Last Ruler Of The Empty Throne-Chapter 43: Skeletons III (last)

A tremor rippled through the cracked earth, the ground shuddering as the lone skeleton, motionless until now, began to vibrate with an ominous hum.

Rumble...

The air grew denser, the dome’s oppressive darkness coiling tighter around the survivors.

Shadows twisted like living tendrils, seeping from the defeated skeletons’ remains and flowing into the central undead warrior. With each absorbed wisp, the skeleton’s aura swelled, its presence growing colder, heavier, and infinitely more menacing. It exuded a chilling pressure that clawed at the soul, whispering despair into the hearts of those who stood before it.

The air hung thick, saturated with fear that threatened to choke the resolve from even the bravest.

The remaining fighters, fourteen in total, turned anxious eyes to their leaders, Jenny and Cynthia.

Their gazes carried an unspoken plea: What now? But Jenny and Cynthia stood unyielding, their faces set with determination, instead, a faint glimmer of white light sparked around them, growing until it engulfed their forms in a radiant glow.

The sight stirred confusion among the group. Many assumed they were summoning their ultimate skills for a desperate last stand, the light reminiscent of a skill activation.

But a few exchanged knowing glances. They had seen this light before, recently, when Jon’s rage over Tunde’s death had triggered a transformation. Their eyes widened in unison as realization dawned.

"First Realm," Norman whispered, his voice barely audible. At that moment, a message flashed across Jenny’s vision:

[YOU ARE EVOLVING TO ’FIRST REALM’]

The battlefield vanished, swallowed by blinding light. When the brilliance receded, Jenny found herself in a void darker than the dome, an endless expanse where a single silver flame flickered steadily before her. Confusion gripped her, but the vision dissolved as swiftly as it had come, returning her to the battlefield.

A flood of notifications assaulted her senses:

[YOU HAVE FULFILLED THE REQUIREMENTS TO OBTAIN THE ’CREATION MASTER’ CLASS]

[FIGHT, KILL, AND ABSORB REMAINS OF THE FIRST REALM: COMPLETE]

[FIGHT, KILL, AND ABSORB REMAINS OF UNRANKED REALM: COMPLETE]

[EVOLVE YOUR MAIN SKILL TO THE SECOND REALM: COMPLETE]

[YOU HAVE EVOLVED TO THE FIRST REALM. IT IS THE FOUNDATION REALM LAID FOR THE FUTURE. A STURDIER FOUNDATION LEADS TO A BETTER FUTURE]

[YOU HAVE OBTAINED CLASS ’CREATION MASTER’]

[FIRST REALM CLASS ’CREATION MASTER’: A CREATION MASTER IS A PERSON WHO IS SKILLED IN BRINGING IMAGINATIONS TO LIFE]

[YOU HAVE OBTAINED THE SKILL ’CREATION WORLD’]

[’CREATION WORLD’ (SECOND REALM) LEVEL 5: WORLD DEDICATED TO YOUR IMAGINATION. EFFECT: USE 400 POINTS OF MANA TO DEPLOY A ZONE IN THE REAL WORLD FROM YOUR IMAGINATION, FORMING YOUR OWN RULES AND DOMINATING IT]

[YOU HAVE OBTAINED THE TREASURE ’SILVER FLAME’]

[’SILVER FLAME’: FORM A CONTRACT WITH THE SILVER FLAME] 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

[YOUR SOUL LEVEL HAS INCREASED]

[YOUR LEVEL HAS INCREASED]

[YOUR LEVEL HAS INCREASED]

[YOU HAVE REACHED LEVEL 28]

[YOU HAVE OBTAINED STRENGTH +80, AGILITY +70, STAMINA +89, MANA +300, HEALTH +150]

[YOUR SKILL SLOT HAS INCREASED]

Jenny had no time to parse the details, but her body thrummed with newfound power. Her senses sharpened, her movements felt effortless, as if the world had slowed to match her pace. Glancing sideways, she saw Cynthia enveloped in the same radiant glow, her transformation mirroring her own.

Cynthia’s vision blurred, replaced by a barren wasteland under a crimson sky. Cracked earth stretched endlessly, fierce winds tearing at her with savage force, threatening to unravel her. Fear flickered, but the vision vanished, pulling her back to the battlefield. A barrage of notifications followed:

[YOU HAVE FULFILLED REQUIREMENTS TO OBTAIN ’WIND MANIPULATOR’ CLASS]

[FIGHT, KILL, AND ABSORB REMAINS OF THE FIRST REALM: COMPLETE]

[FIGHT, KILL, AND ABSORB REMAINS OF UNRANKED REALM: COMPLETE]

[EVOLVE YOUR MAIN SKILL TO THE SECOND REALM: COMPLETE]

[YOU HAVE EVOLVED TO THE FIRST REALM. IT IS THE FOUNDATION REALM LAID FOR THE FUTURE. A STURDIER FOUNDATION LEADS TO A BETTER FUTURE]

[YOU HAVE OBTAINED CLASS ’WIND MANIPULATOR’]

[FIRST REALM CLASS ’WIND MANIPULATOR’: A WIND MANIPULATOR TREATS THE WIND AS THEIR LIMBS AND SECOND SELF, ’GET CLOSER TO WIND’]

[YOU HAVE OBTAINED THE SKILL ’TELEKINESIS’]

[’TELEKINESIS’ (SECOND REALM) LEVEL 5: MANIPULATE OBJECTS AND FORCES WITH YOUR MIND, USING 50 MANA PER SECOND FOR PRECISE CONTROL]

Cynthia dismissed the notifications as the skeleton’s dark green eyes flared open, its gaze brimming with unsettling intelligence and power.

Despite the surge of strength coursing through her, caution tempered her confidence. She locked eyes with Jenny, an unspoken agreement passing between them. The skeleton, now pulsing with absorbed dark energy, rose, gripping a battered yet formidable sword that lay beside its throne-like seat.

Rumble...

The ground quaked under its weight, the dome’s darkness tightening like a noose.

"Everyone, retreat!" Cynthia commanded, her voice cutting through the tension. The fighters, recognizing the battle’s escalation, fled without hesitation, their footsteps echoing as they withdrew to safety. This fight was beyond them.

Cynthia focused, her hands moving in rhythmic arcs, summoning a swirling tornado infused with cold energy. Frost crept along its edges, a refinement of her earlier experiments.

A wicked glint sparked in her eyes as she channeled more mana, muttering, "Dark Flaming Tornado."

WHOOOM!

A vortex of dark flames erupted, surging toward the skeleton with ferocious intent.

The creature raised its sword, shrouded in dense darkness, and slashed twice in rapid succession.

SHRNG... SHRNG!

The strikes shattered the tornado, scattering its flames, but a layer of frost clung to the skeleton’s blade, slowing its movements.

Jenny seized the opening, her Creation Master class fueling her assault. From a distance, she conjured fiery weapons, swords, spears, and pikes, each ablaze with silver flames.

CLANG... CLANG... CLANG!

The skeleton moved in a blur, deflecting each projectile with uncanny speed, but the barrage forced it to focus on defense. Cynthia shot forward, closing the distance.

Clasping her hands, she whispered, "Wind Repulsion."

BOOM!

A powerful force blasted outward, halting the skeleton’s advance and pushing it back a step. Though it blocked with its sword, the momentary stagger created an opening. Cynthia unleashed another Dark Flaming Tornado, its flames engulfing the creature.

SHWAAAAAA!

The sound of tearing and burning filled the dome, punctuated by a guttural hiss from the skeleton as the flames consumed it.

BOOOM!

When the smoke cleared, the skeleton was visibly damaged, one arm missing, its eye sockets charred, and its armor scorched beyond recognition.

Jenny and Cynthia, panting from the strain, exchanged a wary glance. Their mana reserves were dwindling rapidly, but the enemy was half-crippled.

One final push could end it.

Jenny steeled herself, summoning two sleek silver swords layered with dark silver flames.

"Chains!" she called, brown chains snaking through the ground to bind the skeleton.

SLASH!

The creature severed the chains, but Jenny was already upon it.

"Tri-Slash!" she shouted, her diagonal, horizontal, and vertical strikes aimed at its core. The skeleton raised its sword in a knightly stance, blocking the assault.

CLANG... CLANG... CLANG!

"Dash!" Jenny darted behind it, slashing again. Unprepared, the skeleton stumbled forward, its defenses breached.

KRGHTGH! It let out a grotesque screech, rushing at Jenny in a brutal close-quarters duel.

Despite its injuries, the skeleton’s skill and strength edged Jenny back.

CLANG... CLANG...

BOOOM... BOOOM...

Blood trickled from cuts on her arms and legs, her basic sword techniques struggling against the creature’s prowess. Frustration surged. The skeleton used its blade and delivered two large gashes to her shoulder and stomach.

Blood pooled from her mouth continuously as Cynthia came back to assist.

Jenny immediately activated her speed-healing skill, however, it could only do so much.

Despite her bleeding figure, she calmed and watched the fight.

After so many attacks, she found a chance when Cynthia was pushed back and charged with her sword held horizontally. The skeleton swung vertically down, and she feinted a horizontal slash, then shifted upward, slicing into the skeleton’s skull.

The abrupt change caught it off guard, and she pressed her advantage. A vertical slash morphed into a diagonal cut across its torso, her fluid movements baffling the skeleton and forcing it to retreat.

"Haa!" Jenny shouted, slamming her sword into the ground. The impact sent a tremor through the earth, destabilizing the skeleton.

"Dash!" She appeared before it, her blade poised. "Pierce!" she roared, driving her sword through its chest. The skeleton staggered, a gaping wound in its torso.

Cynthia, seizing the moment, stretched her hands forward, throwing the crippled creature into the air with Telekinesis. Summoning her last reserves, she commanded, "Dark Flame Tornado!"

A towering vortex of cold, dark flames erupted, enveloping the skeleton in a storm of destruction. Its body twisted and buckled, bones shattering within the inferno.

Cynthia collapsed to her knees, utterly spent, while Jenny, bloodied but resolute, watched until the tornado dissipated. Only fragments of the skeleton remained, scattering like ash in the wind. An eerie silence settled over the dome, broken only by their labored breaths.

A final notification flashed across their vision:

[YOU HAVE OBTAINED LEVEL 31 "DARK KNIGHT" REMAINS]

"Haa..." Jenny let out a weary laugh, a mix of exhaustion and triumph washing over her. Cynthia’s lips curved into a tired smile as she slumped to the ground, relief flooding her.

They had faced terror, embraced their new powers, and survived.

The dome’s darkness began to lift, faint sunlight piercing the cracks as the oppressive aura dissipated.

The battle had reshaped the group’s hierarchy, cementing Jenny and Cynthia as First Realm warriors.