Endless Evolution As A Skeleton In A Game-Like World

The storm from outside had long since been let into the room.

Ark had been too busy fighting for his life to notice, but after hearing Tristan’s revelation, he could once again feel the icy winds, and the cold water as it drifted down his skull.

The rain was pouring down from the hole above them, and pooling down in the room below. Ark took a breath.

"Is that supposed to be some kind of revelation?"

For someone who was meant to be knowledgeable in everything concerning Eden, it was laughable that he was only realising it now.

Ark had never seriously tried to hide it in the first place, so he did not care if Tristan knew or not.

Tristan chuckled. "That is the reason your comprehension is so low. Tell me, Ark, what are you?"

He took a step closer. Ark could not hear the sound, all he could see was his feet move.

"Are you a mage? Are you a swordsman? Are you a summoner?"

Ark cocked his head to the side and lifted his katana. "I can be anything you want, baby girl."

Tristan suddenly burst out into laughter. "That tongue of yours, it’s a wonder how you haven’t gotten yourself killed already."

Ark, on the other hand, was considering his words.

Tristan was... right.

In Eden, skills did not have a typical level-up meter as in other RPG games. Instead, what they had was comprehension.

The level at which you comprehend a skill determines how powerful that skill would be. And the only way to improve your comprehension over a skill was constant practice.

Not only that, high comprehension over a skill also had a chance of birthing a new, greater skill than the original.

That was why players often ended up having more skills related to the skills they had used early on in life.

Ark stared at the Phantom Assassin, and water slid down his blade, ending at the tip.

It was not that he had not reached comprehension levels on his skills before... Malformed Devourer was as a result of his comprehension in chain lightning.

But was that really enough?

He had been stealing skills ever since the tutorial. Not once had he settled down to actually practice those skills... Instead, he learned during combat, and evolved with each battle.

Perhaps, that was not enough.

Ark had no plans to stop stealing skills. Everyone needed to know their strengths, and his strength was in his diverse talents.

There was no way he would have triumphed in any of the battles he had fought so far without the plethora of skills he had.

But Ark made a mental note to improve his comprehension of his skills by restless practice.

If he had more skills, then all he needed to do was put in more hours than any other person.

Increase the comprehension over his skills one by one until they all reached their peak.

Ark would not sit back and become a jack of all trades, instead, he would become a master of all.

"What is this? A lecture session?" Ark spat as he stared at Tristan.

"I am simply advising my junior. Is there anything wrong with that?"

"I don’t need your shitty advice." Ark pointed at the window. "I would much rather you jump."

"How cold." Tristan tossed the needle into the air and grabbed it, before pointing it at him. "Why don’t we make a deal then?" He smiled.

"A deal?"

"Yes. You want to save your little girlfriend over there. I want her dead... I think we can work something out."

"..."

"What do you have in mind?" Ark asked coldly. He already knew that he could not beat Tristan. If the deal was something that would boost his chances, even just by a little bit, then it was worth it.

"It’s simple. You will hit me with the strongest skill in your arsenal, and I will try to deflect it with the first skill I learned in Eden."

"If you manage to put a scratch on me. Thalia lives, but if you fail, then she dies—"

Before Tristan could finish his statement, a yellow spark erupted out of Ark’s body, swirling around him like a calm wave.

He held his katana forward and took in a breath.

One move, that was all he had.

The light magic intensified around him, shining so brightly that it illuminated the entire space. And then the shadows began to swirl within it...

Ark could not kill Tristan, that was very much obvious. But a scratch? That should be doable.

He took in a long breath, feeling his hands already beginning to burn as the light swirled around them.

The most powerful spell in his arsenal was without a doubt, Chain of Obliterating Light. But Tristan had seen that move before, and the spell focused more on wide area damage than a single point.

So Ark decided to replicate a move he had used in Eden—

A dark chuckle escaped his lips. It was almost as if most of his experiences came from that hell hole.

Perhaps it was time to go back and gather more!

He took in a breath...

Ark had gained a ton of skills, and because of this, most of them had become watered down.

He was neither a sorcerer, nor was he purely a swordsman nor summoner.

The light coated the blade of his sword, swallowing it whole. Strings of light swirled around it like tentacles, and the shadows inside them grew darker.

If the experience he had gained from walking in different paths was not enough...

Ark twisted the spell, feeling intense heat crackle around his arms and chest as he forced it to become what it was not.

...Then he would simply merge everything into one!

The spell compressed, taking the form of his sword. The light grew about ten feet into the air, standing firm like a celestial pillar.

The spell was too great for Ark to handle, and so shadowy hands rose from below, holding the sword in place.

The storm seemed to still for but a moment.

Tristan’s eyes widened, and he took in a shaky, excited breath.

In that moment, Ark shone brighter than anything he had ever seen.

[Your Comprehension over Chain Of Obliterating Light Has Improved!]

[You have awakened a new skill, Sky Splitting Slash (S-Rank)!]

It was a skill that neither belonged to a Sorcerer, a Swordmaster, or a Summoner.

It was a skill perfect for him.

Ark lifted his blade high, and with a battle cry, he swung it forward, releasing a wave of light that swallowed everything before it.

VWOOOOSH!!

’This is not normal...’ Tristan thought as he stared at the light. Nothing about the kid seemed normal...

Did he just awaken a new skill just after the talk they had?

Awakening skills was something that often took months for gifted players, and years for others.

Twisting spells was something only players above level 50 could do with ease...

And yet, Ark had not just twisted the spell, he had reformed it. Tristan trembled with laughter as he raised his needle.

Maybe if he was given enough time... Ark would truly rise up to the peaks that even he could not reach.

But for now—Tristan raised his needle—he was still a child.

"I will show you the power of a skill that has reached maximum comprehension."

As the wave of light charged forward, moving so fast that even silver rank players would fail to react, Tristan drove his needle forward.

"Basic Assassin Strike—"