Otherworldly Skeleton Evolution

Since there is a hidden Evolution Path, Jiang Cheng naturally wouldn’t miss it.

What’s double the Evolution Points to him anyway?

Right now, he has 130,000, so he won’t miss these extra 20,000.

[Hidden Evolution Path selected successfully. This evolution requires 30,000 Evolution Points. Proceed with evolution?”]

“Triple?!” Jiang Cheng’s lips twitched.

Next time, won’t it be quadruple?

Judging by the System’s stingy nature, the next evolution would likely cost 100,000 points – quadrupled to a whopping 400,000!

Sure enough, there’s not a single innocent System!

They’re all black-market operators, and the best thing to do is to line them up for execution.

“Whatever, Evolution Points are made to be spent anyway.”

[Congratulations! You have spent 30,000 Evolution Points on the Hidden Evolution Path: Blood Hell Skeleton Assault Captain. Evolution will take 10 minutes.]

“Begin evolution.”

After the System’s prompt, Jiang Cheng fell into a deep sleep, and the blue flames in his eyes gradually extinguishing.

His entire body became immersed in a bloody hue.

Zhang Mengmeng, on the other hand, stood at the cave entrance, peering through the cracks between the Skeletons, watching Jiang Cheng to see what he was up to.

When she saw Jiang Cheng’s entire body turn into a shade of blood, she finally understood.

“Wow, Skeleton Big Brother…is evolving again…”

“No wonder he needed me to summon Skeletons to stand watch.”

Zhang Mengmeng suddenly realized.

Putting down her staff and supporting her rosy cheeks, her gaze on Jiang Cheng became increasingly curious.

“What exactly is Skeleton Big Brother’s background?”

His skill in killing monsters is seasoned and steady, as if ingrained in his very bones.

His awareness and reflexes were even more extraordinary.

Every time she witnessed Jiang Cheng’s bizarre movements, she assumed he was wandering about aimlessly.

But later, she was amazed to find that Jiang Cheng’s every move seemed to produce unexpected results.

Skeletons were known for sluggish movement speed. After landing a blow, it was very difficult for them to evade monster attacks.

Yet Jiang Cheng’s seemingly erratic footwork always managed to narrowly dodge the Stone Men’s strikes, leaving them stunned and him virtually unscathed.

If it weren’t for the fact that he was a Skeleton himself, limiting his performance…

Perhaps his skill level would be even more terrifying, capable of killing four Stone Men without taking a single hit?

Zhang Mengmeng felt somewhat familiar with such steps.

Suddenly, it hit her.

It reminded her of a godlike technique invented by her idol, the Phantom Step!

The footwork that follows like a shadow, after a strike, instantly stepping aside, obstructing the enemy’s line of sight, can keep oneself forever out of the enemy’s sight.

She had only seen Phantom Steps used by her idol in videos.

With her humble skills, there was no way to encounter such godlike players in-game.

But the way Skeleton Big Brother moved seemed slightly different from her idol’s technique.

So she couldn’t be certain if it truly was Phantom Steps.

However, one thing was clear – Skeleton Big Brother is definitely not a simple character.

“I wonder if I could learn it too?” Zhang Mengmeng felt somewhat hopeful inside.

But…after a moment, she shook her head.

Her classmate Zhang Haoming, known as a master in school, has been addicted to games for several years, and he has only learned it to a small extent, and can only occasionally use it.

As for her…forget it.

“Beep…”

Just as she was thinking, her consciousness suddenly went black…

“Oh no!” Zhang Mengmeng’s heart skipped a beat.

That notification sound… her helmet is out of power!

“Oh no, oh no! My Skeleton Big Brother…”

Yanking off the helmet, Zhang Mengmeng immediately let out a shrill cry, “Landlady, help!”

“What are you yelling for!” The shabby security door flung open, and a middle-aged woman laden with fat strode in.

“Have you paid your rent? What about the utility bills?”

“Uh… I…” Zhang Mengmeng instantly deflated.

“Gurgle…” Her stomach chimed in with a rumble.

Only then did she realize that she was starving not only in-game but in reality too, having gone a long time without food.

“Hmph, I’m cutting your utilities until you pay up.”

“Thud.”

The door was shut, and the plump landlady’s figure disappeared from the room, leaving Zhang Mengmeng looking depressed.

She didn’t complain though. Despite the landlady’s fierce tone and temper, she actually had a heart of gold and often helped Zhang Mengmeng out.

After some thought, she decided to call her best friend and borrow some money.

Picking up her battered 5-year-old cell phone, after several freezes and unbearable lags, she finally got through to her friend.

“Hey Xiangxiang, I got a little something to discuss with you.”

“Ah… oh… mm-hmm, what’s up?”

“What are you doing?” Zhang Mengmeng blushed when she heard the voice, feeling embarrassed.

“Nothing… just, tell me what you need… Ah! Don’t worry… you know me!… I’m always… super… generous!… I’d never… never refuse… anyone… Ah!”

“Oh, I know you’re the best, you’re my BFF after all. It’s like this, I was hoping to borrow—”

“Beep beep beep…”

The call abruptly ended.

Zhang Mengmeng: “…”

After a long silence, a shriek erupted from the bedroom.

“Damn you Xiangxiang! I swear, I’ll end our friendship! It’s over! It’s definitely over!”

Zhang Mengmeng, with a pout on her face, looked extremely displeased, but she had no choice in her heart.

“Growl, growl…” Her stomach occasionally made hungry noises.

Zhang Mengmeng was on the verge of tears.

“Ding dong, this is a notice from China Mobile 10086. Your number is 30 yuan overdue. Service has been suspended. Please pay within 24 hours to avoid communication issues. As you are a frequent late payer, we are offering you a one-time deal – pay 50 get 30 free. Don’t miss out.”

Zhang Mengmeng: “……”

“Heavens, end my suffering…It’s not the 30 yuan I’m short on, it’s the 50!”
Zhang Mengmeng pouted in frustration, but was powerless.

Go back home?

Her pride wouldn’t allow it.

Sell her game equipment?

She felt it would betray Skeleton Big Brother.

After all, her items were mostly obtained with Skeleton Big Brother’s help.

Selling them would feel like a betrayal.

Besides, her helmet was out of juice anyway…

“What do I do…” Zhang Mengmeng was at her wits’ end.

“Click…”

“Clack clack clack…”

The only electrical appliance in the bedroom, the old, broken electric fan, suddenly made a clunking sound, indicating that the power… was back on.

“Today’s the deadline! Pay the rent or scram, you brat!”

Outside the bedroom door, the landlady’s curses could be heard.

“Also, come have dinner at my place tonight. Got too many leftovers these days. Can’t finish ’em!”

Despite the harsh words, warmth filled Zhang Mengmeng’s heart and a brilliant smile lit up her face.

“The landlady is truly tough on the outside but soft on the inside.”

“Um… looks like I need to talk to Skeleton Big Brother, or else…”

A hint of sadness crossed Zhang Mengmeng’s face.

After gulping down some tap water, she donned her secondhand gaming helmet purchased from a flea market and dove into the game.

Inside the game, not even half a minute had passed, and Jiang Cheng still hadn’t woken up.

But she noticed that her character’s vital signs, such as hunger and thirst, were alarmingly high, triggering alerts.

In fact, she had hit her limits three hours ago. Her helmet was a hand-me-down piece, unlike others whose starter packs included basic supplies.

There were actually some water sources along the way that could be drunk in the game.

But she was afraid of delaying Jiang Cheng, so she kept silent.

She didn’t know why Jiang Cheng was grinding like a madman. She just knew she couldn’t let him see her as dead weight, so she had been toughing it out.

Now, due to extreme hunger, the alarm sounded and triggered the fainting mechanism, giving her twenty minutes of offline recovery time.

Zhang Mengmeng fainted in front of Jiang Cheng.

Nine minutes later, Jiang Cheng’s hollow eye sockets suddenly lit up with two blue flames, which then turned into a blood-red color, burning fiercely.

The surface of his entire skeleton also turned blood-red, emitting a crimson aura.

[Evolution successful!]