Although my body had healed thanks to [Syphon], I now had only one arm.
That alone was a serious problem.
At least the headache had vanished again after killing the lizard. That confirmed my suspicion. Killing monsters filled up the sphere inside my body, and the fuller it got, the less frequent the headaches became.
But to be absolutely sure, I needed to check the mirror in the master bedroom. There were other reasons too... but first, I turned my attention to the office-like room. Scattered books, torn documents, and countless papers littered the floor. But one sheet in particular caught my eye—a profile of the duke himself.
———
Target for Extermination—
Name: Alexander Starlight
Age: 47
Race: Human (Suspected Vampire)
Title: Duke of Starlight
Marital Status: Married
Magic: Earth, Fire
Skills: Unknown
The Duke of Starlight is a very influential figure in the Solar Empire. He has a wife, Elizabeth, and a daughter, Elinoir—both described as breathtakingly beautiful.
———
"I see... so that's what happened."
From what I could gather, the duke was hunted down—either for being a vampire or merely being suspected of one. It wasn't just a profile. It was a detailed dossier... and an execution order. No wonder the mansion was in ruins. It must've been torched during this so-called "extermination."
"...The Solar Empire. I need to learn more about it."
If someone as powerful as a Duke could be hunted on mere suspicion... what about me?
I wasn't even human.
I needed to be careful.
But before worrying about distant threats, I had a more pressing problem—the monster in the basement. My fight with the lizard taught me something important: these creatures were intelligent. Extremely intelligent. But not without limits. They followed patterns. Predictable patterns.
Aside from studying their behavior, I also had to rethink my combat style. With only one arm, close combat was a death sentence.
My old method? A quick slice to the throat. Perfect against humans. But when I started fighting monsters, I adapted—throwing knives like bullets. One knife, followed by another. If the first was blocked, the second would strike. The first served as the distraction. The second, the execution.
But now, that strategy was useless.
Once I'd finished checking the room, I returned to the master bedroom and stood before the mirror. I activated [Soulstess] and examined the sphere inside my body—it was almost completely red.
"What happens when it's full?"
The uncertainty made me uneasy. But there was no point in worrying over something inevitable. I tapped the mirror with my finger. It rippled and displayed my status.
———
Status]
Name: Jack Jackerjack
Race: Death Doll
Age: None
Title: None
Skills:
[Blood Puppeteer], [Soulstess],
[Night Vision], [Sound Manipulation], [Venom Pulse], [Damage Zero], [Syphon], [Electric Companion], [Fire Companion], [Poisonous Release]
Traits:
[Oblivious]
Origin Skill:
[[Law Of Death]]
———
"Now... where should I begin?"
[Blood Puppeteer] would be completely useless in my next fight. [Venom Pulse] was a gamble. [Soulstess], [Night Vision], [Syphon], and [Damage Zero] weren't offensive. Though, [Damage Zero] was probably my strongest skill—essentially an extra life.
That left only [Sound Manipulation] and the three new skills I obtained from the lizard. I clicked on [Electric Companion].
———>
[Electric Companion]: Allows you to control any type of electricity.
———>
"Allows you to control..."
Bad news.
Still, I tested the skill anyway.
"[Electric Companion]"
...
...
...
Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
It meant I could only control existing electricity—not generate it.
"Tch. That means [Fire Companion] is just as useless…"
That left [Poisonous Release]. I tapped it.
———>
[Poisonous Release]: Release a deadly dose of orderless poison in the form of gas.
———>
"I should've guessed…"
All three of the lizard's skills were worthless. My only guaranteed offensive tool was [Sound Manipulation]... unless something unexpected occurred.
[Sound Manipulation] allowed me to control vibrations—sound waves—through objects. That was its true potential.
I picked up a piece of glass and activated the skill. It began to vibrate violently.
"If only there was a better way to use this..."
Sound caused vibrations.
[Sound Manipulation] used even the faintest noise to activate them. But once I let go of the object, it stopped vibrating... unless I constantly yelled.
'Wait...'
"Why yell? The skill uses any sound... even a hum would work."
I deactivated the skill and began to hum a melody—something from a distant memory.
London Bridge is falling down...
As I hummed, the glass began vibrating again.
I grinned. Or at least wanted to.
I then threw it.
It zipped through the air and stabbed deep into the wall—still vibrating.
"Hah... why didn't I think of this earlier?"
If I'd done this during the lizard fight, it would've been so much easier. Now, all that was left was gathering weapons. Anything sharp.
First, I picked up every shard of glass I could find. Then, after rummaging through all the drawers, I found a box full of needles.
I headed to the kitchen next—grabbing every knife in sight.
Three knives, a handful of glass shards, and five needles.
My killing set was ready.
I placed them in a small bag I found in the bedroom and made my way down... to the basement.
As soon as I stepped in, the air changed—heavy, like the third floor. The basement was a cellar full of rusted prison cells. It reeked of decay, even if I couldn't smell.
At the far back stood a rusted, metal door—slightly ajar.
I approached. My footsteps echoed through the silence.
Standing before it, I pushed the door open.
Inside was pitch black. I activated
[Night Vision].
The room was massive, built from cobblestone. In the center was a stone chair, placed inside a strange circle. A skeleton sat on it—wearing tattered, once-fancy attire. Its right hand clutched a rusted black rod, embedded with a red gem.
I stepped inside.
The door behind me slammed shut.
A wave of magical energy rushed at me—unmistakably hostile.
Its source? The skeleton.
I activated [Soulstess]—and there it was. A white sphere, twice my size, pulsed within its chest.
"Don't tell me…"
Yeah.
The skeleton was alive.
And it was my next target.