Still feeling down, Clayton carefully inspected the contents of the iron box.
To his shock, sothing inside shimred with a soft silver glow.
"Damn... since when did my family own sothing this extravagant?" he muttered in disbelief.
Resting in his hands was a crown—gleaming silver, adorned with dazzling gemstones that sparkled with an otherworldly brilliance.
Clayton couldn’t believe sothing so magnificent had been hidden in his ho all this ti. For a brief mont, he even wondered if he was so long-lost prince, destined to rise and rule over millions—just like in the fairy tales.
But the more he thought about it, the less likely it seed. His father had never acted like nobility, and he’d never heard of his mother being a runaway princess who married a commoner.
With no dramatic backstory to cling to, his thoughts drifted in a different direction.
"Don’t tell ... my father or soone in the family once robbed an emperor’s vault?" he thought nervously.
That idea actually felt more plausible. There was no way sothing this valuable just ended up here by chance. This wasn’t a coincidence—it was a legacy, or maybe a secret.
Clayton continued to study the crown, unable to look away. It radiated a refined masculinity—its curves flowed like water, its edges cut like wind, and the serpentine dragon engravings gave it a fierce yet noble presence.
Up close, the craftsmanship was even more astounding. Each detail stood out boldly, yet together they ford a perfectly balanced masterpiece.
The longer he stared, the more enchanted he beca.
But that admiration shattered when he noticed a crack running along the crown’s edge.
A heavy sadness settled over him.
"Can this... even be repaired?" he whispered.
He shook his head. Even if it could, he doubted it would ever be the sa. Worse, any attempt might ruin the perfect harmony of the design.
To him, the crown was still breathtaking—even broken. But had it been intact, it might have fetched a legendary price. Now, its value was anyone’s guess.
A wave of regret swept through him. He cursed his own carelessness. If he could turn back ti, he’d never have been so reckless with sothing so precious.
After a while, he cald himself and glanced around.
That’s when he noticed his seven mini skeletons—standing completely still, staring intently at the crown.
Then it hit him. They were the reason he’d found the box in the first place. That raised a new question: could there be a special connection between them and the crown?
Their curious yet innocent stares were hard to ignore.
Clayton raised the crown.
"Is this what you’ve been looking for all this ti?"
The skeletons, who hadn’t taken their eyes off the crown, imdiately tracked his hand as he moved it. They didn’t speak, but their gaze made the answer clear: yes.
"Do you need this item?" he asked again.
This ti, the skeletons—usually slow and clumsy—nodded rapidly, almost eagerly.
Clayton’s curiosity deepened. He wanted to give them the crown—but he hesitated. It would be a tragedy if sothing this precious were broken or lost again.
He paused.
But as he looked into their loyal, expressionless skulls, he made up his mind.
"Alright... it’s yours."
The skeletons erupted in visible excitent. Even without facial features, their joy was unmistakable.
Clayton smiled. They had helped him so much—they deserved this.
The mont the crown touched their hands, the seven skeletons ford a circle.
Clayton watched closely, puzzled and intrigued.
They raised their bony hands and laid them on the crown with reverent care. Just as Clayton assud they were about to start playing around—
A familiar, blinding light burst forth.
It was the sa silver light that had startled him earlier.
The glow intensified. The crown began to crack... then shatter... and finally disintegrate into glittering ash.
Clayton watched in silent horror—but it wasn’t over yet.
The glowing particles rose gently, then swirled around the skeletons in a radiant cyclone. Each skeleton was engulfed in a cocoon of brilliant light, so intense that Clayton had to squint—his eyes burned just trying to look.
Ti seed to stretch.
Just when he thought the process would never end, the light slowly faded—revealing seven new silhouettes within.
Clayton’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Standing before him were humanoid figures clad in gleaming silver armor.
"Wha... Where did my adorable little skeletons go?!" he cried, rubbing his eyes in shock.
But the image didn’t disappear. It was real.
He rushed over, utterly amazed.
His seven mini skeletons had evolved—now appearing as fully armored dieval knights.
Each one had a unique form and style. No two looked the sa.
Driven by curiosity, Clayton tapped one of the armored figures.
Clang!
Clang!
The sharp tallic sound echoed through the room. Clayton grinned.
"This armor is solid!"
He examined each knight carefully. The more he looked, the more impressed he beca.
"That crown... was more than worth it," he said, firm with satisfaction.
He tried communicating with them. Though they still didn’t speak, waves of telepathy flowed directly into his mind.
The connection was clearer, smoother, more precise.
Clayton finally understood—his skeletons had evolved. Even if their rank hadn’t skyrocketed, their new abilities were extraordinary.
Their strength and durability now rivaled low-tier one-star monsters. No longer fragile—they were real warriors.
Even more incredible: the evolution wasn’t uniform. Each had followed a unique path, as if they’d inherited distinct soul archetypes.
...
The Seven Knights:
Pride – Well-balanced, intelligent, and versatile. Sloth – Towering and slow-moving, but sturdy. Wrath – Sturdy, short-tempered, and fiercely strong. Envy – Sulky and irritating, but fast and nimble. Gluttony – Massive and solid, like a walking fortress. Greed – Short, nimble, and agile. Lust – Graceful and stunning, with almost regal elegance.
Pride, Greed, Gluttony, and Wrath had masculine knightly appearances. Lust, Envy, and Sloth appeared as female knights.
Each bore a distinct soul fla glowing in their eye sockets:
Purple for Pride
Green for Envy
Red for Wrath
Blue for Sloth
Yellow for Greed
Orange for Gluttony
Pink for Lust
Their traits reflected their inner talents and personalities.
Clayton could hardly believe it—if not for the skeletal faces under their helts, he’d have assud they were human.
Eagerly, he led them outside and had them cast a few random spells.
Swoosh! Boom!
Explosions and colorful lights filled the air. Clayton stood in awe.
The spells they cast were far more powerful than those of most low-tier monsters. Honestly, they might have even surpassed his own abilities.
He looked at them, his heart racing with excitent.
But just as his elation peaked—
Crack!
BOOM!
A sharp cracking noise echoed through the air. Clayton turned—and froze.
His majestic, newly-evolved skeletons... were cracking, fragnting—turning to ash.
Clayton stood paralyzed, unable to comprehend what he was seeing.
What... just happened?
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