The Skeleton Soldier Failed to Defend the Dungeon

Clack.

Rena opened the carriage window.

Whirr!

The late autumn wind was cold, and a thin layer of frost clung to the air.

”Winter’s almost here,” Rena murmured.

”About a month left,” I replied, glancing outside.

Fields of wheat stretched on either side. The harvest had long since ended. Even at the tail end of autumn, the fields weren’t empty.

Pairs of men dragged plows through the post-harvest fields, lacking oxen to do the work. They looked as though they might collapse at any moment, their struggle a stark contrast to the lavish parties held within the castle walls.

Young men were noticeably absent. Instead, wrinkled old men pulled the plows while elderly women scattered fertilizer or planted seeds. One old woman, spreading fertilizer, repeatedly clutched her knees and groaned.

I remarked casually, ”They look exhausted. Hasn’t the harvest ended?”

”They’re planting barley,” Rena said, clicking her tongue lightly. ”It’s been a while since I’ve seen this. It must mean they’ve been heavily taxed.”

”Heavily taxed?”

”They’re taking so much wheat and rice that they have to plant barley right after harvesting just to survive.”

”Is this because of the new lord?”

Rena nodded. ”Probably. This used to be a nice place to live. It wasn’t always like this.”

Rubia’s father must have been a good ruler. I pictured Rubia’s image in my mind: awkward yet occasionally sharp. She might have been a decent lord if she had been properly educated.

I recalled our first meeting: she had resisted the hunters, shouting that she was the rightful heir. She had charged at them with a dagger in hand...

Clatter.

I flexed my bony fingers. Thinking about what happened afterward left me uneasy again.

If she had been the lord, would the people in the wheat fields still suffer like this?

Perhaps not, at least for a while. That clumsy image of her lingered in my mind, refusing to fade.

”What are you thinking about?” Rena asked.

”Nothing.”

”There aren’t any young people around.”

”They’ve likely been conscripted for training. Didn’t we see them within the city walls?”

”Military drills and hoarding food... Do you really think a war will break out?”

Rena blinked curiously at me. ”Of course.”

”Why are you so certain?”

”Just because.”

There wasn’t much else to say. I knew it would happen.

How can I explain it?

”The Emperor wants war.”

Rena tilted her head quizzically. ”You don’t trust the Alliance and Ember to respond?”

”Do you find their so-called ‘response’ convincing?” I asked.

”Objectively, it seems reliable. Better than just knowing ‘because.’ But, of course, I trust my husband...”

She leaned her head on my shoulder, and her faint perfume wafted over me. It had a soft base of bilberry flowers. I frowned slightly.

When did I start noticing scents like this?

My sense of smell wasn’t usually sharp enough to distinguish perfumes. I gently nudged her away and looked out the window.

The road ahead leveled out, and the horses picked up speed. The carriage rocked a bit more, kicking dust up beneath the wheels that trailed off behind us.

A familiar blue message appeared before me.

[Assimilation rate has decreased.]

[88.68% → 88.61%]

Assimilation rate.

The term kept appearing, though I still didn’t understand its meaning. One thing was clear: the assimilation rate dropped whenever I perceived something new.

I thought back.

When did it start? Was it when I bit the hero and blood poured from his skull? Something had changed then. Something...

***

We arrived at the guild quickly and entered the director’s office. A middle-aged man with a mild demeanor greeted me warmly. Of course, his true form was a sticky green slime capable of morphing into anything.

”Ah, I’ve heard the news,” he said.

”Already?”

”Word travels fast...”

The director glanced at a bird perched on a tree outside the window. A small black ribbon was tied around its leg, likely holding a tiny message cylinder.

”Perfect timing,” he said, rising from his seat. ”You’ve done excellent work.”

He turned to a large brown cabinet against the wall and opened the middle drawer with a key.

Clink.

The sound of heavy metal rang out as he retrieved a single gleaming gold coin and handed it to me.

”Your reward. Thank you.”

I accepted it, and a message appeared before me.

[You have obtained 3 seirons.]

[Lime’s Affection has increased by 2.]

These notifications were becoming increasingly familiar.

I nodded. ”This will go under Rena’s name.”

That had been the plan from the start. I flicked the three gold coins toward Rena, their weight evident as they clinked in her hand.

”Take them.”

”Wow... thank you!”

Rena caught them swiftly, the coins jingling as they settled in her hands. She smiled brightly, carefully caressing the coins. The embossed portrait of the first emperor glinted under her touch.

Does she really love money this much?

Her face radiated gratitude, and for a moment, she seemed at a loss for words. It reminded me of someone standing naked in a snowy field, suddenly receiving a warm coat.

She murmured to herself, ”Wow... they’re heavy.”

”Heavy?”

Seirons were made of an alloy of pure gold and mithril, mixed in a ratio of 50:1. They were larger and thicker than silver coins, but they were not unmanageably heavy.

”Haha... It’s just... the kindness behind it feels heavy.”

Her eyes glistened slightly. I felt awkward, because that wasn’t a selfless act. It was merely a way to release some lingering debt of guilt. The arrangement could break at any moment. After all, I was a monster, and she was human. I turned away from her and shifted the conversation to the director.

”Did these coins come from the Jinney family?”

”Not quite, but it’s customary to pay the task completers first,” he replied warmly, offering his own money upfront.

”Give me the next request,” I said.

”In a hurry, are we?”

”I’ve got a long way to go.”

I meant it literally. I had defeated several humans in the tournament, but a long road still awaited ahead.

One of the opponents there had said, ”This is all just child’s play,” and he was serious.

There were many levels of strength among humans, and the world was vast and full of unknowns. I couldn’t afford to waste time.

Sensing my urgency, the director smiled and spoke slowly. ”I do have a more challenging request...”

”Tell me. I’ll finish it quickly.”

The director sipped his coffee before continuing.

***

Three months passed. The Empire’s southern regions weren’t as rugged as the Eastern Highlands, but they weren’t entirely flat either. The sprawling tendrils of the Grax Mountains spread throughout the area, and I traversed them extensively.

I tackled the Withered Maze, filled with poisonous thorns. I cleared the Quarter of the Bloody Rider, home to red-eyed centaurs with razor-sharp teeth. I remembered the Withdrawal Vault of Corpses, where ghouls in tattered forms roamed. In the Den of Venomous Hyenas, I acquired a dagger with a poisonous blade.

In most cases, I followed adventurers invading dungeons, turning both invaders and inhabitants into experience points. We dismantled bandit camps, took revenge for wrongs, and escorted merchants. The director optimized our routes, and we made an astonishing amount of money.

Rena grew stronger even faster while I stagnated at level thirty. As a Skeleton Soldier, my stats increased by only one—a significant limitation.

Even the succubus had expressed regret over my slow progression. In contrast, Rena gained four stat points per level, sometimes even five, after a talent boost. The efficiency gap between us was enormous.

Eventually, I began funneling experience points to her instead.

Whirr!

Snow swirled outside the window.

Crackle. Snap.

The fireplace burned warmly, its rhythm steady. There were short bursts of cackling, followed by longer intervals, then short bursts again.

”So warm,” Rena murmured, leaning against the wall.

She cradled her sleeping younger sibling, gently stroking their hair. Empty coffee cups lay on the floor, along with several torn cookie wrappers.

Rena carefully set her sibling down and then suddenly leaned back across my lap. ”Ah...”

Thud.

I raised my hands to catch her head as it fell.

”Don’t lie on my lap.”

”Why? Got arthritis? Neuralgia? Should we go to a hot spring together?” Rena giggled, looking up at me with sparkling eyes.

Her clear, unclouded gaze often made me think, How could I even see such purity?

I had only empty sockets where there should’ve been soft lenses and a retina. At times, reality seemed bound by rules, only to defy and surpass them the next moment.

”Hot springs? Really?” I scoffed.

”Why not? We’ve got plenty of money. We could rent one out for a whole month!”

What a ridiculous idea.

”We still have work to do.”

Money wasn’t the issue. While completing various tasks and dungeon raids, Rena had a knack for finding profitable opportunities. Even if I’d been running around to support her, I wouldn’t have made even a tenth of what she earned on my own. Several pouches of gold coins sat nearby, but Rena no longer needed my help in any way.

I opened her status window.

[Name: Rena

Thief Lv. 17

Trickster Lv. 13

Hunter Lv. 3

Health: 40

Strength: 37

Agility: 53

Wisdom: 37]

[Affection: 60

— Rena trusts you deeply and shows no hesitation in entrusting you with her back.

— She harbors strong feelings for you.

— Affection above 50 triggers ”Attachment,” though it does not manifest as overt demands or constraints. Instead, she feels anxious when separated from you.]

[Basic Skills:

— Backstab Lv. 9

— Critical Strike Lv. 11

...

— Trap Disarmament Lv. 7

...

— Sabotage Lv. 3 ]

[Special Traits:

Talent (B+)

A natural prodigy with far superior growth potential compared to average individuals.

— Gains an additional 2 to 3 stats per level.

Battle Sense (B+)

This trait enables far superior combat performance even with identical stats.

— Slightly increases movement speed.

— Increases chances of evasion slightly.

— Allows for deeper critical strikes.

— Reduces the likelihood of receiving critical hits.

※ Due to , her Battle Sense decreases to C+ when you are absent.]