Chương 5: Bone Tank VS Trolls

To begin his experimental creation, Alex absorbed the bones of all the trolls and retrieved them from his Bone Storage. Using Bone Crafting, he reshaped them rapidly and began assembly. While continuously absorbing Mana Stones and Monster Cores, he constructed something that resembled a tank—crafted entirely from bones.

"It's way too unstable, isn't it?" He mounted the giant staff at the top, powered by all three magic crystals. Stepping inside, he connected them to the staff and absorbed their combined magical power. This was the prototype for a "Bone Magic Tank," an idea he had conceived only moments ago. It was a specialized construct designed to amplify his magic while shielding him from harm.

"The durability is negligible at best, but it's still better than charging straight at twenty trolls and their boss alone." He knew the construct would never function perfectly, yet it was more than enough to shock his enemies and create the opening he needed to break through their ranks without exhausting too much energy. Alex stored the Bone Magic Tank prototype and advanced quickly toward the depths of the underground passage, where the remaining twenty trolls and their Queen awaited.

As he drew closer, his fears were confirmed. The trolls roared fiercely, their auras surging as they gripped massive weapons and giant shields. They were fully prepared for battle. Stealth was no longer an option. Behind them stood the Troll Queen, radiating a potent magical aura at Level 20. She was likely the shaman of their clan—and the one who had crafted all their equipment.

"Well, let's begin." RUMBLE!

"Ugh?!"

"Wha—?!"

"... Unga?!" A tremendous tremor shook the cavern as the trolls witnessed something gigantic descending the stairs. A massive white structure they had never seen before rolled forward on several interconnected white wheels and chains. Its entire body glowed with embedded magic crystals, and three giant staves fused into what resembled an oversized cannon.

"Fireball." Before the stunned trolls could react, Alex unleashed dozens of gigantic fireballs, their power amplified by the tank. Blazing explosions rained down upon them. BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM!

"W-What is the meaning of this?!" The Troll Queen gasped in horror as explosive fire magic bombarded her forces. She desperately raised her staff to conjure a barrier, but Alex fired at her hand, shattering her fingers and destroying the staff in one blast.

"Aaaaaggh!"

"The Queen!"

"You bastard!"

"Kill that thing!" Maintaining a calm and composed expression, Alex channeled power from all three magic crystals through the triple-staff bone cannon. A sphere of pure black plasma formed at its tip.

"Black Bolt." A massive beam of purple lightning erupted, electrocuting dozens of trolls at once. Their bodies burned and crackled as the black lightning chained relentlessly between them. When Alex extinguished the surrounding torches, the deepened darkness only strengthened the spell. In mere seconds, seven trolls fell dead. The remaining thirteen staggered, dazed and covered in severe burns.

"You useless trash! Do something! Curse of the Berserk!"

"...?!" Alex couldn't stop her in time. The Queen cursed her own warriors. Eye-shaped marks appeared on their foreheads, their auras flared deep red, their hair turned white, and black horns sprouted from their heads. Red tattoos spread across their green skin as crimson crystals erupted along their arms, transforming them into even more monstrous, muscular beasts.

"KILL THAT THING!" At her furious command, the frenzied trolls charged like wild animals. They smashed their fists into the tank with mindless rage. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Alex managed one final Black Bolt and a Fireball Rain, killing two more before the tank was completely destroyed. Forced to abandon it, he rushed upstairs. The berserk trolls roared and chased after him, following his scent.

As Alex ran, his violet eyes darted across his surroundings while he analyzed the situation.

"The System said their stats increased by 100%. So they're effectively Level 20 now? And that Curse of the Berserker—is it permanent? No, it must constantly drain their lifeforce. They'll die eventually. Very likely." He processed the information with mechanical precision, already forming and executing a new plan. He scaled the walls, climbed to the ceiling, and slashed through it with all his strength. SLASH! The ceiling split apart. Massive boulders crashed down, collapsing the cave.

As the mutated trolls emerged, the giant rocks smashed into them. Most withstood the initial weight and roared while trying to push the boulders aside. In the chaos, Alex moved like a blur, slicing through their ankles with his blade. He burned through his Nether and Mana reserves, cutting every tendon he could reach before racing back downstairs. Distracted by the falling debris, the trolls couldn't retaliate.

Their severed ankles gave way, and they collapsed screaming as the massive boulders crushed them to death. By a hair's breadth, Alex rolled down the stone stairs and landed directly in front of the wounded Troll Queen. Her eyes widened in shock as she healed her mangled hand.

"W-Wha...? What did you do?!" The exit was completely blocked. Her mouth hung open, sharp teeth bared in disbelief.

"You can understand me?" Alex said.

"I didn't bother speaking with your men because of their stupidity. But perhaps we can reach an understanding. I wish to learn Alchemy. Teach me, and I will spare your life."

"Hah?! What is this creepy skeleton babbling about?!" His voice sounded strange and dry—hardly surprising, since he was a skeleton without vocal cords. The tall, burly Troll Queen rose from her throne in fury, her staff in hand as Fire, Thunder, Wind, and Stone elements swirled around her.

"Whatever nonsense you're spouting, I won't fall so easily! I'll crush you, anomaly!"

"I suppose mutual understanding is still impossible. Pity." A system notification appeared beside him, confirming that all the trolls protecting the Queen were now dead. Ding! [You have slain [Mountain Troll – Level 10] x20 – Bonus experience earned for killing enemies above your level. 400 TP earned.] [Class: Soulweaver Necromancer (F+) has reached Level 6 – Stat points allocated. +2 free points.] [Race: Undead Skeleton (F) has reached Level 7 – Stat points allocated. +2 free points.] A surge of power coursed through Alex. His violet eyes sharpened and glowed with ghostly blue flames. His Nether and Mana aura flared as he absorbed three Monster Cores and summoned heavy bone armor around his body, reinforced with multiple cores.

"?!" The Troll Queen's face twisted in disbelief and confusion. Never in her life had she encountered such a bizarre monster—one that even pretended to be human.

"Who exactly are you?!" She unleashed a barrage of magic. Giant fireballs rained down, slicing winds pursued him, thunderbolts struck, and boulders smashed into the ground around him.

"He's fast even in that heavy armor?! This makes no sense… And that armor—it's made from the bones of my own men? How…?" While she questioned reality, Alex pressed forward. He briefly plunged her vision into darkness, then appeared directly behind her. CRASH! His sword struck a wall of light. The Queen glared with pure rage and smashed her fist into him, driving Alex onto the ground and leaving a small crater.

"You think you can sneak up on me?! I am stronger than all of them combined! I am a master of Magic and Alchemy, and physically superior to every one of them!" With a roar, she stomped down. Her foot only caught a few pieces of his armor, which suddenly glowed with unstable runes and exploded. BOOOM!

"Aaaaggh!" Dozens of sharp bone fragments pierced her foot. As she screamed in agony, Alex darted toward her, Black Bolt energy channeled into his blade to propel him forward.

"Die already!" She stomped the ground again. A giant boulder erupted and struck Alex mid-charge, launching him into the ceiling. He smashed through it and fell back down.

"My HP is dangerously low. I have to finish this." Looking down, he saw the Queen sneering, channeling all her elements into a single multi-colored sphere of devastating power.

"This will end you." With a confident smile, she fired the multi-elemental beam. An overwhelming magical pressure surged toward Alex. His senses sharpened to their peak. He channeled Black Bolt directly into his own body, enchanting himself with the same volatile energy he used on his sword.

"It was risky… but it works. Though it causes damage." Using that explosive propulsion, he narrowly avoided death. The beam slammed into the ceiling, triggering a massive magical explosion that brought countless boulders crashing down. BOOOM!

"Agh! Damn it!" The Troll Queen panicked as she realized she had doomed herself. She conjured a magical shield and protected herself, but massive boulders nearly buried her alive as the entire cave collapsed.

"That bastard made me use all my mana! Where is he?! Is he dead? Then... I guess it was worth it! But can I survive here?!" She started panicking, but she thought she could use her magic to create a hole and escape the mountain, if only her mana weren't nearly depleted.

"D-Damn it! Uugh! It's too heavy!" Her mana was nearly depleted. The shield constantly drained what little she had left. The moment it failed, the mountain would crush her. But then… He appeared.

"You?!" She swung at him in fury, but Alex easily dodged. She crouched inside the small protective bubble she had created, the very space he had slipped into.

"..." He walked slowly toward her and offered a Giant Mana Potion. Her eyes widened in disbelief. She narrowed them immediately, suspecting it could be poisoned.

"Is it poisoned?!" Alex shook his head. He sat down and raised his arms, showing he meant no harm. She hesitated, wondering if he was now trapped too and truly seeking cooperation.

"Fool. You think showing me generosity will make me forgive you? You killed my entire clan!"

"..." Alex paused, then issued a silent command to himself.

"Learn how to speak so she can understand me properly." Soul threads began weaving new vocal cords in his throat. After ten minutes of testing, he finally spoke.

"Ah… test… test…"

"...?!" The Troll Queen's eyes widened in shock as the skeleton began to speak.

"Can you understand me now, Troll Queen?"

"…! You can speak?!"