I threw the knife, aiming straight for the skeleton's skull. After all, a killer always strikes first.
But it didn't hit.
The skeleton merely raised its rod, and the earth erupted upward—forming a thick wall that shielded it completely.
I darted toward the wall at full speed, grabbing the knife mid-run and using it as a platform to launch myself into the air. I reached for another knife, ready to throw it mid-air, but—
'Where did it go?'
It was nowhere in sight.
Until—
Instinct screamed.
I twisted in the air. A deadly spike of earth whistled past my face, narrowly missing me.
I hurled a knife in the direction it came from—but the skeleton was gone.
The blade clattered against stone, and before I could recover, a boot slammed into my stomach with brutal force. The impact cracked the air—and possibly my ribs—as I was sent flying into the wall.
My body, still made of porcelain, should've shattered completely. But somehow, I endured. The only explanation was that it was due to [Syphon] having strengthened my body.
Groaning, I stood and dusted myself off.
"Time to get seri—"
A fireball tore through the air.
Too fast to dodge.
It hit me squarely in the chest... and yet—
"Now, now, no need to be hasty," I muttered, unfazed, standing amidst the fire.
The flames curled around my porcelain body, licking it harmlessly.
Why?
"[Fire Companion]... guess it did come in handy."
With this skill, not even hellfire could burn me. What a pleasant surprise.
I raised my hand and absorbed the flames, condensing them into a small burning sphere before throwing it at the skeleton. As it expanded mid-air—
He vanished again, reappearing a fair distance away from the flaming blast.
"Tch. Annoying."
Time to change tactics.
I split the ball of fire into dozens of smaller orbs, each humming with power. They shot toward him in every direction, searing the floor as they passed. He teleported—no, vanished—over and over, dodging every single one.
It was either teleportation… or speed beyond my perception.
Either way, I needed to find a way to counter it.
The skeleton now stood atop the spike it had created earlier, balancing on the tip. Its hollow eyes locked onto me.
Then—he raised his hand.
It disappeared into the air in front of him, like he was plunging it into an invisible portal.
Shatter.
I looked down.
A hand. Through my chest.
My body stiffened.
The hand retracted as quickly as it came. I stumbled forward, coughing in disbelief.
'What… what just happened?'
He reached through space itself? Thrusting his arm into a rift and stabbing me from behind?
But I couldn't waste time figuring it out.
Above him, another array of earth spikes formed, shooting toward me like arrows. I ducked, rolled, and maneuvered through the volley while hurling my last knife.
He vanished again—dodged.
Of course he did.
Fine.
If I couldn't hit where he was… I'd make him appear where I wanted.
I activated [Poisonous Release], filling the entire room with toxic mist—and then—
Boom.
An explosion detonated behind him. Then another. And another.
They continued in rapid succession.
A chain of explosions erupted all around the area behind him. Flames from
[Fire Companion] hadn't dispersed—they had lingered across the floor, waiting for my command. Now they ignited one after another, creating a kill zone no one could pass through unharmed.
The skeleton was no exception.
Cracks began forming across its brittle bones. That body must've been ancient, and under this kind of heat, it wouldn't last long.
And neither would I.
I was a porcelain doll, after all.
Still… it was time to do what every killer does—
Kill.
I pulled out shards of glass and bloodstained needles, humming London Bridge Is Falling Down under my breath.
With a flick of my wrist, I sent the projectiles slicing through the air. The skeleton dodged.
I threw more.
And more.
Dodged. Dodged. Dodged again.
It became a game of predator and prey. Dodge and throw. Whoever struck first—won.
Eventually, I was down to three needles.
But I was confident.
Just one of the next three would be enough.
As I dodged and attacked, I also counted the time between each of his vanishes.
Exactly one second.
My projectiles took about one second and thirty milliseconds to reach him.
Too slow.
To win—I needed to close that thirty-millisecond gap.
The only way to do that was by using [Sound Manipulation]... on myself.
Dangerous. Reckless. Potentially suicidal.
But for one second... I could endure it.
I activated it. My body vibrated violently, power surging through every porcelain joint. The world slowed, not from time, but from my perception—the vibrations of everything echoed through me.
I threw the first needle.
Then the second.
Held the third for just a heartbeat—then threw.
I deactivated [Sound Manipulation].
The first needle flew. Missed.
The second shot toward his skull—
It should've hit.
But he vanished.
And reappeared beside me.
Was my plan a failure?
No.
Even this... was part of my strategy. The reason I briefly held onto the third needle was exactly for this very reason. There was no way he would be able to dodge the third meaning he would need to teleport to some other space. Although I didn't exactly know which space I was confident that I would reach it.
I reactivated [Sound Manipulation] and appeared in front of him in a blur, grabbed his skull, and slammed it into the ground with every ounce of strength I had.
The earth cracked.
His skull shattered.
His body stopped moving.
Dead.
[Skill: [Extra Dimension] acquired]
[Skill: [Teleportation] acquired]
[Skill: [Argus Sight] acquired]
[Skill: [Revert] acquired]
Crack.
"...ah… damnit…"
My body began to splinter.
A hole through my chest, a broken arm, and the strain of [Sound Manipulation]—I had pushed this vessel to its absolute limit.
"Ahh~ I think… the time to meet death… has finally arrived."
'And this damn headache… just had to pester me to the end, huh.'
[Syphon] might've healed me, but my body wouldn't move. It wouldn't respond.
This was it.
The end of a Death Doll... I died.
[All conditions for evolution have been fulfilled]
[Universal Law: All that evolves must choose]
[Do you wish to evolve? Or do you choose death?]
[Yes/No]