I had a feeling a big guy would be around that level. His physical attributes were far above the rest and his spearmanship a notch higher. He is out of stamina and injured though. I should be able to take him on!

Bones started running toward his opponents. His speed increased with each step and he summoned bombs, one in each hand. When he was close enough, he hurled the bombs ahead and made them hit each other, exploding on touch just before the two warriors. The cloud of smoke obscured the view of him and the leader's instinct told him to step back while the other warrior looked on in confusion. From the cloud of smoke, Skully and Bones emerged, flanking the weaker of the two, the confused Lizardman. When the leader got his bearings back, the warrior was down and dealt with.

The leader bellowed in rage and Bones felt the chills as he turned and saw the Lizardman's bloodshot eyes. He lunged at Bones who stepped back while Skully passed him and intercepted the warrior. Their clash wasn't an equal exchange. With a simple sweep of his spear, the leader removed the obstacle in his path and ran after Bones.

What happened? Dammit I thought he was tired! Where did all this sudden strength come from?

Bones felt slight panic knowing he wasn't a match for the Lizardman alone and Skully failed to intercept the attack. The poisonous substance should've taken effect but the brute chasing after him seemed unfazed. On the contrary, the leader displayed higher mobility than when he engaged the Snapdragon.

He couldn't be immune to it, could he? No, I don't believe he is immune, highly resistant maybe! Still…

The warrior was slightly faster than Skully and significantly more than him. The only saving grace Bones had going for him was the fact that the leader didn't know how to fight a mage. Bones used everything he had at his proposal to keep the enraged elite away but he was losing ground. The leader fought as a possessed which, truthfully, wasn't far off. The bellow at the start of the combat was a War Cry that increased the Lizardman's physical attributes temporarily. The downside was that its duration was short and would leave the warrior vulnerable and out of stamina. The bomb DID in fact have an effect and the leader would feel its effects after the buff expires. Bones didn't know that and used Skully as a shield while grasping to get away.

The leader long stopped using his spear, dropping it and chased on all four, moving like a lizard would. When the War Cry ended, he abruptly stopped, gasping for air. Bones wasn't sure what had happened and thought it was a trap, but after a few seconds realized the leader was done for. He grinned and bravely stepped forward with a lance in his hand and Skully in front.

The Lizardman breathed heavily, drool dripping down his jaw and loudly wheezing. His body shook as he mustered as much strength as he could to stand up. Skully pierced his inner thigh while Bones thrusted the spear over Skully's shoulder and penetrated his chest.

The leader staggered backwards and wildly swung his arms in an attempt to fight back. There was still some fight left in him but there was a limit to how much damage his body could receive. That limit was reached before the War Cry and now…

Bones watched as the leader slipped and went down on one knee. He tried to stand up but slipped again, this time falling face first to the ground. The leader remained lying, all the strength and willpower leaving him.

"Skully, relieve the leader of his pain!"

Skully obliged, stepped forward and thrusted with his spear. The leader died a warrior's death, but Bones wouldn't give him peace in the afterlife.

"Take off his chest protector and pauldrons, and grab the spear." Bones commanded.

The equipment seemed of good quality but…I'm not storing dirty equipment in my inventory! His body is a different story however!

Skully hugged the equipment and Bones stored the body of the leader. A moment of heaviness briefly came over him but it was gone as soon as it came. Bones found the Lizardman to be just a specimen he required to improve his golem. He would need to find someone later to skin the body and carve out the flesh, but he will have the bones needed!

As they walked back in the direction of the tribe, Bones glanced at the bone shin protectors in Skully's hands. He stopped walking and took them off his hands. The more he looked at them, the more an idea formed in his head.

I haven't considered shaping bones into a piece of equipment. Could I do it too? With some effort, I'm sure I could make the same protectors. I could customize the items to suit Skully and any future golems I create! It would save me the time and effort to search for suitable equipment. I could even make myself equipment. Do I want to though? Hm…

Bones took another glance at the protectors and handed them back to Skully. I don't think so. They look so…primal.

Bones continued walking and within an hour, they were back in the familiar dense forest, surrounded by water. Bones gave the equipment Skully carried a quick wash, then stored them, leaving only the spear which he gave to Skully. There was a bit more than an hour until daylight and Bones wanted to survey the area before dawn.

The Lizardfolk tribes were around two to four kilometers away from one another and there was bound to be conflict when hunting small game or collecting herbs and berries. Early in the morning, the fog had risen and covered the swamp. Bones observed from a distance as the Lizardmen left the safety of the hamlet and formed small groups then separated. Two groups of three lizardmen in each, went to search for fruit and edible plants while the bigger group went to hunt. He followed the hunting party for a while, then stopped and gave up. None of the Lizardmen hunting were at the leader's level and Bones quickly lost interest.

He walked aimlessly around their territory in search of the solid ground and something of interest. He had had enough of getting his feet wet and while searching, he stumbled upon a burial ground in a pit on the large mound. Numerous bones, big and small, were scattered around and he recognized bones belonging to small mammals, Lizardfolk and even humans. Surrounded, Bones felt something resonate within him and realized it was Bone Manipulation.

He concentrated on the feeling and focused on manipulating bones around him. Gradually, bones took to air and he strained until hundreds of bones levitated around him. As if not satisfied with just that, he started shaping them. No matter how big or small, each bone was straightened and edges sharpened to a point. After a minute of channeling, they fell to the ground and Bones collapsed to his knees. Channeling Bone Manipulation depleted his mana and for a brief moment, Bones body lost connection to his core. It was a dangerous endeavor, but not without merit. Two dings rang out and Bones fell backwards to the ground, placed his hands behind his head as a pillow and crossed his legs.

ding

ding

Bone Manipulation had leveled up!

Bone Shaping had leveled up!

Advanced Bone Manipulation level fourteen and Bone Shaping level eighteen - it wouldn't be long until shaping advances a tier. Comparing what happened just now, it seems the shaping practices I did until now were an inefficient way to raise my skill level. I thought shaping bones into small sculptures would be a steady way to progress but…without more effort and greater challenge, my skills will stall rather than advance!

"There are way too many things I need to change Skully. I thought I was on the right path!"

I'll start with you first. You will be my spear!

Bones pulled himself into a sitting position and took out a booklet and a pen. He opened the booklet and started listing until the first blank page, then started writing down notes.

Note:

Free points into VIT! (probably) Improve golem constructs! Change the shape of bones and reinforce Skully's legs and forearms! Sharpen the tail. Leave room for engravings! Shape bones into protective equipment. Plated parts? Something akin to Bone Armor? Put more effort into shaping practice. More strain equals more experience! Stop rushing into melee! Use Soul Magic more often!

The list went on and Bones donned a strange expression. He almost seemed happy he had so much to work on. Once he finished, he turned to Skully. The golem was still as a tree, Bones almost forgot he was there. "How about we head on back and see what is the situation on the front?"

He slowly stood up and patted himself, dusting dirt off his robe. It was a two hour walk to his "hiding" place and Bones took his time. It was midday when he returned but instead of climbing up, he passed his hiding place and proceeded into the forest. The soldiers were still busy fortifying the new camp and Bones wondered what their actual plan was to put so much effort into defenses.

No matter the effort, the gold rankers will breach the camp's gates in minutes so why bother? Is it to stall for time? An extra obstacle before they enter the kingdom?

What do I know…I thought I gained a sort of understanding of how things work now but it seems it's beyond my comprehension. I can't seem to properly measure the mentality of the gold rankers and those above them. They see the world differently, or perhaps it's just me? Perhaps I'm just way behind time.

Bones' sudden train of thought left him rather dispirited. As more gold rankers got involved in the fights of mid rankers, he started losing perspective and the thoughts of leaving the war started occupying his mind. Hence, his trip deeper into the swamps.

I'll stay for a bit longer. There are a few things I wish to test and then, I'll be on my way! There is only so much I can accomplish with my low level.

Bones spent the next few days practicing manipulation and shaping, same as previously unfortunately, and without much progress. On the third day, the sound of trumpets startled him away from his practice. Something was happening and Bones jumped down the tree and propelled himself towards the clearing. He was sure to put on a red band around his arm before coming close. The camp was on high alert and everyone was in a rush to equip and get into formation.

Opposite of the camp, the Aphitonian soldiers stood lined up at the edge of the forest. Their numbers, innumerable. In the middle of the line, the soldiers parted ways for an approaching figure on the mount. The figure wore dark vestment with a golden edge and embroidered decorative patterns, matching leggings and matching leather boots. The equipment looked comfortable and easy to move in.

The figure had half his head shaved and on the other half, a long dark braided hair that fell over his right eye. His visible left eye was emerald green and wisps of different elements floated around him. In his hand he held a silver rod, a battlestaff with an intricate web of lines engraved along the shaft.

A good portion of the soldiers, gold rankers included, stepped outside the camp and took on an offensive stance. Bones could hear the murmurs.

"Shit! Is that General Zidall?"

"It's the main army!"

[Intangible murmur]

It seems the man on the mount is the general of the Aphitonian army and a person of great repute!

Bones left the cover of the forest and joined the soldiers and adventurers outside the camp. Now that he was standing at the front, he had a proper look at the general. The man was young but had strong posture and a confident air around him, much like prince Tristan, and the mount he was riding just added to his domineering presence.

The mount was a monstrous hyaenidae beast, taller than Bones, called Spotted Grizzlestride. Its fur was beige in color with spotted muscular, broad-chested body and a short, rounded head. A prominent white mane of long hair grew along the back and a hairy tuft at the end of its short tail. It had a snarling facial expression and saliva dripped down its mouth.

The general spun his battlestaff once and the mount suddenly spring forth. Bones sensed the frontline soldiers became unsettled and agitated as the monster was closing in but nonetheless, they readied their weapons and prepared to meet its charge head on. Before it reached them, however, the Grizzlestride jumped over the frontline and into the camp. The general meanwhile, jumped high off his mount and boosted by wind magic took to the air where he oversaw the battlefield. The sun behind him blinded everyone looking at him and he dived right in the midst of the frontline troops just outside the camp.

[Tremor]

He landed and smashed the ground with the bunt of his battlestaff. The ground shook and tremors traveled from and around the point of impact, causing soldiers to lose balance.

[Ice Nova]

The ground beneath his feet, grass in the vicinity and the feet of the soldiers around him froze instantly while others further away slipped on ice and fell down.

[Spark]

An electric current flowed through the frozen area, electrocuting anyone touching the frozen ground. Soldiers in metal plate armor took the brunt of it and a lot died to the electric shock. The spell wasn't enough to kill the gold rankers, but they were stunned momentarily, unable to react.

The scene of destruction caused by the third tier Elementalist in mere seconds left everyone dumbfounded, Bones included. He was out of the spell's area of effect but he felt the amount of mana used behind the combination of spells. More than anything, he was swayed at the general's power, control and mastery of his spells.