The sun was slowly setting, a soft blue glow coming over the horizon the sun was coming over the bone hills around me casting a blue hue on the bones around me. I questioned if this was because of the atmosphere or if the sun itself was blue, the hordes of dead were starting to become more active as the sun rose. It seemed as if the stories were untrue in this world, the undead was not nocturnal, almost immediately the smarter skeletons that were looking for something started a small scale war off in the distance. Hundreds of skeletons bashed into each other like a light blue wave of people, a few had weapons mostly sticks and rocks even less actually had had actual weapons.
Other skeletons off to the side seemed to just watch in a daze, a lot of them seemed to be rather docile if not provoked though the stragglers that did get caught up in the battle fought back with vigor. The numbers were staggering as I watched them pile up on each other, some losing body parts and gathering them together to use them as weapons as well. It seemed as though they had some relative control of the dislodged limbs.
I flicked through the tabs, making closer examination of the words on the sides, the characters seemed to scroll through over a couple hundreds of types of letters before settling on english, tabs signified character, skills, equipment, and spells. Currently character, and skills were lightly blinking as I curiously looked at things, “Tutorial, do I get upgrades to my stats from leveling, or do I get status points that I have to assign myself?”
“Yes.” The voice said cheerfully, a silence following it.
Thinking about it, I reworded my question, “How do I increase my stats?”
“You have several ways of increase your stats, they usually fall into four categories Skill Increases, Title Increases, Passive Increases, and lastly Level Increases. Your character screen will only show your Level Increases. Level increases will be affected by two things race, and class. Your race at the moment is lacking strength, constitution and dexterity due to your current body.” A pulse of energy runs through my body making me shiver from head to toe. “The easiest way to increase those aspects of your body would be to control the density, construction, and flexibility of your magic reserves. This will increase your power, and control over magic in later races should you evolve.”
“So you’re saying my body is the reason for the strange results on my character status?” I scrolled up once again to look over my ability scores.
Mr. SkeletonClass: NoneSecondary Class: NoneRace: SkeletonLevel: 0XP: 0Mana Strength:6XP Needed: 0Mana Flexibility:10Bone Reinforcement:3Skill Points: 1Wisdom:10Alliances: 0Intelligence:9Magics: 0Charisma:4Skills: 4
“Yes, it have been specialized for your race, and will change each time your race changes. I would suggest taking a look at the tables when your race changes.” Tutorial spoke.
The combat had died down while I was reading, a few of the skeletons standing where the ones with weapons, it gave them a rather big advantage. There was one that didn’t fit in the group, a large skeleton that was covered in extra bones, they almost looked polished armor with a skeleton’s skull at the end of each fist. The strongest of the group seemed to be these ten, the combat seemed to be a big event for the skeletons, I looked away something more interesting and personal in front of me.
Switching over to the skill tab, I was slightly disappointed as there was only four even though the previous menu had already said such, and I was more disappointed by the actual skills themselves.
SkillsBite (Level 1)To use teeth to cut into something in order to eat or damage it.Movement (Level 1)The agility of the joints, as well as flexibility correction when moving.Bone Collector (Level 1)Find bones to enhance your body. Durability of bones can also be enhanced by stat.Monster Regeneration (Level 1)Gains a monster core, life is intact as long as core exists.
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My head turned to the two skeletons to my sides, they looked humanoid in nature, though I didn’t know enough about anatomy to tell if there were extra parts or not, but they were in mostly human form as far as I could tell. Trying to smile, I found it a bit hard without facial muscles but I tired, “Seems like I lack anything of importance. Maybe I can hunt down bones like a dog till I get something good.”
“Skill level will rise independently from your level, so that might not be such a bad idea. After the level of the skill reaches level ten it can expand into different skills, some skills will stay at level ten until another skill reaches the same level forming into a skill group,” I nodded, Tutorial’s words were very self explanatory to anyone who’s played an RPG before with similar elements. There weren't any surprises other than the unique and racial skills I was given.
“Honestly I could use something that will take my mind off of things, I did just die.” I said optimistically. Video games were always my escape from the stresses of the world, so this power might just be the perfect to let his mind wander and forget the car crash that happened not too long ago. There was a soft phantom pains from my previous body, I knew that there wasn’t any injuries on my body, in fact I did not have most of the body parts that were in pain at the moment. Assuming stretching wouldn’t help, I stood up, staring forward at the combats that were scattered around me.
Looking at the two skeletons beside me, I shrugged, “Want to help me fight some other skeletons?” One of the skeletons nodded, flexing his bony arm, as the other gave him a thumbs up. “These bones are too quiet, reminds me of mimes.” I shivered at the thought, grabbing a rock from the ground, it seemed to be the most common weapon of the skeletons.
Ding!Negotiation (Level 1) skill gained!
“How was that negotiation?” Curiously asked Tutorial but I could almost hear a shrug in the silence. “Now like a videogame can I add these two to my party?”
Ding!Skeleton (1), and Skeleton (2) added to party!
Gripping my rock, and rushing at one of the other skeletons I slam my arm down like a hammer on the skeleton’s head. I heard a cracking sound from both my arm, and the skeleton’s head as both of them shattered leaving me armless, and the skeleton in front of me headless. It turned towards me, reaching for its head as it started to freak out.
Personally this would have been funny if I wasn’t freaking out that my arm was now gone, picking up another rock I quickly jumped at the skeleton bashing down at the body. The ribs, shoulder blades, and other bones were broken under my sudden unexpected rage at this skeleton that made me lose my arm. The final crash of the rock hit something that made the whole body of the skeleton’s body clench up in pain.
A growth about the size of my thumb was against its spine I brought down the rock on the growth and heard a snapping sound as my hand breaks apart leaving me without a hand on one side, and without an arm on the other. Fear fell through me, if I didn’t have these body parts it’d be impossible to continue in this world. I sat there, breathing deeply to calm my nerves, I knew I could evolve so maybe I could gain them back through evolution. Then I remembered the Bone collector, and regeneration skills that I had to test the skills to see if they actually worked.
Ding!Blunt Weapons (Level 1) Skill Gained!
Ding!Blunt Weapons now (Level 2)
Looking back at the two skeletons, I raise my handless arm, “I think I need a hand.” The two skeletons shook their heads turning their back on me as if ashamed by what I just said.
Using the stump of my arm to touch the dead skeleton’s hand, a snapping sound echoed out as tendrils of a black liquidy substance wraps around it before attaching it to my arm, wiggling my new fingers I look up. It seems like I can repair myself after battle, so that makes losing an arm or two a bit easier to deal with.