Chapter 77: The Cursed Skeleton (Fate Item)

Nie Yan got up and sprinted forward, clearing the path of skeletons while weaving through the narrow corridor. Killing those skeleton mages had increased his experience by about 2%, and he had picked up quite a bit of loot, though he hadn’t had time to check it yet.

Finally, he reached an area with no active skeletons. It should be relatively safe here.

Nie Yan checked the loot dropped by the skeletons. There were twenty-seven copper coins and two rather poor pieces of bronze equipment.

As Nie Yan was about to close his inventory, he suddenly noticed an old, tattered scroll quietly lying in a corner of his backpack. He had nearly forgotten about it; it must have dropped earlier.

On the grey-yellow scroll were inscriptions in ancient dragon script, faintly legible: “Ancient souls awaken from the shadows.”

“Soul Summoning Scroll” was a special item. It could summon an ancient soul, with a certain probability of being controlled. If control failed, it would backfire. It could not be reused.

This was a rare, consumable item. In the ancient city of Sogd, the drop rate for the Soul Summoning Scroll was approximately 0.05%. Occasionally, one might drop from slain skeletons. The soul summoned by this scroll wasn’t particularly powerful—barely capable of serving as a tank. Yet, in the skeleton-infested ancient city of Sogd, Nie Yan truly needed a tank.

However, Nie Yan’s level was too low. Successfully controlling the summoned soul without being backfired upon was a very difficult task.

Should he use this Soul Summoning Scroll?

Nie Yan thought for a moment. If he successfully controlled it, he would undoubtedly gain a tank. If he failed, he would only lose the scroll.

He glanced around. This area was relatively open, and there were no monsters interfering for now.

Nie Yan bit his thumb with his teeth, and blood gushed out from his fingertip. He pressed his finger onto the scroll, leaving a crimson mark.

The red blood flowed across the scroll, radiating a dreamlike glow.

The ancient seal on the scroll slowly activated and began to function.

A black shadow appeared before Nie Yan, gradually condensing into a specter. The summoned entity was a Spectral Assassin, in a shadow state, wielding a dark-colored dagger.

Spectral Assassin: Level 10, HP 230/230.

The Spectral Assassin was a level 10 creature with decent attributes. In his previous life, Nie Yan had summoned such creatures when he was around level 10. At that time, the market price of a Soul Summoning Scroll was about eight silver coins, not too expensive, affordable for ordinary players. If Nie Yan sold the scroll now, it would probably fetch around ten silver coins, given how rare it was.

The Spectral Assassin was quite formidable in combat, with three skills: Stealth, Stun, and Self-Destruct. Its duration was about half an hour before it would automatically disappear. With a Spectral Assassin assisting him, Nie Yan’s leveling speed would increase significantly.

It had been summoned. The Spectral Assassin stood still, its cold gaze surveying the surroundings.

Nie Yan tried to control the Spectral Assassin, but it did not move. He tried again, and this time it responded.

Success? Nie Yan felt a surge of joy. If he had the Spectral Assassin, he would have a companion to help him deal with the skeletons.

The Spectral Assassin’s dagger gleamed coldly. Suddenly, it moved, charging straight at Nie Yan.

Damn, it backfired!

Nie Yan hadn’t held high hopes when summoning the Spectral Assassin, considering his low level. The Spectral Assassin was five levels higher than him, making it genuinely difficult to control.

Once it backfired, the person attempting the summon became its primary target.

In its shadow state, it was immune to stun effects. Nie Yan quickly retreated, dodging the Spectral Assassin’s attack. After a brief pause, he charged toward the Spectral Assassin himself.

“Critical Strike!” Nie Yan’s dagger severed the Spectral Assassin’s neck.

However, the Spectral Assassin’s neck quickly healed and reconnected. It swung its dagger and charged at Nie Yan again.

Nie Yan kept retreating while slashing with his dagger, fighting while running. Unlike the fragile skeletons, this Spectral Assassin was a completely different story. Fortunately, Nie Yan had summoned it himself, giving him an extra damage bonus. Despite the five-level difference, his attack damage wasn’t too low.

-23, -25, damage numbers floated above the Spectral Assassin.

The Spectral Assassin flickered and entered stealth mode.

Nie Yan lost sight of his target. No matter how hard he concentrated, he couldn’t detect the Spectral Assassin’s location. The level gap was too large for him to detect its invisibility.

Nie Yan cautiously approached the nearby stone wall step by step, sticking close to it to reduce his exposure and avoid being attacked from behind.

The nearby light and shadow distorted slightly, and a figure appeared beside Nie Yan, dagger aimed directly at his head.

The Spectral Assassin also possessed the stun skill. If hit, Nie Yan would be finished.

Seeing the dagger approaching, Nie Yan sidestepped, dodging the Spectral Assassin’s attack.

At that moment, the Spectral Assassin’s dagger suddenly split into three flashes, simultaneously striking Nie Yan.

-52, -57, -56…

Nie Yan’s HP dropped rapidly. He quickly retreated, dodging the Spectral Assassin’s relentless attacks, and ran backward.

He quickly drank a basic instant HP potion, restoring some of his health. With his right hand, he used a stun attack, stabbing the Spectral Assassin’s head.

The Spectral Assassin’s head was split in two but rapidly restored to its original state.

Taking advantage of the brief hesitation caused by the head attack, Nie Yan attacked a few more times, reducing the Spectral Assassin’s HP to only 30%.

The Spectral Assassin’s dagger flashed like lightning, hitting Nie Yan in the chest.

-76.

A critical hit!

Nie Yan’s heart sank. His HP was down to only 13%. He quickly used a Rapid Retreat to swiftly retreat and then applied a bandage to himself.

+20, +20, +20…

The Spectral Assassin charged at Nie Yan, dagger aimed directly at his face.

Nie Yan ducked and rolled, dodging the Spectral Assassin’s attack. He quickly got up and used a Backstab. His dagger slashed across the Spectral Assassin’s chest. He staggered back several steps before regaining his footing.

Nie Yan’s Backstab also landed a critical hit. After taking Nie Yan’s strike, the Spectral Assassin had only 5% HP remaining.

The Spectral Assassin let out a sharp scream, turning a deep red. Its body rapidly expanded, releasing a surge of chaotic power.

Nie Yan’s heart raced—it was going to self-destruct!

The Spectral Assassin’s self-destruct ability was terrifying. In his previous life at level 10, he had once taken a self-destruct attack from a Spectral Assassin, losing a full 80% of his HP. Now at level 5, if he took a hit, he would die instantly!

Nie Yan charged at the Spectral Assassin, dagger aimed directly at its throat.

Critical Strike!

The Spectral Assassin’s HP dropped to zero. Before its self-destruct ability could complete, it was interrupted. The Spectral Assassin let out a piercing scream and disintegrated into nothingness.

Phew, Nie Yan exhaled, this one had been tough.

Nie Yan casually glanced at the ground and noticed that the Spectral Assassin had dropped something.

The Spectral Assassin was a creature from another dimension. Once it broke free from its master’s control, it became no different from ordinary wild monsters, dropping various equipment and items.

Nie Yan picked up the item dropped by the Spectral Assassin. It was an intricately crafted skull, about the size of a palm, covered in elaborate patterns, with a dark green gemstone embedded in it.

Cursed Skull: A Fated Item.