Alice still hadn’t spoken a word.Her face stayed calm, but her eyes were shadowed with something deeper than fear—something Kai recognized instantly.It wasn’t terror… it was sorrow.Every roar, every scream from the courtyard seemed to press down on her shoulders like invisible weight.She wasn’t just watching a fight—she was watching something personal unravel in front of her.Kai noticed the subtle tension in her jaw, the way her fingers twitched slightly. He thought about asking, but the words never left his mouth—because that was the moment an ear-splitting howl tore through the school grounds.The sound hit like a physical shockwave, rattling windows and shaking dust from the rooftop tiles.Mandy froze.“Oh no… he’s here…” she whispered, barely audible, but her voice trembled.A heavy, oppressive pressure settled over the battlefield. The very air felt thicker. Even the skeletons—mindless, fearless soldiers of bone—halted for a moment, as if acknowledging the arrival of a preda

The courtyard was quiet, but the silence felt heavy, charged with the aftermath of violence. Smoke and dust drifted in lazy spirals, glinting in the pale light. Bones of friend and foe alike were scattered across the cobblestones, a grim testament to the battle that had just ended. Kai’s muscles ached, and his chest still burned from exertion, but adrenaline kept him upright. The Bloodwind Blade, now dim and trembling in his hands, seemed almost alive—its dark mist curling like a serpent ready to strike again. Alice staggered toward him, each step dragging, yet her eyes glimmered with newfound resolve. “Kai… you pushed him… past what I thought even you could handle,” she said, voice quiet but firm. Kai shook his head, brushing dust from his shoulder. “He… he was strong. Too strong to handle without you.” His gaze drifted to the skeletons, still lowering their weapons, their loyalty and precision carved by Alice’s command. “And… you were amazing out there.” Alice said nothing, only

The courtyard was broken, but alive. Smoke still curled from shattered stone, and Ragnar’s corpse stank of burnt fur and blood. Yet compared to the silence of death that had reigned moments ago, this was almost peace.Lidia approached carefully, her eyes shadowed with shame. “Kai… what he said—what the Headmaster did—” She exhaled, fists clenched. “It wasn’t fair. You carried us through this, and he treats you like a mistake. I’ll talk to him. I’ll make him see.”Kai gave her a tired smile, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “You don’t need to apologize for him. He’s made his choice. Maybe I need to make mine too.”Without another word, he whispered the command in his mind.System, open status window.STATUS WINDOWName: KaiLevel: 18 [0 / 1200 Exp]Title: The Legend — Grants +5 Combat Power per LevelRace: High Human, Half-Elf, Lizardman, Skeleton, Dark-Storm Blood ElfBloodline: Skeleton King, Ancient HumanCombat Power: 246Affinity: Wind, Dark, BloodSkills:Martial ArtsDark-Wind

The crimson winds cut against Kai’s face as the portal behind them faded into nothing but a silver shimmer. Ahead, the forest of bone and shadow loomed, thick with twisted trees that seemed alive with whispers. And there, rising from the earth itself, was the fortress: spires of bone, gates of blackened ivory, and walls carved from the remains of titans.At the gates stood three colossal figures. Skeleton Guardians. Each twice the height of a man, clad in bone-forged armor that fused with their very bodies. Their halberds shimmered with pale fire, and every step they took made the ground tremble.The skeleton army at Kai’s back wavered for just a moment. Even undead soldiers felt the pressure of such beings.Kai narrowed his eyes and lifted a hand. “Appraisal.”A ripple of blue light crossed his vision.Target: Skeleton Guardian Combat Power: 560 Role: Gatekeeper of the Bone Fortress Condition: Bound to the Skeleton King’s Throne Special Rule: Will only obey the recognized heir.K

The Bone Fortress swallowed them whole.The gates shut with a grinding boom, sealing the crimson wasteland behind them. Inside, the air was heavier, thick with the stench of ash and charred marrow. The walls pulsed faintly, veins of bone-fire crawling through the ivory like molten rivers.Each step echoed. The skeleton army marched in disciplined silence, their spears clattering softly against their shields. Alice walked ahead, her half-human form illuminated by the glow of the fortress fire.Kai tightened his grip on the Bloodwind Blade. The transformation had drained him, his muscles still raw from channeling too much of his hybrid blood. Yet the system’s cold reminder pressed at the edge of his mind:Trial Two: The Bone WardenStatus: Awaiting Challenger.“Feels like we’re walking straight into a trap,” Mandy muttered, her dagger twirling nervously in her hands.“Not a trap,” Sylvia corrected, though her voice was tense. “A crucible. Every step in here is meant to burn the unworthy