Chapter 11

Two days' time flew by swiftly.

: "Next to the Source Energy Well Aperture."

: "Ta Ke looked at the 22 talent fragments produced by the system, revealing a slight smile."

: "「I wonder what changes will occur when evolving from S-rank to SS-rank, surpassing the 500% threshold. 」"

: "Ta Ke, after taking a deep breath, felt a hint of anticipation."

: "Open the attribute panel."

: "Ta Ke added all 22 talent fragments to the S-rank Precision."

: "While it increased from 478% to 500%."

: "The S-rank Precision also became SS-rank."

: "A somewhat strange feeling welled up in his heart."

: "The complete, weighty vision of meridians and trajectories reappeared."

: "Compared to the previous entry, after entering SS-rank this time, Ta Ke could feel his alignment with the world's trajectories and meridians deepening."

: "He could precisely manipulate any meridian node in the world around him."

: "The world he perceived with closed eyes was much larger than when he was at S-rank."

: "At the same time, he entered the SS-rank domain."

: "The enhancement direction of Precision changed to 'cut in'."

: "「To better and more perfectly cut into different trajectories and meridian nodes。」"

: "「Make Precision even more precise。」"

: "「With the enhancement in the SS-rank range, I can even trace upward along the trajectories。」"

: "「It seems... 」"

: "Ta Ke's eyes narrowed slightly."

: "「Lock-on plus auto-track? 」"

: "「That's the idea, but as a trait of SS-rank supernatural talent, there's definitely more to it。」"

: "「The SS-rank range is 500% to 1000%。」"

: "「I've only just crossed the 500% threshold。」"

: "「The essence of SS-rank has not yet been revealed。」"

: "「After some time of improvement, the more powerful traits of SS-rank will become apparent。」"

: "After carefully sensing it, Ta Ke suppressed the newly born SS-rank Precision."

: "He then turned his attention to the Wizard Sequence within himself."

: "「The supernatural talent evolution is complete; I can finally advance。」"

: "Ta Ke's eyes narrowed slightly."

: "Upon advancing one rank, the Wizard Seed burst forth."

: "Soul, life, and source energy will undergo a comprehensive transformation."

: "First-rank Wizard."

: "This is truly the beginning of contact with the supernatural world."

: "「Huh? 」"

: "Suddenly, Ta Ke looked up into the depths of the passage."

: "The 「Source Energy Barrier」 that Ta Ke had constructed to block the Shrew Rat Skeleton was broken."

: "「The Shrew Rat Skeleton is dry, still... 」"

: "Precision Vision was silently unleashed."

: "In the dark passage, a tall, sturdy silver skeleton about two meters high, wielding a gleaming bone dagger, appeared before Ta Ke's eyes."

: "And the silver skeleton in the darkness also saw Ta Ke."

: "「A peak first-rank silver bone skeleton。」"

: "Ta Ke's heart stirred slightly."

: "「How can such a rare skeleton be produced this close to the High Tower Zone? 」"

: "「Moreover, this seems to be the Shrew Rat's ecological environment! 」"

: "Looking at this skeleton, which is completely different from the local Shrew Rat skeletons, it should belong to the 「Nature's Gift」 type of skeletal creature."

: "Ta Ke didn't dwell on it and raised his hand, firing a 「Bullet Tentacle」."

: "「Bang! 」"

: "The Wizardry Bullet Tentacle, with extreme precision, followed the eye sockets of the silver bone skeleton and exploded inside its skull."

: "The silver bone skeleton's soul flame trembled from the blow, causing its body to sway."

: "When the silver bone skeleton's soul flame stabilized."

: "Two blood-thorn vines had already wrapped tightly around the silver bone skeleton's two arms, pulling them taut."

: "The silver bone skeleton immediately began to struggle."

: "「Don't struggle. 」"

: "As Ta Ke walked over, he extended his right hand and condensed a 「Fire Oil Bullet」 in his palm."

: "「My blood-thorn vines may only be rank 9, but the toughness and strength of their spell framework have already been maximized by my enhancements。」"

: "「You can't break free at all。」"

: "While speaking, the Fire Oil Bullet in Ta Ke's hand had already expanded from the size of a chicken egg to that of an ostrich egg."

He pressed the fire-oil bomb hard against the ribs in front of the silver bone skeleton's chest.

The semi-solid, semi-liquid fire-oil bomb, as if alive, quickly spread along the silver bones of the silver-bone skeleton.

The scorching flames surged and burned.

……

In the depths of his pupils, the burning silver-bone skeleton was reflected, and even Aobuli could faintly feel that scorching heat.

"The fire is formidable—not an ordinary 9th-rank fire; otherwise my 19th-rank silver-bone skeleton wouldn't ignite so easily."

"Then the question arises: where did this formidable little guy come from?"

At the core of the skeleton passage, a tower constructed entirely of black skeletons—the Undead High Tower—stood here.

Necromancer Aobuli pushed open the window and stepped onto the balcony; the deathly aura inside the house surged out just like his.

Just moments ago, Aobuli sensed information from his own silver-bone skeleton.

An enemy has invaded!

When he used the Eye of the Undead to look over...

Aobuli instantly made a new discovery.

The skeleton attacking him was an apprentice mage.

A single bullet was fired into the skeleton's skull.

"Not bad, not bad aim."

Immediately after.

A swift, precise, and vicious vine lash tugged the undead skeleton left and right.

You should know that was only a 9th-rank vine.

The 19th-rank silver-bone skeleton is far stronger than an ordinary skeleton.

Yet it could not break free.

Finally, the fire-oil bomb put an end to this simple confrontation.

That youth mage's technique was overly proficient, and as an apprentice mage, his magical power was outrageously strong.

Thus, Aobuli could no longer ignore it.

"I heard that this time, a genius member of the Dark Sun Church who came to Lamoer City-State has extraordinary talent and is very young."

"For that new member, they've been hunting many mages lately."

"It's said they even prepared a Steam Core, so that genius could complete a steam ascension in Lamoer City-State."

Aobuli's mind conjured the image of a young, calm face that showed no emotional fluctuation when acting.

The two impressions gradually overlapped!

"Could it be… that I've actually run into him?"

"Hmm… no matter what, I can't let him get away!"

…………

As the silver bones were burned,

Soon, a bone crystal roughly the length of a finger bone fell off.

"Undead-type biological crystal."

"It can't be used as advancement material, but it's not bad as material for extraordinary weapons."

"About the price of 3 magic gold."

He stored the finger bone crystal away.

Take looked back at the bottomless well shaft behind him, then at the skeleton passage outside.

"We can't stay here any longer."

Just moments ago, when Take killed that silver-bone skeleton,

Take sensed traces of someone spying on him.

Although the traces were faint, Take still felt them.

He originally thought this first-rank skeleton was a 'gift from nature.'

Now it seems very likely to be the property of that Undead Mage Tower within the Lamoer High Tower City-State.

Then the question arises.

Should he escape by adventuring out of the well shaft, or flee from the skeleton cavern?

"I merely killed a patrolling skeleton—worth only 3 magic gold."

"Such an important figure wouldn't bother coming after me for just 3 magic gold, would he?"

"Go!"

After briefly pondering, he gave himself the Wind-Striding Swift Run, and Take sprinted toward the skeleton cavern.

At the start, Take still felt somewhat relaxed.

After all, it was just a first-rank skeleton.

But as time passed,

Take realized the skeleton cavern ahead seemed to stretch infinitely, with no end in sight.

The more he ran, the darker Take's expression became.

At that moment, a sound came from behind him.

Take turned to look.

He saw skeletons surging like a tide.

The important figure atop the Undead High Tower took action.

Take's eye corner twitched wildly.

Damn it, I just lit a firecracker.

You wouldn't actually bring a cannon to bear on my head, would you?

(End of chapter)