I can evolve everything

Renn looked at these branches, his mind racing with thoughts.

Since he, a beginner, can temporarily enhance part of his body, the original endurance of this body has become his current weakness.

The muscle tears and bone pain caused by overload are the best proof.

If the bones are not strengthened, the next time the full-power breathing technique is overused, it may not be the enemy's neck that breaks first, but he himself may not be able to hold on.

His gaze swept past the muscles and organs, finally settling on the foundation of that tree diagram—the skeleton section.

Only with strong bones can one withstand greater output.

Raine raised his hand, his fingertips brushing over the line of characters.

The gray fog swirled, and the writing on the wall began to distort.

A line of text appeared.

[Black Rock Breathing Technique - Skeletal Chapter (Porcupine Amplification)]

[Description: Stimulates abnormal periosteal proliferation, allowing bone spurs to penetrate the skin and form a natural thorny armor.]

[Required Resources: Reserve energy (30 days).]

[Time required: 30 days.]

"..."

Raine waved the line away expressionlessly. While the Thorn Armor sounded good, he didn't want to look too shabby.

First refresh.

[Black Rock Breathing Technique - Skeletal Chapter (Lead Amplification)]

[Description: Significantly increases bone density and weight. Your weight will increase two to three times, making your lower body as stable as a mountain, and your impact like a battering ram.]

[Required Resources: Energy Reserves (35 days)]

[Time required: 35 days.]

Renn frowned.

This branch is not weak; in fact, it can be said to perfectly match the defensive counter-attack combat method of [Iron Wall Stance].

However, his current tactical core is burst damage. If he chooses this, he will probably become a slow-moving human shield, a sitting duck in this world full of mages and monsters.

"Too bulky."

Ryan's finger hovered in front of the wall.

The current feelings of hunger and weakness are still within a manageable range, so I can take another chance.

If all else fails, he'll wait until tomorrow night to refresh the page again.

"The last time."

He took a deep breath, mustered the remaining energy in his body, and pressed himself against the wall.

The gray fog trembled violently, as if something was being forcibly dug out from the depths of the walls.

[Black Rock Breathing Technique - Skeletal Chapter (Force Dissipation Amplitude)]

[Description: Reconstructs the arrangement of trabeculae, giving the skeleton a certain degree of resilience.] After the enhancement, the skeleton can absorb 30% of physical impact force and convert it into micro-vibrations for expulsion.

[Required Resources: Reserve energy (30 days).]

[Time required: 30 days.]

"Um?"

Renn was taken aback.

The previous "Heart Episode" took a full 60 days to complete.

Logically speaking, the time required for such a systemic transformation as the skeleton should be at least the same as, or even longer than, the heart modification. How come it was shortened by a whole month?

He carefully sensed the heat flowing through his body and made a rough guess.

This may be related to the heart and experience.

Since he has mastered the Heart Chapter, Raine has also gained a lot of insight into the Black Rock Breathing Technique. In addition, as Loki's understanding of the breathing technique deepens, the time required for subsequent evolutions may become less and less.

This is the snowball effect. The stronger the foundation, the faster the subsequent reinforcement will be.

Moreover, the boost that was refreshed this time is exactly what Renne needs.

Whether facing heavy weapons or bearing the reaction force of one's own explosive power, a skeleton with sufficient resilience is essential.

Without any hesitation, Ryan locked in this option.

With Renn's confirmation, the line of characters solidified and became embedded in the corridor wall.

boom--

The corridor collapsed, and consciousness returned.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The next morning. North gate of Tiemu Town.

As winter approached, Ironwood Town was even colder than when Raine and her group arrived, with autumn winds swirling fallen leaves through the streets.

Renn was tightening the girth of his warhorse, which snorted uneasily, seemingly also somewhat apprehensive about the journey ahead.

"Are we really not going to pursue Barron anymore?"

While organizing the dry rations in the saddlebag, Ryan glanced at Karen, who was checking the luggage, and asked:

"Barron isn't doing well right now, are we just going to ignore him?"

Last time in the swamp, Baron escaped in the end, but he was hit by Karen when he got close to Mars and was definitely injured. This is the best opportunity to press the advantage.

"Don't chase."

Karen stood up, her tone flat.

"First of all, we can't find him. That bastard has been wandering the northern wastelands for three years; he knows how to hide his scent better than a wolf in the night. We've lost track of him this time, and finding him again won't be easy."

The old knight mounted his horse and gazed toward the northern horizon.

"Secondly, compared to a madman who goes around taking the law into his own hands, the urgent task now is to report the situation here."

"Once the higher-ups find out what happened here, the entire northern defense line will probably have to be thoroughly cleaned up. That's the most urgent matter."

At this point, Karen glanced at Ryan.

"Furthermore, although Barron is insane, most of the people he killed were those who deserved to die. They weren't a high priority for him."

Renn nodded and said no more.

Indeed, instead of chasing after an elusive rogue knight, they should hurry up and report this mess to their superiors.

Renn hadn't slept much yesterday, and his face was pale. He took out a piece of bread from his pocket and ate it in big bites.

That was purely to fill the heat gap.

Eat slowly.

Ella, riding on her horse, watched him and casually tossed him a leather water bag. "Anyone who didn't know better would think Harold had been abusing you all night."

Ignoring Ella's teasing, Ryan took a sip of water and swallowed the dry, hard bread.

Karen is all set to go.

He changed into a set of chainmail, covered by a cloak, with his greatsword hanging on the side of the saddle.

"Is everything ready?"

Karen tightened the reins, and the warhorse snorted, exhaling a puff of white vapor.

"We can set off at any time, Sir." Ryan mounted his horse with a swift movement.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from inside the city gate.

Hans, the adjutant, came running up, panting, with two guards.

He was carrying two packages and his face was full of smiles.

"Lady Karen! Lord Rein!"

Hans ran to the front of the horses, bent slightly, and held up the bundle with both hands. "This is the dry rations and supplies prepared for you. There's also some fine jerky and ale. Be careful on the road..."

Karen glanced down at the fat man.

"Hans".

"Yes, sir! What are your orders?" Hans trembled and stood up straight.

"Remember what I said last night," Karen's voice was cold. "If there are no problems, I will recommend you to the Knights of the North to officially assume the position of Sheriff. But if you allow Harold's tragedy to repeat itself..."

The old knight tapped the hilt of his sword lightly with his fingers.

"...Your sword will cut off my head." Hans wiped the sweat from his brow and continued, "I swear, from now on, Ironwood Town will absolutely follow the rules! I don't have the guts to do business with a necromancer!"

Karen nodded and said no more.

"Walk."

He spurred his horse, and the warhorse neighed and strode out of the city gate.

Ryan and Ella followed closely behind.

The sound of horses' hooves was particularly crisp in the cold morning wind.

Ahead lay the vast and desolate northern wilderness.

The gray sky hung low, and on the distant horizon, the undulating black mountains were faintly visible. Even from tens of kilometers away, one could feel the chill in the wind blowing from there.

"Where are we going?" Ella asked loudly as she rode alongside Raine, the wind ruffling her red hair.

"That's the headquarters of the Knights of the North, and the kingdom's most important stronghold against the northern threat. We need to report everything that happened in Ironwood Town, especially the serious incident of the necromancer colluding with the local sheriff, directly to the Knights' higher-ups." He paused, then added, "Not counting any unexpected events we might encounter along the way, such as bad weather, wild beasts of the wilderness, or even more troublesome things..."

He tightened his slightly thin cloak and glanced across the wasteland.

"It will probably take about two weeks to cycle."