He looked at the field of undead scattered across the castle ruins—more than a thousand skeletal knights, their broken armor glinting faintly.

"Forget it. I don't need to go in. Just… send all the undead there."

He raised his arm.

"All undead—enter the Hunter Domain!"

[System Notice: Command recognized. LP Cost: -2,000.]

Raito accepted immediately. A low hum filled the air. One by one, the undead knights began to vanish, dissolving into black motes of light until the battlefield was empty.

Even the Undead Dragon shimmered faintly, its colossal form pulsing with runes before stabilizing. Raito turned toward it, reaching out.

"Wow… even after death, they're this strong. I can't imagine what kind of power they had when alive."

He stepped closer, placing his palm on the dragon's bony snout. The creature lowered its head in submission, its breath like cold mist.

"Can I… ride it?"

He grinned and climbed up slowly, setting his foot on the ridge of its skull. The moment he settled in, the dragon lifted its head, tearing free from the castle wall. With a single beat of its colossal wings, it soared into the night sky, scattering clouds like smoke.

"This is insane!" Raito laughed.

Beside him, the Lich floated effortlessly, its tattered cloak billowing in the wind.

"System," Raito commanded, "transfer the Lich to the Hunter Domain. LP cost doesn't matter."

[Transfer complete.]

The Lich vanished in a swirl of shadows.

Raito looked down at the dragon beneath him as it circled above the castle ruins. In the distance, a massive blue portal shimmered—unstable but pulsing with mana.

The dragon descended, landing beside it with a heavy quake. Raito leapt off, landing with precision.

He stood before the glowing portal, wind whipping through his hair. His reflection shimmered faintly in the blue light.

"Is this really my life now?" he whispered. "From a nobody… to commanding dragons and liches."

He smirked.

"But this Undead Dragon might be too much for the outside world. I can't just summon something like this out there."

Raito turned toward the Undead Dragon, its massive form looming beside the shattered castle wall. The blue portal behind him pulsed with energy, distorting the air.

"Will it even fit inside the Hunter Domain?" he muttered. "I hope so…"

He raised his right hand, dark mana swirling around his palm.

"System—send the Undead Dragon into the Hunter Domain."

[System Notice: Command accepted.]

The dragon let out a deep, echoing growl as its enormous body began to shimmer. Its skeletal wings dissolved first, then its head, tail, and finally its massive frame faded into countless black motes of light until nothing remained.

Raito exhaled softly, lowering his arm.

"Good… that's all of them."

The castle was silent now—only the whisper of the wind and the hum of the glowing portal filled the space.

Raito stepped forward, his reflection flickering in the blue light. The moment his foot touched the portal, his body began to fade—first his fingers, then his arms, until the rest of him was consumed by the glow.

As Raito stepped through the glowing blue portal, the world around him warped. His vision flickered—stone walls became painted plaster, the scent of death replaced by the faint smell of dust and fabric.

He blinked once, and the glow faded.

He was back.

"Ah… finally," he muttered, exhaling in relief. "I'm back."

He looked around his room, still half-shadowed by the evening light slipping through the curtains. The clock on his wall blinked 7:02 PM.

"That was actually… fun," he said with a short laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Is this what other hunters experience? Or am I the only one who goes through something like that?"

He could still feel the echo of battle in his muscles, the phantom weight of the Cursed Blade in his hand, the pulse of mana running through his veins.

"I've gotten stronger. I can tell," he whispered, clenching his fist. "Level sixteen… and the power I feel now—it's easily Rank A. Maybe even close to Rank S."

He smiled faintly, though a part of him stayed humble.

"But I won't take the rank assessment. Not yet. Rank A hunters are a big deal… and S-ranks—yeah, those are monsters. I still need more power."

Raito walked over to his desk, calling out quietly:

"Inventory box. Open."

A translucent blue window flickered to life before him. Rows of items scrolled past—materials, essence shards, potions—until his eyes locked onto one line:

[Cursed Blade]

He tapped it. In a flash, a dark, sinister sword appeared in his hand. Its jagged edge pulsed faintly, whispering like something alive.

"So this is you…" he murmured, turning the blade under the dim light. "It really feels… perfect for me.

He reached into his pocket and grabbed his phone. The screen lit up.

"7 PM already? Seriously?"

He frowned slightly.

"Wait… I thought that place existed outside time. But it's been five hours here. Which means that castle—"

He paused, his thoughts turning sharp.

"—it's somewhere in this world. Still standing. Hidden. If anyone had found a place like that, it would've been all over the news."

He shook his head, trying to process it all. Just then—

Ding-dong.

The doorbell rang.

Raito blinked, startled by the sudden sound after hours of silence.

"I'm coming," he called out.

He raised his hand, and the Cursed Blade shimmered, fading into motes of light before vanishing back into the inventory.

Raito walked to the door and opened it. Standing there was Aiko.

"Aiko! You're already back?" he asked, surprised.

"Yes, I am," she replied, holding a bag. She stepped inside and set it down in the kitchen.

Then, calling out:

"Raito!"

Raito froze for a moment, sensing urgency in her voice. He jumped up from the bed and hurried to the kitchen.

"What's going on? Is something wrong?" he asked, scanning her face.

Aiko started unpacking groceries, stacking them on the counter.

"What… where did you get all this money to buy groceries? How did you—"

Raito laughed softly, scratching the back of his head.

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