Adventure: My Skills Evolve Infinitely

Of the many Demons Lin Mo had seen, this one was a rather handsome type—much easier on the eyes than the Flaming Corpse from before.

The Frost Corpse let out a series of low roars. It raised its left hand, sending an Ice Arrow flying toward the group before charging forward, long spear in hand.

Humans found it very difficult to master both Magic and the power of Qi and Blood, but many Demons could do so relying on their innate talent.

That was why humans of the same Level were often at a disadvantage when facing powerful Demons.

This was especially true for Lord or even Epic Tier beings, such as Giant Dragons; even two humans of the same Level would struggle to defeat one by working together.

"Hah!"

Landon gave a short cry as he loosed an arrow wreathed in a powerful wind. It collided with the Frost Ice Arrow, and the two spells canceled each other out.

In terms of magical skill alone, Landon was by no means inferior to his opponent.

Close-quarters combat, however, was another matter.

Neither Huck, Benny, nor Sid had the strength to face the monster head-on. It was a job for Lin Mo.

"Lin Mo, it’s all you!"

Lin Mo charged forward to meet the beast head-on, Black Sword in hand.

At the same time, he activated Resilience and Lightness, just as Feney’s Light Aid enveloped him.

Sword Storing and Continuous Slash!

Several waves of Sword Qi shot out. Using them as cover, Lin Mo accelerated again, executing a Continuous Thrust aimed at the Frost Corpse’s chest.

The Frost Corpse swung its long spear, batting away each wave of Sword Qi before hastily blocking Lin Mo’s thrust with the shaft of its weapon.

CLANG—!

As the sound of metal striking metal rang out, Lin Mo slightly angled his blade. The follow-up thrust caught the Frost Corpse completely off guard, the sword striking it squarely in the chest.

However...

Lin Mo frowned as he looked at the cracked Ice Armor.

’This Ice Armor’s defense is pretty high.’

’Based on the fight so far, the Frost Corpse’s strongest Attributes are likely Strength and Magic Power, but this Ice Armor somewhat compensates for its weakness in defense.’

’Its only remaining weakness is speed.’

The opponent was unexpectedly strong, but Lin Mo remained calm. While there was still a gap in raw power between him and the Frost Corpse, it wasn’t a large one. The various BUFFs helped close that gap, leaving him at almost no disadvantage in their direct confrontation.

’Most importantly, it has a weakness. I don’t.’

’So, you’re slow, huh?’

’In that case, I’ll fight you with speed!’

Lin Mo quickly retreated, dodging the Frost Corpse’s counterattack. Then, he used Invisibility and vanished on the spot.

Lin Mo circled behind the corpse and unleashed a fully charged Sword Charge Strike. The Frost Corpse couldn’t react in time and took the full brunt of the attack. The Ice Armor on its back shattered, and the lingering Sword Qi carved several gashes into its flesh.

It spun around in a rage, but Lin Mo was nowhere to be seen.

The next moment, having activated Invisibility again, Lin Mo suddenly reappeared at its side, a Blood-colored Air Blade slashing toward it.

The Frost Corpse hastily raised a hand and fired a Frost Ice Arrow, but the air blade sliced it clean in two!

Blood Blade was an Excellent Level skill—a high-burst attack that traded self-injury for devastating power. Since Lin Mo’s Attributes were already on par with a Level 4 Professional, it was far more than a single Frost Ice Arrow could handle.

The Frost Corpse was half a second too slow to raise its spear. The Blood-colored Air Blade slammed into its body, shattering the Ice Armor and leaving a deep gash.

An instant later, a sharp gust of wind struck the same spot, making the creature stagger as if from a heavy blow.

Landon had seized the opportunity, using Piercing Gale to run the Frost Corpse clean through.

But the Frost Corpse was an Undead Creature. An injury that would have been debilitating for any normal species hardly seemed to faze it.

It circulated its Magic Power, repaired its Ice Armor, and charged at Lin Mo once more.

’So damn persistent!’

’Without Shefilya’s help, dealing with a Level 4 Demon is this hard...’

Of course, this Frost Corpse was also stronger than the Bronze Goblin Lin Mo had encountered back in Silver Moon Town.

There was a hierarchy even among Elite Demons. A base-level Demon like a Goblin would still be relatively weak compared to other Demons of the same tier, even after evolving.

The Frost Corpse, however, was clearly one of the more powerful ones.

A lone Level 4 Professional, be it a Warrior or a Mage like Landon, would likely be unable to defeat it.

That was why Threat Levels were never defined by a single Professional, but by a full party of Professionals led by someone of that level.

Even then, it only meant they stood a chance of fighting it, not necessarily winning.

This was especially true when the enemy also had minions, and in far greater numbers.

Fortunately, Lin Mo was tying up the Frost Corpse almost single-handedly. So, after weathering the initial onslaught, the battle was now going very well for Cyan Orchid and the other members of the Silver Radiance Squad.

This allowed Lin Mo to settle in and take his time with his opponent.

Flaming Arrow!

Flames coiled around Lin Mo’s left hand as he fired a Flaming Arrow amplified with his Magic Power. The Frost Corpse’s reaction was incredibly fast, immediately firing a Frost Ice Arrow in return.

Clearly, it was wary of Fire Attribute Magic.

Moreover, after fighting for so long, its Magic Power reserves had been significantly depleted.

’Especially that Ice Armor. Maintaining it can’t be cheap!’

’If Mages could solve the tricky problem of defense so easily, they’d be invincible...’

Obviously, it came at a high cost, paid for with large amounts of Magic Power.

The Frost Corpse’s reactions and movements had become noticeably sluggish—the best possible proof.

Lin Mo wasn’t about to give it a chance to breathe. Black Sword in hand, he attacked again.

"Blood Qi Blade!"

’Against that Ice Armor, I have to use a high-powered skill like this to be a real threat.’

Fortunately, Lin Mo had mostly used Magic so far in the fight. His Qi and Blood reserves were still plentiful, so he could afford to be extravagant.

Having already suffered from the attack, the Frost Corpse was clearly aware of its power and tried to dodge instinctively. However, speed was its greatest weakness. Lin Mo accurately predicted the direction of its dodge and immediately pursued.

The Blood Qi Blade swept across one side of its body, shattering the tough Ice Armor. Simultaneously, Lin Mo’s follow-up Shadow Assault struck the other side, covering the remaining armor in a web of cracks.

The powerful impact sent the Frost Corpse stumbling back, its condition having plummeted.

Landon seized the opportunity, and another gale-force arrow flew out, piercing the Frost Corpse once more.

Before it could recover, Gale Technique followed, cutting off its retreat. Lin Mo then struck from Invisibility, finishing it off with another Blood Qi Blade. This time, without its Ice Armor for protection, the blade finally severed its spine.

Even for an Undead Creature, being sliced in half at the waist was fatal. The Frost Corpse had no strength left to fight back and collapsed, twitching in its final throes.

Lin Mo’s eyes were sharp and his hands were quick. Spotting a bone in its chest that emanated a cold light, he immediately cut it out with his Black Sword.

’This must be the corpse’s Core Bone, right?’

As the Core Bone was cut away, the creature finally died, and a notification appeared before Lin Mo’s eyes.

[Invisibility] Skill Level +25

[Blood Qi Blade] Skill Level +25

’Earning those 25 points of Skill Level wasn’t easy...’

’Fortunately, it was just enough to level up Blood Qi Blade. At least I got something out of it.’

"Skill [Blood Qi Blade] Level 3 (40/40) has leveled up!"

"Current Skill: [Blood Qi Blade] Level 4 (13/100)"

"You have gained Attribute Points: Strength +3!"

’My Basic Strength Attribute is at 38 points now. I’m almost a Level 4 Warrior...’

The skill Blood Qi Blade also presented him with a second choice of Evolutionary Direction.

Please select an Evolutionary Path—

Evolutionary Path 1: Stability I: The self-harm effect of Blood Qi Blade is reduced by 50%. Its power is reduced to 95% of the original.

Evolutionary Path 2: Violence II: The self-harm effect of Blood Qi Blade is increased by 50%. Its power is increased to 125% of the original.

Once again, there were two paths.

’Which one should I choose this time?’