Endless Evolution As A Skeleton In A Game-Like World
Chapter 18: [18] How Dare You Swallow A Mage

Chapter 18: [18] How Dare You Swallow A Mage

If there was one thing that certainly wasn’t on Ark’s bingo card, it was getting swallowed by a man-eating worm.

He hissed as he felt the dirt begin to swallow him whole. He no doubt looked rather stupid right then, thankfully, there was no one watching his dreadful predicament.

"You bastard!" Ark hissed, but his voice was muffled. "How dare you swallow a mage?!"

That was what separated the unintelligent monsters from bosses and high-tier monsters.

They were exceedingly stupid.

Ark ran his palm over its wet maw and smiled, as he activated the skill he had just recently stolen.

"[Chain Lightning!]"

The dark interior of the monster’s maw was brightened up with blue light, as currents raced through its mouth, traversing the entirety of its body.

The monster spasmed like an alarm clock, twisting and turning as it was fried from the inside out. And then finally, it became still.

[You have slain a level 5 Corpse Worm! + 10 Exp]

Ark crawled out of the worm’s body and took a deep breath the moment he got out. Although he had no lungs, it was hard to not replicate human-like actions, even if they meant nothing to him.

The large monster was lying by his side, half buried, its body steaming like a freshly made burrito.

Ark quickly got to his feet. His party was still safe for now, but he had to get back before the battle became too much for them to handle.

He placed his hands on the worm and activated his ability.

[Harvest successful! You have successfully received D-Rank skill, Dirt Drifter!]

’Dirt drifter?’ It was the first time he was getting a monster’s skill, who would have known he would get something so useful on his first try?

Dirt drifter was the skill that allowed the monsters to move so fast through the soil. But unlike the worms who had large bodies to drag around, he was rather small, so he would be noticeably faster.

He quickly moved to the other works and did the same.

[Harvest successful! You have successfully received 2 agility points!]

[Harvest successful! You have successfully received 2 agility points!]

"Agility huh..." he was hoping to get some free stat points to upgrade his mana capacity, but agility was not bad either, it was to be expected after extracting monsters like corpse worms.

He turned around to the direction his team likely was, and then like a mole, Ark lumped into the soil, moving far faster than he could have ever done on land....

<•••>

Soo-jin successfully led her party to the top of a Stone Mountain. It was not so tall that they were safe from the worms, but they no longer had to worry about being pulled down from below.

’Ark was right....’

The worms circled the mountain, likely looking for a way to get to them. They were quiet for now, but she knew it was only a matter of time before they struck.

She stared in the direction they had come from, her eyes narrowing. ’Did he survive?’

Although he was capable, Ark was still a skeleton, and a mage... Mages were at a huge disadvantage in one on one fights, and skeletons were known to have horrible starting stats.

Was there any chance he would be able to survive it?

She shook her head and focused on the monsters below. There was no point in trying to figure out the outcome of their duel.

Although he had jumped in to protect her, she didn’t feel indebted to him in any way. If he failed, then that was it. Life or death...

Soo-jin pulled out her fan.

"Miss, they are coming." Isabella said. She was standing beside her, her claws out in full view.

Soo-jin’s crimson eyes narrowed on the dirt below. "It’s about time."

"Traingle formation! Nolan and Isabella, man my flanks, Olivia, provide fire support from the rear, but keep an eye out for stranglers!"

It was one of the most basic formations they had been taught in the academy. It allowed for them to protect their mage, while each being able to cover for each other.

And in the case where any one of them was injured, they could easily move into a T formation, protecting both the mage and the person.

"Corpse worms are deadly, but outside the dirt they are far less efficient. Aim for the sensor by the side of their heads, they never cover it with corpses!"

Soo-jin had no idea how they were going to deal with the adult worm that was still stalling, especially when the younger ones were more than enough to wipe out their party.

But they had no choice but to fight.

Everyone got into position, getting ready for the storm that was about to ensue. Everyone except Nolan...

"Nolan, the worms will soon charge! We need you!" Olivia practically yelled, trying to pull him to his feet.

But he sat, hand in his head and finger tightened in rage.

Soo-jin let out an annoyed breath as she stared down at him. "Isabella, if he is not willing to fight, throw him off the mountain."

Olivia’s posture grew rigid. She opened her mouth to object, but a sharp glare from Soo-jin was enough to sew her lips shut.

"Understood mistress."

Soo-jin nodded. She was not as kind hearted as Ark, neither did she need baggage.

If he was adamant on dying in this cursed world, then she would grant him a swift death.

Nolan stood up on shaky legs and summoned his spear. He raised his gaze, his steely eyes meeting Soo-Jin’s.

"I’ll... I’ll fight."

His hostility towards her was as clear as day. Soo-jin could read emotions like smelling incense, as Nolan’s emotions had a foul stench to it, hatred beyond compare.

She smiled. "We didn’t come here to make friends now, did we?"

Multiple shadows appeared in her mind’s eye, some climbing up the base of the mountain, others racing through the air like arrows.

Her head felt heavy and her nostrils stung, it was always that way whenever she peaked into the future. She held her composure.

"They are coming."