Instantly, the remaining skeletons turned into a pile of bone dust, succumbing to my power.
"Hooray!" I exclaimed, celebrating my first victory against the monsters.
While I had the ability to eliminate all the undead skeletons using the 'Netherworld Soul Devouring' skill, I chose to defeat at least one with my own hands.
I breathed heavily, feeling the rush of adrenaline coursing through my body. Six F-rank monsters, easily defeated by my skills. It was a thrilling experience for any beginner.
Typically, F-rank players conserved their skills, saving them for challenging situations. However, I was different.
I possessed the 'Undead Army' skill, allowing me to command any undead skeleton in the dungeon.
Suppressing my emotions, I approached the loot left behind after the battle. Among the items, I discovered a glistening [Stat Crystal], smaller than a hen's egg.
Despite its size, it was worth a thousand UMC on the market. I eagerly pocketed my find, ready for the challenges that lay ahead in the dungeon.
...
Two minutes earlier, a prompt appeared before my eyes:
[You have defeated an F-rank undead skeleton]
[It dropped 2 stat crystals, 5 gold coins, and a pile of bones]
In the present...
[Note: Stat crystals will drop according to monster attributes, e.g., a spirit-type monster will drop spirit and intelligence stat crystals. Please read all auxiliary chapters at least once for better understanding.]
They dropped 12 stat crystals, 30 gold coins, and the heap of bones.
I placed all the stat crystals and gold coins into my inventory, though it seems I actually stored them in a storage ring.
I gathered all the bones in one place and utilized my 'Undead Extraction' skill. I converted my mana points into undead energy, using the 'Undead Energy' skill.
An array formed, and all the bones began to assemble into a skeleton as undead energy flowed out of me into the array.
During this process, prompts started to appear before my eyes:
[World System]
[You have supplemented undead energy to the undead skeleton instead of mana points]
[Undead Energy column has been added to your status]
[1 Undead Energy = 5 Mana Points]
[Undead Skeleton rank has been increased by one]
[Undead Extraction has taken effect]
[You can name this monster]
[Named monsters have a chance to grow]
I decided not to name this monster right away, reserving that honor for the 'Boss Monster.' An undead skeleton stood before me, and I checked its stats.
[Undead Skeleton]
Rank: E
– STATS:
Strength: [60/80]
Constitution: [50/80]
Intelligence: [58/80]
Spirit: [40/80]
"Oh, E rank!" I exclaimed, my fingers eagerly tracing the cold bones in excitement.
The skeletal figure also wielded a bone sword, and its high intelligence was apparent; it seemed capable of following commands.
"Protect me if necessary, or hunt down every F rank undead skeleton," I ordered, emboldened by my newfound companion, and ventured deeper into the dungeon.
---
Province IXth
A grand villa came into view, surrounded by meticulously arranged trees and beautiful bushes, covering approximately five acres of land. Within, two men were present: one sitting in a majestic pose and another kneeling.
"Master, the young master of the Carey family, has been located near the F grade Dungeon. Our man has been dispatched to the dungeon," reported the kneeling man.
"Good. If you get the chance, kill him," the master said in a calm tone.
"Yes, master," the man acknowledged before vanishing from the room.
"As long as that person dies, we can control that area," the master murmured, enveloping the room in a heavy silence.
—
Sam's Point of View
10:00 p.m.
"Thank goodness, I've made it home safe and sound. I should inform Uncle before it gets too late," I thought, dialing his number.
"Ding..."
"Call connected."
"Hello, Uncle. I've reached home," I said once the call connected.
"Alright, young master. Rest well," a warm voice reassured me from the other end.
"Okay," I replied, disconnecting the call.
As I hung up, my mind wandered back to my childhood.
Uncle had been my pillar of support, my father, mother, and everything in between.
I had lost so much in my early years, but Uncle had given me the warmth of family.
He had cared for me, shielding me from the harshness of the world, managing our family business for 13 years after my dad's death.
The tears welled up unexpectedly, a testament to the sacrifices Uncle had made for us.
I had learned about these details unexpectedly, inside the dungeon, during a chance encounter four hours prior.
—
Flashback starts
In the F grade Undead Dungeon
I had slain six undead skeletons, accumulating 12 stat crystals, 30 gold coins, and an E rank skeleton. Together, the E rank skeleton and I moved deeper into the dungeon.
In a mere two hours, we defeated a hundred undead skeletons and an F+ rank boss skeleton.
After each battle, I utilized 'Undead Extraction,' forming a formidable army of 20 E rank skeletons.
I maintained my strength by meditating, restoring my mana points at every opportunity, and gained exceptional loot throughout our battles.
[You have slained 101 undead skeleton]
[You have 200 stat crystals, 505 gold coins]
[You have extracted 20 E rank skeleton with undead energy]
I had increased my skill proficiencies; both 'Undead Preservation' and 'Undead Energy' had elevated by one grade.
['Undead Preservation' skill reached E grade]
[The number of preserved undead had increased from 10 to 20]
['Undead Energy' skill reached E grade]
[Mana cost reduced from 5 Mana points - 1 Undead Energy to 4.5 Mana points - 1 Undead Energy]
After a fruitful hunt in the 'F grade Dungeon,' I stood at the entrance of the second floor, having cleared the first floor.
Pleased with my gains, I decided to invest in my intelligence and spirit using stat crystals.
Leaving only one skeleton out of 'Undead Preservation,' I immersed myself in my thoughts.
Suddenly, an arrow came hurtling towards me, and I barely managed to dodge it.
I swiftly turned my head to find 20 E rank players, their conversation filling me with dread.