[POV: Luki]
While hiding in the thick mist at the entrance of the room, I could see everything clearly. And the conclusion was simple: they were in trouble.
The adventurer who looked the strongest was missing an arm, while two others bore wounds of all kinds across their bodies. One of them had already died before I arrived; the body still dripping blood onto the cold floor.
I wasn't quite sure what to do about that. It was the first time I'd seen someone dead. Should I be scared? Panic? Retreat in fear that the same would happen to me? Or... maybe, I don't know, take a picture?
Well… cell phones don't exist in this world, so that last option's out of the question. But I bet a lot of people would do it if they could.
As for me, I didn't feel much. Call me apathetic, but after killing so many monsters, I think death has lost a bit of its impact.
Even so, it wasn't comfortable. That had been a person, he had family and friends, like any other. So I turned my face away, deciding to ignore it for now. The Dungeon would take care of the "burial," as they say: out of sight, out of mind.
At least there was one good thing: the monsters didn't seem to be focusing on the supporter.
Supporter. A strange profession, mostly made up of weak people tasked with carrying others' belongings inside the Dungeon in exchange for money.
From the name and description alone, you can imagine the risks: a weak person following others into dangerous places, practically defenseless. Not something many people have the guts to do.
But the pay makes up for it.
According to the guild's rules, 12.5% of the profit goes exclusively to the Supporter, and all they have to do is walk around without worrying about anything while carrying stuff. Easy money, right?
With them on the team, adventurers can carry far more loot without hindering combat, which means they usually earn a lot more. More money for everyone's pockets.
And judging by the massive backpack on his back, he was clearly very good at what he did.
'This reminds me of that main character… Lily, Lili… something like that. She's always been my favorite. Beyond the tragic past and the mini redemption arc, she had that busted skill, able to carry absurd weight despite being weak.'
'And to think someone with so much potential got reduced to a simple pack mule… If it were me, I'd be bulldozing everything in my way with two massive hammers like they were feathers.'
Anyway, back to the point, should I help them?
'They look like they're in trouble… and it wouldn't hurt to lend a hand.' I thought.
I grabbed my sword, ready to jump in, but then noticed something.
'Ah… they're already retreating this way. Smart choice. If you can't fight, it's better to fall back. And with a distraction, it's easier to escape the monsters.'
Not wanting to draw attention or get in the way, I leaned against the wall, leaving room for them to pass.
The adventurers came running toward me, eyes wide, desperate to escape. The sound of bones behind them roared like an avalanche. But... why there's only three? Ah, one of then died wihle i was day-dreaming.
That's when I saw it.
One of them grabbed the supporter by the collar, shouted something I couldn't hear, and threw him back into the mist like tossing away useless weight. Without even hesitating.
I froze.
'…They threw him...'
For an instant, my whole body locked up. The sword felt heavier than ever in my hands, not from exhaustion, but from the revolt coursing through me.
The two ran past the gate, so terrified they didn't even notice me.
'You miserable cowards…'
For a brief second, I considered turning and breaking every bone in those worms' bodies. The urge to smash their faces into the wall burned inside me.
But I couldn't.
The supporter was still inside. If i do nothing, he will definitely die.
I took a deep breath, gritting my teeth. The rage would have to wait.
'When this is over, I'm reporting these jerks…'
[POV: Lili]
The bone blade descended in a perfect arc toward her neck; she was going to die right then.
'Bring it on. I won't scream. I won't beg. It's over...' She closed her eyes, her last tears falling before her eyes dried, and she fully waited for the inevitable.
But...
Nothing.
Nothing happened; she was still alive, still breathing.
Instead of pain, there was a metallic clang.
CLANG!
The sound echoed, so loud it made her chest vibrate as something cold and solid tightly enveloped her. A plate armor was hugging her, hiding her small body close to it.
The blow landed full force. The impact traveled through the steel, the mesh, and the cloth until it finally felt a slight impact on its skin.
It was undoubtedly a powerful blow, but the armor held up beautifully. Hephaestus Familia Seal of Quality for you.
Lili opened her eyes, confused, and saw only a silver helmet in front of her.
— W-what...? — she murmured, incredulous, her voice trembling.
[POV: Luki]
Luki paid her no attention. His eyes were fixed on the bony creatures ahead, each holding weapons, but moving with terrifying firmness. It was the first time he had seen anything like it.
Without thinking much, the words escaped:
— Are you okay?!
— I-I... I don't know... — Lili replied, her voice failing.
Before she could say more, the skeletons lunged.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Bone and iron blades struck his armor from all sides in a necrotic gangbang, reverberating like hammer blows on an anvil.
The impact made him groan softly, his knees nearly buckling, but he crouched further, shielding Lili with his own body.
— What... what are you doing?! — she cried, lost between fear and confusion.
— Stay behind me, okay! — his voice was firm, authoritative. — Everything will be fine. I won't let them touch you.
Her eyes widened, unable to believe what she was hearing.
CLANG! CLANG!
More blows. More vibrations tearing through the plates. The steel roared but did not yield.
Luki waited. His gaze calculating every movement. When he noticed the opening, where all the skeletons coincidentally raised their weapons at the same time to attack, he acted.
Then, with an abrupt movement, he threw Lili backward, pushing her away.
— NOW! —
He then raised his greatsword and held it horizontally in front of him, gripping it tightly with both hands.
The ensuing impact was brutal. BOOM!
The shock traveled through the steel, making his arms tremble and his muscles burn. His shoulders ached, the weight of the charge pushing his body back. He ground his teeth, his knees digging into the ground in a semi-kneeling position.
But he didn't yield. At least this way, in this semi-kneeling position, he wouldn't be thrown far.
The world seemed to shrink to the sound of friction, steel against bone, force against force. Luki held the sword up, muscles screaming, every second dragging like an eternity. The monsters were stronger, that was obvious. But he wouldn't back down. Not now.
Even unconsciously holding his breath from the effort, a growl escaped between his clenched teeth.
Then, with a quick movement, he lowered the left side of the greatsword while raising the right. The hilt spun in his hands, and the bone blades slid along the body of the sword, failing to reach his body.
Swiftly, he stood up and reaffirmed his posture, took a deep breath, took half a step back, and planted his feet. Both hands squeezed the sword hilt.
And with a muffled yell, he swung sideways.
CRAAASH!
It wasn't a clean cut; it was impact. Like colliding with a rock, or calcium in this case. The nearest skeleton was thrown aside, rolling a bit until it landed sitting on the floor.
But it immediately rose. Without even a stagger.
Behind the visor, Luki narrowed his eyes. No crack, no broken piece on the bony abdomen.
'Screw me... is this what you call "skeletons," Eina? These things are tougher than I am.'
In that instant, the receptionist's words echoed in his mind, as if he'd saved them exactly for this moment. A convenient flashback, right?
"Skeletons are monsters formed purely of bone. Despite the simple name, they are incredibly strong and resistant, never underestimate them."
"Their bones are rock-hard, and every one of then carries a weapon made from its own body. Swords, spears, axes... and, believe me, they know how to use them. Don't fall for the temptation of facing them head-on thinking they are slow or dumb."
"Another detail: their attacks carry the Curse of Rot. If the wound gets contaminated and the curse breaks out, you'll probably die rotting from the inside out until you turn to dust. So, avoid getting hit."
"Otherwise... on the first floor, they are still considered weak. Physically weaker than Goblins, without the aerial mobility of Imps or tricks like acid blood. Plus, they're light, easy to knock down. If you're careful, killing one shouldn't be that complicated."
— Simple, huh... come at me, you bags of bones. — I provoked, even knowing they wouldn't understand; it was more or less to motivate myself.
Well, the monsters didn't retreat, so I guess it worked.
Three skeletons advanced at once.
GRINDDDDDD
Using their own cadaverous hands, one pressed hard against my sword; you could hear the bone scraping against the metal. Another tried to flank me, aiming for my legs with a small sharp bone I guessed was a knife. A third one seemed faster, running behind me to attack my head with its club.
— Tch...!
Disentangling myself from the first, I moved the Hestia's Blade at the last second, blocking the overhead club.
CLANG!
The impact was strong; I felt my feet slide on the floor and almost dropped the sword, but months of practice made me quickly regain composure.
I took advantage of the opening and pushed the skeleton back with the body of the sword. The force made it retreat a few steps, but the relief was short-lived.
SCRATCH!
Something scraped against my shin, dry and sharp. The sound chilled me more than any roar.
Tsubaki's armor resisted, shining in the Dungeon's darkness... but the shock wave reverberated all the way to my knee.
For an instant, I imagined the blade passing through the steel, cutting through flesh, tendon, leaving me stuck there. Immobile. An explorer who couldn't walk, who couldn't run.
And i don't know why but... something inside me snapped.
— ...You don't. — I murmured, too low to be heard.
And then I exploded.
— YOU DON'T TOUCH MY LEGS!
I lunged without thinking, without measuring risk or position. The greatsword descended in a vertical arc, a brute force blow, aimed directly at what would be the skeleton's shoulder.
CRASH!
The blow was so powerful that for the first time, I managed to cause real damage, making a crack appear in the shoulder bone.
I snarled and pulled the blade back, trying for a second cut, then a third. Rage guided me, not technique.
But the bastard retreated fast, light steps, bones rattling against each other like mocking laughter. The cut missed, once again, hitting only air.
— Stay still, you damn bag of bones!
Before I could advance, a shadow loomed behind me. The first skeleton, the one that had tried to hold my blade before, threw itself against me, its bony arms tightly wrapping around mine from behind.
Now I couldn't use my sword.
— Shit...! — I snarled, writhing, trying to create space with my elbow. The blow struck his clavicle dryly, but the bastard wouldn't let go.
BAM!
Without me noticing, the third enemy's club ricocheted against my chest plate. The impact made me stagger a few steps even with the armor absorbing the worst of it.
Another blow followed immediately, this time aimed at my head. I saw the shadow of the raised club through the helmet's visor... and my eyes widened. If that hit, I'd be in serious trouble.
Without thinking, I spun my body, dragging the skeleton gripping me forward.
CRACK! SHATTER!
The club came down with full force, smashing its companion's skull. Bone fragments flew, the side of the skull slightly caved in from the blow.
The club-wielding skeleton froze for an instant, almost as if it was embarrassed to have hit an ally.
— Hah... hah... thanks for the help, idiot — I murmured, steadying the sword with shaky hands.
With no space to use my arms, I forcefully kicked the skeleton's shin. The bone didn't break, but it was enough to knock him off balance. He tumbled forward and fell face-first onto the ground.
BAM!
— Stay right there!
I stomped on the exposed skull with all the rage I had left. CRACK! The bone sank against the stone. I stomped again. CRUNCH! One more time. SMASH! Until pieces flew, scattering white shards across the floor.
But there was no time to celebrate.
Pull! Tighten!
The damn thing on my back squeezed even harder, dragging me down like an anchor. Every move I made felt useless; the more I struggled, the more it clung.
The air grew heavy inside the helmet. My muscles burned.
'Damn... at this rate... I'm going to lose...'