Ch 35

  Matt studied the second skeleton that was fully armored from head to toe, carefully examining the dark metal plates that shielded every part of its body except for its eyes. Were it not for the striking red glow emanating from its eyes—just like those of the other skeletons—it would have been nearly impossible for Matt to confirm its skeletal nature. Still, his true concern lay with the weapon it brandished. In one hand, the skeleton twisted chains attached to its waist, while in the other it gripped a short spear with lethal intent.

  For the first time in this relentless struggle, Matt was not the one to strike first. The armored skeleton advanced with surprising speed, closing the distance between them. Reacting instinctively, Matt dodged a chain that swept down from overhead, narrowly evading the spear as it lunged straight at him before veering off as he retreated. In that very moment, the chain from the side unwound one loop from the skeleton’s waist, causing Matt to misjudge its reach. As a result, he took a harsh blow to his left arm, the chain coming alive as it wrapped around him—a sight that nearly sent him into a panic.

  If it weren’t for his reliance on instincts over calculated thought, Matt might have lost his life when the next spear thrust came. Instead, a wry smile crossed his face as he yanked the chain with all his might, unbalancing the skeleton so it toppled onto its back. Dropping both of his clubs, Matt snapped the chain firmly in both hands and began twirling it overhead. Like wielding a ball and chain, with the armored skeleton serving as its weight, he unleashed a ferocious counterattack that systematically cleared the path before him. Before long, after just a few powerful strikes, all that remained of the armored skeleton was the detached breastplate to which the chain had been secured.

  Even that outcome proved advantageous. Initially, Matt had struggled to maintain his balance, and the heavy breastplate was more than sufficient to neutralize any remaining threats. Moments later, he found himself staring down at a fresh wave of a dozen or so skeletons emerging from the dark depths behind him. A smile of grim determination spread across his face as he noted the enemy’s unwavering march. Charging back into the fray, he built up centrifugal force with his improvised weapon. Just as he released the chain to send it flying at the rear of the advancing skeletons, a sudden stabbing pain tore through his back.

  Dropping to his knees, Matt reached back and discovered the shaft of an arrow protruding from his back. At that same moment, as the breastplate crashed into the backline of skeletons locked in combat, he yanked the arrow free and rolled just in time to see another arrow bounce past him. As he turned, he spotted three skeletal archers drawing their bows, their eyes locked on him. Clutching his knife, Matt almost charged back into the fray when he noticed an arrow streak by, striking the lead skeletal archer in the forehead. Its head fell, tumbling into a crumbling pile of bones as the other two archers released their arrows, both of which Matt dodged with ease as he charged toward the rest of his group.

  Watching Yumiko let another arrow fly, Matt felt confident that she would handle the archers while he advanced on the ten remaining skeletons. Unfortunately, the chain and breastplate he had relied on had fallen off the edge, yet Matt still trusted his odds. The first skeleton he encountered wielded a sword with both hands; Matt effortlessly blocked its attack with his knife and then shot his left hand forward. Feeling his hand close over the radius and ulna, he yanked back and smiled, tossing the skeleton over his shoulder. He then quickly moved to the next skeleton, which brandished a long spear and relentlessly thrust at Zara, who, despite sporting several minor cuts all over her body, still stood strong. Seizing the opportunity, Matt grabbed the skeleton by its spinal cord and yanked it back with full force.

  Witnessing this foe crumble and the number of remaining skeletons drop to eight propelled Matt forward. He sidestepped a blow from a sword-wielding skeleton by crouching down, then swiftly grabbed a fallen spear. Twisting his body, he used it to sweep the feet out from under the remaining skeletons. As they all collapsed to the ground, a satisfied smile spread across Matt’s face. He rushed forward, finishing them off with Zara, Rose, and Eleanor each covering different angles on the opposite side. In a simultaneous turn of events, as the last blows were struck, all of the skeletons and their gear liquefied, returning to the water on both sides of the path, and everyone received their experience notices.

  Monsters killed: 115 level 2 skeletons.

  Base experience divided by three.

  Awarding 41 experience.

  Current experience to next level 3248/4000.

  Monsters killed: 2 level 3 armored skeletons.

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  Base experience divided by two.

  Awarding 2 experience.

  Current experience to next level 3250/4000.

  "Are you kidding me? I did all of that and only got 66 experience!" Zara shouted, her frustration laced with disbelief. "That's just ridiculous."

  "Welcome to my world," Matt replied nonchalantly. "If it makes you feel any better, I only got 43 from that fight."

  Greg interjected, his tone a mix of annoyance and resignation. "You're making me feel guilty for getting just over 250 experience. I'm just pissed that all the gear they were wearing is gone."

  "How close to level 3 are you?" Zara inquired eagerly.

  "56," Greg answered. "So, if there's another fight down here, I should reach it. And I don't think it was a coincidence that there were two level 3 monsters. Matt, did one of them feel stronger than the other?"

  "Can't say for sure," Matt replied thoughtfully, "but they definitely fought with different tactics."

  "How can you not be able to tell which fight was tougher?" Eleanor pressed. "Surely one gave you more trouble than the other?"

  Matt paused before responding. "Both hit me hard, but each fell rather quickly once I countered their moves. One fought in coordination with others, while the other engaged me alone."

  Greg mused, "One was a leader, and the other was a lone wolf. I see... perhaps it's commenting on our own battle styles or something else entirely. Either way, any idea on how to move forward?"

  "Have you touched the crystal ball?" Matt asked, glancing toward it.

  "There was a barrier around it when I tried earlier, but I guess it could have cleared by now," Greg replied, turning and making his way to the glowing orb.

  "Wait!" Yumiko called out urgently. "Before we touch that, we should see about recovering anything we can. Matt, it looks like you've lost your clubs, and I'd like to check if any of my arrows survived."

  Greg warned, "Alright, but don't touch the liquid on either side. I don't think it's water after what we just went through."

  With a hesitant frown, Matt walked toward the edge and carefully plunged his left ring finger into the mysterious liquid. Instantly, a bone-chilling cold seized him, as if a wave of frost had overtaken his entire body. He yanked his hand back abruptly and stumbled backward onto his rear. Greg shot him an exasperated look while the others stared in concern. Matt took several deep, steadying breaths before examining his finger closely. To his alarm, his entire ring finger had turned as black as if frostbite had claimed it, though he could already see signs of regeneration working to heal the damage. With a heavy sigh, he rejoined the group.

  "Falling in is like signing your death warrant," Matt said grimly. "I don't know what that stuff is, but it feels even colder than liquid nitrogen. Just that brief touch left my entire finger with frostbite."

  As he raised his hand for the others to see, they instinctively recoiled, and it was quickly decided that they would wait until he recovered before touching the crystal ball. Thankfully, Greg bit his tongue and refrained from calling out Matt's foolishness, though Matt didn't see it as foolish. He had been prepared to sacrifice a fingertip if necessary. However, even he had to admit that he underestimated the danger, as it had affected his entire finger despite not even dipping it halfway up his fingernail. This incident made Matt ponder deeply about the perils of the world they were in. He retrieved one of his clubs, realizing the other had been lost, likely to the liquid.

  Upon returning to the group, Matt learned that only two of the arrows Yumiko had shot were recovered, leaving her with just four out of the 20 she was given at the start of the dungeon. Nonetheless, she hadn't needed to use any of her remaining arrows, which was a relief in Matt's eyes. Yet, as he gazed at his now-healed left ring finger, Matt couldn't help but worry about what the next challenge of the dungeon would bring. He took a deep breath, steeled his nerves, and stepped forward, placing his hand cautiously on the crystal ball.

  Congratulations on clearing the first two floors of the Tomb of the Restless Defenders.

  Detecting that no party members have been lost.

  Bestowing one quiver of 20 arrows upon the archer once more.

  Opening path towards third floor in 30 seconds.

  "What the hell," grumbled Greg, frustration evident in his voice. "No bonus experience for reaching this point with no losses. It didn’t even offer any healing items to get us back in fighting shape. What the hell is even the point of the crystal ball being here?"

  "To adjust the difficulty if we lost any party members," Emily explained calmly. "That's the only thing it seems to care about, if I had to guess."

  "Then why not do so after the first floor?" Rose questioned, her brow furrowed in confusion. "I mean, we came closer to losing someone there than we did on this floor."

  "Who cares," Matt interjected dismissively. "Now get ready to descend, as we have more floors to clear if we want to get out of here. Let’s just hope that the next one doesn’t have pools of death right next to our path like this one did."

  Ignoring the chatter that followed his words, Matt watched as an opening in the wall appeared, leading them further into the dungeon's depths. He started to descend once more, the others trailing behind him. As the entrance sealed shut behind Zara, silence enveloped them. Throughout the descent, Matt pondered the dungeon's design, which seemed strangely off to him.

  Reflecting on their journey, he realized the first floor had been a relentless rush of enemies, and the second had presented the same threat, but with limited terrain and the peril of an icy demise if they lost their footing. Contemplating the origins of the undead they faced, he suddenly smiled, recognizing a pattern: the first group came from earth, the second from water. Naturally, he anticipated encountering something related to wind or fire next.

  As the entrance to the next floor came into view, a sense of clarity washed over him. Another narrow four-foot path stretched ahead, but this time, there was nothing on either side and the ceiling soared higher than he could see. It seemed clear that they were about to face whatever challenges the element of wind would bring in this problematic dungeon.