《Spirit of Darkness》


 Chapter 1: In the Dungeon

    I found myself in a dark cave ¨C a prison of sorts. To the left and right were bricked stone walls overgrown with moss. The only landmark was the cold stone shrine pressed against my back.


    How I got here, I do not know. I woke up to find myself sitting against the alien-looking shrine, in an apparent underground tomb. Considering the possibility I have been robbed, I checked my pockets. I was surprised to see I had none. In fact, the clothing I wore was just as alien as the shrine. I did note a handbag wrapped around my shoulder, but alas, it was empty. There was a single item of value on my person ¨C a silver pendant worn about my neck. Needless to say, I have never seen it before in my life.


    A normal person would likely be shocked by this event. For whatever reason, I was still completely calm. Perhaps it''s because I never considered myself a normal person. I start recalling the events of yesterday. Ah, it was my birthday, wasn''t it? Last I remember, I was in my apartment, excited about the upcoming release of a video game ¨C the sequel to my favourite of all time. It was a big day for many reasons, but it shouldn''t have anything to do with my current predicament.


    With no other options, I picked myself up and advanced forward. The stone hallway was surprisingly short, and quickly branched in two directions. One lead above, to bright skies and the outside grassy plains. The other lead further below, into the depths of the dungeon.


    I couldn''t help but be disappointed at finding the exit so quickly. Then I wondered ''why?''. Didn''t I want to get out and seek help as soon possible? To return to my normal daily life, surrounded by the people I know? That is what any normal person would do.


    With little deliberation, I headed downstairs into the dungeon''s depths.


    Figures were moving about the large dusty room ahead. Almost people, but not quite -- they looked like dried shambling corpses. First word coming to mind is definitely zombie. These creatures walked aimlessly about, patrolling the prison-like room.


    "Hello? Can you speak?" I asked.


    Despite speaking straight to their face, they did not acknowledge me. They definitely seem dumb, just like zombies should be, but they are less hostile than I would expect. If it were like zombie movies I''d be dead meat right now.


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    I again wondered why I was so calm in this situation, why I was okay with zombies existing before my eyes. It was all oddly nostalgic. Ah, of course. Isn''t this just like a video game? In fact, it''s very reminiscent of Spirit of Darkness, my favourite RPG.


    Most people would be ecstatic to find themselves transported to a world just like their favourite fantasy, but Spirit of Darkness is definitely an exception to that. It was made famous for its brutal difficult, and equally dark and dreadful setting. Only a madman would prefer that to a normal daily life. Assuming everything is just like Spirit of Darkness would be a fallacy, however. Therefore I decided to approach each scenario with extreme caution and inquisitiveness.


    Besides the zombies, the room contained a single table and a cabinet. Perhaps this was once a haphazardly made office or meeting room? The most out of place object was a large round boulder pressed against the wall. The ball was likely part of a triggered trap, as the skeleton of long-dead sod was crushed by it. An important note: dungeons in this world have traps. The cabinet, alas, was as empty as my bag.


    As the last point of interest to explore, I stood before a zombie and gave it a light tap. I was relieved to see it made no response. As it did not mind, I searched through its clothing for anything of value.


    ''Score!''


    Two silver coins tucked away in its back pocket. Their glisten stood against the darkness of the cave, signifying my first batch of loot. I proudly placed them in my bag.


    "Keep your hands to yourself, lecher!"


    I hopped backwards in surprise. Did the zombie just say that? No, the sound come from elsewhere. I looked at the second zombie, but it was still preoccupied with its patrol. Then the only place it could be is-


    "Yes you. I''m speaking to you. Don''t you dare touch Stacey like that!" said the skeleton.


    The skeleton, the one crushed by the boulder, turned its head. It was daring me to come closer.

 Chapter 2: In the Dungeon

    The surprisingly talkative skeleton could still move its head, but its body was stuck firmly in place. It wasn''t getting out any time soon.


    "You adventurers think you''re tough guys, walking into dungeons, acting like you own the place. I know your type, don''t try hiding it. It''s bad enough that you slaughter my fellow undead for no reason, but you had the gull to molest poor Stacey! That''s completely unforgivable!"


    "Stacey... do you mean the zombie over there?" I ask.


    "Of course. Stacey and I have a long history. She''s my little honey-bunch who would never hurt anyone. Right, baby?"


    The zombie continued on its patrol undeterred. It didn''t seem to register the words at all.


    "She doesn''t talk much, since she''s a very shy girl. But I know her better than anyone! One day, when I get free, I''m going to propose to her. I''m the best guy for her, we''re practically childhood friends. Plus, it''s not like I have that much competition. Except..."


    The skeleton stared at the other wondering corpse.


    "Steve! My arch-nemesis! Unlike me, he is the stoic, cool but silent type. Who knows what kind of devious plants he''s hatching inside his head. You need to be careful around him, he''s the crafty type."


    I blankly stared at the skeleton. An awkward silence permeated the air for about a minute before he broke it up.


    "Okay, I know, I sound pretty crazy. But even after death, a man has NEEDS, and I am so lonely over here. Do you know lonely I get with only Stacey and Steve to keep me company? Do you have any idea how long I''ve spent here?"


    "No."


    "Me neither! It''s not like I can tell the passage of time inside this cave! I bet it''s been a heck of a long time, though."


    The skeleton has quite a mouth, and coincidentally, that is exactly what I need. My biggest weakness is my lack of information about this world, and this might just be the solution.


    "Skeleton, where am I?" I ask.


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    "Inside a cave."


    "You called me an adventurer. What does that mean?"


    "What kind of stupid question is that?"


    "What can you tell me about this object?"


    I showed him the pendant around my neck.


    "Looks like a pendent. Silver, maybe?"


    Worthless. He''s utterly worthless. With no apparent value, I decided to move on with the room''s examination.


    "Wait a second! I can tell from your questioning that you''re the questiony kind of adventurer. I''m not the brightest guy around, but this knocker has a lot of hidden wisdom. We can strike a deal! Help me escape this boulder, and I will answer your questions to the best of my ability. It''ll be a gentleman''s promise."


    I examined the skeleton again. No matter which way you looked at it, moving the boulder was impossible. I could only think of one way of freeing him. It could definitely work, in theory. Or kill him. One or the other.


    "Would any method of freeing you work?"


    "Of course, all I care about is freedom."


    "Double checking, any method?"


    "...huh, I''m not liking where this is going."


    I firmly grabbed the skeleton''s head and pulled with all my might. After several seconds of incessant screaming on his part, the skull separated clean off.


    "My head! You pulled my freaking head off! My head! My precious head! My h-"


    I stuffed the skull into my bag. Surprising, it completely shut him up without a whimper. I bet I''m the first adventurer to ever carry a talking skull in my bag. With a sense of accomplishment, I patted down the remaining zombie (supposedly named "Steve") and procured a dagger. Not the sharpest around, but it should still get the job done in a pinch.


    Satisfied with my haul for the moment, I made my way back to the dungeon''s entrance. It was time to explore the outside of this cave, and see exactly what kind of world I was dealing with.

 Chapter 3: A Name

    The bright skies lazily rested above the vast grassland and trees which littered the lands. I took a class on this once -- this environment would be classified as a temperate forest. It is a biome typical of European landscapes. This kind of sight would normally be a rare treat in Spirit of Darkness, which preferred forsaken ruins and haunted grounds to bushy woodlands.


    Although similar to the game, I realized this world was definitely its own entity. Spirit of Darkness never had talking skeletons, for one. I was shocked at encountering one in the cave. Previous experience alone does not guarantee my safety or success here. New and unexpected threats could pop at any second. The excitement made my blood boil with anticipation -- It''s been a while since I''ve felt this way.


    I reached into my bag and pulled out the skeleton head.


    "My head! My- Oh. It''s the outside."


    He stared longingly at the sun.


    "It''s been so long. I forgot how beautiful it was. If only. If only I..."


    I could swear he was about to cry. Perhaps this skeleton was more sentimental than he first appeared.


    "If only I had my freaking body! Thanks for that, jerk, but I can''t do much without legs or arms here!"


    Not too sentimental. I decided to address him with honesty.


    "You don''t need them. All you need to do is answer my questions. I even asked you, and you confirmed that any method of freedom would be fine."


    The skull gave me a glare of hate.


    "Alright, wiseguy. Unlike you, I''m a gentleman, and will honor my side of the agreement. I fully expect you to act as my arms and legs for now, kapeesh?"


    I nodded in agreement. It doesn''t matter as long as he gives me answers.


    "First question. What country are we in?" I asked.


    "This is the Land of Tristaria. As for the cave, I do not know its name."


    That''s different from SoD''s setting.


    "You called me an adventurer before. Why is that?"


    "Well, you were dungeon diving. That''s what adventurers do as far as I''m aware. Keep in mind I''m not an adventurer myself so I don''t know the exact details."


    Adventurer was a title that was used to refer to the player character. I don''t know what it entails here, but the definition appears broader.


    "Do you know anything about the pendant I showed you before?"


    "Well, let me have a closer look."


    You showed him the pendant once more.


    "It''s a silver pendant. Judging by the pattern it''s something of value. A magical item, if I had to guess. You''d need to ask a collector or a specialist to know for sure."


    His answer was as I guessed myself. I know every single item in SoD by heart, but I have no idea what that pendant is. I can think of several similar looking items, but they don''t quite fit. Well, no matter the utility of his words, he was far more informative now. The transformation was incredible.


    "Hey kid, mind if I ask my own questions?" he said in an outburst that surprised me.


    "Well, it''s only fair, I suppose."


    "First thing, you''re not from around here, are you?"


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    "I guess it really was obvious, haha," I nervously laughed at his deduction.


    "Yep. Second, what is your plan? What are you going to do now?"


    I haven''t thought that far yet. My main goal was obviously to gather information so I can survive, and hopefully thrive in this world. As for immediate plans, I was merely following my gut instincts instead of an overarching scheme. Thinking logically about it, however, there was one thread of curiosity gifted by fate upon me.


    "This."


    I showed him the pendant once more.


    "I''m going to find out what this is. This is the only clue I possess as to my true identity and purpose."


    The skull looked me over and sighed.


    "I''ll give you a bit of advice, coming from my experience in life, death, and life again. Trust no one. Not strangers, friends, allies, or comrades. Not even your momma. Heck, don''t even trust me. In this land, everybody only looks out for one person, and more often than not that person is themselves. If you put too much trust in others then sooner or later you''re going to get burned. That''s not something I want to see happen."


    Of course, I knew what the skeleton was talking about better than anyone else. I never relied on anyone else my whole life if I could -- any time otherwise was a grave mistake. In fact, I kept this in mind the entire time with this skeleton. There is a reason I chose the method I did in order to free him.


    To explain: freeing the skeleton normally was always out of the question. He would have no concrete reason to keep his flimsy promise, and thus could simply attack me or run away at the first opportunity. It was far too big of a risk to take for little benefit. If I crippled him by removing his body, however, he instantly becomes dependent on me. He cannot betray me, as he has no other caretaker and cannot survive without my help. On the contrary, he now has every reason to help me and make sure I survive and prosper. I hypothesize that is the very reason he is giving me advice right now. What if I did act like a naive child and lose my life to trickery? He would be sore-out-of-luck, left out with no hope or means to achieve anything. Our success is mutually beneficial.


    If my beheading attempt failed, the worst case scenario would be his death. That in itself could have advantages over what I chose- but alas.


    "I appreciate the advice, skeleton," I paused in thought, "In return, I''d like to ask a question. This is something personal and different from the others, so you don''t have to answer if you don''t want to."


    "What is your name?" I ask.


    The skeleton was taken aback. He apparently did not expect me to be this courteous.


    "Ha, I thought you''d never ask. It''s Calvar, the trusty skeleton. And you would be...?"


    My name- well, my real name doesn''t matter. I never liked it, anyway. Since this is a new world, I may as well come up with a new name.


    "It''s Eren," I said.


    The old me was undoubtedly a failure as a human. Eren, I decided, was going to be different.

 Chapter 4: In the Dungeon

    I once again headed into the tomb to find two lumbering zombies, endlessly repeating their dull routine. Before making headway, I decided I must practice and comprehend my combat skills. Getting by using only charisma and dialogue has its charms, but Spirit of Darkness was never that kind of game. If one wants to take down an ancient world-devouring demon, one can only communicate by sword.


    I searched through my leather bag. A short while ago I made an important discovery: the bag is far larger on the inside than it is on the outside. Calvar called it a Bottomless Bag, an enchanted item commonly used by adventurers. Games always let you carry enormous amounts of loot on one''s person, but it''s rarely explicitly stated how that is accomplished. After digging around in the bag, I found the object I needed. The dusty skull looked disinterested.


    "Say, is it okay if I practice my combat skills on Steve?" I ask.


    "Who?" he asks.


    "Steve. You know, him." I point at the lumbering zombie.


    "Oh. Oh, Steve! Yeah, sure. Nobody is gonna miss a brain-dead zombie. What kind of loser would get attached to one of them?"


    I''m never sure if Calvar is speaking seriously or facetiously. I stuffed him back into the bag and pulled out a dagger. Daggers were previously some of my least favorite weapons in SoD. Short range, bad damage, and they rarely stunned the enemy. Critical damage tended to be decent, but it never made up for the faults, leaving them practically useless. I could practice and get better with them, but that seems like a waste of my time in the long run.


    I began thinking. This isn''t really a game anymore. It''s real life, right? I can do things here that I could never before. For example, previously each weapon only had one move-set. If a sword was made for slashing, you could only ever use it to slash. A game character simply didn''t have the option of doing something that wasn''t intended. This dagger in my hands, however, could do anything. I could slash, stab, poke, or even throw it. It''s a dagger. But does it HAVE to be a dagger? Could I use it as something else?


    Inspiration sparked through my head. I ran outside and began looking for ingredients on the forest floor. After several minutes I found somethings that worked: a long stick and some tough vines. I placed the dagger handle against the edge of the stick, and tied it together with the vines. It wasn''t the best-made, but it held together well enough. I now possessed in my hands an haphazardly-made spear.


    Spears, unlike daggers, were some of my favorite weapons. In a game where you needed to avoid getting damaged at all costs, range was king. If you could hit the enemy while they couldn''t hit you back, you''ve already won. In addition, the poking attacks of spears were very effective at penetrating armor and tough hides which slashing tools had a difficult time with. Yes, out of the basic and easily available weapons, spears were often the safest and most optimal choice.


    I confronted Steve the Zombie with my weapon in hand. I carefully crept up behind the creature and stabbed it in the back. In-game this would deal critical damage and knock the enemy to the floor, but here it had no such effect. Instead, the zombie finally acknowledged my presence. It chased after me with its hands outstretched, with surprising speed compared to the pace of its previous lumber. It was, however, far too dumb to deal with the superior range of my spear. I could easily maintain my distance and stab it continuously as it made its way closer. After a few minutes the accumulated damage crippled its ability to move. A few more pokes after, and it was done. It collapsed to the floor in a heap. As it did, I noticed a blue wisp escaping its body.


    "Wow, you really made a mess of him! Poor bastard never saw it coming," the skull said.


    "Calvar, there was some sort of blue wisp escaping just as it died. Do you know what that was?"


    "Probably aether."


    It''s just as I thought. Aether was another name for experience points in Spirit of Darkness. In the lore, it represented life energy, or the soul of all living beings. The player could use aether to level up and make himself stronger. This meant I could defeat monsters and grow in strength, a very important fact! A problem remained, however, in that I have no idea how to level up. In the game all you had to do was access a menu and allocate your points. Needlessly to say, there are no menus here. If the action is possible, then there must be an alternate way of accessing it. I considered asking Calvar, but realized such a question is both pointless and possibly insane. He stated he was not an adventurer, so at most he would only have passing knowledge of the subject. And asking something like "hey, how do I access my stat menu?" would be ludicrous. I must at least maintain the pretense of being a normal inhabitant of this world.


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    I examined the body of the dead zombie. I began wondering how exactly it was made, and how it functioned. Did zombies have to eat? If they didn''t, where did they get the energy to move? I did know one fellow undead, so I asked him for advice.


    "Calvar, do you know these zombies are made?"


    He dismissed the question.


    "What, do I look like a necromancer to you?"


    Thinking about it, the question had some merit.


    "Actually, you kinda do. You almost look like a lich."


    The skull chuckled.


    "Me? A lich? You think far too highly of me. I you want to know necromancy, you need to speak to my master. He was truly a great wizard ahead of his time..."


    The skull''s eyes glistened with fondness. He truly appeared to hold this person in high regard.


    "What happened to your master?"


    "Oh. I have no clue. I''ve been trapped by that boulder for who knows how long, so I have no idea what happened to him. My last task to guard this tomb right here. At that time, there weren''t even any zombies here! And the truth is, that''s the main reason I wanted freedom. I wanted to go and find my master."


    Calvar seemed to be making an appeal to me.


    "So what you''re saying is, that you want me to find your master?"


    "Well, of course! You promised to act as my arms and legs, remember? In exchange for pulling my head off? Only after you find my master will our agreement finally complete. It''s a vow between men, so I expect you to follow through!"


    A spellcaster, and a necromancer on top that, would be a valuable resource. There was basic magic in Spirit of Darkness, but something as complex as necromancy was out of the player''s hands. Being able to perform such sorcery myself sounded tantalizing. There was a small possibility it could be a trap, but it seems to be worth the risk. I should keep a watch out for this nebulous necromancer.


    In the meanwhile, I decided to quench my curiosity by giving the zombie an amateur autopsy with my dagger. I am not a medical specialist by any means, but I took a few basic biology courses at school. The corpse was dried and effectively mummified, so it was much easier and less disgusting to dissect than something like frogs. There definitely seemed to be something off about the body, however. I quickly realized the problem and double checked that I had the right corpse


    "Eh, Calvar?"


    "Yeah?"


    "Did you know Steve was a woman?"


    "....what?"


    "Yeah. I double checked and made sure I got the right body. This is definitely the one you called Steve."


    The skull''s face filled with sorrow.


    "You mean, this whole time, I had TWO beautiful women all to myself instead of just one? Oh, how could I squander such a gift! If only I had known this years earlier, the things I could have done. I''m not sure you know, kid, but there''s some things you can only do with three people!"


    Unpleasant imagery floated into my mind. In any case, nothing useful arose from the autopsy.


    The mysterious silver pendant, the fate of Calvar''s master -- more mysteries are appearing before me. In the first place, I don''t even know how I came into this world, or what this world has to do with Spirit of Darkness. Now that I had basic combat competence, I felt confident enough to pursue my goals. I decided to head outside and find some answers.

 Chapter 5: Black Armor

    I made good pace navigating the sparse forest. As I did, I noted an interesting variety of flora growing on the woodland floor. One plant in particular grabbed my attention, so I bent down to examine it.


    "Yep, it''s crabgrass."


    Not real life crabgrass, of course, which looked completely different. Crabgrass as it was called in SoD was a rare alchemical ingredient and the main component of healing potions. It was a limited resource and was most commonly dropped by enemies, but now it seemed I could get it straight from the source. I picked up every such plant I could find and stuffed it into my bag.


    It wasn''t the only useful flora I found. Brown mushrooms, used as antidotes for most common poisons, were plentiful. I even acquired an ultra-rare white mushroom, which cured advanced poisons and diseases such as plague. I realized I should find some way to preserve them. Perhaps drying? Or even better, if I could get a mortal and pestle and ground them into potions or powders. In either case, I would require tools which cannot be scrounged up from the forest floor.


    "Calvar, how much further is it?"


    "You really have no patience. Like I said, there should be an adventurer town a few minutes away from the cave. Well, at least there was one last time I went outside. Unless something terrible happened, it should still be there."


    "By the way, how do the inhabitants of Tristaria feel about undead like you?"


    "You mean normal humans besides weirdos like you? I think general policy is either ''run away'', or ''kill on sight''. That''s why we usually stay in caves."


    Note taken. I''ve long been used to undead and other fantasy creatures, but to the average person they must appear horrifying. This means I cannot simply pull Calvar all willy-nilly, and must exercise some tact while in human settlements. I will have to rely more on my own wits instead of his own admittedly half-baked wisdom.


    A few minutes later the town came into view. Calling it a town, however, would be hyperbole. The settlement was tiny, containing less than a dozen or so shabby buildings. It seemed entirely specialized for adventurers, as there were no residences, but only service buildings such as shops and an inn. This would be a common sight in a game, if you think about it, but in reality it was somewhat unnerving.


    As I entered the town centre the figure of a person stood out -- a warrior dressed in expensive-looking black armor. He was sitting down and looking downtrodden. The armor, although impressive, was worn-out and unkempt. It looked old and not well-taken care of at all. Everything pointed to this being an experienced warrior with wisdom on his hand, which is exactly what I needed.


    However, I was never good at conversions. The most I usually did was small-talk with my co-workers at the office, which I utterly despised. It does look like I''ll have to dust off that old skill and put it to use, even in this fantasy world.


    "Why are you looking so blue? It''s such a beautiful day outside," I ask.


    "Oh, it''s nothing. I''ve simply gone as far I can."


    I was taken aback by female voice that responded. Full body armor like that does hide one''s gender very well, but I still didn''t expect to hear a woman. At the back of my mind I worried, as I was even worse at conversing with female co-workers.


    "Why''s that? You look like a mighty and experienced warrior. I doubt there''s anything you can''t do."


    The woman chuckled with a sorrowful tone.


    "I''m nothing of the like. I''m simply a failure who does not know what she wants. All I do is sit here, wasting the time away."


    She stared at me and pointed to a nearby buildings.


    "Young adventurers like you should head to the inn. You''ll find more help there than from a failure like me. Enough talking for now."


    What a depressing person. She does not seem malevolent, however, and doesn''t appear to wish me any harm. I decided to follow advice and enter the nearby inn, perhaps leading to more clues. It made me want to recruit her all the more.


    The inside of the inn looked as shabby as everything else in the town. There was a single person there: the aged and balding innkeeper. As he looked at me I noticed his false glass eye.


    "Oh, a new adventurer. Welcome to our humble town. We don''t get many of you around these days."


    I cut straight to the chase.


    "Who is that person outside?"


    "Oh, I see you''ve met Arma, our new town greeter," he said laughing to himself, "she doesn''t do much. Just sits outside and makes everybody else depressed. She just wondered into town one day until she reached that spot, and then settled down. Seems to be afraid of moving past it for some reason. Might be psychological problems."


    How very odd.


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    "Do you know anything about her?"


    "She''s not the most talkative person. The adventurers passing by call her the Black Paladin because of her armor, although she never calls herself that. Besides that I''ve only got hunches. What I''m thinking, is that despite pushing everybody away, she''s actually asking for help. Mind you, I''ve got no clue what kind of help she needs, since she looks like she can take care of itself. That''s my take, though."


    It''s the same as I surmised. Why else would she choose such a conspicuous spot to sulk? Despite pushing people away, she actually wants to be talked to. It''s a cry for help from people who can''t just ask for it directly. I quickly ran outside and found her in the same spot.


    "Arma..."


    "So the innkeeper told you my name. What is it? Do you want me to move from this spot? Do you want me to join your party so we can go on some heart-felt journey throughout Tristaria? I can assure you that is impossible, and will not happen. That is something I can vow upon."


    "But why?"


    "Haha. Why do you care? I''m some old broken down wreck of no use to anyone. Have you fallen for me? Do you think I''m some beautiful girl under this helmet, here to take your heart away? I can vow that is not the case. You have nothing to gain from associating with me."


    Maybe it would have been infatuation if I was younger, but that isn''t it. Why do I suddenly care about her so much? I swore I would never rely on other people, or help them if there wasn''t anything to gain. For me to want otherwise, there must be a reason.


    "I do care. Because... you remind me of myself. I know how it''s like to feel completely stuck and helpless, not sure what to do. How could I not act when a person is suffering through the same things I went through? Please, let me hear you out."


    The woman went silent and looked at her feet.


    "Ha, very well. Long ago, I lived peacefully at my home. I had everything I needed to get by, but I was still unsatisfied. I wanted to head out and explore the world just like an adventurer. Leaving my home, however, was not allowed. It was strictly against the rules, and the punishment was death. Still, I disobeyed my masters. I ventured as far as I could, until I reached this town. This is the spot where I became stuck.


    "I can''t go back home. Doing so means death. On the same token, I can''t advance any further. Doing so also means death. The only option left for me is to idle by and wait for the time to pass until I pass away. And so here I am, sitting in this spot, where I have become crestfallen."


    "But just sitting idly by...that''s not what you want, right?" I ask.


    The woman stayed silent.


    "I know you''re tempted to do nothing and waste the days away, but please don''t do that. I can tell what you want, your passion, you want to be an adventurer, right? A life where you can''t follow your heart is no life at all. If it''s not something within reach, you still need to grab it, and try with all your might. Chase it, never let it down. It might feel like the consequence of failure is death, but if you never try, it''s as if you never even lived in the first place! So this is my request. Please head out and follow your dream, so you can truly live."


    The woman looked at me with new-found energy. Honestly, I was just as surprised as her with this speech. It''s not something typical of me.


    "Ah, you''re wiser than you look. What is your name?"


    I bring out my hand for a handshake.


    "It''s Eren."


    I shook her armored hand, bound with cold hard steel.


    "Very well, Eren, you''ve convinced me. Even if it means death, I will venture forward and follow my dream. Please take care of me."


    The armored lady stood up. With everything she had, she gathered her emotions and took a step forward.


    "Thank you, Eren. And... goodbye."


    As she finished the step, the woman collapsed onto the floor. A blue wisp escaped from her body as it did. I panicked over to the body and searched through it, but found nothing. As in literally nothing. There was no body there. It was an empty set of armor. I took out Calvar from my bag in a state of shock.


    "Oh, that was probably a haunted armor. It''s type of undead that possesses suits of mail, and if it''s covering enough you might even confuse it for a human. Pretty rare to find them outside dungeons, though. Since they are a type of ghost, they can''t survive if they venture too far from their haunting grounds. This one must have been pretty stupid."


    Yes... indeed very stupid. I solemnly took Arma''s remains into my possession. It''s the least I could do. If this was still a game, I would leave a note around for all players to see.


    "Welcome to Tristaria."

 Chapter 6: The Town

    The bedroom was modest, just big enough for one person to move comfortably. Can''t really argue about it, since it was free. It was payment for getting that troublesome armored warrior to finally leave.


    I took out the black armor and tried it on. It made me feel vile, but at the same time it would be disrespectful and a waste to avoid putting it to use. It was well-made, and would give far better protection than any other kind of armor I would have access to right now. In a way, I am fulfilling my promise to Arma of taking care of her.


    "Oh, don''t tell me you still feel sorry for that haunted armor. Stuff like this is dime a dozen in this land. You need man up and grow a bone, kid," said the skull.


    "I have more bones than you, Calvar. By the way, why do you keep calling me a kid? Even the innkeeper did that."


    The skull looked on with surprise.


    "Well, you look like a kid. How old are you?"


    "27."


    "What? You don''t look it at all!"


    I took a look at the bedroom mirror nearby. He was right, I looked like a teenager. It''s as if I was picked right out of a colorful Japanese RPG about friendship overcoming evil. This body belonged to somebody else entirely. Well, I at least looked much manlier with the armor on. It''d be perfect with the helmet as well, but then I might be confused for Arma, and it would be poor manners inside a city. Another upside is that I make for a believable beginning adventurer.


    I headed downstairs and greeted the one-eyed inkeeper. He seemed to have a habit of stroking his beard when bored.


    "That armor looks great on you. Still, I can''t believe Arma straight up gave it to your as a parting gift. Must have cost a lot of money!"


    "I suppose so. Taberno, do you mind if I ask some questions?"


    "Go right on ahead."


    The man''s name was Taberno. He ran the inn primarily as a lodging place for travelling adventurers, but has experienced a slowdown in business lately. He seems like an uncomplicated person simply happy to have some company.


    "Do you know where I could find a necromancer?"


    "Is that part of a quest? Closest thing I know of is a nearby cave with filled with undead. That''d be my best bet."


    That must be the dungeon I woke up in. I should go back and eventually fully explore that place when I have a chance.


    "Also, do you know what this object is?"


    I showed him my pendant.


    "This silver pendant? The shopkeep at the general store would know more about it than me. Although... well, it''s probably nothing. The general store would know better."


    Nothing? I''ve seen enough dramas to know that when somebody says "it''s nothing", they actually mean the exact opposite. It means Toberno has a pretty good clue as to the identity of the object. I pushed him to tell me, not letting him squirm away.


    "Well... it might be my imagination, but I think I recall somebody else wearing a very similar pendant before. Who was it? I didn''t see it in-person, it was a picture..." Toberno stroked his beard in thought, "Oh, I got it. The Demon Lord! The Demon Lord wears one very similar to this."


    Demon Lord? I have never heard of that title before.


    "Is that related to the World-Devouring Demon?" I ask.


    "The what now? No, I''m talking about the Demon Lord. The vile man who swore allegiance to evil and declared war on humanity. This war is the reason why business is so slow lately. So many young men have died for the war effort, it''s a real tragedy."


    In Spirit of Darkness, the main antagonist was the World-Devouring Demon, an ancient monstrosity awoken from its deep slumber. The Demon did possess several demon generals (a type of monster) which needed to be defeated before the climactic fight could begin, but there was no such title as Demon Lord, and if there was, it wouldn''t have been filled by a human.


    But what did this mean? Was my body somehow related to this Demon Lord? Was I an underling, or maybe its child? Is my dad the main villain of this world? How ridiculous. In the first place, it could be a coincidence. What if the pendant is a magical item of some utility, and he simply wore because it was useful? That''s entirely possible. All this means is that I should look into the Demon Lord for clues to my identity, nothing more.


    "One last question. This is a little embarrassing, since I only recently became an adventurer, but do you know how am I supposed to grow stronger?" I asked.


    Toberno looked confused.


    "Eh? You go into dungeons and kill some monsters. That''s what you adventurers do!"


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    "Yeah, I know that. That''s how I get aether. But how do I use it to strengthen myself?"


    "Really now? I didn''t know there was more to it. Well, let me think," he once again stroked his beard, "oh, didn''t it have something to do with prayer? Adventurers always talk about praying to the angels and how it gives them strength."


    I realized he had a point. In Spirit of Darkness, the player character assumed a prayer pose whenever he levelled up. I always assumed it was just for flavor, but perhaps it did hold some substance. Why didn''t I think of this before? I felt stupid for not figuring it out something so simple on my own. I bid the innkeeper farewell and made my way outside.


    "Well well, looks like our boy might have something to do with the Demon Lord. The plot thickens!" said the skull.


    "Calvar, you could hear that conversation?"


    "But of course. What, did you think this bag was soundproof? What caused you to make such a silly assumption?"


    "But if it''s not soundproof, how come when we first met- never mind. Just never mind. We need to get going."


    I made a stop at the general store as Toberno recommended. The shopkeep was far less useful than expected, appearing bored out of her mind the entire time. She knew nothing about the pendant -- a complete waste of time in that regard.


    The shop itself proved far more useful. I was ashamed to admit I went on a bit of a shopping spree, grabbing any survival tool I could get my hands on. A compass, a box of tinders, a blank journal, a writing utensil, a mortar and pestle, a set of empty glass bottles, and the like. The weapons section also proved fruitful; I found a simple spear. This meant I could dismantle my hastily-made caveman pole and turn it back into a dagger. For that, I bought sheath. This way I could place the dagger on my body, so if anything were to happen I could draw it in a pinch. Now possessing both a survival knife and a real weapon, I felt far more secure for my future prospects.


    This spree had a cost, however, as my two silver coins quickly evaporated and became two copper. The currency system seemed similar to real life, with coins divided into copper, silver, and gold categories. That''s not to say that copper was worthless, however, even a single copper coin still held quantifiable value. They''re like old pennies -- before decades of inflation set in and made pennies effectively worthless.


    Everything fit snugly into my bottomless bag. I began to imagine what I would do if I didn''t have it. Would I wear an enormous backpack? It would be a truly ridiculous sight. Just like most outdoor activities, I despised backpacking, and couldn''t imagine hiking with such a thing on my back. Then again, I wouldn''t imagine traversing a forest and foraging it for plants, yet I did just that a short while ago. Unexpected scenarios can lead to expanding your horizons like that.


    I headed outside once again. I wanted to pray, but doing so in front of strangers like her would be embarrassing. I tried to recall the pose the player character assumed, and tried to mimic it to the best of my ability. But it didn''t work. After several minutes of trying I gave up and brainstormed as to what could be missing.


    Prayer... that reminded me of something. During character creation in SoD, you had select the player''s patron deity. There were five different options, and they all came with flavor text and unique buffs. They were meant more for role-playing than anything, as they were never referenced in-story and made little difference gameplay-wise. If I assume the player grew stronger using prayer, and they believed in these deities, that must have been what they prayed to.


    That raises an important question: who is my patron deity? That might be the reason I cannot level up. I need to know which god to pray to first. Are there any clues on my body? Symbols, perhaps? As I recall, each deity had their own unique symbol. This is something really obscure, only the most hardcore Spirit of Darkness players would remember. Well, luckily, it just so happens that I''m one of those. If I were to see it, I should be able to discern the symbol between the five deities.


    A flash rushed through my mind. I began running towards the forest, trusty bag in hand.


    "I got it! I know what I need!" I said.


    "What? What do you mean?" Calvar asked.


    "It''s the shrine!"


    "What shrine?"


    "The shrine in the dungeon! The one I woke up right next to! That must be the symbol of my deity!"


    The skull, utterly confused, could do nothing but hang along for the ride.

 Chapter 7: In the Dungeon

    I passed by the entrance of the dungeon and I made my way back to where it all began. I stood before the stone shrine -- a bright metallic sigil featured at its top. There''s no doubt about it; it was a symbol from the game. I ran through all five of the deific symbols in my head, trying to recall which one it belonged to. After some cajoling I came up with the most certain possibility.


    "It''s Congeria, God of Chaos."


    Congeria was one of the five player deities alongside Amicietia, Animo, Amare, and Lex. They each represented respectively chaos, friendship, courage, love, and law. Congeria sounded more malevolent than the others, but the gods were neither good nor evil. Chaos was typically used to represented freedom, for example. In practice, there was no difference between each of the gods. Well, except for the minor differences in the stats boosts each gave you, I suppose. I rarely chose Congeria when I played, as its bonus was focused on luck, while I normally favored vitality. Outside of specialty builds a power-gamer would rarely choose it.


    I knelt before the shrine and assumed the pose I previously tried in the town. This time I attempted to keep the symbol and image of Congeria in my mind. It was different this time; it felts like my consciousness drifted away. I could "see" myself, but not with my eyes. What was it? It was aether. I could see the aether within my own body, and its division in my body parts. There were different concentrations in my head, heart, muscles, nervous system. The vision is so precise it''s quantifiable. I realized that this was my "stat menu." These are the divisions and the make-up of my own self. If I had to put it into numbers, I''d be something like:


    Vitality 10


    Strength 10


    Dexterity 10


    Intelligence 11


    Luck 12


    By adding my collected aether to my body, I should be able to level-up. I could tell from the amount that I had enough to increase a single attribute by one. This reminded me of my Spirit of Darkness days, where I could spend half an hour indecidedly wondering how to allocate my points most efficiently.


    In this case it appears my body did not make much progress before I got it. A player typically started with stats around 10. 18 was considered the peak of humanity, and 25 was the realm of monsters and superhumans. That''s only for the lore, of course, as the player was able to go much further than that. It''s needless to say that leveling up required more and more aether as one grew stronger, so even early on making a bad investment would be costly.


    My preferred playstyle in the game was melee-only. I normally pumped vitality, with some amount of strength and dexterity dependent on the primary weapon I chose. In this context, however, it would likely be suboptimal. I want to keep my options open and experiment with everything this world has to offer. If I had a single point to spend, there is indeed an optimal choice: put it into intelligence. An intelligence of 12 was an important breakpoint; it allowed you to memorize a single spell. Even for pure melee specialists, it was a good idea to pack at least one spell.


    I transferred the aether and slowly opened my eyes. I was the same place as before, in front of the shrine. The skull looked on curiously.


    "What was that all about?" he asked.


    "I''m a wizard now." I said.


    "....what?"


    I reached into my bag and picked out a blank book and a pen. In Spirit of Darkness, learning spells was a rather laborious process. You had to venture the land and pick up mystical runes. Then you had to purchase recipes, which represented a sequence to put those runes in. Once you wrote down the sequence of runes in your spellbook, you memorized them and were able to cast them, with the amount and complexity dependent on the player''s intelligence.


    But I had an idea. What if you already knew the runes, and the sequence they went in for each spell? The player couldn''t sequence-break like that, since as a video game character, they had to follow the intended script. But what if a player used those runes so often, he could recall and draw from memory? It would have to be somebody incredibly dedicated, obsessive and stupid even. These are meaningless runes that have no value outside of this context we''re talking about. Well, it just so happens I''m that kind of stupid and obsessive guy. It''s there''s one thing I''m confident in, it''s my skills as a Spirit of Darkness player. Of course, even I can''t recall the more complex spells, but the most basic ones should be a piece of cake.


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    I opened the book and wrote down the first line. It was a sequence of three runes, representing the most basic spell in the game: "Mana Bolt". I carefully looked it over and memorized it, closing my eyes for a good measure. Then I brought my outstretched palm forward and recalled the runes.


    "Mana bolt."


    As I chanted the words, a speedy blue ball of light shot out of my hand and hit the stone wall. Dust was blown off the wall, leaving slight char marks. It wasn''t the strongest spell, but it was quick and versatile.


    "Holy moley, you are a wizard! But question: why did you yell out the spell''s name? Wizards don''t usually do that," he asked.


    "Oh, I just thought it would look cooler."


    With this new tool I felt renewed confidence. This might be enough to continue exploring this dungeon.


    "Calvar, do you know what further enemies this dungeon contains? Are there only undead, or perhaps some kobolds too?"


    The skull clunked its jaw.


    "How am I supposed to know? I spent all my time here stuck behind a boulder. You''re the wizard here, so you should be telling me!"


    As usual, he was not very helped. The reason I asked is that depending on the enemy type, a different spell might be more useful. Lacking any advance knowledge I have no choice but to make my way forward and adapt to what I encounter.


    I made my way to the room with the boulder. The corpse of the zombie I killed was easily seen, and the second of the zombies was still engaged in its monotonous routine. This seemed like an excellent opportunity to gather more aether.


    "Calvar, is it okay if I practice my combat skills on Stacey?"


    "Who?"


    "...Stacey. You know, her." I pointed at the nearby zombie.


    "Oh, Stacey! Sure, whatever. Nobody is gonna miss a brain-dead zombie. What kind of loser would get attached to one of those?"


    The skull stayed silent for a moment, before it put on a puzzled face.


    "Man, this is giving me deja-vu. I wonder why?" he said.


    Since he did not mind, I began my assault with a mana bolt. It made the zombie take notice and chase after me. As I thought, magic projectiles weren''t especially effective on bare fleshy targets like these. Magic damage was most useful against hard armor or scales, wherever melee weapons had a difficult time piercing their target. With that in mind, I finished it off with my spear. As with the previous zombie, it was far too dumb to counter it, and quickly fell by my hands.


    "Wow, you''re an unstoppable beast! We should call you Eren the Zombie Slayer! Or Eren the Skeleton Decapitator! I think that fits you best."


    "Are you still mad about that?"


    "Mad? No, of course not. What kind of person would be mad just for getting their head chopped off? You need to be more open-minded, Eren. Not everybody is as petty as you."


    The comment was likely promoted by his nearby skeletal body. I passed by it to descend the stairs to the second floor of the dungeon. As I did, it reminded me of an important fact: this dungeon has traps. Unless I wanted to end up the same as Calvar, I needed to watch out for any hidden contraption.


    The second floor before me was a straight hallway. Immediately warning flags went off in my head. I explored enough of these dungeons to know where dangers and traps could be laid, and this hallway was just one location. I made my way forward, carefully tiptoeing along. Then I found the culprit: a trigger rope stretched across at foot level. I looked for any possible locations for a boulder, and found one as well: a hole in the ceiling up ahead. Any reckless adventurer would trigger this rope and be mercilessly crushed by the boulder trap!


    I stealthily made my way forward past the hallway and reached an open room. This seemed to be the penultimate room of this dungeon, as just up ahead there was was large double door. Guarding it were two figures. They were skeletons, armed with swords, their eyeless sockets glowing red. I knew a dreadful fight was awaiting me.

 Chapter 8: Dungeon Boss

    "Hey Calvar, any chance those skeletons are friendly?"


    "Ah, most undead aren''t exactly as friendly as me. If you have to ask, then probably no."


    Skeletons were formidable enemies. In most games they were simply cannon-fodder, the weakest of the undead. In Spirit of Darkness, however, they were some of the most powerful. This was doubly so for the red-eyed skeletons, which signified a further enhanced combat ability. This is one of the reasons I was so wary of Calvar when I first met him. I didn''t want to get on the wrong side of a full-bodied skeleton so early on.


    Skeletons were highly resistant to all physical damage except for blunt strikes. Magic fared better, but their only true weakness was fire. If we''re talking about two red-eyed skeletons, however, even fire wouldn''t be enough. I would need at the very least to couple it with a blunt weapon. I wasn''t sure about the weapon, but fire was something I should have access to.


    I opened my spellbook; The first line still contained the spell "mana bolt." I made a new entry right below it -- a sequence of four runes. Before I could memorize it, I had to forget the previous one. My current intelligence limited me to one spell at a time, after all. After several minutes it was done, and I memorized "fire bolt."


    Fire bolt was slower than the magic counterpart, but had the benefit of fire affinity and slightly higher base damage. Which one a player utilized early on was largely a matter of personal taste. I was a mana bolt person myself, so that''s what I chose first. I''m not picky, though, and will use whatever works.


    But there still remained the problem of the blunt weapon. Both my dagger and my spear would be utterly worthless against these enemies. I could head back to town to buy a mace, but I don''t have enough money. I really should have thought of this ahead of time. Who wouldn''t expect to find skeletons at an undead dungeon? That''s just common sense!


    I sat down and gave it a thought. I realized I was still thinking of this as a game. Is there truly nothing blunt on me I could improvise as a weapon, as I did with the dagger earlier? I searched through my bag to make sure. Then I found it. My spear! The spearhead was attached to a wooden pole, and at the opposite end of the pole was a metal hilt. It wasn''t the best, but it was certainly blunt, and could be swung with some weight. If I coupled it with the fire bolt, it should be enough.


    I had the benefit of surprise and range, but the best case scenario would be to fight these one-on-one. I start off with a fire bolt to try "pulling" one of the skeletons. Depending on their intelligence, they may or may not cooperate.


    Luck seemed to be on my side, as the skeleton took heavy damage and rushed towards me by himself. I hit him once with my blunt spear-end before he could get into range, stunning him, and allowing me to cast another fire bolt! That''s another big advantage of using blunt weapons against these guys.


    The skeleton was now in range, but its attack pattern was very similar to that of the game. I dodge rolled the attack I saw coming a mile away.


    With a great clunk, I body-planted onto the stone floor.


    "Ouch..." I said.


    "Eren, what the heck are you doing?" Calvar asked.


    "I just wanted to dodge roll..."


    "That''s utterly ridiculous. Whatever made you think that''s a viable strategy?"


    Well, that''s what I did in the game. It''s really not as easy or useful in real life, I quickly realized. To make matters worse, that brought the attention of the other skeleton! I can handle one, but not two in this open environment.


    I made my way back to the hallway, the skeletons chasing right after. It was perfect! It was narrow enough that they could only approach in a single line, so they were easy pickings for my spear. In between stuns I could get enough fire bolts off to finish them off. The skeleton duo were vanquished!


    The blue wisps, as they did for the zombies, escaped the bodies. I searched through the corpses, but found nothing but bones.


    "Eren, what are you searching for?"


    "I don''t know. Gold coins, maybe?"


    "Where exactly a skeleton would carry gold coins?"


    "Point taken."


    I took the skeletons'' swords and stuffed them in my bag. They should be able to fetch something back at the general store.


    All that was left before me was the pair of double doors. In SoD, this would signify a boss fight. If it was the end of a dungeon, it might even be a demon general. This dungeon has proven to be fairly short, in retrospect, but figuring it so many things for the first time left me drained. I wasn''t sure if I had what it took to face a boss fight right now.


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    "Hey kid, what are you waiting for? It doesn''t matter to me when you go ahead, but you''re gonna have to do it eventually. As my arms and legs, I fully expect you to do so."


    Calvar did have a point. My health is full, and my mana reserves have recovered from the previous fight. I have no reason not get it over with right now. If I am to survive in this world, I will need to defeat bosses.


    Beyond the double door lay a dusty study room. The walls were blocked by shelves lined with books. Various desks were present, adorned by alchemy equipment and sprawled-out notes. In the centre of the room was a desk with a chair -- in it a single occupant. The figure was wearing a black robe, except for the head, which was a bare white skull.


    A skeleton wizard. And a terrible match up in my current state. I could make do with a powerful blunt weapon, but this spear-end is nowhere good enough. Or, if I was a full-fledged wizard, I could perhaps face it in a magical dual. My current build, however, is in a complete disadvantage. Up close I wouldn''t be able to deal enough damage, and at a distance my spells would be no match for his. Either way you look at it, it''s not good. Calvar seemed to sense my unease.


    "Eren, do you have a plan? Do you think you can beat it?"


    I put on a smug face.


    "Of course I can. Who do you think I am?"


    Before it could notice me, I cast a fire bolt at the mage. It was a direct hit, but it seemed to do little more than annoy it. It quickly cast a spell which I recognized as Homing Mana Bolt. Homing Mana Bolt, despite its name, was fairly different from the regular old Mana Bolt. About half a dozen magical bolts would hover near the caster and automatically target any enemy that dared to come close. Instead of a long-rage projectile, it was a way to deal with melee fighters. This is one reason why fighting mages such as these is so risky. Needless to say, making a direct approach would be a bad idea.


    "This doesn''t look very good. What''s the plan, kid? How are you gonna beat it?"


    "Calvar, I may not look it, but I am an experienced adventurer. I faced many foes, several of them even more mighty and fearsome than this. Throughout it all, I always had one strategy that could work when all else failed. It''s what allowed me to survive and triumph when others would perish."


    The skull looked on with anticipation.


    "Wah, that''s incredible! What is this invincible strategy?"


    "That strategy is... to run away!!"


    With great haste, I ran away from the boss room as far as I could. Fireballs and great orbs of magic rained upon me as I did.


    "...THAT''S your strategy!? Are you freaking kidding me!?"


    He may look down upon it, but in Spirit of Darkness, avoiding defeat was crucial to success. The cost of death was so heavy that running away was a viable strategy -- very unusual for a game of its genre. Plus, I had another idea besides just running away. If I didn''t then I wouldn''t have bothered with the fireball.


    The skeleton mage seemed to grow frustrated at my evasiveness. As he threw a tantrum, I hit him with another fire bolt. That got him even more mad than before! With him hot on my tail, I made my way to the hallway at entrance of the second floor. By that time he cast a huge fireball at me, but with a leap and a jump, I managed to evade it and reach the stairs.


    As the skeleton fast approached, the breaking of rope could be heard. I couldn''t help but crack a smile. By the time the skeleton realized what happened, it was already too late. A giant boulder dropped from the ceiling and was trailing behind him. He made a valiant last effort, but it was for naught. He was finely crushed against the wall. Boulders would count as blunt damage, wouldn''t they?


    I approach to check the body, but to my surprise he was still alive and struggling. It would be a shame to let the boulder have the finishing strike, wouldn''t it? With a great big heave, I swung at the skeleton''s head and crushed its skull. The blue wisp escaped and flowed into me, nourishing me with a great quantity of aether. It was far larger than anything else I''ve defeated so far.


    "See? Told you. It''s my invincible strategy!"


    The trusty skull could do nothing but roll its eyes.

 Chapter 9: The Town

    Aside from the robe, the skeleton mage''s body adorned a pair of rings. Luckily they were both ones I recognized: one increased spellcasting ability, allowing the user to memorize one extra spell above their normal limit; The other was a simple defensive ring which increased resistance to physical strikes. Since rings did not have typically have downsides, I put them both on.


    The skeleton''s robe may have been enchanted, so I decided it was in my best interest to procure it. It was, however, firmly lodged behind the boulder. Perhaps I could move the boulder if my strength was higher, but at the base level of 10 it was not nearly enough. Instead I pulled on the robe with all my might. It seemed to actually work, just before I heard a ripping sound.


    "Whoops."


    The robe was torn in two. Well, so much for that. I might at least have use for it as scrap cloth, right? I stuffed the torn half into my bag.


    I went back into the now-unoccupied study room and looked for anything of value. The shelves contained a library''s worth of books, but they were far too complex. They talked about magical theory which far surpassed my understanding of how magic worked in the game; It might take me years to decipher all of it on my own. The alchemical equipment looked useful for potion creation, so I grabbed it. Afterwards the last place left was the mage''s personal desk.


    Most of it was covered by notes and scribbles. Posted on the wall, however, was a map. From the looks of it, it showed all nearby points of interest. The biggest landmark must be the adventurer town, and the symbols to the side are other settlements. The cave symbol must be the undead cave I was currently in. Interestingly, the cave was marked with an "x". There were several other settlements, including a fortress and a mansion, that shared that marking. Was this something to signify a dungeon? Or were those locations the skeleton mage was interested in? Well, a map was a useful tool in its own right, so I grabbed it as well.


    The last thing to grab by attention was an open envelope on the desk. It was empty, but the broken wax seal looked fairly important. Did skeletons somehow get mail in this world? I turned it over, but what I read on the back shocked me. I dropped to the ground in disbelief. I wasn''t sure I was reading it right.


    "Kid? What''s wrong? What''s on there?"


    "Haha. That''s impossible. That''s not supposed to be a thing. Calvar, can you read it and make sure I''m not going insane?"


    The skull did as I asked and read the back of the envelope.


    "It says the letter is from Spirit of Darkness."


    That''s not supposed to exist. The game was called Spirit of Darkness, but at no point were those words uttered in the game itself. It wasn''t an organization, on object, a person, or anything. It was supposed to be symbolic, something that only the players would understand. If this world was truly based on the game, then that phrase must never be uttered. It would break the sanctity of its existence.


    "Calvar, do you know what that phrase refers to?"


    The skull gave me a puzzled look.


    "Huh? Of course I do."


    Again I could do nothing but wallow in disbelief. What was he going to say next, that he knew this was a game? Or perhaps this was all an elaborate prank, or a dream? I began doubting everything I thought I understood.


    "See, that''s what the Demon Lord calls himself. He and his organization go by that name, but it''s super tacky, so nobody else uses that term. I mean, Spirit of Darkness? How pretentious do you have to be?"


    I began to regain my senses. So, this wasn''t a common term in this world, but something introduced by the Demon Lord? The Demon Lord himself is a new an unfamiliar entity, so it could be possible. This of course raised more questions. The Demon Lord has already come up in my travels before, so coming across his work here again is suspicious. Why did he possess the same silver pendant as me? How did he know the term Spirit of Darkness?


    A thought occurred to me. It''s far-fetched, but isn''t it possible the Demon Lord is the same as me? He might have been a normal human who was transported into this world, just as I was. Using SoD''s title so casually might have been a lure, a draw to get other players like myself to find each other. But if so, why would he become a Demon Lord? If he just wanted to meet other players, that seems completely overboard. Surely a billboard ad would be enough?


    I needed more information. From what I''ve just learned, it does seem the Demon Lord has established communications with the skeleton mage of this cave. If I take the map into account, it seems as though they are establishing a plan, or coordination with other settlements. This was very reminiscent of SoD, and the World-Devouring Demon. The ancient Demon also made connections and established a chain of command. It had several demon generals, each served as the final boss of their own dungeon. Once all the demon generals were defeated, the player could finally challenge the World-Devouring Demon itself.


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    If I looked at it on those terms, then the skeleton mage would be a demon general. Each of the locations marked on the map would then be a dungeon, each with its own demon general at the helm. Once I defeat each of the demon generals, I would cause a big enough of a concern for the final villain to show himself before me. Then, after defeating the big bad, I could possibly save the world.


    Of course, I couldn''t care less about saving the world. A noble goal like that goes against the principles of SoD. All I wanted at the moment was to meet and speak with this Demon Lord, and either confirm or deny my suspicions. The best bet for accomplishment of this goal would be to continue hunting these demon generals.


    "So no clues as to the whereabouts of my master, is there?" said the skull.


    "I don''t think so. Your master was a human necromancer, right?"


    "Yes. Since this is the cave he commanded me to guard, I was sure I could find something here. But life isn''t ever that easy, eh? Never that easy..."


    He grew visibly saddened. The opportunity did make me think of a suitable ice-breaker.


    "Calvar, you said you don''t follow politics, right? So home come you know about the Demon Lord and his organization?"


    The skull rolled its eyes.


    "Please, Eren, even I know basic facts like that. Anyone who set foot in Tristaria in the last decade would know about the Demon Lord or the great Holy King. If you didn''t, you''d have to be a stupid man. A sick man too. A stupid and sick man with sick hobbies, like decapitating skeletons."


    "Sorry, the Holy King?"


    The skull sighed.


    "The Holy King is the ruler of Tristaria. He is known to be immortal, and has reigned over the land for over 100 years. Tristaria''s great war is between the Demon Lord and the Holy King."


    That is another entity which did not exist in SoD. Politics and human figures were of little relevance in the game, as the main plot was a conflict between gods and demons. Perhaps I should look into the Holy King as well?


    With everything in place, I bid the cave farewell.


    Back in the adventurer town, everything looked the same as when I left. Toberno did say it was quiet lately, but there truly did not seem to be a single visitor besides me. I carefully opened the door to the general store.


    A woman was sleeping in her chair. She looked to be in her 20s or 30s, but when looking at her, the first thing that came to mind was boredom. I could only sense apathy towards me and the world in general when we previously spoke.


    "Ferra, are you awake?" I ask.


    The woman made only minimal efforts at a response.


    "Oh, you''re that kid from before. You''re still alive? I''m surprised."


    I pulled out a pair of swords.


    "Do you think I could get anything for these?"


    She briefly examined the weapons.


    "Old, dented, obviously unkempt. Pretty bad. Where did you find these, a crypt?"


    "Actually, yes. I got them from a pair of skeletons."


    Ferra was surprised at my response.


    "What? A beginner like you defeated skeletons? You mean from that nearby cave filled with undead?"


    "Yes. There was a skeleton mage, too, but he wasn''t too trouble. Managed to get quite a haul from raiding his headquarters. I think he might be have been an underling Demon Lord, too."


    Ferra looked at me with shock. It was precious.


    "Damn. That makes me feel bad for ripping your off earlier. Well, I could probably smelt down these swords, so they should be worth something."


    She ripped me off? I thought everything seemed oddly expensive.


    "Smelt it? You mean you''re a blacksmith? I thought you were a shopkeeper."


    "Shopkeep, blacksmith, priest, mayor, whatever. I''m in charge of the slack that Toberno doesn''t pick up. Not like there''s much competition in this ghost town."


    Could it be that this lazy woman is actually an incredibly talented resource? For some reason I had trouble imagining it.


    "But kid, where are you off to now? I know you''re pretty proud of clearing that cave, but I wouldn''t want my best customer to get in over their head and meaningless lose his life."


    I''m her best customer now? That was awfully fast. She did have a point, however; heading to a location that was above my skill level would be a bad idea. I took out my map and showed it to her.


    "Well, I had several locations in mind."

 Chapter 10: New Target

    ¡°Alchemy is much more difficult than I thought,¡± I mumbled to myself.


    The scavenged alchemy equipment was strewn about my bedroom. I thought it would be straight-forward, but I had no clue how to use distillation, or what the exact steps were to make a potion. I did manage to grind down the alchemical ingredients and then dry them into powders. After that however, my attempts to add water or liquify it did not result in usable solution. In the process I wasted most of my gathered ingredients.


    ¡°I guess I really do need a magical teacher.¡±


    It was the same with the library I procured from the skeleton mage. I did dabble in some science back in the real world, but I struggled at the advanced level, and could never do it without a tutor. Friendly mages, however, did seemed rare in this world. Neither Toberno nor Ferra knew anything practical about magic, and the only magic caster I''ve met so far has tried to kill me.


    ¡°Kid, not to interrupt, but are you just going to leave all this stuff here?¡± asked the skull.


    ¡°Is there a reason I shouldn''t? It''s a real pain to keep taking it in and out of my bag.¡±


    The skull sighed disappointingly.


    ¡°Do liches have phylacteries?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°What I mean to say, is that you should protect your valuables. Somebody could just walk in here and steal all your stuff. Now, I''m not saying I would do it, but if it was me, I would totally do it.¡±


    Calvar did have a point. It seems I have grown far too complacent and trustworthy as of late. If I let my guard down even for a second, it would be a perfect set up for future disaster. This inn was suboptimal as a base any way I thought about it. All you had to do to get in was get past Toberno, which was a trivial task. I would need somewhere more difficult to get to, which had protection from invaders.


    After some brain scrambling, I thought of the perfect place to establish my secret base. It wasn''t really livable at the moment, however, and would require some set up to get running. Still, it was something to prepare for the future. In the meanwhile I gathered up my supplies and headed downstairs.


    Toberno the innkeeper stood at his usual spot, polishing his glass mugs. I couldn''t help but wonder what he was doing all day, as customers were so rare these days.


    ¡°Oh, Eren. You had a visitor earlier,¡± he said.


    Speak of the devil. I wondered who exactly would visit me. I just arrived in this world yesterday, didn''t it? That should be impossible.


    ¡°Really? What did they want?¡±


    ¡°Well, it''s a bit of a stretch to say it was your personal visitor. They were looking for the Black Paladin.¡±


    I was reminded of the black armor donned around my body. Looks like its legacy will stay with me for a bit longer.


    ¡°Since Arma is missing in action, I figured you''re the one who will take it in her stead. Are you still interested?¡±


    This wasn''t even a real question.


    ¡°Yes, of course. This is my responsibility, both as a man and as an adventurer.¡±


    The innkeeper put down his glass and stroked his beard.


    ¡°A few hours ago, a small old lady wearing a brown robe dropped by. Apparently she was the last survivor of her village, a modest settlement which was wiped out by a surprise kobold attack. As a last will, she requested the nearby kobold fortress to be wiped out. ¡±


    Kobolds were common monsters in Spirit of Darkness. They were a cross between a man and a lizard, around 3 feet tall, and not very menacing unless in groups. But the kobold fortress... that was one my marked locations.


    ¡°Did she offer any payment?¡±


    ¡°Nope. She said she had nothing left, and so pleaded for it to be done out of good will. It''s pretty odd, if you ask me.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Kobolds aren''t normally that aggressive. They don''t typically attack humans unless they encroach on their territory. For the fortress to launch an organized attack against a human village? Something odd must be going on there.¡±


    It might have something to do with the Demon Overlord. If the fortress is the location of a demon general, as I assumed, then it must be part of a coordinated attack. No matter which way you looked at it, I should check out this fortress.


    ¡°I''ll do it. If she comes back, tell her she can count on me.¡±


    Even if the fortress turned out to be unrelated to the Demon Overlord, clearing it would still reward me with aether. Either way, it''s a win for me.


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    ¡°You''ll take it down by yourself? Eren, I know you''re surprisingly strong for how you look, but I don''t want you getting in over your head. We''ve lost enough fine young men already. Losing your life for honor or glory is a fool''s proposition.¡±


    I reassured him that it was no problem.


    ¡°Toberno, I''m not some naive kid. I''ve done stuff like this many times in the past. I''m actually much older than I look, you know.¡±


    Leaving him looking puzzled, I made my way outside. If I were to take down this new dungeon, I had to do something first.


    In addition to the store and inn, the small town contained an abandoned church. The dusty interior contained many shrines, all similar to the one in the undead cave. To my surprise, there were many more than five. It made me wonder how many deities this world contained.


    ¡°Kid, what are you here for?¡±


    ¡°It''s a bit of a long-shot, but I want to try something.¡±


    My patron deity is currently Congeria, God of Chaos. One of the perks of worshipping this god is an enhancement of the luck stat. However, unless I were to procure and use the fabled Blade of Fate, this bonus was rather useless. I would much rather have someone like Amicietia or Lex as my patron.


    In Spirit of Darkness, the choice of patron was permanent. But at the same time, SoD never had these shrines. This is purely conjecture, but perhaps I could change my choice of patron deity by using these shrines.


    I looked the selection of shrines in the church. Eventually I found the five that I was familiar with it. After narrowing it down, I found the one that would be most optimal for my current situation. As I did earlier in the cave, I crouched down and prayed, keeping the chosen deity in the forefront of my mind.


    I could see my aether once again. But this time, I could see it changing. My luck stat decreased! In its stead, my strength went up. It was a success; my patron deity has changed to Animo, God of Courage. The process has made me aware of the vast amount of aether I have procured from defeating the skeleton mage, and after some careful deliberations I have enhanced myself further.


    Vitality 10


    Strength 18


    Dexterity 16


    Intelligence 12


    Luck 10


    Lore-wise, this is as much physical strength as normal humans can have. I might even be strong enough to move those huge boulders now. If this was still a game, I would be worried about leaving my vitality at base level, but so far getting hit has not proven to be a problem. Even if I do, I''m confident in Arma''s protective ability. In any case, it should be more than plenty to take on some kobolds.


    ¡°You did that praying thing again. Does that mean you can fly now?¡± the skeleton asked.


    I was surprised at the comment. There was no flight spell in Spirit of Darkness.


    ¡°Flight is possible in Tristaria? That''s pretty valuable information.¡±


    The skeleton was disappointed.


    ¡°No, it was a joke. As far as I''m aware people can''t fly, numbskull.¡±


    My enthusiasm crushed, I stopped wasting time made my way outside. Map and compass in-hand, I ventured in the direction of the kobold fortress.


    It was by no means a long trek ¨C both the town and the undead cave were only minutes away. However, something didn''t feel right, so I made a truck-stop halfway there. The skull agreed with my suspicions.


    ¡°So you felt it too, Eren? We''re being followed. It was like that ever since leaving the town.¡±


    A shadow moved along the bushes. Did it notice that we noticed? I calmed down and tried to sense its location. I heard the slight rustling of leaves coming right behind me.


    Clang.


    Just in time, I managed to draw my dagger and block the strike. The enemy has jumped from the bushes with their own dagger, aiming for my chest. The figure was small, about half my size, and wearing a brown robe. I realized it matched the description of the old woman who visited the inn.


    Why would she attack me? Was this part of a trap? And for a poor old woman, she was awfully quick. If I didn''t increase my dexterity before heading out, there was no way I could have blocked that strike. But something still seemed odd about the way she moved. The robe had bumps and folds that didn''t match what I would expect. The skeleton suddenly voiced out his realization.


    ¡°That thing ain''t human.¡±

 Chapter 11: The Fortress

    The robed figure and I had a standoff, daring each other to make the first move. My opponent was a quick one, but I still felt I had the upper hand even with just a dagger. To my surprise, however, it put away its weapon. Instead it suddenly bowed forward, as if showing respect.


    ¡°Excuse me for that uncouth attack. I simply wanted to test your combat ability, brave knight. You truly are as talented as the rumors said... Arma the Black Paladin.¡±


    Calvar and I stayed uneasily silent for several seconds.


    ¡°Oh boy, that''s awkward,¡± said the skull.


    The robed figure seemed confused. I guess it was left up to me to explain.


    ¡°Sorry, I am not Arma. She is gone now. I''m simply an adventurer who inherited her armor. If you''re looking for her, then I can only give my sincerest apologies.¡±


    The figure did not seem bothered.


    ¡°Oh, sorry for the mistake. Alas, you are still a brave knight who has taken upon my request, correct? Then you''ll do just as well. Let me introduce myself.¡±


    With a single swift movement, the figure removed the robe. It revealed a scaly lizard-like face, digitigrade legs, and a pointed tail. No matter which way you looked at it, it was a kobold. I was expectedly surprised.


    ¡°I didn''t know kobolds could talk.¡±


    The lizard was visibly bothered by the comment.


    ¡°Well, that''s awfully racist of you! I''ll have you know that kobolds are a perfectly intelligent and civilized people. Most of us don''t bother to learn the human tongue, and with these kind of comments I am not surprised why.¡±


    She was more childish than I expected. And just to note something, I called her a ¡°she¡±, but that''s merely due of the pitch of her voice. I had no idea as to her actual gender. What would kobold secondary sexual characteristics even look like? Perhaps I was thinking too deeply into this.


    ¡°Sorry. So, what did you want? You must have had a reason to confront me in the forest like this,¡± I said.


    The lizard gathered herself and answered.


    ¡°Yes, please allow me to explain. My name is Lacerta, and as you can see, I am a kobold. I arrived at town earlier donning a disguise and pretending to be a human. This was purely for my protection, as humans tend to be hostile to my kind. In the town, I sought out the most well-known of the local adventurers for a difficult task.¡±


    ¡°That task, was it clearing out the kobold fortress? Or was that a lie as well?¡±


    The lizard meekly wagged her tail.


    ¡°Oh no, that part was true. My goal is indeed the elimination of the fortress. This is a task beyond my capabilities, so I required outside assistance. What I said about the payment was also true, as I possess very few valuables to give away. But despite knowing of this, you still took up the quest, correct? I thank you for you generosity.¡±


    Lacerta bowed forward once again. Being treated with so such respect was so unusual -- it was refreshingly pleasant.


    ¡°As brave a knight as you are, clearing such an encampment by one''s self is a difficult task. To that end, I would like to offer my personal assistance. You could think of it as compensation for my previous deception. We share a common goal, and so I believe this arrangement would prove mutually beneficial,¡± she said.


    An interesting proposition. Having some company while venturing through this dungeon would be beneficial, but at the same time, it seemed a bit fishy. Why would a kobold request the destruction of a kobold fortress? Was this an internal feud between kobolds? And if so, why request the help of a human? It''s equally like that this was a trap, and she would turn on me once we confront her comrades. It was too risky. I came up with an excuse to refuse her offer.


    ¡°I''ll have to decline. I''m perfectly capable of clearing the fort by myself, and in all honesty, you''ll probably only get in my way. I fight better on my own.¡±


    The lizard smiled and paced around sheepishly. Her body language was surprisingly expressive for such an inhumane creature.


    ¡°Oh? You will decline the help of a young and talented kobold mage? I knew humans were chivalrous, but that seems rather foolish. I am asking for nothing in return, and my skills are considered quite valuable. I suppose I could leave it up to you, but it would be such a shame.¡±


    The comment piqued my interest. If she''s telling the truth, this is the first friendly mage I have encountered so far in Tritaria. Forget about the aether from the fortress; simply getting her on my side as a possible tutor would be a far greater accomplishment. The best course of action would be to strike a deal in the hopes of establishing a friendly relationship afterward. Even if this was a trap, it was worth the risk. Taking a page out of her book, I bowed forward.


    ¡°Please excuse me, I was not aware you were so graciously talented. If it is as you say, I would love to accept your help in this task. If it works out, I would be glad to cooperate on future endeavors as well. Also, allow me to formally introduce myself. My name is Eren. ¡±


    I put my hand forward. Perhaps it''s because of my days working in the office, but I got used to initiating handshakes when meeting new people.


    ¡°Oh, this is what you call a handshake, right? I''ve never done it before.¡±


    The lizard put its claw forward as well. As expected of one unfamiliar with the custom, she played passive as I firmly shook her hand. Afterwards, she seemed quite flustered. Was it really that big of a deal?


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    ¡°I... actually shook hands with a human. It''s so... cool!¡± she said.


    She began nervously pacing and dozed off into thought. One could only imagine what hepped-up scenarios she was imagining. Was this normal behavior for a such a creature? I was only familiar with the SoD representation of them, so I had no clue.


    ¡°Psst, Eren. Watch out, that kobold seems seriously messed up,¡± said the skull.


    I guess it wasn''t normal. But it didn''t especially matter to me. Many NPCs in Spirit of Darkness were quite eccentric, so meeting as kobold like this is not completely out of the left field. Eccentricity did not necessarily imply hostility. I did have one concern I wanted to clear up, however.


    ¡°Lacerta, I just want to make sure. Are you okay with killing your own kind? This is something you''ll have to do if we infiltrate that compound, and I can''t imagine it would be easy. Are you mentally prepared for this task?¡±


    The lizard snapped out of her daze and gave a serious answer.


    ¡°That''s an odd question. Do humans not murder each other over the most trivial of reasons? Do you not slaughter thousands of your own kind over simple arguments that could be solved by diplomacy? A knight does not waver at the thought of murdering the evil witch, does she? By the same token, I have no problems with striking down anybody in my path. Even if they happen to be kobolds. No matter their identity, in the inhabitants of that fortress are my enemies. For that, they must all perish in blood.¡±


    ¡°Ah, interesting. I have another question: why is it that you want to take down this fortress so badly? With such a strong impetus, you must have a pretty good motivation.¡±


    The lizard smiled.


    ¡°Does it really matter?¡± she said.


    I shrugged.


    ¡°No, I guess it doesn''t.¡±


    With a hastily-made comrade by my side, we made our way to the kobold fortress. Along the way Lacerta seemed to take an interest in Calvar.


    ¡°Will your pet skeleton assist in the assault? It must be difficult when she''s only a head.¡±


    Before Calvar could make a snide retort, I shut him up and answered in his stead.


    ¡°Oh, his name is Calvar. He''s not a pet, but more of my personal consultant.¡±


    The lizard was intrigued.


    ¡°So humans don''t keep skeletons as pets, but as consultants? And here I thought it would provide combat support by shooting fireballs out of its mouth! I was na?ve. There is truly much more I have to learn about human society.¡±


    Calvar and I stayed awkwardly silent.


    ¡°Kid, at this rate you''ll make this weird-ass kobold even more messed up. I hope you''re ready take responsibility,¡± he said.


    The fortress soon stood before us. A large entrance graced its front, with kobolds guards on patrol wielding metal spears. Lacerta insisted on me charging the front, while she took a back entrance and provided support from the shadows. She seemed intimately familiar with the layout of this fortress. Did she prepare ahead of time for this attack? The possibility seemed likely.


    Following the plan, I charged the front entrance. One of the kobold guards spotted my advance and confronted me. He barked unintelligible sentences in hisses and roars. Unlike Lacerta, it appeared this one could not speak English. Ignoring his words, I drew out my weapon, and so did he in response.


    In SoD, Kobolds were small and agile creatures featuring hard scales that resisted slashing attacks. Their hide was easily penetrated by piercing strikes and magic, however, so a balanced adventurer never had too much trouble. They were normally only a problem when fought in groups. Since this was a single enemy, I should have no trouble facing it.


    The kobold swiftly moved towards me, but with my heightened dexterity, matching him was was a trivial task. My spear easily pierced his hide, and as he was stunned by the pain, I finished him off with a mana bolt. Thanks to the ring I procured from the skeleton mage, I could memorize both mana bolt and fire bolt at the same time. Quite useful for enemies such as these, which are relatively resistant to fire. As the creature died, a wisp of aether escaped it corpse.


    With the outside guard taken care of, I entered the imposing fortress. The first floor was largely empty and seemed to serve as a simple entrance hall. One of the side rooms was a kitchen, with a pen of pigs visible on the outside. Looks like kobold cuisine is not that different from that of humans.


    As I explored the floor, I absorbed several more wisps of aether. That must have been Lacerta''s handiwork up head. This confirmed an important fact: wisps worked the same way as they did in SoD. No matter how a monster died, the nearby adventurer is the one who gains the aether. It made me wonder just how far this effect could reach. It must have a limit, as otherwise I would absorb wisps from the other side of the country.


    I made my way up the stairs to the second floor. More and more wisps entered my body as I did. Just how many enemies was Lacerta taking out? Even if she was talented, she was still but a single kobold. The amount seemed to defy reason. If she could do this on her own, did she really even need my help?


    With a growing sense of unease, I wondered what exactly I was getting into.

 Chapter 12: Fortress Boss

    The second floor was more heavily guarded than the first. Well, it used to be. Its inhabitants lay dead on the floor, stab marks on their necks and the charr-marks of spells on their bodies. Some of the corpses held spears in their hands, but several appeared unarmed. By searching through their clothes I managed to secure several copper coins. Unlike mindless undead, these creatures did seem to use the same currency as humans.


    If they used the same currency, it made me wonder just how similar to humans they were. If this was a human fortress instead of a kobold one, would I still confidently rush ahead and defeat everyone in my path? I wasn''t sure. I haven''t had to face a real human yet, and these kobolds were monstrous looking enough that it hasn''t proven to be a problem. Doing so in a game and in real life are entirely different experiences. For now, I hoped I would never need to come across such a scenario.


    This floor contained the living quarters. The side rooms contained many communal beds, and the grand hall prominently featured a dining table. As I explored one of the rooms, a hidden kobold jumped out from the shadows and ambushed me.


    It snarled and roared unintelligibly, flying at me with blind rage. Unlike the guard, this one only brandished a dagger, and easily fell to my spear. Why would it launch such a suicidal attack? It seemed the soldiers were growing desperate at this point. The room he hid in looked different from the others, so I was driven by curiosity to explore it.


    The space held a large enclosed pen made of wood. Along the walls were many wooden ornaments of unknown nature. I peeked into the pen, and couldn''t help but be astonished at the sight.


    ¡°Yikes...¡±


    This pen appeared to be a hatchery where young kobolds were held. Inter-kobold warfare must be a brutal affair, as even they were not spared in this fight. That explained the large amount of wisps I absorbed earlier when I advanced up the stairs.


    Speaking of the stairs, I could hear somebody coming down from the floor above. I was prepared to a fight, but was pleasantly surprised to see it was Lacerta. She has spotted me as well.


    ¡°Good to see you made it, brave knight. I already took care of most of the troops, so you needn''t worry about that. Alas, we''re almost done. The next floor is the final one. For this fight I''ll truly require your assistance.¡±


    This unusual lizard left me curious.


    ¡°Lacerta, did you take on all these troops by yourself? I don''t doubt your skills, but this being the handiwork of one person looks quite odd to me. Judging by the stab marks, most of them were taken down by surprise attacks. However, this place is brightly lit and does not have many hiding places. Even with a stealth spell, sneaking around these soldiers would be a difficult task. And if taken in a direct fight, even I would have trouble with these kind of numbers. Am I correct in assuming you used some sort of trick?¡±


    The lizard timidly wagged her tail.


    ¡°You are very perceptive, brave knight. Indeed there is a reason I could take advantage of these soldiers, but it''s not something relevant outside of this scenario. We could sit here all day and discuss strategy, but I would much prefer we head forward and take on the final foe.¡±


    The final foe? Did we reach the dungeon boss already? I was surprised at the quick pace, but followed her upstairs nonetheless.


    Unlike the other floors, the 3rd floor hall was grossly opulent. It was definitely something fitting for a leader or someone of high rank. If I had to guess, this was also where the treasury and armory was kept.


    Before stood an intimidating figure. It was no taller than Lacerta, around half my height. Anyone could tell it was a kobold. Unlike the others, however, it donned a set of full plate-mail armor. The weapon it wielded was equally intimidating ¨C a well-crafted halberd which looked far too large for someone of such a small stature.


    I had never seen an armored kobold before. Kobolds already had tough scales, so stacking armor on top of that seemed excessive. Instead of a common enemy, it would instead be something incredibly difficult to take down. That''s probably why they never wore it in SoD. Judging by the heftiness of the weapon, it must also have an offensive power to match its defense. This enemy was likely the reason Lacerta required my help in taking down this fort. Even if she could partially mitigate the effectiveness of the armor using magic, it it would still be a tricky fight.


    The armored opponent snarled at us in its foreign tongue. This time, however, Lacerta was with me, and she snarled back. They were obviously arguing about something, but I couldn''t tell what.


    ¡°Lacerta, do you know this opponent?¡±


    Lacerta stopped shouting and gave me a response.


    ¡°It''s the fort Matriarch. Don''t mind me, we were just exchanging some insults. Brave knight, I would request you to take her on while I provide magical support. Unlike you, I am unarmored, and would fare poorly in a head-on confrontation.¡±


    I could sense the determination in Lacerta''s eyes as she dashed away to the sidelines. The armored kobold, the Matriarch, let out a deafening roar. The shelves lining the walls shook from the impact. She turned her head and focused on a single target, which was me.


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    Before she had an opportunity to move, I fired a mana bolt at my opponent. The Matriarch, however, was entirely unbothered, and she swatted it away with her halberd as if it was a fly. This might prove troublesome.


    She dashed towards me with surprising speed. I reacted and managed to block the strike, locking our weapons in a struggle. The amount of strength this small creature possessed was frightening. Despite my increased strength, repelling her was a difficult task.


    As we were locked, a bolt of magic approached from the sidelines and hit the Matriarch square on the back. I knew this projectile: it was a Mana Missile. This spell was an enhanced version of Mana Bolt, dealing more damage and having much stronger penetrative effects. It''s a perfect choice for a heavily armored opponent such as this, and good thinking on Lacerta''s part.


    The Matriarch collapsed onto her knees. I took this opportunity to attempt a stab, but it only hit armor and was brushed aside. This made the kobold regain her composure and jump backwards. To my surprise, she was no longer interested in me. She now set eyes upon a much softer target, Lacerta.


    Of course, this was the logical choice to make. In group fight you''d always want to take care of the wizard or the healer first. If I was in her place, that''s what I would do. However, that is not something I could allow to happen. I couldn''t allow someone as valuable as Lacerta to get hurt.


    As the Matriarch made her to Lacerta, I ran right afterward. She swung a large strike, but I reached at the last second and put myself between the blade and its target.


    Shockwaves rung out from the force of the impact. Luckily, I manged to block the attack with the shaft of my weapon. Unluckily, the brunt was so strong it was nearly cleaved in two. This is not something I could do a second time.


    ¡°Lacerta, get away!¡± I yelled.


    The Matriarch wasted no time and prepared a second attack. Damn it, I needed to think of something quick.


    As the strike came down, I had no choice but to attempt a second block. However, my spear could not bear the impact and cleanly snapped in two. The weight of the enemy weapon lead to their blade hitting the floor. This was my chance. Broken spear-end in hand, I thrust forward in between the cracks of the armor near the neck. I still missed the flesh. However, that was not what I aimed for. I kept thrusting until the force achieved my goal. The lizard''s helmet flew off her head.


    The Matriarch''s face was now clearly visible. To my surprise, it looked no different from that of the other kobolds, or even Lacerta. If it wasn''t for their clothes, I would never be able to tell any of them apart. I expected to see an imposing face fitting of an enemy of this caliber, but its mundanity caught me completely off-guard.


    Lacerta noticed this development and wasted no time in launching her own counter-attack. A mana missile was now flying directly at the Matriach''s face. She attempted to pull back her halberd to form a defense, but I made sure that wasn''t happening. As the projectile was a split second away from hitting its target, I swore I heard the enemy mutter out intelligible words.


    ¡°Lacerta-¡±


    The mana missile hit its mark. The Matriarch was finished. After all, the enemy was a normal kobold. No matter how tough it was, it wouldn''t survive the impact of a mana missile straight to the face. A imposing wisp of aether escaped its now lifeless body.


    Lacerta realized the fight was over and cheered in joy. She ran off into one of the side rooms and grabbed an object. I wondered what it was. She came back carrying it like a Christmas present.


    ¡°My spellbook! I finally got my spellbook back! Oh, what a wondrous day!¡± she cheered.


    Her spellbook? Why would it be here, of all places? Her identity now utterly puzzled me.


    Lacerta approached the lifeless armored body. She gave it a look of scorn, and began kicking it.


    ¡°Not so tough now, are you? Hope you rot in peace, dear mother.¡±


    I had a hard time believing what I was hearing.


    ¡°Lacerta, this Matriarch was your mother? So the reason why you knew this place so well, is because it was your home?¡±


    The lizard wagged tail in joy.


    ¡°Yes, precisely! Isn''t this straight out of a fairy tale? The poor princess, after years of abuse by her evil stepmother, runs away from home. There she encounters a brave and chivalrous knight, and together they slay the evil stepmother! Oh, how long I''ve dreamed for this day. It''s so incredibly romantic! Don''t you agree?¡±


    I couldn''t understand her logic at all. Neither did Calvar, it seemed.


    ¡°See? I told you, Eren, I told this was a wacko. I told you, man!¡± said the skull.


    While the lizard was lucid over the triumph of her accomplishment, I rummaged through the room and thought of what to do next. This might truly be troublesome.

 Chapter 13: The Lizard

    The third floor was home to the fort''s treasury and the leader''s personal quarters. In the treasury I found a large stack of copper coins, the equivalent of least one gold piece. Aside from that, it mostly contained clothes, armors, and weapons fit for kobolds, all of little use to me. The personal quarters contained a curious item: an envelope sent from Spirit of Darkness. Just like last time, the letter itself was nowhere to be seen.


    It was likely exactly as I hypothesized; The Matriarch was a demon general in cahoots with the Demon Lord. Unfortunately, she was now dead, so it''s not like I could ask her to confirm. The only possible source of information now would be Lacerta. I thought of asking her for details, but was distracted by the study room which was attached to the personal quarters.


    Just like the hatchery, several wooden ornaments decorated the walls and floor. There were many shelves of books lining the walls of this space. I picked one up, and was surprised to learn it was written in English. It seemed to be a childrens'' book about fairy tales. Not kobold fairy tales, but regular human ones, about knights and wizards.


    ¡°How do you like my room? Sorry I didn''t have time to clean it up,¡± said the lizard.


    ¡°This is your room? You mean this is where you grew up?¡±


    The lizard walked over and picked one of the books. She looked it over with a deep sense of nostalgia.


    ¡°Yeah. You see, as princess, I received the highest quality education one could get amongst my kind. As part of my magic training, I was required to learn the human tongue. It was a simple necessity, as most magical literature was written by humans. I was different from most kobolds, however, and took a deep interest in it. My parents thought it was unhealthy, but I just couldn''t help myself. I can''t control what I like or hate.


    ¡°Driven by curiosity, I ordered the acquisition of several books unrelated to sorcery. I read all about the classic fairy tales and fell in love with their worlds. I would spend my childhood tucked away with these books reading them for hours on end. I was considered unusual amongst the kobolds, and shunned for it by family. As I grew up I had to assume more responsibility over leadership of the clan. My views, however, clashed with that of my family, and we often got into fights.


    ¡°I wanted to establish friendly relations with the humans and learn more about their culture. Instead of bitter enemies, we could get by as allies. This was something completely against our traditions, and of course wouldn''t be allowed. After one particularly intense argument, I snapped and couldn''t take it anymore. I run away from home and intended to never come back.


    ¡°I was utterly lost and didn''t know what to do. All my belongings stayed behind in the fortress, and I had no idea to survive on my own. I was angry at everything. Damn my mother, damn this whole clan. Why didn''t they listen to me? I was the princess and their future leader. Going against my will is treachery, and the only worthy punishment is death. In my anger, I sought out the help of a brave human knight. Just like in the fairy tales, if a knight in shining armor could just come along and save me, everything would be solved.¡±


    The lizard smiled as she looked at me.


    ¡°And then you showed up, my own knight in shining armor. It was as if my dream had come true! With your appearance, I finally had the bravery to take on my mother and get revenge. In the stories, good could never prevail until the villain was slain by the chivalrous knight. Now that it is done, I can finally have my own happy ending.¡±


    Lacerta bowed forward in respect once again, as she did before this mission.


    ¡°I thank you once again, brave knight. I couldn''t have done it without you,¡± she said.


    The skull couldn''t help but sneer at me.


    ¡°Did you hear that ''brave knight''? It was all thanks to you! Doesn''t that just make you feel great?¡± Calvar said.


    He attempted to make me feel guilty. The story did leave me wondering something.


    ¡°But what will you do now? Your clan is gone, and as you said, you don''t know how to survive on your own. Did you have a plan?¡± I asked.


    Lacerta began fidgeting and nervously looking down.


    ¡°Well, this is the part of the story where I would settle down and live happily ever after. I meant to ask this eventually, but I guess it could do it now. Since I am a princess, and you''re a knight, do you think... we could maybe...get ma-¡±


    ¡°Aaahh. Hold the presses. Just hold the presses for a bit. If you''re proposing what I think you are, then you are doing so quite prematurely. Besides the fact that you''re a kobold and I''m a human, I don''t even know you. How do I know that you won''t turn on me like you did on your parents? Is there a reason I should trust you?¡±


    The lizard gave me a curious look.


    ¡°Well, of course you should trust me. We are on the same side! Your goal was clearing out this fortress, right? And so was mine, so we cooperated and did so together. We are both on the side of humanity and against the foolish kobolds who unreasonably antagonize it. I read the stories, and I know even humans fight amongst their family. Why would so many villains would be stepmothers? Or why would the son go against the wishes of his stringent father? If you look at it objectively, I have no reason to betray you, and in fact would make a most faithful ally.¡±


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    Lacerta was very logical for a non-human creature. I couldn''t really argue against her, as I needed her skills, and she was offering them freely.


    ¡°I see. I''ll have to decline the marriage invitation, as I don''t plan on settling down any time soon. I would love to welcome you as a fellow party member my journey, however. I''m quite interested in magic and would benefit from a tutor of your caliber.¡±


    The lizard jumped in joy.


    ¡°Thank you! Thanks you, brave knight, I would love to accompany you on your journey! May your ancestors smile upon your grace!¡±


    The skull sneered at me once again.


    ¡°Are you serious? You''re taking this wacko along? You don''t have to be that desperate, Eren.¡±


    Lacerta curiously poked Calvar''s forehead.


    ¡°Oh, cheer up, skull, you''re just jealous! You should be happy. You''ll now have two beautiful ladies keeping you company instead of just one!¡±


    Calvar and I stared at the lizard wide-eyed.


    ¡°...what?¡±


    Lacerta was utterly surprised at our reaction.


    ¡°Did I say something wrong? Do human women not take direct complements well? If so, I dearly apologize for my gaffe.¡±


    Calvar put on a smug smirk and could barely hold back his laughter.


    ¡°Pfft, hahahaa! Eren, aren''t you so lucky to considered to be a ''beautiful lady''? Your maniless truly knows no bounds! Ladies of the world beware, Eren is here!¡±


    Lacerta became even more confused. Guess it was up to me to clear it up.


    ¡°Lacerta, I am a man. I don''t know how you could make such a mistake, but both me and Calvar are male.¡±


    The lizard blushed and pulled away in embarrassment.


    ¡°Oh! I had simply assumed because of your smooth skin, silky hair, and large eyes that you were female. Those are common human female qualities in the books. I''m truly sorry, this is a very embarrassing mistake to make.¡±


    That explained the bizarre comment. But if she did mistake me for a girl, then something wasn''t adding up.


    ¡°Wait, didn''t you think of asking for marriage earlier? And at that time, didn''t you believe both of us were females?¡±


    Lacerna gave me a curious look.


    ¡°Yes. Is there a problem with that?¡±


    ¡°Well... I guess not.¡±


    This meant that kobold society was far more progressive than I thought. The mysteries of this world truly know no bound, do they?


    Now that Lacerna was solidly on my side, I decided to head straight into business. I grabbed the envelope and showed it to her.


    ¡°Do you know anything about this?¡± I ask.


    ¡°It''s an envelope from the Demon Lord. He''s a human who fights against other humans, so he was on friendly terms with my mother. She was the one in charge of the all clan politics, however, so I do not know the specifics. We usually destroy the letter shortly after receiving it, for the sake of confidentiality.¡±


    I knew getting a full explanation wouldn''t be that easy.


    ¡°Do you know anything else about the Demon Lord? Anything at all?¡±


    ¡°Only common knowledge. He was a human who first appeared 10 years ago, and since then waged war on the human kingdom. He''s known for making non-human allies to achieve this goal, such as kobolds. Rumors say he''s a very powerful, but very few faced him and lived to tell the tale, so it''s hard to know for certain.¡±


    Not much new information, but the timeframe was interesting. This Lord seemed to have nothing to do with the World-Devouring Demon I''m familiar with, who waged a war far longer than a single decade.


    ¡°But why are you asking? Do you want to defeat the Demon Lord? That would be an awfully difficult task for just the three of us,¡± she said.


    I shook my head and pulled out my silver pendant.


    ¡°I heard he wore a pendant very similar to this one. I''m on a quest to find its identity, and so far he''s my best lead. Unless, maybe you have an idea what it is?¡±


    I handed the pendant to Lacerna''s clawed hands. As a mage, she should have a far better shot of identifying it than anyone else so far.


    ¡°This looks like.. I think this might actually be a- nope. Nevermind, that one looks completely different. Sorry, I have no idea.¡±


    I almost cursed at the lizard for getting my hopes up. With this point taken care of, there was only one matter left in this bloodied fortress. My main weapon was still broken.


    ¡°Lacerna, do you mind if I take this?¡±


    She shrugged.


    ¡°I don''t mind. It''s not like it belonged to me.¡±


    I grabbed what I was looking for -- the grand halberd once wielded by the fortress Matriarch. The quality was truly as exquisite at it first appeared. It would make a fine weapon to accompany me on my journey.

 Chapter 14: Campfire

    Spirit of Darkness was released with little fanfare and a mediocre commercial performance. It faced a troubled development, almost being scrapped entirely several times before completion. The company president is famously quoted as saying:


    ¡°Complete rubbish. Nobody would want to play this.¡±


    Directed by a fresh-faced newcomer, nobody had high exceptions for it. But soon after release, something changed. The critics loved it, calling it a fresh new take on the genre with innovative design and features that nobody else dared to use. Word of mouth spread, and sales began climbing. This low budget game nobody even heard of suddenly became a huge force in the video game industry. It was a true miracle, an underdog success story that almost never happened.


    For me, it was love at first sight. I wanted to give it a try ever since the first gameplay trailers. I was intrigued by the world and the weightiness of the combat. I didn''t even wait for its local release, I imported a copy before it was officially localized into English. I would stay up all night playing it, intrigued by the story and captivated by its gameplay.


    I was a salaryman working at a company office. I couldn''t care less about what product the company was producing, and I couldn''t stand any of my co-worker. The pay was terrible for the amount of effort I had to put in, and so I despised every day I had to come in for work. I had no family or friends, I would usually spend my days at home playing video games. I spent several years getting an education, but that got is this garbage job paying just enough to afford my apartment. But as long as I had my games, I felt I could get by.


    The story of Spirit of Darkness was set in a dreary land being consumed by the World-Devouring Demon. The player was an adventurer who fought in the name of a local deity in order to banish the Demon and save the world from despair. On the outset, it was a fairly straight-forward set up of good versus evil. After defeating the five demon generals, each with their own elaborate dungeon, the player could finally confront the great Demon itself. There the player would be granted a choice: to save the world as the gods originally intended, or join the demon side as its new general, bringing the world to a new phase of despair.


    Of course, that was only the story outwardly. Spirit of Darkness rarely told you information straight out, and you had to piece it together from vague clues and hints the NPCs gave. Dedicated players would notice that besides the five deities the player was shown, another name was repeatedly came up in their travels. It was Tenebris, God of Darkness. One would eventually figure out that this was an alternate name for the World-Devouring Demon. The great enemy you fought against was no different from the deities you fought for. Instead of the player having agency, it implied you were always part of a game by higher powers who cared little for you, and all your actions meaningless. It perfectly fit the harsh and treacherous nature of the game.


    Although it could be played alone, one of the major innovations of the game was its Spirit mechanic. While traveling through the world, a player could encounter other players summoned into their world as spirits. You could leave messages, aid each other, or even fight in gladiatorial combat. I was actually quite fond of that part of the game, and became proficient at player versus player combat. I can confidently say I''m likely one of the world''s top Spirit of Darkness players in that regard. Some players focused on honor, but the game encouraged treachery more than anything. This was not a world that rewarded kindness.


    The main theme of Spirit of Darkness could be said to be despair. There were very few friendly NPCs in the world, and those almost exclusive experienced tragic fates. The world was doomed and rotting, but in some way, it was also peaceful. There was beauty in its depravity, which made the invading player feel like an unwelcome force, even as you were slaying demonic abominations. It''s the only game I''ve seen that managed to pull off such an effect. Perhaps that is why I fell in love with it. In a twisted way, it reminded me of my own life.


    The last thing I remember is being alone in my apartment. It was my birthday, and as usual, I spent it playing video games. By this time Spirit of Darkness had already been out for several years. Online activity has greatly gone down since the golden years, so playing it wasn''t the same. I explored every nook and cranny, was intimate with every bit PvP strategy, and knew every piece of lore. It was a great run, but I was ready to finally put the game to rest. After all, the sequel was supposed to be coming out soon.


    My memory becomes fuzzy afterwords. I think I went on my computer and read something. I don''t remember what, but I know it didn''t make me feel good. I can''t remember anything after that. Or maybe, I don''t want to remember? The unpleasantness pushed me away from thinking further.


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    Next thing I knew, I woke up in this world. It was just like Spirit of Darkness, but there were enough differences to convince me this was a separate entity. I can''t deny that in my back of my heart, there were times when I wished Spirit of Darkness became reality. My mind would then immediately brush aside those delusions, however, as only a madman would want to live in a world such as that. Then again, perhaps I have already gone mad.


    ¡°What do you think? Pretty crazy dream, no?¡±


    The two audience members sat around the campfire nonchalantly. The lizard spoke up first.


    ¡°Yes, that is pretty odd. It''s hard to believe a world so completely different from our own could exist.¡±


    Of course, I didn''t tell them the real truth. I changed enough details for them to be able to comprehend the main gist of it. The concept of a video game would fall on deaf ears here.


    ¡°But you know, if we''re talking about alternate worlds, then it does sound feasible. If you use spirits, for example,¡± she said.


    I never thought of that. Each player''s game was considered its own world, and summoning a spirit would the same thing as grabbing an entity from a different world and bringing it over to yours. If we treat the real world as being just one of these alternate dimensions, then one person could indeed just find themselves waking up in a different world just like I was.


    ¡°But don''t spirits dissipate eventually? They don''t stick around longer than a several minutes, from what I know,¡± I asked.


    The lizard took a skewered mushroom from the fire pit and eyed it. She rolled the skewer in her hands and pondered.


    ¡°Isn''t that only because they don''t have a body? This is just an idea I had, but I always wondered what would happened if you summoned a spirit into a an empty body. Like a freshly killed corpse, for example. With a corporal form, it might stay around for years. Perhaps even forever,¡± she said as she took a bite of the mushroom.


    That''s an intriguing idea. Could that be the method by which I was transported into this world? That would explain why my current body looks nothing like my old one. I don''t know who did it or why, but that is an entirely plausible explanation.


    ¡°Lacerta, you''re a genius. I never would have thought of that on my own.¡±


    The lizard blushed.


    ¡°Please, brave knight, you are overrating me. I am merely your humble companion.¡±


    ¡°By the way, could you stop calling me ''brave knight''? Just my name is fine.¡±


    ¡°Okay, sweetie.¡±


    ¡°...what about just Eren?¡±


    ¡°How about we compromise on honey?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°We are destined to be married, so calling you by something so impersonal would be unseemly!¡±


    ¡°Okay, I take back my request. You can call me whatever you want.¡±


    This reminded me too much of real life; I could never attract normal women.


    Lacerta took one of the skewered mushrooms and presented to to Calvar.


    ¡°Would you like one as well, Mr. Calvar? I noticed you couldn''t stop staring, so you must have really wanted a piece.¡±


    ¡°...very funny, Princess. Where, per tell, would the eaten food go? To my nonexistent bony stomach?¡±


    ¡°How unfortunate. You could say, that it the matter of food, Mr. Calvar is...boned!¡±


    The skull was starting with seething anger. I, on the other hand, was impressed.


    ¡°What that a pun? I didn''t think those would be your type,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh, me neither. But it suddenly popped into my mind several hours ago, and I couldn''t stop thinking about it. My mastery of the human tongue knows no bounds now!¡±


    Calvar had enough and exploded.


    ¡°You, you seething scoundrel! You took the most obvious joke, one which any bone-head could come up, and wasted it on that? Did you have any idea how much thought I put into it, where would be the best time to use it for maximal effect? But then you go ahead and waste on something so stupid before I had the chance! You will pay for this, lizard! You will pay!¡± he yelled.


    He took a few seconds to huff and puff.


    ¡°Calvar, have you calmed down now?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I''m done. Just had to vent for a bit. We should probably get going, anyway.¡±


    After we finished eating, I put out the campfire and was ready to head on my way.


    ¡°Where are you going next, kid? Another dungeon for you to vanquish?¡± asked the skull.


    ¡°Not this time. I think it''s time to revisit a place which was already vanquished. We still have some unfinished business there.¡±


    The lizard followed excitedly. Now that we had her along, that place should prove more fruitful.

 Chapter 15: The Base

    I was once again inside the dark cave where I first awoke. It was deep in the final chamber, the mage''s quarters which felt so foreboding not long ago. The eeriness of the chamber itself was offset by the sight of a kobold joyfully jumping on a bed.


    ¡°It''s so springy, my knight. I adore this secret base of yours.¡±


    Instead of renting out a room at the inn, I decided this was a much safer alternative. This was an imposing dungeon which only I was apparently able to clear, and it had its own built-in defenses. Well, they required some fixing, but once they are running they should prove quite a deterrence for any intruders. The bed was added in by me, as the mage didn''t have one. Skeletons don''t sleep.


    ¡°But how did you bring a bed here? It is far too large to fit into a bottomless bag, and there are all those stairs in the way.¡±


    ¡°18 strength,¡± I answered.


    ¡°Sorry?¡±


    ¡°I carried it by hand, I mean to say.¡±


    As Lacerta mentioned, some objects are too large to fit into bottomless bags. After some experimentation I found several limitations. The most obvious one is that one cannot stuff an item if it physically cannot fit through the sack''s opening. The second limitation is that although the space inside the bag is large, it is not infinite. Even if you could fit a bed in there you would quickly run out of space. The third and most important limitation is that weight is conserved. Meaning if you put a 100 pound iron weight into the bag, then the bag itself becomes 100 pounds heavier. A person struggling to lift such a small object is a comical sight.


    I introduced Lacerta to the mage''s library. The books proved too complex for me, but I hoped she would be able to comprehend them and then teach me their contents second hand. I wasn''t sure if I wanted to specialize in spellcraft, but having more spells available never hurt. Lacerta scanned through the shelves containing the magical tomes.


    ¡°I saw some of these books before back in the fortress. They described beginner to intermediate magical theories. But there are several here that are new to me. They seem to be about... necromancy? It''s very interesting. That''s not a type of magic I''m familiar with.¡±


    She picked one of the books and flipped it with intrigue.


    ¡°This one looks the most beginner friendly. With this, I might be able to learn the basics in a few days. Do you mind if I take it, brave knight? It would make for an interesting read on my down time.¡±


    It appears learning these spells will take a while even with Lacera''s aid.


    ¡°Of course. While we are on the subject, do you mind teaching me the spell you used before, Mana Missile? I would like to improve upon the basic bolt spells I already know,¡± I said.


    ¡°Of course, brave knight. As is customary, let me begin with an introduction. Mana Missile was developed centuries ago in what was called the golden age of sorcery. Previously based on the staple of the time, mana bolt, its main principles inclu-¡±


    ¡°I don''t care. Just teach me the runes.¡±


    The kobold gave me a disgruntled look.


    ¡°But how can you expect to truly attune yourself to the spell without understanding its principles? Any mage worth her salt must understa-¡±


    ¡°I really don''t care. Just the runes, please.¡±


    The eager kobold gave up and frustratingly opened her spellbook. I wrote down the contents of the spell and then carefully memorized the sequence. The rune sequence for everything besides the most basic spells was simply to complex to remember from just playing the game. Mana Missle takes takes two spell slots, so normally I wouldn''t have enough intelligence to memorize it. My magical ring, however, let me do so.


    Just like in the game, taking the ring off would make me forget memorized spells, with the most recently memorized ones being lost first. The most powerful spells in Spirit of Darkness took up 3 spell slots, so to achieve that I would require an intelligence score of 16. Of course, that assumed this new world didn''t have spells more complex than that.


    ¡°Lacerta, what is the most complex spell you know of?¡±


    ¡°Well, I haven''t learned it myself, but that would likely be Mana Storm. Are you interested in it, my knight? I must apologize, as I cannot teach it.¡±


    That is a third rank SoD spell. It was comforting to know that at least as far as Lacerta''s spell knowledge went, it didn''t differ much from the game. That meant an intelligence of 16 would indeed give me access to the most powerful of spells. Of course, if that was only it, then there would never be a reason to go above 16 or 20 in the game. The catch was that a competent adventurer needed to have multiple spells available at once. Any change required opening one''s spellbook and spending the time to re-memorize the spell you needed, so you couldn''t do it during combat. Intelligence also determined the player''s mana, so a low-leveled mage would not be able to spam spells nearly as much. In short, to be an effective mage I would need to put a lot of aether into intelligence.


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    The lizard took a look at Calvar, who was sitting (standing?) on the floor.


    ¡°Sir skeleton, would you like to learn some spells as well? You must be eager to provide my knight support in combat.¡±


    The skull dismissed the offer.


    ¡°No thanks. Fighting is Eren''s thing, not mine.¡±


    ¡°But sir skeleton, what is there to lose? Magecraft is one of the wonders of the world. Even as a head, you could achieve so much.¡±


    Calvar began getting annoyed.


    ¡°I said no! Even if I wanted to, I can''t. That stuff will kill me.¡±


    Lacerta took the statement with curiosity, which exactly matched my own reaction.


    ¡°Calvar, what do you mean? I''m not aware of any negative consequence to learning spells.¡±


    The skull sighed.


    ¡°Listen, I''m not an expert in magic, but I understand the basics of how it works. Spells require mana to cast, right? It''s that energy which all living things and undead use. Well, I can''t cast spells. I would run out of mana.¡±


    ¡°I don''t understand. Even if you run out, can''t you wait for it to regenerate?¡±


    The skull sighed once again.


    ¡°Eren, look at me. Do I look like a flesh and blood being like you two? Do I eat, breath, and sleep? No. I''m an undead. Mortals think it''s an advantage to not require those things, but it comes at a cost. I can''t get energy from food like you. My mana doesn''t regenerate, so if it runs out, I''ll die. The only way for an undead like me to replenish is to receive mana from my master.¡±


    As I began to understand Calvar''s predicament, I couldn''t help but feel his own anguish.


    ¡°Calvar, is that the reason why you want to find your master? Because without him, you will die?¡±


    The skeleton stared in silence.


    ¡°Yes, Eren, you finally get it. Undead like me can survive for several years without replenishing our mana, but that depends on how much effort we exert and how much stress we''re under. At my current state, I probably have less than a week left. Are you happy now, Eren? Did that information make you feel more comfortable?¡±


    That was likely the first time I could truly understand Calvar. I thought him to be an eccentric scullion with an unusual sense of loyalty, but I realized it was far more simple and ordinary than that. Just like me or anybody else, he didn''t want to pass away before his time. He didn''t want to die.


    ¡°But don''t get too bent over it. You are my arms and legs, remember? I''m counting on you, kid.¡±


    With this information in hand, we made our way back through the dungeon. We passed through the trapped hallway, containing the huge boulder and the corpse of the skeleton mage. Wondering if my strength was sufficient to move the boulder, I gave it a shove. It was very close, but I just wasn''t strong enough to displace it.


    ¡°If you wish to get rid of the boulder, why not blast it with spells, brave knight?¡±


    ¡°No, I need it to stay intact. Don''t worry, I can move it.¡±


    I didn''t want to increase my strength score too quickly, but this gave me a good excuse to do so. Since it was so close, I judged a strength of 20 would probably be enough. After leveling up, I gave it another heave.


    Using all my strength, I managed to move the boulder. I pushed it all the way back through the hallway, so it could serve as a trap once more. That''s something I''ll have to set up later.


    I could now clearly see the body of the skeleton mage. It was no different from before. Its head was cracked from the blunt strike I gave while it was trapped, and half the robe was missing from my embarrassing attempt to scavenge it. Now that it was unobstructed, however, I could fully search through its corpse.


    I wonder if things would have turned out differently if I didn''t do so. What if I chose elsewhere as my base? What if I ignored the boulder? What if I wasn''t so meticulous when searching the corpse? Things might have turned out differently. However, I couldn''t help myself. After searching through the body, I found an unfamiliar object hung around the skeleton''s neck. From there fate was sealed.

 Chapter 16: The Base

    Around the skeleton''s neck hung a cracked crystal attached to a chain. It was an object I had never seen before. In the back of my mind, I began having suspicions as to its identity, but I hoped I was wrong. I quickly placed it in my bag before the other two could notice.


    ¡°Brave knight, that was incredible! How did you manage to push that boulder all by yourself? You tried before, and it didn''t appear you were strong enough.¡±


    ¡°You''re correct. I didn''t have enough strength, so I simply increased it.¡±


    The lizard looked on with intrigue.


    ¡°Increased it? What do you mean, my knight?¡±


    I realized Lacerta was unfamiliar with adventurers.


    ¡°It''s one of my abilities as an adventurer. I used aether to enhance my body''s attributes. In this sense I can increase my level of ability in whichever way I choose.¡±


    ¡°That''s fascinating. I knew aether is the essence of a living being''s soul which makes up their mind personality. However, I wasn''t aware it was possible to manipulate it in such a way. I always thought such actions were beyond the realm of mortals. Sir knight, what exactly is an adventurer?¡±


    Upon further thought, I realized I couldn''t fully answer her question. I only knew what adventurers were in the context of the game.


    ¡°Actually, I''m not sure. All I know is that we collect aether, we have our own patron deity, and we pray to our deity to add to enhance our bodies with aether. The full implications of that are beyond me. Am I correct in assuming that kobolds do not have adventurers?¡±


    She shook her head.


    ¡°No, it''s an entirely alien concept.¡±


    That was an interesting bit information. I always took the existence of adventurers for granted, but if you think about it, their abilities are quite bizarre. To an outside observer, I would appear closer to a soul-devouring monster than a friendly hero. It''s normal for a video game protagonist to defeat foes and grow stronger at a ridiculous pace, but for anyone watching it would likely be very unusual. Growing from a talentless nobody into a being powerful enough to defeat the World-Devouring Demon over several days would be downright terrifying.


    We continued our way through the dungeon and reached the first floor. It was the room which contained Calvar''s previous body, and the corpses of two deceased zombies.


    ¡°So nostalgic. Reminds me of the first time I met Eren,¡± said the skull.


    ¡°Sir Calvar, I''ve been meaning you ask, but how did you and my knight meet? I''ve never heard of a human traveling around with a skeleton.¡±


    The skull put on a smug face.


    ¡°Oh, me and Eren go way back. WAY back. It all started in this room right here. In fact, I can still remember it as if it was yesterday....¡±


    ¡°It was yesterday,¡± I said.


    ¡°See? Even he agrees with me. To tell the truth, I didn''t have the highest expectations of him. At first I thought he was some creep who went around feeling up zombies. But as time went on, I realized he was a decent guy, no matter what lewd thoughts he possessed. We have made a promise, man to man, and have been together ever since. That is the power of our comradery.¡±


    Lacerta looked at him with sparkling eyes.


    ¡°Oh, that sounds wonderful. Male to male bonding sounds like a very passionate experience. This is the first time I''ve been around a male, so I have much to learn.¡±


    I was surprised by her comment.


    ¡°Lacerta, were you never in a relationship before? I thought that as a princess, you would have had a fair share of suitors to pick from.¡±


    She blushed and brought her hands to her face.


    ¡°Well, I did have one similar experience. Once when I was younger, I did have a crush on a fellow kobold. She was the most beautiful maiden I ever laid my eyes upon. I felt could never act on it, as she was but a lowly servant, and I was the crown princess. But one day, we had a chance encounter. I slipped and fell right on top of her. I was mesmerized by her eyes, smooth scales, and firm tail. As we lay there, I couldn''t help but caress her- Mr. Calvar, are you okay? You seem to have your mouth open.¡±


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    The skull snapped out of his trance.


    ¡°Oh no, don''t mind me! I was just very immersed in the story. Please, do continue. I was on the edge of my seat!¡±


    ¡°Lacerta, are relationships between females common in kobold society? You have mentioned the subject several times now very casually. It''s just something I found quite curious,¡± I asked.


    The lizard was taken aback.


    ¡°Well, of course. We are a very romantic race, and it''s customary for us to seek out a partner. Even my mother had her own partner. She wasn''t involved in politics like the Matriarch, but she did help raise me.¡±


    ¡°What about males? What roles do they play?¡±


    The kobold looked very confused. Then she had an epiphany, and seemed to understand my line of reasoning.


    ¡°Brave knight, we must have had a misunderstanding. There is no such thing as a kobold male. We are an all-female race.¡±


    With that comment, everything started to make sense. It reminded of a scientific article I''ve read once about whiptail lizards. There is a species of whiptail lizards located in Mexico which are all female, and reproduce by a method known as parthenogenesis. It''s a form of asexual reproduction where a female could lay viable eggs even without a male. The curious thing about the whiptail lizards is that they maintained normal male-female reproductive behavior despite having no need for it. If extended to a more intelligent animal like a kobold, then this might manifest as romance. For Lacerta, being around an intelligent species with two sexes must be an enlightening experience.


    Moving on, I looked over Calvar''s old body. With my new-found strength I moved the boulder with no problem. The body was in a surprisingly good shape; It looked like it might still be functional.


    ¡°Calvar, what would happen if I stuck your head back onto your body?¡±


    ¡°If I had enough energy, then I might be back up and running again. Then you''d see the full glory of Calvar, the Trusty Skeleton.¡±


    ¡°Would you like to give it a try?¡±


    The skull gave me a sad look.


    ¡°I''d love it, but I''d better not. I waste less energy in my current admittedly feeble form. But once we find my master it should be no problem.¡±


    Lacerta curiously examined one of zombie corpses. Being a formerly human corpse, this must have been a fresh experience to her.


    ¡°My knight, what do you propose this is?¡±


    ¡°That''s Steve.¡±


    The skull suddenly shouted in my direction.


    ¡°Who?¡±


    Okay, he must be doing this on purpose now.


    ¡°Calvar, you know damn well who it is.¡±


    ¡°Calm down, Eren. Nobody cares about some mindless zombie. What kind of loser would get attached to one of those?¡±


    All three of us stared on in silence.


    ¡°Wow, this is giving me deja-vu. Eren, I think this place might be haunted,¡± said the skull.


    I had enough and decided to leave the cave. However, there was now a problem of what to do with Lacerta.


    ¡°Lacerta, do you mind staying here? I need to head back to town to resupply. It doesn''t sound like townfolk are very kind to kobolds.¡±


    She gave me a pouty face.


    ¡°But my knight, how am I supposed to learn about human culture if I stay inside all day? I don''t mind being a housewife, but that is only after we get married. For now, I insist that I go along with you.¡±


    I looked her over, but saw no feasible way to not maker her stand out. No matter what she wore she''d look bizarre.


    ¡°I promise you that next time I''ll go out I''ll take you along. But just for now, would you please stay here and wait? I''ll think of something while at town. Plus, this will give you time to study your book.¡±


    After some convincing, the lizard disgruntledly yielded to my request. I headed back to town to prepare for my next expedition.

 Chapter 17: The Town

    The temperate forest was still as pleasant as it was the day before. I took the opportunity to collect more mushrooms. I haven''t encountered any poison yet, but it was a fairly common status effect in SoD, so I felt I needed the security of more antidotes. I wondered if I could collect the spores and farm the mushrooms on my own. That would be especially useful for acquiring more of the rare white mushroom variety. After considering the amount of time and effort it could require, I dismissed the idea. I knew nothing about fungiculture and learning the process through trial and error did not sound like my cup of tea.


    ¡°Are we heading back to town now?¡± asked the skull.


    ¡°Yes. Why are you asking?¡±


    The skull seemed reluctant to answer.


    ¡°I''ve just been wondering. Eren, what do you think of the townspeople?¡±


    It was a fairly curious question to come from Calvar. The town really doesn''t have too many citizens to worry about. I have only met two, and all evidence points to them being the only ones there. Though, one could argue there used to be three.


    ¡°Toberno seems like a friendly fellow. More than anything else, he seems very lonely, and happy to have me there to keep company. I can''t trust him fully just yet, but have so far encountered no evidence of wrongdoing.¡±


    ¡°What about that woman, Ferra?¡± he asked.


    ¡°The lazy shopkeeper. She didn''t seem to think too highly of me, but it seems to be improving. It''s hard to convince her to get off her chair, but she does seem quite talented and knowledgeable about many subjects. She did, after all, construct that bed for a commission. If she gets compensation then she''ll be glad to do some honest work.¡±


    The skull seems unsatisfied.


    ¡°That''s it? That''s all your noticed? Well, it''s not like it really matters. We should move on.¡±


    I couldn''t help but feel that Calvar was hiding something. He was leading me on to ask further.


    ¡°What''s wrong, Calvar? Are you saying that I missed something important? Do they compose a threat to us and our safety?¡±


    He face stayed calm in response to the question.


    ¡°Oh no, it''s nothing that grandiose. It won''t concern our journey; it''s just a personal matter.¡±


    I wasn''t going to let him off the hook so easily. If someone says something doesn''t matter, then it usually means the opposite.


    ¡°Calvar, if there is anything on your mind, please share it. You are an important companion on my journey. Any thoughts or advice you have, no matter how minor, are important to me. I won''t dismiss any of your comments.¡±


    The skull pointed its eyes downward.


    ¡°I''ve been wondering what kind of relationship those two have.¡±


    ¡°Calvar, are you suggesting they are conspiring against us in secret? I see, that is an interesting proposal. I have consider the possibility of them plotting against us, but I always assumed they would do so on their own. If they joined forces, then the level of manipulation would b-¡±


    ¡°What? No, that''s not what I meant. I just wondered how close they are. Like, if they''re married.¡±


    I couldn''t follow Calvar''s line of reasoning.


    ¡°I''ve seen no evidence that they are. But why would that matter? I don''t quite understand.¡±


    After saying it out loud, I began to understand Calvar''s intentions. I thought it couldn''t be something so petty and adventitious, but I had to confirm.


    ¡°Calvar, could it be that you have a crush on Ferra?¡±


    The skull seemed to blush and look away. I had no idea how he did so, since he was only bone.


    ¡°I-it''s nothing like that. Look at me, Eren, I am a skeleton. Who do you take me for? I was just curious because she reminded me of my wife.¡±


    I was surprised by his comment.


    ¡°Calvar, you had a wife?¡±


    He pouted angrily in response.


    ¡°Hey, I may look like this now, but I was once alive, you know? Sometimes the undead carry over memories from our old life. I don''t remember much, but I know I had a wife, and she was similar to Ferra. I just felt very nostalgic when we talked to her.¡±


    ¡°I get it. At the very least, you want to talk to her yourself, right? I''ll see if I can get something arranged.¡±


    The skull looked away in embarrassment.


    ¡°Thank you, Eren. You understand a man''s pain.¡±


    That said, I was not sure how normal human would react to a talking skull. If she did remind him of his wife, would he make moves on her? Imagining a romantic relationship between a human and a skeleton was far-fetched and absurd. However, some fantasy settings had pretty ridiculous scenarios of this nature. It did make me curious about a certain subject.


    ¡°Calvar? Do half-breeds exist? For example, is there such a thing as an half-Elf?¡±


    ¡°What the heck is an Elf?¡± he asked.


    Of course. I almost forgot that Spirit of Darkness did not have Elves. The game only had humans and a variety of monsters, some of which were more humanoid than others.


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.¡°Sorry, what about ogres? Is there such a thing as an half-ogre?¡±


    The skull was confused.


    ¡°Of course not. Whatever gave you that idea? Cats have kittens, and ogres have ogres. You don''t see half-ogre half-cat hybrids running around. You have a sick mind, Eren, a truly sick mind. You should head to the capital and seek help.¡±


    Hybridization in fantasy tended to be more all-encompassing than it was in normal biology. In reality, even very closely related species such as donkeys and horses had trouble interbreeding. It was comforting to learn this world did not stray much from my old world in this subject.


    Putting that aside, we continued on our way and reached the town. My first stop was at the inn, where I was greeted by the usual glass-eyed innkeeper.


    ¡°Oh Eren, I was looking for you.¡±


    I didn''t expect to hear this again so soon. I hoped it wasn''t another monster princess requesting me to wipe out her clan.


    ¡°Did another mysterious robed figure drop by?


    ¡°What? No, you got a letter in the mail. Mailman said it''s for the adventurer who cleared out the undead cave.¡±


    Toberno handed me an envelope sealed with red wax. The envelope itself was blank, with no information as from who or where it was sent from. I wondered about the reason for the secrecy. I curiously opened the envelope and unfolded the letter inside.


    ¡°To the bold adventurer who defeated the undead,


    That was a very impressive feat. I would like to meet you face to face so we can discuss a compensation. Please meet me at the castle as soon as possible.


    PS: try unlatching it from the back¡±


    I was baffled by the contents. Couldn''t the sender elaborate a little more on what he meant? I showed the letter to Toberno to see what he made of it.


    ¡°Hmm, very brief, isn''t it? Only saying ''the castle'' isn''t descriptive at all. Tristaria has many castles, so that''s pretty much useless. I also have no idea what the PS is referring to. Unlatching what? I''m afraid I can''t help much with this.¡±


    I looked over the back of the letter, but it was blank. Same for the envelope. My first hunch was that the PS referred to the letter itself, but that proved incorrect. It wasn''t going to be that easy.


    I headed outside and read over the letter once more. I needed to think it through logically. The sender did not appear to know my name, as it was addressed simply to the one who cleared the nearby dungeon. However, I only did so yesterday. How could someone learn of this fact so quickly? The only two people who were told of this were Toberno and Ferra. They rarely got visitors, so it''s unlikely the information has spread very far in only one day. And even if it did, then they would certainly know my name.


    No, they must have obtained the information from a different source. The wording of the letter itself was also quite suspect. When first read, the writer seems to be happy and simply congratulating me on a job well done. However, the second sentence of the main body was more ambiguous: ¡°meet you face to face so we can discuss a compensation.¡± I first thought this referred to a reward, but then why not just say ¡°reward¡± or something equally positive? Compensation can also be read in a negative context, such as compensating a shop owner for a broken window.


    If we build up on that, then the earlier contents of the letter could be read in a semi-sarcastic tone. If I rewrote it to be more blatant it would say something like:


    ¡°To the foolish adventurer who defeated the undead,


    That was an impressive feat. I would like to meet so can discuss my compensation. Please come to my castle as soon as possible, or else something bad might happen.


    PS: try unlatching it from the back¡±


    If interpreted like this, it almost could be a threat. It''s not guaranteed, but if this is correct, then the sender would have been someone friendly with the skeleton mage. And we if limit it to that, there is one obvious name which rises to the top of the list of likely candidates. The feared Demon Lord.


    Could it be this was an invitation from the Demon Lord? He might have noticed one of his generals had gone missing, and thus sent the letter to confront whomever killed him. That''s an entirely likely possibility. If so, then he will be even more furious once he figures out the fortress matriarch is dead.


    However, the PS note still left me stumped. Was he referring to his castle? Could I unlock a secret entrance from the back? That''s very unusual wording if so, and could have easily been mentioned in the main body. I had a gut feeling he was referring to something else.


    I began searching through my bag. Was he referring to something in my possession? Do I have something that could be unlatched from the back? I struggled to come up with a suitable object. But then I had an epiphany. If it truly was the Demon Lord who wrote that note, then there''s one thing that comes before anything else. That must be it.

 Chapter 18: The Pendant

    I brought out my silver pendant and examined its back. Now that I looked carefully, I did notice a small piece which might be identified as a latch. I prodded and manipulated it in various ways until it finally moved with a light popping sound. The front faceplate of the pendant fell off onto the floor.


    The true front of the pendant could now be seen, featuring a dull gray crystal embedded in a unique decorative pattern. Unlike the faceplate, this sight was familiar to me. I knew what this was.


    ¡°Are you serious? The Amulet of Anastasis?¡± I blurted out.


    The Amulet of Anastasis was a miscellaneous key item in Spirit of Darkness. It belonged to a mad wizard, Anastasis, after whom it was named. Aanstasis himself was a penultimate dungeon boss, not even counting as a demon general himself. He was remembered by players mostly for his unique boss fight mechanic more than anything.


    Anastasis was described in lore as a withdrawn hermit who was deeply devoted to Congeria, God of Chaos. The fact that he worshiped one of the supposedly benevolent deities was one of the first hints that the story was not as black and white as it seemed. He delved deeply into the study of magic in order to discover a path to immortality. The results of his research culminated in his pendant. In a way, it did grant him the power of resurrection.


    His boss fight was unique as once he was defeated, he did indeed come back to life. However, it wasn''t really ¡°him¡±, but instead a real human player was summoned to take his place for the second half the fight. It was the only boss encounter in the game where you had to face a human-controlled opponent, and was one of the most iconic parts of Spirit of Darkness. Anastasis''s body was resurrected, but as the replacement was controlled by somebody else, could that really count as immortality? It was a method only one drenched in madness would consider a success. Fitting for one known as the mad wizard.


    After defeating the human opponent, the player could pick up the amulet as a key item in order to unlock a door further ahead. The immortality seemed to be single-use, as there were no further resurrections after the second stage of the fight. Afterwards the amulet was nothing but deadweight -- a key item with a description, but no other use.


    I had no idea why I possessed this item. In the first place, this is a unique item that was made by a very specific person in the game. This new world is vaguely similar to SoD, but how could it have something so precise and obscure? If I consider Toberno''s testimony, then the Demon Lord also possess a similar amulet. That shouldn''t be possible, as this is a unique one-of-a-kind object. The only possibility I could consider is that these amulets were made by somebody else, perhaps an imitator trying to replicate the original artifact.


    I decided I needed a second opinion. For all I knew, perhaps this was a common mass-produced item in this world, and it only looked similar to the Amulet of Anastasis by accident. I should consult Lacerta when I have the chance.


    The skull looked at me curiously.


    ¡°Kid, are you okay? You seem to be lost in thought.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it''s nothing. I just found some new clues.¡±


    ¡°I worry about you whenever you blank out. Is that something you do often?¡±


    I never considered the fact before. I kept to myself most of my life, so I found it completely natural to doze off in thought or introspection. I assured the skull it was nothing for him to worry. He put a smile on his face.


    ¡°Well, if everything is fine, then we should make do and head for the shop. We have business ahead.¡±


    I was suspicious of his sudden upswing of mood. Calvar was not normally that happy about such mundane occurrences.


    ¡°What are you so happy about? Did something happen?¡±


    The skull looked disappointed.


    ¡°Ah, don''t tell me you forgot! Come on, Eren. We''re men. We made a promise, man to man. I''m counting on you to get the job done!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I''m not following,¡± I answered.


    The skull leaned and whispered in my ear.


    ¡°You said you''ll be my wing-man, right? I''m counting on you.¡±


    I was still clueless about what he was talking about, but quickly began surmising the context.


    ¡°Are you talking about that thing with Ferra? I thought you just wanted to talk with her.¡±


    ¡°Subtlety, Eren. You really need to learn about subtlety. Sure, talking would be good, but why not aim higher? I don''t have much to lose at this point, so I may as well aim as high as possible!¡±


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    I had trouble imagining this going well.


    ¡°Calvar, are you seriously going to try courting a living human?¡±


    ¡°What''s wrong with that? Ladies dig confidence, you know.¡±


    ¡°You really don''t think she''ll be bothered by the fact you are a skeleton? Or only a talking skull, at that?¡±


    The skull shrugged.


    ¡°Hey, you never know until you try. No need to be a pessimist, Eren. Expand your horizons!¡±


    After much cajoling, I made my way to the general store. Ferra was at her normal spot, lazily resting on her wooden chair. I wondered if she ever even left that spot. I approached her as per my usual round.


    ¡°What is it, you need another bed? It was far too much trouble last time, so I''ll have to decline. You should be lucky I made an exception for you in the first place. What kind of adventurer requests a custom-made bed? You are one weird customer.¡±


    I assured her I had a different subject at hand and pulled out the Amulet of Anastasis. I thought there was a slight possibility she would recognize it now that the faceplate was removed, but alas, it was not so. If there were multiple amulets of this kind in this world, then at the very least they''re not common.


    ¡°Hey, how did that kobold fortress go? You came back awfully fast. Did you give up? It''s not shame to do so, everybody needs to know when to quit,¡± she said.


    ¡°Oh no, I fully cleared it. I got a bunch of loot, at least 100 copper coins.¡±


    One could see a soul of greed shining through her eyes. Money seemed to be the one thing she cared about.


    ¡°You should have said so earlier! It''d be a shame for it to go to waste, so how about you buy something? I have a fine selection of goods and armor.¡±


    I looked over the shelves. The armor was lower quality than my Black Paladin amor, and no weapon exceeded the quality of my new halberd. Everything else I needed I already bought previously.


    ¡°Sorry, there''s nothing here I want.¡±


    The woman rubbed her chin in thought.


    ¡°Then why not celebrate your accomplishment? We could throw a party for everyone in town. It''s been a long time since we had such a successful adventurer around, so it is a notable occasion.¡±


    ¡°I really don''t think-¡±


    ¡°Don''t be so modest, Eren! Just leave it up to me!¡±


    Being completely overwhelmed, I decided to leave the subject alone. And with business taken care of, I was ready to leave. As I tried to do so, however, I could feel rattling coming from by bag. I almost forgot about Calvar.


    ¡°Ferra, just a random question. What do you think of the undead?¡±


    She was taken aback by the question.


    ¡°Undead? I hear they''re terrible beings that want to extinguish all life, but I never came across any myself. Probably a good thing, too.¡±


    ¡°Did you know that some of them are friendly? Some can talk and don''t behave that differently from you or me.¡±


    She apparently found the fact very curious.


    ¡°Really? That''s the first I heard of that. Friendly, talking undead? It sounds utterly bizarre.¡±


    ¡°Would you like to talk to one?¡±


    ¡°...excuse me?¡±


    ¡°Would you like to talk to a friendly undead? I know of one. Don''t worry, the only dangerous part about him is his sharp tongue.¡±


    Ferra wistfully turned her head.


    ¡°Well, maybe, if it''s truly harmless. But where would you get an undead like that?¡±


    I smiled and reached into my bag. I pulled out the skull and placed it on the table.


    ¡°Ferra, I''d like to introduce you to Calvar, the friendly skeleton.¡±


    Ferra and Calvar stared at each for several seconds. If I didn''t know any better, I''d think he was embarrassed.


    ¡°Hey? How is it going?¡± he asked.


    The woman gasped in surprise.


    ¡°A talking skull! My words, I''ve never seen anything like it.¡±


    Ferra kept eyeballing Calvar with mad curiosity. He was clearly uncomfortable with the visual probing. I made use of the opportunity to leave.


    ¡°Hey Eren! Don''t leave me here alone, you said you''d be my wing ma-¡±


    I basked in the fresh outside air. With Calvar now on his own grounds, I could focus on my next task at hand.


    However, I saw a shadow rustling along the bushes on the outskirts of town. This was something I was only be able to notice due to my enhanced dexterity. It appears I was being followed.


    I instinctively took out my weapon and got ready for a fight.

 Chapter 19: The Cave

    As if responding to my motions, the suspicious rustling shadow stopped moving. Instead of approaching me, a figure ran away in the opposite direction. It was not somebody desiring a confrontation, but rather likely a spy or a lookout. I calmly undonned my weapon and examined my situation.


    If I was being spied upon, I could only think of one mastermind -- it must have been the Demon Lord. The letter I received earlier, most likely from the Demon Lord himself, had clearly referred to the Amulet of Anastasis in my possession. The PS note''s reference was too accurate to be a coincidence otherwise. The question was, how could he know I possessed it? For that, he must have had spies or observant tracing me all along. It was so simple and logical, and something I should have realized earlier.


    I wondered why was it that I only noticed the spies just now. Were they getting more aggressive? It''s possible that they were carefully observing my response to the letter, and whether or not I headed to the Lord''s castle. The letter may have been a threat, implying that if I did not comply with the request for an audience with the Lord, there may be consequences. A question one would ask is what could those consequences be?


    I began thinking of ways they could feasibly damage me -- what I would do if I was in their shoes. I am fairly strong, so taking me head on in a fight would be stupid. A villain sending minions after the hero never works. If it was me, I would target other valuables, such as precious objects or people. However, those things are in short supply in my case. I carry my most important valuables on me, and I don''t get attached to other people. I''ve been fine on my own my whole life. They could burn down this entire village and I wouldn''t lose that much.


    But then it struck me. I did have something valuable which was not currently with me, and that was Lacerta. We normally travel together, but today I left her at the cave. This might have been what they were waiting for. I realized that must have been it, and how leaving her behind was a grievous mistake. Her skills were simply far too valuable of a resource. I couldn''t afford to lose her right now.


    Wasting no time, I ran through the forest back to the undead cave. I could sense a shadow tailing me the whole time, but as long as it wasn''t intent on confronting me it didn''t matter. I could always deal with it afterward. After several minutes I reached my destination and headed inside, looking carefully for signs of intrusions.


    The first floor was untouched, the undead corpses still in the same spots where I left them. Next I checked the long hallway and the boulder trap I previously set up. It was untriggered. If somebody did pass through, they must have been quite perceptive. I was worried as I still saw no sign of Lacerta.


    I finally made my way to the study room. If she was still in the cave, this would be the only place left. I looked around and yelled her name, but got no response. She was nowhere to be found.


    ¡°Damn it,¡± I said to myself.


    I swiftly ran back outside and caught sight of the suspicious shadow once again. This was my only remaining lead now, so I couldn''t let it go away. I pulled out my weapon and let out a yell.


    ¡°Come out and face me, you coward! I know you¡¯re following me!¡±


    It heard my proclamation and stopped moving. I could tell where it was hiding and stared directly at it. If it made a sudden break for it, I would follow it with all my speed. It realized that it had been caught.


    Surely enough, it slowly came out. But the figure wasn''t what I was expecting. It came forward and bowed forward, as if apologizing. It was a kobold.


    ¡°My apologies, sir knight. I did not mean to bother you.¡±


    It was Lacerta. I sighed in relief and put away my weapon.


    ¡°Don''t scare me like that. Didn''t I tell you to stay in the cave? What if you had been kidnapped? You had me worried sick for nothing.¡±


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    The lizard kept bowing in apology.


    ¡°I am deeply sorry. I stayed in the cave as you requested, but I got bored and desired to see the outside. My curiosity got the better of me and I have tailed your progress in the town. Then you suddenly started running and yelling, so I was deeply confused.¡±


    She stood up straight and continued speaking.


    ¡°But brave knight, why were you worried about me being kidnapped? That is quite a far-fetched scenario. I have no idea what kind mental gymnastics one would go through to justify such a scheme happening.¡±


    I couldn''t help but feel she was indirectly insulting me. This isn''t the first time this has happened. Back in my real-life job, my coworkers could never I understand my decisions or thinking. I hated every single one of them. I had every right to choose what I found important.


    ¡°You wouldn''t understand. I''m different from normal people, and put a lot of thought into every action I take. All it means in this case is that I made a small mistake, and my worries were unfounded. Let''s just leave it at that.¡±


    The lizard put on a smile. I had no idea why my response warranted that reaction.


    ¡°Even so, this does mean one important thing. You were not deeply worried about my safety, brave knight? It brings me joy to know that just as I dearly love my brave knight, he would also love me back. I could ask for no more.¡±


    I was tired of this charade. I decided to be blunt and tell her the truth.


    ¡°Lacerta, let''s make some things clear. We are companions and nothing more than that. I don''t love you and I never will. I don''t love anyone. There is only one person in the world I care about, and that is myself. All I need is my hobbies and passions, the opinions of everyone else be damned. Keep this in your mind so you don''t have any unwarranted expectations.¡±


    Her face showed a sad expression.


    ¡°Do you truly not love anyone? Not friends or family?¡±


    ¡°No, I have no need for those. I am not like everybody else, I am not a normal person. That is my strength.¡±


    Lacerta looked at the floor with melancholy.


    ¡°That is... a sad existence. Humans and kobolds alike are a social race. We need to be together and get along in order to survive. Being alone forever would not be a life worth living. You say you''re happy, but I can''t believe that. Everybody needs companionship eventually.¡±


    My head began hurting at her reponse. Her statements were logical and almost agreeable, but something inside me couldn''t tolerate it. I could never stand pretentious and overreaching philosophy like that.


    ¡°But worry not, brave knight. You are the one who saved me the grips of my evil mother and her minions. I will never forget that deed, and will repay it in full. You can count on me,¡± she said.


    She brought her clenched hand forward, eyes filled with determination.


    ¡°I swear that just as you saved me, I will save you. I will bring light to your soul and show you the power of love. Just you wait, you may not love me now, but that will change. I will make you fall for me.¡±


    Utterly ridiculous.


    ¡°In the first place, I don''t need saving,¡± I said.


    ¡°That''s for me to decide,¡± she answered.


    ¡°And second, you do realize you''re a kobold, right? Your goal is absurd.¡±


    Her smile was left unperturbed.


    ¡°Love knows no bounds. I will save you, my knight, even if it takes everything I have.¡±


    I was baffled at her dedication to such an inane goal. I couldn''t think of any worthwhile responses.


    ¡°Do whatever you want, I don''t care. Lacerta, it''s time to get to business. I require your magical knowledge.¡±


    The lizard gave an honorary bow and a cutesy smile.


    ¡°Of course, brave knight. I am at your command.¡±

 Chapter 20: A Regret

    I calmly sat on the bed placed in the former mage''s quarters. I could see why Lacerta enjoyed jumping on it, as it was quite soft and springy. She herself was sitting on the chair by the nearby desk. Papers and scribbles were still scattered about it. It made me think I should tidy this place up once I got the chance.


    ¡°What do you need my assistance with, my knight? Do you wish to learn more spells?¡±


    It''s always good to have more spells, but the Mana Missile I learned earlier is more than sufficient for now. I took out the Amulet of Anastasis and threw it over to her. She didn''t recognize it before, but now that its true face was exposed I hoped she would have some insight.


    ¡°What do you make of this? This is the same silver pendant I showed you earlier.¡±


    She looked it over with inquisitive eyes. Her claws carefully traced over the surface of the piece of jewelry.


    ¡°Intriguing. In the center of it, is that a spirit crystal? Considering their rarity, this would make this pendant very valuable. That''s not even counting its magical effects. As expected from my knight, this is a wonderful find.¡±


    Spirit crystals also existed in Spirit of Darkness. They were items used for cooperative play, allowing the user to summon other players to assist in clearing our dungeons, or allowing one to invade the world of another and slay him. There were many kinds, most being consumables, but some having unlimited use. When I looked at it, the crystal in the pendant looked very similar to the simple consumable type used to summon friendly spirits.


    ¡°I knew of spirit crystals, but I didn''t think this kind of item would contain one. Is this something that''s commonly done?¡±


    The lizard shook her head.


    ¡°No, they''re far too rare. It''s a real shame, though, as this crystal is all used up. The bright blue color has faded to a dull gray. Perhaps it possessed power in the past, but now it''s little more than a decoration. I wonder what this item was designed to do.¡±


    That was new information to me. Used up crystals simply disappeared in SoD, so one never saw them in the gray state Lacerta described. That was also the reason I did not recognize the Amulet of Anastasis as containing a spirit crystal in the game, as it looked different from what I was familiar with.


    It made me wonder whether that was the reason for the amulet only working once. Since the crystal was consumed, the wearer could only revive one time before facing true death. By the same token, it made me wonder if replacing the crystal would mean it''d be repeatedly used. I haven''t seen any fresh spirit crystals in this new world, so I couldn''t confirm this hypothesis.


    I put away the amulet and took out a different item -- the cracked gem I found hung around the skeleton mage''s neck. I had suspicions as to its identity, but I wanted a confirmation. If I was right then I would have to face the consequences.


    ¡°What about this?¡± I said as I threw it over.


    She dexterously caught it with one hand. Even as a mage immersed in her craft, she was still very agile.


    ¡°A black cracked gem. It looks familiar. I swear I saw it in a book once...¡±


    She rubbed her chin in thought.


    ¡°Oh, it''s a lich''s phylactery. I saw a picture in one of the books in this very library. Where did you manage to find this, my knight? Have you been thinking of becoming a lich?¡±


    I sighed as my suspicions were confirmed.


    ¡°No, I found it on the corpse of the skeleton in the hallway.¡±


    ¡°I see. So that was no mere skeleton mage, but a mighty undead lich! Your accomplishments amaze me, my knight; this must be wonderful news.¡±


    ¡°No. It''s actually terrible.¡±


    ¡°I don''t understand. Why would that be? Since the phylactery is cracked, it means the lich has truly been slain. He will never bother us again.¡±


    Liches were a type of undead, but they were very different from the typical skeletons or zombies. Skeletons were remains of remains of the dead raised by the magic of necromancy. Liches, however, were powerful necromancers who utilized a ritual to overcome their bodily limitations and join the undead themselves. The phylactery was said in lore to contain their souls, allowing them to maintain their full power even if their body was an assemblage of bones. They were powerful enemies in SoD, but that was not my worry.


    ¡°Exactly, Lacerta. That lich is gone for good. But that only benefits us if we assume he was our enemy in the first place.¡±


    Lacerta was befuddled by my reasoning.


    ¡°Are you saying that lich was friendly? But why would....¡±


    She pondered in silence until the realization came to her.


    ¡°It can''t be. If that''s the case, then it''s just tragic.¡±


    When I first explored this cave, I was steadfast in defeating all in my path. This is because I was sure there were no persons of interest. The only individual I had to watch out for at the time was Calvar''s master, which he described as a human necromancer. Since none of the cave''s inhabitants were human, I had no second thoughts on slaying all the skeletons before me.


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    However, it has been several years since Calvar last saw his master. He was human before, but that doesn''t guarantee he was still so later. If you calmly think about it, then the lich''s identity was obvious. It was none other than Calvar''s master himself. Calvar stated the his best lead was in the depths of this cave, and he was right. My own ignorance has incessantly destroyed the sole goal of his undead life.


    ¡°Will you tell him, my knight?¡±


    That was an important question. However, I already thought of the answer earlier.


    ¡°No. There is nothing to gain from doing so. If he knows, he will likely fall into despair. In his current state he could at least live out the rest of his days in relative happiness. It''s the least we could do.¡±


    With his master dead, so is his hope of replenishing his mana. It means that for Calvar the trusty skeleton, the days in this world are numbered. According to his own words, he will die within the week.


    Lacerta looked sullen.


    ¡°I see. You know him better than I do, so I trust your judgment, my knight.¡±


    It was truly disheartening, but there was nothing I could do about it now. I decided to brighten up the mood and head outside. The bright sunshine was as invigorating as ever. Lacerta was by my side, reading the letter I earlier received.


    ¡°I see. So you think this is from the Demon Lord? Then it''s a clear invitation to head to his castle. Will you take up the offer, my knight?¡±


    I shook my head.


    ¡°I am not a fool. From what I know, the Demon Lord is the great villainous entity of this world. Just because the final boss invited me into his lair, it doesn''t mean I have to comply. I will head there once I am ready. For now, I have several other locations I wish to inspect.¡±


    I took out the map I found in the lich''s lair. There were still several settlements marked with an ¡°x¡± that were left unexplored. One of those was a castle.


    ¡°Lacerta, what do you think about this place?¡±


    She glanced over at the map. She didn''t know much about human civilization, but she was familiar with most nearby locations.


    ¡°I know there''s a dreary castle in that spot. There are multiple castles in this map, but that''s the only that''s specially marked. My knight, could that be the Demon Lord''s castle? If so, then it''s valuable information.¡±


    I thought so as well. The lich must have been a pretty high ranking official or general, as this map is a valuable resource to his allocation of forces. Since that is highly likely to be the Demon Lord''s castle, that is one region I must avoid for now.


    I pointed at another marked location.


    ¡°What about this one?¡±


    ¡°That''s an old mansion. Rumors say that it''s haunted, so kobolds avoid passing near it. Ghost can be frightening enemies, after all.¡±


    I earnestly closed the map and stashed it away. Ghosts never bothered me.


    ¡°Alright, sounds good. That will be my next goal. I will clear out the haunted mansion!¡±


    Lacerta was impressed by my passion.


    ¡°Wonderful, my knight! I am glad to see your determination, but do you mind sharing your plan with me as well? I should know better, but it looks to me like you are picking locations at random.¡±


    Her comment made me realize I didn''t actually have a long-term plan. I was just going along with the mood, doing what I would do if this was still a game. In light of this, I made up a brief plan of action on the spot.


    ¡°First I will target the locations occupied by the Demon Lord''s demon generals. Then I will explore some of the unmarked ones, gathering aether and acquiring more information about this world. Once I feel I am strong enough, I will challenge the Demon Lord. Of course, I eventually plan to explore everything Tristaria has to offer. This is a whole new land for me, so I have much to learn. Tristaria is a truly unique and unknown place which I plan to experience in the fullest.¡±


    The lizard''s eyes sparkled in admiration. I didn''t think it was that impressive, but I could rarely tell what was going through this kobold''s head.


    ¡°Truly admirable, my knight. Forgive my ignorance, but your plan left me puzzled with one detail. Do you mind explaining it to me?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Go ahead.¡±


    She inquisitively rubbed her chin before speaking. I thought the plan was fairly self-explanatory, and was curious to hear what further elaboration it required. It''s true that it was vague, but it seemed like an optimal configuration to explore Tristaria.


    ¡°What exactly is this ''Tristaria'' you were speaking of?¡±


    Utterly baffled by the question, only one word left my mouth.


    "...what?"

 Chapter 21: The Mansion

    I asked Lacerta to repeat herself. Her statement did not make sense to me.


    ¡°You don''t know Trisatria? It''s the name of this land. Several people have told me so. Is that wrong? Was I being lied to?¡±


    The lizard looked on curiously. Due to her officious reaction, I began to doubt the most basic assumption I made about this world.


    ¡°It''s the first time I have heard of the term. I''m not sure how the townspeople call it, but kobolds and other races don''t call it that. That also extends to be the books I''ve read, which were authored by humans, and never once that term. If Tristaria is a real moniker, then it must be a very recent one. Forgive me for my ignorance, my knight.¡±


    She bowed forward as an apology. I gestured to show that it was unnecessary and she could stand back up. I was astounded that even at this stage, I was still learning the most basic information of this world.


    ¡°I was not aware of that. What is this name you are referring to, Lacerta? I would very much like to know,¡± I asked.


    The lizard paced forward confidently.


    ¡°It''s the same term we have used for centuries. Ever since time immemorial, we have called this world by the same name. Translated into human tongue, we call it The Veil.¡±


    As the sound reached my ears, I couldn''t help but smile. My legs gave out and I fell to the ground on my behind. I rubbed my forehead, not sure whether I should be happy or sad.


    ¡°My knight, are you okay? Is something the matter.¡±


    I couldn''t help but mutter in my seat.


    ¡°Oh, it''s nothing. It doesn''t really matter.¡±


    She took a knee and grabbed my hand. If I were to use her own terms, she appeared like a knight caring for her fallen princess. The irony mildly offended me.


    ¡°My knight, I am not blind. I can tell you are bothered. Please, share your troubles with me. I will always be at your side.¡±


    I decided that hiding everything would be a bigger pain than simply telling the truth, so I didn''t bother with any bluffs. Back in my old world, in my desk job, I had to constantly lie or cover the truth in some way. Common courtesy required maintaining a facade of normalcy and indifference. It was tiring. I didn''t want to do that anymore.


    ¡°Do you remember how I told you I ail from a different land?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my knight.¡±


    ¡°When I first came here, I thought this was a brand new world for me to explore. However, there was something curious. Everything was very familiar. Suspiciously familiar, even. I already knew most of the features of this land, with only small details being different. And so I made a basic assumption. I assumed that this world was familiar to one I knew, but also fundamentally different and unique. Perhaps it was in the same general area, but in a different location. I was now in a new country called Tristaria, and a spatial difference explained the aberrations I saw. But your comment changes that.¡±


    ¡°Are you suggesting that your assumption was incorrect?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°Yes. That term you used, The Veil, it''s the same. That''s how my land was called.¡±


    She heeded me on to continue.


    ¡°But my knight, how is that possible? Did you not state that things were different from what you remembered? How could you hail from this very same land and not realize it?¡±


    I looked on with ambivalence.


    ¡°It''s not that hard. If you think about it, the answer is obvious. I assumed the difference was caused by space, but I now know that was false. Therefore is only one other option remaining.¡±


    The lizard went into deep thought. I could tell she was struggling to come up with the answer before I announced it myself. It didn''t taker her long to come to the same realization.


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    ¡°It couldn''t be. Are you saying...¡±


    ¡°Yeah. If it''s not space, then it''s time. The Veil I am familiar with is the one from far in the past, at least a century ago.¡±


    I remembered Calvar''s words. A while ago, he mentioned the Holy King of Tristaria, which has been reigning for 100 years. One could assume that was when the term Tristaria first appeared, and the first major event after Spirit of Darkness ended. Tristaria is therefore the same world as Spirit of Darkness, only 100 years in the future. Nobody knows the important characters of the story, since they have been dead for over a century.


    I stood up with Lacerta''s help. I felt much clearer than before. The kobold, however, put her hands to her face in embarrassment.


    ¡°To think my knight is over a hundred years old. I always assumed I was older than you, but now it''s all reversed. Oh, how awkward!¡± she said.


    ¡°Hey, I may be getting on with the years, but I''m not that old! Humans rarely live over a hundred, and even then they look wrinkly. I''m older than I look, but I''m not a hundred.¡±


    The lizard calmed herself.


    ¡°Forgive me, my knight, but may I know your age? The conversation has stirred my curiosity, and this is something I should know of my future husband.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn''t be a problem. I''m 27 years old.¡±


    The lizard dropped to her knees and covered her face once more. She blushed fiercely behind her hidden guise.


    ¡°My heavens, you are still older! I assumed you were no more than 15 by your appearance. What an embarrassing mistake...¡±


    In truth, that was not a mistake. My current body does look like that of a teenager''s. Her judgment surprisingly accurate considering she was not human herself. I carefully helped her back to her feet.


    ¡°No worries. But you said you were younger. Do kobolds age the same as humans?¡±


    ¡°Yes, our lifespans are about the same. I myself am 20 years old, just the age when I should be getting married. This is also when we reach the height of fertility. Right now I should be thinking about settling down and laying my own clutch. In my dream scenario I want at least six eggs, one for myself, one f-¡±


    ¡°Aah. That''s enough. I don''t need to know all the intricacies of kobold reproduction, thank you very much.¡±


    She looked disappointed.


    ¡°But we are to be husband and wife! It''s only right that you would be involved in every bit of raising our children. Every detail of ovulation cycles and-¡±


    ¡°Aah. We''ll worry about it later, okay? We have business to attend to.¡±


    The excuse seemed to work and I could now carefully pack up my things. I was finally ready to head out.


    ¡°Where shall we go, my knight? Shall we head to town to pick up Calvar? I''m sure you have many questions to be answered.¡±


    I shook my head.


    ¡°No, the original plan still stands. We''re heading right to the next dungeon. There are some things I need to confirm.¡±


    We made our way to the haunted mansion marked on my map. Just like all the other locations, it was a comfortable distance away, a journey of no more than several minutes. This was a great advantage of video-game world design -- everything important is within walking distance.


    Soon the mansion stood before me. You could see why it had rumors of being haunted, as there was a large ominous graveyard surrounding it. One would have to wade through all the graves before reaching the front door. Though dreary, the sight brought a smile to my face.


    ¡°Is something the matter, my knight? Are you familiar with this place.¡±


    I enthusiastically nodded.


    ¡°Yes. This was once known as Decipio''s House of Traps.¡±

 Chapter 22: The Mansion

    Laid before my eyes was a grand mansion surrounded by a graveyard. Any Spirit of Darkness player would recognize this as Decipio''s House of Traps, one of its most infamous dungeons. As its name implied, it was a dwelling filled to the brim with deadly traps and contraptions that would punish any hasty players. It was an incredible chore to get through for a first-time player, but once you memorized its layout it was actually quite quick to clear. Due to its focus on traps, there were very few enemies to face, and one could run past the few that were there.


    One interesting note is that Depicio, the dungeon''s namesake, did not exist in the game. He was not a boss like Anastasis, and was nowhere to be found no matter how hard one looked. There were many fan theories to his identity, such as whether it was another name for an existing NPC, or simply a red herring left to troll inquisitive players. One theory was that he was one of the friendly deities, much like of Congeria or Animo. There has never been a consensus one way or another, so this was one of the unsolved mysteries of the game.


    I walked closer to the first set of tombstones. As I did, a chill ran through my spine. It wasn''t due to anything unnerving, but simply because it was so cold. Lacerta crossed her arms and began shivering.


    ¡°It''s freezing here. They say that any place haunted by ghosts is unusually cold,¡± she said.


    She again mentioned ghosts, but those were not the enemies this area previously contained. The graveyard I was familiar with in fact contained something much closer to home: kobolds.


    ¡°Are you sure there aren''t any kobolds here? For example, hiding in between the tombstones, waiting for an ambush?¡±


    The chilly lizard shook her head.


    ¡°No. No kobold has set foot here in decades. Perhaps there were some in the past, but that time is long gone.¡±


    Her remark made me feel old. Just like everywhere else, this area had changed since my last visit. Spirit of Darkness was several years old, but due to its nature as a game, nothing ever changed. Each dungeon was the same no matter how many times you finished the story. Every NPC, every shortcut, every trick in the book, once you learned them they were there to stay. Slowly gaining mastery over every system was one of the reasons I enjoyed it. Once I mastered a boss fight, I would retain that mastery forever.


    But this is different. It''s not a video game, but a real breathing world. I could memorize a stage or a certain quest, and by the next day it could be completely different. My knowledge and skill was not transferable, and could one day be rendered useless. The thought of that was scary. That''s not something typical of a video game. That sounds more like real life. I don''t want more of real life. I played Spirit of Darkness in the first place to escape that. Even though SoD world was completely vile and wretched, it was still more comfortable to traverse than office life.


    That is likely the reason I was at-peace when I first reached this world. I have thought about it before: why did I adapt so well when thrown into such a bizarre scenario? I''m by no means a normal person, but even I was surprised at how smoothly the transition went. It must have been because I treated this world as a surrogate for SoD. It was a world just like it, but completely new for me to discover all over again. But now that I know this world was one and the same, the rules changed on me. The Spirit of Darkness I held so dear was changing. It would be defiled into something unrecognizable. The thought of that was scary.


    The lizard approached closer and tugged my bag.


    ¡°My knight, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it''s fine. It''s just all in my head,¡± I responded.


    She sheepishly paced forward in worry.


    ¡°I see. I understand how you feel, my knight, you are not alone.¡±


    I doubted her words. Nobody has ever been able to truly understand me. I was, however, curious to see what her misconception was.


    ¡°And what is it that I feel, Lacerta?¡± I asked.


    She brought her arms to her chest and responded in a solemn voice.


    ¡°You are scared, aren''t you?¡±


    My heart skipped a beat. How could she tell that? That should be impossible. I''ve always been alone and didn''t rely on others. That was because I was different and couldn''t relate to society at all. My entire life philosophy was based upon that assumption. If she could actually understand me, if she could actually tell what I was going through, then I... I''m not sure what I would do anymore.


    ¡°I''m the same, my knight. Even as we are speaking I am scared out of my wits. Just like me, you are also... scared of ghosts!¡±


    With that comment, my hopes and dreams broke down and lay shattered on the floor. Of course that''s what she thought, why would I expect something else? One of the life lessons I''ve learned is that you should never expect anything nice to happen. If you want to succeed, you have to do it entirely yourself with no help from outside. That holds true even now.


    ¡°Lacerta, enough wasting time. Let''s head towards the mansion.¡±


    I carefully navigated the maze of tombstones. Normally there would be many kobolds hiding in their shadows, waiting for your back to turn before ambushing you. Their small size was an excellent match for this environment. However, just like Lacerta said, there were no kobolds to be seen. Along the way I noticed an oddly shaped tombstone. I pointed it out to Lacerta.


    ¡°There used to be an item there. Looks like it''s gone now, though.¡±


    The spot once contained a large sword, one of the ingredients necessary to craft the Blade of Fate. It was still a decent weapon on its own, however, so it was an important location to memorize. Lacerta joined me in pointing at the position.


    ¡°It''s not an item, but there''s definitely something still there.¡±


    As she said, a white transparent figure arose from the tombstone. It was like a human without a lower body, and sharp blades where the hands would normally be. I could recognize it as an enemy from Spirit of Darkness: a ghost.


    The ghost moaned with a load ghastly wail. I wasted no time and drew out my weapon.


    ¡°Lacerta, get ready for a fi-¡±


    I noticed the lizard cowering behind a tombstone, covering her head with her hands. It appears she was not exaggerating earlier, as she was deathly afraid of ghosts. I would need to fight this dungeon alone.


    ¡°No matter. I wanted to experiment a bit, anyway.¡±


    The ghost slowly lumbered towards me. Just like the game counterpart, it was not a very fast creature. It gave me ample time to ready my halberd and strike it with full force.


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    With a loud swoosh, the blade went straight through it and hit the ground. As I suspected, ghosts were normally immune to physical weapons. There were several ways to get around this, but the most common one for beginners was to use magic instead.


    Making use of this opportunity, the ghost attempted a swipe with its bladed hands. I countered and parried the attack with my dagger.


    ¡°As expected.¡±


    Ghosts were normally incorporeal, but that property had to be lifted in order to attack. Therefore, if one did not have magic, one could still damage them by attacking at the same moment the ghost did. It was something quite tricky to pull off, but I got quite good at it over time. As the enemy recovered, I shot it with a Mana Missile.


    The ghost wailed in pain as it staggered from the strike. Due to their physical resistance, they were not very good at taking damage and took a long time to recover. It gave me plenty of time to ready another spell, vanquishing the ghastly creature.


    The white figure evaporated into air, a wisp of aether escaping its body. Even incorporeal beings such as these contained aether of the soul. As it dissipate, the air became notably warmer.


    ¡°I-is it gone? Great thanks, brave knight.¡±


    The lizard dusted herself off and reluctantly stood on her feet.


    ¡°Lacerta, why are you so scared of ghosts? You are a mage, so you should have no trouble fighting them. The fight just now was completely trivial.¡±


    She frowned and turned away. She couldn''t look me straight in the eyes.


    ¡°My apologies, my knight. I shall try my best to overcome my fear.¡±


    I could tell there was something she was not telling me. But then again, how could one rationally explain a fear of ghosts? That''s something people in my old world also had, and it made much less sense there. I couldn''t hold it against her.


    The air suddenly got colder. I could see many movements occurring across the graveyard. In response, I hastily grabbed her hand and pulled her along the path.


    ¡°Well, you''d better get used to it quickly. We''re got quite the company.¡±


    A swarm of at least a dozen ghosts emerged from the ground. We ran along the main path, taking all the shortcuts that I knew in order to reach the mansion more quickly. I shot Mana Missiles the entire way there, doing my best to thin out the crowd. By the time we reached the door, there was just one ghost remaining, which I promptly vanquished with the spell. It came at a cost, however, as my mana was completely depleted.


    Ignoring the door, I searched the wall to the right of it. The lizard was bewildered by my action.


    ¡°My knight, what are you looking for?¡±


    ¡°There should be a secret switch to unlock the door here. I''m having some trouble finding it, though.¡±


    The kobold walked forward and turned the door handle. To my surprise, the door spread wide open.


    ¡°I believe it is unlocked, my knight. Shall we head through?¡±


    ¡°Ah. I guess they changed that since I was last here.¡±


    I took a breath and made the first step into Depicio''s House of Traps. This was an area one had to tread carefully. Every step had to be accounted for, as you never knew which deadly trap you would trigger next. Of course, somebody as knowledgeable as me was the best resource to have for an incursion of this ominous location. But even with my sage knowledge, one would still need to take great care not to-


    ¡°Lacerta, you can''t just walk carelessly like that!¡±


    The lizard turned her head and gave me a confused look.


    ¡°Why not, my knight?¡±


    ¡°This is Depicio''s House of Traps. Just rushing ahead like that is suicide.¡±


    The kobold pondered for a second before responding.


    ¡°Traps? But this mansion has been abandoned for decades. If there were traps here, then they would have long gone defunct due to a lack of maintenance. I can see some vestiges of traps, but they have long rusted in place. Methinks you worry too much, my knight.¡±


    She pointed at a guillotine head on the ceiling. As she stated, it clearly rusted in place and will never move again. The blade looked like it could crumble away at any moment.


    ¡°Eh. Well, we should tread carefully and look for anything of value, like treasure. We can''t just rush ahead.¡±


    The lizard looked confused.


    ¡°Treasure? My knight, for what reason would ghosts possess treasure? All the shelves look bare. It''s clear this mansion was cleared of any valuables long ago. Is there a reason we should not just head directly to the top floor, to the most high-ranking chambers?¡±


    ¡°Well...¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I guess there isn''t, if you put it that way.¡±


    She grabbed my arm with a smile.


    ¡°Very well. Let us head to the top floor!¡±


    We were doing this all wrong, but I couldn''t think of any objections to her argument. We swiftly and easily reached the top floor, where the boss of the dungeon was contained.


    The third floor was markedly different from the others. It was fully furnished, the shelves and tables seemingly untouched after all the years. Many weapons adorned the walls, and it even held a suit of armor you would see in classical mansions.


    I carefully examined the weapons on the walls. Unfortunately, they were low quality and not worthy of taking with me. Lacerta took an interest in the suit of armor.


    ¡°My knight, I have a question.¡±


    ¡°What is it, Lacerta?¡±


    ¡°Have you visited this mansion before?¡±


    ¡°Not recently, no.¡±


    She rubbed her chin with curiosity.


    ¡°So why is it then that this suit of armor looks identical to yours?¡±


    I was surprised to realize her observation was correct. The armor against the wall, its black color, meticulous quality, and unique contours, all looked identical to mine. In all my travels this is the first time I''ve come across another set like this. This was notably more valuable than anything else in the room.


    As if responding to the prodding, the suit of armor began to twitch. It then let out a frightening ghastly wail which paralyzed Lacerta to the corner of the room. The suit itself was alive; it grabbed a mace from the wall and stared directly at me. As we stood there eying each other, it muttered at me with its grisly voice.


    ¡°Arma...¡±


    A name I thought I wouldn''t hear again.

 Chapter 23: Mansion Boss

    The suit of armor lumbered towards me. Each step it took shook the floor, reflecting the weight and heft of its metal body. Nobody could mistake its identity, for it was a Hunter Armor ¨C one of the most dangerous enemies in Spirit of Darkness. They were on a level closer to mini-bosses than that of regular enemies.


    ¡°Why... are you wearing Arma?¡±


    It marched towards me, unperturbed, and swung its mace. I jumped out of the way as the mace crashed into the floor and blew away the planks. It felt like a miniature explosion. You''d expect to see that from a spell, but this was a simple physical strike. That level of strength was definitely abnormal.


    I swung at the creature, who blocked the hit with his empty hand with no apparent damage. Just like in the game, Haunted Armors possessed a great resistance to physical damage. One could hypothetically strip away their armor after hitting them enough, but that took so long as to be considered impractical. Enchanting one''s weapon with fire could help, but not by much. The go-to option was a magically-enchanted weapon, with magic spells coming close second.


    However, I couldn¡¯t use any of these strategies. I was currently completely out of mana. I could hypothetically enchant a weapon with a vial of Blue Slime, but I did not possess any of those. No matter which way you looked at it, this was a terrible match-up.


    ¡°Lacerta! Snap out of it!¡± I yelled.


    She was lying in the corner of the room, still shaking with fear. It was a long-shot, but I thought that might have had a chance of jolting her out of it. If I had magic support on the side, then this encounter would be doable. The extent of her fear, however, appeared to be beyond my comprehension. Not only will she not provide assistance, she is effectively a hostage which prevented my escape. I would have to fight this opponent alone while protecting her at the same time. With these conditions, I concluded that victory was impossible.


    I jumped back and put up a defensive stance.


    ¡°I yield, ghost. There is no reason for us to fight. Let us put down our weapons and leave in peace.¡±


    The suit of armor stopped in its tracks. Instead of coming forward, it brought a hand to its forehead and began laughing.


    ¡°No reason to fight? Pompous words coming from you, human! I decline. You will die here.¡±


    It began marching once more with its lumbering steps. It swung at me with its mace, and I blocked the attack with my own weapon. The force the hit was incredible, as even with my enhanced strength I could feel my knees starting to buckle. The ghost continued laughing.


    ¡°You slaughtered my companions without a second thought. We have meant no harm for anyone, and yet you still came here. You break into our home, violate our sanctity, and kill us in cold blood. You are nothing but a villainous brute, and for that you must face the retribution of justice.¡±


    I jumped back out of the way and let the mace hit the floor once more. I did not have much room left to retreat, as I was quickly hedged in to the corner. The only thing I could do is attempt to negotiate with him.


    ¡°I only attacked those hostile to me. If the ghosts did not attempt to harm me first, then I would have left them alone. I only acted in self-defense, and self-defense is a completely justified reason to fight,¡± I said.


    The haunted armor stared directly at me.


    ¡°Is that what Arma said before you murdered her?¡±


    ¡°I...¡±


    The ghost slugged forward. I put a defensive stance once again.


    ¡°I didn''t kill Arma! I''ve only known her for a short time, but I cared for her. I would never murder her,¡± I said.


    ¡°YOU LIE.¡±


    The suit armor stared intently, its gaze piercing through my body.


    ¡°I can tell from your eyes. Those soulless untrusting eyes which only the lowliest of humans would possess. You never cared for anyone your entire life. The only person you ever think of is yourself. You killed my companions, and you killed Arma. Even your vile mind comprehends that truth.¡±


    ¡°I just...¡±


    The creature swung once more, and I did my best to parry the attack. The strike was even more monstrous than the last, and I put every ounce of strength into holding it back.


    I could not think of how to respond. I couldn''t deny his allegations, as I never did trust or care for anyone besides myself. If it did help someone, then it was because that person was of use to me. It''s the reason why I kept Lacerta around ¨C she was a valuable resource. It''s also true, no matter the circumstances, that I was the one who killed Arma. My words led to her demise. I didn''t strike her down with my weapon, but in my heart there was no distinction.


    Why did I even tell her those words? Normally I wouldn''t bother, and would only talk to her if I desired something in return. But that wasn''t the case. I didn''t expect to gain anything, and instead only helped out of good will. I would normally do meaningless gestures of hospitality like thanking people and holding doors open, but anybody would do that. Talking from my heart and convincing her to move on with her life, however, was completely unnecessary.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Of course, I knew the reason. I could sympathize with her situation because it was similar to my own. Despite rejecting others, I couldn''t help but relate to those who were similar to me. I wanted to help her because I could see myself in her shoes. I would have loved for somebody to be there for me and give me advice or a motivational speech, but it never happened. Due to this unusual circumstance, I ended up helping another person in a way I normally could not.


    The ghost pushed on with even more force than before. I couldn''t afford to let him go any further, and so I pushed back to match it. I couldn''t take much more, but I didn''t care.


    ¡°So what!?¡± I yelled.


    New-found energy was flowing through me. I took a step forward and actually pushed back the heavy mace. The ghost recoiled in surprise, as he couldn''t understand how I was capable of such feat.


    ¡°So what if I only think of myself? There is nothing wrong with that. Every living thing ultimately only cares about their own survival. I am selfish, but I am not a villain. I have always treated others as I would expect to be treated myself. Yes, it''s true, I am the one who killed Arma,¡± I said.


    ¡°You-¡±


    I interrupted the ghost before it could speak back.


    ¡°But that is what she wanted. In her last moments, she was happy. She overcome her fear and followed her passion, no matter what the consequences were. Despite leading to her demise, that is not something I regret. This armor on my body is proof of legacy of her will.¡±


    I thumped my chest with my free hand.


    ¡°That is justice. You may hold a grudge against me, but that is due to your own petty regret. I will accept that, but I will not accept being judged. I am different from normal people, and hold myself to a higher standard that only I can fulfill. That is proof that I am strong. There will be retribution here, as I am the one on the side of justice, not you,¡± I said.


    The haunted armor stared down at the floor before looking back at me.


    ¡°Ha. Might words coming from a mere puny human. You think this is a battle of justice? That your brand of justice is superior to mine? Then so be it. There is only one way to sort this out,¡± it said.


    The ghost pointed its mace at my head.


    ¡°Prove your will with your strength. Can you defeat me, human? Are you confident enough in your words to back them up? I went easy on you before, but I will not make the same mistake."


    I pointed my halberd forward, mirroring his own pose.


    ¡°Bring it on, ghost.¡±


    As we stared at each, ready to pounce forward, a different voice sprung forth.


    ¡°That''s enough. You can stand down, Bonitas.¡±


    A different ghost phased through a set a doors on the third floor. It was similar to the ones in the graveyard, but larger and dull-gray colored instead of white. It also possessed functional hands and a hood covering its head. In Spirit of Darkness it would be classified as a Wraith.


    ¡°But leader...¡±


    ¡°Bonitas, did you actually think you could win this fight? This man defeated a lich single-handily, and was the one who slayed Arma. If he was serious, he could have defeat you long ago. We are lucky he does not intend us harm.¡±


    I could have won earlier?This was news to me, as I was on the edge of my ropes the entire time. I was acting all tough, but it was a desperate last stand more than anything. I should consider myself lucky that the wraith thought so highly of me, as otherwise I would most likely be doomed.


    ¡°Come forth, adventurer. You came here for a reason, did you not?¡± said the wraith.


    Instead of showing my sudden sense of relief, I played along.


    ¡°Yes. What I came here for is information. Am I correct in assuming you are the leader of this establishment?¡±


    The wraith signaled me to follow him.


    ¡°Come with me. Bonitos, you stand down for now. Make sure no harm comes to his companion while we talk.¡±


    The armor begrudgingly accepted the command. Wraiths were stronger than ghosts, but much weaker than Haunted Armors. However, this did not seem to have any bearings on their command structure. This armor, Bonitos, was obviously loyal and followed orders even if they conflicted with his personal desires.


    The wraith led me to a study room on the third floor. All the final rooms in the dungeons I''ve explored turned out to be study room. The ghost floated near the desk and instructed me to sit down.


    ¡°What do you wish to know, adventurer?¡±


    Many possibilities flashed through my mind. This is the first time I''ve been able to converse with a dungeon leader, meaning he could be a source of invaluable information.


    ¡°Many things. I wish to know more about this mansion, this world as a whole, and specific people too. I wish to know about the one known as Arma, I want to know more about the Demon Lord.¡±


    Reacting to the last name I recited, the ghost sighed.


    ¡°Very well. I will do my best to answer your curiosities.¡±

 Chapter 24: The Mansion

    The wraith locked his fingers deep in thought. Though no longer a human, his face still reflected years of wisdom and experience. In Spirit of Darkness, wraiths were the only type of ghost which could cast spells, reflecting this elder nature.


    ¡°This mansion you are intruding upon is our home. It has occupied this spot for many years, long before us ghosts took refuge here. Several decades ago, the spirits in the graveyard rose up desiring to find peace. I was among them. Together, we have set up this mansion as a home for lost souls. Any ghost was welcome to make this into their haunting ground, allowing us to mingle among our kind, and away from troublesome humans. Of course, then your kind had to barge themselves in and ruin everything.¡±


    He stared daggers at me. Although cooperative, he did not seem very happy to have this conversation.


    ¡°Do you know of the history of this place before the ghosts took up residence?¡± I asked.


    The wraith twitched his fingers.


    ¡°My knowledge in that regard is limited. I have risen long after the previous occupants have passed away, and I possess no memories of my time in the living realm. I do know, however, this was once known as Decipio''s House of Traps. There are many mechanisms and contraptions lying about, but they are of no concerns for us ghosts.¡±


    ¡°Since you could say you are fairly young, I suppose you can''t tell me much about world history, then?¡±


    The ghost frowned.


    ¡°Don''t look down on me, human. The reason for my ignorance is not due to youth, but due to insignificance. As long as no humans in The Veil wish to harm us, outside matters are of no concern. All we wish for is to be left alone. The chronicles of history are thus of no importance to us.¡±


    ¡°But you do know about recent events, right? Such as when Arma was around?¡±


    His face filled with melancholy. He seemed to reminisce about the past.


    ¡°Yes. A few short years ago, we were at our peak. Arma and Bonitos served as our two most valuable guardians. Bonitos, a noble man of honor, held a strong sense of duty which made him incorruptible. Arma, however, was a very curious one. Like several others in our group, she displayed an unhealthy interest in the outside world and wished to learn more of it. I have told them time and time again that the outside was the bane of our existence, and the penalty for leaving this sacred sanctuary was death. Though disillusioned, she was still loyal to the cause and I was confident she would stay at our side. With those two serving as our sword and shield, we were invincible. This is something all us understood.¡±


    The ghost turned away to face the wall.


    ¡°Of course, that was before he arrived.¡±


    ¡°By ''he'', do you mean...¡±


    ¡°It was the Demon Lord. One day, the Demon Lord ascended upon us, and everything changed.¡±


    I was getting intrigued. This could finally be my opportunity to learn more about this individual from a first-hand account.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    He turned around and faced me once more.


    ¡°The Demon Lord was a human of terrifying might. He intruded into our home with his army, and as such, we fought back. However, even with both guardians at our side, we could not repel him. Understanding the gravity of this situation, I made a decision. I had no other choice. We set up an agreement and entered into an uneasy alliance.


    ¡°Though he was a brute, not so difference from somebody else in this room, we did hold some values in common. We both despised humanity and their influence. War was never in our interest, but if it lead to the humans being weakened, then it was for our benefit. In truth, all we wanted was to be left alone, and that was one of the conditions of the treaty. Though officially allied, I never intended to provide any support. All I wished for was for things to return to the way they were before.


    ¡°But the damage was already done. Arma, already tempted by curiosity, was now completely entranced. It wasn''t long before her and several others committed the unspeakable sin of abandoning this sanctuary. For that, she paid for with death. I weeped for the loss, but nobody was affected more by it than Bonitos. He swore he would have revenge, both on the Demon Lord and humanity as a whole. It appeared we reached our lowest point and it could never get worse.¡±


    The ghost smiled.


    ¡°Of course, that was until you showed up. Wearing Arma''s corpse, no less. A truly valuable experience.¡±


    His bitterness was so thick it filled the air. I was glad that it didn''t hamper the quality of his explanation.


    ¡°Does that mean you actually met the Demon Lord? In person, even?¡±


    He nodded.


    ¡°Yes. As I said, he was a human. All his soldiers, however, were non-human. I have no idea how he came to possess such power, but he seemed to hold much influence in the settlements surrounding the human capitol. When I talked to him, he seemed quite cold and calculating.¡±


    ¡°I''m curious, how did he look like? I heard he was last seen wearing a silver pendant. Is that true?¡±


    The ghost interlocked his fingers.


    ¡°Yes, I recall he did. He was wearing a full set of armor, not too dissimilar to yours. It was colored differently, however, furnished with silver and gold. His weapon was a large greatsword, and he wore a gawky-looking mask.¡±


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    That description didn''t sit right with me. It sounded like something I saw before. I quickly realized why, and then had to confirm my suspicions.


    ¡°That mask, did it feature large smile? With some green around its edges?¡±


    He looked at me with curiosity.


    ¡°Yes, indeed. I''m surprised you were able to recognize such an artifact.¡±


    I chuckled to myself.


    ¡°That cheeky bastard...¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°Oh, don''t mind me. That''s all I wanted to know.¡±


    The mask I described was an SoD item called the Mask of Infamy. It was a helmet with a special property which granted the user increased stamina regeneration. It was valuable end-game gear and an excellent choice for PvP. It was so good, in fact, that seeing it used was considered cliched and boring. It became known a helmet only try-hards who only cared about winning would use.


    The Mask of Infamy, Colossus Armor, and Blade of Fate. All three were the top of their class and a great threat to other players. Of course, this also made them very boring. A player using all three would be taken to be either a scrub or party-pooper who optimized his character build way too much.


    And it just so happened that the Demon Lord was wearing all three.


    ¡°Is that all, human? Will you finally leave us alone?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. I thank you for the information. It has proven to be very valuable. I will take my leave and not bother you again.¡±


    The wraith sighed in relief and let me out of the door. There I met the haunted armor, Bonitos, once again. He crossed his arms and grunted at me.


    ¡°Don''t think I have forgiven you, human. We will fight again some day, and I will have my revenge. You will pay for taking Arma away from us.¡±


    I smiled and grunted back.


    ¡°Of course, that is within your right. Keep in mind, however, you haven''t seen even 50% of my strength. At top condition it would have gone quite differently.¡±


    The armor grunted.


    ¡°Well, I haven''t even used 40% of my power.¡±


    I grunted again.


    ¡°Yeah? Well, I actually used only 30%.¡±


    He grunted even louder.


    ¡°In truth, I only used 25%.¡±


    I grunted back.


    ¡°Oh yeah, I actually-¡±


    ¡°Human, I am happy to keep arguing, but should you not check up on your companion? It has been behaving oddly for a while now.¡±


    I realized he was right. Lacerta was still in the corner, shaking in fear. Did she stay like that the entire time? I walked over and tried to snap her out of it.


    ¡°Lacerta, we''re done. Nobody is going to harm us, we can leave now.¡±


    The lizard did not respond to my words, and shaking her shoulders did not have any effect. I could her mumbling and whispering to herself. What was she saying? I leaned in and carefully listened to her words.


    ¡°Don''t hurt me. I''m sorry. Don''t hurt me. Please don''t hurt me. I didn''t mean it. Leave me alone. I''m sorry. Don''t hurt me. I had no choice. Please don''t hurt me. I''m so sorry. So sorry. Please. Leave me alone. Help me, mommy. Don''t hurt me. I really didn''t mean it. Please, just please, leave me alone...¡±


    It kept on repeating in that fashion. She must have been going through this the entire time. Even I began to feel sorry for her.


    Left with no other choice, I picked her up and carried her with me. I walked all the way out of the mansion, and then to the forest where the cold could no longer reach. I put her down and covered her with the torn robe I kept in my bag. She appeared to be coming to her senses.


    ¡°Lacerta, are you okay?¡±


    The lizard blushed and tucked her head into the robe.


    ¡°Yes, my knight. I am sorry for that affair. You faced a difficult battle, yet I was completely useless. I was a complete failure as a companion and a partner. I understand if you never want to get married to me anymore...¡±


    I sighed and patted her shoulder.


    ¡°Don''t get too depressed. Everybody has their flaws and failings, it''s something we can''t help. I got what I came here for, so I am satisfied. We should make our way back now.¡±


    That seemed to cheer her up. We packed up our things and headed back to the village. Lacerta was skipping happily along.


    ¡°My knight, was it a hard fight? What will you do if you face an enemy of a similar caliber in the future?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you don''t need to worry. After all, I only used about 30% of my full strengh- oh dammit.¡±


    I stooped in my tracks and punched the ground in frustration.


    ¡°Damn it! How did I not realize this!¡±


    The lizard looked worried and started panicking.


    ¡°What is it, my knight? Did something happen? Are we in danger?¡±


    ¡°I completely forget. I... I...¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I lost the argument! I was about to say I only used 24% of my strength, but then I was interrupted! That means that Bonitos won. Damn it, that scoundrel is going to pay!¡±


    The lizard put on an awkward, relieved smile. Feeling frustrated the entire way, I walked back to the adventurer town. However, never in my wildest dreams would I have expected the surprise waiting for me there.

 Chapter 25: The Town

    ¡°Is it true, my knight? Can we finally visit that town together?¡±


    The lizard was overtly exited at the prospect. After what happened last time, I felt it was better not to leave her alone.


    ¡°Yes. I''ll have to think of a way to introduce you, but since Calvar didn''t have too much trouble you should do fine as well.¡±


    ¡°If that was the problem, could I not simply wear my robe as a disguise? It''s what I did the last time.¡±


    I shook my head.


    ¡°Lacerta, that innkeeper was literally blind in one eye. Anybody can tell you''re not human even when wearing that robe. It''s pretty obvious.¡±


    She blushed in embarrassment.


    ¡°I see, I did not realize I was that brash. Then, let us make our way!¡±


    We reached the town with little fuss. I decided to make my first stop at the general store, and told Lacerta to wait outside until I said otherwise.


    Inside, I was surprised by the sight of an empty chair. Ferra, the shoopkeeper, always lazily sat in that chair every time I came here. A voice did ring out when I entered, and I easily recognized it as belonging to Calvar. He was still placed in the same spot I left him on the counter. I was glad to see he was still in one piece.


    ¡°Took you long enough, Eren. Look at me, I waited so long I wasted away into skin and bones!¡±


    ¡°Very funny, Calvar.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. But the point stands, kid, we were done with preparations a while ago. We should stop dillydallying and meet up with everyone. You should bring the lizard, too.¡±


    I had no idea what Calvar was talking about. I didn''t arrange anything of this sort before I left for the haunted mansion.


    ¡°What are you talking about? Preparations for what, Calvar? Did something happen while I was not here?¡±


    The skull shook its head in disappointment.


    ¡°Eren, my boy, do you not remember? Back when you left me on this counter?¡±


    From what I recalled, I left him in this store because he wished to talk to Ferra. Perhaps he angry because I ditched him at such an inopportune moment. It''s the only explanation I could think of.


    ¡°I''m sorry for that. I did act like a bit of a jerk, just hanging you out to dry. I''m guessing it didn''t go very well and you''re angry at me.¡±


    The skull looked at me with a baffled expression.


    ¡°What? No, it actually went great. Ferra and I really hit it off, and it turns out we have a lot of things in common! It was a real charm to talk to such a beauty. I''m super grateful for you being my wingman, as you are a true bro.¡±


    The skull winked at me. Now I was beginning to get confused.


    ¡°So what are you angry about?¡±


    ¡°Kid, I''m not angry about anything. Did you forget? This is something you yourself arranged with Ferra. She already set up everything up and is waiting at the inn.¡±


    I made several requests of Ferra in the past. She was quite talented in many fields, as she had to run everything in town that Toberno did not. She even served as the town unofficial mayor. What impressed me the most was her carpentry skill, as her work was on the level of a professional. If she got some more motivation, she could probably accomplish amazing things.


    However, I did not recall making any requests of her recently.


    ¡°I still don''t understand, what exactly are y-¡±


    ¡°Kid, enough time wasting. Let''s go, I''ll tell you when we get there.¡±


    I shrugged and picked up the skull. It probably would be quicker to just do as he said. I left the store and found Lacerta still waiting outside.


    ¡°Oh, it''s Mr. Calvar! I was wondering where he was. Where are we going now, my knight?¡±


    ¡°The the inn.¡±


    ¡°Oh, how wonderful. Is there a particular reason?¡±


    ¡°I need to fulfill an arrangement.¡±


    ¡°What kind of arrangement?¡±


    ¡°I don''t know.¡±


    The lizard followed along with a confused expression. I quickly reached the inn and promptly open the door. The inn looked different, with velvet decorations and a comfy looking furniture. Toberno the innkeeper was inside, staring at me with a confounded half-smile. I was holding Calvar in my hand and Lacerta was standing by my side. It was likely a sight to behold for him.


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    ¡°Ah, Eren? That''s you, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I answered.


    The bald middle-aged man stroked his beard.


    ¡°Those things around you. Are they safe?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You could say they are my... friends?¡±


    Lacerta happily waved at him. Toberno grimaced and rubbed his beard some more.


    ¡°Ah. I know you adventurers are rowdy and unusual folks, but that takes the ticket as the most unusual thing I''ve seen. If you say that kobold is of no harm, then I will believe you.¡±


    Calvar seemed to be feeling left out.


    ¡°Don''t forget about me! I may not look like much, but back in my days I was quite formidable!¡±


    Toberno was startled and ducked down under the counter. He peeked out and finally noticed the skull I was carrying was actually an undead.


    ¡°A-an undead? And one that talks? Eren, are you trying to give me a heart attack? I''m not exactly young anymore.¡±


    I rubbed my head in embarrassment.


    ¡°Yeah, sorry for that. He told me I should stop wasting time and get here.¡±


    Toberno let out a relieved sigh.


    ¡°I see. I also finished the arrangement on my end, so we are ready to go. Just give the go signal and we will start.¡±


    Even Toberno was in on this. This turned out to be far bigger than I ever imagined. It''s as if the town has formed a conspiracy against me. I looked around the inn and found Ferra sitting on the couch. She was half-napping, just as usual. She should be the one behind all of this.


    ¡°Ferra, we''re here,¡± I said.


    She rubbed her eyes and looked at us.


    ¡°Eren and Calvar. You finally made it, I thought it was going to take forever. And that would be... Lacerta? Calvar told me about you. You''re much cuter than I imagined.¡±


    Lacerta blushed and shrunk away.


    ¡°Thank you. It is a pleasure to meet all of you as well.¡±


    She bowed forward respectfully. Toberno suddenly yelled and pointed at her.


    ¡°That voice. I swear I heard that voice before.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we have talked before. I was the one who requested the destruction of the kobold fortress. I wore different clothing at the time, but it was really me.¡±


    Toberno began sweating. You could tell he was embarrassed.


    ¡°Oh boy. And to think I took you for an little old lady. How did I even make that mistake? That''s a real embarrassment.¡±


    Everyone began to chat among themselves. The only one who was not particpitaing was me.


    ¡°Guys.¡±


    Everybody kept talking.


    ¡°Guys!!¡±


    Everybody then stopped and looked at me.


    ¡°That''s nice and all, but I''m still missing something. Why are we here? What is this arrangement you talking about?¡±


    Everybody blinked and turned their head.


    ¡°You mean you don''t remember?¡± said Ferra.


    ¡°No, I don''t. Do you mind reminding me?¡±


    Ferra shrugged.


    ¡°It''s the party!¡±


    ¡°...excuse me?¡±


    ¡°It''s the party, Eren,¡± said the skull.


    ¡°What par-¡±


    Memories began flashing through my mind. It did sound oddly familiar, and then I remembered why. Previously, I did casually agree for Ferra to arrange a party to celebrate my success as an adventurer. I thought it was meaningless banter, but she actually took it seriously.


    ¡°Ah. THAT party?¡±


    The occupants of the room smiled at me.


    ¡°Yes. Now that everyone is here, do we have the go signal?¡± asked Ferra.


    ¡°But I-¡±


    ¡°Woo! Let the part begin!¡± yelled the skull.


    Everyone rejoiced in laughter. At the time, I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

 Chapter 26: The Party

    The velvet laced room was shimmering with noise and activity. The innkeeper set up a line of beverages and drinks on the counter. A disembodied skull was sitting on one of chairs, eying each one with great excitement. The couch contained a young woman, mug in hand, talking to a humanoid lizard about her life experiences.


    This was the sight laid before me, sitting in a nearby of stool. The skull took note of my unsatisfied grimaced expression.


    ¡°Come on, Eren, can''t you take it easy for once and join the fun?¡±


    I frowned and looked like him.


    ¡°Sorry, Calvar, but this is not my idea of fun. If we''re talking about enjoyable activities, then I much prefer exploring dungeons and defeating monsters.¡±


    The skull sighed.


    ¡°Yeah, I bet that''s fun too, but you need a change of pace. It''s good to take time off and relax with some friends. If you keep doing the same thing over and over again, you''ll just break down eventually.¡±


    ¡°Maybe normal people would, but I''m different.¡±


    The skull frowned. Then its expression changed, its eyes bearing a shadow of sadness. It pleaded at me with its melancholic eyes.


    ¡°Please, Eren, do it for me. You might feel okay, but that doesn''t go for the rest of us. I just want one last chance to do something like this. Surely you can suffer through that, right? We are bros, we made a promise to each other.¡±


    I didn''t have the heart to deny his request. I knew his time in this world was limited, and he wasn''t asking for much. I resigned myself to this fate and jumped onto my feet. I bumped my fist into my hand for determination.


    ¡°Alright. Lay it on me, I''m ready.¡±


    Both the innkeeper and the skull joyfully laughed at the sight. The man passed me a mug filled with a frothy drink.


    ¡°I don''t know if drinks affect adventurers the same way as normal people, but you should try a sip. You''re tabbing the bill, after all!¡±


    I gave it a try, and as expected, it tasted disgusting. I always hated these sort of drinks. The skull, however, looked quite jealous. Most likely because he can''t consume food or drink even if he wanted to.


    ¡°Oh, how I miss being alive. I''m pretty grateful for being undead, but in comparison, it''s a bare-bones experience.¡±


    The bearded man laughed loudly.


    ¡°Wow, that''s hilarious! Did you make that up on your own? I didn''t know skeletons told jokes!¡±


    Calvar''s eyes shone. This was it, he found his true life''s calling. This is the audience he was looking for the entire time. His mouth began to shake, not being able to hold back the mountain of possible responses he could muster.


    ¡°Eren. Take this drink over to the ladies. This is something I need to do alone. This is... my destiny.¡±


    The skull now singularly focused on his goal, I nonchalantly rubbed my head and left them to their whims. I brought the mug over to the pair of ladies sitting on the coach.


    ¡°So when you were younger, there were many humans around?¡± asked the lizard.


    ¡°Yeah, but they all left a long time ago. Now the only ones remaining are Toberno and I. If you wanted to observe human society, then this place is not the best choice. The only populated city these days is the capital.¡±


    ¡°Have you been to the capital, Ms Ferra? How was it like?¡±


    Ferra smiled in embarrassment.


    ¡°Nah, I never left this town. Couldn''t leave this place even if I wanted to. Too many things that need to get done. I was told it''s a beautiful place, though.¡±


    The lizard noticed my presence and waved at me.


    ¡°Welcome, my knight! I was just conversing with this nice lady going by the name of Ferra. She had so many interesting stories to tell!¡±


    The woman deflected the compliment.


    ¡°Please, it''s nothing special. You only think think it''s interesting because human experience is so fresh. I''m just some poor woman who does what little she can.¡±


    Ferra was notably more self-depreciating than normal. I remembered her as somebody confident and easy-going. But perhaps that was something I assumed because of her initial attitude. I never got a chance to talk to in any depth, or as someone other than a common customer.


    ¡°But Eren, I am impressed. It''s not too long ago that you walked into my store with little more than hope and the skin on your back. But now you have friends like these, and you even made this whole party possible. If feels like there''s nothing you can''t do. I''m quite jealous.¡±


    ¡°Jealous?¡± I asked.


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    The woman turned away and nervously laughed.


    ¡°Did I say that out loud? Never mind it. I see you brought another drink over. Hey, Lacerta, want to give it a try?¡±


    The lizard eyed it with curiosity.


    ¡°Is it... apple juice? Going by the smell it seems to have gone bad. Is it truly safe to drink?¡±


    The woman joyfully reassured her.


    ¡°Of course! Even Eren here will vouch for me.¡±


    I shrugged. The lizard seemed to take it as an agreement and took a sip. She then stuck her tongue out and scowled.


    ¡°It''s... sour. And bitter. It''s not exactly tasty, but it does have some sort of appeal. I see, it''s quite interesting!¡±


    The curious kobold was engrossed with the drink and began sampling it in various ways.


    ¡°Ha. She''s so new to everything, she''s like a child. I can see why you adopted her.¡±


    The kobold interjected.


    ¡°Excuse me, I am not his child, but his future wife. One day we will get married and have many beautiful children together.¡±


    The woman put on a deadpan look.


    ¡°...what?¡± she said.


    Oh no. This meant it was most likely new information to her. I hoped Calvar already cleared up this matter.


    ¡°Yes. My knight in shining armor arrived at my greatest time of need and saved me. I owe my life to him, and thus also my heart. Though we are destined to be together, I know it''s not yet time to settle down. For now we are companions, my body sworn to protect him and his desires. We already shared many tender moments together, and soon I know he will love me just as I love him.¡±


    The woman closed one eye and gave me deviled look.


    ¡°It''s not what it sounds like. I didn''t touch her.¡±


    The lizard brought her hands to her cheeks.


    ¡°But my knight, what that time in that mansion? I can''t deny that my heart skipped a beat when you embraced me against your chest. It''s as if I fell in love with you all over again!¡±


    Ferra stared at me again.


    ¡°I-I swear, it''s not what-¡±


    She suddenly sighed.


    ¡°Whatever. What you two do in private is no matter of mine. There are more important things to worry about in this world. Don''t worry, your secret is safe with me.¡±


    It was clear anything I would say now would be further dismissed. I dropped to my knees and punched the ground in frustration.


    ¡°Damn it. This is exactly what I wanted to avoid!¡±


    The lizard walked over and placed her hand on my shoulder.


    ¡°What is wrong, my knight? Whatever it is, you can share it with me. I will use all my skill as a mage to take it down!¡±


    Her eyes sparkled with compassion and valor.


    ¡°...never mind, Lacerta. Let''s move on.¡±


    Ferra took note of my words.


    ¡°I agree, we should move on to the next phase of the party. Better to get it done before it gets dark out. Hey, Toberno! Get the second phase ready!¡±


    The glass-eyed man heard her words and headed to the back of the inn. As before, I was clueless as to what they were talking about.


    ¡°There''s multiple parts? What''s the second one?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You don''t know? You should ask your skeleton friend. After all, he helped come up with the whole thing.¡±


    I left the two ladies on their own, who seemed to be examining another drink. I walked over to Calvar who was sitting on the counter. He really did seem to have an intricate part in this whole arrangement.


    ¡°Lay it on me, Calvar. What''s going on.¡±


    He smiled.


    ¡°Oh, you''re going to love this one! It''s a real rare experience around these parts, and especially for one in the peak of their youth. Just peek behind those curtains on the far wall to see for yourself.¡±


    I did as he told, but could not see much. The window behind the curtain was fogged up. Going by the temperature, it seemed to be caused by steam. There was pool of water outside with steam bellowing out of it It was a sight I''ve seen in video games before, but never in real life or Spirit of Darkness. It seemed completely out of place in this setting. Still, I had to confirm my suspicions.


    ¡°Is that... a hot spring?¡±


    He nodded.


    ¡°Yes! Isn''t it amazing? This inn used to be a pretty popular tourist destination in the past, and this was the primary attraction. We''ll be the first one to use this baby in years!¡±


    I was left speechless. This was pretty much the last thing I was expecting.

 Chapter 27: The Betrayal

    ¡°Ah, that was wonderful! Wasn''t it relaxing, Eren?¡± said the skull.


    We were sitting in the main hall. Toberno and I were wearing bath robes to dry off, while the rest were already changed.


    ¡°Is it true Lacerta crashed in while the guys were bathing? That sounds like quite a wacky shenanigan!¡± said Ferra.


    ¡°Oh yes, I was simply too bored and couldn''t wait. I did not realize it would be rude, my apologies,¡± said the lizard.


    The old man chuckled.


    ¡°Well, it''s not like you have much to be ashamed of. You look like a lizard. You''d have to be pretty weird to get turned on by that.¡±


    Everyone laughed to themselves thinking about the fun they had. I didn''t share their sentiments, and instead smiled just to get along. It seemed like a giant waste of time.


    ¡°I had a great time, but it''s getting late. I need to get back the store. Plenty of work to be done, after all,¡± said the woman.


    Everyone then stared solemnly at Ferra. I had no idea why. They seemed to know something I did not.


    ¡°Do you need help?¡± asked the man.


    She brushed away the suggestion.


    ¡°Oh no, I can make it on my own. Don''t look down at me, I can at least do that much.¡±


    To my surprise, she grabbed a nearby cane and struggled to get onto her feet. This was actually the first time I saw her move. I did see a cane beside her chair in the shop, but I assumed it was one of the items for sale.


    ¡°All good. Now I just need to-¡±


    The effort overwhelmed her and she collapsed to the ground. She was breathing hard, as if she had just jogged for a mile.


    ¡°Eren, don''t just stand there, help her!¡± said the skull.


    I helped her to and feet and bore her weight with my shoulder. Despite being in this state, she insisted on going back to her store. Everyone goaded me and and so I ended up carrying her all the way back.


    With only the two of us, it was an awkward trip. I couldn''t believe I was the only one who didn''t realize she was ill.


    ¡°I''m sorry for letting you see me like this. It''s quite embarrassing,¡± she said.


    ¡°I had no idea you were this bad of health. Did you get a fever? If so, I might have a potion that could help.¡±


    She gestured negatively with her hand.


    ¡°Oh no, this is not an illness. This is my normal state. You could say I was born with a weak body. It''s something that tormented me my whole life.¡±


    Ger voice hinted of grave sorrow.


    ¡°I always assumed you were just lazy. I didn''t realize...¡±


    ¡°Oh, don''t worry it. If I could fool you, then it''s a complement. I worked hard to live up to your expectations and requests. I thank you for that, Eren.¡±


    ¡°You don''t have to lie just make me feel better,¡± I answered.


    The woman looked onward with reminiscent fondness.


    ¡°It''s not a lie. This store, this town, I love it. I love everything about this world and its contents. Since a young age, I was talented at very many things, and was confident I could succeed if I put the effort into it. I liked all matters of sports and trades, and had a passion for carpentry. But when I tried to pour my heart into them, my body wouldn''t let me. My enthusiasm was crushed, and I gave up.


    ¡°Soon I would do nothing but sleep all day and wait for the weeks to pass. The town was once a fairly attractive location for adventurers, but slowly everybody left. In the end the only ones who remained were those who could not leave, which were Toberno and me. I could feel myself slowly give in to despair.


    ¡°But then you came by. Despite my condition, you treated me as a capable person and gave me something to do. The carpentry, the party preparation, it was some of the most fun I had in my life. I struggled the entire way, but for once I had passion and purpose again. For that, I thank you, Eren. From the bottom of my heart.¡±


    By the time Ferra finished talking we were already at her house. I laid her down in her bed at the back room of the shop.


    ¡°I just need a little bit of rest. Whatever happens, Eren, don''t blame yourself. You have a wide future ahead of you, and a capable body to boot. Follow your passion and your heart. If it''s you, then you''ll achieve anything. For now, let''s bid goodnight.¡±


    Ferra instantly fell asleep from her overwhelming fatigue. I closed the door behind me and went back to the inn. As soon as I got in, the skull greeted me.


    ¡°Is she okay?¡± he said.


    ¡°Calvar, did you know about her condition?¡±


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    He nodded.


    ¡°Of course. Even somebody as bone-headed as me could tell. We actually talked a bunch about it before you left with Lacerta... but no matter. How about we call it a day?¡±


    He explained that several rooms in the inn were rented for the night. It was not part of our usual routine, but he insisted it was part of the party, so I conceded.


    Were entered the familiar bedroom on the second floor. Though thinking about it, it wasn''t that long ago since I last slept here.


    ¡°Ah, isn''t this nostalgic? With the lizard in the other room, it''s just the two of us guys in here. Just like the first day we met!¡±


    The first day, when I rescued Calvar from the boulder in the undead cave. It''s also when he was beheaded.


    ¡°Say, are you still angry about that? Being only a head and all?¡±


    ¡°Oh that? I got over it. If it wasn''t for your help, I''d still be stuck under a boulder, after all. We had a gentleman''s agreement and a promise to bind us together. We are true companion and nothing could tear us apart.¡±


    Calvar seemed to be more emotional than normal.


    ¡°Calvar, did something happen?¡±


    He laughed nervously.


    ¡°Oh no, nothing like that. I was just thinking about today. You went to explore that haunted mansion with Lacerta, right? How did it go?¡±


    ¡°Surprisingly well. We ran into some trouble, but we lucked out and I managed to acquire some useful information.¡±


    Calvar began mumbling to himself.


    ¡°So you manage fine even if I''m not around. My presence is completely superfluous. You have grown a lot, Eren.¡±


    ¡°Are you feeling left out?¡± I asked.


    The skull put on a sad smile.


    ¡°Don''t look down on me, Eren, I''m not that weak. I trust your decisions, even if they don''t include me. Any relationship is held together on the basis of trust. I trust you with all my heart. So what about you, do you trust me?¡±


    Calvar has proven to be a valuable and loyal ally on my travels. I had no reason to doubt him.


    ¡°I trust you, Calvar.¡±


    He put on a big smile.


    ¡°And that''s all that matters. We''ll be together to the end, you and I. Now let''s get to sleep, tomorrow is going to be a busy day!¡±


    Putting everything behind us, I went to bed drifted off to sleep.


    I woke up next morning and got ready for heading out. I reached out to grab my bottomless bag, but couldn''t find it.


    ¡°Calvar, did you see my bag?¡±


    As those words left my mouth, I realized that Calvar was gone. He was on the bed counter last night, but he was no longer there. Did somebody move him?


    I looked in the corner of the room where I left my armor, but it was also gone. The only thing I was wearing were the commoner clothing I had when I first arrived in this world, and a dagger.


    ¡°Calvar! Calvar!!¡±


    But there was no answer. The only response was from Lacerta, who popped into the room in response to my yelling.


    ¡°Dammit.. it can''t be...¡±


    Running high on emotion, I ran past Lacerta and into the forest. I dashed the entire way to the undead cave, where my adventure first began. It was the only place I could think of to look.


    The large room in the first floor still contained the two zombie corpses. But something was missing. Calvar''s old body wasn''t there. I wasted no time and ran further, into the second floor.


    There I saw something moving. In front of the lich''s corpse, there was the figure of a man in black armor. The head was notably different, though, as it was that of a skeleton. This armored skeleton soon noticed my presence and turned to face me.


    The skeleton was wearing Arma''s Armor of the Black Paladin. Around his shoulder hung a brown bag, which he reached into to grab the Grand Halberd, which once belonged to the kobold fortress matriarch. Around its neck was the cracked phylactery crystal which belong to the lich of the undead cave. It was a terrifying sight to behold.


    ¡°Calvar?¡± I asked.


    The skeleton smiled.


    ¡°Do you remember the first day we met? I gave you some important advice on that day.¡±


    The skeleton spun the halberd and crashed it into the ground with great force, shattering the rubble.


    ¡°I told you to trust no one. And especially, never ever, should you trust me. Get ready, Eren. You will feel the wrath of Calvar, the Trusty Skeleton.¡±


    The skeleton stared at me, eyes glowing with determination.