Eternal Rest

The Viper was sneaky. One of its traits was to be sneaky but the Viper was also sneaky smart! It used feints, changed direction and places it would bite and now? It was circling and tightening the gap between them, which Bones almost failed to notice. The Viper suddenly tightened its body and fully closed the gap.

Bones jumped, avoiding getting crushed, and landed on the Viper's body.

Bones knew he either had to aim for the monster's vitals or use a more efficient way to attack and wound the beast. He thought of a way to do both. Just empowering his body wouldn't be enough so he did something he hadn't yet tried with the weapon.

He channeled mana and guided the flow, focusing on the lance in his hands. He built momentum as he dashed a short distance toward Viper's head and when he was close enough, he thrusted forward with his lance, aiming at its eye. At the point of impact, he expelled the mana from the tip of the lance. An explosion boomed from the blast. His lance burst and dissolved into a fog of mana.

The Viper jerked its head back in agony, initiating a violent thrashing that sent Bones flying off its body and crashing into a nearby tree. As he slid down to the ground, he assessed that the damage from the impact was minimal. Meanwhile, the Viper continued its rampage, wreaking havoc as it disappeared into the jungle.

Bones watched as the chaos left in the Viper's wake settled, eventually giving way to silence once more. Either the Viper had moved on and away, or...

Suddenly, something disrupted his senses from the side. Bones swiftly turned in that direction, but the feeling vanished. It reappeared briefly, this time coming from the other side. He snapped his head in that direction, but once again, it disappeared.

"It's... circling me again?" Bones muttered, a creeping sense of unease settling over him.

A minute later, a bleak green smoke began to spread through the area where Bones was standing. Smoke? Gas? It was unmistakably a poisonous cloud! Bones concluded.

Turning toward the rustling of leaves, Bones managed to catch a glimpse of the snake.

hiiisss

It was circling him, leaving a trail of poisonous gas in its wake! Recognizing the danger posed by its prey, the Viper had adapted its attack strategy. This time, it was employing poison to paralyze its victim. However, the nature of this poison seemed... unconventional. Could it be... farting gas? A rather crude thought crossed Bones' mind as he contemplated the possibility that the snake released poison via spores on its skin beneath the scales.

The visibility was reduced to zero but Bones didn't rely solely on his vision; instead, he extended his perception outward, but found nothing. The Viper, a natural hunter, expertly concealed itself amidst the greenery with its green scales blending seamlessly into the environment.

Despite his vigilance, Bones remained motionless, his mind racing through potential scenarios. Suddenly, he impulsively unleashed Bone Nova, the projectiles striking empty air. "Damnit! Am I seriously getting nervous? Nerves... are getting the better of me? Me?" Bones muttered, frustration evident as he gritted his teeth. "I don't even have nerves..."

The Viper proved to be far more active and elusive than any other monster Bones had encountered thus far, and its scales had proven to be resilient against his projectiles. The silence was soon shattered as Bones finally sensed and heard the snake closing in on him. Reacting swiftly, he turned and dashed in the opposite direction, but the sudden impact of the Viper's tail sent him hurtling sideways. Bones collided with a tree trunk, bouncing off before sliding to a halt against the ground.

Bones rose to his feet, the remnants of his Bone Armor shattering and crumbling away. His Mend Bone skill worked overtime to repair the damage, but his mana reserves dwindled rapidly. The Viper, now on the offensive, seemed to seek retribution for the injury to its eye.

Taking advantage of the Viper's blind spot on its right side, courtesy of his earlier attack, Bones began to maneuver strategically, avoiding the creature's whipping tail as he moved. With each opportunity, he cast empowered Bone Lances, targeting the creature's vulnerable side. Over time, even the lances began to have a noticeable effect.

The battle became a test of endurance. The Viper, with its size and level, possessed considerable stamina, while Bones, with his infinite stamina, could continue the fight indefinitely. As time passed, more wounds began to mar the snake's body. Scales fell away, exposing vulnerable spots that Bones targeted with precision to inflict maximum damage. Though the Viper's movements slowed, it remained focused, making each strike count as it patiently waited for an opportunity to retaliate.

The once lush battlefield was now a desolate wasteland, devoid of trees and vegetation, destroyed by the ferocity of the battle. With the loss of cover, Bones knew the end was near. However, he didn't dare assume that the Viper had given up. He could see the defiance and determination in its eyes, knowing that the beast would unleash its fury when cornered. True to his expectations, the patient Viper lunged, signaling the final round.

thump crash

Bones collided with a tree, his reinforced coat now tattered and riddled with holes. In its final onslaught, the Viper unleashed relentless attacks, fueled by burning its life force. Despite the immense damage it had sustained, the creature persisted, its body impaled, bloody, and blinded. Bones had taken its other eye, yet its senses remained impeccable, a testament to its status as an apex hunter.

Bones found himself missing an arm, or more accurately, it hung uselessly by his side, crushed and bereft of bones. Mana could no longer flow through it, rendering it useless. While his Mend spell worked to slowly repair the damage, his focus remained on finishing the fight rather than on his arm. His hood was gone, leaving his skull exposed to the scant rays of sunlight that filtered through the trees, though there was no one present to witness his grim visage. Despite his body's endurance, Bones felt the weight of exhaustion bearing down on him—mentally.

The constant drain on his mana reserves and regeneration capacity overloaded his core, a sensation he keenly felt. He knew he would need to enter Eternal Rest, as he had done once before against the Ant Queen. Fortunately, this time it wasn't as severe. Though he felt fatigue weighing on him, it was not the crashing exhaustion of before. Rising to his feet, he examined the badly damaged sword in his hand; it wouldn't last much longer. With each thrust and strike, he imbued the weapon with mana, expelling it with each attack.

His Bone Lance would have made for a more effective weapon to imbue, but the high mana consumption made it impractical for prolonged combat. The mace lacked the impact needed to penetrate the Viper's scales effectively, and while Bones had a basic understanding of archery, he wasn't proficient enough to use it in a fast-paced fight. That left him with the sword as his only viable option, and it had served him adequately thus far.

As he observed the snake, sensing the air with its flickering tongue in an attempt to detect his presence, Bones retracted his mana as much as possible before charging towards it. Occasionally, he managed to catch the Viper off guard and land a few unexpected hits, but more often than not, it sensed his approach.

This time was no different. As Bones closed in, the Viper turned to face him, preparing to retaliate. With the snake poised to strike, Bones cast Bone Lance.

The purpose of the attack wasn't solely to injure, but to create a diversion, and in that regard, it succeeded. As the Viper sensed the Bone Lance aimed at its head, it flinched, turning its head away and using its scales to deflect the projectile. Seizing the opportunity, Bones changed the direction of his charge, swiftly circling the snake and positioning himself to deliver a decisive blow to its head. However, at the moment of impact, the snake jerked and spun its body, sweeping the area with its tail. Before Bones could react, he was thrown aside like a ragdoll, his body bouncing off the ground before sliding to a halt.

"Shit." His body felt heavier now, the strain on his core taking its toll. He knew he couldn't continue like this much longer. With no other option but to either retreat or persevere, Bones resolved to keep pressing the attack, assaulting the snake repeatedly despite the increasing strain on his body.

The Viper now bled profusely, its injuries evident. Despite being knocked down repeatedly, Bones rose to his feet once more, attempting to use Quick Dash but managing only a few faltering steps.

“This ends. Now!” Bones declared, striding purposefully towards the snake. With each step, his pace quickened until it turned into a sprint. The snake, sensing his approach, began to slither towards him as well. With every stride, he felt the pulse of pain emanating from within his core. Bones locked eyes with the blackness in the snake's gaze, his anger simmering beneath the surface. He was frustrated with himself for allowing the battle to drag on for so long, and equally enraged by the Viper's stubborn resistance. Enough was enough. “I said ENOUGH!” Bones shouted, and...

The Viper froze in place, its movements halted by the intensity of Bones' fury. The baleful blaze in his eyes seemed to pierce through the snake's soul, striking at its very core and causing it to crack under the pressure. Bones maintained his momentum, positioning himself beneath the snake's head. With one final thrust, he drove his sword upwards, channeling his mana through the Viper's head and out the back. As the core within the snake's head shattered, so too did Bones' sword. A fountain of blood erupted from the back of the snake's head, cascading down and staining the ground crimson. With a final shudder, the snake collapsed, lifeless.

Bones collapsed to his knees, his body engulfed in the pool of blood that marked the end of the battle. He had emerged victorious, but at great cost. Holding his head in his hands, he felt the pulsating pain intensify with each passing second. Remaining in that position, he endured the agony for several minutes until it finally began to subside. Raising his gaze to the corpse before him, he realized he had achieved his goal—he had defeated the miniboss.

Attempting to stand proved to be a challenge; his body refused to obey his commands. Checking his status, he discovered that his mana reserves were dangerously low, with no sign of regeneration. Accepting his fate, he relinquished the struggle to rise and instead lay back, his body spent from the exertion of battle.

Realizing that he would need to enter eternal rest right then and there, Bones understood that the rules of the dungeon dictated this area as belonging to the Viper. From what he knew, no other creature would encroach upon it—perhaps only giant rats, though he hoped fervently that this was not the case. Too weary to attend to the notifications softly chiming in his mind, he summoned one last surge of energy to push himself off the ground. Settling into a cross-legged position, he let his head slump forward, surrendering to the embrace of eternal rest.

Bones woke up with a start, his senses still dulled from the haze of eternal rest. It took him a moment to fully grasp his surroundings and recall his situation.

“It's like I overslept… Hm?”

As he glanced up, his gaze fell upon the half-dissolved corpse of the Viper lying before him. He had anticipated that the corpse would gradually dissolve back into mana after a certain period of time, but he had never stayed in one place long enough to witness it actually happen. Just how long was I out for?

He shrugged, acknowledging the futility of trying to gauge time within the confines of a dungeon without specific tools or items. Turning his attention to his inventory, Bones discovered two Fang Daggers crafted from bone, their edges oozing with poison. While they were serviceable weapons, he favored his summoned lance over the daggers.

Contemplating the daggers, he imagined presenting them as a gift to Solin for future sparring sessions. Setting them aside, Bones sifted through the loot he had acquired, noting the Viper Scales and Snake Eyes among the crafting materials. "I'll deal with these later," he decided, focusing instead on the task at hand.

Summoning his screen, he braced himself for the extensive list of notifications that awaited him. Anticipation surged within him as he prepared to delve into the realm of combat experience gained.

"Finally!" Bones exclaimed, a sense of satisfaction washing over him. This moment had been eagerly awaited, and now it had arrived.

Level up!

Congratulations, class Bonemancer is lvl 25

Congratulation on reaching level 25

Achievement: First Advancement unlocked

Bonemancer class advancement available

Bonemancer > Bonemancer Adept

New classes available: 8

Bonemancer Adept

Undying Executioner

Arcanist Mage

Arcane Pugilist

Spellancer

Battlemage

Arcane Weaver

Soulcaster

"Hooh?" Bones exclaimed as he perused the list of new classes available to him. "Bonemancer Adept, an upgrade to my existing class," he mused aloud. The Executioner class caught his eye next. "Well, I did kill the adventurers," he muttered, reflecting on his recent encounters, "and the undying part was because of my race."

Noting the familiar option of Arcane Mage and the intriguing Arcane Pugilist, Bones weighed his options. "Arcane Pugilist is a hand-to-hand combat specialist," he observed, "an interesting notion, but also a hard pass. I don't plan to fight up-close as much in the future." The mention of Spellancer piqued his curiosity. "Hard to guess that one!" he remarked, intrigued by the potential of the unknown class.

Spellancer - a magic variant of the spearman class specializing in both melee and spell aspects of combat. Key skills of the class involve conjuration and spear combat mastery.

"I had a feeling the class would be something like that," Bones remarked, shifting his focus to the next class on the list. "The Battlemage seems like too vague of a name for a class. Isn't any mage battling, a battlemage?" He considered the hybrid nature of the class, combining melee and magic combat, similar to the Spellancer. "It would be a great boost to my power, but I'd prefer something more specialized and at range."

"Arcane Weaver sounds intriguing," Bones continued, "like an Arcanist class but focusing more on manipulation than raw damage. And finally, Soulcaster..." His enthusiasm waned as memories of years spent experimenting with soul magic flooded back. "All the events that transpired brought me to this moment here, and I made the choice to follow a different path in this life... or is it in death?"

Closing all the prompts, Bones summoned a small booklet from his inventory and began flipping through the pages. The worn-out booklet, missing several pages, had been given to him by Silva before he left, along with another popular hit among readers, "Chronicles of the Skeleton King."