Chapter 6. Awakening from Life (6)

Now, I couldn't rely on the element of surprise. The hunter with the hammer wasn't just tall—he was also broad and sturdy.

Bang!

I was uncertain whether I could win because he looked much stronger than the hunter with the crossbow.

At least the blunt weapon resistance worked.

It'd be dangerous if I kept getting hit.

But could I avoid the hammer? Could I deliver a proper strike with Rubia's dagger?

I had lived as a Skeleton Soldier for twenty years, but it wasn't packed with experience. I had wasted many years doing nothing.

I shouldn't have wasted all that time.

I struggled to process these thoughts. As a skeleton, I felt a barrier blocking such emotions and senses from fully arising. Those years had felt unbearably long, and I had just lived as a pile of bones.

Splash!

The hunter with the hammer began moving toward me while gritting his teeth. His whole body tensed up as he twisted with the hammer, shifting his weight forward and taking a step.

Squelch!

Muddy water splashed into the darkness. The hunter narrowed his grip on the hammer as he slid his top hand down the handle. Then, he started spinning the hammer.

Whoosh!

He pulled the hammer back and quickly swung it forward.

Whirl!

He rotated, putting his full body weight behind the strike. Even though it was a blunt weapon, the hammer's impact produced a sharp, tearing sound that echoed.

Splash!

I dodged to the right, narrowly avoiding a strike that could've crushed a full plate armor in one blow.

Did I just survive that?

I recognized the effectiveness of the blunt weapon resistance. No matter how I looked at it, there was no outcome other than instant death if I were hit without the skill. However, I had no time to marvel at it.

Wham!

The hunter adjusted his grip and swung the hammer horizontally again. No matter how much resistance I had, I'd be crushed if I got caught.

Squelch!

I stepped away, barely dodging the hammer.

"

Huh

?"

The hunter had a puzzled expression at first, but then the corners of his mouth twisted up in a smile.

"Your movements are slow,

hm?

I thought you were something special because you could take a hit."

He gripped the hammer once more. Suddenly, the air turned cold.

Whoosh!

A large war hammer had a long reach and immense destructive power. Its weight could crush anything. Thus, its attack speed was slow, creating a significant gap between attacks.

Whoosh!

But suddenly, he continuously swung the hammer. It felt like too short a time to close the gaps. He compensated for the war hammer's weakness with sheer strength, wielding such a weapon where raw power was the best technique.

"Can you dodge this one too?"

The hunter regained his composure and reversed his grip on the hammer so that the hook part behind the head was now in front.

Whirl!

The hammer sliced through the air, unleashing a sharp, tearing sound.

It's long.

The reach was even longer than before. The hunter stepped forward with both feet, and his hands were now at the end of the hammer handle. He swung the hammer and pulled it in. Retreating or advancing was difficult as the hammer swung too quickly. The attack range had suddenly increased.

I quickly ducked, but he pulled me toward him.

Clunk, clatter!

I got caught on the long spike at the back of the hammer. The spike was slightly curved like a hook.

Damn.

Since my skeleton had plenty of openings, the hook caught onto one of my bones. The spike hooked onto my shoulder blade like a fishhook through a gill.

Crunch!

The hunter stepped on my wrist with his foot. He crushed and pressed with his weight and stepped on it again. He was incredibly fast for his size and heavy for his build. My wrist felt like it was about to shatter.

Clatter.

Fortunately, it still held up. It didn't physically hurt, but the feeling of being crushed was unpleasant. I gripped the dagger tightly, but I couldn't escape. He looked down at me and smiled.

"Let's see how long you can hold out."

He reversed his grip on the hammer and started battering me like a pest.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Multiple messages started appearing continuously.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

[You have been struck by a blunt weapon. The perk is activated! Blunt weapon resistance: 40!]

[You have been struck by a blunt weapon. The perk is activated...]

[You have been struck by a blunt weapon...]

[You have been struck by...]

The hunter calmly crushed me. The hammer pounding from a consistent height even gave me an idyllic feeling.

Thud! Thud!

"Man, you're holding up strangely well."

Now, almost all of my bones were crushed as the hunter ground me up with the hammer. I was in a state of limbo, buried deeper and deeper in the mud.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The hunter continued to pound me while holding the hammer backward. I started losing track of time. He lifted the hammer over his shoulder and dropped it like a guillotine.

Crunch!

But my skull didn't break easily. There was no satisfying cracking sound either. My solid skull was driven deeper and deeper into the mud, which began to seep inside.

The hunter heavily swung the hammer at my shin and shoulder blades. Maybe the hunter was angry that he had to use so much strength against a skeleton that should've easily shattered with a kick. There wasn't anything wrong with the hammer, nor were there any issues with his strength. It just took time because the ground was muddy. It would've been better if I had been on a solid anvil.

He then shouted, "If it doesn't break—!"

Crunch!

"I'll keep swinging until it does!"

Crunch!

My skull separated from the cervical vertebrae, while the rest of my bones were already buried in the mud. I was now a Skeleton Soldier faced with few choices. I had to either get buried or get shattered. Neither was pretty.

As the lightning flashed, I saw another guy.

"

Guh, guh, guh!"

I watched the crossbowman die. I had stabbed a dagger into his mouth, and blood dripped from his torn lips.

"

Guh, guh, guh!"

He wriggled like a worm. The other hunter simply ignored him as life faded from his eyes.

Without looking back at his dying partner, the hunter said, "Sorry buddy, the situation couldn't be helped."

"

Guh, guh..."

The crossbowman's trembling hand finally fell to the ground. At that moment, several messages popped up.

Ding!

[Experience increased by 225.]

[Level up!]

[Level up!]

[Allocate your points: 2]

Level... up?

It seemed like killing one person raised my level by two. Of course, I couldn't allocate the points I had earned because all my limbs were crushed. The whole situation was absurd.

Crunch!

I stared blankly at the floating status window as the spike of the hammer punctured a hole in my skull.

Crack!

My skull split.

"Huh? It breaks easily when I hit it like this?"

The hunter stroked the spiked part of his hammer as if it were praiseworthy. He didn't seem to care at all about his dead comrade. My consciousness faded to black once again.

***

Lightning flashed continuously.

Boom! Crush! Bang!

The thunder roared, matching the intensity of the lightning. It was a stormy night.

No way.

I was certain.

I died.

But here I was, back again. The same thing happened three times in a short period of time. I started pondering deeply. Although I didn't know why, the situation was undoubtedly repeating itself.

What am I supposed to do?

I had already died three times in this stormy graveyard. To escape this place easily, the answer was simple. I had to leave the woman and run.

Their goal was the woman. They had no interest in a skeleton.

But what would I do after running away? Would happiness await me if I left this place?

I doubted it, because I knew it all too well. I had experienced it painfully in my twenty years as a Skeleton Soldier. My existence was a miserable experience.

Clatter.

A Skeleton Soldier's growth had clear limits. Humans possessed various talents, allowing them to diversify their abilities and develop their skills. Their potential was boundless, with numerous paths before them.

However, a Skeleton Soldier like myself was around the same level as a weak human—the darkest and most miserable human with no talent. I was like a human with no abilities and no will. In fact, I might even be lower than that.

Skeleton Soldiers just wandered around, making clattering sounds. We did not possess venom, strength like orcs, or sharp teeth like goblins. Even goblins possessed a certain liveliness, complete with desires and wills of their own.

However, Skeleton Soldiers like myself didn't even possess such desires. Our purpose of existence was to be exterminated. We existed to give a bit of experience points. We had no gods to serve and no kings to swallow our tears. We were raised from graves and moved around aimlessly according to orders.

If a war broke out between monsters and humans, we'd be at the forefront to absorb the enemy's firepower. For our minimal utility, we were sacrificed endlessly, repeatedly facing complete death.

I remember when the Demon King descended. They seemed to think Skeleton Soldiers were free to use as they wished. We were always shattered on the front lines. Considering that the sight of skeletons collapsing weakly boosted human morale, our utility might even been negative.

My thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the status window.

Ding!

[Succession Complete!]

[Name: None

Skeleton Soldier Lv. 1 (38)

Health: 29

Strength: 23

Agility: 18

Wisdom: 9

Remaining Points: 2]

[You have achieved your second death since succession.]

[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.

3. Skull Protection Law (New!)

You have died twice in a row due to skull destruction. Your skull needs more durability. Physical Resistance of your skull has increased by 10.

4. The Unused Dagger (New!)

Against the enemy who killed you, you couldn't even properly swing your dagger. You can now use Dagger Technique Lv. 10.

[Please choose a perk for this round.]

[※ Perks do not accumulate.]

Another Death Memorial appeared before me. The more I experienced death, the more someone seemed to find delight in it.

What am I supposed to choose now?

I calmly looked at the four options.

The first perk was to increase Affection with necromancers by twenty. I had already concluded that gaining the favor of a woman I couldn't protect was meaningless. This was not an option.

The second perk was blunt weapon resistance. I had chosen this before, and it was fine.

The third perk was to protect the skull. When my skull shattered, it was over, but it seemed less efficient than blunt weapon resistance.

Blunt weapons were the most threatening to me. I wondered if I should use blunt weapon resistance again, but I decided to go with something else.

Option four.

I didn't hesitate much and decided to choose the fourth option. Rubia would soon reappear, and the hunters with the hammer and crossbow would attack me. This time, I wanted to counterattack.

Dagger Technique.

Moreover, acquiring a proper level ten skill was particularly appealing, as I had never possessed any real skills in my twenty years as a Skeleton Soldier.

I looked at my current list of skills.

[Swinging Randomly Lv. 8

Poorly Blocking Lv. 6

Awkwardly Stabbing Lv. 4

Adequately Digging Holes Lv. 5

Recklessly Charging Forward Lv. 4

Throwing Whatever Is at Hand Lv. 6

Rolling Skull Lv. 1]

I sighed, seeing the names of my pathetic skills.