Skill Statue

The sword sliced through the red orb in the hand of the skeleton like a butter. It wasn't as hard as the bones so the sword cut through it in a flash.

The orb had been robbed of it's the glow and the bones crumbled falling in the ground. The pool of blood was formed around the skeleton.

After confirming it was indeed dead, Ray looked at Oslo and smiled,

"It's dead now but how did you know that it was orb which was its weakness?"

"Well, he dodged when Mr. Chris's attack came from the left but I found it peculiar that it dodged the attack so I connected the dots."

"It had intelligence and if it had kept the orb inside its body we would've guessed that the orb was supporting its life, that it was its core," Oslo said, slowly standing up.

"If it didn't want us to know that the orb was its core then why did it carry it around like that?" Ray asked in surprise.

"Range! It is because of the range." Chris stood up with his messed up armor, "If the core of a monster is far from its body than, it will die. Not only that, it is rare to see monsters which could even take out their own core from their body."

"No wonder."

Chris looked at the orb and sighed,

"Since the core is cleaved in half, it is of no use."

A core was used by adventurers to absorb the mana of the beasts and add it to their own and to make progress in the path of adventurers. But not all monsters had core and even if they had, it would be difficult to collect them. Because of this, the core was rare and even the core of E-Rank monsters could be sold for thousands of dollars.

Chris then took a step forward,

"Boss has been defeated. So, let's find an exit."

Out of fifteen who had entered the dungeon now only seven were breathing. Everybody was injured and without a healer to bring them to health, the situation had become grim.

After traveling inside the cave with their wrecked body they found something which they guessed as the treasure monsters were protecting.

It was a statue of a little boy holding a golden pot that had assumed a posture too as if it would spill the golden liquid inside the pot.

The Skill Statue!

There were chances of obtaining runestones from monsters and it was very rare. The runestones were used to gain the skill of the monsters it once belonged to but skill statues were different. It was guaranteed to bestow a skill to someone who was standing beneath its pot. The only bad thing was the skill was random and it would depend on your luck what skill you would gain.

The middle-aged man who was practically drooling at the sight of the statue pointed the end of his arrow at Chris and said,

"We too will get the chance to stand below it and get a skill."

Chris without looking back said,

"Suit yourself. It is the same as for Evolution Pond, we cannot take it outside so we'll all take our turn."

Seeing Mr. Chris act so kind to some nobody who helped next to nothing struck Ray's heart. He thought Chris will kill the man but seeing the man stand below the statue, he blinked his eyes in surprise.

'Mr. Chris is out of character today.' Ray thought.

The middle-aged man returned from the statue with a smile. It seemed he had got good skills.

Chris then took his turn. Holy light enveloped his body as before, the process was too eye-blinding. Chris too returned with a smile.

Similarly, others took their turn and returned happily in the group. When one got a new skill, their mind would automatically know what it was and how to use it. The more powerful the adventurer was, the more powerful the skill would be.

But when Oslo stood below the statue, holy light enveloped his body but he didn't get the vision of skill he had received. His mind was blank as before. Was the all giving statue ignoring him? He thought.

He sighed at his bad luck and joined the group with a disappointed face.

"What? You got a skill you don't like?" Ray asked.

Oslo shook his head.

"You got a skill that isn't suitable for you?"

Oslo again shook his head.

"What happened then?"

"I didn't get any skill."

"Hahahahahahaha," Ray laughed heartily, "Even the statue that was 100% guaranteed to grant a skill didn't bestow any upon you? You must have very bad luck."

"Your luck must be in negative, do you didn't get any," Chris added the salt in the wound.

"Haha, don't get disheartened," Ray patted Oslo's back,

"Life will show you many things you don't want to see or imagine but that is how life is....."

Blah! Blah! Blah!

Ray's speech lasted throughout the whole travel, he didn't stop until they saw a light at the end of the tunnel. Oslo was 16 years old but Ray was comforting him as if he was someone younger.

Unless it was pitch dark adventurers didn't need any support or light for vision. Their eyes already developed to see in the dark because of their frequent venture inside dungeons.

When Chris saw the light, he immediately took off at full speed to reach the exit and leave the wretched place. Upon reaching the end of the tunnel he froze with a stiff pale face.

He didn't know what to think anymore, his legs were shaking crazily when he muttered,

"No wonder the creatures were fighting with such ferocity, not wanting to engage with us for a long time but run for their lives. The dungeon was connected with an SS-Rank one."

He used his shaking hand to wipe off the cold sweat of his forehead. With his trembling eyes, he gazed at the clear sky from a big hole that was in the ceiling.

The way out, it was there within his grasp but life was toying with him. A wretched creature was outside before the exit to greet him. He was very terrified that not even he who had the best senses in the group could sense it.

"The one from before. It wasn't the boss." He took a step back and took out a scroll from his pocket. He ran in haste towards the group approaching an exit and shouted,

"Ray, grab my hand!"

Ray was confused about a sudden voice but he grabbed the leader's hand anyway. Chris immediately tore the scroll in his hand.

"Sorry friend." He looked at Oslo and said.

After he said that both Ray and Chris's body turned into the streak of light and disappeared out of sight heading towards pond of evolution.

The middle-aged man jaw hit the ground as he mentioned,

"Escape scroll!"

"Damn, those bastards had such scroll but he didn't use it to run from the battle with us." The man cursed.

Oslo thought that something must have triggered Chris to use the scroll because such scrolls were treasured among humans.

"Let's just get out!" Oslo said as he walked towards the end of the tunnel.

When he looked ahead, he froze and cold sweat dripped down his forehead.

"That's..."