For now, the door was open.
What I had to find was the key, or a monster holding the key.
"Then please wait just a moment."
"You have 15 minutes."
Leaving Feirin's words behind, I stepped out of the room. Passing through the dark passage, I arrived at the next room.
'Where's the key?'
It was a Slime room. They didn't attack me.
They were bastards that only knew how to say they were hungry.
'It's not here.'
I immediately turned my gaze away. Considering the time it would take to return, I couldn't afford to take my time.
The next room was an empty room.
'There're empty rooms too?'
There were no monsters. However, the floor was a little different.
A floor pierced with dense holes, and a door visible beyond it.
'The door's over there....'
I looked around to see if the key might have been dropped somewhere, but as expected, it wasn't there.
I had to go to the next room.
It happened the moment I took a step forward in my haste.
CLANK—
Along with the sound, sharp iron spikes shot up from the floor.
"That was close...."
The iron spikes looked to be about the height of my waist. An intruder would have been skewered on the spot, but I was a skeleton.
Although the iron spikes scratched my bone joints, they didn't pierce through them. Most of the iron spikes simply filled the empty spaces between my bones.
Traps didn't distinguish between friend and foe. That was good information.
Creak— Creeeak—
As I waited for a moment, the iron spikes slowly lowered back down. The sound was eerie.
'Oh no... I wasted time.'
If we had to pass through this way, I would have to let Feirin know. Because it would be trouble if the one who was going to guide me to the second floor got hurt.
And then I passed through another passage. I looked at the time floating in the air.
[11:02]
It had taken four minutes to get this far. It was taking a surprisingly long time.
Even by a simple calculation, considering the time to go back, it would take an additional four minutes, and splitting the remaining three minutes in half left one minute and thirty seconds.
I had to find the key within one minute and thirty seconds.
BANG—!
In my urgency, I kicked the door open.
"What the?"
Four Skeleton Soldiers. They were looking at me.
"Isn't that a Skeleton Soldier?"
"I thought it was an intruder."
"Why'd that friend come out of his own room?"
"Let's ask him ourselves."
Clacking their jaws, the bastards called out to me.
"Hey, you there! How'd you get here?"
I was sorry, but I didn't have time to converse with you bastards. I quickly scanned their bone joints.
Wondering if one of them might have a key like Beanpole had before.
'Nothing...!'
I immediately turned my gaze away. Excluding the door I had come through, there were two doors. Given the time remaining, I could only choose one of them.
"Is he mute?"
"Where would you find a mute among Skeleton Soldiers, you stupid bastard?"
They were noisy.
While those Skeleton Soldiers spouted nonsense, I stood before the most important decision of my life.
Were the odds fifty-fifty? Or would I fail to find the key no matter which way I went?
One thing was certain: if I didn't check, the probability was flat zero.
'This way.'
If someone asked what my basis was, I would call it a gut feeling.
Though if they asked whether a Skeleton Soldier even had a gut to feel with, I would have nothing to say.
"That friend's leaving?"
"Let him go. The four of us are enough to stop any intruders."
Leaving their nonsense behind, I opened the door.
A short passage.
'Could it be....'
I opened the door.
Just as I thought. It was a room with a chest.
However, the color of the chest was a little different.
It wasn't an ordinary chest made of brown wood.
'This is....'
It was blue. Did the color of the chest mean something?
'No, now isn't the time for this.'
It wasn't the time to study the chest. I looked at the time again.
[08:11]
Was it thanks to running here in a hurry? I had a little bit of time to spare.
However, I didn't have enough leeway to stand around pondering. I passed the chest and opened the door on the opposite side.
'Hurry... Hurry!'
THUD—
Sprinting blindly, I crashed into a wall.
It was a corner. I immediately turned and changed direction.
Another door appeared.
"Found it!"
I could tell as soon as I opened the door.
The key. The key was floating in midair.
There was no particular danger. There were no monsters either. Only a few graves of bones piled up.
How to obtain that thing wasn't important. That was something for Feirin to figure out on her own.
'What's the time?'
[07:24]
As soon as I checked, I immediately turned around. I sprinted quickly back down the way I had come.
"That friend's back again...."
I had no time to pay attention to the idiots' words. I ran with all my might.
For this moment, at least, I was grateful to be a Skeleton Soldier. Because a Skeleton Soldier didn't get tired.
It was the room with the trap.
Here, I barely managed to stop right in front of the floor with the holes.
I quickly stepped back and prepared for a running start.
'Here I go!'
Rattle— Rattle—
With every step I ran, my jaw shook and made a sound. I threw my body forward and rolled.
CRACK—
I heard a dull sound. Thankfully, the trap didn't activate.
It was just as I thought.
Considering the sound it had made when I stepped on it, the activation condition for the trap had to be something pressing down on top of it. As long as I didn't touch it, I would be fine.
I raised my body. However, strangely, my field of vision was tilted downward.
'Oh no....'
I felt around my neck. Perhaps something had gone wrong when I rolled my body, because there seemed to be a problem with my neck bone.
'Still, I didn't die, so....'
Thankfully, nothing was wrong with my torso. Let's run.
Going back after that wasn't difficult.
The time remaining when I arrived at the room where Feirin was waiting.
[02:11]
I had left a whopping two minutes to spare. I really had run hard.
"Lady Feirin."
"You managed to escape...."
Turning her head at my voice, Feirin flinched in surprise. Why was she acting like that?
"You...."
Feirin looked at me with strange eyes. Seriously, why was she acting like that?
Soon, her face twitched before her mouth stretched wide to the sides.
"What on earth is with that state you're in?"
She was laughing, and the only thing she had to say was a question about the state I was in?
She was an incomprehensible woman. The problem was that I had no way to check my own appearance.
"Ah... What an amusing skeleton."
"I am One Hundred."
Not even Skeleton Soldier, just skeleton—that was too much. To say it again, my name was One Hundred.
I spoke firmly to remind her of that fact.
"Right, One Hundred. Got it. Did you find the key?"
Her laughter subsided, and she returned to her original expression.
If I had facial skin, what kind of expression would I be making right now?
"Did you fail to find it?"
She asked again.
Seeing how she was fiddling with her staff, it seemed she intended to summon her Skeleton Soldier if I hadn't found it.
Laughing right up until a moment ago, only to act like this—humans truly were impossible to understand.
"I found it."
"Is that so. Then...."
Feirin rummaged through her robes.
A moment later, she held a rolled-up piece of parchment in her hand.
"Unfold this."
She handed the parchment to me. After hesitating briefly, I took it.
Since she told me to unfold it, I should unfold it.
When I unfolded it sideways, it was completely blank.
"What am I supposed to do with this...."
Clack, clack—
My jaw moved on its own.
Black ink moved across the parchment as if it were alive. Even though I hadn't done anything.
'Is this... a map?'
The black ink moved and drew rectangles. They seemed to represent rooms and passages.
That wasn't all. There were ovals and skulls as well.
The ovals probably meant Slimes, and the skulls naturally meant Skeleton Soldiers like me.
As if pulling the contents straight out of my head, the map was completed.
"If it's done, hand it over."
"Ah, here it is."
Having stared blankly at the map, I handed the parchment back to her.
Feirin examined the map and looked at me with a satisfied face.
"Good, so it wasn't a lie."
"Of course."
"Hmm?"
Examining the map again, she smiled.
"I'm unusually lucky today. A Quest NPC, and even a rare chest."
'A rare chest...?'
If she meant a chest, was she talking about that blue chest? Wait, what did she mean by a rare chest?
"Good. Let's move. It looks like I'll be able to climb pretty high today."
Feirin looked to be in a much better mood. Perhaps thanks to my faithfully completing the job, her wariness seemed to have disappeared as well.
I followed behind her. However, Feirin gestured with her chin.
"Yes?"
"That means stand in front."
Let me correct myself. Her wariness remained.
Ending up as her guide like that, I arrived at the Slime room.
"Going to eat...!"
"Eat...!"
The Slimes began to slowly crawl over. Feirin summoned her Skeleton Soldier.
"Go hide in a corner somewhere."
Those were welcome words. I had wondered what I would do if she told me to fight too.
Without a word of complaint, I slipped into a corner and watched her battle.
Feirin's Skeleton Soldier didn't seem to have any thoughts at all. However, its combat ability alone was outstanding.
It aimed accurately for the Slimes' cores and struck. With its core destroyed, a Slime turned into a puddle of water on the spot.
Another Slime clung to the Skeleton Soldier's leg.
SIZZLE—
Holes formed in its leg bone. However, the Skeleton Soldier felt no pain.
Indifferently, clacking its jaw, it simply swung its sword.
"Next."
The battle ended, and the iron bars went up. Feirin gave a concise command.
Next was the room with the trap.
"This trap is...."
"I know."
I missed my chance to explain. Instead of crossing right away, she scanned the surroundings.
Having been about to jump across, I had to stop at her actions.
Tap— Tap—
She tapped the perforated floor tiles one by one. Every time her staff touched one, iron spikes shot up.
Tap, tap—
"It's here."
She tapped one of the floor tiles, and the iron spikes didn't come out. She calmly stepped onto that spot on the floor.
"It is dangerous...!"
I shouted in surprise, but I soon swallowed my voice. She walked across at a leisurely pace.
"Hurry up."
Her method of breaking through the trap was superior to mine. Was it the difference in experience after all?
'It's become certain that intruders come to this place repeatedly....'
My guess had been right after all. I crossed over by following the path she had taken.
The next room was the place with the four Skeleton Soldiers.
'Hmm....'
I hesitated a little in front of the passage.
"What is it?"
Feirin asked.
"There are four Skeleton Soldiers ahead. Will you be all right?"
Although her Skeleton Soldier was strong, there were four Skeleton Soldiers. No matter what, wasn't the power of numbers something that couldn't be ignored?
And that wasn't the only thing bothering me.
'Will they think of me as a traitor...?'
What would those Skeleton Soldiers think of me coming here with Feirin? To put it badly, wasn't I acting as a lackey for an intruder right now?
Of course, I had no desire to look good to those idiots. What I was worried about was my own safety.
'The Skeleton Soldiers might attack me too....'
If that happened, would I have to fight as well?
"I'm not afraid of the likes of Skeleton Soldiers."
Feirin answered calmly.
'I'm a Skeleton Soldier too, though....'
Even if I was special, I was still a Skeleton Soldier, yet she said that so brazenly right in front of me. If I had been human, wouldn't my feelings have been hurt?
"Then I will go in."
I opened the door.
"Huh, that friend again...."
"It's an intruder!"
Spotting me, the Skeleton Soldiers immediately took combat stances. I stepped back a pace.
Feirin's Skeleton Soldier charged toward the bastards.
'Hmm....'
In the midst of that, I was able to learn one fact. Other Skeleton Soldiers seemed unable to think of anything else once an intruder appeared.
Big Guy and Beanpole had also attacked blindly as if following instinct whenever an intruder appeared.
It was a moment that made me realize anew that I was special.
While I was thinking that, Feirin's Skeleton Soldier had already taken care of two enemies. The remaining Skeleton Soldiers aimed for an opening and swung their fists, but it wasn't on a level that Level 1 Skeleton Soldiers could handle.
CRUMBLE—
Bones disintegrated in midair and scattered across the floor.
They were weak—far too weak.
'If I weren't special....'
I would have been in the same boat as them.
However, I was a Level 3 Skeleton Soldier. Among the first-floor monsters, wasn't I the strongest monster?
"Next."
When Feirin struck the floor, the Skeleton Soldier returned.
We passed the chest room. The greed showing on Feirin's face was striking.
'Just what's inside it....'
When we arrived at the key room, Feirin's face hardened.
"No wonder there was a rare chest...."
I turned my head, following her gaze.
RUMBLE—
The abyss from which Feirin's Skeleton Soldier had emerged formed in the center of the room. The problem was the unidentified object rising up out of that abyss.
'What's that?'
The very first word that came to mind.
A scream.
It was a stone statue carved in the likeness of humans looking up and screaming.
The abyss closed.
"No wonder my luck was so good...."
Feirin bit her lip and gripped her staff with both hands.
AAAARGH—!
A scream that rang right inside my head burst out. The eyes of the stone statue glowed red.
The graves of bones shook.
Rattle—
Bones assembled themselves, creating Skeleton Soldiers.
One, two, three, four.
The numbers grew and grew. Without realizing it, I stepped back.
"Survive on your own!"
It was Feirin's voice.
Was she talking to me?
She slammed her staff fiercely against the floor. Her loyal Skeleton Soldier revealed itself from the abyss.