Enya read through the spells again, and her jaw almost dropped. Two spells! The system had actually offered her two spells this time. Everything she'd gotten so far—whether from her visionary class or necrosmith skills—had been passive abilities or skills. None of them even used up anything like mana or energy.

The first spell, Pain Swap, seemed powerful. If she cast it on someone, they could probably keep fighting without feeling pain or taking damage, as long as one of her minions was still around. But something about it made her nervous. “Stamina and vitality.” Stamina, she got, but what about vitality? Did that mean it would drain someone’s life force and make them die faster? If so, it would only be useful in emergencies. But if it just used up their energy, and they could recover after resting, then it sounded like the perfect spell. Well, except for the fact that it cost 40 mana to cast—which was way more than she had right now.

The second spell was... interesting. She could move any bone she could see. But it didn’t say how strong the force was at its current level, [F-]. What if it was too weak to even be helpful? How was moving a bone supposed to help in a fight? Maybe it could mess with a skeleton, but what about a zombie with all that flesh covering their bones? Or a ghost with no bones at all?

And then there was Life Detection. Probably the worst skill of the bunch. It was passive, so she didn’t even have to cast it, but it wouldn’t do her much good in an undead dungeon. Everything around her was already dead or undead. The only exception had been the demon rat, but she knew for sure now—that thing was dead, dead, dead.

Enya sat there, staring at nothing, lost in thought. She already knew what she was going to pick, but part of her just wanted to be sure—maybe convince herself one last time. It would've been nice to finish the other quests first and see what skills they’d offer, but those quests felt too far away and out of reach.

She sighed and made her decision.

Spell: Bone Shift [F-] has been obtained.

Pain Swap had been tempting, but what good was it if she didn’t have enough mana to cast it? With only 30 mana in her pool, and the spell needing 40, it wasn’t even an option. Soul-energy could potentially cover for some of the cost, but that was risky since soul-energy didn’t naturally recover. Who knew when she'd get more mana anyway? Maybe when she leveled up more, or completed a few more class quests, she could raise it. But right now, it was what it was.

Honestly, none of the spell options seemed that helpful for where she was. Why couldn’t the system just... give her something useful like an instant-death spell? Point and pew pew—done.

Suddenly, a wave of information hit her, like someone had poured the spell directly into her brain. She froze for a moment, letting the sensation settle as flashes of understanding filled her head. The patterns and connections of the spell clicked together, becoming a permanent part of her memory.

Slowly, Enya exhaled, calming herself after the rush. She blinked a few times, flexing her fingers as if testing her senses. The method to cast Bone Shift was now ingrained in her mind. She channeled mana into her fingertips and started forming the spell circle. Without even activating Absolute Focus, it only took her a second to complete.

She glanced at Walnut, lifting her hand and aiming her palm at him. But just before releasing the spell, she hesitated. Instead, she turned her gaze toward Dummy D.

The spell flared in front of Enya’s palm, and with a quiet rush, a wave of invisible energy shot toward Dummy D.'s left femur. She poured as much mana into it as her current skill rank would allow, aiming for the strongest effect possible.

Dummy D., standing near Walnut in the middle of the room, suddenly felt pressure in his leg. No cracking or snapping noises followed, but in an instant, he faltered. His left knee buckled forward, and he dropped down, kneeling on one leg.

To Enya, it almost looked like Dummy D. had a muscle spasm—except, well, skeletons didn’t have muscles. A bone spasm? Whatever it was, his leg had lost control, causing him to fall. It wasn’t flashy or dramatic, but she could already see the potential. If her full-powered rank [F+] spell could target a single bone and make a skeleton stumble, it would be incredibly useful, especially during battle. She could fight from the sidelines while her skeletons fought for her.

She pictured Walnut charging at another skeleton wielding a sword. If the skeleton swung at Walnut, she could cast Bone Shift and bend its wrist backward, throwing off the attack, or maybe even snap its neck—if that would even stop a skeleton.

Dummy D.'s bones clattered as he stood up again, completely unfazed by the spell. The force had knocked him down, but it wasn’t enough to actually hurt him or cause any real damage.

One drawback to the spell was that it became weakened if there were too many things between her and the target. If she used it directly on a skeleton’s bones, it would have the strongest effect. But against something like a zombie? The spell would probably be so weak, it wouldn’t make a difference.

She still had one skill point left, which she could use to upgrade the spell. But was Bone Shift really worth it? Maybe if she used it enough, it would level up on its own. A skill point was valuable and better saved for when she got her next class quest.

Enya picked up the small bundle of gravemoss poultice from the table. She rolled it in her hand, inspecting it. It looked… kind of cute, like a little furry ball. But really, it was just a small patch of soul-infused grassy moss. With a sigh, she stood up, walked over to her backpack, and tucked it inside.

There was still the warding nail she could craft, but maybe that could wait for later. She wasn’t sure how it might affect her skeletons, and with the quest already completed, it didn’t feel worth the risk right now.

“Alright, guys, time to get some levels!” Enya grinned, slinging her backpack over her shoulder.

Clatter. Rattle.

image [https://i.imgur.com/ZiLMGqb.png]

The sound of bones clattering against stone overlapped and echoed down the hallway, accompanied by the soft patter of footsteps trailing behind.

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

As Enya walked alongside them, she couldn’t help but notice just how much taller Walnut and Dummy D. were compared to her. A pout formed on her lips. They made her feel like a little dwarf! Surely, she’d grow to their height one day, right?

She was pretty sure the former dire zombie had been much shorter when she first met—almost died—at his hands. Whether he’d been slouching back then or had somehow grown taller was a mystery. As for Walnut’s skeleton, she had never met him, so it was possible he was naturally tall, but that was just a guess.

They followed their usual path toward Pell’s shop, the one she was most familiar with. But halfway there, she suddenly turned, leading them down an unfamiliar route. She wanted to find a wandering skeleton or zombie and see how well Walnut and Dummy D. could fight together.

After a few minutes of walking, Enya spotted something up ahead. She didn’t want to activate her Absolute Focus, as it would leave her feeling fuzzy after a fight. It was better to rely on her regular eyesight, especially since she had two capable bodyguards with her now.

“Guys, up there!” Enya whispered, crouching slightly and leaning forward between her skeletal companions.

They stumbled upon a zombie shambling down a perpendicular hallway, emerging from the shadowy depths into the light. Its shadow, cast long and twisted behind it, looked anything but human. The creature wore tattered brown trousers, its upper body exposed, with ragged patches of flesh hanging from its chest. A deep gash sliced through its side, revealing the decayed remnants within. Its eye sockets were empty, staring into a darkness that filled its head. While its skull surely remained, it was mixed with bits of melted brain matter and the remnants of dried, bloody viscera.

As the zombie sensed their presence from about twenty meters away, Walnut and Dummy D. raised their weapons in response. Walnut brandished his single-edged sword, while Dummy D. held up a small, almost pristine dagger. Enya stepped back slowly, observing as both skeletons advanced cautiously.

She noticed their stances were vastly different. Walnut positioned his left foot forward and his right foot back, his body turned sideways. He gripped the large sword with both hands, the base of the blade hovering just above his right shoulder, while the tip pointed slightly upward and angled toward his back left. His stance was poised, ready to unleash an arcing slash from right to left at a moment's notice.

Dummy D., however, crouched low to the ground. His feet were set in a different stance; his right foot was forward while his left lagged behind. Both arms were bent at nearly a 90-degree angle, the dagger held upright close to his ribcage. With his left arm raised and bent, he was prepared to spring into action.

The zombie let out a low groan, but it gurgled as if its lungs were filled to the brim with liquid. It slouched for a moment, its arms and joints bending at unnatural angles, before lunging forward. Its left leg propelled it ahead, while the right leg only shuffled along every so often.

With fierce determination, Dummy D. charged forward, his left hand outstretched and the dagger gripped tightly in his right hand, poised to stab. Walnut advanced more slowly, maintaining his sideways stance and moving with a calculated cadence.

Soon, Dummy D. reached the zombie and deftly swerved to the right as it lunged toward him. The creature moved in a way that felt almost predictable. Its attack was reminiscent of the zombie that Enya encountered alone in the hallway.

In that split second, as the zombie brushed past him, Dummy D. seized the opportunity and thrust the dagger forward. It plunged into the zombie's side, the flesh yielding to the blade. A sloshing sound filled the air, mingling with the sight of blood gushing out. The momentum of the zombie carried it forward, causing Dummy D. to quickly retract the dagger as the creature stumbled past him.

Despite the injury, the zombie turned and continued its advance, its tattered clothes hanging on by mere threads, seemingly unperturbed by the damage. Dummy D. pivoted swiftly, the bones in his feet grinding against the ground as he redirected his charge, kicking off his heel with his right arm pulled back, ready to strike again.

The zombie mirrored his charge.

With a swift motion, Dummy D.’s hand shot forward, the tip of the dagger—now smeared with black, rotted blood—following his strike. It pierced into the zombie’s chest, burying deep in its center. The same sloshing sound echoed again, and this time a burst of blood erupted, splattering across Dummy D.’s face.

Though the dagger was buried deep within the zombie's chest, its relentless attack continued. Its decaying arms swung forward, gripping Dummy D.’s shoulder, and its grotesque head leaned in, jaws gaping wide in preparation for a large bite.

In a swift reaction, Dummy D. yanked the dagger free, leaning back as he did so. The zombie’s chest gaped open, a torrent of corrupted blood bursting forth and pooling on the floor, while strips of decayed flesh and shredded muscle tendons clung to the blade as it retracted. In the same motion, Dummy D. launched a powerful kick at the creature’s chest, sending both combatants tumbling backward.

The zombie was pushed away slightly, its lunge interrupted, leaving it momentarily dazed. But in an instant, it shook off the disorientation and lunged forward once more—until—

Krrssh!

Suddenly, Dummy D. flipped upside down in the zombie’s view. The walls of the dungeon seemed to shift and cave in, as if an earthquake had struck. The world spun wildly, the ceiling descending toward the zombie's head until it collided with a sickening thud.

System Notification: You have landed a killing blow on Zombie (Level 4).

You have received 30 EXP.

Experience Remaining Until Next Level: 49/163

“Woah! You’re really good with that dagger!” Enya exclaimed, her eyes wide with admiration. As Dummy D. initiated the attack and drew the zombie’s attention, Walnut stealthily approached from behind, poised to strike while the creature’s back was turned. His strength was clear—just looking at the rolling, decapitated head of the zombie confirmed this for her.

She was tempted to try using Bone Shift on the zombie, curious about how effective it would be with all the flesh, muscle, and tendons obstructing her line of sight. But as Dummy D. charged in, she found herself captivated by the scene. Watching the former dire zombie fight so recklessly, while Walnut casually stepped in to finish the fight with a single blow—it was just too mesmerizing to pull her focus away.

Glancing at her system notification, Enya noticed that the level 4 zombie had granted her 30 EXP. The previous zombie Pell had taken down in the hallway had given her only 24 EXP, with the remaining 4 points going to him for his contribution. Although both zombies were the same level, the difference in EXP was puzzling.

She closed the notification screen. Whatever the reason for the discrepancy, it wasn’t worth dwelling on—2 EXP wasn’t a huge deal.

Walnut and Dummy D. returned to her side, weapons at the ready. Well, Dummy D. had sheathed his dagger, tucking it between his ribs and angling it neatly within his torso. The flesh and blood dripped down from the dagger and covered multiple ribs in a slimy trail. Walnut, on the other hand, didn’t have the leather guards for his sword—what were they called again? Cabard? Cabbar? His sword was dirty, but not as dirty.

The zombie’s body still lay on the floor, in a pool of dark blood. It had fallen onto its side, resulting in most of the blood that pooled out from its chest, to spill in front of it.

With a flicker, Enya summoned her bonecarver’s quill into her hand, the air around it shimmering for a moment. She circled to the back of the decapitated zombie, aiming carefully before stabbing the quill into its decayed flesh. A brief sheen of white light erupted from the quill, only to fade away two seconds later.

Soul-Energy: 62/100

This zombie had yielded her just 2 points of soul-energy—once again, a discrepancy from her previous encounters. She had 66 points of soul-energy, but that was before using 6 points to create the gravemoss poultice.

Standing up from her crouch, Enya turned to face Walnut and Dummy D., who stood steadfastly beside her. She leaned forward, balanced on her tiptoes, and patted their shoulders enthusiastically. “Good job, guys!” she cheered, her voice bubbling with excitement. “Keep it up, and let’s keep going! We got more killing to do!”