Chapter 68

Chapter 68: Chapter 68 Panicked, Clayton rushed toward his skeletons—but it was already too late. They had crumbled into dust, leaving nothing behind. He stood frozen in disbelief. Was this just a hallucination? But everything around him felt real. He wasn’t imagining it. "What happened?" he thought. "Did they shatter because of a mistake? Was that evolution not safe, but something dangerous?" His mind spiraled into chaos, overthinking every possibility. For a while, Clayton simply stood there, motionless. The joy he’d felt moments ago had collapsed into confusion and regret. Eventually, after calming himself, he tried something—he attempted to summon his skeletons again. He chanted the familiar spell, and soon, a soft silver glow appeared. Gradually, the light faded... and seven mini skeletons stood before him—just as he remembered them. Thankfully, now that his skill level had increased, Clayton no longer needed to wait a full day to summon more than two skeletons. That alone saved him a lot of time. He let out a long breath of relief. "Phew... at least they can still come back," he murmured. Clayton stepped closer, trying to make sense of what had just happened. Up close, he could see that the skeletons had returned to their original forms—small, simple, and a little dumb-looking. But the colored flames still burned brightly in their eye sockets—a clear sign that their evolution had indeed occurred. Still puzzled, Clayton asked, "What happened just now? Why did you suddenly fall apart?" As soon as he spoke, a wave of telepathy rippled into his mind—a sensation he had come to recognize. Even though they had reverted to their previous forms, the telepathic connection remained intact. That alone was a huge relief. The skeletons began to explain. After a few moments, Clayton finally understood: there had been no mistake, no mutation, no dangerous side effect. They had simply run out of mana. If they’d had more, they could have maintained that "berserker" form longer. Unfortunately, for now, that evolved form could only last about a minute. Clayton was a little disappointed. It would’ve been great to keep those powerful, knight-like forms for longer. Still, he wasn’t too upset. In his eyes, this was already more than enough. He resumed the test he had been conducting earlier. Swoosh! Boom! The house filled with bursts of light and booming noise. Soon, things calmed down again. Clayton smiled in satisfaction. Though their forms were still miniature and a bit silly looking, they were also strangely adorable—and far more powerful than before. Their spells and abilities were now on par with high-tier one-star monsters. Even better, their intelligence had noticeably improved. Coordination and communication were much smoother than before. Clayton was content. Day by day, he continued his routine with a calm and steady heart. ... A few days after the evolution incident, life became quite comfortable for Clayton. Farming was easier than ever, thanks to the help of his newly empowered skeletons. To outsiders, it probably looked like Clayton was busy managing three entire fields. In reality, he was incredibly relaxed—practically unemployed. At first, the rest felt great. But before long, boredom crept in. He started looking for new ways to spend his time. After much thought, he returned to what he knew best—farming. The reason was simple: it was the only thing he could do consistently with his current strength and finances. Pursuing alchemy or crafting magical formations required more resources and power than he had at the moment. After a few days of deliberation, he made a decision. He instructed one of his skeletons to till the soil inside the private dimension provided by the [Entry]. He wasn’t sure if the soil there would support growth, since it lacked natural magical energy. Still, he prepared everything just in case. Once the land was ready, he headed to the outer ring of the city to buy seeds. At his usual shop, he was greeted by a cheerful young woman. "Good afternoon, sir! What can I help you with today?" "Ah, hi. I’m planning to do some planting, but I’m not sure what to grow. Any recommendations?" The woman nodded and began to explain. "You could try rune grass. It’s a little picky to grow, but there’s strong demand. It’s used in rune-gathering potions, so it sells well after harvest." Clayton nodded, listening intently. She continued, "There’s also golden wheat. Much higher quality than the regular kind. It boosts mana recovery in mages..." She went on, explaining the pros and cons of various magical crops. Clayton was impressed. He figured he’d be coming back here often. In the end, he chose rune grass—not only because it sold well, but also because it aligned with his growing interest in alchemy. "All right, sir. Anything else you need?" the shopkeeper asked. Clayton paused for a moment, then said, "I need a basic security formation... and do you have anything for warding off grasshoppers?" "Oh, sure! We have nets—mostly for fishing, but they work great as curtains over crops. We also carry insect-repelling incense, and scarecrows if you want something visual." Clayton chose the nets for a practical solution. After paying, he set off. But instead of heading back to the fields, he made a detour—to his house in the outer ring’s central district. As he stepped inside, he was met with thick mist—not from water, but from pure magical energy. It was likely the result of the magic vein beneath the house, sealed by a mana-gathering formation. With no one drawing from it for so long, the mana had condensed into a dense fog. Clayton was stunned. Just standing in it made him feel refreshed. He sat cross-legged and began to meditate. After a long while, he stretched and opened his eyes. "Ahhh... that felt amazing." His training had slightly increased his magical power—though not as much as a potion would have. Still, it was steady, pure progress. Even after absorbing so much, the mist barely thinned. Seeing that, Clayton couldn’t bear to let such a rich resource go unused. He opened a spatial portal from the [Entry] and adjusted it to begin drawing in ambient mana from the room. Swoosh! A small vortex appeared, briefly stirring the air before vanishing. The mist slowly cleared. Clayton didn’t feel guilty. In his mind, energy was meant to be used—not wasted. Otherwise, what was the point of training so hard? With this mana, he could now grow magical crops inside his previously barren private land. Once everything was in place, he got ready to return home. He locked the door and began the walk back—his skeletons marching quietly at his side. It was a peaceful walk... until, just as they neared their destination, someone bumped into him. The figure wore loose-fitting black robes and had their face covered. Clayton’s senses instantly sharpened. Was this a mugger? The mysterious figure looked equally surprised to see Clayton. Their expression shifted—from shock to irritation—before settling into a calm, neutral mask. "Who are you? What do you want?" Clayton asked, eyes narrowed and tone defensive. He was already preparing a spell. The stranger met his gaze, eyes filled with cold calculation...