The World Where the Living and the Dead Coexist

【You open your eyes to find the world before you shrouded in gloom】

【The sky is murky, the earth scarred, scattered bones and towering gravestones everywhere. You awaken in a mass grave, the only living being here】

【You have no dog, no weapons, no supplies】

【Your starting point is absolute nothingness】

【The only thing you possess is a healthy 18-year-old body—your sole capital for survival in this otherworld】

The night is pitch black.

Even the moonlight is blotted out.

Gravestones stand like sentinels, human bones lie twisted, and the howling wind grates like teeth scraping against bone, piercing and shrill.

When Xu Xi opens his eyes, this is the sight that greets him.

Not a trace of life remains; everything is steeped in silence.

Crack—

Crack—

Each step across the burial ground crushes something underfoot, the sound crisp and brittle, followed by the faint scatter of fragments.

“What can I say?”

“Fitting for a necrotic world, isn’t it?”

“Starting off so grim—throwing me straight into a mass grave.”

The night is thick as ink.

The wind howls like a banshee.

An endless miasma of death blankets the sky, veiling everything above, obscuring sun and moon, blurring the line between day and night.

People fear this world, yet they are powerless against it.

This is the law of the land, a calamity beyond mortal defiance.

All they can do is submit.

And adapt.

Suddenly, a tempest rages across the horizon, tearing through the world, momentarily scattering the deathly haze to reveal a grotesque crimson moon.

Xu Xi sees it.

A skeleton vast and unyielding, wings like fans beating against the sky.

In its hollow eye sockets, deep blue soulfire flickers, burning within the majestic draconic skull.

A bone dragon—a pinnacle among undead.

Even stripped of flesh, reduced to bare bones, the great wyrm soars undaunted, carrying a hazy figure upon its back as it races toward the world’s edge, swift as lightning.

Where it passes,

People tremble and cower, extolling the might of death, awed by the dragon’s terrifying power.

Yet beneath their fear, envy flickers in their eyes.

If they could, they too would crave such strength.

“A necromancer…”

“A transcendent system built upon the soul, unraveling the truths of the world.”

“Before the simulation began, I’d recorded some soul cultivation methods of necromancers. But right now, finding shelter takes priority.”

Glancing around the burial ground,

Xu Xi’s eyes betray a trace of resignation. Staying here any longer is the last thing he wants.

Fortunately,

After countless simulations, he’s grown accustomed to such beginnings.

“A new life begins.”

【Your adaptability is remarkable】

【You quickly integrate into a nearby human village】

【Through inquiries, you glean some basic information】

【This world was once a paradise for the living】

【Home to humans, elves, goblins, dragons, orcs, and other intelligent races】

【But a millennium ago, a wicked sorcerer made contact with the Boundless Netherworld—the final resting place of all souls, the terminus of every wandering spirit】

【The fragile world, tainted by the Netherworld’s corruption, became what it is today—a grotesque realm where undead calamities erupt periodically, toppling kingdoms one after another】

【The living and the dead coexist; history and rules are rewritten】

【The departed find no peace, and all endure an eternal darkness】

【Only the exalted necromancers, who study and harness the power of souls, can advance unshaken in this shadowed world, unthreatened by death】

...

【Not everyone can become a necromancer】

【Talent and comprehension—such limitations exist in all transcendent systems】

【Only those with mighty souls are qualified to walk the necromancer’s path, starting as the weakest apprentices and climbing step by step toward greater heights】

【You smile. Your soul is unique, as if born for this path】

【You devise a strategy】

【Fortify your defenses, amass resources, bide your time】

【Interacting with other necromancers and delving into undead lore are not your immediate goals】

【You decide to remain in the human village, relying on the cultivation methods from your original world to first ascend as a necromancer apprentice】

【Once you’ve gained some strength, you’ll consider the rest】

Half a year later.

In an unremarkable human village,

At its isolated outskirts,

Xu Xi sits in meditation, surrounded by scattered debris—bones scavenged from undead in the burial grounds, rough emergency rations.

The place is a mess, reeking of unpleasant odors.

But since he’ll leave eventually,

The stench hardly matters.

“Tch…”

“Once I build my own necromancer tower, I’ll definitely set up an auto-cleaning spell.”

“But for now, let’s focus on becoming an apprentice.”

Xu Xi mutters to himself,

Grabbing a coarse black loaf of bread and forcing it down to quell his gnawing hunger.

Then, he activates the necromantic cultivation method.

Soul and spirit resonate.

Life and death intertwine.

Within the room, the piled-up skeletal remains release wisps of azure soulfire, dissipating to propel Xu Xi forward.

Compared to the bone dragon he once witnessed, these embers are pitifully small.

And nearly useless.

But Xu Xi is different. With the effect of his [Life-Death Convergence] trait, even these feeble sparks are enough to elevate him to an apprentice necromancer.

A breakthrough in an instant!

...

【You have become a necromancer apprentice】

【Though freshly ascended, lacking time and accumulated knowledge, your soul has begun its metamorphosis—setting you distinctly apart from mortals】

【You begin studying apprentice-tier spells】

【Newly ascended apprentices typically master only 1 or 2 spells, but your talent raises the ceiling to 20】

【You train diligently, meditating relentlessly, etching multiple apprentice-level spell structures】

【You have gained the power to protect yourself】

【From this day forth, you need no longer resort to ambushing skeletal warriors with a wooden club】

【As a noble spellcaster, you may now execute your enemies with elegance】

【Acid Splash and Bone Shatter are among your favored apprentice spells】

【You leave the human village after half a year】

【Remote as it is, it’s safe from undead calamities—but resources for necromantic cultivation are scarce, hindering your research】

【As you journey toward a larger city, you encounter numerous undead】

【Ding—】

【You slay a skeletal warrior, triggering the [Soul Harvester] effect. A portion of its dissipating soulfire becomes your strength. You grow more powerful】

Through his travels,

Xu Xi tests the limits of his traits between cultivation sessions.

[Life-Death Convergence] grants exceptional necromantic aptitude and unique perception of life and death.

[Contemplator] ensures lucid thought, aiding in the study of esoteric knowledge.

[Soul Harvester] allows him to siphon fragments of soulfire—whether from the living or the dead—that would otherwise return to the Netherworld.

For research.

Or self-enhancement.

“What a godforsaken wasteland,” Xu Xi grumbles.