An eerie darkness so profound it sent shivers down one's spine.

  "Am I dead?"

  Eric's groggy consciousness struggled to think clearly.

  On his first day in this new world, he was killed by the breath of a bone dragon. He must be the unluckiest person to ever cross over, right?

  No, he refused to accept this as his ending.

  He had come to a world of magic and fantasy; there was no way he was going to let it all end like this.

  [Ding, consciousness awakening...]

  A faint light flickered in the darkness, forming a line of text.

  Then, as if triggering a chain reaction, more glowing characters emerged from the void, like fireflies in the night.

  [Ding, your race has been transformed into a low - rank skeleton]

  [Name] Eric Pond

  [Race] Low - rank Skeleton

  [Level] lv1 / lv10 (The upper limit for low - rank skeleton level is lv10)

  [Profession] None

  [Strength] 4 / 10

  [Constitution] 4 / 10

  [Spirit] 8 / 10

  [Evolvement Requirements] Race evolution can be achieved when Strength, Constitution, and Spirit all reach their maximum points.

  [Skills] Bone - Quality Change lv1, Appraisal lv1

  [Status] Enslaved (Named and enslaved by the evil bone dragon Pond), Bone - Quality Deterioration (Without the nourishment of living flesh, the bones are starting to deteriorate, and over time, the Constitution and Strength points will decrease)

  [Experience] 0 / 100

  [Description] A weak, terrifying, and tattered skeleton. Even its once - handsome face is gone. It's a mere pawn enslaved by the evil bone dragon Pond, likely to collapse and fall apart in about a year.

  The darkness was illuminated.

  Strange surroundings came into his view.

  At the bottom of a dim canyon, on rocky ground, grotesque and terrifying skeletons wandered about, creating a hellish scene.

  "I've been resurrected?"

  Eric raised his hand.

  But instead of a flesh - and - blood body, he saw a pair of withered, dark - yellow arms.

  The bone arms were pockmarked, with some areas cracked and missing bones, as if they could shatter at any moment.

  "I've become a skeleton!"

  Eric's body trembled in fear, and his spirit shook violently.

  After a long while, he calmed down, sat on the ground, and looked at the surrounding skeletons, pondering.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  Though he had turned into a skeleton, he still retained his consciousness and intelligence.

  Compared to dying outright, this outcome wasn't entirely unacceptable.

  At least he was alive, and as long as he was alive, there was hope.

  Calmly, he began to assess his situation.

  He opened the panel, which resembled a game interface. It had been with him since he crossed over to this world and was his biggest secret and support.

  After transforming into a skeleton, at least the panel remained, giving him a chance to turn things around.

  He suspected that the panel was responsible for him regaining his memory and consciousness after becoming a skeleton.

  His name now included the surname "Pond," which must have been a change from the bone dragon's transformation.

  And his status now included [Enslaved] and [Bone - Quality Deterioration].

  When Strength, Constitution, and Spirit all reached 10 points, he would have the opportunity to evolve.

  In short, his current goal was to level up, evolve, and enhance his strength.

  "To level up, I need to gain experience first, right?"

  "So, that means hunting other monsters and such?"

  Eric focused on the other skeleton monsters around him and tried to use the [Appraisal] skill from his skill bar on one of them.

  A few lines of glowing text appeared in the void beside that skeleton.

  [Name] Pond's Low - rank Skeleton

  [Level] lv3

  [Skill] Hard Bone lv1

  [Status] Enslaved, Bone - Quality Deterioration

  [Description] A low - rank skeleton enslaved by the evil bone dragon Pond. Its bones are quite hard and can probably last for about two years before collapsing.

  In short, he couldn't defeat it in a fight.

  But not being able to defeat it didn't mean he couldn't outsmart it. After all, none of the other skeletons here had intelligence.

  They didn't even have brains anymore.

  He quietly followed behind this skeleton.

  When the skeleton's status bar showed [Fatigue] and it lay down on the ground, after a short while, the status bar added [Sleep].

  He looked around to make sure there were no other skeleton "coworkers."

  He quietly picked up a large rock and moved it to the side of the low - rank skeleton's head.

  He checked the skeleton's status once more and then raised the rock high.

  His bony arms trembled a bit due to lack of strength.

  "Ha!"

  He swung the rock fiercely at the sleeping skeleton's head.

  Clang!

  The sound was louder than he had imagined, echoing in the empty cavern and causing the blue flame in his eye sockets to flicker.

  Cracks appeared on the skeleton's skull, and its status changed from [Sleep] to [Unconscious].

  What could you call this? A deeper level of sleep, perhaps.

  Without hesitation, he exerted more effort, his arms creaking as he lifted the rock again.

  "Clang!"

  The second hit.

  This time, the skeleton's skull cracked open and collapsed.

  [Ding, low - rank skeleton defeated]

  [Experience + 30]

  Eric looked up, alert and scanning his surroundings, especially in the direction of Pond.

  He speculated that the death of a skeleton wouldn't attract Pond's attention.

  But a speculation was just a speculation.

  Time silently passed as he waited. When there was still no movement, Eric gradually relaxed.

  Looking at the motionless skeleton on the ground, which was in much better condition than his own miserable state, Eric squatted down and removed the right arm of the skeleton.

  He weighed it in his hands for a moment, then detached his own tattered, dark - yellow right arm.

  Since he was a skeleton and had no pain receptors, he only felt a sense of pulling, and his right arm was detached.

  Next, he aligned the skeleton's right arm with his shoulder and activated [Bone - Quality Change].

  The two parts connected precisely.

  This arm was a bit smaller than his original one, but for Eric, who had the [Bone - Quality Change] skill, that was no problem at all.

  He adjusted the skeletal structure of his right arm, and soon, the size and appearance matched his original arm perfectly.

  A small burst of energy came from the connection point of his right arm.

  [Ding, skill Hard Bone lv1 acquired]

  [Constitution + 1]

  His entire body flashed with a white light, and the dark - yellow hue slightly faded. Some of the fine cracks also healed and recovered.

  He could actually gain skills!

  The flame in Eric's eye sockets suddenly flared up, and a dangerous idea sprang to his mind.

  To break free from the evil bone dragon Pond, he needed to bide his time, wait for the right moment, and, most importantly, gain strength.

  The bone dragon Pond had transformed countless skeletons, many of which had quite excellent skills.

  This wasn't just a dragon's lair; it was a treasure trove of skills!

  By acquiring enough skills and seizing the right opportunity, he could break free from Pond's control.

  Then it would be a world where he could soar like a fish in the ocean and fly like a bird in the mountains.

  Once out of this skeleton - filled dragon's nest, he could truly enjoy the grand adventure of this new world!

  Eric raised his head, and the blue flame in his eye sockets burned fiercely in the dark cavern.