Heir of Anubis: Survive the God's Deadly Game

Chapter 9. Skeleton Commander

The skeletal horse neighed, rising onto its hind legs, its front hooves pointed at Devon. The rider stayed mounted, and when the horse's front legs landed back on the earth, the rider, also the living Skeleton, jumped forward.

He landed smoothly on the ground, walking toward Devon with a palpable, threatening aura. The body wore no clothes, showing off its full skeletal form, but the creature did wear a cape without a hood.

Its hand held a large, long sword, still in its sheath. As it walked across the flat ground, the empty sockets of its eyes fixed on Devon.

Seeing this Skeleton, whose capabilities he knew had to be superior to the scout he had killed in the mini mart, Devon didn't dare act rashly. He remained standing in the middle of the clearing, waiting for the creature to approach.

After about ten meters, the Skeleton stopped. It didn't speak, because it couldn't, but it drew its sword with a deliberately slow, drawn-out motion.

Devon heard Raline gasp, but he didn't look toward his sister. He knew only one thing now. 'If I die, this monster will kill Raline.'

That thought spurred him to aim the short sword, which had been drawn the whole time, at the Skeleton. He felt a surge of relief that the other Skeletons hadn't followed the mounted one down, following their leader.

"You must be one of their commanders, huh?" he called out.

The Skeleton tilted its head slightly, then nodded.

"How the hell did you even find us?"

The Skeleton just stared at him, completely silent.

He tried again. "You knew 'cause I killed that scout, didn't you?"

The Skeleton seemed to narrow, if that was even possible, appearing furious. It nodded sharply and charged.

"Shit, I knew it," Devon muttered.

His fear was confirmed. If he killed one of these Skeletons, the consequence was a whole company, maybe an entire army, would chase him because they could sense the status of every subordinate Skeleton.

But he couldn't dwell on that. The black-caped Skeleton was already on him, making a forty-five-degree cutting motion from above, intending to slice through Devon's body.

He instantly threw his body forward, shifting slightly to the side of the Skeleton, then rolling twice behind it. Then, using his speed and strength, which were no longer merely human, he thrust his short sword into the Skeleton's back.

But he forgot his opponent was a Skeleton, lacking flesh, skin, or internal organs. His sword only tore through the Skeleton's cape, slamming into its ribcage from behind.

The Skeleton shrieked, deliberately throwing its body forward, then spun around, its sword hand swinging in a half-circle, trying to slash Devon.

Fortunately, he had spent years brawling with street thugs and market bullies, sometimes even sparring with Newark cops and soldiers who liked to test their street fighting skills. He easily dropped to the side, his short sword already pulled back.

He knelt on one knee, looking up, watching the Skeleton, which was now standing, facing him, clearly eager to defeat the human.

'Damn it! How the hell do you kill this thing?'

Devon thought hard in that brief moment, trying to recall anything he had read about Skeletons and the undead. Then he remembered concluding that undead in this form couldn't be killed the normal way.

There was only one way to make sure they didn't get back up. To make them truly dead.

He lunged forward, taking the initiative to attack first, aiming his short sword at its head. The Skeleton also rushed forward with a thrusting motion.

But instead of actually stabbing the Skeleton's head, Devon shifted to the side, using his leg as a pivot. He drove his short sword in an arc from high to low, targeting the Skeleton's sword-wielding arm.

He accurately sliced through the Skeleton's elbow joint, and the hand holding the sword detached from its body. The monster shrieked, a sound mixing rage and pain, though Devon doubted the latter; the undead shouldn't feel pain. Or at least, that's what fantasy fiction said.

Running a few steps, Devon immediately went for the Skeleton's sword. But because it's grip was so tight, he couldn't pull the hand off the hilt.

Without thinking, he repeatedly struck the bone fingers with his short sword.

The cloaked Skeleton, still shrieking, now charged at Devon, extending its intact arm toward him as he struggled to sever the fingers.

Raline, seeing Devon take his eyes off his enemy, yelled in panic.

"Devvvv!!! He's coming!!!"

Finally, he severed the bone fingers, tossed the short sword aside, and gripped the long sword with both hands. Even though Raline was screaming a warning, he already knew the Skeleton's aura was closing in.

He waited until it was almost on him, while judging the weight of the new sword.

Once he felt he understood how much power to exert, and the Skeleton's aura was practically touching him, he swung the sword in a diagonal upward motion.

The blade sliced right through the Skeleton's neck bone, sending its skull flying several meters away.

The hand, though headless, still lunged to grab Devon's throat, but he batted it away with his arm while standing up. Its body collapsed onto the ground in front of him.

Raline, seeing her brother fight for the first time, even though she knew he was a street brawler, was speechless. Then she stood up and, like any teen her age, began clapping with an expression of pure awe.

"That was totally INSANE!"

Hearing his sister clap and cheer, Devon could only stare at her blankly. "... You're seriously clapping right now?"

Raline grinned. "Hell yeah I am! That was badass!"

Devon wanted to complain but before he could even open his mouth, a golden panel suddenly blinked into existence in front of his face. Black glowing letters floated across it, announcing his achievement for killing the Skeleton.

[Target Eliminated: Skeleton Commander]

[Experience Gained: +375 EX]

[Mortuary Essence Absorbed: +293 ME]

[Corruption Increased: +1.25%]

[System Calibration: Stable]

[Level Up]

[+1 Level - All base attribute increased slightly.]