"You have gained control over the Skeleton Soldier."

  "You have enslaved this Skeleton Soldier."

  "You can rename this Skeleton Soldier."

  The three consecutive system notifications sent shockwaves through Lucas's heart.

  "Control?"

  "Enslavement?"

  Looking at the Skeleton Soldier in his hand, which had completely calmed down and whose body now lay obediently on the ground without struggling, Lucas felt more than just joy.

  "Enslaving skeletons?"

  "Is this the second function of the [Erosion] talent?"

  As if to confirm his thoughts, Lucas placed the skull back onto the Skeleton Soldier's body and even picked up the severed arm, placing it beside the skeleton.

  Soon.

  The Skeleton Soldier's body and skull fused back together, and the severed arm was reattached to the remaining half of the arm bone.

  In just a few minutes, the Skeleton Soldier, which had been split into three parts by Lucas, was fully restored.

  Then.

  After fully recovering, the Skeleton Soldier stood still, as if waiting for Lucas's orders!

  "Skeleton Soldier..."

  "Take a few steps forward."

  Crack!

  Crack!

  As soon as Lucas had this thought, the Skeleton Soldier immediately took a few steps forward. After completing Lucas's command, it stopped and waited for further instructions.

  "It really is enslaving skeletons!"

  "It seems the [Erosion] unique talent has many more functions waiting for me to discover!"

  After several experiments, Lucas understood the extent of his control over this Skeleton Soldier.

  When he focused his mind, he could completely take over the Skeleton Soldier's control, manipulating its body according to his will. In this mode, he could even gain the Skeleton Soldier's vision!

  When he exited this control mode, he could still command the Skeleton Soldier by issuing orders.

  For example, he could have the Skeleton Soldier follow him or hunt on its own. In this mode, Lucas's commands couldn't be too complex, and the Skeleton Soldier would only stop executing a command after receiving a new one or having the current one canceled.

  In simple terms...

  Lucas had gained a completely obedient underling!

  In high spirits, Lucas led the Skeleton Soldier, which he named "Number One," further into the distance.

  When they encountered a Level 9 skeleton, Lucas focused his mind, and "Number One" immediately charged at the skeleton with its greatsword.

  One slash!

  The skeleton's head was severed by Number One.

  Then, it brought the Level 9 skeleton's head back to Lucas.

  Taking the skull from Number One, Lucas activated the [Erosion] talent again. After about thirty seconds of erosion, the Level 9 skeleton was also enslaved, becoming his second underling.

  However.

  This time, Lucas didn't name the skeleton or return its skull to its body. Instead, he threw it to the ground... and crushed it with a stomp!

  This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

  After checking his status panel and finding no changes, Lucas ordered Number One to collect the skeleton's bones. He then placed his now thicker skeletal hand over the bones.

  [Erosion] talent activated!

  No reaction.

  After these seemingly random actions, Lucas ordered Number One to attack again.

  This time, targeting another skeleton.

  When Number One appeared before the skeleton, it didn't hold back. With a swing of its greatsword, it shattered the skeleton into a pile of bones.

  At the same time.

  Lucas's status panel refreshed with two system notifications.

  "Your servant 'Number One' has killed a 'Strong Skeleton.'"

  "You have gained 22 experience points."

  After repeating the same actions, Lucas ordered Number One to return to his side and began to ponder.

  These seemingly random actions and commands weren't without purpose.

  Lucas was testing the second function of the [Erosion] talent and its impact on him.

  "First, skeletons I've enslaved being killed doesn't negatively affect me."

  "Second, enslaved skeletons that are killed again don't provide me with experience points, nor can they be absorbed by the [Erosion] talent to give me attribute gains."

  "Third, enemies killed by enslaved skeletons still grant me a portion of experience points. However, the remains of these enemies can't be absorbed by the [Erosion] talent to provide experience."

  "So it seems..."

  The green light in Lucas's eye sockets flickered as he thought to himself, "Perhaps I don't need to follow my original plan of cautiously improving my strength and aiming for the next-tier class template."

  Originally, his plan was to enter the inner layer of the Land of Buried Bones, hunt Level 7 to 9 Strong Skeletons to increase his level and attributes, and then, once these skeletons were no longer useful, start hunting Skeleton Soldiers to continue improving his strength.

  Step by step, he would advance his class from a basic class to an advanced class, then to an elite class.

  This method of progression would undoubtedly be slow.

  But its greatest advantage was safety!

  After all, this was a real world, and Lucas only had one life. Before he truly became strong, playing it safe was the way to go!

  However.

  After unlocking the second function of the [Erosion] talent and gaining the ability to enslave skeletons, it seemed he could use a faster method to improve his strength!

  Enslaving skeletons!

  A Bone Army!

  An Undead Cataclysm!

  After all.

  In the players' perception, aside from the weak combat power of individual skeletons, what left the deepest impression was the omnipresent Undead Cataclysm that overwhelmed all enemies with its sheer numbers!

  The Undead Cataclysm was still a fantasy for Lucas at this stage.

  But at least...

  He could assemble a Bone Army!