Rattle— Rattle—
The Skeleton Soldiers kept increasing. However, Feirin only had one Skeleton Soldier.
'There're so many....'
Level 1 Skeleton Soldiers.
I was a Skeleton Soldier too, and even to my eyes, Skeleton Soldiers were weak.
Now, however, my thoughts had changed.
Even if they were Level 1, the power of numbers was immense.
"If you're not going to help, stay crouched in a corner!"
Feirin snapped angrily. That probably meant she was feeling pressed as well.
Stepping aside, I mulled over her words.
'Help her...?'
The targets of the Skeleton Soldiers that had emerged from the graves of bones were Feirin and her Skeleton Soldier.
I wasn't their target. So was there any reason I had to help her?
'The second floor....'
If she died, the Reset would proceed again. What were the odds of meeting another intruder I could communicate with like her?
On the other hand, what were the odds of winning if I helped her?
Which side was more profitable for me?
CRUMBLE—
Feirin moved here and there, swinging her staff. Did she have some skill in staff fighting as well?
'Or are the Skeleton Soldiers just weak....'
Whenever a Skeleton Soldier fell, a new Skeleton Soldier was created from the graves of bones. Was there even an end to this fight in the first place?
'There must be... If there weren't, would there be any reason for her to try that hard?'
Let's consider the case where she survived. If she dealt with all of these Skeleton Soldiers, would Feirin view me favorably then?
'Me, when I didn't even lift a single finger bone....'
Of course, the promise I had made with her was strictly to guide her to where the key was. Strictly speaking, my obligation ended here. All that remained was for her to take me to the second floor.
'So I don't necessarily have to help her.'
It was a logical and reasonable conclusion. One wrong move and I would die, and if that happened, I would have to return to the grave again.
However.
Even so, there was one reason I was hesitating. It was because of her words.
'If you're not going to help....'
In other words, it was the fact that Feirin expected me to help. If I failed to meet her expectations, would there be a disadvantage for me?
'She might dispose of me as soon as we arrive on the second floor.'
I discovered a blind spot in our promise.
Just as I had only found the key for her, wouldn't Feirin also only take me to the second floor? After that, there was no promise whatsoever.
In that case.
'It's better to make her owe me a debt.'
CRACK—
Reaching a conclusion, I raised my head. Although my appearance looked strange with my neck bone twisted, there was no inconvenience in moving.
Several of them were clinging to Feirin's Skeleton Soldier. It looked as if it had become a grave of bones in itself. Meanwhile, she was busy keeping her distance and dealing with the Skeleton Soldiers.
I quickly went to her Skeleton Soldier's side.
CRACK— CRACK—
Even moving looked difficult for it. Looking now, one of its arms had fallen off.
'This is....'
My gaze turned to the sword its hand bones were gripping tightly.
THUD—
Unable to hold out, the Skeleton Soldier collapsed. Other Skeleton Soldiers climbed on top of it and rained punches down on it.
I pried open its stiff fingers and pulled out the sword.
It was heavy. Not quite as heavy as the axe, but it was hard to swing with one hand.
In the end, I gripped the sword with both hands.
[Skeleton Soldier's One-Handed Longsword – Both Hands]
[Slash]
[A longsword used by a Skeleton Soldier bound to a Necromancer.]
[Equipped with both hands: Attack Power increased by 20%.]
I read the letters quickly.
'Necromancer—that must mean Feirin.'
Since it was my first time holding a sword, I didn't know how to use it. However, even if I didn't know, I could still swing it.
Vaguely recalling how others had fought, I swung the sword.
CRACK—
A Skeleton Soldier's ribs broke, and it toppled backward.
And at that moment.
['Scream of the Dead']
[Eliminate all enemies.]
[The dead have appeared from the abyss. Send the dead back to the abyss and acquire a reward.]
[Remaining Enemies: 12]
'What's this?'
Rattle—
The Skeleton Soldiers turned their heads toward me. I had an ominous feeling.
I stepped back. I could feel it.
'They're aiming for me.'
Three Skeleton Soldiers lunged toward me. Moving to the side, I swung the sword.
One bastard went flying, and the remaining two bastards thrust their fists at me.
CRACK—
I was hit squarely in the jaw. Of course, it didn't hurt.
What was more, the position of my neck snapped back to normal. Should I thank them?
However, the punches that followed weren't welcome.
CRACK—
At the swing of my sword, the two bastards fell backward. Stepping on one bastard's ribs, I twisted my waist wide.
I had to kill them. I had to kill them if I wanted to live.
There was no hesitation.
Even if we were the same Skeleton Soldiers, I was different from you bastards who didn't even have a single thought.
Swinging right through, I severed its neck bone.
"One Hundred!"
At Feirin's voice, I raised my head. Her Skeleton Soldier had disappeared, perhaps having already returned to the abyss. The bastards that had been on top of it charged toward me.
Roughly seven of them.
'I see why Feirin was running around.'
No matter how weak Skeleton Soldiers were, the pressure was immense when there were this many of them. I stepped back to widen the distance.
Because unlike Feirin's Skeleton Soldier, I knew how to think.
The first two bastards charging in. Gauging the reach, I swung my sword.
CRACK—
It caught in a bastard's ribs. As the bastard toppled over, the bastard next to it fell over as well.
Tripping over the fallen bastard, the bastard coming up from behind also fell.
'They're stupid.'
Once again, I was grateful for the fact that I was different from those bastards. Pulling the sword right out, I raised it high.
Clack, clack—
My jaw shook. With all my strength, I brought down the sword gripped in both hands.
CRUMBLE—
The Level 1 Skeleton Soldiers turned into loose bones. I was stronger than them.
[Remaining Enemies: 4]
Having cleared out three bastards at once, there were four bastards left. Looking back at Feirin, she was coming toward me as if she had finished clearing her side.
"Don't take your eyes off them!"
As if I even had eyes to take off them. However, I was grateful for the warning.
My body moved before my head did. I threw my body forward into a roll.
Skeleton Soldiers pounced on the spot where I had just been.
I had no intention of staying lying down like that. As soon as I stood right up, the Skeleton Soldiers charged toward me.
"Take the left!"
Shouting, Feirin attacked the bastards on the right. Hit by her staff, a Skeleton Soldier collapsed to the side.
I couldn't stand still either. Dealing with two bastards wasn't difficult.
WHOOSH—
Twisting my waist wide, I swung the sword.
CLANG—
The sword severed a Skeleton Soldier's waist and struck the wall, sending sparks flying. The sword would get a little damaged, but what did it matter?
It wasn't even mine.
['Scream of the Dead' Completed]
[Combat EXP acquired.]
[Maximum level reached.]
AAAARGH—!
At the same time the letters appeared, the scream rang out again.
An abyss opened up around the statue. The statue quickly sank back into the abyss.
Catching her breath, Feirin frowned.
"Phew... Thankfully we finished it...."
CLINK—
The key that had been in midair fell to the floor. Feirin promptly picked up the key.
"Thanks."
She spoke without even turning her head. Because her voice was quiet, I almost missed hearing it.
"What was that just now?"
What was that statue?
Since Feirin seemed to know, I threw out the question.
"An event."
"An event?"
"Yeah. They often appear when there's a reward better than what matches the floor. There're all kinds of them, too."
Choosing to help her had been the right call after all. Her wariness seemed to have completely disappeared.
While I was at it, I should get more information out of her.
"Lady Feirin, do you know where this place is?"
"This place?"
Her eyes widened into circles. So she was a woman who knew how to make an expression like that too.
"There're plenty of names people call it. The Cursed Tower, the Tower of Opportunity, the Tower of Hell, the Infinite Tower, and so on."
"A tower...?"
"Yeah. A tower. Though officially, it's called the Tower of Eternity."
"The Tower of Eternity...."
Feirin sent me a look that said I was strange. Certainly, a Skeleton Soldier wouldn't normally be curious about such things.
Were they using a tower as a prison, or had they built a prison like a tower?
"Well, whatever. That sword...."
"Ah, I will return it to you."
It was the sword used by the Skeleton Soldier she commanded. She might feel displeased that I had used it without permission.
Feirin shook her head.
"No, you hold onto it for now. It'll go back once I summon my Skeleton Soldier again anyway."
"I see."
It had become certain that it wasn't mine.
As if to rest for a moment, Feirin leaned her body against the wall. I had no need to rest.
"One Hundred."
"Yes."
She called me by my name. Being called by a name—by that fact alone, I was special.
"What's your reason for trying to go to the second floor?"
"I want to get out of here."
It wasn't something I had any reason to hide. At my words, Feirin's expression grew even stranger.
"Really?"
"Yes."
"How unique...."
Unique—that meant special. I knew that too.
"Why do you climb the tower, Lady Feirin?"
"Hmm?"
Should I ask again? Just as I was wondering that, she opened her mouth.
"It's work."
"Work?"
"Yeah. Climbing the tower is my job. I have to climb the tower to make a living."
Feirin spat out the words calmly.
Humans had to eat to live. So she climbed the tower in order to eat?
"It's probably hard for you to understand."
"That is true."
A Skeleton Soldier didn't eat. At my words, Feirin gave a faint smile.
"What is outside the tower?"
"Outside?"
"Yes."
My desire to go outside remained unchanged. I was simply curious about what was outside.
"Whatever you're expecting... it'll be very different from what you're hoping for."
Finishing her words like that, Feirin stood up.
"Let's head out now. We can't keep staying like this."
"I was ready to go at any time."
The reason we had spent time here was because of her. Because I could move at any time.
"Yeah, good for you."
Feirin shrugged her shoulders and headed toward the chest room.
She stood in front of the chest with an expression full of anticipation.
"Wonder what's inside...."
CLICK—
The chest opened.
Checking the contents of the chest, she furrowed her brows slightly.
"Oh no...."
Was it not the item she had wanted? She put her hand into the chest.
Before long, she raised her face. A bizarre-looking doll was held in her hand.
Had it been made with crude craftsmanship?
"It's a curse skill."
"A curse?"
"Yeah. The problem is that curses don't work on the Undead."
She let out a heavy sigh. Soon, however, she moved her feet.
"Let's go for now. To the second floor."
"Yes."
Of everything I had heard, those were the most welcome words. Frankly, it didn't matter to me what item she had obtained.
Because we hadn't found the stairs yet, Feirin and I had to go around to more rooms. Every now and then, she checked the map to gauge the direction.
'That parchment... It'd be convenient to have....'
Having a map would prevent going back to places I had already visited, which would save time.
"Lady Feirin, do all intruders have that map?"
"Hmm? Intruders? Is that what monsters call us?"
Answering a question with a question. Still, since she held the answer, I replied first.
"Yes."
"We call ourselves Challengers. Well, not just anyone carries one around. You have to break through the tenth floor."
"The tenth floor?"
"Yeah. Only Challengers who've broken through the tenth floor start with a map."
Even going from the first floor to the second floor was hard, so when would I ever be able to go to the tenth floor?
'I'll have to rely on my memory.'
Thankfully, my memory wasn't bad.
We found the stairs after searching three more rooms.
Feirin seemed to be using me as a substitute for her Skeleton Soldier. A fact I learned along the way was that Combat EXP could only be obtained by clearing out all the monsters in a room.
Unfortunately, since I had reached the maximum level, I couldn't reach Level 4.
"Let's go up."
She stepped onto the stairs. I hesitated for a moment.
Feirin looked back at me.
"What is it? Did you change your mind?"
"No, I did not."
I carefully moved my feet. I would be able to go up, right?
However.
The invisible wall remained as it was. I couldn't go.
"What the?"
The one who was surprised was Feirin.
"There is an invisible wall."
"A wall?"
I didn't answer.
[Monsters cannot leave their assigned floor.]
The letters blocked my way. Feirin grabbed my hand bones.
She pulled me.
However, blocked by the wall, I couldn't move any further forward.
"It's real...."
Feirin looked at me as if amazed.
"Monsters cannot leave their assigned floor...."
I read the letters out loud as they were. Wondering if Feirin might know something.
"Is that so?"
She tilted her head.
Feirin was above the stairs, and I was below the stairs. Were our positions unchangeable?
"Doesn't that mean it'd be fine if you weren't a monster?"
"Yes?"
Feirin nodded her head.
"Certainly, the only ones who climb the tower are Challengers."
Was she driving the final nail in? What was the reason for bringing that up now?
"In other words... One Hundred, if you became a Challenger, wouldn't you be able to climb the tower?"
"Become... a Challenger?"
"Yeah."
Feirin nodded her head.
"Think about the differences between a Challenger and a monster."
"The differences...."
"Of course, you'll have to find the answer yourself. I'm sorry, but I can't stay on the first floor forever."
Feirin lowered her head.
Something touched my skull, right on the crown of my head.
"Ugh... It's cold."
Feirin rubbed her lips. What had she just done?
"Well then, if we get the chance later, see you again."
Step— Step— Step—
She disappeared up the stairs.
'How to become a Challenger, huh....'
My questions had increased once again.