Meanwhile, Bones found himself completely lost. He hadn’t anticipated the difficulty of finding his way back to town and wandered aimlessly until he finally spotted a campfire in the distance. To avoid startling the three figures sitting around the fire, he made enough noise as he approached.

"Well, hello there."

The three hunters weren’t startled by Bones' approach but remained attentive as they inspected the newcomer. One of them stood up to greet him, and after a brief exchange of introductions, Bones joined them by the fire.

I thought I’d be back in my room by now. The wolves had me running in circles for ages. Still…

ding

Congratulations! Soul Weaver had leveled up!

You have learned a new skill: Soul Spark

Finally, the fruit of my effort.

Soul Spark: An ability affiliated with creation magic. Enables the user to infuse an item or an object, depending on the user, with a fragment of their soul. The results may vary according to the user's class.

Warning: The user's soul will be in a weakened state for a period of time after using the skill.

Synergy detected!

Use Soul Spark on Golem Core: Skully

Yes/No

The skill automatically detects objects I can infuse? This is exactly what I was hoping for! But now’s not the time. I need to make preparations. The skill doesn’t specify how it will affect Skully, and the aftereffects of using it concern me.

"You're going to warm up quickly sitting so close to the fire! It looks like your jacket took some damage from the attacks. Claw marks, maybe? Are you on a subjugation quest for the guild?" the hunter next to Bones asked, drawing attention. Bones dismissed the notification screen and examined his jacket for tears and holes. He hadn’t paid much attention to the damage before, but now, even with its self-repair enchantment, the jacket was still in the process of fixing itself.

I guess the damage from chasing the wolves accumulated over time. Especially the attacks from Wind Blade. They left quite deep marks on my bones… Anyway, what did the hunter just ask?

"Pardon? A subjugation quest? Ah, I’m actually a bit sensitive to the cold," Bones replied, realizing he was still wearing goggles and multiple layers of clothing.

"Yes, the subjugation of wolves in the area?"

"Oh, no. I was just passing through and heard about the infamous alpha duo. I thought I’d come and see them for myself," Bones explained with a chuckle.

"I see. And? How was it? Did you manage to catch any?" The hunter asked, grinning widely. The other two hunters perked up, showing interest in the conversation.

"...I couldn’t catch them," Bones admitted reluctantly, prompting a chortle from the hunters. "Are you three here for the wolves as well?" Bones inquired. The hunters seemed capable, with two at level thirty and one at level thirty-one. If they coordinated their attacks, they could indeed pose a real threat to the alphas.

"Oh no, we gave up on those two years ago. We’re after different game now, like wild boars and smaller animals for meat and fur. Animals are more active and dangerous at night, so we set up camp overnight and will head out at dawn. You’re welcome to stay with us if you’d like."

"Thank you for the offer, but I wasn’t planning on staying that long. I’m heading back to Melville, so I’ll be leaving before dawn."

"Melville? That’s quite a distance from here," one of the other hunters remarked.

"Is this not the direction to the town?" Bones asked, his suspicion growing.

"No, this is the opposite direction. You’re not very good with directions, are you?"

"..."

"No shame in that. We’ve been hunting here for years, so we know the area well. Melville is… that way!" The hunter pointed southwest, right over Bones.

Bones turned to face the direction indicated, then back to the hunter, nodding and thanking him for the directions. The rest of the night passed mostly in silence, with only the crackling of the fire breaking the quiet. As dawn approached, Bones wished the hunters luck with their hunt and headed back towards Melville.

Later that day, around noon, Bones sat on his bed, the golem core resting in his hand. In front of him was a system message asking if he wanted to proceed with infusing the golem core with Soul Spark. Bones stared at the message, considering the potential consequences before dismissing it. He wasn’t ready to risk unforeseen and permanent effects on his one and only golem. Instead, he put the core back in his inventory and decided to prepare more thoroughly.

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Summoning an orc skeleton, he spent the afternoon working on engravings until evening. With the engravings completed, he left the comfort of his room and made his way to the workshop to meet with Mark and pick up his Lizardman skeleton.

The first snow of the year had begun to fall, covering the streets with a light dusting of snow. It reminded Bones of his journey from Stonefalls to the city of Hagos, where the treacherous path over the mountain had been fraught with danger, especially from the snow trolls.

Aberant, the Troll King – I wonder if he’s still there, sitting on his throne. To think I received the quest to—

Bones opened his quest screen but found it empty. Both the quest related to the Troll King and the dungeon clearance were gone.

I suppose quite a bit of time has passed since then. Or perhaps it’s due to the distance? I am two kingdoms away from the Wezar Kingdom after all.

He continued walking, brushing off the thought. No matter! I can always clear the dungeon from start to finish at a later date—and I’d rather avoid getting involved with the troll.

Lost in his thoughts, Bones reached the workshop without realizing it. He entered and headed upstairs where Mark was finishing up for the day.

"Mr. Jones! I didn’t expect to see you today!"

"I figured I’d give you as much time as possible. Have you finished with my request?"

"I have! Just a moment while I close up, and then we can head out. The body isn’t here but at the butchery, so we’ll need to make a quick trip."

Bones nodded and waited for Mark to finish. Once they were both ready, they headed east, coincidentally passing by the inn where Bones had stayed. During their walk, Mark asked about Bones’ use of the bones, and Bones revealed that his class was a Bonemancer. Mark appeared unfazed and mentioned that, while he hadn’t seen a Bonemancer before, he had encountered users with golem-related classes.

As Bones learned more about golems, he found they were typically used for production, excavation, and security, with their design and functionality varying based on their intended purpose and the skill of the user. Their core programming and the materials used in their construction were crucial to their performance.

Mark led Bones to the butcher’s shop, a place with large windows displaying a variety of meats. They entered through a back entrance, leading to a butchery on the ground floor and a residential area upstairs. Mark guided Bones through the butchery and into the office.

"I'm just going to pick up the bill, and then we can head back to the workshop," Mark said. He retrieved a paper bill from a drawer and handed it to Bones. Bones skimmed through the document, noting the detailed list of services and salvaged items.

"The price on the bill includes the body parts we sold, the use of our tools, and the chemicals for cleaning the skeleton, along with the services of the butcher and leather smith. I believe you’ll find the price fair for the quality of our work!" Mark explained.

Bones noted that the total was surprisingly reasonable. It was significantly less than he had anticipated, which pleased him. He had expected the bill to be around a hundred gold, but it was barely half that. The high value of the lizardman scales had significantly reduced the final amount. With thousands of gold still in his inventory, Bones was more focused on the quality of the work.

As he examined the neatly arranged bones of the lizardman, he was impressed. "You’re a man of your word, Mark. The job is truly exceptional. I didn’t expect even the tiniest bones to remain intact."

"I’m glad to hear that, Mr. Jones. I hope you’ll consider us for any future needs you may have," Mark replied with a smile.

Bones stored the lizardman skeleton in his inventory and engaged in some small talk with Mark before returning to the inn to settle his bill. By the middle of the night, he decided to skip Melville and make his way across the border into the Mapleton Kingdom.

The new kingdom shared similarities with the Quntis Kingdom, being minor and reliant on hunting and agriculture for survival. The major difference was that Mapleton Kingdom had many hilly regions where bandits often roamed.

Bones found a secluded spot in a grove with a few trees, nestled in a steep valley between two hills. It overlooked a stream and a narrow dirt road. In front of him, Skully knelt while a new skeleton lay on the snowy ground beside him. Bones was eager to make changes to Skully, but he began to reconsider his approach.

I thought Skully was lacking because he didn't have the primal instincts of his living counterparts. But now, do I really want him fighting like that Elite Lizardman? Throwing away his weapon and moving on all fours?

No. Skully is fine as he is. What he needs isn’t a change but the ability to grow and learn, combining the advantages of both human and lizardman forms.

Originally, I planned to fuse the bones from the elite lizardman into Skully's skeleton using shaping. But why go through that trouble when I can just switch Skully's core to a new body?

That seems… more practical. I’ll need to make some adjustments and remove the tiny bones that serve no purpose without flesh. As for Skully…

“My apologies, old boy, but the new body should make you a more efficient golem!”

Bones placed a hand on top of the skull and shaped an opening, then removed a marble-sized object—the golem core. He stored the core for later use and placed Skully's old body in his inventory. Turning to the new skeleton, he immediately began working on the necessary adjustments.

After an hour, Bones was satisfied with the changes and spent the next few hours working on the engravings.

Morning light bathed Bones warmly. Occasional withered leaves, barely clinging to the towering maple trees, fluttered down onto him. Engrossed in his work, he barely noticed. When he finished, he stood up and stretched, feeling victorious.

“When did it get so bright? A few hours must have passed!”

It had snowed yesterday, but today was warming up, causing the accumulated snow to start melting away.

Bones stretched again, his bones snapping. It was time.

In the worst-case scenario, I’ll need to create Skully anew using the spare mana core.

Bones extended his arm and summoned Skully's golem core into his hand. He held it for a few seconds before focusing on the skill Soul Spark. It was as if something clicked inside him, and Bones felt he knew how to separate a fragment of his soul into a spark!

Excruciating pain scrambled his senses, as if something had pierced through every imaginable layer of defense, both physical and mental, and bore down on his very soul. Bones gritted his teeth and guided the spark from his core toward his chest, then through his shoulder and down his arm. Finally, the spark merged with the core in his hand.

A glaring light radiated from the core for a brief moment before it dimmed and faded away.

ding!

Bones' arm holding the core suddenly plunged, and he keeled over, almost dropping the golem core. He clung to the core feebly until the pain subsided.

"This—" groan "—better be worth it!"

Warning!

The user has been afflicted with status 'Weakend'

Congratulations!

Golem Core: Skully has been successfully upgraded to Soul Core: Skully [unique]