The Skeleton Soldier Failed to Defend the Dungeon

All of a sudden, a feeble voice came from behind. ”My lord...?”

”Oh, come in.”

A broad-shouldered old man appeared from the hallway. It was the master blacksmith to whom Chandler had entrusted the sword.

The old blacksmith held my sword, accompanied by one assistant, but his expression wasn’t good.

Chandler welcomed the blacksmith warmly. ”You arrived just in time.”

The old blacksmith looked between Chandler and me with a gloomy expression.

”What happened with the sword?” Chandler asked.

The old blacksmith bowed his head deeply. ”I... must apologize.”

So it failed.

Though he had said multiple times not to get my hopes up, perhaps he had grown attached while handling it and hoped for success.

With a rather distressed look, the old blacksmith continued, ”If I had used the lord’s personal forge, I might have been able to reach the right temperature to melt it down... But I don’t have the skill to forge it properly. I had to give up.”

Chandler shook his head. ”No, it’s my fault for making such an unreasonable request.”

”I’m ashamed... Hoo... That said...”

The old blacksmith rummaged in his clothes. He took out a large sheet of paper and handed it to Chandler.

Chandler took the sheet of paper. ”What’s this?”

”A map,” the old blacksmith answered.

”A map?” I repeated.

In response to my question, the blacksmith lowered his voice. ”Well... Sir Swordsman, I’m not sure what to call you. Anyway, this is a rough map of where Dwarf craftsmen are believed to live in the mountain range.”

”Dwarves!” I exclaimed.

I stared at the map in surprise. I’d heard from Lime that they were hiding in the Eastern Mountains, but that was a gross simplification because the mountain range spanned a third of the Empire. It was large enough to contain a hundred cities like Grassmere. With overlapping underground valleys and labyrinthine caves, searching would be practically impossible.

A guide like this made a world of difference. I couldn’t hide my amazement as I looked at the map. It wasn’t extremely detailed, likely drawn overnight, but it showed effort in depicting depth and elevation of the terrain.

”This is incredible,” I said.

The white-haired blacksmith huffed and explained, ”I drew it from memory based on what the late Tulz told me. He told me to keep it secret... Well, I’d appreciate it if you burned it after using it.”

Chandler looked at me. ”What do you think, benefactor?”

I nodded. ”I’ll do it.”

It was a fair request. If Chandler hadn’t made the request, the old blacksmith probably would’ve said nothing about the Dwarves at all. Countless people would want to enslave them if their existence became known. However, the Dwarves would rather bash their own heads against the ground than become slaves.

”Well, let’s destroy it right here,” I declared.

After memorizing the map thoroughly and asking a few follow-up questions, I tossed it into the fire.

Whoosh!

Once the flames consumed the map, the white-haired blacksmith bowed and left.

”If Tulz were still alive, he would’ve helped... I’m sorry,” Chandler said with a slightly regretful tone.

”When did he die?” I asked.

”About a year ago.”

So... around the time I awoke, or maybe even before.

I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to meet him even if I returned to the past.

”It’s fine. I was planning to head to the Eastern Mountains anyway. I thought I’d ask, just in case.”

It wasn’t just about the sword. I needed to hide from the Empire’s pursuit, and I had to search for Mudcash, the Dwarven mage, as Zixkisses Boomtong had mentioned. For that, I needed to search the mountains thoroughly.

Chandler looked regretful, as if he wished he could do more. ”Still...”

I bluntly said, ”You look exhausted. Shouldn’t you get some rest?”

Chandler laughed awkwardly. ”Do I? Well, to be honest, I still have a few things left to do.”

It was late into the night. He hadn’t been a lord for long, and preparing for war was clearly wearing him down. I might’ve added to that burden.

”Then I’ll be off,” I said.

”Already?”

”I’ve stayed two days.”

If I lingered any longer, suspicion would only grow. Not just for my own safety, but for the sake of this city, it was best to leave quickly.

Chandler looked disappointed. ”If you really must go... at least say goodbye to the others.”

”Farewell?”

”Hailey’s been waiting for you.”

”Me?”

”Yes. She’s been playing with Janet but keeps asking when you’ll return.”

I tilted my skull in confusion.

Chandler explained, ”She’s the short-haired maid you saw when you arrived.”

I didn’t even know the name of the young maid who tried so hard to serve me. Maybe that was a bit harsh.

”Is it necessary?” I asked.

”If you leave without saying anything, they’ll be really sad. Hailey... might even cry.”

”Hmm...”

”Shall I wake her?”

”No, she’s probably asleep.”

”Then you’ll see her in the morning!”

***

I surrendered to Chandler’s persistent request and agreed. However, I had no intention of quietly returning to my room.

If I’m staying one more day...

There was no reason to hesitate in tracking Reinberg, who had just left. I didn’t intend to cause trouble. Just finding out where he was going would be helpful.

Fwoosh!

Fortunately, he hadn’t gone far. I picked up his trail quickly and followed closely.

Is it because I was so focused? Something feels... off.

Baron Reinberg’s back looked oddly distorted. Somehow, I couldn’t shake off the impression that I thought he looked squishy. Despite walking through the night streets, he bizarrely wandered all over. He twisted through alleyways, hopped walls, and circled around aimlessly.

Did he notice me tailing him?

Considering how I had overpowered him instantly at the gate, it was hard to believe. Eventually, he must’ve felt safe, because he started walking straight.

After a long walk, he stopped, but it was strange. He didn’t stop at a lodging, a tavern, or even a brothel. It was somewhere unexpected, and somewhere he shouldn’t have gone.

That’s...the white tent.

Reinburg had stopped where the Star Spearmen mercenary group was stationed. There were no passersby or imperial soldiers in sight. Maybe he came at this hour specifically to avoid attention. Only mercenaries stood around with torches, and they let him enter the tent without question.

Didn’t Chandler say he hired those mercenaries himself?

Chandler said he personally hired them based on reputation. However, Reinberg was an imperial. Seeing an imperial officer walk into their tent was extremely suspicious—clear evidence of collusion. Or maybe they had been part of the same group all along.

Chandler’s been betrayed.

I wanted to hear what they were talking about, but like before, the tent seemed to have some sort of magic barrier. I couldn’t hear a thing from inside. Even my Detection skill didn’t work.

I waited quietly for about an hour, but Reinberg never came out.

Should I break in?

That would be risky. I had no justification and no idea what kind of power was inside. It was better to warn Chandler first.

No need to wait until morning. I’ll go tell him right away.

He likely had no idea. At least staying one more day had allowed me to discover this.

***

I immediately headed for the inner castle, hiding in the darkness.

Clunk.

Yet, the gate was locked and wouldn’t open. The key Chandler had given me rattled as it turned in the lock, but something heavy was barring it from the inside.

This hasn’t happened before.

A bad feeling brushed past my mind.

Bang!

I broke the door down on the spot. Glancing briefly at the shattered heavy wooden beam used to reinforce the door from within, I sprinted down the hallway.

Soon after, I spotted a body lying on the floor, already growing cold. It was a familiar face—one of the inner castle guards I’d seen from time to time. Warm steam still rose from around his neatly severed artery.

An attack!

There was no time to check my surroundings slowly. If an assassin had entered the castle, their target was obvious.

Sprint.

Fwoosh!

I launched myself toward the lord’s office at full speed.

Swish!

However, before I could even reach the second floor, a pair of legs hanging in midair blocked my path.

A corpse dangled about a meter above the floor, suspended from a ceiling beam. I slowly looked up.

I recognized the face of the corpse, hands tied and neck bound tightly by rope. It was the maid who had gone out of her way to look after me. Even when I refused to eat, she’d prepared bedding and bathwater in her silly attempts to care for me. Now, she swayed limply in the air.

Janet... was that her name?

Of course, it wasn’t suicide. There was nothing to stand on, and the beam was far too thick and high for her small hands to have tied the rope herself. This was a staged execution. Her tongue poked out between her lips, and faint white foam gathered at the corners of her mouth.

For a moment, I stood frozen before her. Then, a dagger flew toward me from above the beam. It rushed toward me as if it had been fired from a ballista.

Swoosh!

I didn’t even sense it!

There wasn’t time to dodge. I blocked it with my sword, swinging hard to deflect it.

Clang!

However, the moment it hit my blade, the dagger shattered into fragments.

What?

A violent chill burst forth, flooding through my greatsword, my skeleton, and the floor.

I couldn’t move. The overwhelming cold froze not just my sword and armor, but even the surrounding space, rooting me to the floor.

An enchantment?

It was a consumable enchantment. Unlike a permanent one, it was activated by destroying the weapon itself. It could only be used once, but its power was tremendous.

Crackle!

I couldn’t even identify the enemy, let alone fight back. At this rate, I would be frozen completely.

In times like this...

Every joint of my armor was frozen solid. I’d experienced something similar when I fought Lime.

I reacted instinctively.

Fwoooosh!

[Mana consumption increased by 300%...]

I heated my bones with flames. It was a dual-layered fusion spell.

Using my skeleton as the medium...

One more time.

Blaze.

Boom!

Flames erupted from my feet, hands, and the tip of my sword. The battle against Lime before arriving in Grassmere had been valuable. I had grown used to channeling magic through my bones.

Crackle!

The areas frozen by the intense cold shattered and melted away.

A slightly surprised voice came from above the beam where the dagger had come. ”Not bad.”

The air shimmered. A woman with a half-mask of silver revealed herself. In her left hand was a thin rapier, its blade so fine it was almost invisible. I could feel the sharpness radiating from it.

”Who are you?” I asked.

Swish!

The silver-masked woman raised her rapier and stabbed it into the maid’s forehead. The blade sank in without resistance, like dipping a twig into a lake.

Flick!

When she pulled it out, the bits of brain matter on the blade scattered toward me as if mocking me. She curled one corner of her lips in a leisurely smirk.

”I’m the real ghost here to catch the fake ghost. Hahaha... Where have you been? Thanks to you, I got myself a new achievement.”

Ghost?

I looked at my wrist. From the overuse of magic, five of the knots had burned away on my charm bracelet. Of course, I had no time to worry about that. An enemy I hadn’t even sensed was pointing a sword at me.

I might die here.Is she alone?

I slowly measured the distance between us. The guard’s cleanly severed artery was most likely her handiwork, and she was probably gauging my range as well.

Tilting her head slightly, the woman casually walked across the beam and looked down at me. ”You’re way better than your stats suggest. Still... I think I could pierce about ten holes in that armor of yours.”

Whip!

With a chilling aura enveloping the blade, her rapier split into dozens of threads and shot toward me.

***

Twenty-one—that was the number of small holes her rapier had pierced clean through my armor. Actually, there were more than twenty. Her earlier claim of poking ten holes had been humble.

In contrast, I made just one hole. But it was larger and fatal.

”Urgh... argh... you... fucking...”

Even with a sword buried deep in her stomach, she didn’t die right away.

She writhed, spitting blood and curses. ”A Skeleton, seriously... fuck this...”

Unfortunately, her weapon was poorly matched for me. The rapier, meant to pierce vital spots, had sliced through nothing but empty spaces.

”Urgh...”

Blood splattered onto my helmet. She tried to grab my skull, perhaps wanting to split it open.

”You’ll... die anyway!” she shouted.

Her outstretched hand suddenly dropped. She had been a tough opponent.

I swung horizontally and sliced her in half.

Slash.

Squish!

From her bisected torso, a faint green glow emerged. It was darker than the one I’d seen from Rayleigh.

[Agility has increased by 1.]

[Agility...]

The absorption didn’t take long. I siphoned a few stat points.

After glancing at the system window, I lowered my gaze to my wrist. The talisman bracelet Sharunian had made was now nothing but gray ash.

So that’s finished too.

However, the woman wasn’t a foe I could afford to worry about such things against. More than half of my health was gone. The urge to flee suddenly welled up from deep within me, but if I ran now, I’d never learn the truth.

Chandler? Hailey?

I still knew nothing about what had happened or what was happening tonight.

Fwoosh!

Resolving myself, I sprinted down the long hallway. When I reached the lord’s room on the second floor...

Crunch... munch... gulp...

A grotesque, squirming, blood-red sight spread out before my eyes.