The Skeleton Soldier Failed to Defend the Dungeon
Chapter 120: A Matter of Mood (11)

Chapter 120: A Matter of Mood (11)

After I absorbed Meditation Lv. 2 and Focus Lv. 2, the light from the wizards gradually faded.

I looked around and did not see any more light.

This is different from last time.

It wasn't that there wasn't enough time to absorb the light, but rather that the number of lights I could absorb had significantly decreased.

It was puzzling. The battlefield was littered with countless corpses of the imperial guards. While their combat abilities were inferior to mine, many of them had likely been far superior in other aspects.

However, none of the other corpses emitted any light at all.

Is it... the total amount of ability?

At this rate, there was a high probability that I would only be able to absorb abilities from Gith-Za-Rai and the two wizards in my next regression. Essence Absorption was an astonishing power, but I was starting to feel its limitations little by little.

I finally realized why Gith-Za-Rai had gone as far as assassinating the emperor of the Empire just to gain access to the Hero's Mausoleum. Since my ability had already become this selective with absorption targets, it was clear that Gith-Za-Rai had gone a very long time without seeing any light.

I looked at the imperial guards' horses. They were the noble steeds that had absorbed the sprinting skill. Now, they emitted no light at all.

I still have time.

I collected two wizard staffs, the imperial guards' swords, and a Dullahan's cursed blade. Then I approached the emperor's corpse and pulled the signet ring off his finger. I removed the jade crown as well.

I didn't even touch Isabelle. Instead, I swept up the gold bars and coins. The dazzling golden glow of the bullion was overwhelming.

Next, I gathered all the armor and shields that looked valuable. Of course, I had no intention of taking them because they might have tracking magic on them. Like before, I stored them one by one in the subspace floating in midair.

Whoosh!

The weapons and treasures slid inside without any resistance. Even after entering, they shrank to about one-tenth of their original size. However, the subspace seemed to have doubled in size compared to last time.

It looks like almost everything will fit.

Even a lance over four meters long went inside effortlessly. After storing most of the noticeable weapons and shields, plenty of room remained.

Hmm...

I lowered my gaze and looked at Gith-Za-Rai's corpse. If I left it as is, her corpse obviously wouldn't meet a good end. It could be torn apart and hung up in pieces.

Clatter.

I lowered my arms and carefully lifted the necromancer's corpse. The broken bone tentacles and strands of bone hair spilled through my arms.

Is it because she was pierced all over?

The corpse was so light that it made me feel sad.

Where do necromancers go when they die? Where do they begin again? Where would I go?

I pushed aside the aimless thoughts that floated into my mind.

"I don't know if you'll like going in here, but..." I said to the corpse in my arms.

I slowly pushed Gith-Za-Rai's corpse feet first into the mysterious subspace.

I thought of Red Flake. If I ever met them again, they might have an answer as to how Gith-Za-Rai would prefer her corpse to be handled. For now, I had neither the time nor the luxury, so I stored her here for the time being. I hadn't even confirmed whether others could see or use this space.

I hope I'll be able to come back and check this time...

For now, I had to leave this place.

I walked past countless corpses, stepping on the narrow gaps between them. These people had fought their battles loyally, so this was the least I could do to show them a bit of respect.

Soon after, I reached the outer edge of the pit. Now, the crows would become the new owners of this place. I planned to escape and hide.

What will happen?

When I escaped with the spoils before, Marquis Leandro had chased after me. I assumed that the items must have had tracking sigils on them.

If I leave this place empty-handed, will he still pursue me? Could he track me just by my traces alone?

I had planned to leave the pit empty-handed, but I picked up a simple iron sword from a Skeleton Soldier that had died on the outskirts.

Pardon me.

It was just an ordinary iron sword, seemingly untouched by any magic.

Tap.

I took my final step out of the pit.

I couldn't go straight to Rena. If the marquis were tracking me, it would put her in danger too.

Two months.

That was the deadline I had written in the letter. During that time, I planned to return to the cave and wait for the marquis. In my last regression, he entered the cave two weeks later.

I had given a generous two-month deadline in the letter, but even one month would be enough. It would give me enough time to confirm whether I was being pursued.

Fwoosh!

I deliberately stopped by the Barren Underground Tomb. Aside from acquiring items, I wanted to keep as many factors identical to last time as possible.

I'll follow the same route.

I passed through the waterfall, opened the iron door, and entered. The tomb was still completely empty.

Nothing much here...

After checking the tomb, I headed back to the labyrinth cave where I had lived for three years. It was a natural labyrinth so complex that no one but the marquis would dare to enter.

I settled into the same spot as before and took off my armor.

Clank... drip.

The sound of taking my armor off mixed with the sound of water dripping. I noticed Gith-Za-Rai's dagger hanging from my waist.

Should I have left this behind, too?

I felt a bit uneasy, but since she had given it to me deliberately as a token, I wanted to keep it. I left most things behind in case of an emergency, but Isabelle's armor was most likely the real item being tracked. The marquis had pursued me alone not because he had been obsessed with the fake emperor'’s death but with Isabelle'’s.

Tap.

I carefully ran my fingertips over the jet-black dagger, its white inscriptions writhing.

Well, it would work as a good suicide tool, too.

I wasn't just going to sit idly and wait for the marquis for two weeks. I decided to test the new skills I had acquired.

I sat cross-legged on the ground.

[Meditation Lv. 2 is being activated!]

[You will be purified of distractions and calm the mind. Those who enter deep meditation...]

The message slowly disappeared. One by one, the distracting thoughts in my mind began to fade, and a gap formed in my heart. Anxiety and fear seeped out through that gap, one by one.

There's nothing new...

The meditation skill didn't reveal a new realm that I had never encountered before. Rather, it was more like a soft piece of cloth, gently wiping away the dust and grime clinging to my heart. Little by little, the world became clearer.

[Activating Focus Lv. 2!]

I used Focus alongside Meditation, significantly increasing the effects of Meditation.

Clatter.

Maintaining my meditative state, I picked up the iron sword and stared intently at the tip of the blade. I focused on the sensation of the handle in my grip and slowly settled into my posture. The moment the world turned the sharpest, I struck with the sword.

I couldn't tell if the sword had been too fast or too slow because there was no sound. I felt like I was on the verge of grasping something intangible, but it slipped away.

***

I couldn't grasp it. I stopped training and sat back down, immersing myself in meditating once again. I tried to capture that elusive sensation, but it didn't work.

Determined, I picked up the sword again, this time deciding to add another skill.

Detection.

[Activating Detection Lv. 5!]

[Skill efficiency increased by 1,000%!]

[Based on current health, 0.0024% of health will be consumed per second.]

Drip. Drip. Drip...

I could hear the distant sound of water droplets falling from the stalactites and the subtle shift of air with each drop hitting the ground. That was all.

I returned to my meditation, not forcing myself to chase that elusive sensation or trying to erase my thoughts. I let them come and go as they pleased.

Time passed. Occasionally, I would find myself deeply immersed in certain moments, accompanied by vivid images.

Take your seat! Any unruly spectators will be removed!

I recalled my memories of the marquis, the open sea, and the mermaids bursting apart under the dazzling blue blade while crawling toward him. That scene slowly unfolded in a 360-degree panorama. Even before the blade touched them, the mermaids had already been split in half.

Clatter.

I stood up and picked up the iron sword to replicate the movements stored in my mind.

***

Ten days passed.

Crack.

[Health depleted!]

[If you continue moving, your total health may be permanently reduced!]

[Remaining Health: 0.17%]

Clatter!

My bones refused to move.

Still gripping the sword, I collapsed onto the ground. I did not achieve any special realization.

Do I have no choice but to collapse like this? I need to recover some health first.

If things followed the same path as my past life, only a few days remained before I would face the marquis.

Tap.

With barely functioning fingertips, I fumbled for the sword's handle to grip the iron sword. I also confirmed the position of the jet-black dagger. If I heard the marquis' footsteps, I planned to drive the dagger into my own skull before he could capture me. I wouldn't let myself be caught twice.

[Recovering health...]

[99.1%...]

The days passed, and the cave remained silent. The closer the time came to facing him, the more intense my anxiety grew.

He should be here by now.

I couldn't train freely. This was an opponent who could appear at any moment, strike from behind, and bind my arms and legs before dragging me away.

Detection.

I activated the skill. I knew that this wouldn't catch him if he truly intended to avoid detection, but I activated it anyway just to ease my anxiety.

Is he coming? He's not coming. Is he coming? He's not coming...

***

It was the last day of the two weeks. Leaning against the wall, I gripped Gith-Za-Rai's dagger tightly and silently observed the writhing letters on its jet-black blade. I knew what kind of monster the marquis was, down to my very bones.

Time passed slowly. I kept straining my ears for the sound of his footsteps, which still hadn't come. Time crept forward, grain by grain, gathering and then flowing down like blood.

Drip. Drip. Drip...

It was now the fourteenth day. I did not hear any footsteps. The marquis did not come.

Another day passed.

Clatter.

As the tension eased, I sank down.

Is he not coming?

I waited a few more days in an unsettled state. I wandered through the cave with Detection activated, but I never heard the sound of footsteps.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

I deliberately walked with heavy steps and returned to the center of the cave.

Slowly, I lowered myself onto the cave floor. It was still silent. Lying down with my arms and legs stretched out, I stared up at the cave ceiling.

Drip. Drip. Drip...

I watched the stalactites as the water droplets formed and fell.

"Did I... survive?" I muttered softly.

My mind felt numb and paralyzed. A strange, unknown sensation tickled and ached in the depths of my heart.

***

Another day passed.

"I survived," I said.

In my past life, the marquis pursued me because I had taken Isabelle's belongings. About forty days were still left until I planned to meet Rena. The two-month margin I had set for myself had been generous.

Let's... try meditating again.

Keeping the Detection skill active, I fell back into deep meditation. I swung my sword, picturing the marquis' movements more calmly this time.

Like this... No, like this...

Swoosh!

Ten days passed.

[Warning!]

[If you overexert yourself further, your health may permanently decrease!]

All my bones felt stiff, but I couldn't stop. Something flickered before my eyes—I felt like I was almost there.

Detection.

[Activating Detection Lv.5!]

[Skill efficiency increased by 1,000%!]

[Based on current health, 0.0024% of health is consumed per second.]

I ignored the external surroundings and focused inward. I sensed my every movement, from my fingertips to my toes. Every bone in my body groaned, screaming in protest, but I had no intention of stopping.

I swung my sword, drawing closer to death. The faces of those I had killed so far flashed through my mind, one by one. The sensation of my blade piercing through their hearts resurfaced. I started a conversation with my memories.

Sword aura wasn't something that could be obtained. It was something that already existed, and I just hadn't realized it. I had not been prepared at all. Sword aura couldn't be drawn out, nor could I force it to emerge. It was simply something that I had to recognize.

My sword sliced through the air.

Just one more time.

Clatter!

[Due to excessive exertion, health has permanently decreased by 1!]

I wanted to extend this state of selflessness just a little longer.

Woooong!

The sword sounded like it was crying.

[Due to excessive exertion, health has permanently decreased by 2!]

It no longer felt like I was wielding the sword by this point. It felt like I was simply swinging my arm.

Gith-Za-Rai...

I recalled the image of her being split in two. I saw her corpse riddled with holes as countless lights pierced through her.

[Due to excessive exertion, health has permanently decreased by 3!]

Forcing my collapsing self to rise again, I swung my sword.

[Due to excessive exertion, health has permanently decreased by 4!]

[Warning! Permanent health reduction is accumulating!]

I stood frozen in place. However, even in that state, I continued swinging my sword. I could no longer tell whether I was wielding the sword... or if the sword was wielding me. I had to seize this moment.

Woooong!

The worn iron sword let out a fierce cry.

Whoosh!

A streak of blue light flashed, slicing through the air.

Crack!

The beam of light extended forward, leaving a faint scar on the rock wall. The scar was thinner than the blade of my sword. It was so fine that one wouldn't notice it unless they looked closely.

I stood frozen in place, staring at the deep mark carved into the wall. There was a distance of more than five steps between me and the wall.

Woooong!

The iron sword trembled in my grip. The streak of blue light traveled across the empty air and engraved itself into the wall.

"Ah," I murmured.

I had been submerged in a daze for a long time. As I retraced what I had just done, my legs collapsed on their own.

Clatter!

With a light thud, I fell, and the ceiling of the cave filled my vision. I no longer had the health to force myself to stay upright.