The rusted greatsword descended like a falling guillotine.
Kang-woo threw himself into the dirt, the blade whistling inches above his spine. The impact didn't just crack the floor—it sent a shockwave that rattled his teeth. This wasn't the clumsy power of an Ogre. This was the refined, lethal precision of a warrior.
[Remaining Health: 45%][Warning: Physical exhaustion is reaching critical levels.]
The Broken Soldier didn't pause. It spun, the heavy armor clanking with a cold, metallic rhythm. The blue flames in its eyes burned brighter, mocking him.
I made this thing, Kang-woo realized, his breath coming in ragged gasps. It's my power, yet it wants to tear me apart.
"You're... just a pile of bones," Kang-woo spat, wiping the grime from his mouth.
The skeleton lunged. A thrust.
Kang-woo parried with his notched short sword. The force nearly snapped his wrist. He was pushed back five feet, his boots carving furrows in the cave floor. His iron sword screamed—a hairline fracture appeared near the hilt.
He couldn't win a test of strength. He was a Level 2 novice fighting a nightmare.
[Emergency Quest: Prove Your Worth][Condition: Subdue the Broken Soldier.][Penalty for Failure: Soul Assimilation (Death).]
The skeleton raised all four of its arms. Two gripped the greatsword, while the other two reached out like claws. It moved with a terrifying, jerky speed, closing the distance in a single leap.
Kang-woo didn't retreat this time. He dropped his sword.
"Harvest," he whispered.
[Cost: 20% of current Health.][Remaining Health: 25%]
His vision turned gray for a split second. A sharp, stabbing pain erupted in his chest as his own life force was stripped away to fuel the skill. Black tendrils erupted from his fingertips, snaking toward the skeleton.
The Broken Soldier swiped at the tendrils. The black mist dissolved upon contact with the skeleton's armor, failing to find flesh to wither.
"No blood... no meat," Kang-woo hissed. "Fine."
The skeleton's clawed hand gripped Kang-woo's shoulder. The finger bones dug deep into his collarbone, drawing blood. Kang-woo didn't flinch. Instead, he grabbed the skeleton's wrist with both hands.
"If I can't harvest your life, I'll harvest your structure!"
[Skill: 'Harvest'—Targeting Necrotic Core.]
The skeleton froze. The blue flames in its eyes flickered violently.
The 'Harvest' skill, designed to drain the living, began to reverse the flow of mana that held the bones together. It was like trying to drink through a straw made of sandpaper. The dark energy felt cold, jagged, and ancient.
Kang-woo's skin began to pale. His veins turned a bruised black, visible through his skin.
[Warning: Overloading Mana Circuits!][Your body cannot sustain the 'Unstable Dead's' energy.]
The skeleton roared—a silent, vibrating scream that echoed in Kang-woo's mind. It raised its greatsword for a final blow.
"Break!" Kang-woo roared back.
He didn't pull the energy into himself. He jammed the chaotic, harvested mana back into the skeleton's ribcage, focusing it all on a single point: the glowing core in its chest.
CRACK.
The explosion of mana threw them both apart. The skeleton slammed into the cave wall, its four arms flailing. Its chest plate was shattered, revealing a pulsing violet gem cracked in the center.
Kang-woo crawled toward it, dragging his deadened legs. He reached the skeleton just as it tried to rise. He didn't use a weapon. He jammed his thumb into the crack of the violet gem.
"Yield," Kang-woo commanded, his voice cold and devoid of emotion. "Or I'll grind your core into dust and swallow it."
The skeleton stopped. The greatsword fell to the floor with a heavy thud. The blue flames dimmed, then turned into a submissive, pale purple.
[Quest Complete.][The 'Broken Soldier' has recognized your 'Ruthlessness'.][Loyalty established: 40% (Unstable)]
Kang-woo collapsed against the skeleton's ribs, his heart hammering a frantic rhythm. He was alive. But the price was visible. A streak of his hair, right above his forehead, had turned snow-white.
[Level Up!][Level Up!][Current Level: 4]
He looked at his trembling hands. He had gained levels, but he felt weaker than ever. The 'Necrotic Butcher' wasn't a class that made you a god; it was a class that slowly ate you alive.
"Hey! Is anyone left?"
A voice echoed from the tunnel entrance. It was Park—the party leader who had left him to die. He was coming back, likely to check if the Ogre had moved on so he could scavenge the remains.
Kang-woo looked at the Broken Soldier. The skeleton stood up, its four arms awaiting a command.
"Hide in the shadows," Kang-woo ordered.
The skeleton dissolved into black smoke, sinking into Kang-woo's own shadow.
Park stepped into the clearing, his eyes widening as he saw the shriveled remains of the Ogre. Then, he saw Kang-woo sitting in the blood-soaked dirt.
"Kang-woo? You're alive?" Park's eyes darted to the Ogre's corpse, then back to Kang-woo. A greedy glint appeared in his gaze. "How did you... wait. Did a rare item drop? Is that how you killed it?"
Park drew his dagger, walking toward the exhausted Kang-woo with a thin, predatory smile. "Hand it over, kid. A useless G-rank like you doesn't deserve a treasure like that."
Kang-woo didn't move. He didn't even look up.
"Park," Kang-woo said softly. "Do you know what happens to those who are harvested?"
"What are you blabbering about? Give me the loot!"
Park lunged.
Kang-woo didn't reach for his sword. He simply pointed a finger at Park's shadow.
"Kill him."