The Extra's Rise
Chapter 611 - 611: Professor Gravemore

Classes had officially begun at Mythos Academy, though the atmosphere felt markedly different from previous semesters. The administration had clearly learned from the disasters of recent years—particularly the Exchange Program that had cost several student lives—and the missions assigned to us now were considerably more conservative. Gone were the high-risk expeditions and politically charged assignments that had defined our earlier academy experience.

'Not that I'm complaining,' I thought as I made my way through the academy's corridors. After everything that had happened during winter break—creating Valeria, the confrontation with the Savage Communion, receiving forbidden spells from Meilyn—I was looking forward to a semester focused more on personal growth and enjoying life rather than constantly worrying about the next life-threatening crisis.

The scrutiny placed on Mythos Academy following the Exchange Program debacle had resulted in a complete overhaul of their risk assessment protocols. Where once they'd pushed us toward increasingly dangerous challenges to forge us into elite practitioners, now they seemed more concerned with ensuring we all survived to graduation.

'Perhaps that's for the best,' I mused. 'We've all proven ourselves capable of handling serious threats. Maybe it's time to focus on refinement rather than raw survival.'

My destination today was Professor Gravemore's office, located in the academy's Deepdark studies wing. The familiar path through progressively dimmer corridors felt like returning to an old friend—these halls had been my second home during first year, when I'd spent countless hours learning the fundamentals of necromancy under Gravemore's tutelage.

'He was the one who helped me create my first Lich,' I remembered with a mixture of nostalgia and gratitude.

As I approached his office door, I became acutely aware of something that would have been unthinkable three years ago: Professor Gravemore's magical aura no longer felt overwhelming.

The realization hit me like a cold shock. When I'd first met him, Gravemore had been an imposing figure whose very presence had made my magical senses reel with the weight of his power. He'd been a mountain I could barely comprehend, let alone hope to climb.

Now, as I stood outside his door, I could feel the boundaries of his strength with uncomfortable clarity. He was still formidable—Ascendant-rank, certainly, with decades of experience and deep theoretical knowledge—but the gap between us had narrowed dramatically.

I knocked on the door, pushing aside the strange melancholy that accompanied such realizations. "Professor Gravemore? It's Arthur Nightingale."

"Enter," came the familiar gravelly voice from within.

The office looked exactly as I remembered: shelves lined with preserved specimens in various states of decay, arcane texts bound in materials I preferred not to think about too closely, and the subtle aura of controlled necromantic energy that permeated everything. Professor Gravemore sat behind his desk, his gaunt frame and hollow cheeks giving him the appearance of someone who'd spent too much time communing with death.

"Arthur," he said, looking up from a stack of papers with genuine pleasure. "I was wondering when you'd come to visit. I heard through the academic grapevine that your winter break was... eventful."

"That's one way to put it," I replied, settling into the chair across from his desk. "Though I suspect the version you heard focused more on the political implications than the magical ones."

Gravemore's eyes sharpened with interest. "Oh? And here I thought the most noteworthy aspect was your defeat of a high Ascendant-rank opponent. Are you telling me there were other developments?"

I smiled, appreciating his priorities. While most people fixated on the political ramifications of fighting the future Pope of the Savage Communion, Gravemore immediately focused on the magical achievement required for such a victory.

"Actually, yes," I said, deciding to cut straight to the point. "I wanted to show you something. A project I completed during the break."

Without further preamble, I reached into my consciousness and called forth Valeria. The familiar sensation of our symbiotic connection activating sent power coursing through my body as the Bone Symbiote manifested.

The change was immediate and dramatic. My physical form shifted as Valeria's essence merged with mine, bone armor spreading across my skin while additional limbs extended from my back. The office's ambient temperature dropped several degrees as Ancient-level necromantic energy filled the space.

Professor Gravemore's reaction was everything I could have hoped for. His eyes widened in shock, then narrowed in intense focus as he studied the transformation with the precision of a master evaluating a masterwork.

"Extraordinary," he breathed, rising from his chair to examine me more closely. "The integration is seamless. I can barely detect the boundary between your consciousness and the undead's essence."

'He's seeing details that most people would miss entirely,' I noted with approval. Despite being technically weaker than me now, Gravemore's theoretical knowledge and analytical skills remained formidable.

"This is a Bone Symbiote," I explained, allowing him to study the transformation from multiple angles. "An Ancient Undead designed specifically for symbiotic integration with a living host."

"The craftsmanship is incredible," Gravemore murmured, his professional excitement overriding any surprise at my advancement. "The bone density, the magical conductivity, the way the consciousness integration maintains distinct personalities while enabling shared capabilities... Arthur, this is revolutionary work."

I felt a flush of pride at his assessment. Coming from someone who'd dedicated his life to necromantic research, such praise carried significant weight.

"But more than that," he continued, circling around to observe the wing-like appendages extending from my back, "this represents a second proof of concept for something the academic community has considered impossible."

"Creating Ancient Undead without supernatural Gifts," I said, understanding his excitement.

"Exactly." Gravemore's gaunt face was animated with scholarly fervor. "The prevailing theory has always been that Ancient Undead require either natural formation over centuries or creation by someone with specific supernatural abilities in the form of Gifts. You've demonstrated a third path—pure magical technique and theoretical understanding. You did this before with your Lich, and now once again."

I allowed Valeria to withdraw, the bone armor retracting as our consciousnesses separated back into distinct entities. The office's temperature returned to normal, though the lingering traces of her Deepdark would probably persist for hours.

"The symbiosis was the key breakthrough," I explained, settling back into my chair. "Rather than trying to create a traditional autonomous undead, I designed Valeria specifically for integration. The shared consciousness model eliminates many of the control and stability issues that plague conventional Ancient-grade creation attempts."

Professor Gravemore nodded thoughtfully, his mind clearly working through the implications. "And the base materials?"

"All provided by the Ebony Tower," I said as he nodded in understanding.

"Remarkable," Gravemore said, returning to his seat with the satisfied expression of someone who'd just witnessed something truly significant. "Arthur, I hope you realize what you've accomplished here. This isn't just an impressive piece of necromancy—it's a paradigm shift."

"Actually," Gravemore said suddenly, "this solves a problem I've been contemplating regarding your end-of-year project."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Every final-year student is required to complete a major independent research project that demonstrates mastery of their chosen field," he explained. "Most students struggle to find topics that are both achievable and sufficiently advanced to warrant academic recognition."

A smile spread across his gaunt features. "You, on the other hand, have already completed what may be the most significant necromantic breakthrough in decades. Your Bone Symbiote serves as proof of concept for Ancient Undead without supernatural Gifts, demonstrates innovative consciousness integration techniques, and represents an entirely new category of undead entity."

'That would certainly simplify things,' I thought with relief. The prospect of having to design and complete another major research project on top of everything else had been weighing on my mind.

"That would be incredibly helpful, Professor," I said gratefully. "I was wondering how I'd find time for another major project given everything else on my plate."

"Nonsense," Gravemore waved dismissively. "When a student produces work of this significance, the academy should be grateful to document and preserve it. This is the kind of research that gets cited in academic texts for generations."

As I prepared to leave his office, Professor Gravemore stood and extended his hand. "Arthur, it's been a privilege watching your development over these four years. When you first walked into my classroom, I knew you had potential. But this..." He gestured toward where Valeria had manifested. "This exceeds even my most optimistic projections."

I shook his hand, feeling the familiar mixture of pride and humility that came with such recognition. "Thank you, Professor. For everything. The foundation you helped me build made all of this possible."

"Keep pushing the boundaries," he said seriously. "The magical world needs innovators like you. Don't let convention limit your imagination."

As I left his office and made my way back through the Deepdark studies wing, I reflected on how much had changed since my first year. The corridors that had once felt mysterious and intimidating now felt familiar, almost comfortable.