C17 Bone Blade, Bone Spike, Bone Armor!

Harnessing the power of the Void Territory, the parasitic battle pet—a white bone sphere—on Symas's right hand merged into his body, transforming into a viscous white liquid that seeped from his hand into his limbs and skeleton. In a flash, a wave of excruciating pain washed over him, emanating from every part of his body.

Symas gritted his teeth, unprepared for the severe agony that accompanied the fusion with the parasitic battle pet. It was as though his very bones were being shattered and replaced.

With a thud, he collapsed to his knees, catching sight of a small gold-type pet hive just two meters ahead. Driven by an intense longing, likely spurred by the battle pet's influence, he struggled into the hive and propped himself against the side of a four-to-five-meter-tall dark golden hillock.

As soon as he entered the hive, a pale golden mist rose from the ground, paved with dark golden stones, brimming with pure metallic energy. Symas's body absorbed it all.

Parasitic battle pets often require a vast array of pet attribute resources for a successful contract fusion. Without these resources, the process could fail, causing harm not only to the pet but potentially leaving the beast tamer crippled. Symas had forged the contract impulsively, without researching these details, relying solely on the strength of the Void Territory.

It was a stroke of luck that he had constructed a small gold-type pet hive; otherwise, the fusion would have surely failed.

Resting within the hive, as the pale golden mist flowed from the rocks and into his limbs, the pain vanished. It was as if soothing spring water enveloped him, offering profound relief. Overwhelmed by comfort, Symas slipped into a deep slumber.

When he awoke after some time, his body was tingling. He rose to his feet, stretching and feeling a noticeable lightness—as if he had shed dozens of kilograms of weight. Clenching his fist, he launched a straight punch into the air.

Whoosh!

The punch cut through the air, leaving a trail of sharp, slicing wind in its wake.

"Considering it's a parasitic battle pet, it should offer more than just a slight improvement in physique," Symas mused.

After all, the creature had been sealed within that stone egg for countless eons, awakening with the strength of a one-star combatant.

Symas attempted to communicate with the white bone sphere.

The connection was instant.

A flood of information poured into his mind. Now that they had forged a battle pet contract, he could finally access the details about the white bone sphere.

Nickname: Remould Worm

Quality: Elite Nine-Star

Attribute: Gold

Level: One Star

Parasitic Skills: Level One Bone Blade, Level One Bone Spur, Level One Bone Armor. (Skills unlock with advancement)

"An elite nine-star quality, just one step from overlord status. This is a major windfall!"

"I need to figure out how to extract that other elite creature from the Beast Tamer Association's battle pet tomb."

With the attributes of the white bone sphere now clear, Symas's eyes sparkled with excitement.

But considering the battle pet's classification, could that large white bone sphere really be a worm?

Upon establishing the battle pet contract, the sphere had disintegrated, dissolving into a liquid that resembled bone water and merged into his body—a sight he witnessed with absolute clarity.

Maybe that white bone sphere was a nest for remould worms, tiny creatures as minuscule as cells.

It was just a theory for Symas, but he was almost certain he was correct.

Should he reach overlord level, he'd be able to use his psychic energy to explore further and possibly reveal the true nature of the remould worms.

"Parasitic skill, Bone Blade!"

Symas connected with the remould worm.

Puff!

In an instant, a ghastly white bone blade sprouted from beneath the skin of his right leg. Nearly half a meter in length, the blade gleamed with a chilling light, its edge appearing razor-sharp.

This made movement awkward.

Could he adjust its position? The bone blade, akin to a personal dagger, would be better suited on his arms.

Symas deactivated the skill.

The half-meter-long bone blade on his right leg retracted seamlessly into his skin, leaving no trace of injury.

His skin, post-transformation, had even taken on a paler hue.

Next.

Symas shifted his focus to his right arm.

"Bone Blade!"

Puff!

Beneath the skin...

The half-meter bone blade materialized once again.

Mastering its control was possible, but it demanded intense concentration on a singular point.

This skill, however, had one significant drawback.

It was rough on clothes.

A couple of slashes from the bone blades had already torn a large hole in his pants. Luckily, he was wearing a short-sleeved shirt.

The pants were a lost cause; they needed mending.

After deciding to test other bone skills, Symas stripped off his upper garment and trousers, setting them aside.

"Bone Spike!"

Puff! Puff! Puff!

Beneath his skin.

A series of bone spikes emerged, each nearly twenty centimeters long with a noticeable bend.

Without a focused point, these spikes sprouted randomly across his body.

Concentrating on his right leg, ten bone spikes erupted from the calf area.

A single whip kick could now be devastating to an opponent.

These spikes could also serve a defensive purpose when concentrated at a single point.

The final one-star level skill was bone armor.

Beneath his skin formed a thin layer of bone, akin to a suit of white bone armor enveloping his entire body.

What Symas failed to notice, as he utilized the remould worm, was the stark whiteness that overtook his pupils.

If an overlord-level powerhouse were to probe with their mental energy, they'd see countless minuscule remould worms clustered deep within Symas' eyes.

Additionally, his vision had improved subtly.

"Hu!"

After acclimating for a bit, Symas exhaled a deep, turbid breath.

The remould worms required a replenishment of metal power, especially after deploying bone armor, which was the most energy-intensive.

Once depleted, they could be recharged within the confines of the small gold-type pet hive.

The replenishment of their power would be swift.

Moreover, there was a certain mental strain involved, necessitating precise control over the bone blade, bone spike, and bone armor.

Symas was aware of the significant potential for growth in the white bone worm.

Yet, with his current level of mental energy, he was limited to these three basic parasitic skills.

Beyond his Charmander, these were his most formidable assets in battle.

Within the Void Territory.

The Fire Vine and Remex Spiritual Plant were advancing rapidly, thanks to the nurturing environment of the pet hive.

The Fire Vine had reached 69% completion, while the Remex Spiritual Plant had achieved half its growth. The pace of their development was nothing short of astounding.

In just two more days, they will have reached the one-star level.

When that time comes, Symas's combat prowess will surge once more. Should a beast tamer of black iron rank with five or six stars come looking for trouble, he'll be ready to hold his own in a fight.