The battle began as five skeletons approached from all directions, their Bone Claws glinting with an eerie chill. However, Olaf showed no panic. He gripped the Bone Battleaxe tightly, raising it high above his head like an indestructible rampart, completely shielding himself behind it.

The Bone Claws struck the War Axe, producing dull thuds, but they could not penetrate Olaf's defense. Using the cover of his War Axe, Olaf cleverly counterattacked. Every swing accurately found the skeletons' weak points, systematically weakening their combat strength one by one.

Nearby, Fang Zhou recorded Olaf's performance. Without having learned any [Blood Fury Series] skills, Olaf's Attack Power wasn't considered top-tier, aside from what his two War Axes provided. But thanks to his [Fury] skill, he accumulated rage whenever he took damage or landed a successful hit. This accumulation of rage not only enhanced his stamina but also gradually increased his attack damage. As the battle wore on, each of Olaf's attacks landed like a thunder strike, making it difficult for the skeletons to parry.

A few minutes later, the five skeletons fell one by one, and Olaf once again emerged victorious with ease.

Fang Zhou nodded in satisfaction and escalated the challenge to ten skeletons. This number of enemies was enough to form an encirclement, posing a genuine threat to Olaf.

Faced with so many skeletons, Olaf wasn't eager for a head-on clash. Instead, he demonstrated extraordinary battlefield insight. Quickly assessing the situation, he executed a [Charge] and shot out of the skeletons' encirclement like an arrow loosed from a bow. He moved so fast that the skeletons couldn't give chase in time.

Olaf didn't flee blindly; he purposefully headed toward a narrow mine crevice. The complex terrain there significantly limited the skeletons' numerical advantage, preventing them from surrounding him. Then, facing the surging horde, Olaf activated his [Taunt] skill on the few skeletons at the very front. A wave of intense anger burst forth, striking directly at the skeletons' Soul Fire. As if driven by an invisible whip, the taunted skeletons abandoned their companions and rushed frantically toward Olaf.

At the same time, Olaf activated his [Frenzy Golden Body] skill. A layer of golden light enveloped him, instantly causing his Defense Power to soar. Even the skeletons' frenzied attacks could not inflict any substantial harm.

Relying on the advantageous terrain of the mine crevice, Olaf stood as firm as a rock, withstanding every assault without faltering. The Bone Battleaxe in his hands became a scythe of death, reaping the skeletons' lives again and again.

After more than ten minutes, without even needing to use his final [Berserk] skill, Olaf had defeated all ten skeletons while sustaining minimal damage.

Witnessing this, a satisfied smile appeared on Fang Zhou's face. Honestly, Olaf's performance had exceeded his expectations. Not only did he shine by leveraging the Berserker's professional skills, but more importantly, he also vividly demonstrated the combat wisdom inherited from General Ning Feihu.

In Fang Zhou's view, Olaf was not just a powerful Skeleton Warrior; he had the potential to become a Skeleton Commander. This was a potential worth exploring. If Olaf's combat wisdom could be disseminated throughout the entire Skeleton Army, allowing the mindless skeletons to advance and retreat with coordination, it would undoubtedly reduce Fang Zhou's burden of command. This would let him focus more on casting and support. If that happened, his overall combat effectiveness would surely take a qualitative leap!

With a casual cast of [Resurrection of the Dead], Fang Zhou healed the skeletons Olaf had felled, then cut off the continuous supply of Spiritual Power he had been feeding him. A purple light flashed in Olaf's skull, and his mighty body instantly collapsed into a pile of shattered bones.

Ordinary skeletons required only a trace amount of Spiritual Power to exist, but Olaf, despite his astonishing combat power, consumed a considerable amount. He could serve as a trump card to decide the outcome of a battle, but for now, he was too costly to be used as a regular part of the force. Fang Zhou wasn't disappointed. It was only natural that summoning such a powerful Heroic Spirit would require a bit more Spiritual Power.

In any case, the experiment gave him a more direct and thorough understanding of the immense power of the [Berserker Mark]. He now had a rough idea of how to perfect his combat system.

After summarizing his gains and shortcomings, Fang Zhou returned to the tent, drank a bottle of [Soul Calming Potion], and immersed his mind in his Skeleton Clone.

Skeleton Team, activate!

***

The Blood Moon hung high in the sky over the Desert.

As the Skeleton Clone delved deeper, Fang Zhou's surroundings were no longer just a field of bones. Foul-smelling earth now appeared occasionally, and the flat plains gradually gave way to low hills. Consequently, Fang Zhou named this transitional zone between Skeleton Warriors and Zombies the [Corpse Hills].

On an unremarkable hill, the Skeleton Clone's Soul Fire suddenly flared. Then, under Fang Zhou's command, the underlings who had been protecting him while he was "offline" began to move in an orderly fashion. Soon, several broken Skeleton Warriors with dim Soul Fire were carried over. These were the spoils of war—Skeleton Warriors that had been roaming nearby and were hunted down by his loyal underlings while Fang Zhou was "offline."

Fang Zhou finished off each of these unlucky Skeleton Warriors with a spear thrust, absorbing their Corpse Essence while checking his attribute panel. After the main body's frenzied consumption of resources to purify the defiling aura, the hundreds of contribution points his Skeleton Clone had painstakingly accumulated had dwindled to almost nothing. He didn't even have enough to get the [Skeleton Armor] a +1 Refinement.

A sense of urgency welled up within him. Fang Zhou looked at the skeleton underlings waiting for orders, his Soul Fire revealing a hint of exasperation at their lack of initiative.

Come on, my slaves… er… my brothers-in-arms! If you don't work hard, am I, your boss, supposed to live on air?!

Just as he was about to command the Skeleton Team to continue their sweep-and-hunt operation, Fang Zhou's Soul Fire suddenly trembled as a surge of excitement washed over him.

The Berserker Mark!

In the Equipment slot of the Clone's attribute panel, there it was—the purple Rare Marvel, [Berserker Mark]!

Fang Zhou excitedly performed a self-Perception. Sure enough, within the Skeleton Clone's blazing Soul Fire, he discovered a constantly flickering, brilliant purple point of light. He marveled at it inwardly before his mind quickly processed the implications. The [Berserker Mark] was a unique soul Marvel, nurtured directly within his own soul.

Could it be that the [Berserker Mark] works not only on my main body but on my Clone as well? Fang Zhou's mind raced, filled with delight.

This discovery meant he could leverage this soul Marvel with much greater flexibility, bringing an unprecedented boost to his Skeleton Clone's combat power.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.