[Congratulations! Evolution successful!]
[New Class: Skeleton Warrior]
[Status updated…]
Noir narrowed his eyes (if it could be called that), watching the long notification that appeared in the air before him.
[Name: Noir Valenhardt]
[Race: Undead]
[Class: Skeleton Warrior]
[Level: 15]
[HP: 1,280/1,280]
[MP: 300/300]
[STR (Strength): 94]
[AGI (Agility): 107]
[VIT (Vitality): 88]
[DEX (Dexterity): 52]
[LUK (Luck): 1]
EXP: 0/1000 (Next Level)
Remaining Stat Points: 0
[New Skills Acquired!]
[Bone Guard (Passive)] – Your bones become stronger and more flexible. Reduces all physical damage taken by 10%.
[Warrior Instinct (Passive)] – Grants increased accuracy and attack speed when fighting more than one enemy. Bonus increases with the number of surrounding enemies.
[Savage Leap] – Leap toward the enemy and slam the ground with brutal force. Deals area damage and applies a light stun effect.
[Bone Cleave] – A horizontal slash enhanced with death energy. Has a chance to inflict Bleed on hit enemies.
Noir was silent. Not out of disappointment, but awe. His entire body creaked and trembled as his bones thickened and lengthened. His sword—previously plain—trembled, responding to the shift in his aura.
His bone armor grew denser, and a faint dark aura began to surround his body. Purple light glowed from within his eye sockets.
He had become stronger.
"I feel… more alive than before," Noir chuckled quietly, ironic considering he was undead.
He clenched his fist. His power had grown immensely. His leaps were higher. His reflexes sharper. And most importantly, there was no fear.
"Noir Valenhardt," he muttered to himself. "Now I'm truly a warrior… and I will kill all of you who betrayed me." He said it with conviction.
From beyond the thin mist of the corridor, a deep roar echoed. Not like the sound of Rotclaw. Heavier. Deeper. More terrifying.
Thud… thud… thud…
Heavy footsteps shook the floor. From the darkness emerged a massive black-furred beast with glowing yellow eyes. Its breath like poisonous smoke. Its tongue long—the same one he saw tear apart a Goblin's body with a single lash.
[Hound of the Abyss – Lv. 30]
"So, you've awakened too, huh?" Noir lowered his stance. Battle aura flowed through every inch of his skeletal frame.
The monster growled, baring huge fangs with drool dripping down. A small notification appeared:
[Mini Boss has awakened. Defeating it may drop Rare – High items]
[Warning: Death means loss of half EXP and possible permanent bone damage.]
Noir ignored the warning. He stepped forward. He had been waiting for this opportunity, even if it came a bit earlier than expected.
"So you only respond to strong opponents, huh?" Noir said.
The Hound of the Abyss roared and lunged.
And the battle began.
***
Noir leapt back, blocking the Hound of the Abyss's attack. His body was pushed back several meters, but he didn't flinch.
The purple glow in his eyes blazed brighter. A sign that Noir was excited.
"Come on!" challenged Noir.
The Hound of the Abyss opened its mouth. A sphere of dark magic energy formed in front of it. Noir had already braced himself.
"That's not covered by 'Bone Guard.'"
Noir looked back. Behind him was only a wall. It turned out he had been cornered by the Hound of the Abyss before it launched its attack.
"You're sly, you naughty dog."
ZRAAAAK!!
That black beam shot like lightning toward Noir. He leapt left, trying to dodge. But he didn't pull back his arm in time.
The attack obliterated Noir's left arm. He felt no pain, but… he had lost an arm. This wasn't a good start.
[HP -280]
"Ugh… Damn." Noir gritted his teeth.
That last hit shaved off a good portion of his HP.
Before Noir could prepare himself, the dark figure was already in front of him and lunged. The Hound of the Abyss slammed Noir's body with its foreleg.
BAAAM!!
Its right claw struck Noir's chest. The sound of metal and bone clashing echoed. Noir was thrown, his body hitting the ground hard, several bones cracking.
[HP -86]
Noir hissed. Several ribs on his left side were fractured, his right collarbone nearly broken. But he forced himself up, though one knee was already shaking.
"You really have no chill, huh? Fine then," said Noir seriously.
"You like it rough, huh?" he muttered, raising his sword. Well, more accurately, the sword he picked up. "But I'm… too damn stubborn to die now."
The Hound of the Abyss howled again, then charged once more. This time faster, more ferocious. Three claw shadows slashed from left, right, and front simultaneously. Noir twisted his body and parried with his sword.
Baam!
He was knocked back again, but he had managed to block two attacks. The Hound of the Abyss didn't give him any breathing room.
It was already in front of Noir again. But instead of fear, Noir smiled.
"You walked into my trap, idiot!" he said.
[Savage Leap]
Noir jumped and slammed the ground. The earth trembled as the skill activated. The Hound of the Abyss was stunned briefly.
"My turn!" he shouted.
[Bone Cleave]
Noir slashed horizontally. His sword glowed with a purple aura—death energy from the undead.
The Hound of the Abyss couldn't dodge, stunned in place.
Slash!
The slash hit the Hound's neck. Blood poured from the wound, but it didn't kill it.
Its flesh was thick. Noir immediately jumped back. At the same time, the Hound swiped at him.
"I've memorized your attack patterns," said Noir.
He was a former hero and had once defeated the Demon King. Fighting a level 30 monster wasn't terrifying to him, even now as a level 15 skeleton.
His experience as a sword hero was in his head. That was the real cheat.
"The Demon King cursed me to suffer. But he forgot… I'm the one who defeated him," said Noir confidently.
The Hound of the Abyss lunged again, attacking—but Noir dodged it with ease.
He even managed to slash at the beast again.
Slash!
Once more, the Hound was wounded. Noir's choice of the Skeleton Warrior class had proven the right one.
He had the advantage thanks to his [Bone Guard] skill, which reduced all physical damage by 10%. He only needed to dodge magic attacks. That made things slightly easier.
The Hound of the Abyss roared in rage. Its muscular, shadowy body now covered in purple wounds steaming with death energy. Its eyes burned with hatred—but also… caution.
The Hound leapt back, trying to gain distance. But Noir wouldn't allow it.
"What now? Scared?" asked Noir, his voice cold as death. "Too bad. I show no mercy."
Noir leapt forward, his lightweight frame shooting like a bullet. He raised his sword high.
He jumped.
[Skill Chain: Savage Leap + Bone Cleave]
As he descended, he slammed the ground with force. Purple aura engulfed his blade—denser, darker, sharper than before.
BOOOOOM!!
The ground trembled violently as his attack struck the Hound of the Abyss with full power. The sound of bone and flesh tearing echoed horribly. Dark blood gushed like a fountain.
One second...
Two seconds...
The Hound of the Abyss froze. Noir immediately followed with another slash—targeting the same wound.
Slash!
It struck the Hound's neck again.
The Hound of the Abyss stood frozen—then slowly, its massive body collapsed to the ground, shaking the area with a heavy thud.
The Hound of the Abyss never imagined it would be defeated by the skeleton it had once underestimated.
[Mini Boss defeated!]
[+23,300 EXP]
[Item Drop: Hound of the Abyss Core (Rare), Fang of the Abyss (Rare Weapon)]
[Level Up! Lv. 15 → Lv. 17]
[+6 Stat Points]