The skeleton stood atop Alha's fading corpse, mint globes lights snuffing out of its sockets. Then, before it could recoil in shock due to the fierce presence the Husk exerted in its last grasps of life, it burst into an updraft of green wisps.
Only a cloth remained, the same one the Husk wore in life. The skeleton halfheartedly picked it up, preoccupied with its befuddlement as it looked around the expansive room.
A single hand reached up to scratch its skull. Then, when it looked at the cloak it slung over its shoulder, the jawbone tilted downwards as its bony maw was agape.
Blood still lined its fingers. Tapping them against its chin, it raised a fist in celebration!
Completely ignoring the current status that was projected right behind it.
=========
Name: Undetermined
Race: Pitiful Skeleton
Traits: Limb Construction LV 01, Aspiring Butcher LV 00, Random Jackpot Algorithm LV 00.3, Sadism LV 01
Durability: 50/1000
Mortisim: 22/1350
Additional Stats:
Limb Stability:
A1: 0/0
A2: 35/300
L1: 22/310
L2: 20/310
Morbidity:
Reaper's Stigma LV 01
???? LV 00
Memory LV 00
Organ Power: Not applicable.
Body:
Skeletal Frame LV 10
Bones LV 8
Muscles LV 00 Locked
Meridians LV 00
Additional body parts may be added if they are differentiated in the future.
Core LV 01
Skin LV 00 Locked
Overall Level: 2
========
—See? I told you it would be just fiiine. There was no need to worry~
Loki leaned back midair as he floated adrift. Cracking his knuckles as he spoke with lackadaisical confidence, the exposed sections of his body was covered by shards of miasma once again.
Mara huffed, looking at the current status of the skeleton from the ground up. She was about to admit she was wrong…
Before her "eyes" scanned over the words at the top.
—Hey, why don't you explain this then? Mr. Confident.
—Explain what…oh.
They were both looking at the new trait that appeared on the little skeleton's status screen.
[Sadism LV 01]
—What the hell did you do, Loki.
—Ah, uh…well…uh…yeah. I'll see you later!
Loki quickly disappeared in a shimmer of dust as he warped out of the mini-realm Mara presided in. She felt her veins squirm with anger as powerful strands of obscuration lashed out at the walls, her eyes shining through the fog coating her form.
—You…bastard…
Before she could get too incensed to maintain control, she viewed the curious movements of the skeleton.
Tilting its head this way and that, it appeared to stare at the cloak as if it was considering something. Then, it slipped into the shoulder area and pulled the coat ends together.
There was a tie around the chest, which it struggled to fix with its sole hand. If it had brows, they would undoubtedly be furrowed right now…
Because the skeleton's movements became more energetic and frustrated the longer it went. Somehow, through the grace of a miracle, the string pulled through a loop and was fixed in place.
The skeleton's teeth cracked together as it celebrated its achievement with another fist pump. Then, it reeled around as it sensed a light that began to flood into the room.
Moving towards the first light it had witnessed since its conception; swift footsteps carried it out into a world with a dreary gray sky.
A realm full of long, gilded stalks of grass. The place was full of gilded plants, flowing particles of golden energy floating unsettled yet buoyant in the air.
Brilliant, vibrant jewels shone all around, whether from the structures or plants abound in the area. An almost motherly vibe was exuded from some parts and a sensual vibe from others.
Cattle milled the grasses, chewing the precious materials as their coats shone with lustrous glimmers. Gilded ghosts and gray figures wearing impearled cloths and carrying golden wheels were a common sight.
And in the corners, there were quite a many objects of temptation that flooded the sanctity of the plains with demonic influence. Warping the ghosts into even further luxuries, the prettier things grew in beauty, all to hide the guise of corruption.
This was the Plains of Gilded Temptation, the realm of the Simulacra Mara.
A place that not even one of the players could be able to handle, not even those atop the Glorious DEATH-BOARD.
As if to prove this point, one of the gray figures lumbering with a hefty six-spoked wheel moved toward the skeleton at an inappropriate speed.
Before the skeleton could see it, it had already lashed down with a hefty strike.
A deafening wind reduced the skeleton to smithereens before the wheel even landed.
[D-E-A-D. A Reaper is marked for your delivery. Enjoy your brief rest.]
This panel was what the skeleton instantly saw the second it was out of the Embrace of Maara tutorial.
It was so quick that the [Tutorial finished] prompt didn't have time to begin materializing.
…
Reaper Den.
This was a realm within Blendpunk Chthonim, one that exclusively hosted a series of mini-realms upon which only the Reapers dwelled.
A series of large screens hung suspended in the air as many cloaked figures watched the happenings going on. Some even had snacks.
On the giant screen were two Participants. All of the Reapers were so fixated on the series of events depicted in the image lined by garish yet grungy skulls.
"Hey, I have 50 Deadman's Splendor on MadMazda. I've been watching his work lately, and that Scorned Tatter's Greatmaw Dream he acquired from Lord Baron Criminal is enough to get him Rank 6!"
"…Even though he is Rank 8 on the Glorious Deathboard?"
"Yea, that guy has been grinding for such a long time. He's even Tier 3 now!"
"Bah, what's the Great System doing…. A balance patch update is gonna come out if they're blazing through the early levels so quickly."
"Hey. You two. You're not even discussing Ignore? He's the Saint la Belo, he's gotten about 3% of Simulacra Belobog's Authority. Not even the highest player has 1% of a Deathdeity's Authority…"
While the Reapers with shadowed faces discussed their opinions on the battle occurring in a Grand Sacred Temple, there were robotic faces with dull expressions streaming in and out of the doors that were seemingly placed at random.
Out of the floor, out of the ceiling, out of the chairs, the walls, the statues. They donned the Reaper's Robes and did their jobs for them, since they were all interested in the contents of that screen.
That was why nobody noticed an oddly misplaced-looking door in a far off crevice. A robotic Reaper floated towards there with an electric hum, appearing before any of the Reapers could even care to pay attention to it.
…
The AI-Reaper reappeared in the Plains of Gilded Temptation, a door appearing out of nothingness as it effortlessly avoided the seemingly plodding movements of the attacking grey figure.
The figure seemed to ignore the AI-Reaper after it eradicated the Participant in the area, walking off with leaden steps as it struggled to bear the increasing weight of the golden wheel at its back.
The AI's digital eyes glanced over the area, quickly blurring in form as it collected every single piece of shrapnel that was the skeleton. Tapping the only intact place, the plate bearing the Deadman's Stigma, a simple stone casket materialized with colorless mist flowing around it.
The AI-Reaper then reassembled the skeleton's frame and placed it within the casket with surprising delicacy.
The casket loomed behind it as it moved through the doorway, the AI scanning the level and deciding to put the skeleton in a beginning area.