Awakening: Reincarnating With the SSS-Level Extraction Talent

He knew exactly what it meant—he was stuck here in the [Undead Land] until he either found a way out or somehow survived long enough to level up and escape.

The latter seemed nearly impossible at level 33.

In the distance, the towering [Undead Castle] loomed, a dark fortress silhouetted against the ominous sky.

It was where the current [Undead Lord] resided.

Alex had a feeling that place would eventually be his destination, but he had no intention of marching there just yet.

Not without a plan, at least.

"Great. Just great," Alex muttered to himself. "All thanks to that damned dragon."

Despite his frustration, Alex knew Alphox wasn\'t really to blame.

The dragon was powerful, yes, but unpredictable and uncontrollable.

The fact that it hadn\'t burned him to ashes right away was a miracle in itself.

He opened his [Pet Panel] once again, glaring at the name displayed under \'Pets.\'

[Name: Alphox]

[Master: FateBreaker]

The irony was almost palpable.

Alex let out a bitter chuckle and closed the panel.

He couldn\'t waste time complaining.

If he was going to survive here, he had to act quickly and carefully.

His first objective was clear: scout the area, avoid getting killed, and find some way to level up without attracting too much attention.

Easier said than done in a place with undead monsters far above his current level.

"Time to move."

With a snap of his fingers, Alex summoned his [Undead Skeletons].

Ten skeletal figures emerged from the ground, their bony forms crackling with energy.

Every monster in this area is a forth-tier undead, so there was no chance first-tier Alex could ever hope of beating them.

Ding!

[The Undead Skeletons are in their homeland, thus, their power is doubled.]

Alex grinned despite the grim situation.

His skeletons now took 40% of his stats instead of 20%, making them more useful.

Still, even with their boost, it wouldn\'t be enough against the monsters in this cursed land.

Luckily, the tier two level-up happened at level 35, meaning that Alex only needed two more levels before being able to get it.

He took a deep breath and began to walk, his skeletons forming a protective line in front of him.

The landscape was barren and bleak, a wasteland stretching toward the massive castle in the distance.

There was nothing alive, not even the sound of wind—just silence and the weight of dread hanging over everything.

As Alex trudged forward, the imposing silhouette of the castle grew larger.

Its features became more distinct: jagged towers, black stone walls, and the faint glow of something sinister beyond its gates.

He knew the real danger was only beginning.

Finally, after what felt like hours, Alex reached the entrance to the castle.

Two massive skeleton guards stood vigil by the gate, towering at least ten meters tall, their armor ancient and battered but still imposing.

[Skeleton Guards - Level 150]

[700,000 HP]

Alex swallowed hard.

These guys were way out of his league.

Even if he tried to cast a spell at it, it would do less than one damage, much like against Aldrich.

But there was nothing Alex could do.

A tier 1 player against a tier 4 monster was like putting a pit bull against a toddler.

As he approached, the two guards stepped forward, their massive swords scraping the ground.

"State your purpose, human," one of them rumbled, his voice like grinding stone. "Or you will fall to our blades."

The massive undead guards, wearing a complete set of armor that hid whatever they looked like, spoke as Alex approached.

Alex hesitated. He hadn\'t thought this far ahead. "Uh... I want to see the Undead Lord?"

The guards exchanged looks before one of them chuckled, a deep, eerie sound that echoed in the silence.

"Why would the Lord entertain a weakling like you?"

The other guard nodded. "Perhaps he\'s a slave. But why isn\'t he bound?"

"But..." the first guard whispered low enough for Alex not to hear, "There aren\'t any undead beside us... it doesn\'t make sense..."

They noticed the ten undead skeletons in front of Alex, thinking that they had captured a human for the Lord.

The only way for Alex to leave this area is:

-To kill the Undead Lord.

-To take complete control of Undead Land.

-To get permission from the Undead Lord.

All three of these things seemed impossible for the current Alex.

"What did you do, Alphox..." Alex groaned.

"If you wish to be my master, you need to show me what you\'re made off, foolish human," Alphox answered from within Alex.

"Those undead look weak, can\'t be part of our grand Undead Land," the guards continued, "Though, Undead Land has long-lost all of its greatness..."

They continued their conversation as if Alex wasn\'t even there, their massive swords resting casually in their hands.

It was clear they didn\'t consider him a threat.

Alex knew he couldn\'t fight them.

If they wanted, they could crush him in an instant.

But they seemed amused more than anything else.

"So, should we kill him?" one asked the other.

"I don\'t see any reason not to, we\'ll speak with the Lord about the ten skeletons with him."

"Alright."

The two guards turned toward Alex, and both took a step forward, raising their blades.

"You\'ve been denied entry, human. Leave now or die."

"We know you are like us, able to resurrect, so do not come back."

It seemed that Undead monsters were in fact aware that the players could revive.

Alex had never talked to any undead in his past life, but this was an interesting piece of information.

Alex braced himself, but just as the guards were about to attack, a voice echoed through the air.

"Do I have to do everything myself?"

The guards froze.

"That voice..."

"No way..."

Out of the mist, the [Undead King] materialized, hovering above Alex.

He looked more elegant, both because his rest in the [Contract Space] allowed him to become stronger, but also because in Undead Land, his stats were also boosted.

"L-LORD!" the guards exclaimed in unison, dropping to their knees.

"IT\'S THE KING!"

The two guards kneeled down as they saw the [Undead King] appear.

The [Undead King] smirked. "Still loyal after all these years, I see. Good." He turned his gaze to Alex. "Let this human pass. He\'s here to meet the Undead Lord."

The guards hesitated but quickly complied. "Yes, King!" they said, scrambling to their feet and grabbing the handles of the massive gate.

Even though it had been hundreds of years since the king was thrown away from [Undead Land], every undead still present respected him.

Alex watched in awe as the gates creaked open, revealing the dark courtyard beyond.

Ding!

[You now have access to the "Undead Castle"!]

The notification was satisfying, but Alex couldn\'t shake the uneasy feeling in his gut.

The [Undead King] disappeared back into his contracted space, his voice lingering in the air. "I cannot yet challenge the current Lord, but soon, I will reclaim my throne."

The guards stood aside, glaring at Alex with thinly veiled disgust. "We don\'t know why the King is with you, human," one of them spat, "but you may enter."

"Don\'t die, we\'re not letting you pass this gate twice, we\'re already disrespecting the Lord\'s orders as respect for the previous King."

"Alright," Alex mumbled.