The Skeleton Soldier Failed to Defend the Dungeon

I stared blankly at the translucent status window in the air.

[Race confirmed...]

[Class is currently unassigned.]

[With sufficient Lurium absorbed, Class Change Authority has been granted.]

[Current Class: Skeleton Soldier]

[Class change available.]

[—Skeleton Swordsman

—Skeleton Knight

—Skeleton Hunter]

Class change... A status window...

I looked around.

”Why... What’s wrong?”

”Is something the matter?”

I was certain—neither Isaac nor Rubia could see this window.

Evolution.

The Class Change feature was something no one else seemed to have access to. I remembered the window that had appeared when I appraised the Webslinger’s Ruby. Even Lime, who had evaluated the item, hadn’t known anything about class changes. Among everyone I had met so far, only I had this ability.

Beneath each job title, a smaller window appeared.

[Available Class Changes: 1]

I could change class just once. I stared at the three options. The shimmering letters began displaying more detailed explanations the longer I looked.

[1. Skeleton Swordsman]

[”A sword does not return to its sheath until it tastes blood, and a master swordsman is never caught in the eye of their blade.”

—Historically, the sword has been the most favored weapon. There has never been a weapon as widely used in both war and daily life.

—What is your reason for wielding a sword? Honor? Wealth? To protect someone? If you’re seeking the pinnacle of martial prowess, the swordsman is a typical starting point.]

[Perks]

???

???

???

???

[Penalties]

???

???

[Would you like to change class?]

What is this...?

I was dumbfounded. The job descriptions were vague at best, filled with flowery nonsense. Perks and penalties were all just question marks. I had no clue what I would gain—or what I could lose.

What kind of class change is this supposed to be?

I moved on to the next option.

[2. Skeleton Knight]

[”Young girls grow up believing in shining knights in armor. Sadly, they don’t exist. Even if brave knights ever blessed the world with heroic deeds, they likely perished on battlefields, destroyed by the gods’ envy.” —Richelle, the one who laughs.

—A knight is a war machine on horseback. They are expected to have courage, honor, and exceptional combat skills, and they are often depicted as romantic beings of ideals and convictions.

—But in the end, knights are a breed who spend their lives driving swords and axes into people’s heads and torsos or practicing to do so.

—Don’t have enough land or tribute? Pillage. Slay. Show the world what blades and spears are really for.]

[Base Perks]

???

???

???

???

[Penalties]

???

???

[Would you like to change class?]

Same thing.

At this point, it was unclear what they even wanted from me.

[3. Skeleton Hunter]

[”Hunt or be hunted.”

—Mark your target and set your traps...]

The final option, Skeleton Hunter, was no different. I stared at the question marks under its perks and penalties.

Ding!

[Insufficient Lurium.]

What? I need more? Do I not have enough stored up?

I looked again at the prompt under each job description.

Ding!

[Insufficient Lurium.]

So much for the Class Change Authority acquired.

I couldn’t even force it through. It seemed that with the Lurium I had, all I got was a peek at the job descriptions.

”Isaac.”

”What is it?”

”Do we have any Lurium left?”

Clack!

Isaac shut his beak and said, ”You absurd creature. Can’t you tell we used it all on you?”

”Even though we took down such a massive thing?”

”Yes, but the total yield was pretty small. Actually, no, it wasn’t exactly small, per se. We just used a lot on you.”

”What about somewhere else? Do you know anywhere we could find more Lurium?”

Isaac paused, then answered like he was resigned to the situation, ”Two places... That’s already a lot. What more do you want?”

”You said you’d take me to Kevin Ashton’s ruins. Did you lie to me again?”

”Lie? Look around. Who would even know ruins like this existed?!” Isaac snapped back in frustration. ”Go ask someone else, then! Who else knows about Leraie’s sanctuary, or this secret barrier?! Who else but me?!”

”Aren’t those all the same place?” Rubia remarked.

Sometimes, she really lacked tact.

”...” Isaac went silent.

Isn’t this guy actually kind of useless? Even if he shares the vision of all past Grassmere heads, the places he can go and the information he can access are extremely limited. In the end, his prime was four hundred years ago... Now, he’s just—

”Hey! What the hell are you thinking?”

”I’m thinking it’s a problem if you don’t know.”

”Um... Mr. Skeleton?” Rubia said.

”What is it?”

”If we need to find information, how about going to Daliac?”

”Daliac?”

”Yes. I read about it in a book once...”

Rubia began explaining what she knew about Daliac, but I was already familiar with everything she said. The Unapproachable Lantern of Daliac was a temporary neutral zone for high-level informants and assassins. I had heard about it from Rena.

In fact, I had even visited it once and obtained fresh intel on Marquis Leandro. He had secretly been assassinated while plotting rebellion against the imperial family, and it was made to look like a suicide.

It was definitely a place where anyone could buy top-grade information. Still, there was a reason I had subconsciously ruled Daliac out. I’d been flat-out denied any information about Ashton there. Not even a sliver of hope. But maybe it wasn’t necessary to associate Lurium directly with Kevin Ashton. Information on Lurium could still be on the table.

Just then, Isaac cut in. ”You two can’t even get in, remember? You don’t have Daliac membership. You’ll be thrown out before you get close. Honestly, do I have to spell out everything for you? There’s a reason it used to be called the Unapproachable Lantern...”

”That was three hundred years ago.”

”What?”

I cut off Isaac without thinking. ”They have a separate lodging area for civilians now. And it’s called the Unquenchable Lantern.”

Was that right? I seemed to recall Rena saying something like that.

Ding!

[Rubia has discovered a new side of you!]

[Rubia’s Affection increased by 2!]

A new side, huh?

She probably didn’t expect me to say something like that. Well, I had just parroted something Rena said in a previous life. Even Isaac stared at me blankly.

”And where did you hear that?”

”Just somewhere.”

I brushed it off and got up to scan the area. There was still something left to do. Plenty of glowing green corpses lay scattered around.

Ding!

[You have absorbed Forest Adaptation Lv. 2!]

[You have absorbed Archery Lv. 1!]

[You have absorbed Dual Sword Technique Lv. 3!]

Once the absorption was complete, Rubia walked over and asked carefully, ”The elves... they’re pitiful. Would it be all right to bury them here?”

”Sure.”

There was no reason to say no. Besides, It wouldn’t take much effort.

All I had to do was lay the elves to rest in the holes left behind by the remnants. When I lifted an elf that had collapsed face-down on the ground, something peculiar caught my eye. A small, very old wooden flute was lying beneath her chest.

”A memento?” I muttered to myself.

”That’s not it. There’s no link to her will.”

”Really? You can sense that kind of thing?”

”Ahem. Listen well and admire my wisdom.”

Perhaps trying to recover from being dismissed earlier, Isaac went on to explain what sounded like valuable information. ”Even if the body is destroyed, the will will linger in the items they owned. It takes ages for the trace to fade completely. In fact, it almost never vanishes entirely.”

I quietly listened to Isaac’s explanation.

”But that flute doesn’t have a thread connecting it to any of the corpses here. It’s not something from hundreds of years ago either... If it really belonged to someone who just died, there’s no way it’d be like this.”

”Then that flute must’ve been here for a very long time.”

”Exactly.”

Maybe it was some kind of shrine ornament?

”So why do you care? Do you see something?”

”Not really.”

There wasn’t any status window or prompt. Still, something about it felt oddly familiar—its shape, its presence. A very old...

I showed the wooden flute to Isaac. ”Do you feel anything?”

”Nothing. Like I said, no trace of sorcery or anything. Just toss it.”

”Hm...”

However, I couldn’t throw it away. I didn’t know why, but it beckoned to me. The crude carving, like it had been whittled with a dull knife... for some reason, it stirred something. I held it in my hand and looked it over. There was one hole for blowing and three crooked holes for sound.

As I stood there staring at the flute, Rubia’s eyes sparkled. ”If you plan on keeping it...”

She untied a clean string from her waist. After threading it a few times, she attached it to the flute.

”What is this?”

”A hanging cord.”

”...”

Clink.

I idly toyed with the flute, now tied with the cord.

”Was there anything else?”

”That damn Ashton... he made it sound like this place was some grand treasure vault in his writings. Should’ve left us something.”

”You got Lurium. Isn’t that enough?”

”That was your doing. You fought for it. Where’s the treasure room, huh?”

Flap!

Isaac beat his wings hard. Various trinkets buried in his feathers fell into view. Among them was the Crest of Lutic, which had belonged to the dark elf who used dual blades.

”What is all that?”

”Things I picked up while you two were passed out. Gotta have something, right? I’ll sell them off to those Leraie bastards for a high price later.”

Rubia blinked and asked, ”Um... you said mementos are tied to the deceased, right? Doesn’t that creep you out?”

”Not at all. The living have to live, don’t they? And if you’re going to live, might as well live well. Now then...” Isaac flapped his wings with force. ”Daliac or wherever, let’s get moving!”