Thud! The heavy leather-bound book was placed on the table. The skeleton traced its phalanges on the golden embossed letters on the cover page. Dryly reading the title. A flickering oil lamp casting dancing shadows stood next to the book.

[The Grand Necromaster's Diary]

Below it, several stickers has littered the cover. Some said: "DON'T OPEN", "OPEN AND YOU DIE!" and more. Some were even symbols of skulls and bones. But they all portrayed a clear enough of a message.

The skeleton blatantly ignored the basically screaming messages. Satisfying itself in a form of petty revenge by opening it.

Day XX Month XX Year XXXX,

This is the spot! Finally, I found the location to resurrect my super slave to conquer the world. Wahahhaha!

-Uwahh, she was right... Her brother is damn childish... For a moment, it felt glad that it did not have to serve such a master. Shaking its head out of such reverie, it continued reading.

It's been a long time coming, this is. I guess I should start from the very start. Yeah, since I'm feeling particularly sentimental, let's start from the very beginning.

Hello, my name is Vanir Dietrich. I was a typical boy from a declining noble family. Once. Now, I'm a master necromancer. Wahahaha! You're curious, aren't you? Curious about how I ended up that way. Well, don't worry cause, I'll tell you. Be thankful that you're going to read a tale.

I am the youngest of a declining noble family of seven children, of whom three died during infancy. Leaving us with four children left, in case you cannot do the maths. My family barely has what it takes to keep itself afloat. Then the last stake driven to our coffin was dealt when our father died. The responsibility to carry on the family legacy then fell to the two oldest surviving siblings, Dietrich. They went to a prestigious school to prepare themselves to become the head of the family. That's all well and good. But the problem was our mother. Since the death of my father, she had not been stable.

Before our father had died...

"Orahhhhhh! Get away from my sister, you imbeciles! What do you think you're doing!" At the foot of the hill, Adeline saw her brother tumbling down the hill. Stumbling over a tree root, he rolled down in style, landing right in front of their feet with his bottom sticking out.

"Gehh! It's the mute's little brother!" One boy with blond hair exclaimed

"Tchh, well, I've had enough anyway. Let's leave, before we get bitten by the mad dog! Hahaha!" Laughing, the group of four boys headed off.

"Go away and never come back!" Vanir growled, getting on his feet.

"Auu," He grunted, falling again.

Adeline sighed. "Ahh, look at your knees. They're scraped. Geez, stay still for a while." Chanting a healing spell, a light enveloped around his knees.

"Woah, that was amazing. You really should go to school. You have such an amazing talent."

"You know it's not possible for me to go." Her face turned dark.

"The money? Well, we can probably get our aunt to sponsor you."

"Well, the money's one thing, but that's not what I'm talking about." She collapsed unto the grassy ground. "There's no way I can go to school." She turned around, lying down on her side.

"Hahh, such a waste." Vanir shook his head, lying down under the shade as well.

"... ... Do you really think so? That it's a waste?"

"Of course! But in the end, no matter what you choose, I won't hate you for it, so it's fine."

"... Sorry." She uttered after a moment of silence.

"Hmm? For what?"

"If only I can talk in front of others, then you wouldn't be targeted as so."

"Nah, those guys are ruthless. Even if they don't target you, they would target me nonetheless."

"... I'm so useless..." She closed her eyes.

"It doesn't matter whatever anyone says, you're fine the way you are." Vanir smiled, wiping her tears gently. "Of course, if you really want to change, I'll support you all the way. But just take it slow, you don't have to rush."

Grunting her assent, she nodded, holding his hand. Her chest tightened. "Please promise me."

"Promise what?"

"Never leave me!" With upturned eyes, she stared him across her blurring vision. "As long as you're by my side, I'll be fine. So don't ever leave me."

"Puhahaha!" Vanir cracked up.

"Why are you laughing?" She puffed her cheeks, aware olf of the heat rising up her crimson face.

"You looked so serious that I wondered what you would say, but that's it? Even if you never ask, I'll stay with you. After all you're completely helpless without me aren't you?"

"Geez, I am not!"

"Hahaha, yes, you are. All you can do is heal. You really are useless in everything else."

Eight years later...

Crack! The stinging sound reverberated the empty living room. Stunned, Adeline held her hand to her face. The raw, red throbbing skin felt hot on contact. Rooted to the spot, pain exploded all of the sudden as the brain registered the strike.

"This is all your fault! You! If only you didn't exist. You're just a pathetic child of a mistress! If only you go to school. Then, you wouldn't get kidnapped! He died, rescuing you."

"Mother, that is far enough," Vanir growled, balling his fists, temper flaring.

"I don't understand him at all! Why would he go so far for this, this, mongrelll!"

"Enough!" Vanir roared out, smashing his fist to the table. "Even if you are distraught, there are some things you shouldn't say!"

Cupping his hands on Adeline's ears, he pulled her away. "Come on, let's go"

* * * * *

Hugging her knees, she asked, her voice shook. "I-is it really my fault?"

"Wha-! Of course not, don't be dumb."

"But, it's true that if I did not exist, father would have lived. If I went to school, I wouldn't be kidnapped. I don't understand as well, why would father give his life for someone like me?"

"Don't say that! Someone like you? What do you mean someone like you? All I see is a poor, sad daughter that had just lost her father. So what if you're the daughter of his mistress? You're still his daughter nonetheless. He is still your father and he loved you as his daughter. Do you mean to say you don't understand that he loved you? After he done so much for you, you don't know that he loved you very much?"

"N-no, of course not! Father is a very, very kind person. I loved him very much as well." She stuttered.

"Besides, it's useless to talk about what has been done. Time only moves forward." He grabbed her shoulders, staring her down.

Bubbling, the dam barring the tears burst forth. Clinging to him, she wailed her voice hoarse.

"You are such a crybaby, aren't you? But it's fine, every time, you're sad, just cry. I'll be here." He sighed, crying as well while patting her head.

"Uuu," Between sobs she uttered. "What right do you have to say that. Even though, I'm the older one. I'm sorry for being such a pathetic older sister..."

"You're not pathetic at all." He exclaimed. "And even if you are, I'll stay with you all the way. That's what families are for right?"

Crying even further, her heart felt so full that it was hard to breathe. Deep down she prayed. -God, if you really do exists, please don't take my brother away from me. Please, I want to stay with him forever...

* * * * *

Bang! "What did you do, mother! Why can't I find Adeline anywhere?" Slamming the door, he strutted in.

"Oh, you mean that lowly mongrel? Well, I've sold her off. Isn't it good, now we have enough money to pay off your brother's tuition fees."

Crack! Pulling his hand far back, he whipped it forward with all his strength.

"Ahhh!" Falling off her chair, she screamed. "Vanir!! How could you treat your mother this way?!"

Instantaneously, an ominous storm darkened his visage. "You are no longer my mother." Gnashing his teeth, his tone was as cold as ice. Looking down from above, his piercing glare was enough to kill. His mother sat rooted to the spot, shivering.

Storming out, he left, never to come back ever again. Using all sorts and means, Vanir searched far and wide. By hook or crook, he swore upon his dead father and himself that he would find her. Find her then make a new home for her to go home to. A place where she could belong, a place where no one would ever discriminate her ever again. With barely any lead, he persevered on.

All he found out was that the group that kidnapped her was called Human Salvation Army. They are a group that seeks those who have talent in healing. All for the sake of immortality, they perform brutal and inhumane experiments.

-Wait for me. I'll be there, I promise. So just sit tight and wait! Vanir chanted it over and over in his head.

In the end, what lied at the end of his journey was not salvation, nor was it hope. It was nothing but despair. Black, inky, void darkness of despair. Across the ocean, he found her in a slum.

Her rotting corpse. Ravens perching upon it.

Battered and bruised, bloody and broken. Dead. Flies buzzing around, maggots crawling out of her orifices. Dead. Cockroaches and ants feasting on her body. She was dead.

Unburied and abandoned. No one by her side during her last moments. No one to mourn for her, nor anyone to hold a proper funeral for her.

The volcanic rage he felt surmounted all those he had felt before in his life. Kneeling down, in her front of her, he screamed. Fluttering, the ravens flew away. He screamed and screamed. Hot liquid streamed down his face. Pounding his fist against the cracked earth, blood dripped out.

"... So useless..." His hoarse voice cracked out. "You're so useless without me... How can I leave your side? How could I have left you all alone? The really useless one is your brother. I could not even fulfil a single promise! Arghhh!"

Clenching his fist tight, he bit his lower lip till it bled.

"This world is wrong... How can it let something like this happen to such an innocent child? She did absolutely no wrong. Sure, she was very shy in front of others, but she was a really, really kind girl..." Tears dripped into the hard, cracked earth. "I'll destroy it all... Everything this world. Whatever the cost, I will right this broken world." He wiped his tears and snot with his sleeve.

"Time, after all, only moves forward." He gave a bitter smile, picking up her rotting corpse. "Sorry, wait for me just a little longer. Your little brother's incompetent you see. It'll take a little longer."

-I'll definitely bring you back to life. He swore once again in his head.

Thud! The book snapped to a close.

"Hmm, it's about time." It grunted. Mysterious hoots of an owl echoed in a distance. The frigid air howled while crescent moon peeked through the window. After learning the hard way that it burns blue in the daylight, it waited until nightfall. Wearing padded gloves and a full body cloak that its master was wearing, it managed to cover itself completely. It prepared for departure, its absent heart heavy from the previous tale. Uncertain how to feel about it.

The next few pages were about him studying hard to become a necromancer. How he remembered there was a book about raising the dead in his father's library. From that starting point, he went and experimented on monsters. As if possessed by a devil, he worked tirelessly to point of exhaustion, hell-bent on taking over the world to fix it and resurrect his sister.

Scouring through the hellish sands, the freezing plains, oxygenless summits and many more. All to increase his art. His skill. His previously-unknown talent in raising the dead. In the end, he found a way to raise the ultimate servant.

After perfecting his craft, he found the best place to resurrect a minion befitting the gods. A minion with enough power to conquer the world. The Arashi valley. A place where thunderstorms perpetually occur. A place famous for the Thundere Wyverns.

The next few pages were about the list of ingredients that were needed to bring itself to life. Taking a few pages, it was very long.

After that, the skeleton read other books as well. One particularly took his interest. One with the dumb title of "How to Become A Master Necromancer", a compilation of books from over 3000 books that Vanir have collected. It was large, around the size of a backpack. The cover even had a lock, with which the key could be found on the last page of the diary.

The second thing that could be found on the last page of the diary an emblem with the shape of a wolf.

Finally, the last thing is a list of its skills.

====================

Skills:

[Innate Passive Skill: Spirit Vision]

[Innate Passive Skill: Heat & Chill Negation]

[Innate Passive Skill: Hunger & Thirst Negation]

[Innate Passive Skill: Adamantine Bones]

[Innate Passive Skill: Holy Attribute Weakness]

[Innate Passive Skill: Sunlight Vulnerability]

[Innate Passive Skill: Lesser Curse Resist]

[Innate Passive Skill: Restless Spirits]

[Innate Passive Skill: Death Aura]

[Innate Active Skill: Bone Rush]

[Innate Passive Skill: Bone Smash]

====================

-Well, at least now, I don't have to read every single book here. This compilation book should be good enough. Other than that I'll take these two other books.

Turning his skull around to survey the room, it placed the two books into a rucksack.

"What else should I bring? I already got the Encyclopedia of Herbs and Greenery, the Encyclopedia of Beasts, the diary and the guidebook on the path of Necromancy with the stupid name. With those four enormous books, my rucksack is already full... I guess, that's it then."

With that, the skeleton closed the door behind him, going downhill. Going down on a new path, a new life, in the dead of the night.