The frightened Skeleton Soldier shook his head.
"A name? What name would a Skeleton Soldier have?"
So he was the same after all. Because he had shown a slightly different reaction, I had gotten my hopes up, but in the end, he was just a Skeleton Soldier.
"I see. Then why were the other monsters bullying you?"
Clack, clack—
The Skeleton Soldier's jaw shook.
"Th-These punks are bastards that changed their class to Skeleton Warrior ahead of me. However, I'm still a Skeleton Soldier...."
"Changed their class...?"
"Yeah. No matter how hard I try, I'm still a Skeleton Soldier. I have no idea why. Those bastards bullied me for being weak."
As if indignant, the Skeleton Soldier trembled at the jaw.
So he expressed anger like that.
It was a little peculiar, but there was no need to waste time here.
"I see."
I was about to turn my feet away. However, I stopped at the voice that followed.
"Help me."
"What did you say?"
"Help me...! Y-You're strong, aren't you? Strong enough to eliminate these bastards...!"
The Skeleton Soldier spoke while pointing at the fallen Skeleton Warriors.
'Is this... the Quest NPC that Feirin talked about...?'
Feirin had known that I was different from regular Skeleton Soldiers. And she had called me a Quest NPC. Could she perhaps have thought of that after seeing a Skeleton Soldier like this one?
"If I help you, what is in it for me?"
"Y-You're going to go around to the other rooms anyway, aren't you?"
"That is right."
"Yeah...! Then while you're going around, deal with the other skeletons for me! Once I become the only Skeleton Soldier on the third floor, there won't be any bastards left to look down on me!"
As soon as the Skeleton Soldier finished speaking, letters appeared.
['The Skeleton Soldier Who Wants to Be Left Alone']
[An unusually weak Skeleton Soldier wants to escape from being bullied. If he becomes the only Skeleton Soldier on the 3rd floor, no one will bully him. Eliminate all skeleton-type monsters on the 3rd floor.]
[Remaining Enemies: 17]
Clack, clack—
I clacked my teeth together.
'Feirin... demanded something from me.'
Certainly, I had intended to go around to every room and deal with the monsters anyway. However, if there was something extra I could get out of it, I ought to get it.
"And the price?"
"The price?"
"Yes. The price for granting your request."
Tilting his head, the Skeleton Soldier spoke up.
"Fine. I've been keeping an item that an intruder dropped before leaving. I'll give you that."
"An intruder?"
"Yeah."
"Can I see what it is?"
"I hid it in a place only I know. Because for all I know, you might attack me after seeing it, right?"
The Skeleton Soldier glared at me. Although he had no eyeballs, I could tell.
'I hadn't thought of doing that, though... that wouldn't be a bad idea either.'
However, this Skeleton Soldier had prepared for that in advance. So even if I attacked him, I wouldn't be able to obtain the item.
"Fine."
"Come back to me once you're done!"
Leaving the Skeleton Soldier behind, I opened the door.
CRACK— CRACK—
Turning back at the sound, I saw the Skeleton Soldier bashing the skull of a fallen Skeleton Warrior.
He must have suffered quite a lot at their hands.
Passing through the dark passage, I moved to the next room.
'This place is....'
Although it wasn't locked with a key this time, a piece of paper lay dropped in the center of the room.
It happened the moment I walked up close and tried to grab the paper.
THUD— THUD— THUD— THUD—
Iron bars dropped down, blocking off the paper.
THWIP—
At the same time, arrows flew in from all directions. They seemed to have shot out from the walls.
Reflexively, I crouched down, but dodging them all had been impossible from the start.
[Poisoned.]
[Immune to poison due to racial trait.]
The letters appeared and disappeared. When I pulled out the arrows lodged in my neck bone and shoulder bone, green mucus glistened on the arrowheads.
'Poison...?'
A Skeleton Soldier didn't get poisoned. Because with only bones remaining, toxins couldn't seep in.
Thankfully, since there was only one trap, I avoided death.
'Anyway....'
While my cracked bones were recovering, I walked toward the paper again.
'Is this paper valuable enough to be worth paying a price for?'
First it had been a key, and this time it was a trap. Wouldn't it be guarded like this because it was something important?
Bending at the waist, I grabbed the paper.
[...The comrades who came with me are starting to change one by one. Having stayed in the tower for too long, they turned into monsters. Before they completely became monsters, I had no choice but to stop them. There was no other way. Yes, no other way....]
Just like before, it was a torn piece of paper.
'Comrades...? Was this written by another Challenger?'
I scanned the surroundings. Since I still needed time until my bones fully recovered, I intended to look around a little more.
I felt along the walls.
I found dense holes.
The arrows must have come out from here.
'Is there nothing else....?'
Nothing else came out. For now, it seemed this piece of paper was the only thing I could obtain in this room.
Let's move to the next room.
***
[Remaining Enemies: 12]
As a Skeleton Warrior collapsed, the number decreased. Approaching a Skeleton Archer, I raised my mace and sword at the same time.
CRACK—
I bashed its head with the mace and brought the sword down on the shoulder holding its bow. With bone fragments scattering across the floor, the bastard crumbled.
[Combat EXP acquired.]
[Congratulations. Level increased.]
[Lv7 (5%)]
As my level went up, my damaged bones were cleanly restored. My appearance was completely different from the loose bones lying collapsed on the floor.
My body felt a little lighter.
'Is it because my level went up?'
There were twelve skeletons remaining ahead. I had to deal with the bastards and return to where the Skeleton Soldier was.
'Is there no key....?'
While passing through the rooms, I had found a blue chest. The problem was that I had no key.
Had paying all of my keys as the price for the yellow chest been the wrong choice? However, regret was of no help to me.
'Let's move for now.'
Choosing one of the doors, I moved forward.
"My stomach hurts...."
"It hurts so much...."
These voices belonged to Slimes. However, what they were saying was a little different.
Masses of purple mucus approached. And stains were left behind along the paths they had crawled over.
'I shouldn't approach them rashly.'
Wondering if they were the type to spit mucus like Acid Slimes, I kept my distance. However, they only crawled toward me without spitting any mucus.
Since there was space on my armor, I hung the sword at my waist and gripped the mace. I didn't want to swing my sword for nothing and damage the weapon.
I tried to circle around them. When I stepped on a stain on the floor, letters surfaced.
[Poisoned.]
[Immune to poison due to racial trait.]
The exact same letters as when I had been hit by the poison arrows.
'Do these Slimes... carry poison?'
It was a method of dealing with Challengers after they had been weakened by poison. Unfortunately for them, this Challenger was me, a Skeleton Soldier.
Now that I knew what the stains were, there was nothing to hesitate over.
I swung my mace.
Mucus splattered in all directions and stains got all over my bones, but it didn't matter.
Aside from one side of my vision being cluttered by the letters popping up before my eyes, there was no problem at all.
CRUNCH—
When I hit a core squarely, the mucus bubbled and fell away. Dealing with the Slimes one by one like that, I was able to clear them out quickly.
'No key... as expected.'
There had never been a case where I obtained a key after facing Slime-type enemies.
If I tried a few more times and still didn't find one, I shouldn't bother looking for keys whenever I met Slime-type monsters. Because it would just be a waste of time.
I headed to the next room.
"Ah... Welcome."
It was the Great Merchant. It felt like it had been a long time since I last saw him.
"Long time no see."
"Customer, you have gathered quite a lot of Gold."
The Great Merchant spoke in a satisfied voice. At his words, I walked up in front of him and checked the Gold I held.
'185 Gold, huh... I really did gather a lot.'
As far as I knew, there was nowhere to use Gold other than with the Great Merchant. What was more, once the Reset happened, any Gold I had gathered would disappear.
'That means it's best to use up my Gold whenever possible....'
It was different from EXP and skills. Levels were preserved in the form of Traits, and skills were kept as they were.
It happened just as I turned my face to examine his bundle.
"From customers who have a lot of Gold like yourself... I accept investments."
"Investments?"
"Yes. Depending on the amount you invest, Customer, I can procure much better goods."
The Great Merchant explained calmly.
The caliber of the items he had laid out right now wasn't all that good.
'A rat-hide helmet, an old curse doll, and a rusted short spear, huh....'
If I were to buy anything among them, I would buy the rat-hide helmet. Considering the times I had died, it had always been when my skull was destroyed.
'Since it seems I get sent back whenever my head is smashed....'
Of course, my body was important too. What use would there be in having only my head left?
However, if I wanted to avoid the situation of rising from the grave again, I had to protect my head.
"If I make an investment, how much must I put in?"
"Basically, I accept them in units of 100 Gold. As a sample, if you make an investment, I can procure an item like this."
Rummaging through his bundle, the Great Merchant pulled out an iron helmet. Shining with a smooth polish, the helmet looked sturdy at a glance.
"Was that item not already inside your bundle?"
"Of course, I have several items of this caliber. However, I cannot just sell them to any customer. Providing appropriate goods to customers who prove their worth—is that not the virtue of a Great Merchant?"
Clack, clack—
The Great Merchant clacked his teeth together. It seemed that worth was determined by the amount I invested.
'Simply put, it means the higher the investment, the better the goods he'll put out.'
The price of the iron helmet was 80 Gold. It was a pretty steep price.
'Still....'
Even after paying 100 Gold, I would have 85 Gold left, so I could buy it. Though of course, after the transaction, I would only have 5 Gold left.
'Even if I rise from the grave again, my money doesn't carry over.'
I had to buy things when I could buy them. Having finished my judgment, I made up my mind to invest.
"An excellent choice. I will repay you with goods you will not regret."
Having received the 100 Gold, the Great Merchant swept up the previous items and displayed different items in an instant.
[Great Merchant's Bundle Shop (In - 100G)]
[Polished Steel Armor (90G) / Polished Steel Helmet (80G) / Scroll of Charm (150G)]
[Current Gold Held – 85G]
A number had appeared next to the shop's name. It definitely showed my investment amount.
'Scroll of Charm?'
Since it was my first time seeing an item type called a scroll, I turned my head toward it.
Its price was considerable, too.
['Scroll of Charm']
[Magic]
[Turns one enemy into an ally when used. (1 Use)]
[Friendship that transcends race—with charm magic, it is possible.]
'What an amazing effect....'
It reduced the enemies by one and increased my allies by one. You might think it was only a single enemy, but a difference of one could decide victory or defeat.
'However... does it disappear after I use it once?'
Seeing as it was limited to 1 Use, it seemed I couldn't use it repeatedly.
"I will take this one."
For now, I purchased the steel helmet I had intended to buy.
Clang, clang—
When I tapped it, it made a metallic sound. Although it was a little heavy, it was sturdy.
"Thank you. Let us meet again next time."
Perhaps knowing that I had no Gold left to spend, he didn't say anything else. Was knowing the state of the other party's pockets also the virtue of a Great Merchant?
***
[Combat EXP acquired.]
[Congratulations. Level increased.]
[Lv8 (3%)]
Along with reaching Level 8, I had dealt with all the skeleton monsters.
[Remaining Enemies: 0]
'That was faster than I thought.'
Was it because my level had gone up? Or perhaps it was because I had grown used to fighting Skeleton Warriors. Either way, it didn't matter.
For now, to return to where the Skeleton Soldier was, I retraced the path using my memory.
"Did you deal with all of them!?"
As soon as I stepped into the room, the Skeleton Soldier stood up and shouted. However, his appearance looked a little bizarre.
His body had changed abnormally.
'Bones....'
He seemed to have attached the bones of the dead Skeleton Warriors onto his own bones. Since he had stuck on bones that didn't fit, it was only natural that he looked strange.
"As promised, I dealt with all of them."
"Really?!"
Clack, clack—
The Skeleton Soldier clacked his jaw. Because his frame had grown a little larger, I had to raise my head to look at him.
"You may go check if you like, since I dealt with all the other monsters too."
"No, I'll take your word for it."
Although I pointed toward the door of the room, the Skeleton Soldier didn't move.
"Then as promised...."
"Wait."
The Skeleton Soldier cut me off. He wasn't trying to go back on his word now, was he?
"What is it?"
"This is different from our promise, isn't it?"
"What did you say?"
Different from our promise—just what on earth was he talking about?
Creak— Creeeak—
The bones he had forcibly pieced together moved, making an eerie sound. Approaching me, the Skeleton Soldier spoke.
"There's still one left."
"One left?"
"Every skeleton on the third floor has to disappear."
The Skeleton Soldier bent at the waist.
Looking up close, his frame had grown even larger than I thought. He looked as if he were wearing armor made of bones.
"Aren't you a skeleton too?"
The Skeleton Soldier's thin finger bone pointed at me as he shouted.
"You have to disappear too! Because I'm the only skeleton on the third floor!"