Chapter 4. Awakening from Life (4)

Should we run?

I continued to ponder. I wasn't sure if I could run fast enough. Rubia was frozen stiff, so she was out of the question as well.

Those guys wanted the woman. If they came for us, they'd just crush a skeleton like me.

Fighting them seemed impossible. The hunter held a crossbow loaded with bolts sharp enough to pierce Rubia's heart instantly. I also wasn't confident I could handle the taller hunter's huge hammer. Besides, I had nothing but my bare bones—I had no shield or sword.

I can't believe I'm in danger right after my return.

It might all be over soon, but disappearing into the darkness wouldn't be too upsetting.

I had been reborn, but it might have been someone's big mistake. It'd make more sense for knights, demon kings, or at least promising wizards or alchemists to be reborn. What could a Skeleton Soldier like myself even do?

I had lived for twenty years, but I lacked insight and experience. If someone had to go back in time, it should be a more capable person who would bring about greater change than I ever could.

There was an addictiveness to defeatism and self-denial, which was why they were often ruminated upon.

I swallowed my thoughts into the empty darkness inside my rib cage and stayed still. While I was lost in absurd thoughts, the hunters were getting closer and closer.

I could feel Rubia trembling.

Rustle.

They were ten meters away.

Rustle.

That reduced to seven meters and then five. They reached the rock right before us, but the hunters' horses suddenly cried out.

"

Neeeigh!

"

The unnatural neigh made it seem like they were in pain. The hunters turned around and exchanged hand signals. They then turned toward the tied-up horses with a frown.

Are they worried about the horses?

I stared at the backs of the blue horses as they cried sorrowfully.

The horses' breed was Blue Milo. I was familiar with them. These horses climbed mountains well, but they were very sensitive to temperature changes. They could die of a cold if left in the rain for too long.

Think about the price of the horses.

I prayed for them to leave, hoping they'd consider the price of those expensive horses.

Swoosh! Thud!

I saw a flying bolt. I knew what was happening, but blocking it was impossible. Everything happened too fast. The bolt whooshed by and pierced Rubia.

"

Ugh!

" Rubia groaned.

I quickly glanced at her. The bolt was embedded more than halfway in her shoulder through her robe. It appeared that the steel-reinforced bolt had broken her bone.

"

Ah, AAAAAHHH!!!

"

The broken bone damaged her nerves, shooting waves of sharp pain through her body. Rubia screamed as blood flowed profusely from her shoulder, and she rolled around on the muddy ground. Her dark gray robe was now completely ruined.

"Oh? So you were hiding here? Hmm?" a man said, his voice slick with desire.

"N-no! No! Who are you?" Rubia shouted.

Rubia shouted "no," even though she didn't know what she was refusing exactly. However, she could sense the menace in the man's voice.

"Who am I? We're the grim reapers here to devour you, sweetie. The lord is waiting for you, but there's no need to bring you nicely. We only need your head," the ominously low voice sneered from the darkness.

They were referring to a lord, a ruler of humans. Why was a lord chasing a girl like this?

Rubia said something I did not understand. "That man is not a lord. I-I am the rightful Ja-Iza-Varisa, the successor!"

Then she stood up.

She gripped the dagger in her hand and let out a spirited shout. "

Haah!

"

The hunter who had shot the crossbow watched her.

"

Hahaha!

" His sneer echoed in the air. "Really? Then let's see what the rightful successor tastes like. I'm excited to see what a good time you can show us."

The man took a step forward without even paying attention to me.

Does he not see me?

There was a monster, a Skeleton Soldier, right next to him, yet he didn't attack. I recalled the current year. The 16 Demon Kings had yet to all descend. This was before tens of thousands of demons poured out, starting the age of demons.

However, even if we were hiding in the most remote corners due to human dominance, it wasn't difficult to find walking skeletons like me. There were many dungeons in mountains, deserts, and underground.

Will he really not notice me until the end?

I was just a white skeleton lying in the bushes next to the prey. Did the hunter think I was just a pile of bones? The possibility of such complacency was unlikely. He could attack me at any moment. I had to stand up and fight now.

Nevertheless, it was too late. Rubia moved quicker.

Whoosh!

Rubia stepped onto the muddy ground and recklessly charged at the guy with the crossbow.

"

Ahhhh!

"

Her shout sounded like a war cry. I thought she was crazy, but since the opponent had a crossbow, closing the distance against him made some sense.

Thud!

"

Ugh, ugh!

"

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Her strategy was shattered by overwhelming violence. The hunter simply dodged Rubia's dagger, grabbed her by the hair, and started punching her face.

Thud!

"You dared to charge at me with a toy like this?

Hah!

"

"

Ugh!

"

Thud!

He extended his leg and kicked Rubia hard in the lower abdomen.

Thud!

"

Ugh!

"

"You charged at me so boldly before, but now you're collapsing because your guts are twisted? Is this how you plan to become a successor?"

The beating continued.

Clatter.

I rose from the bushes. Maybe it was a sense of affection for the necromancer who had raised me from the dead, but I didn't plan on fleeing alone.

Clatter.

I picked up a small stone.

There are two targets.

There was the hunter beating Rubia up, and the hunter with the hammer, approaching slowly from behind. Neither seemed like an easy target, but I targeted the one I had the most potential to defeat.

Thud!

I pushed off the guy punching Rubia and struck his head with the stone. I couldn't see very well in the dark environment though.

Thud!

"

Argh!

"

I heard his low-pitched scream, but I wasn't sure if I hit him. In any case, one hit wasn't enough. His scream was weak, so I struck him again.

Clang!

Damn it.

This time, the hit didn't feel good. I must've struck a studded part of his leather armor.

I grabbed his hand. In the dark, my white, bony hand intertwined with his bloody, fleshy hand. I twisted my fingers around his and squeezed tightly.

Crack!

I had a slight upper hand in strength. I forcibly bent his hand, aimed my attack, and struck down with the stone.

Thud!

"

Argh!

Damn it!"

There was a flash of lightning, and I saw him reaching for the club at his waist.

Before he grabs it, I need to strike first.

I gripped the stone firmly and aimed for his head. I swung the stone with all my might to crush his skull.

Crack!

I could hear the satisfying sound of a skull being crushed as my consciousness started to fade. It was my skull.

"A necromancer spell out of nowhere?"

Crack! Smash! Crash!

I felt the massive hammer crushing my bones. It shattered my skull, arms, legs, and spine. My consciousness started fading away.

Is it... over?

I lost. I was being crushed and dying. I had failed to protect anything again.

"Damn. This one doesn't break easily either."

That wasn't the voice of the crossbowman. The voice sounded much lower and gruff, carrying an unmistakable edge of violence.

The one with the hammer...

Boom! Crash!

I realized what had happened. Right when I was focused on attacking the hunter with the crossbow earlier, the hunter with the hammer had struck my skull from behind.

Crack!

Various questions passed through my mind.

Should I have spoken to startle them? How did I survive twenty years ago?

In my memory, I just moved around, got hit a few times, and fell off the cliff.

Crack!

My skull shattered. It was a worse ending than before.

"You got ambushed by a skeleton while beating down a whore like an idiot. How pathetic."

"Damn it... Why is this skeleton so strong? I almost died!! I thought a lich had summoned this skeleton. Even if she can use necromancy, isn't this supposed to be a flimsy skeleton?"

"

Hmm,

the impact I felt when I hit it was rather strange. Based on this woman's level, it doesn't seem like she summoned it. Is it a monster of this mountain? We need to beat up the innkeeper who didn't inform us. We almost fell into danger."

"Damn... Because of you, my shoulder is dislocated!"

Thud! Thud! Thud!

"

Ugh, ugh! Ugh, aaahhh!

"

The taller hunter with the hammer interjected firmly, "Hey, stop hitting her. Don't lower her value."

"Even if we take her dead body, she's worth one seiron," the other hunter responded while continuing to hit her.

"Really? Well, let me have a go at her first."

My vision turned dark as my consciousness completely faded. The woman's groans mixed with her screams, and the hunters' murmurs became distant. I couldn't hear anything anymore.

[Do you want to add a death record? Yes/No]

***

Streaks of lightning continued to flash in the sky.

Crackle! Crash! Bang!

Thunder roared, befitting of the massive lightning. It was a stormy night.

Whirr! Whirr!

The wind was so loud it seemed like it would tear the ground. Branches were torn off and sent flying through the air.

I tried moving my body again.

Clatter!

Am I not dead?

After all, the hunter had definitely smashed my skull several times with the hammer.

Without arms and hands, I wouldn't be able to touch anything, but I was able to raise my hand to touch my skull. My shattered skeleton was intact again. An absurd reality was forced upon me—I had returned to life yet again!

I turned around and looked, but I couldn't see anything. I was lying inside a tight coffin and could only see the sky beyond the cracked lid. It looked like the coffin had been dug up from a grave, and I was the skeleton lying inside it.

Ding!

[Succession Complete!]

[Name: None

Skeleton Soldier Lv. 1 (36)

Health: 29

Strength: 23

Agility: 18

Wisdom: 9]

[You have achieved your first death since succession.]

[The Death Memorial has opened!]

[Death Memorial]

[1. For the Necromancer

In your final moments, you sacrificed your life for a necromancer. You start with a base Affection of 20 in relationships with necromancers.

2. Blunt Weapons Are Dangerous

A blunt weapon smashed your head, leading to your death. You start with 40 additional Physical Resistance to all blunt weapons.]

[Please select the perk to apply for this cycle.]

[1. Affection +20 with all necromancers

2. Physical Resistance +40 to blunt weapons]

Once again, strange messages appeared, seemingly mocking me. However, my posture and the storm were familiar to me—I had been in this situation recently. I was in the same position, facing the same weather from an hour ago.

Boom! Crash!

Thunder continued to roar.

A woman in a dark gray robe stood near the dug-up grave and shouted, "D-dead one! I have awakened you! Can you hear me?"

The voice was no longer unfamiliar. My eyes met the woman looking down at me.

Clatter.

I flinched, not because of the thunder, but because of the woman's presence.

It's Rubia.

That was her name. For twenty years, I had lived as a Skeleton Soldier, a third-rate side character in this world. I wasn't the type who surprised others. Rather, I often found myself taken by surprise and swept away. Yet, I had never encountered a situation as unbelievable as this.

I forgot to stand up and just stared blankly at the woman.