The wind was silent in the forest of bones.
Amit Kumar stood alone beneath a blood-red sky. The world felt heavy — not with gravity, but with death itself. The air shimmered faintly with strange mana, a power so dense it made his every movement hum with tension. Around him, the trees were pale and petrified, their branches twisting like skeletal hands clawing at the heavens.
He raised his hand.
The bones of his fingers glimmered faintly with ghostly light. He could feel the flow of necrotic energy through his veins — or whatever replaced them now. It wasn't blood that pulsed within him, but something colder, something older.
[System Online.]
[User: Amit Kumar — Race: Undead (Evolving).]
[Class: Undead Archer — Rank: F.]
[Talent: Infinite Evolution.]
[Starting Skill Granted: Soul Shot.]
The voice resonated within his mind — clear, mechanical, yet tinged with an ancient cadence.
Amit clenched his jaw. "So it wasn't a dream…"
He recalled the relic, the apocalypse, his death. Everything he had known — gone.
But this world… this system… it was real. And for the first time, so was his power.
He lifted the bow that had materialized upon his rebirth. It was fashioned from obsidian bone, strung with a thin filament of spectral light. When he willed it, a translucent arrow formed between his skeletal fingers — shimmering with ghostly energy.
[Skill: Soul Shot]
Consumes: 5 Soul Energy
Effect: Fires a spectral arrow that pierces physical and spiritual defenses. Damage increases with Soul Power.]
"Let's test it."
He scanned the clearing. Movement flickered at the edge of his vision — a feral shape crouching between the withered trees.
A Bone Wolf — its ribs exposed, eyes burning with eerie blue flame.
[Enemy Detected: Bone Wolf (Level 2).]
The creature snarled, and instinct took over. Amit drew the spectral string. The arrow condensed, vibrating with raw energy.
Thrum.
The Soul Shot cut through the air like a streak of moonlight.
The wolf leapt — but too late. The arrow pierced its skull, bursting into wisps of soul flame that devoured it from within. The creature collapsed with a hollow thud.
[Target Eliminated.]
[+10 Soul Energy.]
[Skill Proficiency Increased.]
[Evolution Points: +1.]
Amit's eyes widened slightly. "Evolution points?"
He summoned the system menu with a thought.
Lines of text appeared before him, glowing faintly in the air.
[Status Panel]
Name: Amit Kumar
Race: Undead (Evolving)
Class: Undead Archer (F)
Talent: Infinite Evolution
Level: 1
Soul Energy: 10/20
Evolution Points: 1
Skills:
Soul Shot (F) — 12% Proficiency
He stared at the glowing panel, his mind racing. Evolution points... Could they be used to strengthen skills? Or himself?
As he focused on the number, a new prompt appeared.
[Would you like to allocate 1 Evolution Point?]
[Options Available:]
Enhance Base Attributes
Evolve Skill
Unlock Mutation Pathway
Amit hesitated. His human instincts whispered caution — but the undead within him urged otherwise. He felt no fear now, only hunger. The hunger to grow. To ascend.
"Let's see what happens if I evolve the skill."
He selected Evolve Skill.
A surge of energy rippled through him. His spectral bow pulsed with light, and the Soul Shot icon flickered — changing before his eyes.
[Skill Evolution Complete.]
[Soul Shot → Soul Rend Arrow (E-Grade).]
[Effect: Infuses spectral energy that corrodes the target's soul over time. Can absorb a fragment of soul essence on kill.]
Amit exhaled — and this time, he felt something stir within. A flicker of strength, a faint spark of life.
"Infinite Evolution…" he murmured. "So this is what it means."
The forest trembled suddenly. In the distance, a guttural roar echoed through the night. The ground split, and skeletal beasts began crawling out from the earth — dozens, then hundreds.
The system's voice returned, sharp and cold.
[System Announcement: Zone Event Triggered.]
[Necrotic Surge — Survive for 10 minutes.]
[Reward: Class Advancement Material.]
Amit's grip tightened on his bow. His hollow eyes burned brighter.
The night was far from over.
And for the first time since his death… he smiled.
"Then let's evolve."