3. The Skeleton Soldier Challenges
One person.
There was only one shadow standing in the dark passage.
'That's a relief.'
The intruder took a step forward and entered the room.
"No key, huh...."
It was a disappointed voice.
A woman.
Her skin was as white as my bones. Unlike the other intruders, she looked frail.
Her equipment was shabby, too.
She wore light-looking leather armor and held a bow in her hand. The quiver slung behind her back was full of arrows.
'She isn't strong....'
Wait, was she not human?
Unlike the intruders I had seen so far, her ears were pointed. Could she perhaps be a monster like us?
I hoped that was the case.
'Because if so... that means I can become an intruder too.'
She drew her bowstring taut. Big Guy and Beanpole ran toward her.
'Oh no, before it's too late...!'
I gripped my weapon as well. And I ran toward her.
"You should at least give me time to get ready!"
Frowning, she drew the bowstring.
Wait, why was she aiming for me first? Wasn't it normal to aim for the closer bastards first?
I hurriedly raised the bone high and shouted.
"I will help you!"
Was it because she heard my voice? Badly flustered, she hurriedly shifted her aim.
THWIP—
The flying arrow struck Big Guy's ribs. One wrong move and I would have been hit instead.
"Wh-Who're you?!"
She shouted as she dodged Big Guy and Beanpole. Yes, she ought to widen the distance like that.
Showing her through actions would be faster than words.
'He won't remember anyway....'
I brought the bone I had raised high crashing down onto the back of Beanpole's head.
CRACK—
Beanpole toppled forward from the impact. Thankfully, Big Guy was too busy chasing her to notice.
CRACK— CRACK—
To finish him off for sure, I struck his skull repeatedly.
The crack that had formed on the back of Beanpole's head grew larger and larger, and before long, bone fragments fell inward.
THWIP— CRACK—
'Big Guy's down.'
I could tell just by hearing the sounds reaching my ears. After confirming that Beanpole wasn't moving, I turned my head.
"Wh-What're you?"
Her bowstring was drawn taut. If I answered poorly here, I would definitely die.
"As you can see, I am not a monster."
"But... aren't you a Skeleton Soldier!?"
Oh no, I had phrased that poorly. I had meant for her to look at my actions, not my appearance.
"I can speak, and I even attacked my fellow Skeleton Soldier. Have you ever seen a monster like that?"
"Well, no, but...."
The bowstring slackened slightly. However, she hadn't completely taken her hand off it yet.
Let's not approach rashly. I couldn't ruin the plan.
"First, please put the arrow away. I feel like I might get hit by mistake."
"Why should I trust you...!"
She made a fierce expression. That had been the wrong choice.
"All right. First, let's get to know each other slowly. I am One Hundred."
"One Hundred?"
"Yes. That's my name."
I spoke while raising both hands. It meant I wouldn't try anything.
"A name...? Aren't you a Named Monster?"
'A Named Monster...?'
What was that supposed to be now? First, I had to make her understand that I wasn't a monster.
"I told you, I'm not a monster. All right. I'll put my weapon down."
The plan to approach the intruder right away was a failure.
I decided to go with my backup plan. Carefully, very slowly, I set the bone down.
The reason I didn't lower it right away was because her bow trembled slightly whenever I moved.
"There... Look, I don't have anything."
This was also the reason I had put bones in Big Guy and Beanpole's hands.
Unlike Skeleton Soldiers holding weapons, a Skeleton Soldier that threw away its weapon on its own—which one would be more trustworthy?
"Hmm...."
She let out a short groan. The fact that she was hesitating was a good sign.
Because it meant she was at least reconsidering whether to be hostile toward me.
"I need your help."
"Help? From me?"
She wore a confused expression. Unlike Feirin, she definitely lacked experience.
"Yes. I want to go up to the second floor."
"The second floor? A monster changing floors?"
At my words, she made an even more uncomprehending expression. Even if I said I wasn't a monster, did she still not believe me?
"I am not a monster."
"But...."
"You must not judge a person by appearances alone."
Though of course, I wasn't a person.
"Hmm... Fine. What're you going to give me in return?"
She took the bait. This was a good flow.
She lowered her bowstring toward the floor. I also slowly lowered both hands.
"A key or Gold, which one do you want?"
What they wanted was obvious. At my question, she wore a surprised expression.
"A key? Do you know where it is?"
"I can find it for you."
One step, then another step—little by little, I approached her.
"If you wish, I can also draw a map for you."
"A map?"
She wore a puzzled expression. It seemed she hadn't reached the tenth floor yet.
"Yes. I happen to have a pretty good memory."
She looked torn.
"Can you only give me one?"
"Hmm... Shouldn't one reward be enough for one request?"
What a greedy one. While she was hesitating, I moved quickly.
I was close enough to hear her breathing.
"Then...."
She turned her head. I threw a punch right at her.
THWACK—
"Argh...!"
A low scream; she couldn't come to her senses.
Stopping here would be trouble.
"What is... Gurk...!"
Grabbing her neck with my left hand, I climbed on top of her body.
Intruders didn't trust me. Aside from Feirin, no human had trusted me.
This woman was no different.
If so, acting just as they expected wouldn't be bad either.
'Hmm, she really does have white skin.'
Compared against my bones, it looked even whiter. Then again, my bones did have some dust on them.
"Ghk... Gurk...."
Her body thrashed about. One wrong move and I would have been thrown off.
Was it because I was nothing but bones?
'Still, I'm Level 3.'
I was different from the fallen Big Guy and Beanpole, and the other monsters on this first floor.
I raised my right hand high. Her eyes dyed with horror.
THWACK—
"Cough...!"
Hmm, her nose bone must have broken. Red blood flowed out.
'I wanted to kill her painlessly, though....'
It was because she was so wary. Just like with the boy, I had intended to stab her in the neck in one go, yet it had ended up taking a time-consuming method like this.
Because of the nosebleed, she seemed to be having trouble breathing.
"Ghk... Gasp...."
Blood vessels stood out in her eyes. Just a little more should do it.
Just in case, I hit her one more time.
Her body twitched and trembled. However, there was no resistance.
After staying like that for a brief moment, her body went limp.
I stayed like that for a moment longer.
'Will my guess... really be right....?'
Intruders—no, in their words, Challengers. I had thought long and hard about the differences between monsters and them.
The biggest characteristic was that they were in a hostile relationship.
In the first place, I had come back to life as a monster. Then what if I wanted to become a Challenger?
Naturally, I had to treat other monsters as enemies. And they had to treat me as an enemy as well.
'I fulfilled the conditions....'
It was a fact I had learned through my encounter with Feirin. When I faced the pouring Skeleton Soldiers alongside her, the other Skeleton Soldiers had definitely aimed for me once I attacked them.
That was why I had attacked Beanpole. Though I didn't know if finishing him off with a sneak attack would count.
'And... next is....'
I looked at the woman who had breathed her last in front of me.
The fact that Challengers did not arrive twice in a row. In other words, for me to become a Challenger, wouldn't I have to deal with the Challenger who had arrived first?
[Challenger killed.]
[Combat EXP acquired.]
[Maximum level reached.]
Letters appeared before my eyes. They were the same as what I had seen when I dealt with the boy before.
'Oh no... Is this not the way....'
Had my guess been wrong?
I carefully mulled over my memories.
If so, a new Challenger had to arrive before the Reset would proceed.
'Do I have to wait....?'
It happened just as I was about to think of another possibility.
[Challenge the Tower?]
"Ah...."
My voice slipped out on its own.
Were the letters right before my eyes really what I had been hoping for?
"Finally...!"
It was a success.
I could become a Challenger. My thoughts had been right.
"I will challenge it!"
I shouted loudly.
Finally, hope of escaping this tower was in sight.
[Reset initiated.]
RUMBLE—
The room shook.
It wasn't surprising. The numbers decreased.
It was a mere ten seconds, yet it felt far too long.
'Hurry... Hurry...!'
[00:01]
[00:00]
My vision brightened. Light poured down over me.
***
Rattle—
I raised my body.
It wasn't the sound of bones falling from a grave.
It was the sound coming from every joint of my own body.
'Where is this...?'
It was white. I turned my head.
'Is there a floor?'
Like the wall blocking the stairs, there seemed to be an invisible floor.
Where should I go?
I was in the middle of pondering that.
'What's... that?'
Black dots flew toward me at a terrifying speed.
Startled, I tried to run away, but I was too slow.
CLANK— CLANK—
Along with a metallic sound, weapons swayed right before my eyes.
I was glad I was a skeleton. If I had skin, what kind of stupid expression would I be making right now?
[Select a weapon.]
The black dots that had flown toward me were all weapons.
'Wait... why're most of them black?'
It looked as if shadows had been hung up. There weren't many weapons with a complete form.
'Ah, this is....'
It was the weapon the boy had brought with him when he first came.
A completely notched longsword. Next to it, a variety of weapons—including a bow, an axe, a mace, a staff, and daggers—were spread out.
Weapons displayed in a single row. Beneath them, however, there were only shadows.
'Does that mean my choices are limited to the first row?'
After hesitating briefly, I grabbed the sword. Because the only weapon I had at least swung properly was a sword.
[Old Longsword]
[Slash]
[An old and neglected longsword. They say a master does not blame their tools, but you may blame this sword.]
Reading the description made me not want to pick it.
'Still... none of the other weapons look any better....'
They were probably all around the same level anyway.
As soon as I pulled out the longsword, the other weapons vanished in an instant.
'Do they only give me one?'
Clack, clack—
My jaw shook with regret. Soon, a magic circle appeared in front of me.
And candlesticks stood around it.
'This is...!'
It was the magic circle from the room where intruders—no, Challengers—first arrived. It was definitely the path leading into the tower.
Clack, clack—
My jaw trembled. This was out of anticipation.
I carefully stood atop the magic circle.
[Name - 'One Hundred']
[Race – Undead]
[Class – Skeleton Soldier]
[Lv3 (0%)]
[Skills Held – Play Dead (Lv1)]
[Selectable Traits – 0]
Letters appeared. Six lines of letters describing me.
It was deeply moving—so much so that if I had been a person, I might have shed tears.
'I really was... special after all...!'
What other Skeleton Soldier would become a Challenger?
I had risen from the grave many times, yet I had never seen a Skeleton Soldier trying to become a Challenger.
'Wait... what on earth are Traits?'
Traits. Special qualities.
Wasn't I special? Then why was it 0?
'When I solve one question, another question pops up, huh....'
The letters grew faint, and different letters surfaced.
[Please select a starting skill.]
[The selected equipment receives the effect of 'Swordsmanship'.]
[Acquire Swordsmanship?]
[You may also select another passive skill.]
It was the same as when I had selected a weapon just now. This time, instead of weapons and shadows, letters were lined up.
'Swordsmanship...?'
A sword-shaped icon blinked. As I looked at it, letters appeared.
[Skill – Swordsmanship (Lv1)]
[Passive / Sustained]
[Wields 'Sword'-type weapons proficiently.]
Clack, clack—
My jaw shook.
'If I choose this, will I be able to wield a sword proficiently?'
Feirin's Skeleton Soldier came to mind. Would I be able to grow that strong?
Since I hadn't chosen any other equipment, my hesitation ended quickly.
Just as I had taken the Old Longsword, I grabbed the sword-shaped icon.
[Skills Held – Play Dead (Lv1) / Swordsmanship (Lv1)]
Letters describing me were added.
[Preparation complete.]
[May what you wish for come true.]
HUM—
Along with a resonance, the candlelight flickered. At the same time, a blue light rose along the magic circle.
FLASH—!
Just as my entire body seemed to be engulfed in light, the flickering candlelight stopped.
'This place is....'
The white space disappeared, and the familiar prison appeared.
If there was a difference, it was that I hadn't risen from a grave.
The collapsed stone statue was visible right before my eyes.
'I really... became a Challenger....'
Yes, I was special.
I was a Skeleton Soldier climbing the tower.