Skeleton Master Chapter 47
Sung Min-woo's current stats were heavily invested in strength, agility, and stamina. It made sense, given his original class was spirit fighter.
But then, by some twist of fate, he'd been forcibly changed to a secret class: Spirit Fighter.
Even if it was a secret class, just the word "spirit" was enough to give him endless headaches about stat allocation.
Yet now, listening to Mu-hyuk, he realized all those worries had been pointless.
"20% of my stats…?"
"Yeah, or maybe more. Depends on the class."
"Hmm…"
Mu-hyuk knew the truth.
Like the Gangster Necromancer, Spirit Fighters shared 30% of their stats with their spirits.
But he couldn't reveal that, so he'd lowballed it at 20%.
"What are your gear options right now?"
"Uh, well…"
"Strength, agility, stamina. How much each?"
"Strength +2, agility +1, stamina +5."
"Then unequip all the stamina ones."
"Okay."
Sung Min-woo stripped off his equipped items.
"Summon a spirit in that state."
"Wind Summon."
Wind Summon
A gust of wind whipped up around them.
Gentle and serene.
Yet laced with razor sharpness.
"You can check its stats, right?"
"Yeah."
"Compare them to your stats with gear equipped."
Sung Min-woo re-equipped his items.
His jaw dropped.
"Holy shit, it's real…"
Stamina had gone up by at least +1, minimum.
"Don't tell a soul. This is huge info."
Sung Min-woo wasn't an idiot.
If he sold this on the info boards for gold?
Or leaked it secretly to a top summoner ranker or guild master?
He'd rake in a fortune beyond imagination. And Mu-hyuk had just handed it to him.
"No shit!"
"Use this to grow faster than everyone else. Who knows? You might even hit ranker status."
Ranker?
His heart pounded.
"Fuck… you're the best!"
The curse slipped out naturally.
*
Spirit Fighter.
A class that summoned spirits of four elements.
Wind, the spirit of wind.
It boosted its master's speed and hindered enemies' movements. It wielded wind-based magic.
Fire, the spirit of fire.
It unleashed fire attacks on foes, boasting the highest damage among the four.
Earth, the spirit of earth.
No attack magic, but top-tier support spells. It could sprout vines to bind enemies, raise or sink the ground to disrupt them.
Water, the spirit of water.
Strong attack magic, rivaling Fire.
Spirit Fighters wielded these four in close combat.
Right now, their forms were hazy, but past level 50, after evolution, they'd take shape influenced by their master's character.
Heavy strength, agility, stamina? The spirits would evolve into fitting forms—solid, tangible, even better attuned to their elements, capable of physical strikes.
That's when true synergy kicked in. Mu-hyuk knew it all, but couldn't spill every detail.
He stuck to stats.
"Pump melee stats, no question."
"What about knowledge and wisdom?"
"Gear covers that."
"Got it. Let's try it."
Follow Mu-hyuk's advice, and he'd become a monster.
"So, what're we hunting?"
Spirit Fighter.
Support and offense from spirits? Perfect match for skeletons.
The monster he'd had in mind would be ideal.
"Black Ghost Tree."
In Ghost Tree Forest, the Black Ghost Tree.
Arms and legs shorter than a man's palm, no torso—just a massive 1.5-meter face. Level 47, tanky as hell. Strong attacks made it tricky, but slow movement was its weakness.
Earth and Wind to slow it, plus Slow Poison? Easy prey.
"Eh? Level 47?"
"Yeah."
"Isn't that too much?"
"Nah, we're good."
Sung Min-woo looked hesitant.
Not even 40 yet, facing 47s?
He'd stuck to same-level mobs so far, and even those had been tough.
Mu-hyuk read it.
"Let's try one. Decide after."
"Fine. If you say so…"
Dragging the reluctant Sung Min-woo, they reached Black Ghost Tree Forest.
Spotted one shuffling between rooted trees.
"Get ready."
"Got it. Spirit Summon."
"I'll lure. Skeleton Summon."
Skeleton Summon
Standby for Armor Knight and Bone Sword.
Bone Archers, ready.
They drew ribs as arrows.
Mu-hyuk coated bone arrow tips with Slow Poison, prepped to fire.
"Hoo…"
Drew the string taut, aimed.
The Black Ghost Tree ambled lazily.
Released at its huge face.
Pang!
Mu-hyuk's arrow flew.
Four bone arrows followed, closing in.
They struck top, bottom, left, right of its face. Mu-hyuk's whiffed empty air.
Tsk…
Still green with the bow.
But solid damage.
Slow Poison kicked in—movement crawled. Plenty of time despite its enraged approach.
"You know the drill?"
"Yup."
No dummy, Sung Min-woo knew.
"Wind."
Wind howled, slowing it further.
More arrows whistled.
Pang, pabang!
Relentless barrage.
Kirrrrk!
Still, it pressed on stubbornly.
Distance closing fast.
"Earth."
Vines erupted, coiling its face.
Pabat!
Armor Knight and Bone Swords charged.
Armor Knight's shield smashed first.
Kwaang!
Bounced back, but Bone Swords arrived—joint assault.
Swords slashed wildly.
Seogeok, seogeok.
Gashes across its face.
Silver sap oozed.
Kirrrrk!
Pain? Rage?
It shrieked, swinging stubby arms.
Vines lashed out, smacking Bone Sword 3 and Armor Knight.
Bone Sword 3 flew limp; Armor Knight stepped back once.
Then closed in like nothing happened.
Mu-hyuk grinned.
Tough as nails.
A fireball streaked in.
Sung Min-woo's Fire attack.
Kwaang!
Explosion—flames engulfed it.
Kiruk!
Normally, one blast ends it.
But fire-weak? Flames spread, burned endlessly.
Arrows and swords pelted the thrashing tree.
"Hup…!"
Mu-hyuk's shot too.
-360 HP
Easier than expected?
Sung Min-woo blinked, dazed.
"Whoa, what…"
"Huh?"
"I don't even need to step in."
Still, he ordered another Fire blast.
"Easier than you thought?"
"Yeah. Freaked me out at 47, but damn. That armored skeleton's a beast!"
"Stats are no joke."
"How much?"
"You'd flip."
"C'mon, spill. What's it got?"
"Strength in the 20s."
Sung Min-woo's eyes widened.
"Whoa, high…"
"Agility 20s too."
"No way, geared to the teeth?"
"Just sword and shield."
"Still that high?"
Strength + agility alone: 40+ minimum.
Base 6, minus gear? Still +30 extra.
Then it hit him.
Wait… stamina's there too?
He eyed Mu-hyuk.
"Why?"
"St-stamina?"
"Oh, 30s."
"…!"
Mind blown.
Head spinning.
To-tal stats…?
"Over 70…?"
"Kinda happened."
"Insane…!"
Curiosity peaked.
"You?"
"Hm?"
"Your total?"
"Bit higher. Gear helps."
--------!
Bigger shock.
"You're nuts. World's gone mad!"
Mu-hyuk chuckled.
Black Ghost Tree fell. EXP rolled in.
Approached, activated skill.
Beginning Corpse Dissection.
…
Ending Corpse Dissection.
Pocketed the timber, turned.
"What're you doing?"
Sung Min-woo snapped out of his daze.
"Dungeons and titles?"
"Something like that."
Straight question, straight answer.
"I see…"
"Find one? We go together."
"For real?"
"Yeah. You find one? Call me."
"Deal!"
Finally smiling, Sung Min-woo took point.
*
Four spirits rotated attacks and support.
Bone Archers' bone arrows pierced faces; Bone Swords carved wounds.
Armor Knight tanked the enraged strikes.
Kiruk, kiririk!
Kirrrrk!
Skeleton clatters and tree roars.
Mu-hyuk and Sung Min-woo chatted casually, watching.
"Too easy. This real?"
"Right?"
Even Mu-hyuk was surprised.
Spirits and skeletons meshed perfectly. Armor Knight's power was no joke.
Defensively? Late-40s tank users wouldn't outclass it much.
Direct compare? Skills gap favored players slightly.
But Mu-hyuk had numbers.
At 100, post-second evolution, skeletons gained a random trait skill.
10? 20?
Each with skills, adapting? One-man armies.
His ideal.
"Got it."
"Nice."
Snapped back, dissected.
Hunted the next.
Players around, but seen as 50+ zone—plenty empty spots.
Smooth farming. In notoriously slow Illusion, Sung Min-woo tasted rapid leveling for the first time.