Chapter 18: The Dark Lord’s Loyal Blade

Luke was back in the room where the remains of the fallen skeletons and their weapons still lay scattered across the floor. His skeletal servant followed closely behind. He was still a bit shaken, staring at the floating screen in front of him, a prompt triggered by his Dark Lord skill.

[Servant of the Dark Lord System]: Every tyrant needs servants worthy of their greatness. A Dark Lord tolerates no weakness — only the strongest survive. Through the servant bond, your soldiers evolve, transcend, and march toward legend.

Name: Princess Charlie

Level: 0

Rank: F

Class: —

Race: Skeleton

Titles: [Servant of the Dark Lord]

**Full information will be processed once the Servant’s Class is selected.**

“A system…” Luke murmured, still not believing it.

The skeleton had its own progression system. Just like him. More than that — this undead could become his shield in battle… or his blade. If it leveled up, it might grow into something terrifying.

Luke was stunned.

He looked at the skeleton, who had a look on its face that said: ‘See? I’m strong, told you so!’

“Alright, fair enough. But how does this work exactly? ‘Class’? What do you mean, class?” he asked, watching as the interface shifted again. His own screen expanded — and now, he could access Charlie’s interface directly through his own.

Then he paused.

“Wait a second… your name’s Princess Charlie. Are you… female?”

The skeleton looked at him like he’d just kicked a sacred relic. Her empty sockets narrowed in offense, as if saying: ‘Of course I’m a woman. What do you mean by that? Are you saying I don’t look like a lady?’

Luke froze.

Oh no. I just stepped on a minefield. Monster or not… a woman is still a woman.

He cleared his throat awkwardly.

“I would never dare say otherwise. You’re… clearly a very elegant skeletal lady.”

Princess Charlie gave a subtle, satisfied nod.

Luke let out a silent breath of relief.

Honestly, I can’t see the difference. All skeletons look the same…

“Anyway. Focus,” he muttered quickly, shifting his eyes back to the interface.

Just then, Charlie’s screen shimmered — and several options appeared. Luke’s eyes widened.

“Okay, Princess Charlie… I take it all back. You’ve got potential.”

Servant Path: Through evolution, the servants of the Dark Lord transcend their limits, transforming into creatures worthy of his legacy. Even the humblest skeleton may ascend and become a legendary beast.

(Warning: Weaker monsters tend to have more versatile evolutionary paths.)

Luke read the notification, nodding slowly.

“Alright. Maybe turning you into my servant wasn’t a total waste after all.”

Princess Charlie rattled her bones proudly. At the center of the interface, new options appeared — a branching web of Class Choices, just like when Luke had first awakened his own system.

[Knight: A stalwart figure of honor and endurance, the Knight stands at the front lines, shielding allies with a blend of discipline and sheer resilience.
Stat Bonus: +2 Endurance, +1 Strength, +1 Agility, +1 Vitality, +1 Free Point
Final Path: Skeleton Knight -> Apocalypse Knight]

[Archer: A master of distance combat, the Archer strikes with deadly precision and speed.
Stat Bonus: +2 Agility, +1 Vitality, +1 Perception, +1 Intelligence, +1 Free Point
Final Path: Skeleton Archer -> Wraith of Desolation]

[Warrior: A brutal frontline combatant, the Warrior charges into battle wielding heavy weapons and raw strength.

Stat Bonus: +2 Strength, +1 Agility, +1 Endurance, +1 Vitality, +1 Free Point
Final Path: Skeleton Warrior -> Hollow Spectral]

[Assassin: A swift and lethal striker, the Assassin eliminates targets with sharp precision and blinding speed.
Stat Bonus: +2 Agility, +1 Strength, +1 Vitality, +1 Perception, +1 Free Point
Final Path: Skeleton Assassin -> Reaper of Dusk]

[Mage: A master of arcane knowledge, the Mage exchanges brute force for mystical power, striking from afar with deadly magic.
Stat Bonus: +2 Intelligence, +1 Vitality, +1 Agility, +1 Perception, +1 Free Point
Final Path: Skeleton Mage -> Profane Archlich]

Luke scrolled through the list in disbelief.

“You evolve?” he asked.

Princess Charlie nodded with enthusiasm, her skull bobbing rapidly.

“You’re basically a Pokémon,” Luke muttered.

But even he had to admit it: this was insane. The Final Paths listed for each class sounded powerful as hell — terrifying even. And if those were just the obvious evolutions… what else could she become?

Another message appeared beneath the class list:

*Warning: A servant’s evolution may shift drastically over time, unlocking new paths, skills, or forms — some far darker than expected. Their future depends on the guidance of the Dark Lord. Mold your minions wisely… for they may become the generals of your legion.*

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Luke rubbed his temple.

“Yeah. Sure. That’s not overwhelming at all…”

He glanced at the skeleton standing proudly beside him. “Okay, Princess Charlie. Wait— Is Charlie actually your name?”

She nodded vigorously, looking very pleased with herself.

“Not exactly terrifying, is it,” Luke said under his breath.

But Charlie seemed unbothered. Instead, she picked up a sword — one way too large for her bony frame — and swung it once through the air with a sharp whoosh.

“You want a sword class?”

She pointed dramatically at the blade… and then at the Warrior option on the screen.

Luke sighed.

“I was kind of hoping you’d go with Mage, to be honest…”

Charlie crossed her arms — or at least tried — and tapped the sword against the floor with purpose.

“Are you really sure about this? You’re a princess. Shouldn’t you, I don’t know… be safe? Away from battle?”

The skeleton swung the sword again with flair, clearly rejecting the notion. Then, just to drive the point home, she raised the weapon above her head like a banner and pointed again.

Warrior.

Luke had been tempted to pick Mage for her. Honestly, it would’ve been ideal — giving him ranged support and versatility. But something about the way Princess Charlie held that oversized sword told him everything.

She wanted this. She was his servant, yes. But if she had a will… he’d respect it.

“Alright then,” he said. “Warrior it is.”

He tapped the option.

[Princess Charlie has acquired the Warrior class!]

[Unlocking class skills. Please wait…]

A soft hum echoed in his system interface. Even from Luke’s own screen, he now had a side-panel showing Charlie’s status — her name, her portrait, and a button to switch to her full profile.

[Warrior class successfully awakened]

[Princess Charlie has learned a Class Skill: [Basic Weapon Handling (Common)]]

Luke raised an eyebrow.

“So you’re already trained, huh? That’s convenient.”

He opened the skill description:

[Basic Weapon Handling (Common)]: The warrior receives foundational training in melee combat, gaining basic proficiency with one-handed and two-handed weapons like swords, axes, and hammers. This enables more accurate and adaptive strikes in close combat scenarios.