Chapter 5. Awakening from Life (5)

There stood a young woman with soft brown eyes who would look more fitting in a red dress. Her abundant hair was tucked beneath her hood.

"Dead one!

Cough, cough."

It was the same cough I had heard an hour ago. Her gray robe was soaked by the rain, revealing her curvy figure.

Have I been revived again?

I questioned if I was trapped in time. Maybe I was dreaming. I probably slipped on some muddy hill and was stuck somewhere deep.

Am I not even permitted to have a peaceful rest?

Rather than feeling anxious, I felt a sense of relief.

Clatter.

I got up and quietly looked at the woman standing there nervously. She seemed even more amicable than she had an hour ago.

I said, "There is no need to bring the ladder."

"

Ah!

"

Thump!

The woman fell back in shock. I didn't want to scare her, but I didn't want to deceive her either. It was inevitable that she would be shocked. I pressed my palms on the ground to push myself up.

Squelch.

The bottom of the coffin was slushy because of the mud that had seeped in from the ground. Climbing out of the shallow grave was a simple task.

Pitter-patter!

Heavy rain continued to pour from the dark sky. Once again, the raindrops fell in between my ribs. They tapped my bones like the keys of an instrument, producing different sounds that echoed through the night.

Squelch.

I stared at Rubia, the necromancer, who had fallen backward.

"M-my name is Rubia!"

I looked down at her.

"

Hmph!

Nice to meet you, dead one!"

I continued to stare at her. She started mentioning something about an act of revenge.

"I will use you as the cornerstone of my revenge!"

It's the same.

The situation was just like an hour ago. It was another repetition.

Crackle.

[The S-class scenario, Rubia Ray, is in progress.]

I didn't know what S-class or what a scenario meant. Even the words "Rubia Ray" were shining, and I reached out to the shining words. I needed to check everything.

Ding!

The sound effect rang, as expected. New messages started to appear.

[Name: Rubia Ray

Necromancer Lv. 1

Health: 6

Strength: 5

Agility: 6

Wisdom: 12]

[Affection: 3

— Rubia has a slight attachment to the skeleton she awakened.]

𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

[Basic Skills:

— Unlock by increasing Affection.]

[Perks:

— Unlock by increasing Affection.]

[Titles:

— Unlock by increasing Affection.]

Once I finished checking the status window, the messages disappeared. I slowly accepted the situation.

I didn't even survive an hour.

***

I suddenly fell into deep thought. I couldn't protect my master, the hero shattered my bones and killed me, and then I went back twenty years. Then I met a human named Rubia, the woman who brought me back from the dead, but I couldn't protect her either. As a Lv. 36 Skeleton Soldier, the strength I had built up for twenty years had all been for nothing.

I recalled the scene I had witnessed earlier when I failed to protect Rubia. I felt so helpless that I wanted to call it a lie. The clumsy way we hid in the bushes and the moment the hammer smashed my bones were all so vivid I could see the scene play out even with my eyes closed. That was the reality.

I am weak.

Skeleton Soldiers were one of the weakest monsters. They ranked at the bottom even among creatures. Their only strength was their ability to stubbornly stay alive. However, they miserably lacked in everything else.

Rubia stuttered, "A-a talking... skeleton...?"

She looked even more shocked than before. Her reaction was so extreme that it was almost embarrassing to watch. However, I wasn't worthy enough to receive such a reaction. I wanted to tell her that I was just a Skeleton Soldier who could do nothing but helplessly watch her die—a reality I still couldn't fully accept.

As I stared at her shocked expression, I pondered,

If my Affection stat increases, maybe I won't see such a reaction.

If she feels more comfortable with me, maybe she'll be willing to listen to my story.

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

1. Affection +20 with all necromancers

2. Physical resistance +40 to blunt weapons

It seemed possible with the help of this system window floating before me. However, even if she listened to me, the chances of our survival here were slim. An hour ago, her death wasn't because she didn't listen to me. She had obediently hid in the bushes as I had instructed. The problem was me.

I checked the floating words again.

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

1. Affection +20 with all necromancers

2. Physical Resistance +40 to blunt weapons

The message window was still a mystery, but there was no time to hesitate because the threat was imminent.

I should probably choose the blunt weapon resistance.

Increasing resistance to blunt weapons by forty would be quite the upgrade. Skeleton Soldiers were weak against blunt weapons.

Clatter.

I looked down at my bones.

Arrows weren't very threatening to a skeleton because they would just pass through the gaps between the bones. Swords weren't a threat either because Skeleton Soldiers did not have any organs or blood. However, blunt weapons were perfect for defeating skeletons. Smashing bones with a blunt hammer and, shattering skulls was a highly effective method.

Of course, I had no intention of letting that happen again.

Number two.

I chose number two.

[Death Memorial Perk 2:

Physical Resistance +40 has been applied to blunt weapons!]

The message turned into smoke before my eyes.

Impressive.

I'd never experienced this before.

Swoosh!

The smoke seeped into every corner of me. Instead of feeling unpleasant, it felt oddly safe.

[Physical Resistance to blunt weapons has increased by 40!]

I knew this was the right choice. Gaining the favor of a woman I couldn't protect held no meaning, so I discarded the other option of Affection +20 without hesitation.

Clatter.

I stared at Rubia as she sat in the mud, startled by my appearance. She couldn't get up. I saw the small blade at her waist glint under the moonlight.

I extended my bony hand and ordered, "Give me the dagger."

"

Ah...

"

Rubia continued to stare at me blankly and then nodded. She quietly handed me the dagger at her waist. It seemed quite thoughtless of her to give up her only weapon, leaving her defenseless. Perhaps I had her trust because I was the skeleton she had awakened.

"Thank you."

I accepted her trust and grabbed the dagger.

The dagger was light, but the trust she handed over felt heavy. I had to focus and use this dagger to defeat those hunters. The dagger was sharp, a much better weapon than the stones rolling around the grave.

My teeth clicked as I said to Rubia, "Hide over there."

She still looked at me with a puzzled expression. Her wet lips trembled.

"W-why?" she asked back.

"Human hunters are coming. Trust me and hide."

"How... d-do you know that?" Rubia stammered but finished her question.

"I just do," I answered roughly.

I glanced at her soaked figure. The woman had awakened me from the grave, but my will hadn't really been taken into consideration. My twenty years as a Skeleton Soldier had been bitter and dry, except for the last three years.

Still, I wanted to save her. I could have left her and run away, but she was the starting point of my life as a Skeleton Soldier. I wanted to make it right. Furthermore, I was dealing with just two hunters. If I couldn't protect one woman from them, there was no way I could protect my master from the knights. My conclusion lacked logic, but that was simply how I felt.

The woman belatedly responded, "Y-you just do?!"

At that moment, we heard a horse cry.

"Neigh!"

Once again, it was the cry of the Blue Milos, the blue horses. The hunters were here.

"Quickly!" I shouted at Rubia, pointing to the bushes opposite us.

I gripped the dagger tightly and looked around. There was a coffin that the rain had washed out.

I'm sorry for disturbing your rest.

Swish!

I threw the bones inside far away. I lay down near the empty coffin, hiding the dagger in my hand under the coffin's lid. I disguised myself as a skeleton that had slipped out of the coffin.

"Neigh!"

As the lightning struck, I saw a blue horse emerge from the mountain path. It was dark, and the ground was muddy.

Boom!

It was the hunter with the modified crossbow. I waited for him to pass over me.

Splash!

The hunter with the crossbow jumped off from his horse.

Splish, splash.

He walked across the slushy ground.

Since it was the second time in a row, I was familiar with it and had more time to observe him. He took nimble steps with a confident posture. His soaked leather armor didn't hinder him. I hadn't been able to kill just this one guy before the other hunter smashed me to bits.

He carefully aimed the crossbow forward and started searching.

Rustle.

He walked slowly, pushing through the bushes. His search was deliberately sloppy—a performance to show that he was searching. He was setting up a trap, but ironically, that was when he needed to be most cautious.

Yet, he was too focused on putting on the act of searching to notice the danger. He was here to hunt one frail woman, so he did not even consider that she or her companions might be lying in ambush in the dark bushes. When hunting the weak, people became lazy, and they naturally didn't bother to look behind them.

Well, I was waiting behind the hunter.

Rustle, rustle.

The dense bushes around the grave swayed. The slushy mud dug into my spine as he passed by me.

Now!

I had to move before there was a flash of lightning.

Clatter!

I immediately bounced up.

"

Huh?

"

!

The guy glanced back as I stabbed the dagger into his neck.

"

Ah, ugh

, k-kill—!"

The scream was quite sweet to hear.

Crack!

The dagger Rubia gave me was deeply embedded in his neck. I twisted the dagger further, and I could feel his pulse.

"

Kuh, kuh...

" he gurgled, swinging his arms forward.

I pulled out the dagger to avoid being grabbed. Then I took half a step back.

Swoosh!

Blood gushed out from the hunter. My skull and jawbone were drenched in his blood.

I took a half step forward as I stabbed the dagger deep into his mouth.

The hunter with the crossbow collapsed, with blood dripping from his mouth.

"

Guh, guh, guh!

"

Wham!

I paid a heavy price for attacking the hunter with the crossbow. His partner, the hunter with the huge war hammer, struck me from behind.

Thud!

[You have been struck by a blunt weapon.

The perk has been activated!

Blunt weapon resistance: 40!]

I felt an intense shock in my skull as it tilted to the side. I was thrown to the ground and started rolling across the mud.

Clatter!

But I had to get up. I endured the pain and stood up again. I held my skull and re-aligned my bones.

Crackle!

There was a flash of lightning, and I saw the face of the guy wielding the hammer. His face was full of disbelief as he saw me standing up again.

Crackle! Crack!

After the flash of lightning came a roar of thunder.

"It's... not broken?" the guy with the hammer muttered to himself as if he was possessed.

My head was throbbing from the hit. The pain didn't subside, and I got dizzy. I shut my eyes tightly and opened them again, which slightly subdued the dizziness.

There was another flash of lightning."

Guh, ugh, ah, ugh!

"

The hunter with the crossbow was gurgling blood. I had stabbed the dagger into his mouth and twisted it, so the pain was likely quite bad.

I detested the sound of his laughter, but this time, he didn't laugh. Instead, he groaned painfully and rolled on the ground. It felt satisfying to watch.

Crackle!

The other hunter stood before me, cursing to himself. "Oh, fuck."

The hunter with the hammer glanced at his fallen partner and licked his lips. He firmly grasped his huge weapon.