Buzz!
The sound of bowstrings vibrating rang out. Over twenty bone arrows shot forward, striking the charging Skeleton Warlord squarely.
This volley paid no mind to the Guardians struggling against the Warlord. Clearly, the Skeleton Mage understood the cost-benefit perfectly.
And his choice proved correct. As the arrows rained down and exploded, two Skeleton Guardians were killed outright, and the rest were left mutilated.
The Skeleton Warlord in the front lines fared no better. Amidst the whirlwind of bone fragments, he was blasted backward, his body shattered from head to toe.
Before he could even struggle to get up, several long bone spears descended from above, slipping into the gaps of his skeleton and pinning him to the ground instantly.
This was the same tactic Morvain had devised months ago to deal with another Skeleton Warlord—and had successfully killed him with!
Now, the Skeleton Mage had reproduced it flawlessly!
Skeletons naturally had wide gaps in their frames. If weapons were jammed into the joints, they could exert no force, leaving them entirely at the mercy of the attacker.
This was exactly the predicament of the pinned Skeleton Warlord.
"Aaargh!!!"
The warlord thrashed violently, struggling against the spears, but it was all in vain.
As he frantically tried to wrench the bone spears free, a black mist suddenly appeared in front.
The Skeleton Mage raised his arm, condensing the mist above his bone staff. In the blink of an eye, it solidified into a small, crystal-clear bone spear that shot forward with a sharp whistling sound.
Third-Ring Necromancy! Spear of the Dead!
This was the Skeleton Mage's signature ultimate technique, his strongest offensive method! The previous Skeleton Warlord had died to this very attack!
Spear of the Dead ranked among the most powerful attacks in Third-Ring Necromancy, renowned for its piercing power. However, it consumed enormous energy. Given the Mage's soul flame intensity, he could only fire it three times at most per day.
Its speed was a drawback, especially against melee experts, who could often dodge it with agile movements.
Under normal circumstances, the Skeleton Warlord would have been able to anticipate and avoid the strike, provided he wasn't too close.
But now, pinned to the ground and unable to free himself, he was the perfect target for Spear of the Dead.
A sharp crack rang out as the spear pierced his chest. His spine shattered, ribs and sternum exploded, and his body was split cleanly in two.
The Skeleton Mage did not relax after witnessing this. He swung his staff again, unleashing a second Spear of the Dead.
It struck the upper half of the Warlord, still struggling upright on one arm, trying to crawl toward him.
Boom! The Warlord's skull separated from his torso. The cracked head rolled to the Mage's feet, and he stomped it down with one foot.
Watching the pinned Warlord's jaws snap futilely, the Skeleton Mage's eyes gleamed with satisfaction.
Another big gain! Absorbing same-tier soul flames would accelerate his evolution. At this rate, he could soon break through the Third-Ring limit and ascend to a legendary Fourth-Ring Skeleton Archmage!
Then! His transformation would be complete! A previously controllable hundred-strong unit could swell to thousands, forming a true army!
Just as he fantasized about this future, the skull beneath his foot twitched.
The next moment, its jaw opened wide, and with the black mist flickering in its mouth, a dark sphere formed and was spat out with a phut.
Second-Ring Necromancy! Breath of Hatred!
Boom!
Caught off guard, the Skeleton Mage's entire leg was shattered, his body thrown off balance as he collapsed to the ground.
Falling, he faced the Warlord's gaping mouth, black mist still swirling inside it. Fear coursed through his soul.
He was going to die!
Boom!
Another explosion! The dark sphere grazed his head, leaving a black mark but failing to strike bone.
Earlier, sensing danger, Morvain had lunged forward, grabbing the Mage's remaining leg and dragging him clear—preventing a fatal blow to the skull.
The Skeleton Mage reacted swiftly. Dodging, he lifted a finger and pressed down hard on the Warlord's remaining skull.
Third Spear of the Dead! Fire!
Boom! The Warlord, still attempting to resist, had his skull obliterated, instantly losing all signs of life.
High-quality Third-Ring soul flames spread into the air, causing chaos among the surviving skeletons and Guardians.
Greed stirred instinctively, yet fear of the overwhelmingly powerful Skeleton Mage kept them from fighting over the spoils.
Amid the surrounding unrest, the downed Skeleton Mage let out a cold snort.
Along with the sound came the pressure of his soul, instantly silencing the chaotic skeletons.
With Morvain's assistance, the Mage quickly healed.
Leaning on his staff, he stood, gathering the soul flames into a controlled mass, then settled into a corner to absorb them.
As for Morvain? Completely ignored.
Well, not entirely ignored. Before absorbing the soul flames, the Mage issued one order to him: heal the injured Skeleton Guardians.
He even assigned two skeletons as "assistants."
Glancing at the two bone frames trailing him, Morvain's eyes flickered. He sighed.
Truly an ungrateful fool! He'd saved the Mage's life, yet received no reward—only suspicion!
These two "assistants" were hardly help. They were supervisors, ready to stop Morvain from touching any soul flames.
Fine, fine! You're ruthless! If it weren't for fear that you'd die and leave me torn apart by other skeletons, I wouldn't be saving you!
Grumbling under his breath, Morvain obediently followed the Mage's orders, slumping as he began selecting bones to heal the others.
While instructing one skeleton, his foot accidentally kicked a skull.
The next moment, Morvain froze, his whole body trembling uncontrollably.
This was…!!!