The Skeleton Soldier Failed to Defend the Dungeon

The radiant mithril full set gleamed magnificently. It was the kind of armor I’d expect a mythical knight to don when slaying an evil dragon. It gave the impression of an heirloom passed down for generations within the imperial guard. This armor looked impervious—not only to crossbow bolts but even to fully charged lances or spiked weapons wielded with immense force.

Am I even worthy of wearing this?

That thought lingered in my mind. Suddenly, I remembered Gith-Za-Rai’s words.

—I’ll take it for you.

A strange sensation climbed through my ribs. When the Ashen Knight appeared, I recalled the moment Gith-Za-Rai had told me to run and extended one of her bony tendrils to hurl me far from danger.

Clatter.

”...”

I didn’t know where the armor Rubia had given me ended up. For now, this armor was my only option. I set aside the two magic staffs temporarily.

Click.

I carefully put on the mithril armor, and I equipped the gloves and boots as well. Fortunately, I wasn’t burned alive for wearing it or anything.

Good.

Made of mithril and adorned with anti-magic runes, this armor’s unparalleled quality felt like its ability to conceal one’s identity was merely a secondary feature. Lastly, I donned the helmet. I glanced at the commander’s severed head, her fierce eyes still wide open. I gently lowered her eyelids with my hand.

You fought well. Rest now.

Strangely enough, the light emanated not from her corpse but from her severed head. I absorbed a vivid green glow.

Ding!

[Tactical Skill (Ground) Lv. 1 acquired!

— Learned Flanking Maneuvers.

— Learned Encirclement and Annihilation.

— Learned Cavalry Charge.

— Learned Diagonal Formation.]

[The effectiveness of acquired tactics depends on the level.

Tactics Level: 1

Currently providing basic effects.]

Hm?

It was an unusual skill. Given the commander’s outstanding performance in battle, I had expected to acquire swordsmanship or spear techniques. Instead, tactical knowledge flowed into my mind, piece by piece.

In this world, superhuman beings like wizards dominated battlefields. This led to humans undervaluing intricate tactics. However, this woman appeared to have studied tactics deeply.

[

]

Concepts I had never encountered before were etched into my mind one by one. It felt like I was absorbing the books she loved to read and the battles she had studied. Perhaps because my absorption level was still at one, the knowledge I received was mostly basic. Even so, I wanted to apply it someday.

In my first life, I experienced war for a long time—but only as a weak Skeleton Soldier with no understanding of what was happening around me. I had no clue where I was moving or the broader context of the battle. Now, with this knowledge, I could make a meaningful contribution on the battlefield someday, even without leading an army.

I’ll find a way to use this eventually.

Combined with the bone mastery skill I’d gained from Gith-Za-Rai, I wondered if I could effectively lead my own legion using tactical skills.

Who knows if I’ll ever get such an opportunity?

Thud.

After absorbing the light, I carefully set the commander’s severed head beside the rest of her body. One by one, I absorbed the light emanating from others. Excluding the long-dead Dullahans and Gith-Za-Rai’s other skeletal soldiers, everyone else emitted a green glow. The relentless absorption made me feel dizzy from the overwhelming radiance.

[Light Armor Mastery Lv. 1 acquired.

Heavy Armor Mastery Lv. 1 acquired.

Imperial Etiquette Lv. 1 acquired.

Doctrine of the Goddess of Repentance, Yemera Lv. 1 acquired.

Doctrine of the Goddess of Fire, Birphon Lv. 1 acquired.

Chivalry Lv. 1 acquired.

Horsemanship Lv. 1 acquired.

Spear Techniques Lv. 2 acquired.

Accounting Lv. 1 acquired.]

Knowing how to wear armor properly, showing proper etiquette, and following the basic doctrines of various religions gradually seeped into my mind. I also learned how to ride a horse, wield a spear, and even manage finances in an estate.

[Digestion time remaining: 23:57:32.]

As I accumulated skills, I felt a fog lifting in my mind, revealing a clearer picture.

I’ll review them all once they’re fully processed.

Skill levels increased slowly now. The higher the level, the more individuals I had to absorb to progress further.

Ding!

[Sprint Lv. 4 acquired!]

After absorbing dozens of imperial warhorses, I finally leveled up Sprint from Lv. 2 to Lv. 4. I tapped the glowing Sprint Lv. 4 notification.

[350% speed boost for 15 minutes!

Cooldown: 50 minutes

Usable three times within 24 hours.]

I had managed to upgrade a skill I first acquired in an E-rank dungeon by two levels. Only exceptional steeds like the imperial guard’s mounts made this possible. Most ordinary horses didn’t even emit light to absorb.

Fifteen minutes at 350%...

Even during cooldowns, my normal speed wouldn’t slow down. I doubted any opponent could keep up with me now. After hours of absorption, I reached out to the green-haired knight and absorbed her energy.

Ding!

[Capacity exceeded.

Currently processing over 50 abilities.

Unable to absorb more at this time.]

So, this is it.

I felt a twinge of regret. What stung even more was that, aside from the abilities that I absorbed from Gith-Za-Rai, everything else I gained were basic skills. I couldn’t absorb any magical or aura-based abilities. I opened the status window and re-examined the details of Essence Absorption Lv. 1.

[Stats capped at 50.

Absorption limited to basic skills at Lv. 1.

Requires targets within 48 hours of death.]

So, this is the limitation.

My abilities were clearly absurd, but they weren’t without limits. I skimmed through the 50 abilities marked as digesting. Those were the various skills I had absorbed from the Imperial Guard and Gith-Za-Rai.

In just 24 hours...

If I fully absorbed all of these, I felt like I would be stepping into an entirely different world. The densely packed list made my nonexistent heart feel like it was racing. Even though I couldn’t use the abilities yet, I felt stronger already.

Absorbing skills and stats, while surpassing the stat levels of opponents with a similar rank, filled me with hope, even though I knew the journey ahead would be long.

Crack.

I turned around, to test my movement.

Time to move.

Though I felt a twinge of regret, a few slots might open up if I waited just a few more hours. I absorbed from the unfortunate prince of Grassmere, and the outer scouting party would finish processing. Even so, I couldn’t linger. The time to leave had already passed. I’d been here far too long.

Clatter.

Looking up, the sun bore down on me, hot and relentless. I grabbed the two magic staffs again. Approaching the emperor’s body, I glanced at it briefly and removed the ring—the imperial seal of the emperor. There was no way it wouldn’t come in handy. With Gith-Za-Rai gone, I felt I should at least take this.

Scanning the surroundings further, I noticed something else.

Gold, huh?

Gold ingots and coins were scattered across the ground, which probably dropped when the carriage overturned. The ingots were no larger than a finger joint—manageable to carry. Each one was stamped with the imperial seal and a serial number. I pocketed five visible ingots and swept up the coins as well.

Now ready to leave, I moved past the corpses of the imperial guards and the countless skeletons. Yet, I still felt regret. Even with the staff, the seal, the gold ingots, and the coins in my possession, so much more was left behind.

Each of the scattered swords was a masterpiece. Though they might not be legendary treasures, they were certainly the imperial guard’s finest weapons. The Dullahans’ demonic swords also stood out. Some were embedded with jewels, others etched with luminous runes. Leaving them all behind felt wasteful.

Is this something I picked up from Rena?

Rena would have found a way to collect everything, even at the risk of her life. Still, walking away without even trying felt wrong.

Hmm...

Then, I had an idea. I picked up a nearby sword and inserted it into the space floating near Gith-Za-Rai. It worked. The sword slid in effortlessly as though the space were swallowing it. When fully inserted, it appeared no longer than ten centimeters—about a tenth of its original size.

I could easily fit forty swords in here.

I slid other swords into the space, one by one. Though I wasn’t particularly skilled at appraising weapons, just the jewels on the hilts indicated their immense value—enough for someone to live comfortably for a lifetime.

I carefully placed the five Dullahans’ swords and a shield adorned with geometric patterns similar to those etched on the mithril armor.

Is this an anti-magic rune?

I also added the lances used by the two knights who first tried to attack Gith-Za-Rai.

Swish.

Each lance, over four meters long, slid into the space effortlessly. Even though they were larger than the swords, they barely made the space appear more crowded. I also stripped and stored a black-cloaked armor set, distinct for its small deer antler-like protrusions on the shoulders.

Additionally, I placed another twenty swords into the space. The sword used by the commander, however, was plain—smooth, silver, and unadorned. I decided to keep it for myself.

Hmm...

The space was nearly full now. I looked at the neatly stored weapons.

Would this be visible to others?

There was no guarantee that this space was visible only to me. If others could see it, my efforts would be meaningless. However, there was no one to ask and nothing I could do to confirm. All I could do was move forward.

I took one last look at Gith-Za-Rai, but my deliberation didn’t last long. I left her corpse amidst the army of skeletons.

She would find the idea of burial rituals utterly ridiculous.

Just as I turned to leave, something caught my eye. Her severed hand was still clutching something.

Should I take that too?

It was the vial of blood extracted from the emperor. The small, finger-sized container had some unknown, transparent material.

Will it be useful? She said it verified his identity...

After some hesitation, I returned to Gith-Za-Rai and retrieved the vial from her hand. It felt like it might have an important role to play. As I pocketed the sample, a string of questions arose in my mind.

Now that the emperor is dead...

Emperor Elton Clemens II, the war instigator, lay dead before me.

Has the future changed?

It hadn’t changed because of me. Up to this point, I hadn’t done anything. Gith-Za-Rai carried out her plan exactly as she intended.

What now? Would the war be averted? Or would another successor rise to start it? The T&T officials failed their assassination plot—what will happen next?

My mind swirled with uncertainties.

I’ll just have to wait and see.