The Skeleton Guard moved.
Slow.
Heavy.
Each step sent a dull vibration through the dungeon floor, as if the stone itself acknowledged its presence. Rusty armor plates clattered against thick bones, and the corroded sword dragged behind it, carving shallow grooves into the ground.
The Level F skeleton did not move.
He observed.
Analyzed.
In Eternal Dominion, Rank E skeletons were considered low-level elites. They were still weak compared to real threats, but against fodder mobs, they were executioners.
Twice the strength.
Better bone density.
Basic equipment.
And most importantly—
No fear.
The guard's empty eye sockets burned with a faint red glow as it locked onto him. There was no hesitation, no curiosity. Only a single directive.
Eliminate.
[ENEMY: Skeleton Guard]
Rank: E
Level: 3
"…Level three."
The gap was brutal.
His HP hovered at 9/12.
Bone Integrity had dropped to 31% even after absorption.
One clean hit from that sword could shatter him completely.
Running?
Useless.
The corridor behind him narrowed into a dead end. Even if he escaped now, the guard would track him. Undead did not tire. They did not lose interest.
Then I fight.
The guard raised its sword.
And swung.
The blade moved faster than expected.
The skeleton twisted at the last second. Rust scraped across his ribcage, tearing loose two ribs in a spray of bone fragments.
[HP -3]
[Bone Integrity -4%]
Pain roared through his entire structure, a violent tremor threatening collapse.
But he stayed upright.
He lunged forward instead of retreating.
The guard didn't react in time.
His hands snapped shut around the guard's sword arm.
Bone Grip activated.
A faint blue glow pulsed around his fingers.
He felt it clearly—his grip locking unnaturally tight, joints aligning perfectly to apply pressure where bone was weakest.
Crack.
The guard's wrist fractured.
The sword fell.
It clattered uselessly across the floor.
The guard didn't scream.
It headbutted him instead.
Bone met bone.
The impact shattered his nasal ridge and sent him flying backward into the wall.
[HP -2]
[WARNING: Structural instability detected]
He slid down the stone, vision flickering.
HP dropped to 4.
Too close.
The guard retrieved its sword with its unbroken hand and advanced again, movements now more aggressive.
It had identified him as a threat.
Good.
Threats were treated seriously.
He forced himself to stand.
His left leg shook violently, fractures spreading.
He couldn't win a direct exchange.
So he changed tactics.
When the guard swung again, he didn't dodge backward.
He stepped inside the swing.
The blade scraped across his shoulder, slicing through bone and sending fragments spinning.
[HP -1]
But he was close now.
Close enough to wrap both arms around the guard's torso.
They crashed to the ground together.
The guard tried to rise.
He didn't let it.
Bone Grip tightened.
He felt the strain in his arms, the warning tremors screaming that his own bones might fail first.
But he held.
"…You're stronger," he thought calmly.
"But you're stupid."
He slammed his skull forward.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
The guard's skull cracked.
Red light flickered.
Still moving.
Undead were stubborn.
He reached down and grabbed a loose rib from the ground—his own.
Sharpened at one end from the break.
A crude weapon.
He raised it.
And drove it into the guard's eye socket.
[CRITICAL HIT]
The rib pierced deep, embedding itself into the skull.
The red glow vanished.
The guard went limp.
Silence flooded the corridor.
For a moment, the skeleton remained still, arms locked around the corpse, as if expecting it to rise again.
It didn't.
A sharp, triumphant chime echoed.
[KILL CONFIRMED]
Target: Skeleton Guard
Rank: E
Rewards:
XP +28
Bone Core (Low-Grade)
Rusted Sword (System-Compatible)
Damaged Bone Armor (E Rank)
Blue light erupted around him.
The XP counter surged.
[XP AccUMULATED: 32 / 100]
"…Worth it."
The thought carried satisfaction.
But the system wasn't done.
[LEVEL UP AVAILABLE]
Do you wish to level up?
Yes / No
He didn't hesitate.
Yes.
The world shuddered.
Energy surged through his bones, violent but precise. Fractures realigned. Cracks sealed. Loose fragments fused back into place as if guided by an invisible hand.
[LEVEL UP]
Level 1 → Level 2
Attributes increased:
Strength +1
Endurance +1
Bonus (Compensation Protocol):
Bone Integrity +10%
Soul Stability +5%
He inhaled sharply—out of habit, not necessity.
HP: 14 / 14
Bone Integrity: 45%
Soul Stability: 15%
"…I'm alive."
More than that.
He was stronger.
Another window appeared.
[EQUIPMENT UNLOCKED]
System-compatible equipment detected.
Bind equipment?
He selected Yes.
The Rusted Sword dissolved into blue particles, reforming in his hand—cleaner, sharper, perfectly balanced for skeletal grip.
[Weapon Bound]
Rusted Bone Sword (F+)
Damage increased based on Bone Integrity.
The damaged armor followed, reshaping itself around his ribcage.
[Armor Bound]
Reinforced Bone Cuirass (F+)
Effect: Reduces physical damage by 5%.
"…So equipment evolves too."
This wasn't normal.
In the novel, system-bound gear was rare, even for heroes.
And he had obtained it as a skeleton mob.
A final notification appeared.
[HIDDEN CONDITION COMPLETED]
Defeat higher-rank undead alone.
Reward:
Skill Unlocked
Title Granted
The light intensified.
[NEW SKILL ACQUIRED]
Undead Resilience (Passive – Rank F)
Effect: Gradually restores Bone Integrity after combat.
And then—
[TITLE ACQUIRED]
"Anomalous Mob"
Effect:
Increased skill acquisition rate
Higher hostility from system-recognized entities
He laughed.
A dry, rattling sound echoed through the dungeon.
"Of course."
Power always came with consequences.
The dungeon stirred.
Distant roars echoed from deeper corridors.
The system spoke again, colder than before.
[NOTICE]
Your existence has been flagged.
Dungeon threat response increasing.
The skeleton tightened his grip on the sword.
His HP was full.
His bones were stronger.
His path was clear.
If the world wanted to erase him—
He would grow faster.
Stronger.
Deadlier.
[NEXT OBJECTIVE]
Leave the beginner zone alive.
And somewhere deep within the dungeon, something powerful opened its eyes.