The bones on the skeleton clone's body began to spontaneously assemble into a complete set of Skeleton Armor.
This armor was formed from countless layers of precisely stacked bone plates. The multi-layered construction not only enhanced its Defense Power but also gave it a more formidable presence. The process of the armor's creation was like natural growth, spreading from the spine to the limbs until it covered the entire body. The Bone Armor at each joint fit perfectly, as if it were born for battle.
The Bone Armor on its chest was thick and solid, protecting the fragile core within, while a sharp bone crown formed on its head, symbolizing the shift in its identity. Finally, when the full set of Skeleton Armor was complete, the skeleton clone's size had surged to over two meters.
[Skeleton Armor] (White Common): Armor condensed from Skeleton Essence. Can slightly increase full-body defense.
Fang Zhou clenched his bony fists, and the entire suit of armor rattled and clanked. The power, far stronger than before, allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief.
Awesome!
He then looked at the clone's attribute panel.
[Clone] Skeleton Warriors
[Tier] Black Iron · Lower Rank
[Attributes] Strength 30, Constitution 30, Agility 30, Spirit 30
[Equipment] Skeleton Long Spear (White Common), Skeleton Armor (White Common)
[Skills] Skeleton Monarch (Black Iron, Instinct), Skeleton Armament (Black Iron, Instinct), Brutal Strike (Apprentice, Perfection), Charge (Apprentice, Mastery), Weapon Specialization (Apprentice, Mastery), Block (Apprentice, Skilled), Battle Cry (Apprentice, Skilled)
[Soul Power] 20
Compared to before, it had undergone a dramatic transformation, making his month of tirelessly grinding monsters and leveling up worthwhile. However, Fang Zhou didn't get too carried away by his power growth.
A man without foresight will have immediate worries.
Perhaps the skeleton clone's power was considered decent among Black Iron Lower-rank Skeleton Warriors, but in Fang Zhou's eyes, it was just a new starting point. At the very least, the benefits brought by Apprentice-rank skills like Brutal Strike, Charge, and Weapon Specialization were no longer as obvious as before. Fang Zhou, who was accustomed to crushing his opponents with overwhelming power, was not satisfied with these skills stagnating at the Apprentice rank.
To master Black Iron-rank skills, the most direct way was to exchange for them in the Human Alliance Skill Library, as usual, and then consume Soul Power for a quick start. However, his current F-level authority only allowed him to exchange for Apprentice-rank skills; he wasn't qualified to exchange for Black Iron-rank skills. Even if he had the authority, a Black Iron-rank Skill Book cost upwards of a hundred contribution points, which the current Fang Zhou couldn't afford. This path was temporarily blocked.
As for the other path, it was a bit more troublesome. The Apprentice-rank skills Fang Zhou had chosen for his skeleton clone all had great potential. According to his speculation, relying on his own intellect and a little help from the attribute panel, he should have a chance to deduce their higher-tier versions. However, this placed high demands on his Skill Proficiency and Soul Power reserves.
After mulling it over, Fang Zhou decided to first experiment with [Brutal Strike]. He would work hard to raise it to the [Instinct] proficiency level, then try consuming Soul Power to deduce its evolution and see what happened. Before that, the skeleton clone would have to lay low in the outer region of the Burial Wilderness, casually killing some Upper-rank Apprentice skeletons to accumulate some Soul Power.
The path to becoming stronger was now very clear, so Fang Zhou wasted no time. He maneuvered the skeleton clone, already at Black Iron Lower Rank, clad in armor and wielding a long spear, and swept toward the deeper parts of the Burial Wilderness. The upgrade principle Fang Zhou set for his skeleton clone was always brutal suppression and overwhelming those on a lower tier!
When he was a Lower-rank Apprentice, he bullied the newborn, fragile skeletons.
When he was a Middle-rank Apprentice, he bullied the Lower-rank Apprentice skeletons.
When he was an Upper-rank Apprentice, he ran rampant among the Middle-rank Apprentice skeletons.
Now that he had reached Black Iron Lower Rank, his opponents would naturally switch to Upper-rank Apprentice skeletons.
「…」
In the dim outskirts of the Burial Wilderness, a will-o'-the-wisp flickered, illuminating the silhouette of an impressively robust, Black Iron-rank Skeleton Warrior clad in armor and holding a long spear. Compared to Fang Zhou's skeleton clone, the surrounding Apprentice-rank skeletons seemed as fragile as toy figurines.
Facing the skeletons lunging toward him, Fang Zhou stood firm, a cold Soul Fire flickering in his eye sockets.
Brutal Strike!
He then took a step, thrusting the long spear forward abruptly. A sharp spear shadow cut through the air, aimed directly at the nearest skeleton.
BANG!
The Skeleton Long Spear accurately pierced through the skeleton's skull, pinning it to the hard ground. As he pulled the spear out, the skeleton instantly crumbled into dust that scattered on the ground. The faint Skeleton Essence it contained was absorbed into Fang Zhou's body, making the luster on his bones even deeper.
Next, the skeleton clone's figure flickered, as elusive as a ghost in the wind. As the long spear danced, it was like a blooming flower of death. Every stab, upward strike, and horizontal sweep extinguished a skeleton's Soul Fire. Although those Apprentice-rank skeletons did their utmost to resist, they were as helpless as children facing a giant. It was a completely one-sided slaughter. If these skeletons had any intelligence, they would surely despise Fang Zhou for bullying the weak and preying on the small.
In truth, the Skeleton Essence and Soul Power Fang Zhou gained from these Apprentice skeletons were already minimal. He was just using these excellent targets to practice [Brutal Strike], wanting to raise it to [Instinct] proficiency as quickly as possible.
After two hours of slaughter, the skeleton clone's Soul Fire still shone brightly. It was only then that Fang Zhou felt a deep exhaustion welling up from the depths of his soul. A hint of delight appeared in his heart.
It seems that as the skeleton clone's tier increases, my own Soul Strength grows along with it. This also means I have more time for daily monster grinding and leveling up.
Fang Zhou shifted his attention back to his main body, filled with anticipation. Looking at the attribute panel, he was overjoyed to find that his tier had indeed risen to Apprentice Middle Rank, and his Four-Dimensional Attributes had also improved significantly.
[Attributes] Strength 3.9, Agility 3.9, Constitution 3.9, Spirit 6
Putting the Spirit Attribute aside, his three other core attributes—Strength, Agility, and Constitution—were already approaching 4. According to Fang Zhou's estimate, Ye Fan, as a Demon Hunter Combat Professional, likely had Strength, Constitution, and Agility Attributes that were still lower than his own.
Fang Zhou then cast the Bone Spear skill, materializing a Bone Spear. He could feel that its power had increased by at least fifty percent compared to before. He took a deep breath and looked at his skills bar.
"Detected that the clone's [Skeleton Monarch] skill has reached [Instinct] proficiency. It can be used as Skill Materials to deduce Unknown Skills for the main body. Estimated cost: 10 Soul Power."
"Begin deduction?"