[Boney Stark]
[Level: 9]
[Select equipment to upgrade or skill to get:]
[Bow] [Quiver] [Arrows] [Helmet] [Chest Armor] [Bracelets] [Boots] [Skill]
"I don't want to make the decision for you, Boney Stark. What would you like me to upgrade?" Boran asked. The skeleton began making hand gestures and the flames in its eyes started to dance. It was trying to communicate something but couldn't make any sound.
"I don't understand what you're saying. Your hand gestures seem meaningful, but we'll need to spend more time together for me to decipher them. Maybe we should develop our own way of communicating."
Boney Stark's head dropped in sadness, his shoulders slumping helplessly. The blue flames in the skeleton's eye sockets dimmed slightly.
"But we can find a simple solution for this. You can show me which upgrade you want - for example, you can point directly at the equipment. If you want to learn a new skill, just pointing at me with your finger will be enough. We can communicate easily this way. What do you think?"
Boney Stark's head suddenly straightened up, the blue flames in his eyes brightening and flaring. The skeleton first made a clear "OK" sign with his right thumb, then decisively extended his long, bony finger toward Boran, clearly indicating he wanted to learn a new skill.
[Bone Shot]
Type: Active - Physical Attack
Damage: 30
Description:
Boney Stark breaks off a piece of his bone, loads it into his bow, and fires it at the target.
Note: Low damage but provides unlimited ammunition.
"I found a great skill that will help us! A skill that lets you shoot pieces of your own bone when you run out of arrows."
Upon hearing this, Boney Stark jumped up anxiously and shook his head.
"Come on! It's really useful. Besides, the skill description says you can use your bone, which probably means the bone will regenerate after you use it."
Boney put his hands on his hips and thought. After a short while, he nodded in agreement. Then he pointed at Boran again.
"Alright, let's get another skill."
[Lazy Aim]
Type: Passive
Description:
Boney Stark doesn't bother with aiming. But sometimes this relaxed attitude leads to accuracy.
Effect: Guaranteed hit on enemies within 5 meters.
Additional effect: 5% critical chance.
"I got something you definitely need. You'll see for yourself. I think that's enough skills. Let's start upgrading your equipment. First, let's upgrade your quiver to level 2 like your bow, then you can choose the rest."
The skeleton nodded.
Boney Stark's new quiver looked ordinary. It was a simple, small quiver made of brown leather. But even in this state, it was more functional than the previous one.
[Attack Speed 1 → 2] [Arrow Capacity 12 → 14]
"What would you like to upgrade?"
Boney Stark pointed to his head.
"Helmet it is, alright."
[Health 1 → 10]
"You had 1 health all along?! Good thing you never took any damage."
A light suddenly flashed on Boney Stark's head. When it faded, the skeleton was wearing a worn leather helmet that looked like it came from ancient times. The edges were slightly curled from years of wear, and the leather surface was cracked and faded.
As Boran examined the helmet, he thought it suited Boney Stark strangely well. It was as if this helmet had always belonged to him and had now simply returned to its owner.
"It looks really good on you. You look cute like this," Boran said, and Boney Stark turned to him. He waved his hand in a "No" gesture.
"Handsome?" When asked this, he nodded in agreement.
"What should we upgrade next?" When asked, he pointed to his arm.
[Health 10 → 15]
A worn leather bracelet, looking as ancient as his helmet, appeared on Boney Stark's arm. The edges of the bracelet were weathered, bearing the marks of time. Like the helmet, it seemed to perfectly match his character. It was as if it had belonged to an archer hundreds of years ago and had now found its new owner.
"Now that we've leveled up, let's eat the remaining dark crawler meat and get out of here."
While Boran was resting and eating at the boss arena entrance, something unexpected happened. Dark smoke began rising from the ground and growing denser. Mur-Azar's body parts began dancing in the air, coming back together.
"This... is impossible," Boran muttered as he stood up. Boney Stark had already readied his bow.
Mur-Azar's eyes opened again. Blue energies were rising from every part of his body, even making the air around him vibrate.
Just then, a pitch-black void explosion came from the other end of the arena. It was so intense that Boran felt his breath catch. When the void dispersed, the sight before him froze his entire body.
A giant knight wearing obsidian-like armor stood before them. Cracks sparked constantly across the surface of his armor, and from these cracks leaked not heat, but void. He was at least four meters tall and held a massive halberd. The weapon's tip constantly dissolved into nothingness and reformed. Dark void flowed from the eye holes of his helmet, with endless emptiness instead of eyes inside. This was the Guardian of the Empty Flame.
When the Guardian moved, a sound like the sigh of an unburning, collapsing fire was heard. His presence was so overwhelming that even the arena walls trembled.
Mur-Azar spoke as his blue energy flared, his voice like ancient stones grinding together: "This sacred place, I have guarded it for thousands of years. You, servant of the void, cannot defeat me!"
The Guardian of the Empty Flame didn't react, just stared at him with his void-filled eyes. He slightly raised his halberd.
The ancient markings on Mur-Azar began dancing wildly, each changing as if telling the story of a different civilization. His voice rose and strengthened: "I carry the sacred heritage of thousands of years of civilizations, containing within me all the wisdom and power of ancient civilizations. You... you are just a non-existent shadow, a meaningless piece of nothingness!"
The cracks in the Guardian's armor flared and the void flowed more intensely. His silence, his very existence, was like an answer: The void devours everything, even memories.
Mur-Azar roared with rage and run to his new enemy. The two massive beings moved toward each other. As the Guardian's halberd reformed from nothingness, Mur-Azar's sword was filled with blue energy.
The first collision created a shock wave. Boran and Boney Stark were thrown backward. When the Guardian's weapon met Mur-Azar's sword, void and darkness mixed together. The clash between the two powers was so intense that sparks danced in the air.
The Guardian suddenly withdrew and raised his halberd to the sky. A column of dark void burst from his weapon, piercing through the ceiling. Mur-Azar noticed the attack, but it was too late.
Mur-Azar let out a final scream as he lunged at the Guardian. But with a single motion, the knight brought down his halberd. A dark crescent-shaped void wave cut Mur-Azar clean in half.
The dark smoke dispersed, leaving only a small, purple crystal behind. The Guardian bent down and picked up the crystal, crushing it in his palm. The crystal merged with the void and disappeared. Then he turned to Boran. The dark void flowing from inside his helmet focused directly on the young man, and Boran felt his body freeze.