CHAPTER 51: AGAINST THE SKELETON LORD

Rhys looked over all the rewards and nodded in satisfaction before closing the screen. He glanced at Puddle with a small smile.

"Okay, Puddle, just ten levels more and we’re at the goal. Let’s go and level up," he said.

Both Rhys and Puddle set off, and by the end of the month, they had reached their target.

[ Level 100 Reached ]

[ Congratulations, Player Blade! You have reached the threshold for rank advancement. ]

[ From here, please complete the Rank Advancement Trial to reach Rank 1. ]

[ Until then, all earned EXP will be stored and applied after your promotion. ]

Rhys grinned. "We’re finally Level 100, Puddle."

"Kyuu~" Puddle chimed happily.

"Now... I should start looking for my next Ancient Beast," Rhys murmured thoughtfully. Unlike other taming classes, he was limited by conventional rules—he could only have one tamed Ancient Beast per rank, though the potential of Ancient beasts was far greater, So, it was kind of balancing. After completing the trial, he could add another powerful companion to his bond.

"Let’s go take on that skeletal bastard," he muttered.

The bubbly slime bounced in agreement, rippling like a nod.

The air grew heavier as Rhys and Puddle pushed through the last stretch of the corrupted forest. The trees here were skeletal, stripped of bark, their limbs twisted into claw-like shapes. Black fog seeped from cracks in the earth, curling low and clinging to their boots. The oppressive silence pressed down on them, broken only by the occasional distant creak—as if the forest itself groaned in pain.

At last, they reached it.

A jagged cliff face loomed ahead, its mouth yawning open like the maw of some great beast. Black fog poured from within, so thick it seemed alive. The very air around it shimmered faintly, like heat haze, warping the world at the edges.

Rhys stepped closer, boots crunching on brittle bones littering the ground. He trailed a hand along the cave wall—cold as ice, damp with a thin film of corruption.

A new notification blinked into view:

[ New Dungeon Detected – Dead Dwelling of the Skeleton Lord ]

[ Upon entering, all EXP gain and drop rates are increased by +15% for one week. ]

Rhys’ smile sharpened. "Looks like we’ve found your new playground, Puddle."

"Kyuu~" the slime replied, its body pulsing with faint ripples of excitement.

From the depths of the cave came a sound—dry, brittle, yet echoing like thunder. A grinding of bones, the rattle of chains, and a deep voice that did not belong to any living thing.

"Intruders..."

The fog thickened, a cold wind rushing outward from the entrance. Somewhere deep inside, the Skeleton Lord was stirring, its domain waking to the scent of new prey.

Alongside him, many lesser skeleton wardens and knights began to stir—bones rattling, skulls turning with eerie precision as their empty sockets glowed faintly red. The dungeon itself seemed to awaken as Rhys and Puddle stepped inside.

Rhys reached for his sword—not the Magic Swordsman set blade, but a weapon far more suited for the darkness ahead. Its long, slightly curved blade was forged in a muted grey steel, etched with faint black veins that pulsed with a strange, corrupted energy.

This was the Corrupted Treant Lord’s Sword, an Epic quality blade he had earned after defeating the monstrous guardian deep within the corrupted glades. A level 80 weapon perfectly tuned for a Magic Swordsman’s hybrid fighting style, it thrummed in his grip, eager for battle.

The blade thrummed faintly in Rhys’s grip, and as he focused, a translucent status screen shimmered into view before his eyes.

[Corrupted Treant Lord’s Sword]Rating: EpicDurability: 380 / 380Attack Power: 540Magic Power: 280

+15% Attack Speed when fighting corrupted or nature-type enemies.

+20% Physical and Magical Penetration against enemies affected by Poison, Rot, or Bleed effects.

Unique Skills:

[Verdant Rot Strike](Active)

Imbues the blade with decayed nature energy, dealing an additional 150% weapon damage as rot-type magic damage.

On hit: Applies Rot for 5 seconds, reducing target’s defense by 10%.

Mana Cost: 60 | Cooldown: 18s

[Rootbind Slash](Active)

Slams the blade into the ground, causing corrupted roots to burst upward in a 5m radius, dealing 120% weapon damage and immobilizing small/medium enemies for 2 seconds.

Mana Cost: 90 | Cooldown: 25s

User Restriction:

Level 80+

Sword Mastery Lv. 2 or higher

Strength 250+, Intelligence 150+

The weapon’s description flickered at the bottom:

Forged from the corrupted heartwood of the Treant Lord, this blade hums with ancient resentment. Each swing carries the weight of the forest’s decay, eager to see the world wither.

***

The weight of the Corrupted Treant Lord’s Sword felt perfect in Rhys’s hands—balanced, yet heavy with the quiet menace of its cursed wood and steel.

The thick black fog rolled across the stone floor of the Skeleton Lord’s domain, whispering between his boots as faint bone clatters echoed deeper inside.

From the shadows, seven... eight skeletal warriors emerged.

Some bore rusted swords and shields; others clutched spears cracked with age.

Their armor hung loose over creaking frames, red pinpricks burning where their eyes should have been.

Each step they took sent a dull clink through the cavern, the sound oddly methodical—like they were guided by one will.

Rhys exhaled once.

"Let’s make this quick."

One stepped forward, shield raised.

Rhys didn’t even slow—he slid in low, Rootbind Slash triggering as his sword scraped stone.

The corrupted roots burst from the ground with a wet snap, spiraling upward around the skeletons’ legs.

Three were snared instantly, bones grinding as they tried to wrench free.

The first victim didn’t have a chance—Rhys’s blade swung in a rising arc, Verdant Rot Strike igniting along its edge in black-green light.

The rot-infused slash sheared clean through its ribcage, the force shattering its spine.

Fragments of bone clattered across the cavern floor.

The second tried to lunge at him, bound legs snapping the roots—Rhys stepped sideways, pivoted, and brought the blade down in a diagonal crush that split its skull.

The rot magic spread instantly through the frame, eating away the brittle bone until the warrior collapsed into dust.