The Skeleton Soldier Failed to Defend the Dungeon

[Recovering health...]

[17.71%...]

My health slowly recovered. Bit by bit, my mind cleared up. First, I decided to assess my current situation.

Status window.

[Lv. 18 (152)

Health: 51 (New!)

Strength: 73

Agility: 71

Wisdom: 50]

It had been nearly two months since I last opened the status window, as I had been too absorbed in training. Compared to when I started this life, my Agility and Strength had slightly increased. However, the Health stat flickered in red.

So, I lost ten points.

I trained excessively, hoping to achieve enlightenment. I was so close, but I ended up losing ten Health points instead. Still, with my second-tier Essence Absorption skill, I could absorb up to seventy-five stats. It wouldn’t be difficult to replenish the drop in the Health stat.

Hmm.

I scrolled down to check the densely packed, dazzling skill window. There were dozens of entries. Among the countless skills and perks, one stood out.

[Sword Energy Lv.1 (Rare)]

[— Swordsmanship level is 10 or higher.

— Insight Lv.1 has been obtained.

— Skill lock has been lifted!]

The Sword Energy skill also came with a fairly detailed description.

[Congratulations!]

[Most warriors could only dream of attaining Sword Energy. Even talented martial artists often spend their entire lives training without ever getting close to it. The skill requires a high level of swordsmanship and mastery of energy control and release. By using Sword Energy, the destructive power of the blade...]

I calmly read through the skill description.

[A basic understanding of swordsmanship is also necessary, but any warrior who dreams of wielding Sword Energy would already possess such insight.]

What?

I tilted my head in confusion. In the end, the difficulty lay in achieving a high level of swordsmanship and acquiring the Sword Energy skill. Because I failed to grasp that realization, I lost ten Health points and struggled for two months.

I had always known. A Skeleton Soldier operated under similar standards as a human with no talent, aptitude, or will.

But why? Why is it like this?

In my first life as a Skeleton Soldier, I never had the time to think deeply, let alone question aspects of my life. I had forced myself to accept things as they were—not that it would’ve changed anything. All my energy had been focused on taking one step at a time, ensuring that I didn’t shatter.

At that time, the ceiling of my small world had seemed so out of reach. But now, I could feel something blocking my path. I could touch the walls. I could feel the ceiling.

Naturally, that wasn’t the only one. There were countless barriers layered above. I thought about the lives that existed between those partitions: F-rank adventurers, bandits, D-rank mercenaries involved in human trafficking, crime syndicates disguised as guards, giant spiders, those who bred goblin colonies, and imperial knights.

I was climbing upward, stealing their powers. If I continued dying and reviving, perhaps one day, I would come face to face with whatever had created this structure.

Clatter.

I shook my head, dismissed the thoughts, and picked up my sword. It was time to test the power I had gained.

Sword Energy.

Vrrrrrrr!

The worn iron sword trembled, enveloped with a pale blue energy.

Swoosh!

As I swung the sword, the stagnant air trembled. The sharpness and piercing force of the blade’s energy felt more vivid than anything else.

At this level...

I raised the sword and thrust it into the cave wall.

Crack!

The blade pierced through the rock as though it were made of tofu. I didn’t even need to exert much force.

Ding!

A message appeared in the air.

[Sword Energy is affected by stats. Destructive power scales with Strength. Accuracy scales with Agility. Stability and duration scale with Wisdom.]

Swish!

The vibrating sword withdrew from the cave wall. As I willed it, a faint thread of blue energy, no wider than a fingertip, clung to the blade tip. It coiled around the blade tip, forming a solid blue edge.

I recalled the marquis’ sword energy. Mine still couldn’t match the massive, towering forms he had conjured. But this was an important first step.

Ruuuuumble!

The sword hummed. In my first life, I didn’t even dare to dream of reaching this realm. Now, it was unfolding right at my fingertips.

Acid.

[Activating Acid Lv.5!]

I infused the Kraken’s Acid skill into my sword energy.

Sizzle!

The transparent energy fused into the blue aura, and smoke began to rise. Now, the sword energy was overlaid with a corrosive property capable of dissolving matter.

Shhhhh!

Even at a glance, the energy radiating from the sword looked extremely dangerous. Holding it for too long would be hazardous. Without hesitation, I swung it at the cave wall.

Crack! Sizzle!

The solid rock bore deep, massive scars that were wider than the blade and deeper than the sword itself.

Suction!

[Activating Suction Lv.5!]

Crackle!

As I swung my sword toward a stalactite, the surrounding stalagmites and stalactites suddenly snapped and clung to the blade. The range and intensity were far greater than when I had used Suction alone.

Crack! Crack!

The stalactites caught by the sword energy shattered wildly, either clinging to the sword or crumbling into dust and collapsing to the ground.

I took a quick step back. I had only intended to mix the effects as an experiment, but the result was overwhelming. The surroundings had been completely reduced to ruins.

I didn’t expect it to be this powerful.

I was marveling at the overwhelming force when the iron sword cracked.

Crack! Crackle!

[Warning! Weapon durability has dropped below 30%!]

Damn it.

Crackle!

Dispel!

I immediately suppressed Sword Energy, Acid, and Suction.

Sizzle!

Crackle!

Even after retracting the energy, the iron sword continued to crack for several seconds.

[Warning! Weapon durability has dropped below 25%!]

[Warning! Weapon durability has dropped below 22%!]

Only then did the warning messages stop. I carefully lowered the iron sword, which was releasing wisps of smoke.

I need to replace my weapon first.

A place immediately came to mind—Grassmere. Two months ago, I had sent Rena there, along with the A-rank weapon crafting voucher from Baron Chandler.

Would she still be waiting for me there, just as I’d written in my letter? Even if she were gone, I wouldn’t resent her. In fact, that would relieve me of some responsibility.

Up until now, Rena had never refused my request or betrayed me. Even when our relationship hadn’t been particularly close, she tried to take responsibility for me until the end.

It was almost inexplicable. If nothing had happened, the chances were high that she would still be there. Having someone waiting for me was a strange feeling.

As long as they’re not chasing me...

Clatter.

I thought of the marquis. In my previous life, he had appeared in the second week, but now, there were no signs of him even after two months.

I should leave.

Before heading straight to Grassmere, there was a place I wanted to stop at. Even if the marquis couldn’t easily break through the labyrinth-like cave, other knights or wizards could’ve been searching the area.

I had wiped out the Yublam guards and left Baal’s temple unattended. The future could change at any moment.

I should check the lodge.

I planned to stop by the hunter’s lodge, where I had once hidden from the marquis, and watch for any pursuers. Besides, Kevin Ashton’s book was there. There was no harm in retrieving it.

Rustle...

I pushed through the undergrowth at the entrance and stepped outside. It was raining.

It must be late autumn.

The maple leaves, now fully colored, fell one by one, accompanied by the droplets.

I stepped onto the narrow, rugged path leading to the hunter’s lodge.

Detection.

Out of habit, I activated the skill, but all I could hear was the sound of rain. Both the hunters and the beasts seemed to be lying low.

Crack!

A memory surfaced—the feel of the marquis’ hands as he pulled out my jawbone while riding down the path on horseback.

...Is he really not coming after me?

Isabelle was dead. Who was that gray-haired fanatic going to blame now? Who would he chase?

I quietly mourned whoever his next target would be as I climbed for about an hour.

There it is again.

A familiar, rusted black trap came into view. The wolf cub’s remains, still ensnared in the trap, had long since withered away. Out of habit, I reached down and opened the trap for the second time.

With a faint click, the bones fell free. The area where the trap had clamped onto the bone bore deep, severe markings. The wolf cub’s once snowy white fur and bright blue eyes were long gone. I carefully stroked its skull.

Ding!

The familiar sound was followed by a message asking if I wanted to use Lord of Bones.

Of course.

Clatter!

For the second time, the wolf cub’s bones rose. Last time, the marquis had shattered it. Perhaps, this time... I could protect it.

Clack... Clack...

I placed it on the ground, but it struggled to stand properly on all four legs. It seemed the prolonged exposure to rain had soaked into its bones, weathering it and weakening it significantly.

I felt sorry for it. It had once warned me of the troll’s presence at the cost of its life.

Clatter.

I picked up the unsteady wolf cub and continued walking. A series of notifications popped up, indicating that the wolf cub’s Affection had increased.

That’s rising fast.

It wasn’t surprising. It wasn’t hard to imagine what kind of emotions it would have developed if it had been abandoned, trapped, and left to endure loneliness and cold for so long.

After about ten minutes of walking, the lodge came into view, its stone walls stacked high. I stood before the door.

Swish!

I drew my sword and activated Sword Energy. The lock snapped apart effortlessly and soundlessly. I pushed open the door and stepped inside. Unlike before, the air no longer smelled of blood or preservatives.

Whoosh!

I lit the lantern, filling the room with a dim, hazy glow. The completed sign that read ”Troll Family” stood before me.

The work is finished.

I ascended to the second floor and set the wolf cub on the bed.

Clack! Clack!

It began making small, cautious movements atop the bed, practicing to move. I stepped onto the terrace and sat in a chair, scanning my surroundings.

Drip! Drip, drip!

Focus. Detection.

For a long time, I maintained both skills. I expanded my detection range as much as possible, ensuring I didn’t miss a single detail. The wind carried the rain. Wet leaves scattered through the air.

Wooooong!

A long time passed, yet I didn’t find anything. Even the small creatures seemed to have disappeared into their burrows. The wolf cub clattered its bones as it approached me. In a previous regression, it had sensed an intruder and gone outside.

I lifted it onto my lap, cradling it with my arms to shield it from the wind. The marquis did not come. There were no footsteps.

Hmm.

One last task remained. I went inside and picked up the book lying next to the bed. It was still in the exact same place.

Whoosh!

I relit the lantern. The title and author’s name came into view.

If You Want to Kill a Troll by Kevin Ashton.

I focused as I reached the final page. There was a sentence at the bottom, but it was handwritten, rather than printed.

With broken fragments do interact.

I realized, I can read it clearly.

At first, the writing seemed eerie. But now, I could read it perfectly at a glance. Beneath it, a number appeared, sliding into view.

1/7

This wasn’t here before.