An hour of walking passes in relative silence with only some scattered soft clinking of bones and the grass beneath our feet as we walk. This is almost enough time to get over the strangeness of the situation. Almost. I think I took it pretty well all things considered but the novelty of the situation is still pressing me every time I look to my side and see my new friends.
Most of this comes from how cool this is. How often was I thinking that it would be awesome to have a power like this? Even in my original world, this would be amazing but now I have a whole new world with who knows what challenges to face and a whole adventure ahead of me!
If I can do some grinding and level up my skills, maybe get some new ones? I could be a force to be reckoned with in this world… That is of course if the people in this world aren't ridiculously strong. Seriously, who is to say that in this world I might be super underpowered?
Come to think of it, whoever gave me my powers and brought be here must be really strong. What was he? Some grand mage or something? Why am I here then instead of in some kingdom? I'm going to ignore the possibility that this world is as advanced as our own because when would you see a world high in both technology and magic? They seem almost mutually exclusive barring some notable exceptions.
I have come to think of it as an RPG sword and fire type world that I see so often in shows and books. If nothing else it makes me the most excited out of all the possible scenarios after all.
What was that?
A patch of grass just moved. Now that I'm looking I can see that some of the grass seems weighed down. Not sticking straight up as this stuff strives to do when not being beaten back by the breeze.
I stop and my two new friends do as well.
Whatever is there I don't want to fight it. I don't exactly have much for arms and armor. My only assets on those two fronts being my tattered black robes and a dagger much like the ones my new friends now carry which were graciously granted to me by whatever guy brought me here.
Got to be thankful for what you have right? It's better than being naked after all.
But these things don't exactly give me too much in the way of equipment to defend or attack with. Better to let my skeletons do it for me.
"Scout in that direction and kill whatever it is if it attacks you."
I say while pointing at the missing grass.
I hope it's not just a big rock that is holding the grass at weird angles, but for one despite the vast distance I have covered I haven't seen any big rocks. Just grass. Kinda odd now that I think about it but I'm not going to complain. And two, why risk it. It might be a rock, it might be an oversized rabbit, or it could be something indescribably terrifying that I have never seen before. Also, I'm damn sure I saw that spot move.
I wouldn't say I'm an overly cautious person to begin with but who in their right mind would go and jump at things in an entirely new world all willy-nilly. I sure won't.
The two skeletal guards walk in the direction I pointed them. Not overly quickly, mind you but their walk was just like it had been before I warned them of danger. Rickety, almost lurching steps are taken repeatedly as they near the space.
When the skeletons are around three feet away the grass shuffles and bursts outwards as the thing jumps at the nearest skeleton to reveal…!
"A SLIME!"
Uncaring of my outburst the skeletons react quickly… scratch that. As quickly as they can. Which it turns out is not that quickly I'm afraid.
By the time they can begin to react the slime has already flung itself onto the face of the first skeleton to reach its hiding place to which it sticks like a dart on a board. Not to worry! The second had a plan! It winds back the arm with the dagger, and with all the strength and speed it musters from its wind up movement it heroically! Stabs the first skeleton in the face. Classy.
But hey! If it works it works I guess? The first skeleton now has a small issue. That being the hole the blade has left behind as the blade is pulled out. An issue it seems thoroughly content with ignoring even as cracks web out from the hole and hover a good portion of what used to be its face.
The slime thankfully looks even worse because in the process of the strike the blade penetrated straight through the gummy-looking blob. It fell to the ground limp before both of the skeletons took the initiative and stabbed it twice more.
Then it broke apart into a couple of pieces. Obviously defeated.
"Great job guys!"
They don't react, how rude.
The leather book on my hip started to glow in a soft blue light. Almost soft enough for it to be hard to notice.
It was coming from the second page huh.
NEW CLASS SKILLS!
Basic Skeletal Tactics LV1:
Skeletons under your control gain intelligence with regards to tactics
Novice Skeletal General LV1:
Issue more complex commands and have them executed better to your will
So if I do something related to a skill it unlocks and I can get better results from it? Seems a little basic but not bad at all. Especially basic skeletal tactics. The less friendly fire stabbings the better.
It also seems to have taken the class skills section of the first page and moved it to the second. That's good for keeping things organized if nothing else.
Anyways, just another thing that's new about this world.
The quest to the forest continues!