Jack Williams' youthful face glowed with an unprecedented sense of joy and confidence. If he had relied on some tricks to slay the Earthstorm Bears earlier, then this time, the fifty-three Gale Demon Wolves had been vanquished purely by his own strength and wit—a testament to his relentless effort and the perilous risk involved. This battle marked a turning point, proving that in this unfamiliar world, he possessed formidable power and was far from talentless.
"Boss, you're incredible! Whoa! You actually took down so many Gale Demon Wolves! I'm so proud of you!" The little mole, Toby, leaped onto his shoulder, his delight uncontainable.
Jack Williams dropped onto the ground without hesitation, shaking his head with a wry smile. He was about to boast, to declare, "I, Jack, am…" but the words caught in his throat. The arrogance and recklessness he had once embraced had been tempered by the bloodshed of this battle. Only now did he realize how fragile his so-called strength truly was. Even with forty-five skeletal warriors at his command, they had barely tipped the scales against the fifty-three wolves.
He had survived this time—but what about the next?
He had no grounds for arrogance.
Jack raised his bloodstained right hand and gently stroked Toby's small head, forcing a smile. "It's not me who's strong. It's their help that gave me the ability—the right—to win this battle. Without them, I would've died a hundred times over." He gestured toward Bruno and the forty-five skeletal soldiers. Bruno, a Dark Bone Dragon, loomed nearby.
"Boss, you seem… different. Stronger." Toby's bright little eyes spun with curiosity as he observed Jack, sensing a newfound steadiness and composure in him after the fierce battle.
Jack burst into hearty laughter. "Nonsense! I'm a grown man—of course, I'm maturing!" He cast a glance at Bruno and the others before issuing his orders. "Bone Guard One, Bone Guard Two, Bone Guard Three—get your squads to rest and recover their strength immediately. And from today onward, training time is extended by an hour. I want you all to reach the level of Black Skeleton Soldiers as soon as possible. Understood?" His voice carried a subtle yet undeniable authority.
The three skeletal captains—Bone Guard One, Two, and Three—clicked their jawbones together, emitting a faint "shhh… shhh… shhh…" sound, signaling their unwavering compliance.
Jack waved them off to train on their own before turning to Bruno. "Why were there suddenly more than fifty Gale Demon Wolves this time? I've been in the Aleta Canyon for quite a while, but I've never seen so many gathered together."
Bruno shook his massive skull slightly, his expression equally perplexed. "Master, you are absolutely right. Even if there were magical beasts in Aleta Canyon, they wouldn't move in such a large pack. And their attack was clearly directed at us. Something is definitely amiss."
"Yeah, Boss, I thought it was strange too. My wife and I have lived here for almost five years—we know this place inside out. Let me count… Aside from the two of us, there's Celia the white mouse, Kurt the Dark Demon Bull, Mephi the Blood Red Fox, and Flora the Elf Bunny… Altogether, we barely have two hundred members. Where did over fifty Gale Demon Wolves suddenly come from? Something's definitely fishy." Toby nimbly leaped from Jack's shoulder onto Bruno's skeletal frame, scampering up to his head as he voiced his suspicions.
His wife, Cons, blinked her bright eyes and added, "Boss, this situation is eerily similar to the Earthstorm Bear incident. Aleta Canyon has always been peaceful. The largest groups of magical beasts rarely exceed ten. How could so many appear at once? Could there be a connection?"
Jack shook his head firmly, yet he remained utterly perplexed. Was someone targeting him? That seemed unlikely. He had only just arrived on this so-called Oksas Continent and knew no one apart from Toby and Cons. How could he have already made an enemy?
Unable to make sense of it, he turned his attention back to Bone Guard One, Two, and Three. Their skeletal squads had already tended to the wounded, and the injured soldiers, now fully recovered, had resumed intense training. Though the forty-five skeletal warriors were few in number, their movements were swift and precise, their swords slicing through the air with sharp, whistling sounds. Under Jack's leadership, their combat effectiveness had surged. While they were not yet a formidable force, if their ranks were doubled, tripled, or even expanded tenfold, they could very well become the most powerful undead army on the Oksas Continent.
Suddenly, Jack felt something stir in his mind—forty-five glowing white points, each representing one of his skeletal soldiers. With a mere thought, he could issue commands to any of them. This ability might not differ greatly from that of the continent's necromancers, yet Jack's power stemmed from the skill "Corpse Manipulation," which distinguished him fundamentally from true necromancers.
Unlike conventional necromancers, who controlled mindless skeletal puppets—mere automatons that required constant oversight—Jack's undead retained rudimentary awareness. They could dodge, attack, and navigate on their own. As their strength grew, so too would their cognitive abilities, enabling them to perform complex tasks such as building, rowing, and carrying heavy loads. This meant that even if Jack commanded a vast undead army in the future, he wouldn't need to micromanage them. With a handful of squad leaders or generals, he could effortlessly orchestrate his forces, sparing himself from the mental exhaustion that typically plagued necromancers.
Moreover, his skeletal soldiers were vastly superior to the typical undead fodder of Oksas. While most skeletons were weak, disposable cannon fodder, Jack's army had a structured hierarchy: from the lowest-tier Ashen Skeletons to the elite Black, Bronze, Silver, and Gold Skeletons, culminating in the exalted Skeleton Generals and Skeleton Lords. Each promotion bolstered their strength and defense significantly. A Skeleton Lord, at its peak, could rival a Tier-Nine magical beast—a force to be reckoned with among the dark creatures of the land.
Even more astonishing was that Jack's control over the undead was not solely dictated by his spiritual power. Unlike traditional necromancers who had to meditate daily to maintain their influence, Jack's strength grew through battle. By constantly leading his skeletal troops into combat, he simultaneously sharpened their abilities and honed his own.
Now, his goal was clear: strengthen his first division, seek out more skeletal soldiers, and expand his ranks. Only then could he secure his survival in the treacherous Aleta Canyon.
"Swing your swords with all your might! Let those beasts who dare look down on us know—we are not so easily crushed! If they challenge us, we will strike them down without mercy!"
As Jack watched his skeletal warriors train tirelessly, their skeletal limbs a blur of motion, his own fighting spirit burned brighter. Tearing off his tattered shirt, he retrieved a black leather armor from his spatial ring, donned it, and raised his sword. With renewed determination, he joined his undead in rigorous training, igniting a surge of momentum across the battlefield.
"Hmm? Boss, that armor looks special…" Toby murmured, his little eyes narrowing in thought.
Bruno nodded. "You're right. That armor seems to be crafted from the hide of a Beaver Beast. It's incredibly durable yet lightweight—ideal for combat. Where did you find it? The Beaver Beast is a rare marine creature, fast beyond measure. Catching one is nearly impossible."
"This thing is that impressive?" Jack glanced down at the armor in mild surprise.
Toby grinned. "Boss and I raided several ancient tombs. We found piles of these! One-handed swords, two-handed swords, magic staffs, clothes, rings—you name it, Boss just dumped them all into his spatial ring. I had no idea they were this valuable. Looks like we hit the jackpot!"
Bruno fell silent, casting a long, thoughtful gaze at Jack, who was engrossed in training. If his master ever left Aleta Canyon… what kind of storm would he unleash upon the world?