Zhao Lun suddenly felt that his days had been downright miserable. When he came here, he had burned through all his mental energy, practically crawling the whole way. And now, on his way back, he was in just as sorry a state.
Lying on a crudely made stretcher, Zhao Lun clutched his skull tightly, using every ounce of willpower to suppress the breakthrough that could happen at any moment. For the first time, he realized just how troublesome a breakthrough could be.
Honestly, it was all his own fault for being too particular about things. What was so bad about just letting it happen? Why insist on holding it back? But no—this stubborn guy was convinced that if he waited until he had more energy, breaking through would make him much stronger than doing it now. And with that idea fixed firmly in his head, he would rather suffer himself half to death than break through anywhere other than at his own territory's altar.
He was so stuck in this mental dead end that he was practically delirious. Was it really necessary to rush home? If he needed energy, couldn't he just send his subordinates to hunt down some skeletal mages?
That idea, sadly, didn't occur to him until he was almost back at his altar. But by then, he had already endured two or three solid hours of suppression. After such a long and grueling trek home, his entire skeleton felt like it was about to fall apart. The moment he arrived, having pushed his endurance past the limit several times over, Zhao Lun let out a heart-tearing roar:
"Olis! Bring me all the Soul Fires—now!"
The instant the words left his mouth, the white light began to bloom from his bones, and Zhao Lun could no longer hold back. The dazzling brilliance caught Olis completely off guard—what was going on? The master had been away for such a long time, only to return and demand the Soul Fires?
Fortunately, Olis was quick-witted. He didn't waste time thinking about it. In a flash, he activated Assault, dropping his greatsword and bone shield mid-stride, scooping Zhao Lun up in his arms, and charging toward the storage of skeletal mage Soul Fires. Without the slightest gentleness, he tossed Zhao Lun straight into the pile. From start to finish, the entire maneuver took barely three seconds.
Just as Olis was stepping forward to grab a Soul Fire for Zhao Lun, his skeletal frame suddenly jerked to a halt. In the next instant, he leapt backward.
Thud!
A dark gray bone spear struck the ground exactly where Olis had been standing. Gripping the spear was none other than Felis, who had just been watching blankly as Olis carried Zhao Lun away.
Felis glared icily at Olis. He'd never liked this self-important skeleton who presumed to handle his master. If not for the fact that Olis carried a similar aura to his own, that spear would have gone straight for Olis's skull.
But if Felis disliked Olis, Olis disliked Felis even more. He was only carrying out his master's orders, yet this blackened skeleton had dared to attack him. And worse—it had delayed him from fulfilling the master's command. That was something Olis could never forgive. He shot Felis a savage look, wondering if he should just kill him outright. But his concern for his master came first. He glanced toward the skeletal pile—then relaxed slightly.
The throw had been strong, and skeletal mage bones were naturally brittle. Zhao Lun's landing had smashed over a dozen skulls, and their Soul Fires, drawn by the white light radiating from him, were already streaming into his own. That solved one problem at least. With his mind eased, Olis turned his gaze back to Felis.
"Obstruct… master's… orders… Olis… will punish you!"
With that simple, direct thought, Olis backed up to where he had dropped his weapons, snatched them up, and leveled his greatsword at Felis. The two mutated-level skeletons were moments away from clashing.
Meanwhile, perhaps because he had been suppressing it for so long, Zhao Lun's breakthrough was exploding with power far beyond anything he'd imagined. His Soul Fire and every part of his bones surged with terrifying energy, as if trying to shatter some invisible shackle.
Crack!
His Soul Fire cleared, and he slipped into a half-sleep state, utterly unaware of the outside world. His body's only reaction was to blaze with white light, relentlessly devouring Soul Fires. At first, it was just the dozen or so he'd smashed upon landing. But once those were consumed, the intact Soul Fires in the other skulls began to suffer the same fate. Under the lure of the white glow, they floated out one by one and were drawn into Zhao Lun's Soul Fire, then into his very bones, swallowed completely by the unconscious skeleton.
This sudden change startled both skeletons on the verge of battle. Olis reacted instantly, activating Piercing Thrust. With speed boosted to terrifying levels, he bypassed Felis's defenses in a blink and stood beside Zhao Lun, watching the mutation anxiously.
Felis, who was always a beat slow to react, froze for a moment—then his fury erupted. With a sweep of his spear, gray bone gleaming with murderous intent, he truly meant to kill this time. How dare Olis approach his master again and again? That was an insult Felis would not tolerate.
Olis noticed his move and swung his greatsword toward Felis in turn. Clearly, the dislike was mutual. He'd been holding back for a while, but enough was enough—this inexplicable skeleton had no right to bar him from his master.
"Two mutated-level skeletons at level four? Is that all the first altar-builder can muster? How disappointing."
A brash, arrogant voice cut through the tension. Along with it came another skeleton—a skeleton unlike any other.
The arrival of this new presence halted the imminent clash. Both combatants turned toward the intruder. In that instant, an intense sense of danger surged through both Olis and Felis. Without hesitation, Olis stepped forward, putting himself between the newcomer and Zhao Lun.
"Protect… master…"
At his command, the six hundred-odd skeletons Zhao Lun had left behind clicked into motion, abandoning their posts around the altar and forming a tight wall around the mutating Zhao Lun.