How to Raise Your Skeletons

In the sunset light, I looked up at the sky, exhaling a long breath.

At last, I cleared the dungeon. Once again, I survived and returned stronger than before.

Kang Yoojung had bowed repeatedly, vowing to repay her debt someday, and then she left with Lee Sunah.

A warm sense of satisfaction filled me.

Luck was on her side.

Who would have thought Boney 7 would turn out to be a healer? And that it would have such unbelievably powerful skills!

It felt like I was getting closer to my goal of becoming a ranker. Every day, I felt stronger.

But I can’t get complacent just because of this.

The world was vast, there were countless rankers, and the variety of skills out there was endless. Even though my skills seemed incredibly powerful, there were definitely people hiding skills that defied reason even more. Arrogance led to carelessness, and carelessness in this harsh world was as good as death.

Still…

Just for today, I felt like I could embrace these feelings of hope and anticipation.

“I’m gonna be a ranker too someday~ I’ll proudly reach my dreams~ Spread the wings I’ve kept folded for so long~” Humming a tune, I strolled through the streets of Apgujeong.

I was heading for Demir’s workshop—in other words, my home.

Moving here had its perks. Back in the day, after finishing mercenary work or clearing a dungeon, the thought of going back to my dingy basement apartment was awful. But now, I had a proper luxury residence in Apgujeong, making the journey home delightful. I couldn’t help but hum a bit.

As I entered, someone greeted me from the second floor.

“Master, you’re back?”

It was the true owner of the second floor—Demir.

“You seem to be in a good mood. Looks like you gained a lot from this dungeon?”

“Of course, of course.”

Demir was my sixth skeleton. While I was away in the dungeon, he took care of the house. He continued making weapons and running the shop.

One convenient thing about my skill is…

If I summoned someone and then went into a dungeon, they didn’t get unsummoned. In other words, there was no distance limit between the summoner and the summon.

“Actually, I figured it out, Master,” Demir said. “While making weapons, as always, I noticed that my stats suddenly increased, as if my knowledge was integrating better into the weapons. Which meant… your power grew once again, didn’t it?”

“Oh.”

That’s right. Since I leveled up to A-rank, Demir must have also ascended to become a Skeleton Knight (A-rank).

“Master.”

“Yes?”

“Take a look at this.” Demir handed me something. It was a sleek, well-crafted spear.

“What’s this?”

“Well, while you were in the dungeon, I started crafting a spear with Sun Spear in mind.”

“…For Sunny?”

Come to think of it, I should have made them a weapon.

Here was the list of skeletons who currently wielded S-rank weapons:

Eldrin – For Eldrin

Boney 5 – Staff of the Fire Dragon

Demir – Demir’s Hammer

Only those three owned S-rank weapons, while the rest were still using bone weapons.

“Hmm… I was planning to give Sunny a separate S-rank weapon later.”

If I were to make an S-rank weapon, Sunny would definitely be my top priority. Honestly, crafting for Boney 1, Boney 4, or Boney 7 felt a bit premature before their awakening. Demir once told me that a master craftsman considers the user’s traits and personality when making a weapon.

“Well, I was just forming the shape vaguely, intending to make a proper one later. But when you ascended a rank… I felt inspired, and this happened. Hahaha.”

“Inspired?”

Demir chuckled softly and lifted his chin, his face brimming with confidence. “Look for yourself. It should be the rank you desire.”

“This is an S-rank…?”

I stared blankly at the spear’s information.

[Item: Spear Made with Sun Spear in Mind]

[Rank: S]

[Type: Spear]

[Description: This spear is a gift crafted by the legendary blacksmith ‘Demir’ for his companion ‘Sun Spear.’]

[Effect 1: Increases energy by 100.]

[Effect 2: Reduces skill cooldown by 20%.]

[Effect 3: Increases skill damage by 200%.]

[Effect 4: Usable only by ‘Sun Spear.’]

Wait, it actually was?

“…Did you make this all by yourself?”

I was amazed. I always knew Demir was amazing, but to reach the level where he could craft S-rank weapons alone seemed unbelievable.

“The stats aren’t as good as when I craft weapons with you, but it’s enough to use for now, wouldn’t you say?”

—Thunk!

Demir set down his hammer.

“…”

It was an interesting experience—to see my summon independently take action without orders to enhance my forces.

“Thanks, Demir.” I smiled at him. “Sunny will definitely appreciate this.”

Alright, let’s try it out.

[Summoning ‘Sun Spear.’]

I used ten energy to summon Sunny. I handed them the spear and explained its origin.

They carefully accepted the weapon. “Master, so this… is a spear made just for me?”

I guess no one wouldn’t like surprise gifts. To put it simply, Sunny was overjoyed.

—Swoosh! Swoosh!

They spun it around, eyes filled with gratitude.

“Yes, Sunny. Demir made it while thinking about you during our battle.”

“Thank you, Demir.”

“You’re welcome.” Demir chuckled at Sunny’s thanks.

“It fits perfectly in my hands while managing to be light. I like the design too. And above all…”

—Whirl!

Sunny twirled the spear around their waist gracefully.

“I’ve never received a gift from anyone in my life. I’ve only known fear and hatred from others.”

They were the lonely ruler of the Ancient Desert who was born blind.

“So I’m truly grateful for this.” They quietly took a moment to feel the spear in their hands. “More than the spear’s performance, I appreciate the thought behind it. So I promise to cherish it.”

“…”

As deeply wounded as they were, they were also a monster with a pure heart.

I watched Sunny, grateful and pleased.

I’ll gift him something even better someday.

For now, they seemed happy, so I let them be.

The next day, on the rooftop.

As usual, after training with the old man, I was taking a break when Sunny approached me.

“My lord.”

“Yes?”

“I have a request.”

“What is it?”

“Now that I have a new weapon, I want to spar with someone.”

My eyes widened. “Huh? With who?”

It was unexpected. Sunny, who usually trained without a word, was making a request for the first time.

“I’d like to spar against Eldrin.”

“With Eldrin?” I looked at Sunny.

There was a clear sense of competitiveness in their eyes.

Was it because they had ascended to A-rank? I sensed their desire to showcase their growing skills and a willingness to clash with a strong opponent to grow even more.

“Oh?” Eldrin, too, responded with interest. “Quite confident, aren’t you? No matter how sharp your spear may be, if you can’t close the gap, it’s useless… Are you sure about this?”

“How can you be certain I won’t be able to close the gap, Eldrin?”

“Well, if I go all out, I think my arrows will bring you down before you reach me.”

Their gazes met, and sparks flew.

“Wow!” I cheered, amused.

Their taunting made it even more entertaining, like watching a combat show.

A spar between the two?

Honestly, I was curious. Who would win in a battle between two absolutes of different worlds? One side was the ruler of an ancient desert, while the other was the queen of the Forest Tribe and a noble high elf. It would be a spar, but they could go all out. After all, I could revive them by spending just ten energy.

“What’s this? Do I spy an exciting match all of a sudden?”

Early in the morning, Kim Jinah, who had come to water the rooftop plants, lit up with interest.

“Hold on a second!”

She ran to the storage and came back with popcorn and soda.

What the…? When did she buy all these supplies?

“No good fight is complete without popcorn. Teehee.”

“…”

Kim Jinah casually sat down next to me and offered me a soda. It was so natural that I took it without realizing it. Well, Jinah is now part of our group, after all.

“Ahem, anyway.” I turned to the two sparking with eagerness. “I’ll let you spar, but regardless of the result, don’t get hung up on winning or losing. Got it?”

“Of course, my lord.”

“Naturally.”

They both answered confidently.

Alright, great. This would also be an extension of their training. But if they fought here, my precious home could get destroyed.

“To the open field.” I smiled. “Let’s go to our open field.”

* * *

—Whoosh!

A refreshing breeze kicked up dust.

In the quiet open field, two powerful figures faced each other.

Sunny spoke first, “Hm. Shall we make a bet, Eldrin?”

The ruthless ruler who once commanded all the humans of the Ancient Desert. Now they were someone healing the wounds and grudges they bore from humans.

“Fufu, and what would it be?” Eldrin lowered her bow.

She wasn’t someone to be underestimated as she had lived far longer than any human, having a vast store of experience. She even held the honor of sealing away the Giant Magic Dragon.

“An arrangement of hierarchy.”

“Oh? A hierarchy, you say?” Eldrin chuckled with interest.

“Until our next companion awakens, the loser moves down in the hierarchy.”

“What do you mean by ‘hierarchy’?”

“It’s nothing significant. Just an informal order.” With a competitive spirit, Sunny looked Eldrin in the eye.

She met his gaze directly. “Sounds fun. But what about Demir?”

“Demir is excluded. His profession is not related to combat.”

“Alright, I’ll take you up on that.” Eldrin nodded.

“Okay.”

Now, it was my turn to step in. For reference, I was the referee, and Kim Jinah was our sole audience.

“The rules are simple. Don’t leave the field, and the first to eliminate the other wins.”

“Understood.”

“Got it.”

Their smiles faded as they focused.

As I stepped back, Boney 5 cast Air Shield, just in case, on both me and Kim Jinah.

“Then I’ll go first.” With a light step, Eldrin jumped and moved toward a nearby tree. “You’re out of luck, Sun Spear. When Forest Elves can use elements of the forest, we’re twice as fearsome as usual.”

—Woosh! Woosh!

A barrage of sharp arrows followed in rapid succession—it was the Rapid Fire skill that had already reached the ‘Advanced’ level.

—Ting! Ting, ting, ting!

But Sunny’s reaction speed was quick. They swung their new spear elegantly, deflecting and breaking all the arrows—a display of masterful spear techniques.

“Wow!” Kim Jinah cheered from the side.

“…”

I quietly observed their battle. With two formidable beings clashing, I was bound to learn something valuable.

Sun Spear and Eldrin the Moonlight. Their duel had begun in earnest.