Chapter 64: Chasing the Forbidden Treasure

A week had passed since the ambush. Since Luke had bled inside those ruins, hunted by bandits deep in the Wild Zone. It had been a heavy week. A quiet one. Because in that silence, he’d accepted something he’d spent years refusing to face.

The truth about his mother.

Not a theory. Not a hope waiting to be disproved. Just truth, final, merciless, undeniable. And now, the weight of it sat with him. Heavy as stone.

The blade sliced through the air, clean, controlled. Princess Charlie pressed forward without hesitation, moving like steel wrapped in bone.

A wet crack echoed through the trees. Flesh split. Muscle tore. The velociraptor shrieked, a raw, piercing note of panic, before folding into a heap of blood, teeth, and scales.

[Princess Charlie has slain a Cunning Velociraptor – Lvl 10]

*The [Death Knight] class of Princess Charlie has reached Level 7!*

*[Death Knight Class Bonus: +3 Strength, +3 Endurance, +2 Agility, +2 Vitality, +2 Intelligence, +1 Perception, +2 Free Stat Points]*

Luke blinked, surprised by the sudden notification. It was the first time Charlie’s class had leveled up since she’d evolved into a Death Knight.

A second notification followed:

[Mission Orb: Hunt the Cunning Velociraptors
Objective: Slay 10 Cunning Velociraptors
Progress: 10/10]
[Mission Complete]
[Reward Received]

Charlie casually wiped her blade clean, then lifted her chin like a knight accepting applause after a duel.

Luke smirked. “Nice work, Charlie.”

Over the past week, he’d uncovered a few important facts.

First, according to Anna, a person could hold up to three active orb missions at a time. Trying to claim a fourth would simply fail.

Second, and far more interesting: Charlie could pick up missions too.

And then came the final surprise—

[Boots of the Cunning Velociraptor (Uncommon)
Description: Crafted from the durable hide of a Cunning Velociraptor, these boots offer speed, flexibility, and surprising resilience. Ideal for quick-footed warriors.
Bonus: Increases movement speed slightly.
Requirement: Lvl 5+ in any class or race.]

Luke tapped the item in his system. The boots materialized instantly, slipping onto Charlie’s skeletal feet and tightening into place like they’d always belonged there.

This world might be brutal… but it rewarded the bold.

Charlie now wore the Ironfang Boarhide Pants and the Velociraptor Boots. She was getting closer to looking like a fully armored warrior. Once she hit level 8, he planned to give her a chestplate and gauntlets. Then all she’d need was a helmet to complete the illusion.

Allison had helped confirm something critical: Charlie couldn’t be identified.

Just like with regular humans, the system blocked her data from others. Which meant… unless someone saw her materialize from Luke’s soul, they’d have no idea she was a skeleton.

He closed the inventory screen and pulled up her status.

Name: Princess Charlie
Level: 4
Rank: F
Class: Death Knight (Lvl 7)
Race: Skeleton
Title: [Servant of the Dark Lord]
Health Points (HP): 201/230

Mana Points (MP): 80/80

Stamina: 157/180

Stats:
Strength: 27
Agility: 16
Endurance: 18
Vitality: 23
Perception: 9
Intelligence: 8
Free Points: 3

Princess Charlie was getting stronger. But Luke knew there was still plenty of room for improvement.

Her speed was excellent. Her strength, too. But her reflexes… they could still be sharper.

He opened her stat panel and allocated the remaining points.

Stats Updated (Princess Charlie):
Vitality: 23 -> 24
Perception: 9 -> 11
Free Points: 3 -> 0
Health Points (HP): 201/230 -> 211/240

Over the past few days, he had continued running more tests on Charlie’s damage recovery.

If Charlie was injured or running low on stamina, he could simply return her to his soul.
Inside, she would begin to regenerate.

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The only drawback was time—depending on how badly she was hurt, full recovery could take up to 24 hours.
Still, it made his summoning skill far more strategic.

Charlie stretched, rotating her shoulders like she was testing her new physicality.

Luke nodded. “Let’s move.”

Without a word, she retrieved her blade and stepped into formation beside him—silent, watchful, and ready.

***

Luke moved through the crumbling ruins with quiet precision, eyes scanning the area for anything remotely useful. His pack was already heavy, but he always found space for more—wooden mugs, broken buttons, lengths of durable rope.

In this world, even scrap could be worth gold.

The Haven had split its survivors into two main roles: Hunters and Scavengers.

Hunters worked in teams, going head-to-head with monsters to bring back food. Scavengers, on the other hand, worked alone, combing through abandoned homes, shattered buildings, and piles of debris for anything salvageable.

Luke belonged squarely in the second group.

Some buildings still held loot caches. Others had stashes of preserved clothes, basic utensils, or something far more valuable: potions and seeds.

But the so-called Safe Zone? That name was generous.

It was free of Midnight Wardens and orc patrols, sure — but that didn’t mean it was safe. Vicious beasts still roamed the outer edges. No one could afford to drop their guard for even a second.

Bastion controlled the heart of the Safe Zone, guarded by Bartholomew’s private militia. Around it sprawled makeshift shelters and scavenged homes. And beyond that, on the fringes, lay the Haven.

The position was dangerous. Always exposed. Always watching.

A single pack of raptors could rip through the outer barricades. Or worse: a raid from one of the roaming bandit clans that haunted the Wild Zone’s edge.

Luke tucked a few gathered herbs and plants into his pack—requested ingredients. Then his gaze fell on something buried at the bottom of the bag.