Klautz had already unloaded all of his inventory. He had scores of puppets standing in silence just behind him. These puppets were useless for him anyway and were something exclusive to Verona's use.

"Look behind me,

" Klautz whispered, wiping her tears.

Verona's shoulders had curled up. Being overpowered by her circumstance she couldn't help but burst her dam.

She lifted her head to look behind Klautz finding he puppets that Klautz had chosen to gift her.

"I have created them just for you. You can take as many of them as you can and control as many as you like. But you have to fight alongside me in those graveyards,

" Klautz continued.

"You can consider this an order or a request from me but you must come otherwise you would lose me too.

"

Saying so, Klautz sighed as he went back to grind. He can't help it if Verona chickens out every time. If that were to happen she would be useless no matter how much of a cheat her class was.

Klautz regrets not getting the puppeteer class but he had to move on anyway. There was a limit to how much he could influence someone.

*slash*

Verona turned around as she watched Klautz slash apart the heads of those skeletal beasts. Some were the size of the man some were twice his size. Her pupils shook as certain words kept ringing in her heart.

'You would lose me too.'

How could she forget? She had lost all of her friends at the Trial of Control. Wasn't the reason she had pledged to herself to survive was because of her friends? Then how could she allow Klautz to walk in danger alone?

Verona shook her head with her eyes closed shut.

'No, I don't want to lose you as well'

*Creak* *Creak*

The puppets moved behind her. This time four of them as she took her step into the graveyard redying her bow.

*swish*

An arrow struck from her bow as it hit the head of a skeleton that was in Klautz's blind zone. It bounces off the skeleton's head. Alas her strength was not yet enough to pierce through their defences.

But soon enough Klautz turned around and slashed the skeletons apart. It was like he had eyes on his back.

*slash*

Klautz smirked.

'Nice'

The puppets came in as they surrounded Verona from all four sides and at the same time she kept shooting with her bow doing everything she could even though her shots were useless.

The puppeteer class was a great cheat so much so that Verona was able to fight the skeletons using her puppets. Her arrows might be lacking in strength but the same wasn't true for her puppet's punches.

"Those are made from manticore bones,

" Klautz whispered.

The strength of the puppet depends on the material used to make it. Though these puppets were overall weaker than a manticore they were still strong enough to crush the heads of these skeleton's one at a time.

Verona's attacks were useless but even so, she gave it her all.

"Shows her resolve. I am happy that she finally rose to accept her responsibilities and her fate.

"

Leaving her at her own terms Klautz turned his attention to the skeletons. There were tons of them running towards him.

Klautz smirked.

"This place is nothing like those weak newbie drills

"

*slash*

Klautz worked them out one by one as he slashed his sword and put an end to their life. His whirling body added with his mysterious footwork made him the death god for the skeletons who were unable to find any of his blind spots no matter from which direction he came.

He didn't even bother to turn and check on Verona. As long as she is not screaming for help Klautz was least interested on her side. What's more? She could always run back out of the graveyard.

All Klautz had in his mind was grinding through his stats.

Strength 1

As his stats grew it became harder and harder for him to get a stat drop.

***

*Crack*

Klautz cracked opened a stamina potion and gulped it down.

*Gulp* *Gulp*

He felt his energy returning to his body. He had killed hundreds of these skeletons but he had got only a few stat drops. That was how grinding worked. Only after killing hundreds of them at your level, you would be able to get a few stats to your name.

That is why the puppeteer class was considered such a cheat. You can fight opponents far stronger than yourself as long as you can get your hands on good materials. In this way, you can level up your stats fast.

But of course, there were a lot of risks involved as in Verona' case. Controlling puppets can be mentally draining.

Klautz turned towards Verona to check up on her. Many of the puppets that Klautz had crafted were already destroyed.

Her clothes were in tatters revealing a deep valley as her chest heaved up and down. She was busy fighting and didn't notice Klautz ogling at her breasts.

'Looks like she is tired'

Klautz himself felt exhausted grinding for hours and hours. Though Verona was only on the defensive she had fired out well.

Klautz walked up to her, slashing a few skeletons in between.

"Don't you have any stamina potions?

" Klautz asked as he took another sip of what was remaining on his vial.

"Stamina Potions?

"

Verona tilted her head to the side. Selena wasn't the only one who wasn't able to pay attention to the speeches thanks to Klautz and his mischiefs.

Klautz frowned.

"What did you spend your money on?

"

Klautz asked, tossing away his vial as he couldn't contain his curiosity. The vial struck to the ground as the glass shattered to pieces.

"Umm… Clothes?

"

Klautz couldn't help but slap his face.

***

Author:

Creation is hard for authors. Cheer me up with your power stones!

Let me know your thoughts about the chapter in the comments sections!