From Human to Skeleton: Revived with Infinite System Crystals

The woman tilted her head, a smile tugging at her lips. "Let's just say I've come to give the kingdom a little hand. Things are getting out of hand, wouldn't you agree?" She twirled the fan gracefully, the motion mesmerizing as shimmering clock faces appeared around her, spinning slowly in the air.

Osalf's gaze flicked to the crest emblazoned on her chest—a symbol he didn't recognize. His body tensed as bubbles began to rise from the ground around the fallen bodies, their iridescent surfaces reflecting faint images of the past. He reached instinctively for the hilt of his blade, but his arm faltered under its weight.

"Easy there, General," she teased, her voice dripping with mockery. She gave him a playful wink before snapping her fan closed and pointing it directly at him. "You've already done enough for one day."

A sudden gust of wind erupted from the fan, slamming into Osalf with unexpected force. He braced himself for the impact, expecting bone-crushing agony. Instead, he was thrown backward gently, his body landing softly against a nearby wall. His feet slid out from under him as he collapsed to the ground, dazed.

When he opened his eyes, the woman and the fallen bodies were gone. The sky above him had darkened, the once faint twilight now replaced by the deep black of night. Confusion rippled through him as he pushed himself upright, his hands shaking. His injuries screamed in protest, but he forced his body to move.

"What… just happened?" he muttered under his breath. His mind raced, struggling to make sense of the encounter. He glanced down at his side, his bloodied fingers fumbling for a small doll hidden beneath his coat.

"Portal," he whispered hoarsely, clutching the doll tightly. "Please."

A black liquid began to pool beneath him, spreading outward in a perfect circle. The surface rippled like water, and without hesitation, Osalf let himself fall into its depths. The sensation was disorienting, his body weightless as he was pulled through the void.

Moments later, he hit solid ground, his knees buckling on impact. The red-bricked floor beneath him was damp with moss, the air thick with the scent of earth and mildew. He lifted his head slowly, his vision still blurred from exhaustion.

"Osalf?" a voice called out, laced with shock.

He blinked, focusing on the figures standing around him. Xuán Wěi stepped forward, his spectral wraiths swirling protectively around him. "We thought you were captured… or dead. What the hell happened?"

Tressa knelt beside him, her dark liquid pooling around her hands as she examined his injuries. Her expression was a mix of relief and concern. "You look like you've been through hell," she said softly.

Osalf let out a pained chuckle, his breath shallow. "More like dragged through it. Help me up, will you?" Stay updated with My Virtual Library Empire

Xuán Wěi and Tressa each grabbed an arm, hoisting him onto a wooden bench pushed against the mossy brick wall. The room itself was dimly lit, a makeshift hideout carved into what seemed to be an old, abandoned cellar. Stacks of crates lined the walls, some marked with fading insignias, others filled with supplies scavenged from previous skirmishes. A single lantern swung from a chain overhead, its flickering light casting dancing shadows.

Across the room, JJ sat perched on a barrel, her legs crossed as she shared a sandwich with Blue. The fairy-like girl was perched on her shoulder, nibbling at her own tiny portion of bread and cheese.

"How the hell are you even alive, you old bastard?" Ty's voice cut through the room as he entered, his sharp gaze fixed on Osalf. He stepped into the center of the hideout, his presence commanding attention.

Osalf exhaled sharply, wiping dried blood from his face with the back of his hand. "Luck, mostly." His tone was dry, but his eyes carried a weight that betrayed his weariness.

Ty folded his arms, his expression hard. "You've got some explaining to do. What happened out there?"

Osalf shifted uncomfortably, his injuries making every movement a chore. "Three of the King's hunters found me. Strong, coordinated, and vicious. They had skills… deadly ones." He paused, his brow furrowing. "But that wasn't the worst of it. After I… dealt with them, someone else showed up."

"Someone else?" JJ leaned forward, her sandwich forgotten.

Osalf's gaze grew distant as he recounted the encounter. "A woman. Her eyes were dark purple, and she wore this strange glass piece over her face. She had a fan with patterns that looked like clockwork… and she used it to control time."

"Time?" Tressa's voice was sharp with disbelief. Her liquid pooled around her feet, rippling as if reflecting her unease.

Osalf nodded grimly. "I killed those three hunters, but she… she brought them back. Or maybe she rewound time. I don't know. All I know is, when I came to, it was night, and they were gone."

The room fell silent as the weight of his words settled over the group. Ty's jaw tightened, his mind racing. "Who could she be? And how the hell did they even find us?"

Tressa glanced at Xuán Wěi, her tone defensive. "We've been careful. Moving bases, staying off their radar. It's not like we've been sloppy."

"Careful only gets you so far," Xuán Wěi muttered, his wraiths swirling tighter around him. "The King's forces have resources we can only guess at. If they've improved their tracking capabilities…"

"It's more than that," Osalf interrupted. His voice was firm despite his fatigue. "They knew exactly where to look. Someone's feeding them information. Or something is."

Ty's fists clenched at his sides. "We can't afford to play this quietly anymore. Rui's still out there, and the King's got that damned coin. We need a plan, and we need it now."

Blue fluttered off JJ's shoulder, her wings glowing faintly in the dim light. "The coin… I overheard something when I broke into the King's chamber," she said, her voice small but steady. "The goddess who gave him the coin wasn't happy about it. She told him it was a last resort and warned him to use it wisely. It sounded like it had limited uses."

"Limited?" Ty echoed, his brow furrowing. "Then we need to act before he uses it again."

Osalf nodded, his expression grim. "Agreed. But first, we need to secure Rui. Without him, we lose our best strategist."

The group gathered around the worn table at the center of the room, spreading out a rough map of the kingdom. Tressa's black liquid formed intricate lines and shapes, highlighting key locations and possible routes. Xuán Wěi's wraiths floated above the map, marking areas of heavy patrol with faint, ghostly imprints.

"The palace dungeon is here," Osalf said, pointing to a heavily fortified section of the map. "But getting in is a suicide mission. We'll need a diversion."

Blue hovered closer, her wings stirring the air. "The King's forces rely on centralized communication. If we can disrupt their command structure, we might buy enough time to extract Rui."

Ty's eyes narrowed. "How do we do that?"

Osalf's gaze hardened. "We infiltrate their main outpost outside the capital. It's heavily guarded, but if we hit their supply lines and take out their commanders, it'll force them to redirect their forces."

"And while they're distracted, we go for Rui," JJ finished, her voice steady.

Ty studied the map, his mind piecing together the plan. "It's risky, but it might just work. We'll need to move fast and hit hard."

The group murmured their agreement; Osalf winced as Tressa applied a makeshift bandage to his wounds, her touch surprisingly gentle.

JJ moved closer to Ty, her voice lowered so only he could hear. "We'll stick with them until we're in position, but after that…" She paused, her expression unreadable. "We're better off going our own way. Smaller teams, less risk."

Ty's eyes narrowed as he glanced at her. "Why are you so eager to split off? What aren't you telling me?"

JJ hesitated, then reached into her jacket, pulling out a small, translucent crystal. She held it up to the dim light of the lantern, the shapes inside shifting and swirling like shadows caught in a current.

"This is your skeleton," she said, her voice steady but soft. "The one you left behind when you came here. The Black Bulls had it locked away, but I stole it back. I've been keeping it safe."