Endless Evolution As A Skeleton In A Game-Like World

”How did things end up like this?”

Soo-jin stared at the bodies scattered around the king’s palace. They were undoubtedly some of the most skilled players in their class, and yet they had fallen like flies...

But what did she expect?

In any sane situation, they would have fought a single boss monster. Instead, they first had to tackle a horde of undead, and now they were fighting intelligent monsters.

Their chances would have been even better if it was a more powerful, unintelligent monster type boss.

But these goblins, just like the story insinuated, were a lethal force. They worked like a well oiled machine, and they cut through every single strategy they had put up.

Soo-jin grunted as she held the wound by her side. Isabella was on her knees, completely exhausted. She doubted the girl had much fight left in her.

Olivia on the other hand had a gaping hole in her right wing. Her face was as pale as a sheet of paper, and without potions, and their healer already out of mana, the blood flowed freely.

Out of the five royal guards, two remained, the mage and the tank.

There were nine players left, if they worked together, then they could at least kill the two remaining goblins.

’But the real problem is...’

Soo-jin’s gaze then moved to the throne. Still seated in a casual manner, the crown laying loosely on his head was the goblin king.

Although he had not so much as twitched, Soo-jin was sure he was in the second phase of the boss fight.

Her eyes flickered over to where Darius was, and the moment she saw him, she knew he would be useless.

Unless a miracle happened, they would be utterly annihilated.

”Damn it.” One of the students grunted bitterly. He was a boy in pure golden armour. ”To think I, a holy knight, would die to goblins...”

Olivia looked at him then frowned. ”Don’t say things like that, we will survive this. I just know it—”

”You fools! I thought this was a gathering of our most elite, but it seems I was wrong!” Cain suddenly erupted, his hands tightened by his side.

He took a step forward when Soo-jin suddenly spoke in an icy tone.

”And where do you think you are going?”

Cain glanced at her from over his shoulder, his eyes filled with disgust. ”A few pitiful goblins do not scare me. All you guys have done since the start of this fight is pull me back.”

As much as Soo-Jin hated it, she could not let Cain do as he pleased. He was one of the most powerful among them.

”We need to work as a team.”

”Nah, screw that.” Dark purple energy began to surge all around his body. It was as though a veil of primordial darkness had answered his call.

Dark laughter escaped his lips, a crazed look on his face as a black staff appeared in his hands.

”I’ll blow them all sky high. You shits and your king, all it takes is one spell!”

’And when I’m done...’ Cain chuckled internally. ’The boss drop will be mine.’

Normally, it was meant to be shared by the raid party, but no one would be able to object.

”Cronos Diablos...”

The ancient language slipped out of his tongue like bitter poison, cursing the very air he breathed.

Dark, fiery matter began to form at the tip of his staff, and the spell grew so great that it surrounded the entire area in front of him.

This was Cain’s greatest spell, he had purposely not gone all out through the fight, just so that he could steal the boss run with this final move.

At its peak, this spell is said to be able to curse even the gods!

”Bow and grovel for mercy! Bow to your new king! Maybe then I will spare you pathetic lives!”

The goblin tank stood in front of the mage, shield raised, while the mages grimoire opened, the pages flipping by themselves.

It was pointless.

BANG!

Cain unleashed his spell, sending the wave of darkness rolling forward. He watched with glee as the spell tore right through the tank, swallowing it whole, and then the mage, just before consuming the king whole.

In the space of a few seconds, the entire goblin bosses had been reduced to cinders.

[You have slain a level 7 Goblin Tank! +10 exp]

[You have slain a level 7 Goblin Mage! +10 exp]

[You have slain a level 7 Goblin King! +10 exp]

Cain licked his lower lip as the screen flashed in front of his face.

”Beautiful... how utterly beautiful...”

There was nothing more sublime than the stench of roasted goblins.

Sure, if he had used the skill at the start, more of his classmates would have survived. But what was the point in gathering trash?

Even if they managed to survive in this tower, they would be weeded out in the next. He did them a favour by allowing them witness their ends at an earlier date, rather than—

”Cain!” Soo-jin suddenly screamed at the top of her voice.

”Huh?” Cain rumbled with laughter. ”Women are all the same. Do you really think I will take you back now—”

Vwooooosh!

The space in front of him suddenly distorted, and then Cain’s eyes widened as the goblin tank appeared in front of him, its greatsword cleaving through the air.

?!

Slash!

Blood splurted out of his body as his right arm was sliced right off, his limb rolling several times on the floor, before stopping in front of his horrified classmates.

The goblin tank stood before him, raising its sword high once more, its crimson eyes glowing like embers. Behind him, the mage was charging up a fire spell, both of them completely unharmed.

For a moment, Cain was frozen in shock and fear.

”I-i-impossible... I KILLED YOU, I WATCHED YOU DIE!”

The goblins snickered, mocking him, and it was in that moment that Cain realized what had happened.

’Don’t tell me... illusion magic?’

He could hear his heart pounding in his ears as blood poured out of his wound, life draining out of his veins. In a few seconds, that sword would come down and he would be dead.

He could not die, not here, not like that... not to a goblin!

Grasping his injury, he immediately turned to look at where his classmates stood, his eyes locking on Soo-jin.

’It is her fault I am in this mess! Yes...!’

Soo-jin could have warned him about the illusion, she must have known it would happen!

’She wants the boss drop for herself, doesn’t she?!’

”You bitch!”

Using the last bit of his mana, Cain activated his final spell.

”Ngh!” Soo-jin’ eyes suddenly widened when she found herself flying towards Cain’s position, and Cain towards hers.

A switch spell.

”Soo-jin!” Isabella screamed, trying to grab onto her.

Their fingers barely grazed each other, before Soo-jin pulled her hand away, leaving Isabella utterly mortified.

There was no point.

A switch spell needed substantial force to break, all Soo-jin would do was pull Isabella with her... right towards the goblins sword.

She was flying toward the goblin so fast that the world around her blurred into nothing.

There was not enough time for her to prepare a counter, neither was there enough time to think.

Despite how untidy her thoughts were, everything had taken place in a fraction of a second.

All she could do was helplessly meet her fate at the end of the goblins blade.

But the sword never met her.

Everything happened too fast for Soo-jin to keep track of.

One second, she was rushing to her doom, and in the next, the heads of the two goblins slid down their shoulders, blood splurting into the air like a fountain.

Soo-jin felt hard, slender arms snatch her from the air. An arm around her back, while the other was underneath her thighs.

But when she looked up, she could not see anyone, it was as though she was being carried by a ghost.

Then a second later, the air shimmered, and the person appeared. If he could smile, then there would probably be a cocky smirk on his face.

But it didn’t matter if he could smile or not, because Soo-jin could read his emotions from the tone of his voice.

”I’m back, Captain. Did you miss me?”