Endless Evolution As A Skeleton In A Game-Like World

”We will divide ourselves into groups to farm exp and find the tower. Whoever finds the tower first will create a beacon to alert everyone else.”

”Please organise yourselves according to your general class.” Darius instructed and the students naturally arranged themselves.

Including Darius and the other four class leaders, ten more who had shown the right attitude to leadership were picked. Ark would have been among them if not for his race, but it was not like he cared anymore.

There were roughly two hundred students present, and starting from Darius, the leaders began to pick those who would join their party, and by the time they were done, only Ark remained without one.

It was not that all the parties were full. In fact, two of the parties that had rejected him only had nine members when the target was ten!

’But why are they acting like this?’ Ark mused.

Although he was the only one with a common race, he was still a mage. In a proper formation, he was undoubtedly useful. So why were they so hell bent on excluding him? Most of them even seemed nervous.

’It looks like I am going to play this solo...’

”No hard feelings man, I work better with nine party members...”

”I’m good too. I don’t need any more party members.”

”We already have a mage.”

”We don’t need a mage. We are a party of swordsmen...” the excuses weren’t even well thought out, they just said the first thing that came to their minds.

Ark’s eyes moved past all of them, and then when he met Cain’s gaze, the boy smiled from ear to ear.

’Oh... now I know why.’ Ark shook his head. Cain must have been expressing his displeasure to the other leaders.

Considering his family position, he probably did not need to say much to make his intentions clear to them.

’Exclude Ark from the party so that he can die like a dog.’

Cain chuckled in his mind.

’So what are you going to do now? Hmm?’ He thought. Ark was already useless as it was, and now that he did not even have a party to watch his back, he would likely get himself killed in the first five minutes.

Cain wouldn’t even have to move a muscle to rid himself of the pest.

”Is there really no one willing to take Ark into their party?” Darius asked.

Silence...

His eyes were hard as he breathed out, his shoulders dropping slightly. ”Then let us all go to our assigned regions, we can’t waste any more time.”

Cain turned to leave. Darius already had far too many members, he could not afford to take anyone else. He already knew how this would end for Ark—

”I’ll take him.”

”Huh?” Cain blinked.

Soo-Jin pointed her fan at Ark and spoke in a casual tone, stunning the entire student body.

”I’ll take the skeleton.”

Many of the students wanted to wait and find out the reason behind her sudden decision, but they had no choice but to follow their leaders.

Darius nodded at her and smiled, just before dashing north with his party. The other party members rushed towards different directions as well, navigating through the thick forest.

Soo-jin glanced at her team. ”Alright, team two, let’s go.”

But Cain on the other hand stood stunned right next to her.

’What the hell just happened? How did his plan go so horribly wrong?’

Soo-Jin was known to be a perfectionist, an icy noble with a foul attitude. She was so critical about people that while other parties had nine to fifteen people, she only had four.

She had even rejected a marriage proposal by his family, which was in no way inferior to hers.

So why? Why then did she pick him? What would make someone like her interested in trash like him?!

Cain turned to her. ”I understand your need to show compassion. But Soo-jin, don’t you think you should re-consider—”

Soon-Jin walked past Cain like he was nothing but dirt, completely ignoring him. She walked up to Ark and grabbed his arm.

”Let’s go. You belong to me now~”

Ark stared at her with a dumbfounded look. ”You mean I belong to your party right?” He asked in a skeptical tone.

”Yeah, yeah. Whatever...” she waved her hands dismissively.

Ark sighed. ”Alright, let’s go—”

He paused when he felt someone staring hard at him, then glanced past Soo-jin to Cain. While others had already dispersed, he was still there, his eyes bloodshot and his jaw tightly clenched.

”Huh? What is his problem?”

Soo-Jin suddenly pulled Ark along with her, the four other party members rushing after them as they dashed into the forest.

Immediately they gathered, the first thing they did were introductions.

Soo-Jin’s party consisted of Isabella, her attendant, a knight called Charles, a spearman, Nolan, and the worst person Ark could have wished for, Olivia Harrow.

”Come on, try to keep up, Skelly!” She laughed as she raced through the air, easily rushing past everyone and into the sky.

Because she could fly, she was incharge of scouting the area.

They had been running nonstop for more than fifteen minutes, and yet they had not encountered a single enemy, nor had they spotted the tower.

Ark was at the back of the group due to his terrible stats. He was not tired, but it was a struggle to keep up with them, especially Soo-Jin.

That girl ran like the wind—

Soo-Jin immediately stopped, her feet skidding on the dirt, causing the entire party to halt.

”What is it?” Nolan asked in a low tone, his eyes already darting through the forest.

Soo-jin tucked her fan into her clothing, then flexed her fingers, five inch claws suddenly springing out of them.

”It looks like we have company.”

Olivia descended from the sky a second later, a serious expression on her face.

”Goblins, over two dozen of them. It is an ambush!”

With a frighteningly cold composure, Soo-Jin casually waved her hand at her party. ”Get into your positions, now. Prepare for battle.”