies himself to raise the dead.

With a hand outstretched over the corpse, he spends the skill points he received to level 3 things-

Minion Master Level 1 to 2

Raise Minion Level 1 to 2

Acid Arrow Leve1 1 to 2

With the spells upgraded the System reports on the new spells unlocked by his current path.

Skills unlocked Raise Range Minion

Skills unlocked Acid Rain

And though that sounds a lot, these are paltry gains compared to a real education. At this rate he’ll only learn the very basics of necromantic spells and no further. The thought of that happening burns the inside of Matt’s pride and fuels his determination.

He won’t give up till he obtains the book of the dead.

“Raise Minion!”

A shudder is uttered by the world as Matt’s voice echoes with clarity and force. The flesh of the Orc boils and burns and the bones glow with an eldritch force. Greg watches with fascination as the process seems familiar but in a vague way. He only remembers the spell name and waking up, not…this.

Then in an abrupt crescendo the wind picks up and the bones rattle and seem to burn before turning into two skeletons.

“Fuck yes!” Matt shouts and slaps his creations on their shoulders.

Elation and relief mix together as Matt's confidence shoots up. While he couldn’t create more than three warriors with the orcs corpse, two is more than enough.

2x Skeleton Warrior

Level 2

Strength : D+

Magic Power : F

Speed : D-

Defense : C

Difficulty Rating : D

Status : Undead (Should be hard to kill, unless you crush their head.)

“And they’re not sentient. Thank fucking god!” Matt exclaims in his relief, before looking back at Greg, “No offense.”

Greg's shrugs and points to the woods behind them. “We should get out of here in case those Orcs come back.”

Matt shudders at the thought of the Orcs going back into the dungeon while they're still in it, but shakes the thought from his mind. The dungeon shouldn’t be dangerous at this stage and if they're fast they can get to the dungeon core before anything terrible happens. Or that is what Matt wants to explain, but instead—

“But the loots this way,” Matt points to the cave with a smile that is less reassuring and more unhinged batshit greed.

Necromancers are greedy as fuck after all.