The aura of death in the inner regions of the Land of Buried Bones was much thicker than in the outer regions, so the presence of a level 9 Skeleton Soldier didn't surprise Lucas.

  What delighted him was that this was a Skeleton Soldier with a class template, not just an ordinary skeleton!

  Just like how players could undergo class advancement at level 10 by completing quests, gaining professions such as Mage Apprentice, Warrior Apprentice, or Rogue Apprentice, humanoid monsters like skeletons could also obtain class templates. (Beast-type monsters had corresponding attribute templates.)

  Having a class template versus not having one were two entirely different concepts.

  An ordinary skeleton's growth rate was only 0.5.

  Moreover, when leveling up, this 0.5 attribute was randomly added to one of the four main attributes, making it highly unpredictable.

  A Skeleton Soldier's growth rate... was at least 2 points! And it was a fixed attribute bonus!

  In other words, a Skeleton Soldier with a class template could gain more power from a single level-up than an ordinary skeleton could from leveling up from 1 to 9!

  By the time players first arrived, this level 9 Skeleton Soldier would at least qualify as an elite monster.

  ...

  "A level 9 Skeleton Soldier..."

  In the inner regions of the Land of Buried Bones.

  Looking at the Skeleton Soldier not far away, which was much sturdier than an ordinary skeleton and wielded a bone sword and bone shield, the green light in Lucas's eye sockets flickered slightly.

  He didn't know when this Skeleton Soldier had obtained its class template.

  If it had gained it in the last few levels, with his four-dimensional attributes far surpassing those of an ordinary skeleton, he could still kill it and turn its bones into nourishment for his further growth.

  But if it had obtained the class template from the very beginning...

  From level 1 to 9, this Skeleton Soldier would have gained at least 16 attribute points! Combined with the fixed attribute growth of the Skeleton Soldier, its strength might far exceed his own!

  "Can't afford to be careless."

  Muttering to himself, Lucas felt a desire to retreat.

  With the Erosion talent, as long as he killed a few more Strong Skeletons in the inner regions of the Land of Buried Bones, his four-dimensional attributes would grow rapidly again.

  By then, it wouldn't be too late to come back and harvest this Skeleton Soldier.

  However.

  Just as he was about to leave, the Skeleton Soldier in the distance suddenly turned around, its green soul fire-filled eye sockets locking onto Lucas's location.

  The Skeleton Soldier had spotted him!

  In the next moment.

  Before Lucas could react, the Skeleton Soldier charged toward him at high speed, bone sword and shield in hand!

  Retreating was no longer an option.

  The Skeleton Soldier's charging speed was slightly faster than Lucas's own.

  If he turned and fled, he would eventually be caught.

  So...

  It was time to fight!

  With a surge of determination, Lucas gripped the thigh bone in his right hand and picked up a broken skull from the ground with his left, charging toward the Skeleton Soldier.

  Ten meters!

  Five meters!

  Three meters!

  When the distance between them was only three meters, Lucas hurled the broken skull at the Skeleton Soldier's head with his left hand, while swinging the thigh bone in his right hand toward the Skeleton Soldier's spine!

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  Clang!

  A light sound rang out.

  The broken skull achieved nothing.

  Not only did it fail to hit the Skeleton Soldier's head, but it was also easily shattered by the bone sword, scattering into fragments.

  Even the thigh bone Lucas swung at the Skeleton Soldier's spine was blocked by the bone shield.

  At this moment, the biggest difference between Lucas and the Skeleton Soldier wasn't their attributes or class templates—it was intelligence!

  Lucas had once been human.

  Even after being reborn as a skeleton, he retained the memories and intelligence of his human life. His opponent, despite having superior attributes and a class template, was still fighting on instinct alone!

  When both the broken skull and thigh bone attacks were blocked, Lucas sidestepped and delivered a clean kick to the Skeleton Soldier's leg bone!

  Crack!

  With a crisp sound.

  The Skeleton Soldier's leg bone was kicked clean off by Lucas!

  Losing a leg, the Skeleton Soldier lost its balance and fell to the ground, struggling to get up. At this moment, Lucas raised the thigh bone in his hand and, with all his strength, smashed it down on the Skeleton Soldier's skull!

  Thud!

  Thud!

  Thud!

  The dull sound of bone striking bone echoed across the wilderness.

  When the thigh bone in his hand finally broke, Lucas grabbed the remaining half and drove the sharp bone fragment into the Skeleton Soldier's eye socket, twisting it forcefully—

  The soul fire shattered.

  The Skeleton Soldier's struggling bones collapsed into a pile on the ground.

  "You have slain a 'Skeleton Soldier.'"

  "You have gained 100 experience points."

  When the system prompt refreshed on his attribute panel, Lucas finally let out a sigh of relief and dropped the broken thigh bone in his hand.

  This battle, though brief, had been extremely perilous.

  From the short exchange, Lucas could confirm that the Skeleton Soldier's Strength, Speed, and Agility attributes all surpassed his own.

  Coupled with the bone sword that could easily shatter a skull...

  If he had been hit even once, it wouldn't be the Skeleton Soldier lying here now—it would be him.

  But he had won.

  Now it was time for the rewards!

  With practiced ease, Lucas crouched down and placed his skeletal hand over the pile of bones that were far sturdier than his own.

  The Erosion talent activated!

  In the next moment!

  A thick, warm current surged from the pile of bones, beginning to strengthen Lucas's skeletal body.

  At the same time.

  A series of system prompts refreshed on his attribute panel.

  After a full two minutes, the warm current faded.

  As the Skeleton Soldier's bones turned into a cloud of ash, Lucas promptly opened his attribute panel to check the gains from this battle.

  "You have absorbed the essence from the bones. Your body has grown stronger."

  "Your Strength has increased by 0.5."

  "Your Agility has increased by 0.3."

  "Your Constitution has increased by 0.4."

  "Your Spirit has increased by 0.1."

  "You have obtained the class advancement information for the 'Basic Class Template - Skeleton Soldier.'"