Endless Evolution As A Skeleton In A Game-Like World

Multiple shadows appeared in Soo-jin’s 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, but she held her composure.

”They are coming.”

She moved, her body twisting to the side and her claws lashing out at a worm that had suddenly appeared in front of them.

Squelch!

Her claws dug into its sensor, and she plunged it deeper, her fingers moving vulgarly in its head.

The worm thrashed around just before it died, her entire hand coated in black inky blood. The notification appeared in front of her, but Soo-jin ignored it.

Below the mountains, the worms had finally begun to ascend. They crawled like snakes, slowly making their way up the steep mountain, while others compressed their bodies to launch themselves towards them.

”Olivia, lightning!” Soo-jin barked out a command. ”Bella, cover me!”

But she did not wait to see the results. She raced down the mountain at the worms that were swiftly approaching.

There were three worms in total, each of them moving faster than their bodies should have allowed.

’What are you? Snakes?’

Crackle-!!

A lightning bolt raced past her and exploded into the worm at the left. It was a clean shot, its head exploded on impact, sending flesh and blood splattering over the mountain.

Soo-jin reached for the other worm and slashed at its face. The worm twisted its body into a barrel roll, then it rose like a cobra and jumped at her.

Her slippers burst apart as claws grew out of them, gripping the steep mountain tightly.

She drew her arms back, muscles tense, and then she jumped right at it.

The dodge was narrow. She missed its maw only by a few inches, and then she grabbed its body, her claws sinking into it.

Like a fiend, she raced across the length of its back, pushing away corpses as she dug her claws into its body, slashing and stabbing, ravaging it.

The worm shrieked and thrashed around, both of them still in the air.

Then she grabbed onto its tail and launched herself forward, just as the worm landed on the mountain with an explosive bang that sent vibrations racing through her body.

Dust exploded on impact, but Soo-jin moved through the haze.

Stab!

Now by its side, she plunged her claws deep into its sensor, and pulled out a chunk of flesh, watching as it tumbled down and slammed into the others.

But Soo-jin could not rest. The worms would not allow her to.

She dashed to the side as the last worm blasted into the mountain wall, grabbing a mouthful of gravel and sending rocks and debris rolling down.

It chewed down on the gravel like it was candy, reminding Soo-jin of just what would happen if she accidentally got caught in those deadly teeth.

She held on to a single outcropping of rock, her feet dangling in the air as she stared at the worm.

Then she smiled. ”Bring it on.”

The monster compressed once more, its body rumbling with disgusting sounds as it folded its organs for the pounce.

”Do you all have the same move? Can’t you be a little original at least?”

VWOOSH!

It cut through the air like a bullet, and Soo-jin swung her body up, allowing it to crash itself into the mountain.

The worm raised its head to snarl at her, only for it to meet three tails which lunged forward like spears, piercing the worm in three different locations.

Using her tails, and a lot of effort, she tore the worm apart, before allowing its body parts to roll to the foot of the hill. It was too large to completely destroy, but her attack was more than enough to kill it.

Soo-jin exhaled a steamy breath, then gritted her teeth. ”Tsk.”

Below her, more worms were still climbing up like a maggot infestation, relentlessly pushing their bodies to the top.

She had managed to kill three of them, and with each kill, she knocked a number of them down.

But the worms were far too many, and obscenely tenacious. They were climbing from the other sides, while some had launched themselves halfway up, then slithered to the top of the mountain.

Magic flashed at the top of the hill, crimson blood raced through the air like a whip, before coming down with an explosive bang.

It was Bella’s blood manipulation.

’There are only two up there...’ Soo-jin mused. ’They should be able to handle it.’

Preventing more from climbing up and swarming them was more important—

Her senses suddenly flared as a shadowy image projected itself in her mind, then she raced up the mountain, her tails waving in the air as she did.

The wind rushed past her ears, and fur, each step on the steep mountain threatening to make her fall.

”That fool!” She hissed.

Just as she was arriving at the top of the mountain, a worm was racing through the air, right at Nolan.

Bella was locked in a battle with a worm that had climbed up from the other side, Olivia was prepping up a spell, and Nolan? He hadn’t even realized what was coming!

It was large, very large, where the hell was his mind at?!

”Nolan! What are you doing?” Soo-jin screamed. Only then did Nolan see the large shadow racing towards him, but it was far too late.

BOOOOM!

The monster slammed right into the ground, blasting both Olivia and Bella to the edges of the mountain, and towards the hungry worms that were just climbing up.

The Corpse Keeper’s large body was poised above Nolan, crushing him to the ground, while its mouth hovered over him.

A thick, slimy tongue emerged from its maw, sampling Nolan’s face as he struggled to free himself.

”HELP!! HELP ME!”

”Tsk!” Soo-jin hissed.

She ran on all fours, towards the edge of the mountain where Bella and Oliva had been tossed towards.

”WHERE ARE YOU GOING? HELP ME FOR FUCKS SAKE!!” Nolan screamed, and the worm licked his tongue...

Soo-jin felt her stomach churn, but she focused on the task at hand.

Bella had been half-swallowed by one of the worms, and Olivia seemed to be concussed. She stood up on shaky feet, just as a large worm loomed behind her.

[Olivia is bleeding. Her health will continually be depleted over time]

[Isabella is bleeding. Her health will continually be depleted over time]

[Nolan is bleeding. His health will continually be depleted over time]

’What do I do?’ Soo-jin’s mind raced for an answer, her composure threatening to break.

Sweat beaded down her face, and her breath trembled as she watched her party members. If she did nothing, then in a few seconds, her entire party would be extinguished.

She closed her eyes for a fraction of a second, and then her eyes snapped open.

Only that this time, they were far from human—