The elite Skeleton Swordsman's Constitution attribute far surpassed that of Skeleton Soldiers and advanced-tier skeletons, even exceeding that of the Skeleton General.

  Though it wore no armor, its gradually thickening bones provided it with formidable defensive capabilities.

  Facing the attacks of countless Skeleton Soldiers, the elite Skeleton Swordsman neither dodged nor avoided them.

  The various bone weapons wielded by the Skeleton Soldiers only left faint scratches on its sturdy skeletal frame.

  However.

  This only applied to the ordinary Skeleton Soldiers.

  When the rain of arrows descended, small cracks began to appear on the elite Skeleton Swordsman's body. When the arrows aimed for its eye sockets, even the elite Skeleton Swordsman had to raise its sword to block!

  As for the ghostly fireballs...

  While the sturdy bones provided the elite Skeleton Swordsman with strong physical defense, they offered no protection against magic.

  When the two ghostly blue fireballs exploded on its body, scorch marks appeared on its skeletal frame!

  Faint cracks spread outward from the scorched areas!

  From Lucas's perspective, these two ghostly fireballs had wiped out a full tenth of the elite Skeleton Swordsman's health in a single volley!

  No wonder the Skeleton General remained unmoved when the elite Skeleton Swordsman charged into the skeleton army.

  If the Skeleton General's underlings were only expendable Skeleton Soldiers and Skeleton Warriors, the battle would likely end with the elite Skeleton Swordsman decapitating the Skeleton General.

  But when the Skeleton General's forces were sufficiently diverse... the elite Skeleton Swordsman stood little chance.

  Outside the battlefield.

  The soulfire in Lucas's eye sockets flickered slightly.

  Skeleton Warriors? He had them—thirty-nine, to be exact!

  Skeleton Archers? He had those too, though only four.

  The rest were Skeleton Assassins and Skeleton Guards.

  Skeleton Mages...

  From his rebirth until now, over ten days had passed. He hadn't even caught a glimpse of a Skeleton Mage, let alone enslaved one or obtained its class template.

  It had to be said.

  A single Skeleton Mage posed almost no threat to Lucas.

  But when Skeleton Mages were part of a skeleton army, free to unleash their magic without restraint, their value increased tenfold! Even Lucas might not fare much better than the elite Skeleton Swordsman!

  Skeleton — Skeleton Soldier — Skeleton Warrior — Skeleton General — Skeleton Commander — Skeleton King.

  This advancement path was the orthodox route for the skeleton race, and for good reason.

  Even an elite-tier Skeleton General had Skeleton Mages by its side. One could only imagine how many other specialized skeletons a Skeleton Commander or Skeleton King would command.

  The skeleton race's path of advancement... was never simple!

  As Lucas fell into deep thought, the battle on the battlefield reached a fever pitch.

  After enduring three waves of arrows and two volleys of ghostly fireballs, the elite Skeleton Swordsman finally closed in on the Skeleton General.

  It leaped into the air, covering several meters in an instant.

  Just as it was about to land above the Skeleton General, it unleashed its second "Skyrend Slash."

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  At that moment, the Skeleton Guard standing beside the Skeleton General stepped forward. Wielding a massive tower shield forged from bone essence, this advanced-tier Skeleton Guard blocked the powerful blade of light!

  The tower shield shattered.

  The Skeleton Guard's bones scattered in all directions, leaving only its relatively intact skull to fall to the ground.

  But the Skeleton General remained unharmed.

  Taking advantage of the elite Skeleton Swordsman's post-skill cooldown, the dozens of Skeleton Archers unleashed another wave of arrows, while the two Skeleton Mages conjured more ghostly fireballs.

  Even the Skeleton General itself swung its two-handed warhammer, charging at the elite Skeleton Swordsman!

  Boom!

  Arrows!

  Ghostly fireballs!

  Warhammer strikes!

  The triple attack landed on the elite Skeleton Swordsman, instantly reducing its health to a mere fifth of its total!

  The hunt had failed.

  Sensing the danger, the elite Skeleton Swordsman unleashed one final "Skyrend Slash," clearing the surrounding Skeleton Soldiers before fleeing the battlefield.

  After paying the price of its health dropping to a tenth, the elite Skeleton Swordsman successfully escaped the battlefield.

  The rain of arrows didn't stop.

  The Skeleton Soldiers continued to pursue.

  But with its considerable Agility growth, even the elite-tier Skeleton General couldn't catch up to the elite Skeleton Swordsman, let alone the basic-tier Skeleton Soldiers.

  In just a few breaths, the elite Skeleton Swordsman disappeared into the vast wilderness beyond the battlefield.

  A brief pause.

  Only after the elite Skeleton Swordsman had completely vanished did the Skeleton General issue new orders, reorganizing its skeleton underlings before disappearing into the dim horizon in another direction.

  From beginning to end.

  Neither side noticed Lucas, hidden outside the battlefield.

  Crack!

  Crack!

  Emerging from his hiding spot, Lucas glanced in the direction the skeleton army had gone before leading his own skeleton underlings in pursuit of the fleeing elite Skeleton Swordsman.

  The Skeleton General's skeleton army had suffered losses, but they weren't significant.

  Especially since the two Skeleton Mages, the spellcasters, still retained their full combat capabilities.

  Chasing the Skeleton General at this point would be unwise.

  On the other hand, the elite Skeleton Swordsman... with only a tenth of its health remaining, it would need considerable time to fully recover. If Lucas could catch up, it meant he could either kill or enslave this elite skeleton at a minimal cost!

  Between the two options, the latter was far more appealing to Lucas.

  Moreover.

  The elite Skeleton Swordsman's class template was one of the essential requirements for Lucas's next class advancement!

  Along the way, they encountered no other elite skeletons.

  Following the trail left by the elite Skeleton Swordsman, Lucas and his skeleton underlings pursued relentlessly. After over an hour, they left the hilly area and entered a canyon.

  "You have discovered the Canyon of the Dead."

  "You have entered the Canyon of the Dead."