The [Erosion] talent was incredibly powerful.

  Just the fact that it allowed him, at the advanced tier, to enslave a ferocious zombie on the verge of breaking through to the warrior tier—nearly two major tiers above him—was proof of its strength.

  Additionally, while enslaving the ferocious zombie, he had discovered another use for the [Erosion] talent.

  [Erosion]

  When he used his talent to erode an enemy's bones, he would absorb the essence within to enhance himself. When he used his talent to erode an enemy that couldn't resist, he could fundamentally enslave them, turning them into his underlings.

  When he used his talent to erode inanimate objects like the crystal orb... the [Erosion] talent couldn't bring the inanimate object to life, nor could it absorb the object to enhance himself.

  But it could remove all marks on the object and imprint his own mark instead!

  In the language of novels, this was akin to forcibly erasing the mark on a piece of equipment, making an already-bound item recognize him as its new owner!

  This was why Lucas was confident that Rogris couldn't track him through the crystal orb.

  This was why he dared to take this Dark Gold-tier item out of the Canyon of the Dead.

  ...

  Lucas's original goal was simply to enslave the weakened Elite Skeleton Swordsman and obtain its class template.

  But the final result was far more than that.

  Not only did he gain an Elite Skeleton Swordsman underling and the elite class template for the Skeleton Swordsman, but he also harvested a massive amount of experience points and attribute boosts in the Canyon of the Dead!

  And he obtained "Rogris's Crystal Orb," a piece of equipment that could be called a divine artifact!

  This battle was well worth it.

  After having his skeleton underlings disperse to keep watch, Lucas opened his status panel.

  [Name]: Lucas

  [Race]: Undead - Skeleton

  [Template]: Advanced Class Template - Skeleton Swordsman

  [Level]: Level 26 (4415/60000)

  [Status]: Health 1480, Mana 180

  [Attributes]: Strength 94, Agility 55, Constitution 118, Spirit 18

  [Talent]: Erosion (Unique Talent)

  [Skill]: Skyrend Slash

  [Free Points]: 5 points

  Lucas's four core attributes had grown significantly after leveling up from Level 20 to Level 26.

  From his original attributes of Strength 32, Agility 28, Constitution 35, and Spirit 6, they had increased to Strength 62, Agility 46, Constitution 65, and Spirit 6.6.

  However, the gains from the battle in the Canyon of the Dead alone... had given him over a hundred attribute points!

  Combined, this resulted in his current four core attributes!

  Compared to a few days ago, Lucas's Strength had nearly tripled! His Agility had nearly doubled! His Constitution had more than tripled, breaking past 100!

  Even his Spirit, the hardest attribute to increase, had skyrocketed to 18 points!

  Looking at his current status panel, Lucas felt a sense of satisfaction.

  Although he was still at the advanced tier, in terms of attributes and strength, he had far surpassed elite-tier skeletons. Even if he faced another ferocious zombie on the verge of breaking through, he now had the strength to fight!

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  "Next, it's time to advance to an elite class and hunt elite skeletons..."

  The soulfire in his eye sockets flickered slightly.

  Just as Lucas was about to close his status panel and begin the advancement from Skeleton Swordsman to Elite Skeleton Swordsman, his movements suddenly froze.

  "What's this..."

  Because he noticed that, at some point, a new line of data had appeared at the bottom of his status panel.

  [Free Points]: 5 points

  ...

  Free Points.

  Lucas felt a moment of confusion.

  When he focused his attention on these newly appeared Free Points, a small "+" symbol appeared next to his four core attributes and the "Skyrend Slash" skill on his status panel.

  It seemed...

  As long as he wanted, he could allocate these 5 Free Points to his four core attributes or his skill at any time!

  "Is this..."

  "A combination of free attribute points and skill points?"

  A realization dawned on Lucas.

  He was a skeleton.

  He also had a monster template.

  For monsters, concepts like free attribute points and skill points didn't exist.

  Players improved their four core attributes through free attribute points gained from leveling up, allowing them to freely choose how to allocate their points. Monsters' four core attributes, however, depended entirely on their class templates.

  Players improved their skill levels by spending skill points, which could be obtained from leveling up or hidden quests.

  Monsters improved their skill levels... either through system rewards when advancing to a new tier or by repeatedly using their skills to gain proficiency (players could also do this).

  Clearly, if the information in his mind was correct...

  These 5 Free Points he had obtained could be used as free attribute points to improve his four core attributes or as skill points to enhance his skill levels!

  "But..."

  "How did I get these 5 Free Points?"

  After understanding the function of the Free Points, Lucas fell into deep thought again.

  Recalling everything he had done during this time, he began to form a hypothesis.

  "5 Free Points..."

  "5 elite zombies..."

  "Could it be... that these 5 Free Points came from killing those 5 elite zombies?"

  Whether Free Points were obtained by killing elite monsters was just a guess for Lucas. Verifying this guess was simple—he just needed to kill another elite skeleton.

  But that could wait.

  What he needed to consider now was how to use these 5 precious Free Points!

  Four core attributes? Not necessary.

  With the [Erosion] talent, he had countless opportunities to improve his four core attributes.

  Skills? They didn't seem urgent either.

  He only had one skill, "Skyrend Slash." Even if he improved its level, it would only allow him to use "Skyrend Slash" a few more times.

  Until he understood the source of the Free Points, he didn't want to spend these 5 precious points on skills that could be improved naturally.

  "What if..."

  An idea flashed through his mind.

  Lucas tentatively brought up the two elite class templates he had obtained and tried to allocate points!

  Instantly!

  The two distinct elite class templates glowed brightly, showing signs of merging!

  Every new follower sends my blood boiling, as if it were sustenance meant solely for me. I crave their gaze to forever linger in the worlds I create, their minds utterly under my control.

  I refresh the data over and over, fixating on the fluctuating numbers, even fantasizing about their obsession with me.

  If they leave, I feel a tearing pain, as if abandoned in endless darkness. To keep them, I can write tirelessly, weaving traps with the most extreme plots and the most delicate words, ensnaring them so deeply they can never escape.

  I want them to become prisoners of my stories, their heartbeats synced with my words, their souls resonating with mine.

  This possessiveness brings me both pain and pleasure. I know it's pathological, but I can't stop—because their follows have long become the only reason I keep living.