Deep within an ancient cave, whose ceiling had for millennia been adorned with massive stalactites reminiscent of Roman ruins, a stifling, oppressive atmosphere reigned. The stale air, tainted by the fumes of mana veins, made the place toxic to all life.
And yet – something lived here. Not literally, but in a grotesque imitation. The bodies of adventurers and stray animals that had once ventured into these tunnels in pursuit of treasure were trapped by the mana bursts. From the darkness, hordes of undead arose – from ordinary skeletons and zombies to more sinister creatures: corpse gatherers, liches, and howling wraiths.
In one of the secluded caverns, a sudden light flared. For a moment, a black-and-blue portal appeared, and from it fell... an ordinary human skeleton. The portal closed immediately, as if nothing had happened.
The bones were smooth, unbroken, only two tiny red dots glowing in the eye sockets. At first glance, nothing unusual. Yet, as the skeleton struggled to lift its head and tried to stand, something in its movements betrayed panic.
"Where... am I?" a voice echoed in his mind. "Why? What... what happened to me?"
The skeleton, as if on reflex, grabbed its skull and shook it. Then it examined its hands, its chest, and... stopped.
"I... don't have...?" He hesitated, then screamed, "Fuck, I don't have a penis?!"
He sat down heavily, leaning against the cave wall. His hands clenched into fists.
"Really? I just had a second date planned... damn! The first one was bad anyway, but at least..." He trailed off. "And now? The skeleton? Really?" I could have hit a goblin, an orc, even a dog! But no! I must be a walking bone suit.
For a moment, he cursed and pounded his fists against the stone wall. He was surprised when a mark was left on the rock.
"Huh?" he muttered. "That's strange... ordinary skeletons don't usually leave marks from blows."
But his anger quickly returned. He struck again with full force.
Crack!
The bone in his forearm cracked, and the lower part of his arm fell off.
"Oh fuck..." he sighed. "It doesn't hurt, but... I seriously overdid it."
Before he could gather his thoughts, a metallic, dispassionate voice echoed through the air:
[System] – [Host has sustained serious injuries. Please cease self-destruction.]
The skeleton's jaw dropped comically.
"I have... System?"
[System] – [Confirmed.]
"Great! Why the hell are you just now saying something?!
[System] – [Reason: Host's emotion level was too high. Notifications about falling HP and the tutorial were ignored. The system waited for the emotions to stabilize.]
— Yeah... okay, I did panic. Hey, System, is my arm repairable?
[System] – [No. The bone was completely destroyed. Recommended: obtain an arm from another skeleton and attach it.]
— Seriously? Ugh, okay. What other options do you have?
[System] – [Available functions: (Status) (Inventory).]
— And no shop?
[System] – [None. Skills are acquired through missions or classes. There's no shop.]
Nero sighed, then smiled bitterly.
— Go ahead, show me Status.
[================================]
[Status: Nero]
Level: 1
Class: None
Race: Skeleton (01/100)
HP: 45.3/60 [regen 0.1/min]
MP: 10/10 [regen 0.01/min]
Strength: 13
Endurance: 6
Dexterity: 3
Intelligence: 18
Wisdom: 10
Charisma: 1
Luck: 10
[=============================]
"Hmm. The stats are weak, but at least I have high intelligence. Charisma? One point... heh, no wonder. A corpse made of bones won't be the king of the ball."
[System] – [The host has the right to choose the first class. Do you want to unlock it?]
— Sure!
A list appeared. Mage. Warrior. Archer. Cleric. Rogue.
— Mage is tempting, but stamina in a skeleton's body is a joke... I'd rather survive longer. I choose Warrior.
[System] – [Subclasses: Berserker, Knight, Paladin, Barbarian, Monk.]
Nero pondered.
— Berserker? No. Knight sounds reasonable, but heavy bone armor? Meh. Barbarian... Yeah, that fits. Strength and speed – that's exactly what I need.
[System] – [Class "Barbarian" selected.]
Nero's bones trembled. They had grown, gained mass, and his frame had become more powerful. He had gained several centimeters in height and now looked much more solid.
=============]
[Status: Nero]
Level: 1
Class: Barbarian (01/100)
Race: Skeleton (01/100)
HP: 86/86
MP: 10/10
Strength: 16 (+3)
Endurance: 10 (+4)
Dexterity: 8 (+5)
Intelligence: 15
Wisdom: 15 (+5)
Charisma: 1
Luck: 10
Skills: (Fast Strike), (Battle Cry)
[=============================]
"Hah! That's better. Now I won't go down from a mere blow... at least "Battle Cry"? How am I supposed to scream if I have no lungs?
[System] – [(Battle Cry) emits a sound comparable to a Banshee's wail. The Host gains +20% to all stats for 3 minutes and applies the Fear effect to weaker enemies.]
"That's fine! But first I need to find a new arm... and a weapon."
After a long walk through the tunnel, he finally came across a pile of broken bones. Among them lay a solid femur, larger than a human's. Nero lifted it, and the inscription above the weapon flashed:
(Orc Femur) – Rank F – +2 Strength, +10% chance to Stun.
"Ooh... perfect. That'll do for now."
With his new "club" in hand, Nero moved further into the cave, ready to test his worth as a newly minted skeleton barbarian.