NOVEL NEXT Chapter 19: The Final Piece.
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> Blood Claw Slash
Rarity: Rare
Type: Active / Offensive Skill
Effect: Summons a red, translucent claw made of condensed energy that slashes forward in a straight line, dealing 140% Strength as physical damage.
Applies Bleed, dealing additional damage over time and reducing healing effects by 25% for 5 seconds.
Range: 5 meters
Cooldown: 10s
Cost: 10 Mana
Elias stared at the skill book, eyes gleaming.
This was perfect.
For someone who fought barehanded, this skill was a dream come true.
> Would you like to learn [Blood Claw Slash]?
[Yes] / [No]
Without the slightest hesitation, Elias selected Yes.
> ✅ You have learned: [Blood Claw Slash]
A grin spread across his face as the notification disappeared. His fingers twitched with excitement.
"Time to test it out," he muttered, eyes locking onto a nearby tree.
He raised his hand, focusing mana into his palm as he swung it, aiming at the tree.
In the next moment, a massive crimson claw formed in midair, even larger than the one the dire wolf had used earlier.
It launched forward with a burst of raw power.
Boom!
The claw slammed into the tree with explosive force, sending shards and splinters flying in every direction. The thick trunk cracked, shattered, and collapsed instantly.
The sound echoed like thunder across the quiet forest.
"Woah…" Elias breathed, eyes wide. "That was… awesome."
"[Hehe~ Master, you've grown even more powerful!]" an adorable voice echoed in his head.
Elias' grin widened. "You're right, Alia," he replied aloud.
'That one skill alone just boosted my combat strength by a mile. Skills really are something else.'
But that wasn't the end of it.
His eyes shifted to the large dire wolf alpha's body lying before Vael.
If he could turn that into an undead…?
His strength would skyrocket even more.
Before the battle started, he had thought it was just a 2-Star beast. Strong, sure—but manageable. After all, only a tough monster could lead a pack.
But he had been wrong.
This alpha was a 3-Star.
Stronger than he expected.
Elias hesitated for a second, then called out mentally to the system.
"System, can I safely use Undead Awakening on it with my current mana?"
> [Affirmative. Estimated mana usage: 50–60 MP. Wound severity is low. Awakening risk: minimal.]
He nodded slowly.
Still, better to be safe.
Opening his status window, he dumped five attribute points into Intelligence, raising it from 58 to 63—just above his Agility stat. His mana now sat at 172.
Four points left.
He didn't regret it.
As an Undead Summoner, Intelligence would be one of his main stats eventually. Might as well start early.
"Alright," he whispered. "Let's do this."
He stepped forward, crouched beside the alpha, and placed his hands on its head as he activated Undead Awakening.
Mana surged from his body like a flood, pouring into the corpse. A faint green light wrapped around the dire wolf's body. The wound on its neck sizzled and began to seal, flesh stitching itself back together under a web of necrotic energy.
The body twitched.
Then it trembled.
The air began to crackle.
After ten long seconds—and 55 mana points—the process stopped. The wound was gone. But…
The alpha didn't move.
Elias frowned.
'Did it fail…?'
But just then—
The dire wolf jerked upright with a sudden movement.
"Holy sh—!"
Elias stumbled back and landed flat on his butt.
"WTF!?"
"[Hehehe~ Master…]" Alia's giggle echoed sweetly in his mind.
Before he could say anything—
> [Hahaha… Scared little puppy.]
Elias' face turned red with both embarrassment and irritation. "You goddamn troll—!"
The two entities in his head were laughing at him. And it wasn't just them—through the bond he shared with Vael, he could feel the undead's emotion.
That bastard was amused.
Elias clenched his teeth as the mocking laughter faded.
"You all suck."
---
A few moments later, after clearing the battlefield and gathering everything, Elias and Vael finally made their way back toward the territory.
Elias sat atop the massive undead wolf, arms crossed as the wind brushed against his face. Vael followed behind, silently.
"Riding a wolf is so damn cool," Elias muttered, the earlier embarrassment already forgotten. "Aura debt cleared."
After a while of riding, his eyes landed on a tall, straight timber wood tree—the last one in the territory.
"Stop," he ordered.
The alpha stopped instantly.
Elias jumped down and walked up to the tree. Reaching out, he activated his talent.
> [Perfect Extraction Triggered]
[Extraction Complete]
You have received:
• Wood ×60
• Tree Bark ×10
• Sap ×5
• Wood Fiber ×8
Note: All items have been added to your inventory.
"Nice," Elias smirked. "Exactly what I need."
They returned quickly.
Once there, Elias pulled out the freshly-extracted wood. Without needing a word, Vael got to work, processing the timber with his usual speed and precision.
Meanwhile, Elias peeled off his bloodied clothes and grabbed his Everflow Flask, using the water inside to wash off the dried blood from his body. After a quick rinse, he changed into a clean set of basic clothes from his inventory and rejoined Vael.
By the time he got back, Vael had already finished preparing the materials.
Time to build.
They had already completed most of the second floor earlier, so the rest didn't take much time. Working together, they quickly put up the final supports and walls.
Then came the roof.
Elias climbed up using the second floor as support, carefully stepping across the exposed beams. He worked with a steady hand, assembling the triangular frame with angled supports meeting at the peak. The balance was tricky, and the height made it trickier—but his Construction skill guided every movement.
Before long, the roof's skeleton was complete.
He climbed down and returned to the shack.
Back when the previous owner had first built the place, they had cleared a lot of Ashveil Grass from the area. Some had been used to make the makeshift bed, while the rest had been piled beside the shack.
Elias walked over and picked through the dried grass.
He wasn't going to follow the original roofing plan that used wooden planks and sap.
No.
He was going with thatch.
Ashveil Grass, when dried properly, was strong and water-resistant. If layered correctly, it would be even better than weak wooden boards.
Of course, it had to be done right—if not, the roof would leak like crazy. But Elias wasn't worried. His basic construction knowledge included thatch roofing. He knew what to do.
He hoisted a thick bundle of grass onto his shoulder.
Then turned toward the house with a focused look.
"Let's finish this."