The Skeleton Soldier Failed to Defend the Dungeon

I had to absorb her.

If not this time, then the next. Someday... if I’m to save her. But can I really revive her when we meet again? Could I protect her?

Making such a promise felt impossible.

Should I stop her from attempting assassination?

Even if I tried, there was no guarantee she would listen.

In fact, it was already clear she wouldn’t. Gith-Za-Rai the necromancer had dismissed my warnings as madness, refused to believe in the loop, and reveled in her macabre sense of joy. She had even joked about preferring the company of crazy skeletons.

Her Affection for me had risen because of it.

How would she react if I explained this incomprehensible situation to her? If I told her about the mysterious knight emerging from the void to kill her?

She’d laugh, probably insist on seeing it with her own eyes, and find it all amusing. Her Affection points would climb even higher. Her already bizarre view of me as a mad skeleton would only deepen. I didn’t need to experience it to know.

What if I somehow succeeded in stopping her? Or prevented the emperor’s procession from being interrupted?

No, no matter what I do, it’s uncertain.

Even if she didn’t attempt to kill the emperor, the ashen knight might still slay her at the appointed time. Even if she stayed hidden in a cave, the knight could open the void and kill her. Nowhere felt safe.

If I hesitate now...

Even the faintest possibility would disappear. This wasn’t just about Gith-Za-Rai. It was about fixed deaths and predetermined records. In this rigid loop, only I could act as a variable. If I wanted to change anything, I needed to grow stronger—strong enough to face the ashen knight. I needed to obtain Gith-Za-Rai’s essence to inherit her will.

I repeated to myself, If not this time, then the next...

Someday, I would protect her. So, I shamelessly reached out to absorb the essence.

Woooom!

The green essence emanating from her body was blindingly bright, incomparable to that of any other corpse.

Ding!

[You possess an Epic skill: Essence Absorption Lv. 1.

The number of Epic skill holders has been verified as within the normal range (1).

Adjustment process complete.

Absorption permitted.]

Woooom!

The light slowly dispersed throughout my body.

[Time remaining until full inheritance: 23:59:59...]

Inheritance?

Is that just another name for integration?

A timer displayed how long until I could use the skill. The status window felt strangely natural, but something else bothered me—the transparent window that had appeared when the ashen knight attacked.

What is this?

Unlike the other status windows, the translucent frame had been hovering silently and motionlessly, devoid of messages. While absorbing Gith-Za-Rai’s remains, I reached toward the transparent frame.

Swoosh!

Clatter!

Startled, I stepped back several paces. My finger had touched the frame and slipped straight into it. Though the window appeared blank, it felt entirely different—like a tangible space rather than a flat surface with text.

It didn’t disappear.

I examined my hand. Thankfully, the fingers that had entered the frame were intact.

I need to check again.

Cautiously, I approached the space again, observing its contours more closely.

Swoosh...

Slowly, I pressed a fingertip into the frame.

This is incredible.

Inside the frame, my finger appeared significantly smaller—about 1/10th of its actual size. It reminded me of how objects refract underwater but felt even more distorted. I gently ran my fingers along the frame’s edges. Its boundaries felt solid and physical.

It’s real.

I pressed on it lightly and even tried stretching it.

Is this... spatial magic?

I recalled a tale from the goblin village of Zixkisses Boomtong. The main focus of the tale was an enchanted bag said to hold an infinite number of gold coins.

Could this be a similar type of spatial sorcery?

I picked up a sword from the ground. It was a beautifully crafted weapon, sharp enough to send chills down my spine, clearly fit for the imperial guard. Carefully, I inserted the blade into the frame.

Swoosh!

The sword also shrank to a tenth of its size as it slipped effortlessly inside.

What a remarkable magic.

If I could manipulate this space, I could collect many of the treasures scattered around the battlefield. It felt wasteful to leave them behind, yet transporting them all manually was impossible. This was the site of the emperor’s assassination—lingering here was not an option. The imperial forces could arrive at any moment.

I could fit a lot in here.

I experimented with the strange space for a while, trying to figure out how to control it.

But... when did this appear?

It wasn’t hard to recall. The moment the ashen knight had summoned those countless blades in the air. It must have been around the time they pierced through me.

Swoosh. Swoosh!

I tested it further, repeatedly inserting and removing my fingers and sword. The space remained fixed in place, immovable.

I guess it’s no use....

Though I could feel its contours, I couldn’t make it move or change.

I’ll give up for now.

I decided to let it go. There was no point obsessing over something I didn’t understand. What mattered now was moving quickly. The Imperial forces could arrive at any moment. Beyond the floating space, I saw Gith-Za-Rai’s remains on the ground.

First, the absorption.

I reached out toward her remains.

Woooom...

Ding!

[You are absorbing a target with a skull implant.]

[Special conditions met.]

[Unique Skill acquired: Lord of Bones Lv. 1.

This is a passive skill.

As your skill level increases, the following effects will be granted incrementally:

— Your understanding of bones will improve.

— The likelihood of stealing an opponent’s bones during combat will increase. Both range and probability will expand.

— You will be able to assemble increasingly complex bone structures.

— The default Affection of toward you will rise. Current base Affection: +5.]

More messages appeared below the initial notifications. The texts mentioned that I could train skeletons and exercise greater control over them as my level increased.

A single word rose in my mind: Legion.

Can I form my own army?

Of course, I didn’t intend to create a massive legion like Gith-Za-Rai. That wasn’t my style. If I were to fall, I would fall alone. I did not plan on dragging other undead into my fate.

Still, I couldn’t deny the subtle excitement and curiosity building within me. With enough time and research, this ability would be incredibly powerful. It felt vague now, but the potential was undeniable.

Woooo!

Gith-Za-Rai’s remains continued to radiate light. The green essence pouring out of her severed corpse steadily seeped into my bones. I focused intently and continued absorbing her essence.

Ding!

[You share bones with the target!

Absorption efficiency significantly increased!

Stat absorption limit raised by 50%.

Stat limit: 75

Absorbing Agility +1...

Absorbing Health +1...

Absorbing Wisdom +1...

Absorbing Strength +1...

Absorbed abilities are being processed...

Time remaining until full integration: 23:59:59.]

With Essence Absorption Lv. 1, I could only absorb up to 50 stat points. However, Gith-Za-Rai seemed to follow a special set of rules.

Shared bones...

After about ten minutes and absorbing over ten stat points, the light emanating from her faded. I turned my gaze to my surroundings. The green glows were still abundant everywhere.

I need to hurry.

Despite the amount of time that had already passed, I couldn’t afford to leave this place until I had absorbed everything. Even if the lord’s army arrived or some passerby destroyed me in an attack, I couldn’t let this opportunity slip away.

A scene like this may never happen again.

The countless freshly slain corpses around me were all stronger beings than I was. With just a touch, I could spin the roulette of power. Standing amidst this battlefield, I saw everything more clearly after absorbing Gith-Za-Rai’s essence. My thoughts felt sharper—perhaps due to the boost in Wisdom, or maybe because I had nothing left to lose.

Absorb it all.

I moved quickly.

The strongest individuals came first, the two wizards. They were elites among the hundred or so Azure wizards in this world. If I could absorb their essence, I could wield magic myself. Unfortunately, their remains were nowhere to be found, reduced to mere bloodstains. I approached cautiously, but...

Nothing.

A careful inspection confirmed it—no green glow emanated from the bloodstains. Even if their remains had survived, there was no guarantee I could absorb their essence. Even a fragment of their arcane knowledge would have granted me extraordinary power if I could.

Sigh...

I averted my gaze from the bloodstains and turned to the wizards’ fallen staffs, which had landed a short distance away.

If nothing else, I should take these.

A high-level wizard’s staff was undoubtedly valuable. I recalled a book I had read in Lady Succubus’s library about making magical staffs. A staff had to condense arcane energy and couldn’t be made from ordinary wood. The saplings used were repeatedly consecrated from their earliest growth stages and grown in specific regions under carefully drawn pentagrams to gather elemental energy.

Over time, the saplings transformed into a unique material, far surpassing normal wood in hardness. Only a legendary blade could even hope to cut it. These staffs had survived the magical explosions intact, a testament to their durability.

One staff featured a frosty blue diamond at its tip, seemingly condensing the chill of the northernmost reaches. It had belonged to Erepor, the white-bearded wizard. The other was crooked and adorned with a triangular firestone that gleamed a fiery red, evoking the image of a phoenix-like wizard leaping into the sky.

They’re treasures, no doubt about it.

They’d make excellent blunt weapons even if I couldn’t use them. I took both staffs.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

I swung them in the air a few times experimentally.

Not bad.

I felt like a wizard for a moment, as if I could decimate an army. Of course, they were just extremely sturdy wooden sticks in my hands. Thankfully, neither exploded in my grasp nor showed any signs of rejecting me.

Next, I approached the fallen commander of the Imperial Guards. Her remains radiated the most intense glow, second only to Gith-Za-Rai’s. She had been killed earlier by the combined assault of the Dullahans. Her helmet had already been removed, and her long blonde hair lay scattered around, severed by the cursed greatsword.

Her severed head lay a few paces from the rest of her corpse. She didn’t show signs of fear or pain. Her face was locked in a sharp grimace as if bracing against a sandstorm or harsh winds. Her stern expression seemed to speak of decades spent living with such resolve.

I turned my eyes away from her face.

First, the armor.

I approached her mainly to retrieve her armor. Piece by piece, I removed the mithril armor from her headless corpse. I removed the chest plate, armguards, and greaves.

Beautiful.

The full plate armor set, complete with a helmet, had caught my eye from the start. Its craftsmanship was exquisite.