The spear was never a weapon meant for defense. Its style had always been attack, attack, and more attack!
As a spear-wielding skeleton, Felis understood this better than anyone else. So when the greatsword skeleton lunged at him, his response came without a moment's hesitation.
"Thrust!"
Bending his legs, his sole remaining skeletal hand gripped the spear tight. Eyes locked on his opponent, Felis shot forward, unleashing his signature move.
Felis's "Thrust" was very similar to Orlis's "Charge," yet completely different. Orlis's "Charge" emphasized agility and dexterity, while Felis's "Thrust" was about speed and relentless, unwavering commitment. Each had its merits, but in sheer power, Felis's "Thrust" was unquestionably stronger.
The greatsword skeleton clearly knew the strike's deadly force—it couldn't be taken head-on. Instinctively, it chose to evade. But in truth, the most foolish choice when fighting a spear-wielder wasn't to clash head-on—it was to retreat. The greatsword skeleton realized this mistake almost immediately.
Though it dodged the initial "Thrust," it was quickly caught in Felis's unyielding follow-up attacks. The rhythm was tight, the strikes relentless, and before long, the greatsword skeleton found itself in the awkward position of struggling to break free.
"Damn insect! This is pointless resistance! I swear—I swear I'll tear you apart piece by piece, grind every bone in your body to dust!"
Felis said nothing. His attacks only grew fiercer, each wave more frenzied than the last. It was a madness—a I'll cripple you even if it kills me kind of madness. And it was that madness that allowed Felis to suppress the greatsword skeleton, if only for a short time.
If he still had both hands, perhaps he could have maintained that pressure longer. But with only one, being able to suppress the greatsword skeleton at all was already impressive.
Crack!
Sure enough, Felis's assault didn't last long before the greatsword skeleton found an opening, locking Felis's spear in place.
"How's that, insect? Time for my turn, don't you think?"
With that, it smashed a kick into Felis's ribs, sending him staggering backward. In two swift strides, the greatsword skeleton closed in, swung its blade down, and hacked off Felis's last remaining arm.
"How's that? Still feeling tough now?" It kicked Felis to the ground again, planting a foot on him in dominance.
"Shoot!"
Felis's soul-flames flared in fury. At his command, the hundred skeleton archers who had been watching from the side released their captives, drew their bows, and fired at both the greatsword skeleton and the fallen Felis.
Whoosh, whoosh…
The air was filled with the sound of arrows cutting through it—over a hundred bone arrows streaked in, a white blur that made even the greatsword skeleton pause for an instant.
"Damn it—I forgot about this trick!"
Its reaction was swift. Raising its greatsword to shield its head, it charged toward the skeleton archers. "Annoying pests! Die!"
Skeletons were easy to kill—if you shattered their soul-fire. Without that, even the strongest blows could be meaningless.
Now, shielding its soul-fire, the greatsword skeleton ignored the storm of bone arrows. Head lowered, it barreled forward. In barely ten seconds, it smashed into the archer formation.
And from there—there was nothing to say.
A Level 5 greatsword skeleton versus a mob of Level 3 archers? It was a massacre. They didn't stand a chance—especially since this one wasn't just any Level 5. Judging by how easily it beat Felis, it was at least elite-tier.
In less than three minutes, the once-competent hundred-strong archer squad was wiped out.
Back in the territory, Zhao Lun was training when the system alert jolted him.
"What? Three minutes? A hundred skeleton archers gone? Whose squad was it—Felis or Orlis's?" His soul-flames flared as he rushed to the altar, checking the map of the fallen archers.
"Felis! Damn it—how is it him? What's his condition?" For once, Zhao Lun's voice carried rare urgency. "No… I have to go now."
He jumped down from the altar, summoning his elite skeleton warriors. This wasn't the time to guard the altar—he gave the four hundred defenders a death-hold order and was about to march out.
"No… too late if I go. Orlis—yes, I'll send Orlis!" Zhao Lun spun on his heel, dashing back to the altar.
Meanwhile—
Having finished slaughtering the archers, the greatsword skeleton strolled toward Felis, kicked away the half-repaired arm he'd been working on, and said, "Well? Little skeleton—any tricks left?"
Felis kicked at him.
Crack.
But the one sent flying was Felis himself.
"In this state, you still resist?" The greatsword skeleton walked over again, planted a foot on Felis's skull, and slowly pressed down. "I hate your kind the most. Pathetic, stubborn, fearless, unrepentant skeletons who don't know their place. You don't deserve to exist in the underworld at all."
"You… are the same…"
Crack. Another kick cut him off mid-sentence.
The greatsword skeleton crouched, looking Felis in the eyes. "I'm the same? The same as what? The same as a skeleton?"
"That's right. I used to say the same thing—I thought I was fearless, that I didn't care about death."
"But there's a condition—you need a master. A master who won't abandon you to die. Do you understand, 'Lord'?"
It lifted Felis, staring straight into his soul-flames, enunciating each word. But clearly… there had been a misunderstanding.