When Ryan woke up, Cold Resistance had reached level five, and the salamander also had progressed even more since the monster was weaker against ice. However, Ryan also noticed that the max health, mana, and stamina of the monster had decreased for some reason. After a while, he finally saw that his monster had grown thin.

"This might be a problem… I should have let the salamander eat the dragons while it could. To make matters worse, skeletons can't be eaten."

Ryan had no idea what type of boss he would find near the skeletons' dungeon, but he was pretty sure that anything related to skeletons wouldn't be tasty or nutritious. Moreover, probably only slimes could fight without having to eat. Golems maybe could do that too, but Ryan could summon or tame them right at the moment.

"I will leave my future problems for the future me…"

Since the poor salamander was already suffering enough as it is, Ryan decided to walk instead of mounting his pet. In any case, soon they had to stop because they found some new friends. It was kind of surprising that those didn't approach the hideout Ryan used for the night.

Skeleton Archer - Lv 55

Health: 700/700

Mana: 1.200/1.200

Stamina: 500/500

Strength: 150

Dexterity: 750

Speed: 150

Intelligence: 250

Endurance: 50

Control: 400

Mentality: 350

Luck: 500

Recovery: 300

Willpower: 350

Coins: --

Status: --

Skill List

Offensive Physical Skills: Power Shot Lv 50

Passive Physical Skills: Eagle Eyes Lv 50, Art of Sniping Lv 50,

Spells: Flame Arrow Lv 50, Frozen Arrow Lv 50,

Support Skills: Nocturnal Eyes Lv 50

Ryan couldn't help but frown when he saw three skeletons in the distance walking in his direction. Although Mark mentioned skeletons, he never said they used weapons. Regardless, the only difference from what Ryan had imagined is that those guys had a bow and quiver.

"Level 55 is higher than the other monsters of other dungeons… that is unexpected given that they probably didn't have to fight all that much."

It was the first time Ryan saw an opponent who could use the same skills. Probably thanks to those, skeletons had some advantage against certain species of monsters. Regardless, just as he had planned, Ryan grabbed his hammer and decided to hide in the snow to surprise the creatures. Flash had leveled up quite a bit, but Ryan wasn't satisfied with its range yet, and he wanted to make the skeletons help him with that.

It didn't take long for the monsters to get close enough. Maybe it was due to the fact that they were undead and didn't have any instincts. They didn't notice Ryan hidden inside the snow, alongside his salamander that never stopped trembling. As if they were machines, the monsters prepared the weapons in perfect synchrony and tried to attack Ryan. By using all his might, he completely smashed one of them.

Congratulations! You have learned the skill: Bash.

Effect: Increases your strength by ten points for your next melee attack.

Cost: 02 Stamina.

You obtained 01 status point.

Ryan welcomed the notification, but before he could celebrate, the other two skeletons were already aiming their bows toward his head. Ryan used Flash and reappeared behind another one, and this time he made sure to use the creature as a wall to prevent the other's attack. After activating Bash, Ryan smashed the second skeleton and reached on time to block the arrow of the last one. However, even though he blocked it, the attack still pushed him backward a few meters.

"Just like me… a lot of firepower, but absolutely close to none physical defenses."

In the end, Ryan was forced to use Flash again since the skeletons were that fast to nock their arrows. Regardless, Ryan won without suffering damage, and that was what he always looked for in the fights.

You obtained 40 coins.

You obtained 40 coins.

You obtained 40 coins.

After dying, the skeleton's body became dust. As expected, the salamander won't even be able to munch on their bones. Not that Ryan expected that would be enough to feed the beast… Regardless, a couple of seconds after they resumed the walking, Ryan saw another group of skeletons. They also had bows, but they weren't coming toward his direction. They were a few hundred of meters West from his current position.

"Given that two months have passed, I thought they would have dominated all the area around New York, but it seems that they only started their plans of conquest recently… Why? Is it because of the Dire Wolves?"

Ryan wasn't quite sure of the details, but in his head, dire wolves were creatures that inhabited cold lands. Given that they now returned with magic powers, possibly, he concluded that the cause of the snow in a certain area of the region was due to them. He knew things were about to get colder while heading North, but things were way colder than he expected, and he couldn't find any other explanation for it aside from them.

In any case, even if they were to blame, Ryan had to deal with them later. First of all, he had to clear the skeletons' army and dungeon. Surprising long-ranged fighters wasn't something easy, even more so when the distance between was quite large. So, Ryan decided to change his strategy a little bit. He ran toward the monsters, and when the creatures noticed him, he threw his Paralyzing Spear and the twin long-swords. The skeletons dodged the attack with ease, but they lost sight of Ryan for a brief moment. They only saw him again when he fell from the sky and smashed one of the skeletons with his hammer. After that, things happened the same way as before, and the monsters didn't have time to do anything. The fact that the skeletons could be fast and precise like machines that was their strength but also a weakness because that only meant their adaptability was terrible. Maybe Ryan could use that in his favor...