Player!
That word stirred up a memory Hailuot had never mentioned to anyone.
That memory belonged to another world, as if it were another life of his own. Hailuot had always assumed it was nothing more than an absurd dream. But "Player," along with his father's description of the strange behavior associated with "Player," suggested that those memories might be real!
Hailuot stopped eating.
He had never been interested in inheriting the family. He had come to Claurend Manor mainly because he was worried about his missing father, and partly to draw his mother's attention.
Now, learning that his father had gone missing in the Family Cemetery, and that the Family Cemetery held something called a "Player," made up Hailuot's mind for good.
"How can I get into the Family Cemetery?"
Though Hailuot was asking, he already knew the answer.
Butler Kote answered as expected: "Become a member of the Claurend Family and awaken the Old Dominator Bloodline. As the family's only surviving Direct-Line Member, you will inherit everything the Claurend Family possesses—Glory and responsibility alike!"
Seeking answers, Hailuot replied without hesitation: "Fine. I'm willing to return to the Claurend Family, inherit its Glory, and fulfill its responsibilities."
Kote's mouth fell open, revealing his shock.
He had always hoped the Young Master would inherit the Claurend Family, but he knew the odds were close to zero.
The Young Master and the Master had met fewer times than one could count on one hand, so they had no deep bond of affection.
The lady of the house would never allow the Young Master to become a Necromancer.
So when the Young Master agreed to inherit the family, Kote tried to talk him out of it: "Young Master, this decision will upset the lady. Though we all hope you'll return, keeping company with the Undead will bring you no end of trouble in the future."
Hailuot raised his glass of red wine and drank. After savoring its taste, he replied to Kote: "I'll find a way to explain this to Mother. Tell me how to awaken the Old Dominator Bloodline and enter the Family Cemetery."
Kote looked at Hailuot, then dropped to one knee.
"We welcome the new master of Claurend Manor home!"
At that moment, the entire Ancient Castle seemed to shudder as if it had come alive. Every undead within the manor received the news and knelt facing Hailuot's direction, crying out together: "We welcome the new master of Claurend Manor home!"
Outside the manor, the mist in the forest thickened, and the Ghosts sang a solemn song in their own peculiar tone.
The skulls atop the manor's outer walls all bared their jaws in wide grins.
Four strands of black smoke rose from the spires of the Ancient Castle's four corner towers. They swirled together above the castle, forming a massive Hexagram Magic Array. Every plant on the manor grounds withered in an instant, and every animal dropped dead on the spot.
The large-scale anomaly reached Hogg Town, several kilometers away. A chilling wind swept through the streets, and sudden dread gripped every heart.
The townsfolk turned toward Claurend Manor, each sensing that something terrible was happening there.
Many of them thought, "Claurend Manor needs to come down, and soon!"
In the dining hall of Claurend Manor's Ancient Castle, a ring engraved with Undead Runes lay in Hailuot's palm. He remembered that his father had worn the same ring.
The butler stood and said respectfully, "Master, you hold the Ring of the Old Dominator. Put it on to awaken the Old Dominator Bloodline and gain the ability to enter the Family Cemetery at will.
One last warning: once you put it on, you cannot remove it. If you wish to change your mind, now is the time!"
"I never regret my decisions!"
Hailuot slid the Ring of the Old Dominator onto the index finger of his Left Hand and felt the blood in his body seize as if it had frozen solid.
His body temperature dropped, his heartbeat slowed, and all his vital signs began to fade.
It felt as though he might die at any moment.
Yet Hailuot's consciousness remained crystal clear. His Mental Power swelled, and when it reached a critical threshold, it burst upward from the crown of his head.
It pierced layer after layer of ceiling before slamming into the center of the Hexagram Magic Array above the Ancient Castle.
Black smoke churned within the Magic Array as countless Undead revealed their hideous forms. Their wails echoed throughout the manor and beyond.
Then the massive Magic Array contracted in an instant, gathering into a black Pillar of Light. It shot downward through layer after layer of ceiling like black Lightning and drove straight into the space between Hailuot's brows.
On the verge of death, Hailuot drew a sharp breath, and his vital signs recovered.
Everything returned to normal, as if nothing had happened at all.
But Hailuot could feel something new inside his body: energy flowed through his veins, carrying the icy chill of death's furthest edge. This must be the Death Energy a Necromancer needed to cast Spells.
At the same time, a new door had appeared within his consciousness, like the Tomb Gate of a grave.
In his mind, Hailuot reached out to touch it…
A Tomb Gate appeared beside the dining table and slowly swung open, revealing a long Tomb Passage.
Hailuot stood, about to enter the Family Cemetery, when Butler Kote hurriedly said, "Please, Master, allow me to accompany you into the Family Cemetery. We don't know its condition. If you encounter danger, I will protect you and bring you back, even at the cost of my life."
Hailuot stared into the pitch-black Tomb Passage beyond the Tomb Gate, unable to know what dangers awaited him ahead.
"Fine. Come with me."
"Yes, Master. Allow me to lead the way."
Butler Kote stepped first through the open Tomb Gate, and Hailuot followed behind him.
The Tomb Gate closed behind them, yet a light of unknown origin lit the Tomb Passage instead.
The Tomb Passage seemed to stretch on without end.
Kote said, "Master, we are in the spatial corridor leading to the small world of the Family Cemetery. After walking about a hundred meters, we'll reach the cemetery's First Layer.
The Claurend Family Cemetery has seven layers: the Skeleton Maze, the Walking Corpse Graveyard, the Ghost Forest, the Vampire Mausoleum, the Lich Altar, the Rider's Palace, and the Bone Dragon Pool. A Dread Knight loyal to the Claurend Family guards each layer. However, monster incursions have left the layers without enough Death Energy to sustain their guardian Dread Knights, so all of them have fallen dormant…"
As Hailuot listened to Butler Kote's introduction to the Family Cemetery, he also noticed a familiar Game Interface appear the moment they'd entered the cemetery.
【Welcome to the world of heroes. Please name your Game Character】
Bonecrusher
Hailuot used his family's hidden alias.
【Please select your starting race……】
【Character creation anomaly detected. You cannot select a starting race—Human Race assigned by default】
【Please select your class……】
【Character creation anomaly detected. You cannot select a class—Necromancer assigned by default】
【Initial character attributes generated……】
Character: Bonecrusher
Race: Human Race
Class: Necromancer
Level: 1
Bloodline: Old Dominator（Lord of the Old Graveyard. The Command Value requirement for Undead is reduced by eighty percent. The Undead Domination Requirement for Old Cemetery Undead is reduced by one hundred percent. Undead-Type Spells are fifty percent more effective.）
Specialty: Basic Necromancy
Health: 500
Attack: 50（Affects Combat Technique attack power）
Defense: 50（Affects defensive power and Vitality）
Command: 50（Affects the number and quality of armies you can Command）
Magical Wisdom: 50（Affects spell effectiveness and Magical Energy）
Free Attribute Points: 0
Combat Technique: none
Spells: none
Equipment: Bugle B32 Revolver（Designed by the Tomorrow Firearms Design Bureau and manufactured by Tomorrow Small Arms Industry. Holds six rounds and can fire standard ammunition or Enchanted Ammunition）
Sea Serpent Combat Dagger（Designed by the Imperial Family's Royal Magic Research Institute and manufactured by the Imperial Family's Royal Armor Works. It is sharp, has Armor-Piercing Enchantment, and carries Paralysis Toxin.）
……
A note here: the Family Cemetery opens through the Bloodline, not through an entrance in the manor. Many readers misunderstood this point in later chapters.