Norris took a deep breath, steeling himself for the journey ahead. The room was dimly lit by flickering candles placed at strategic points, casting eerie shadows on the walls. 

 

The scent of incense filled the air, mingling with the earthy aroma of herbs scattered on the ground. Symbols and intricate patterns were drawn on the floor with chalk, creating a complex web of ritual traces.

 

In the center of the room, a stone altar stood, adorned with various artifacts and talismans. The focal point of the ritual was a shimmering portal, its edges crackling with arcane energy.

 

The portal swirled with a mixture of dark and ethereal light, creating a mesmerizing and foreboding sight.

 

Norris approached the altar, his eyes fixed on the portal. He knew the dangers that awaited him in the Death Realm, but the power and knowledge he sought were worth the risk. 

 

He carefully placed his pinky finger on the altar, ensuring it was neatly treated and prepared. The finger would serve as both a medium and a coordinate to return to the material realm.

 

He began chanting an incantation, his voice steady and commanding. As he spoke the ancient words, the symbols on the floor began to glow, and the energy in the room intensified. The portal pulsed in response, its light growing brighter and more turbulent.

 

With the final words of the incantation, the portal surged open, and Norris felt a powerful force pulling him towards it. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for the journey ahead. 

 

As he stepped forward, he felt a cold, otherworldly energy envelop him. The portal closed behind him with a deafening crash, leaving only the sealed pinky finger in the material world.

 

Norris found himself in the dark, foreboding landscape of the Death Realm.

 

First things first, without looking around, he cast a spell to allow the Death Realm's laws to assimilate his body, changing his form to an undead. It's a must for dimensional travel.

 

This transformation allowed him to exist in the realm as a living entity legally permitted by its laws. 

 

With the undead as the main intelligent beings in the Death Realm and their instinctual hatred for the living, being not assimilated was a way to attract attention. It might even become a death warrant. 

 

Looking at himself, he shook his head, "Ugh, I am sure I'm not going to like planar travels. Without assimilation you'll be too noticeable. Sigh... I've chosen to assimilate my body as a lich. 

 

Well there's a boon so this is not all bad. For now, being a lich allows me to tap into the Death Realm's energies more effectively, which has its pros, with the loss of emotions as the con."

 

---

 

As he traversed the desolate landscape as a lich, Norris couldn't help but feel that the Death Realm embodied the very essence of mortality. The barren wasteland, shrouded in an eternal gloom, seemed to confirm every morbid expectation of what lay beyond the veil of life. 

 

As Norris walked, the Death Realm's twisted landscape stretched out before him like a canvas of decay. Skeletal trees reached towards the sky, their branches etched against the dull grey horizon.

 

The mana in the air was heavy with the scent of damp earth and decay. Undead creatures fought with winners becoming visibly stronger. Norris noted this with intent to study after settling down. 

 

The exotic sight soon became boring. Norris mind began to wander. He was quickly drawn back to the goal that had driven him to this forsaken place.

 

Becoming a Noble of the Death Realm. It was the key to unlocking the secrets of this realm and harnessing its power. 

 

The benefits were too great to ignore: a deeper affinity for the Death Realm's energies and the chance to repair the wear and tear on his soul.

 

In this world, being a noble meant connecting mystically to an area, which could be known as one's domain. Nobles were employed by the realm to sort out its chaotic energy system and create relative order.

 

Norris's thoughts turned to the cost of his rapid promotion, the hidden dangers that lurked beneath the surface. 

 

Like a muscle that had been used to the point of wear and tear, Norris had expanded his soul too fast for his own good. 

 

He could wait for it to heal naturally, but that would take a long time. 

 

Right now, Norris was unable to grow stronger. Mages grow their soul. Which in turn feeds their being. 

 

The Death Realm offered a chance to heal those wounds, to strengthen himself, and to become someone worthy of respect... or fear, maybe?.

 

Norris walked thinking, "I had planned to stay away from adventures. But this chance was too good to miss. The Death Realm, temporally farthest from the material world at this time, offered the perfect opportunity for me to focus on my growth and solve my problems for good. As a Necromancer, staying in this realm I feel like I'm healing faster. Though it might just be my psychological expectations. 

 

Five years in this realm would pass in the blink of an eye back home, a mere day in the material world. It is the perfect opportunity to focus on my growth and become the master of my destiny". Norris shook his head amused, "Master of my destiny? I sound like a Chinese protagonist."

 

As Norris ventured deeper into the Death Realm, he decided to use one of his core spells created by himself that uses the death energy as a ray and sending it out to gather information about his surroundings. "Time to get the lay of the land," he thought to himself. He also prepared an amplification array to help amplify the death radar spell. 

 

However, he soon realized that this spell, which had served him well in the Material Realm, was a grave mistake in the Undead Realm without adjusting. The death energy waves screamed through the realm like a beacon, announcing his presence to every malevolent entity within earshot.

 

"What the...?!" Norris's eyes socket widened in alarm as he felt the attention of the realm's inhabitants focusing on him. "No damn what the, no, " He trailed off, his mind racing with panic.

 

Norris let out a frustrated sigh. "I've used this spell countless times before, but never in a realm like this." He mentally face-palmed. "And yet, I cast it without even checking its properties. Without considering the potential consequences of using it in such a realm. I also had the gall to cast an amplification on the spell. The difference between theory and practical."

 

Norris's self-reproach turned to alarm. He realized the gravity of his mistake. "Now it's not the time to muse. I need to bolt"

 

Then, his instincts kicked in. Norris turned and ran, dashing across the twisted landscape of the Death Realm. He could feel the cold, calculating gaze of his pursuers piercing through the darkness.