Chapter 63: Golden-ranked Leader, Skeleton Warlord

Xu Han continued deeper into the shadowy forest.

The further he went, the more frequently he encountered skeletal mages. Now that he possessed the Body of Darkness, the slowing curses of these mages posed no threat to him. With a single punch, he shattered their skulls, killing them instantly. His experience bar surged forward, drawing him ever closer to level twenty-one.

Yet Xu Han could feel how arduous leveling up had become. Even as he hunted elite monsters well above his level, his progress was sluggish. How much harder must it be for others? The higher one’s level, the more time it took to ascend—sometimes several days, or even a month, just to gain a single level. This was when the advantages of a powerful combat class truly became apparent.

In one sweep, Xu Han took down nearly twenty skeletal mages, acquiring two pieces of bronze-grade equipment in the process. He tucked the gear into his spatial ring, intending to sell it when he returned.

He glanced up at the sky. The light filtering through the leaves was growing ever sparser, and dusk was settling in. Night was approaching. Xu Han decided it was time to return to Maple Leaf Town for rest. At night, the strength of the beasts increased, but the experience gained remained the same—not worth the risk.

Rumble—

Just as he was about to turn back, a thunderous noise echoed from the distance, the ground trembling beneath his feet.

“What’s going on?” Xu Han muttered, startled. He spun around, peering into the gloom. Something seemed to be emerging from the earth not far away. Curiosity piqued, he decided to investigate.

Xu Han raised his hand. A strand of web shot forth, latching onto a branch, and he swung toward the source of the commotion.

…

In a distant grove, a red-haired woman sat perched upon a branch. Her eyes, as vivid as flames, shimmered crimson, curving like crescent moons as she smiled. She wore lightweight armor that accentuated her graceful figure. The armored skirt barely reached the tops of her thighs, leaving two snowy legs dangling and swinging beneath the branch. In her hands, she held a notebook and pen, scribbling and sketching with excitement brightening her face.

“Hehe, I’ve finally finished gathering all the data on the skeletal mages,” she laughed to herself.

“Next up, the skeletal warlord. If I can complete this and submit my research paper, I’ll definitely be promoted to a level-two researcher! Then I’ll be the youngest level-two researcher in history! Hahaha…”

Rumble—

Just then, the ground shook violently, as though something was breaking through to the surface. The woman jerked her head toward the sound, her sun-bright eyes gleaming with anticipation.

“That must be the skeletal warlord emerging!” she exclaimed. “Hold on, little one! My promotion depends on you!”

She leapt from the branch like a nimble bird, landing lightly on the ground before transforming into a streak of scarlet, dashing toward the source of the disturbance.

…

Moments later, Xu Han found his view suddenly opening up. The scene before him made him pause in astonishment.

Bones. Endless, countless bones. Human remains covered the ground, transforming the area into a desolate graveyard.

At the center of this macabre field, a skeletal giant nearly five meters tall wandered restlessly, a massive sword clutched in its hand. The soul fire in its eye sockets was unlike any other skeletal warrior’s—it burned a blood-red, flickering with a murderous aura.

Xu Han activated his All-Seeing Eye, examining the giant’s attributes:

[Name: Skeletal Warlord (Gold-Tier Boss)]
[Race: Undead]
[Level: 35]
[Skill 1: Undead Body LV.10 (Passive. Immune to fear and poison.)]
[Skill 2: Furious Sweep LV.5 (Swings the greatsword in a wide arc, dealing cone damage. Cooldown: 4 minutes.)]
[Skill 3: Undead Summoning LV.10 (When health drops below half, summons skeletal warriors and mages to form an army. Cooldown: 10 minutes.)]
[Skill 4: Bone Assimilation LV.1 (When health falls below one-third, gathers bones from the surroundings to restore health. Cooldown: 20 minutes.)]
[Skill 5: Weakening Curse LV.1 (Curses the enemy, reducing all attributes by 50% for 5 seconds. Cooldown: 2 minutes.)]
[Weakness: The soul fire within its skull]

Xu Han’s eyes widened in disbelief. A gold-tier boss hidden here? If not for the racket the skeletal warlord had made, he would never have discovered this graveyard. Other than the Earthsplitter Tiger King, this was the first gold-tier boss he had encountered.

The power of a gold-tier boss far surpassed that of a silver-tier one. At the same level, it would take at least a hundred people, working in perfect harmony, just to bring it down.

Yet Xu Han felt a surge of excitement. This was a gold-tier boss! Who knew what rare treasures it might drop? If he let this opportunity slip by, he’d regret it forever. He decided to give it a try—if things went south, he’d simply retreat. After all, this creature’s speed could never match his own.

With a plan forming in his mind, Xu Han quietly crept closer to the skeletal warlord. When he was within a hundred meters, the warlord suddenly turned, its soul fire flaring violently as it locked its gaze on him.

He’d been discovered!

Xu Han dropped all pretense. In an instant, his speed soared, and he became a blur, charging straight at the skeletal warlord.

The warlord raised its enormous sword, swinging it down upon Xu Han with a deafening roar.

Boom!

The blade crashed into the ground, gouging a massive crater and shattering countless bones. But Xu Han had already slipped behind the skeletal warlord.

“Dragon Claw!”

His right hand transformed into a midnight-black dragon’s talon, whistling through the air as he struck at the warlord’s leg bone.

Clang!

The dragon claw collided with bone, ringing with a metallic chime. Only a faint mark was left upon the leg, and the warlord’s health bar dipped by a sliver.

The skeletal warlord glanced down at the small human below, then reached out to snatch Xu Han.

“Explosive Fireball!”

Xu Han raised his palm, conjuring a blazing fireball in an instant and hurling it at the warlord.

Boom!

The fireball exploded, shattering several of the warlord’s finger bones. The blood-red soul fire in its eyes flickered wildly. It could feel no pain, but Xu Han’s attacks nevertheless filled it with fury.

Once more, it hefted its sword, bringing it down upon Xu Han with murderous force.

Boom!

The heavy sword struck the earth, sending hundreds of bones flying. Yet Xu Han was nowhere to be seen.

The skeletal warlord looked around, confusion flickering in its soul fire. Where had that wretched human gone?

Its skull twisted one hundred and eighty degrees, only to see Xu Han clinging to its ribcage, scrambling upward toward its head!