Undead Evolution System

Skeletal Mage John Smith

In the deepest, most remote corners of the underworld, amidst the bone-chilling expanse known fittingly as the White Bone Realm, thrives the lowest echelon of undead creatures in the underworld - the skeletons!

Though this undead race is as renowned as the overlords of the underworld in many knightly tales, their status in the depths of the underworld is as lowly as their fame is widespread.

So, John Smith's mood was melancholic, sorrowful, as if his sadness could flow against the current of a river.

Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine waking up one day to find himself transformed into a skeleton, and not just any skeleton, but one whose skeletal structure was so fragile that it could collapse at any moment.

The only silver lining that could lift John Smith's melancholic spirits was the discovery, after accepting and organizing the memories left behind by this skeleton, that he had somehow transmigrated into a skeleton mage. This revelation delighted John Smith to no end.

Since childhood, he had harbored a deep admiration for magic, dreaming of becoming a masterful mage capable of wielding spells. Though he now found himself as a mere novice skeleton mage, capable only of casting a 0-level spell like "Blindness," it was enough to send this aspiring mage into a frenzy of excitement.

Not long ago, John Smith was lamenting the fact that he no longer had his manhood, unable to engage in the activities he loved with the ladies. But now, his newfound passion for magic overshadowed the 'details' of his lack of manhood.

Eagerly seizing the nearby staff, adorned with a small unknown beast skull at its tip, John Smith softly intoned the incantation for "Blindness" and directed it towards a nearby stone, casting his first spell.

"Blindness," a innate spell for 0-level skeleton mages, meant there was no possibility of failure for John Smith. However, targeting a stone without eyes proved to be a different matter altogether, a lesson John Smith quickly learned.

The spell's chant lasted barely two seconds before ending. As John Smith waved his hand, he felt a part of his consciousness being drained, leaving him somewhat depleted, with nothing else to show for his effort.

"Oh, damn it! I was so excited that I forgot 'Blindness' is a curse spell, wasting a quarter of my mana for nothing. Time is running out; I must return, or I'll be in trouble!" John Smith cursed inwardly.

Though becoming a skeleton mage was an exhilarating prospect for John Smith, the experience of casting a spell had somewhat dampened his excitement, reminding him of his predicament.As a 0-level skeleton mage, he was the weakest existence in the entire underworld, let alone in the White Bone Realm. Capable only of casting a single 0-level spell like "Blindness" and possessing pitifully low mana reserves, even at full strength he could only cast the spell four times, under life-threatening circumstances. In this realm, survival would be incredibly difficult with such limited power.

Fortunately, within the memories left behind by the skeleton mage he now inhabited, there was a sanctuary that could shelter John Smith, a novice in the underworld. After carefully arranging the memories, John Smith discovered that the skeleton mage had found a hiding place, which happened to be the best place in the White Bone Realm for a newcomer.

With his itinerary set, John Smith picked up the bone staff and cautiously surveyed his surroundings, ensuring safety before following the memories left by the skeleton mage towards his hiding place.

Although the human world often portrayed the underworld as a paradise for the undead, John Smith discovered through the memories of the skeleton mage that this was far from the truth.In the White Bone Realm, survival was incredibly difficult for skeletons. With two or more skeletons encountering each other resulting in a fierce battle, typically leaving only one survivor, most skeletons barely lasted a day. Additionally, occasional visits by other undead through the White Bone Realm invariably led to slaughter. These were the 'man-made disasters' of skeleton survival.

In contrast to the unpredictable 'man-made disasters,' the 'natural disasters' were relatively tame. Occurring once every forty-eight hours, they were akin to hurricanes or earthquakes, albeit with a higher frequency.

From the memories of the skeleton mage, John Smith learned of three types of 'natural disasters' he had experienced: extreme cold, where even small stones would shatter from freezing rain; extreme heat, where rocks could melt upon impact; and violent winds, once catching a glimpse of a 5th-level skeleton being torn apart by the gusts.

With the memories of the skeleton mage arranged, John Smith didn't dare take the 'natural disasters' lightly. Hastily making his way, he anxiously rushed back to the cave mentioned in the memories.

"Finally, we've arrived. Now I can finally relax."

Though there was still some time before the disasters were due, who knew if fate would play tricks? If the 'natural disasters' arrived earlier due to some capricious whim, where would John Smith's skeletal life go for reimbursement?

Furthermore, having just become a skeleton mage, John Smith cherished his newfound existence. Even if there were someone to reimburse his life, he wouldn't agree.

Glancing at the gloomy sky, though there were no signs of imminent danger, the memories left by the skeleton mage felt too real, leaving John Smith feeling uneasy. Quickly turning around, he hurried into the cave, seeking refuge.

As he entered the cave, John Smith's eye sockets widened in astonishment. Though he had learned from the memories that the entrance of the cave was narrow, he hadn't expected it to be this tight.

Standing at around five feet, the passage was barely thirty centimeters wide. It was so narrow that even as a skeleton, John Smith doubted he could have entered when he had a human form. Nevertheless, even in this state, there was no room for turning back.

However, upon further reflection, this narrow passage wasn't without its advantages. Defended properly, it could be an impregnable fortress. Thinking so, John Smith finally reached the end of the passage, about to step into the familiar hideout from the memories, when he suddenly froze in place, his skeletal frame chilling as if plunged into an icy abyss.Before him stood another skeleton, wielding a massive axe, its ethereal flames flickering with malice and greed. Suddenly, its jawbone opened wide, and with a powerful swing of its arms, it brought the axe down upon John Smith, caught in the dilemma of advancing or retreating in the narrow passage...