I walked up to the iron bars.
Was he startled by my appearance? He faltered and backed away.
With iron bars between us, what was he so afraid of?
"H-How is a skeleton...?"
As if unable to understand, he muttered with a confused expression.
He wouldn't understand. Because I didn't know the specific reason either.
"Why are you locked up in there?"
I spoke up. He flinched in shock.
"I-It even speaks!?"
Clack, clack—
I clacked my teeth together. Something was strange.
'Usually, when I spoke, other Challengers thought I was a Quest NPC. However, this guy is different.'
In that case, there were two possibilities.
Either this man was a Challenger who had been locked up here for some reason.
Or else this man wasn't a Challenger at all.
I pondered which of the two possibilities was more likely, the former or the latter.
The answer came quickly.
"You aren't a Challenger."
"Then you are...?"
"I am One Hundred."
'You' wasn't my name. I was a Skeleton Soldier with a name.
"One Hundred?"
"Yes. And a Challenger climbing this tower."
At my explanation, he wore an incredulous expression. Still, what could I do? I hadn't lied.
"This is... truly bewildering. I thought someone would come, but...."
"Who are you?"
I had no reason to listen to his grumbling. All that mattered was whether he would be of help to me.
"I am... a Skill Researcher."
"A Skill Researcher?"
"Yes. Wanting to become a proper Challenger, I researched all sorts of skills, however...."
His face darkened. He lowered his gaze and shrank back. What was the problem?
"Unfortunately, I had no talent. All that remains to me is knowledge."
"Knowledge?"
"Yes. Everything regarding skills is inside this head of mine."
He pointed to his temple. My next question came to mind immediately.
"Then why are you locked up here?"
"That is...."
He mumbled evasively. Did he not want to talk about it?
"If you don't want to say, it doesn't matter. Farewell, then."
There was no need to force the story out of him. Therefore, I was about to turn my feet away.
"W-Wait! How can you just leave?!"
"Then what?"
Of course I would just leave; did he mean I needed some special reason to leave?
"P-Please get me out of here!"
"I am a Skeleton Soldier. Aren't you afraid of me?"
"E-Even so...."
He looked conflicted. He had no name.
Those without names weren't special.
"It's a shame, but I have no way of opening these iron bars."
It was a reasonable excuse.
Whether I wanted to help him or not, opening these iron bars by force was impossible.
"A key, there is a key!"
"A key?"
"Yes, it is a brass-colored key. The bastard that locked me up has the key to this cell!"
It was a somewhat incomprehensible situation. What was there to gain by locking this guy up?
'Is it because this guy isn't a Challenger...?'
What monsters were hostile toward were Challengers trying to climb the tower. However, this man wasn't a Challenger.
Was that why they had spared him?
'Perhaps after hearing this guy's request....'
There were Challengers who climbed the stairs right away without searching every room. What if such a Challenger found a human in distress like this?
And if that human asked for help, would they refuse?
'He might be getting used as a kind of bait....'
Even if I found the monster holding that key, there was no way it would hand the key over quietly.
In the end, it was an enemy I would have to fight.
'Hmm... It won't be an ordinary bastard.'
It wouldn't be a Slime. Because those things only ever thought about eating.
If so, it had to be a Skeleton Soldier type like me.
'He said he had no talent, but even so, it's on a level capable of overpowering a human without a single scratch.'
Although the Skill Researcher had admitted he was weak himself, overpowering someone without injuring them was only possible when the gap between them was wide.
"One Hundred—Sir One Hundred?"
I turned my head.
'Is he in such a desperate spot that he's attaching an honorific to a Skeleton Soldier?'
"Please, get me out of here!"
"What's in it for me?"
"That... Ah! Even though I have nothing on me, when it comes to skills, there is no one who can surpass me!"
"And?"
"Um... If you tell me the skills you have learned and your proficiency with them, Sir One Hundred, I can help you acquire new skills."
He poured out his words in an earnest tone.
"New skills...?"
"That is right! As long as the right conditions are met, it is possible to combine skills and develop new skills. That is a method only I know!"
Perhaps thinking this was his only chance, he passionately emphasized his strengths.
"Hmm... I can't give you a definite answer."
"That is fine! If you get the chance, please!"
Leaving the bowing man behind, I moved on to the next room.
[Skill Researcher]
[He devoted his entire life to researching skills, but real combat was different. Help him after he was captured by monsters.]
[Required Item: Brass Key]
The letters that appeared before my eyes gradually grew faint.
***
Rattle— Rattle—
A group of Skeleton Soldiers charged toward me.
The monsters in this room consisted solely of Skeleton Soldiers. However, there were quite a lot of them.
'At a rough count, eleven. No, is it twelve?'
I gripped my mace firmly. In my other hand, the square shield covered my upper body.
When there were many of them, they were tricky to deal with.
However, that was strictly when surrounded.
'Other Skeleton Soldiers are far too weak.'
I moved my body into a corner. At most, three of them could stand around me at once.
The bastard throwing its body at me at the very front.
CRACK—
Crouching down and springing back up, I bashed it with my shield. With a dull sound, it fell to the floor and came apart.
A Skeleton Soldier beside it struck my shoulder bone.
Counterattacking over defending.
Pulling my shield back in, I swung my mace right through.
CRACK—
With a hole punched into its skull, it collapsed.
My Trait and a blunt-type weapon were the natural enemies of skeletons.
Dealing with them wasn't difficult. Bones piled up neatly in front of me.
Like that, I swung my shield and mace for a brief while. With nothing more than repetitive movements, it ended easily.
[Combat EXP acquired.]
[Lv6 (85%)]
'The EXP I get has definitely decreased.'
Leveling up off Skeleton Soldiers alone was difficult. No matter how many of them there were, Skeleton Soldiers were still just Skeleton Soldiers.
Pushing through the bones with my mace, I looked for a key. However, the Brass Key wasn't visible.
'Even a regular key didn't drop.'
I couldn't be certain, but keys seemed to be held by monsters with relatively high levels.
It felt like I had searched almost all the rooms on the third floor. Mulling over the map I had drawn in my head, I moved to the next room.
'This place is...?'
THUD—
The iron bars came down.
A piece of paper was floating in midair.
And beneath it stood a statue.
'An event...!'
It was an altar.
A person laid out atop a stone altar, and blood flowing down beneath it.
RUMBLE—
'I really don't get a choice, huh...!'
The room began to shake. My vision darkened.
This wasn't a good sign.
'Last time it was like this....'
['Noble Sacrifice']
[Offer a sacrifice.]
[Too much is no different from too little. Sacrifice only one person. Through that sacrifice, a blessing will descend upon the others.]
[30:00]
FLASH—
As my vision brightened, letters appeared.
And at the same time, four humans appeared.
Turning my gaze, I examined them.
"Oh no!"
We met again. It was the bald man.
Unlike before, he was wearing iron armor. Had he finally graduated from leather armor?
"How could this be...."
It was a woman I was seeing for the first time. White robes embroidered with a golden cross.
She was a priest. She wore a slightly surprised expression.
"Ghk...."
Oh no.
Another familiar face. Had he said his Trait's name was Bloodthirst?
'I won't be fooled this time....'
Just like before, he was injured. He was wearing bloodstained clothes.
"You bastard!"
Perhaps recognizing him too, the bald man shouted. Then again, he had died by that guy's hands.
"Huh? Oh my... Nothing left to trick you with, then."
And the last one.
She looked at me. I looked at her as well.
"Feirin...!"
"One Hundred?"
It seemed there had been some changes in the meantime. She wore an even more relaxed expression than before.
"One Hundred? You...."
"Long time no see."
"Did you really become a Challenger?"
As if surprised, she looked me over.
"Thanks to you."
Because her words had been the clue I needed, I thanked her sincerely. With a faint smile, Feirin struck the floor with the staff she was holding.
"Summon Skeleton Warrior."
A black abyss opened up, and a Skeleton Warrior crawled out.
Had it changed from a Skeleton Soldier to a Skeleton Warrior? I could naturally tell that her skill level had gone up.
The Skeleton Warrior was equipped not only with a sword and a shield, but with a helmet and armor as well.
"You bastard! I'll offer you up as the sacrifice!"
"Come on, calm down a little."
At the commotion, I turned my head. The bald man lunged forward to grab him by the collar, but the man dodged lightly.
"Hmm? There's another familiar face here."
He spotted me.
"At this point, this is fate—real fate. Let's at least exchange names."
"Ghk...! What is this punk talking about...!"
Scrambling up, the bald man shouted. However, the man lightly ignored him.
"My name's Jack. What about the skeleton over there?"
"One Hundred."
I answered briefly. Something about that guy gave me a bad feeling.
"Good. And how about you over there?"
"Yes? Ah, my name is Helen."
When Jack asked, the priest answered. She looked like a somewhat naive woman.
"Don't ignore me!"
Lashing out in anger, the bald man charged. Dodging lightly again, Jack stuck his foot out and tripped him.
THUD—
With a dull sound, the bald man fell flat on the floor.
"Interrupting while people are talking isn't polite. And you?"
"Feirin."
"See, look at that. Isn't this nice? Are you going to refuse to tell us your name to the very end?"
Jack spoke while looking at the fallen bald man. The bald man breathed roughly with anger.
However, he didn't lunge at him again.
'At least he's learned his lesson.'
He must have realized he was no match for him in skill. After glaring at Jack for a good while, the bald man opened his mouth.
"It's Dekian."
"Dekian. Hmm, manly name."
Jack naturally took control of the atmosphere. Spreading his arms wide, he spoke.
"Well, as you can tell from the message, this event isn't about fighting each other."
"Have you experienced it before?"
Feirin asked. Jack furrowed his brows slightly, but soon smiled.
"Of course. Ah, just so you know...."
SLASH—
Before he could even finish speaking, Dekian ambushed Jack. The two-handed axe he was holding severed Jack's head right off.
"Serves you right after acting so high and mighty!"
A fountain of blood spurted upward. Covered in blood, Dekian looked delighted.
"How dreadful...!"
Helen's face turned pale blue.
Was it because one of her own kind had died?
'Jack didn't bat an eye when fighting people, though....'
Jack was probably closer to a freak. On the other hand, Feirin only furrowed her brows slightly.
"There! The sacrifice is this guy! Doesn't that settle it?!"
Was it because he felt Helen's gaze on him?
Dekian snapped angrily. Then again, one person had to be offered up as a sacrifice anyway.
'It might've ended surprisingly easily....'
It didn't matter to me who died.
'Wait, no....'
I turned my head toward Feirin.
If she died, I felt like it would be a little regrettable. Because she was the only one who had trusted me.
"Come on! The sacrifice has been decided! Hurry up and send down the blessing!"
Looking upward, Dekian shouted. Did he think the System was up above?
"Wait...."
Feirin murmured. Perhaps sensing her unease, the Skeleton Warrior took a combat stance.
"H-How...."
Covering her mouth, Helen let out a gasp. Following her gaze, I turned my head.
"What...!"
"Ha... This fucker, seriously."
It was Jack.
He hadn't died.
Before anyone realized it, his severed head had reattached itself.
"H-How...."
Grimacing, Dekian clutched his arm. Cut quite deeply, he couldn't even lift his wrist.
"Phew... And here I was about to explain...."
Jack lightly licked the blood staining his dagger.
Ptui—
He spat the blood out.
"Doesn't even taste good. Anyway, nobody can die during this event."
Speaking calmly, he smiled.
"Though we can still inflict pain."
"Kyaaagh!"
Jack began hacking away at Dekian. Dekian tried to lift his axe, but the wounds he had suffered seemed bad enough that he couldn't even lift his arm.
"Phew... That feels a bit better now."
Jack wiped the blood on his dagger off onto the fallen Dekian. Collapsed on the floor, Dekian bled.
"He won't die easily. I didn't cut him that deeply, either."
He turned his head.
Rattle—
Feirin's Skeleton Warrior stepped in front of her to block him.
"Hold on, I have no intention of fighting at all. Fighting won't solve anything here anyway."
"Then what does?"
Helen asked in a wary tone. I was curious too.
"A vote."
Smiling, Jack spoke.
"The person chosen as the sacrifice just has to shed their own blood up on that altar."