Endless Evolution As A Skeleton In A Game-Like World

While Ark was getting forced into a rather good looking robe, unknown to him, the players association network was buzzing.

There was a certain video that had been uploaded on the website a few hours ago, and already, the video had hit over ten million views in that short time!

Watch Now!! Newbie Player Dismantles Continental Hotel With A Single Skill!!

— What the hell did I just watch?

The viewers watched in awe as what looked like a skeleton completely dismantled the hotel with a light spell that should have been far beyond him.

But that was not the worst part...

Because it wasn’t long until the players began to speculate who he had been fighting, there was one leading theory, the Vice Commander Of The Player’s Association.

— I was walking past when the explosion happened, I am sure Sir Tristan was there!

— My sister works for the Association! I can swear that she went to that hotel as well, she was killed in that place by a snake the size of a house.

— But why would Sir Tristan go against a newbie? That doesn’t make any sense.

— I hear it is because he kidnapped the daughter of a top Player in Eden.

— What is the source of this information?

— Your mom.

— Don’t worry guys, I will personally go and ask Sir Tristan myself!

— Someone screenshot this. If he doesn’t return, we’ll know that the ops have gotten him...

The views of the video continued to rise, gaining thousands of new viewers with each passing second.

Top guild executives saw the video, natives watched it, and it was even leaked to the regular media where non players could see the video.

Soon, due to the sheer guts one would need to even think of fighting someone like Tristan, the player had deemed him insane and began to call him The Mad Skeleton.

"The Mad Skeleton huh?" A woman slowly crossed her smooth, beautiful legs, then rested her chin on her hand as she stared at her tablet’s screen.

She drew the timer of the video back and rewatched the video again and again, and yet, each time felt like a new experience.

"I see he has been growing rather well..." her crimson eyes tingled with excitement. "Good job, Satella."

One of the issues Ark had was that he was largely unknown. He did not have the backing of a large family, neither did he receive the accolades he deserved from clearing the tutorial...

Without connections, there were doors that were either permanently shut, or needed so much effort, that it became pointless to pursue.

If Ark truly wished to rise to the top one day, he needed these connections. But how could he get connections, considering his family background?

Well, there were two ways...

The first one was by sheer dominance. If Ark became a dominant force in his generation, he would naturally build connections over time.

There was no one who didn’t want to be associated with a rising star.

Soo-jin knew that Ark would naturally achieve this on his own. But the second method was likely one he had never even envisioned.

Popularity...

The more popular you get, the more known you are to people, and the more aware they are of your talents. Once he got popular, from there, he could easily build the connections he needed.

Soo-jin had set the stage, and she had no doubt Ark would make perfect use of it, either consciously, or unconsciously.

A small step in refining the perfect blade...

Satella was standing in front of her in a dimly lit room, her hands folded in front of her maid gown. She bowed and said, "Thank you, Lady Soo-jin."

Soo-jin clicked the power button of the iPad and then hugged it close to her chest, a small, excited laugh slipping out of her lips.

She sat in that position for a few minutes, until the warmth of the iPad screen had fully been absorbed by her body.

And then her ears twitched, her mood immediately turning sour.

"That reminds me..." She stared at Satella, her crimson eyes gleaming nefariously.

Click...

Soo-jin placed the tablet on the table and rose to her feet.

"I recently heard something rather... distasteful." Soo-jin took a step forward.

Satella’s face remained stoic. "What could have displeased you so much, lady Soo-jin?"

Soo-jin’s finger slid over the table as she arrived in front of her, her crimson eyes boring into her own.

"Apparently, my sister gave you a mission."

Satella stiffened.

"She wanted you to test Ark, didn’t she?"

"..."

"Why didn’t you inform me of this?"

Satella immediately placed a hand on her chest and hurriedly tried to explain, "She only wanted to know if he was as capable as they said! I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you both to—"

"Keh!"

Before she could finish, in an instant, Soo-jin grabbed her neck and dashed forward, slamming her into the wall.

"I don’t need your excuses." Soo-jin growled. Her ears had stood still, and the fur on her ears and tail had become spiky.

Her fingers tightened around Satella’s neck. "If you dare lay a hand on him, for whatever foolish reason..."

Soo-jin let her go, and Satella fell to the ground, trying to catch her breath.

"I’ll kill not just you, but my sister as well."

Satella stood up and nodded.

"Understood, Lady Soo-jin."

<•••>

Ark stared at himself in the mirror and did a little spin.

"This actually looks really good!"

The robe that they had bought for him was pitch black, which made it effortlessly blend into the night, while its seams were done in a golden threat that gave the robe character.

"Let’s get going, we are going to miss the entire festival at this point!" Olivia yelled while running down the stairs to the lobby.

It was funny coming from her, considering she was the reason they were late.

Thalia was already on the ground floor, and so once Olivia met them, they proceeded to leave.

But just as they got to the door, Ark said, "Oh wait, I almost forgot..."

His body shimmered, and his white bones gave way to soft human flesh. His fiery orbs transformed to clear blue eyes, and then his formerly silent chest began to thrum softly.

Ark took in a deep breath... a real breath, before he sighed.

"This is nice."

He was going to the preharvest festival where you could eat to your fill without paying a dime.

There was no way he was attending such a party as a skeleton!

"So this is how you look as a human..." Thalia said, sounding slightly surprised.

"Yes, did I meet your expectations? You look rather surprised?" Ark smiled softly.

Thalia blinked. "I just never expected you to be this..."

"To be this what?"

"Tall..."

’Seriously?’ Ark mused. Why was it that the only thing everyone spoke about was his height?

Olivia suddenly hooked her arm around both their arms before pulling them out of the inn.

"Let’s goo!"