24 [Chapter:24][Bones, and bones.]
"Now then…"
Sitting on a sofa, Echo glanced at his Status, which displayed several of his skills that levelled up, and nodded.
"As expected. I'll spend some time in this world to level most of them up to 100."
To a Gamer, skills could very well be their bread and butter. Without skills, a Gamer is just…well, empty. Weak. Insignificant.
Have you ever seen a Gamer that only has Stats and no Skills?
"Now, I guess it's time…"
Looking at his summoning skills, Echo's eyes flashed with anticipation for a brief moment.
In DxD, he couldn't summon them, as Aya had told him that while Necromancer weren't exactly extinct, they were very rare, and the reason for that is due to the many Gods related to Death wiping them out the moment they exhibit their powers.
As Divine Beings with the Divinity of Death, bringing forth dead creatures back to life, even if only temporarily, would make them extremely uncomfortable. It's like squeezing a lemon on your wounds. Not harmful, but if you could, you wouldn't let it happen. And unless he stays in stealth the whole time, they would be able to detect his, or rather his summons' general position as well.
Echo certainly didn't fear these so-called 'Gods', but he didn't want to have his life disturbed unnecessarily.
Besides, he was going to another world soon. Why not wait?
And now, the wait is finally over.
"[Summon : Bones]"
"[Summon Skeleton]"
Echo used both his summoning skills simultaneously, and watches as pale grey specks of light emerge from within him. These specks of light quickly move forward and merge into two cocoons before him, before slowly dissipating, leaving behind two skeletons standing upright.
'They're practically the same…'
Their bodies were a pure white, and looked like a typical human skeleton, not really strong or intimidating. In fact, they looked quite weak.
'Then again, they're still level 1…'
The only thing differentiating them from normal human skeletons, is the eerie pale grey light flashing within their their insides, inside the rib cage, the skull, around the bones, almost like the white skeletal structure was a shell for something more scary and sinister.
"Attention."
*click* *clank* *clatter*
Echo was rather surprised at the sight of the two skeletons standing erect with their bony arms pointing straight down.
"So they can not only respond to me, but also understand my commands…"
Thinking about it for a moment, he continues giving out orders.
"At ease."
"Salute."
"Jump."
"Right jab."
"Left straight."
"Right elbow block."
"Left high kick."
"Triple jab left-right-left."
"…"
It was a surreal scene, that of a human youth with eyes as blank and deep as the abyss and a grin that would send a shiver down anyone's spine giving out commands and a pair of skeletons with a ghastly grey glow following him as they boxed against an imaginary opponent.
After several minutes, Echos stopped giving commands, and the skeletons stopped too, returning to their languid, free postures that they had taken when they first appeared.
"…"
Looking at them quietly, Echo said,
"Fight each other."
The very next moment, without a trace of hesitation, the two skeletons turned to each other and pounced on one another…
Only for one of them to fall down as the other gave its skull a quick jab.
"Oh?"
Echo's grin widened as his thoughts turned out to be true.
"The skeleton which just lost…it's stronger stat wise, since it was summoned through 'Summon Skeleton' and has a percentage of my stats. But Bones…he learned the punches from my previous commands."
Even though the skeleton's Intelligence and Wisdom were higher than those of Bones', Bones was the one who learned how to box.
What it said was obvious…
"Even thought it might not get stronger as I do, it'll be able to learn and develop itself even if I somehow stop growing stronger."
To the ordinary skeletons, he was like their elevator. He can take them up easily, but when he reaches a point where, for some reason or another, he stops going further up, they stop as well.
But Bones, it's climbing up all on its own. Of course, it still uses his MP to manifest initially, but still…
"Unfortunately, you can't learn skills like I do. Nor can you gain stats like me."
Still, the fact that it could learn skills at all, even if through skill books and Jobs…
*clank!*
*crash!*
"Oh?"
Echo blinked as he looked at Bones fall to the ground, it's right leg and left arm missing.
And as for the other skeleton…
*swoosh*
It crumbled to dust, and was blown away with the wind.
"Bones…killed it?"
Just as he thought so, four prompts appeared in his view.
(([Bones] levelled up!))
((Skill [Summon : Bones] levelled up!))
(([Bones] levelled up!))
((Skill [Summon : Bones] levelled up!))
"Ah, all his stats got multiplied by 3."
And indeed, how could he forget? While unable to learn skills and gain stats naturally like him, while Echo gains 10 stat points per level, Bones gets a whole 23!
And not only that…
"Since you're considered a part of the skill, you also get a 500% bonus huh…"
Just imaging the number of bonuses on it made Echo's grin widen even further.
100% EXP increase from his 'Focus' skill which he was using one of his thoughts for while 'Focusing' on Bones.
100% EXP increase from his 'Learning' skill.
50% EXP increase from his 'Genius' perk.
And 500% EXP increase from his current restrictions.
And one must know, all these bonuses don't just get added up!
The two 100% bonuses from his two skills become a 200% bonus.
But then, his 200% bonus, his 50% bonus, and his 500% bonus from his skills, perks, and restrictions respectively get multiplied!
Which meant, at the moment…
Bones was getting a shocking 27 times the experience!
As were all his other skills!
"27 times…which meant, just now, Bones killing the skeleton was equal to him killing 27 enemies the same level as him."
Looking at Bones' status which he could see, his current level was 3, and his EXP was 70% filled.
"Killing someone of the same level gets you 10% EXP, so 27 times that is 270% EXP."
2 levels and an additional 70% EXP.
"It might just get even stronger than me by the time I go back home…"
His current physical stats were all above 700.
And at level 100, Bones would have its stats as 200 Strength, Endurance, Vitality, 300 Agility, 500 Intelligence and Wisdom, 300 Senses, and 100 Charm.
And using the [Skill Advancement Card] he would be getting soon…
"It really might just leave me in the dust."
Looking at the skeleton which was three times as strong as it was at the start, and looking nearly the same with just the ghastly grey glow increasing a little…
"Let's go."
Still, he wondered if Bones' skills would get a 27 times EXP increase? Or would the the skill EXP increase stack, becoming 27*27 == 729?
'If it's the latter…'
Unfortunately, he would soon discover it wasn't.
Still, a 27x EXP increase was plenty more than he ever had when he trained his skills.
. . . . . .
. . . . . .
*squelch*
The sickening sound of an arrow made of light piercing through the flesh of a 'zombie' was accompanied by a thud, the sound of said currently headless 'zombie' falling to the ground heavily.
((Skill [Bow Mastery] levelled up!))
((Skill [Bow Mastery] reached the max level!))
He grinned at the sight of the prompt.
"No matter how much training can help, killing is the way for a [Gamer] to go."
It was just the nineteenth 'zombie' he killed, and their levels were who knows how much lower than his three digit one.
And yet, they allowed him to max out a skill.
Of course, the x27 EXP played a role, but him actually using his skills against live enemies was just as important.
*bang!*
Heating a muffled bang, Echo looked back to the sight of bloody skeleton extending its bony finger towards a 'zombie', or what remained of it, after it was blasted by a level 40+ 'Magic Sphere' used by a 'Skeleton Magician' with an intelligence of 100.
"Level 20 in less than ten minutes, and killing such weak creatures at that…"
Echo couldn't help but sigh. He was quite satisfied with his own progress getting to level 200+ in less than a month, and even increasing his Intelligence and Wisdom to 4,000+. Yet, compared to Bones' level up speed…
"Truly, a cheat."
*crack!*
Hearing another sound, he looked to his side to catch the sight of nineteen skeletons smashing the skulls of any 'zombie' which is unfortunate enough to encounter them.
"Although they don't have skills, all their stats increase by 5 per level. And an additional 0.1% of my own stats."
And at level 19, all their stats are above 95.
"Well, that's enough experimenting."
The skeletons reached down and touched the headless corpses, and they disappeared, reappearing in his inventory.
"Go."
The moment the word came out of his mouth, the skeletons all crouched down, and,
*bang!*
The concrete ground cracked and splintered as twenty skeletons blasted off in different directions, all but a single one.
"Fujimi High School."
Before he took a step towards his destination, however, he paused.
((Skill [Summon Skeletons] levelled up!))
((Skill [Summon : Bones] levelled up!))
He blinked, before specks of grey light appeared from within him, forming another skeleton, which promptly blasted off.
"At the rate at which they'll hunt, I guess it won't be long before all hundred are present."
Thinking so, he gave them orders through his mental connections.
'Kill all zombies and avoid all humans. If you can't avoid them, leave no witnesses.'
That moment, his 'Strategic Combat Mastery' took effect, increasing all their stats by over 70%.
'War Cry'
Then, a roar spread through his connections and into the minds of his skeletons and Bones, making them shudder as they felt their stats increase even further.
'With my MP Recovery, I can spam the skill the moment it's effects vanish.'
The benefit of concentrating on raising his Wisdom. Even if it decreased by 2,000 points, his MP Recovery was still extremely high.
And since he doesn't even need to use 'Void Fade' to hide his MP, there being no one in this world that could detect it even if he didn't,
"I can spend my MP freely."
With that thought in mind, he 'wills' the MP within him to course through his body, strengthening it…
((Conditions met. Skill [Magic Strengthening] learned.))
A skill which enhanced his physical stats by 3% while using 100 MP per minute.
((Skill [Killing Intent] levelled up!))
((Skill [Bloodlust] levelled up!))
((Skill [Murderous Aura] levelled up!))
The three skills he seldom uses, but would be of great use when they reach level 100.
((Skill [Magic Sphere : Light] levelled up!))
((Skill [Magic Barrier : Light] levelled up!))
((Skill [Magic Constructs : Light] levelled up!))
((Skill [Intermediate Archery] levelled up!))
((Skill [Accuracy] levelled up!))
((Skill [Precision] levelled up!))
((Skill [Aiming] levelled up!))
((Skill [Reload] levelled up!))
Using 'Magic Constructs : Light' to create an arrow of light, using 'Magic Sphere : Light' to create a sphere of light at the tip of the arrow, using 'Magic Barrier : Light' to create a barrier around whichever 'zombie' he targeted, and releasing the arrow, making it pierce right through its head, turning it into a spray of blood within moments.
((Skill [Sneak] levelled up!))
((Skill [2 Tomoe Sharingan] levelled up!))
((Skill…))
((…))
…
All his skills. Each and every one he could use while killing 'zombie' after 'zombie', easily reaching and surpassing the count of 100 within minutes as the number kept getting closer and closer to 1,000…
"Ahhhh!"
Echo blinked as he heard a distinctly female scream, and looking at the source, his greatly enhanced senses letting him 'see' over a distance of hundreds of metres,
"The plot is just beginning?"
He blinked in confusion as he looked at his Inventory which already had over 300 'zombie' corpses…
'Ah, I guess it's just the school and it's surroundings that are hit now? The other areas must be hit an hour or so ago…'
Indeed, that would make sense as to why within mere minutes of the plot beginning, entire nations were nearly destroyed. After all, it made no sense that even militarised regions would be lost within several minutes.
"That female teacher…"
Looking at the woman who would die within seconds, he took aim, stretched his bow, and,
*twang!*
*swoosh!*
*squelch!*
Less than a second later, the head of the 'zombie' which was about to pounce on the teacher splattered into fine drops of blood.
*twang!*
*twang!*
*twang!*
Three more arrows took care of all the 'zombies' close their the teacher, who got up with her legs shaking as the horrifying scene before her, and,
"Ahhhhhh!"
'I wonder why she didn't run from the start.'
After all, any sane woman would run if they see their colleague collapse in a pool of blood, then get up, and then proceed to rip out the throats of her other colleagues.
'That's the power of 'Plot', I guess…'
Looking at his Quest which increased from 0 to 1, he glanced at the building, where a young man with brown hair turned around as he was about to run…
*twang!*
Only for his body to collapse as his head was shot by a magical Archer from nearly half a mile away.
"Protagonists are dangerous…"
((Hidden Quest complete. Check [Quests] for more details.))
Shrugging lightly, while he knew his Sis and Rhianna would be rather disappointed at the protagonist being killed, he figured they wouldn't be too upset with him.
'Even if they are, it's nothing level Max head pats can't solve.'
He nodded his head in agreement to his thoughts as he decided to level up his 'Head pats' skill to the max level, and maybe even advance it further.
