A week had passed since Kyo became a skeleton.

As a pawn in Pound's skeleton army, Kyo had quietly shattered the skulls of ten of his fellow skeletons.

It seemed like a lot, but for Pound's army, it was nothing to mention.

Now, Kyo's skeleton status was as follows:

[Name] Kyo · Pound

[Race] Low-level Skeleton

[Level] lv3/lv10 (Low-level Skeletons have a max level of lv10)

[Class] None

[Strength] 5/10

[Constitution] 5/10

[Mentality] 8/10

[Free Attribute Points] 1

[Evolution Requirement] Evolution is possible when Strength, Constitution, and Mentality reach max points.

[Skills] Bone Transformation lv1, Appraisal lv1, Hard Bone lv1, Strength lv1, Swift lv1, Stealth lv1

[Status] Enslaved, Bone Deterioration

[Experience] 60/300

[Description] A fragile and eerie yet versatile skeleton, a cannon fodder enslaved by the evil Bone Dragon Pound, likely to fall apart in 1.5 years.

[Stealth lv1] was a skill Kyo acquired from a lv3 low-level skeleton's left leg.

This skill greatly reduced the noise from his movements while following or running, which proved quite useful to Kyo, who often had to tail other skeletons for work.

With this skill, combined with his [Swift] and [Strength], he no longer needed to wait for skeletons to sleep; he could just smash them with a stone.

However, today Kyo didn't follow his usual routine of tailing other skeletons and smashing their skulls.

Because today, the Bone Dragon's lair had visitors.

These visitors were different from the usual mindless skeletons. They had goat-like horns, long tails covered in scales, and black bat wings on their backs.

If Kyo wasn't mistaken, these were Succubi.

The Succubi flew through the air, their eyes scanning the skeletons below like they were inspecting goods.

Kyo recognized that gaze. Just three minutes ago, he had used the same look to inspect the other skeletons.

Damn, Kyo shrank his neck, hiding among the other skeletons, hoping to avoid attention.

But the versatile skeleton, no matter where he was, radiated an undeniable, distinct, and uncomfortable charm.

His smooth, white bones seemed to scream their uniqueness with every inch of them.

This was also thanks to a certain skeleton's hygiene habits, which kept Kyo's bones spotless.

Kyo was chosen by one of the Succubi.

Not having escaped the clutches of Pound, Kyo now found himself under the grip of a Succubus.

"Appraisal."

[Name] Lucia · Pound

[Race] High-level Demon

[Class] Sorcerer – Elemental Mage

[Level] lv34/lv40 (A 3rd-tier Sorcerer, high-level demons have a max level of lv40)

[Description] Evil Bone Dragon Pound's high-ranking demonic servant, the embodiment of destruction and evil. Skilled in elemental magic, possessing vast magical knowledge and a research-driven spirit.

"Good quality, a great research specimen."

Lucia tapped Kyo's skull, pleased with her assessment.

Kyo could only pretend to be dumb.

If they discovered he had intelligence, there would be no chance of him escaping Pound's control.

But as research material, Kyo's future seemed bleak.

Kyo was brought to a courtyard separated by stone walls, where several other skeletons wandered mindlessly around the limited space.

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Having pretended to be a skeleton for so long, Kyo blended in seamlessly, wandering aimlessly as well.

Among the skeletons, a few Succubi wandered too.

The level of these Succubi, as Kyo had appraised, was generally lv10 and above, indicating they had intelligence.

All these Succubi had the surname "Lucia" and those at higher levels carried the "Pound" suffix after their names, indicating they were low- and mid-tier Succubi enslaved by Lucia.

"Keep a close eye on these skeletons. They're vital research materials!"

Lucia ordered, before flying off again.

In this confined area, with the Succubi keeping a close watch, Kyo lost the opportunity to smash skulls for upgrades.

He could only sneak around the Succubi, pretending to be a dumb skeleton, gathering information from their conversations.

After some time of careful listening, Kyo finally discovered Lucia's research.

She was trying to breed a special type of skeleton – Elemental Skeletons.

Elemental Skeletons were a rare type of skeleton capable of using elemental magic, unlike the regular low-level skeletons.

All the skeletons in the courtyard were mere cannon fodder...

To be precise, these skeletons were unlikely to ever be converted into Elemental Skeletons. They were just experimental fodder for data collection.

Lucia left for her materials gathering journey, and her first experiment would take place three days later.

In the meantime, Kyo had no chance to upgrade or change his stats.

But during these three days, Kyo didn't waste his time.

While a few of his skeleton colleagues were asleep, he knocked them unconscious and stealthily swapped their limbs.

The other mindless skeletons had no idea of the changes to their bodies.

Now, Kyo had replaced all his limbs with [Hard Bone], [Self-Healing], [Tenacity], and [Fire Resistance] skills—all survival and defense-oriented skills.

By deliberately bumping into the Succubi from time to time, Kyo had gathered some crucial intel.

The first experiment would involve fire, so he made sure to equip himself with [Fire Resistance].

The first experiment officially began, and Lucia returned to the testing area.

Unlike three days ago, Lucia didn't hesitate with the low-level skeletons. She simply waved her hand, and two Succubi grabbed one of the skeletons.

Lucia approached the skeleton, placed her hand on its skull, and murmured, "Fire Lava."

Flames poured down like molten lava, and the skeleton struggled wildly. Its bones clashed, producing a chilling sound.

Soon, the low-level skeleton went silent, collapsing into blackened remains.

Kyo's nonexistent scalp tingled. He checked his skills again to ensure his preparations were intact before letting out a quiet sigh of relief.

"Can't even last through the beginning... What a waste."

"Next."

Lucia's voice was as charming as ever, but Kyo couldn't hear any allure in it.

Soon, the second unlucky victim was dragged forward, its head raised in a dumb daze, fire burning quietly in its eyes.

Lucia placed her hand on the skull again.

Once more, the same magic, Fire Lava, poured down. This time, the skeleton didn't last as long as the first. Its legs buckled, and it collapsed, dead in an instant.

"...Next!"