Chapter 4: The Adventurer's Bracers

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【Skeleton Warrior
Race: Skeletal Undead
Rank: Common
Level: 5
Health: 30
Attack: 6
Defense: 6
Agility: 3
Traits: Warrior Instinct, Piercing Immunity, Undead Mind, Reassemble.
Description: A fallen warrior has clawed its way back to life. It still retains fragments of combat memory and clutches a rusted shortsword.】

This skeleton warrior presented a tricky challenge for Xiao Yang.

His ability to bully ordinary skeletons with such ease stemmed largely from his advantage in agility—an attribute Xiao Yang preferred to define as a combination of reaction speed and fluidity.

Against ordinary skeletons, who generally possessed only two points of agility, Xiao Yang perceived their movements as somewhat sluggish. These slow motions were easily evaded. This advantage allowed him to navigate battles with ordinary skeletons like a fish in water.

But could he use the same tactics against this more formidable skeleton warrior?

Xiao Yang decided to test it. Besides, he had leveled up during his exploration.

He had progressed from level one to level two, earning a single attribute point. Xiao Yang immediately invested it into agility, finally moving his stats beyond the "all-threes" mediocrity.

In the early stages of dungeon exploration, Xiao Yang felt it was vital to focus on attributes that could help him break the stalemate. This proved to be the correct strategy; that single point of agility played a role far more significant than any other attribute during his time in the Skeleton Dungeon.

Relying on this slight edge, Xiao Yang dodged and weaved desperately, managing to trade blows with the rusted-shortsword-wielding warrior. He darted around the skeleton like a monkey, sneaking in an occasional strike.

Although these attacks were negligible—his Wilderness Hatchet, with only six attack power, barely scratched the skeleton warrior’s six points of defense, dealing a pitiful one point of damage—the gap between them was undeniable. After all, a level two fighting a level five in this reality felt far more daunting than in a game.

However, there was still a chance. Thanks to the great adventurer Robert, the hints he provided gave Xiao Yang a path to victory. Even with higher defense, this skeleton warrior seemingly could not escape the weaknesses of its lesser kin.

He struck the joint of the skeleton’s arm once more, causing it to tremble.

That’s it!

Based on his experience with the ordinary skeletons, once the warrior’s arm showed such obvious tremors, it wouldn't take many more hits.

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Severing the arm holding the rusted shortsword was Xiao Yang’s only chance of victory.

Another back-leaning dodge, and in the dim dungeon chamber, the skeleton warrior’s rusted blade swung at empty air again. Executing such an extreme evasion was no easy feat for Xiao Yang; he felt as though his waist might snap.

He raised his hand and brought the hatchet down heavily onto the joint of the skeleton’s sword-arm. The Wilderness Hatchet dealt another pathetic point of damage, but damage was no longer the priority.

After another heavy blow, the arm finally gave way. A bony limb, still clutching the shortsword, clattered to the ground.

The opportunity had arrived!

The skeleton warrior tried to strike again, but its sword-arm was already severed and lying on the floor.

Seizing the moment, Xiao Yang lunged forward, slamming hard into the disarmed skeleton. In the process, the skeleton’s remaining hand struck him square in the face. A punch that made Xiao Yang see stars, accompanied by a prompt:

【Health -3】

That single hit had nearly wiped out half of his life. But Xiao Yang had grabbed the severed arm.

Scrambling away with a desperate roll, he clutched the limb to ensure the skeleton wouldn't have a chance to reattach it.

As he finished his roll, a pale red potion appeared in his hand. He popped the cork and downed it in one gulp.

It was the Minor Health Potion.

Huh? It tasted strange, like acidic lizard urine, but the effects were real. Xiao Yang’s health began to recover, ticking upward second by second. By the sixth second after consumption, his health was fully restored.

Now, the situation had finally shifted. Xiao Yang looked at the skeleton warrior, which had lost its weapon and an arm, and wore a genial smile.

Victory was within his grasp.

Before long, the bony skull rolled onto the floor.

With Xiao Yang’s amicable smile, the Wilderness Hatchet was raised high.

One swing, two swings. Amidst a jarring sound, the skull shattered completely, and the soul fire within it was extinguished.

The skeleton warrior fell silent forever. Xiao Yang had won, and he had done so by punching above his weight class.

Opening his personal panel, Xiao Yang checked his experience bar. This skeleton warrior alone had contributed nearly half of his experience. Furthermore, a treasure chest in the room awaited his attention.

But he had to wait a moment. Behind him, at the threshold of the dungeon chamber, several skeletons were shakily clawing their way up from the ground once more.

These were the ones Xiao Yang had scattered earlier. Since he hadn't extinguished their soul fires, they had risen again.

After another fierce struggle, Xiao Yang finally defeated all the skeletons in the room. He was panting heavily. Well, well, although defeating a skeleton—the weakest of undead creatures—might not seem like much, it had been a grueling fight for Xiao Yang, who just a few days ago had been nothing more than a fragile, freshly graduated college student.

His experience rose again; he was close to leveling up.

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On the ground, the fallen skeletons dropped some materials emitting a faint white glow.

Xiao Yang ignored them. At this moment, nothing was more important than opening the treasure chest!

Excitedly, Xiao Yang rushed to the wooden box. Raising his Light-Dispelling Lantern, he happily pushed the lid open. Inside the decaying chest lay a pair of dull leather bracers.

【Adventurer’s Bracers
Quality: Fine
Type: Light Armor, Bracers
Effect: +2 Defense, +1 Agility.
Description: A pair of leather bracers favored by adventurers; lightweight and providing a measure of defense.】

These bracers were perfect for Xiao Yang. The defense and agility were exactly what he needed. With a flash of soft green light, he strapped them onto his arms, and they fit perfectly.

He had been battling in this Skeleton Dungeon for several days; this was his first piece of legitimate equipment.

His current stats were:

【Player: Screaming Emperor
ID: 1
Affiliation: Plane 33214
Race: Ordinary Human
Level: 2
Experience: 400/100
Health: 10
Strength: 3
Defense: 5
Agility: 5
Talent: Dungeon Delver
Retainer: Skeleton Petty Thief
Items: Wilderness Hatchet, Light-Dispelling Lantern, Adventurer’s Bracers.
Evaluation: A weakling.】

The panel wasn't luxurious, but it was enough for Xiao Yang to easily face ordinary skeletons. Even those skeleton warriors were now within his power to defeat.

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