Snapping off another rib, he shaped it into a bone sword.Without hesitation, he surged toward the two remaining tanks.
The battle had scarcely lasted half a minute; from a five-person squad, only the two tanks remained.From the moment the skeletons appeared until now, everything had unfolded with dizzying swiftness, as if a mere blink had erased the lives of his companions.
This was the price of underestimating one's enemy—and there would be no lesson learned.
The two tanks could only watch in horror as the skeleton's grotesque visage loomed ever closer.Amid the whirlwind of alternating spells, a chilling sensation ran through their necks; life left them entirely.
[Notification: Killed Heavy Armor Warrior lv12, Experience +200]
With the last tank dispatched, Lixuman withdrew the sword from the swordsman's neck, restoring it to its rib form and reconnecting it.He stripped the fallen swordsman of his leather armor and cloak, donned them, and plunged headlong into the forest, running with wild abandon.
Freedom… freedom.
His pallid skeletal hands gripped the bone sword, and with his facial bones, he greedily inhaled the forest air.Though he had no sense of smell, the earthy fragrance of the soil seemed almost tangible.
He ran, and ran, the forest blurring around him.Pushing [Agility] to its limits, he felt the increased constitution had bolstered his stamina—or perhaps, as a skeleton, his "bone-strength."
As he pressed forward, he discovered a hollow in the forest floor.Like a crater, the freshly overturned soil stood out starkly.At the center lay a massive white object.
The shape seemed familiar…Wait—this wasn't a rock.It was Pound's horn, severed by the purple-armored warrior.
He had to leave quickly. Who knew if Pound had a penchant for collecting lost teeth, or if he might return to reclaim the horn?
But—this horn…Could it be installed?
Pound's horn was far more robust than any limb from a low-tier skeleton.Lixuman stared at it, considering the possibilities.Though the system and proportions might not perfectly align, even partial integration would be a boon.
The more he contemplated, the more feasible it seemed.If he fused with the horn, the exhilaration of such power would be unmatched.
Resolving his plan, Lixuman approached the horn, pressing his skull against it.Activating [Bone Manipulation], his skull gradually fused with the horn, merging seamlessly.
[Notification: Acquired Skill, Wind Magic lv1][Acquired Skill, Bone Growth lv1][Acquired Skill, Bone Wings lv1][New Evolution Path Unlocked: Low-tier Half-Dragon Skeleton]
Low-tier Half-Dragon Skeleton: A unique skeleton transformed from a half-dragon's remains; endowed with the might of a dragon, a born warrior, capable of wielding a limited fraction of dragonic magic; maximum level lv30.[Wind Magic lv1, Fire Magic lv1, Earth Magic lv1, Water Magic lv1 consolidated into Elemental Magic lv1]
Three skills and a new evolution path—simultaneously acquired.
But he couldn't carry the horn with him.Its sheer size made it immovable; attempting to sever a piece was impossible.The horn's hardness—fallen from a lv70+ bone dragon—was beyond his capacity to cut.
A spark of inspiration ignited in Lixuman's mind.If the horn became part of him through evolution, could it be considered a component of his own body, evolving alongside him?
The notion seemed increasingly plausible.Could he be, perhaps, a legendary prodigy?
Attaching his skull to the horn, he consulted the evolution options on his panel.The sheer number of available paths made the choice daunting.He had long desired to evolve into an Elemental Skeleton—adapted to all elemental magic, capable of casting without incantation.After all, skeletons could not learn faith-based spells, only elemental or necromantic magic.An Elemental Skeleton would be a dream come true.
[Acquired Skill: Wind Magic lv1, New Evolution Path Unlocked: Low-tier Sky Skeleton]Low-tier Sky Skeleton: A wandering skeleton of the skies, master of the air's mysteries, wielding the power of wind, a dangerous assailant from above.[Within Evolution Paths, Low-tier Fire, Ocean, Earth, and Sky Skeletons consolidate into Low-tier Elemental Skeleton]
Low-tier Elemental Skeleton: Master of four elements, adept at all elemental magics without incantation; a perilous magical skeleton, maximum level lv20.
Rows of text flickered incessantly across the panel, catching Lixuman's attention for the first time.
"Could I truly evolve into an Elemental Skeleton?"
The maximum level was modest, but with incantation-free mastery, that mattered little.
Resolute, he chose the Elemental Skeleton evolution.In an instant, flames of four colors surged from his soul-fire, sweeping through his skeletal frame.Within his bones, the colors blossomed, fusing joints and limbs into flawless unity.The bulging mass atop his skull, where Pound's horn had merged, contracted gradually, defying intuition.
When the horn was fully assimilated, his aura and flames slowly subsided.
At last, the gray occupation slot illuminated.As an Elemental Skeleton, he selected Elemental Mage—wasting no time.
Elemental Mage: with each level gained, bonus attribute points, +1 Spirit, +1 Constitution.
The moment he chose his profession, the panel's data surged, experience and levels fluctuating violently, accumulated experience propelling him forward.
[Name] Lixuman Pound[Race] Low-tier Elemental Skeleton[Level] lv13/lv20 (max lv20)[Class] Elemental Mage[Strength] 11/30[Constitution] 15/30[Spirit] 13/30[Free Attribute Points] 3[Evolution Requirement] Maximum Strength, Constitution, Spirit for racial evolution[Skills] Bone Manipulation lv2, Identification lv2, Elemental Magic lv2, Elemental Resistance lv1, Agility lv1, Stealth lv1, Super Strength lv1, Swordsmanship lv1, Bone Wings lv1, Bone Growth lv1[Status] Bone Deterioration[Experience] 200/2500[Description] A cunning, dangerous skeleton, versatile, adept at disguise and elemental magic; underestimating him is fatal. Trust him in nothing.
The panel's description seemed to refresh dynamically, reflecting his deeds…