Chapter 546 Best Bet
[Bone Armor] was yet another simple technique as fundamental as [Corpse Explosion]. But, once again, to a Summoning Necromancer, especially one with Skeleton Warrior or Skeleton summons in general, with the added flexibility of such summons, it could be used almost too freely.
[Bone Armor] had a few applications. The first was in using the self healing properties of Skeleton Warriors to instead cause outgrowths. These outgrowths, almost like tumors, would result in excessive bone material that could be used in various ways, the best of which would be as an armor.
A second method of using [Bone Armor] would be to sacrifice an entire Skeleton Warrior to become the armor for a second Skeleton Warrior. This application was even more potent than the first and more efficient as well, though it required a complete sacrifice.
The third application was just like the second but instead applied to the Necromancer him or herself. By sacrificing a Skeleton Warrior, Ryu could gain an armor or even floating shields around him for just that extra bit of protection. And, given how sturdy the bones of Skeleton Warriors were, the added defense would not be small.
Ryu felt that this wasn’t a bad technique, but it was most definitely the weakest of its kind. Its qi usage wasn’t very efficient and it had its limitations. There was a reason it was called [Bone Armor] and not something more generic like [Bone Manipulation] or the like.
The way the technique worked made it difficult to execute any form of subtle control. Due to this, the best method was to crudely layer the bone into sheets to form a sturdy defense. Trying to do anything else would waste too much energy, at least with the current structure of the technique.
Unsurprisingly, it didn’t take long for Ryu to get the [Bone Manipulation] technique he preferred just three rounds later. He once again had to thank the Martial Gods for their generosity. With [Bone Manipulation], not only was the control of bone more subtle and efficient, when used in combination with other attacks or techniques, the results could be devastating.
Even as Ryu walked toward the next trial, he could think of several applications.
The easiest was to sacrifice a Skeleton Warrior to form a weapon. These weapons would be far stronger than the ones a Skeleton Warrior could naturally manifest at the behest of their master by a large degree, and it wouldn’t just be two or three times the difference either.
Beyond that, what if a Skeleton Warrior was sacrificed to form a weapon and then Ryu triggered [Corpse Explosion]? The results would be quite potent, especially if Ryu was careful about the moment in battle he chose to trigger such a thing.
This was just the tip of the iceberg as well. Facing [Bone Manipulation] was nothing short of going against a death trap. Not only could Ryu sacrifice more than one Skeleton Warrior and layer [Bone Manipulation] to produce exponentially greater results, but if he used it like a domain rather than a single pointed attack or defense… What kind of result would there be?
Ryu could imagine large cages of bone and spiraling spikes littering the ground. Would his enemies even be able to take a single step backward or forward? When coupled with his senses and his Heavenly Pupils, he would be a devastating opponent to battle indeed. This truth almost made Ryu want to focus entirely on Skeleton Warriors and beasts. There were already several Demon Clans he could think of that fit what he needed.
After several more rounds, Ryu found two more useful abilities, making the method of attack he was thinking of even more potent in his mind.
As a cultivator grew in strength, creating styles of combat became more and more important. Learning powerful techniques wasn’t enough, a truly powerful cultivator or genius designed the combat methods they learned to layer atop and complement one another.
Until now, Ryu’s greatest focus had been on both gaining combat experience and increasing his cultivation speed. As he quickly progressed toward Realms reliant on comprehension, though, it was becoming more and more important for him to understand his own path.
In truth, Necromancy wasn’t Ryu’s style. He had neglected his Grandpa Kukan’s bow for so long because attacking from a distance wasn’t something he liked to do. He spent the whole of his first life on the backlines, being protected by everyone else. In this life, he wanted to be at the front.
Of course, Ryu’s thoughts on this matter had very much matured. However, this didn’t change his innate draw toward close combat.
Still, the reason Ryu had decided to design his first combat style so heavily upon Necromancy was for two reasons.
Firstly, he was about to enter the Realm of the Martial Gods. He would effectively be surrounded from all sides by people who would want to see him deader than dead should they know of his true identity. For that reason, the less he showed of his true abilities, the better.
The good news was that he no longer used the Tatsuya Saintly Weapons and his Rage Flames and Qilin Lightning had evolved to something new. This meant there wasn’t much to worry about on that front even if he was forced to bring them out.
The second reason he chose to do this was twofold. The first half of it was that he wanted practice. He wanted to experience what it felt like to build a combat style and dip his toes into the world he would have to enter when he stepped into the Path Extinction Realm.
As for the second half of it, he knew that Necromancy would have to be a part of his combat prowess if he wanted revenge.
He had no backing left, no support system, no hidden organization or forces he was building up… It would likely come down to him and him alone if he wanted to see the Martial Gods fall. And, as Ailsa had said all those years ago, if he wanted to be a one man army…
Necromancy was his best bet.