After a good half-hour's walk, my back is beginning to ache and my legs are ready to give out from under me. The stench of decay and dampness pervades the air, but the quiet calmness around us continues to hold. No sign of any monsters, thankfully. The smell isn't as bad as I described it but I still can't stand it.
Biana, slung over Isadora's shoulder, has been snoring heavily throughout the walk. Isadora, on the other hand, has not said a word or even given the slightest hint of her thoughts since we started down the left tunnel. The stony, unreadable expression on her face, I'm used to it now, ugh, how much longer before she starts to change? It's so damn loud! the constant snoring is getting on my nerves.
Suddenly, Ilka, who had been unusually quiet since we entered this place, breaks the silence. As she stretches her tiny form mid-air, she lets out a gleeful giggle, "Hehehe! I truly am the greatest!"
I resist the urge to roll my eyes at her self-praise. Communicating with her around Isadora can be quite tricky - the last thing I need is for Isadora to think I've gone mad. As I glance at her, Ilka spirals down, landing on my head with a triumphant huff.
The next thing I know, I feel a sharp tap on my forehead. "Listen Kael," she says, a hint of teasing in her tone, "I made a new variation of my martial arts, a variation that will suit your pathetically weak body."
I let out a heavy sigh, suppressing the urge to swat her away. So, that's what she's been doing all this time. The flamboyant Ilka, who always boasts about her martial prowess and looks down on just about anyone, has been diligently devising a martial arts style to accommodate my cursed physique. This actually surprises me - who knew she could be so thoughtful when she's not busy criticizing everyone else?
Ilka's grandiose attitude and penchant for teasing me are as irritating as ever, but I can't deny her knowledge of martial is superior to most beings in this era.
The tiny voice of Ilka, a hint of satisfaction in her tone, comes drifting down from my head. "I'm not sure how you got cursed as you're unwilling to tell me, but I managed to make something for you," she declares. I wish I knew how this body got cursed myself.
She suddenly launches herself from my head and lands delicately on Isadora's, as if claiming a new vantage point. Isadora doesn't react, well it's not like she can react. I wonder if she'd jump knowing there is a spirit on her head? Na, no way.
Ilka starts her lecture, "Your circulation method is indeed a pain to work with," she begins, her tiny arms folded. "The fact that you have an 83% energy waste is a fucking nightmare," she laments. Tell me about it, If I want to keep up with the class I have to train about 5 times harder than them.
An unwanted sigh escapes me. 'Is she trying to rub it in? Tsk, maybe I shouldn't have told her about it,' I silently scold myself. Ilka seems to ignore my displeasure, floating up from Isadora and starts walking on the air, showing off. It looks absurdly flawless.
And then, with an air of generosity about her, she says, "Since I pity your situation..." her voice speeds up and it takes me a moment to make out her words, "...and because if you die, I'll be locked in that fucking sword for who knows how long." She slows her words back to a normal pace, adding a dramatic pause before continuing, "I went out of my way to make something that will help you."
Her words hang in the air for a moment. Hahaha, it looks like shes afaid she'll be sealed back in the sword if I die. She quickly adds, "Don't get excited though. It's way too early for you to learn it, you'll need to master my basic arts first."
A sigh escapes my lips as Ilka lands back on my head, her tiny feet causing a slight itch. I shake my head slightly, adjusting to her weight, then look up. It's then that I see we've finally arrived somewhere.
Looking around, a sour taste fills my mouth. Tsk, just my luck. We're in area B. I think to myself. When I designed these ruins, I set them up from area A to area G. Annoyance wells up within me as I anticipate our upcoming challenge. 'Here they come, those weak-ass skeletons.'
As if on cue, Isadora drops Biana unceremoniously. The girl groans as she hits the ground. Undeterred by the sudden commotion, Isadora slowly pulls out her bone sword, slicing through the three skeletons that have appeared in front of us with an unsettling ease.
These skeletons aren't that strong. The problem with this area is that there's a shit ton of them, I grimly muse, my gaze fixed on the crumbling bones.
"Mmmm, hey know-it-all, are you going to fight as well?" Ilka's shrill voice pulls me out of my thoughts. I let out a sigh, opting to ignore her, and walk over to Isadora. She's peering at the swords the skeletons dropped, a faint flicker of interest in her eyes.
"Dont," I quickly warn her. "Those skeletons are dead soldiers that died quite a long time ago, those swords are nothing compared to the one I made you."
Leaving Isadora behind, I walk up to Biana, who's still on the ground. Flicking her forehead, I say, "Stop pretending to be asleep."
She gets up, rubbing her forehead and whines, "Ow ow ow, okay, I get it."
I sigh and glance around at the ominous shadows encroaching upon us. "These skeletons are from a Skeleton Barracks. The professors probably added them to give us a challenge."
Biana leans against a nearby wall, her expression turning sour. "Ugh, are we going to struggle?" she asks, her eyes darting annoyed at the piles of bones around us.
A grin finds its way onto my face as I reply, "No way. These bastards are going to swarm up in hundreds, maybe thousands. We need to find the source and destroy it."
Isadora tilts her head, her quiet curiosity evident, while Biana looks more confused. "Source? Just what the fuck is their source?" she questions, furrowing her brows.
"A small building, a run-down old building. We just need to destroy it and they'll all just fall." I explain, a hint of satisfaction in my voice.
As long as we find the Barracks they spawn in and destroy it, we'll be able to head to the next area. I designed it just like a game, now that I'm experiencing it myself, I find it utterly stupid. I should've put more thought into this.
I sheath Umbra, disguised as a regular dagger instead. As we continue our walk, the sensation of an extra pair of eyes on us pricks at my skin. Suddenly, I jab the wall with my dagger, and a camouflaged skeleton crumbles to dust. "Ugh, I forgot to mention," I grumble, sighing at my own forgetfulness. "Some of these skeletons stick to walls, they eventually end up blending if they stick to walls for too long. Just keep an eye out."
The luminous blue stones embedded throughout the ruins are a dim light source, but it's still quite dark. My vision, enhanced by Umbra, allows me to see everything clearly. But I keep forgetting that the others don't have the same advantage. It's hard to remember when it just feels so natural.
Biana rolls her eyes at me, "Tsk, you know you could've told us earlier. Why don't you carry me and let me sleep~ After all I can't see as clear as you two~" I grit my teeth at this annoying woman. Just once, I just want to punch her once.
Before I can retort, Isadora punches another skeleton hidden on the wall. The impact leaves a large hole in the wall. The message is clear - 'I've got this.' Biana mutters a reluctant, "tsk, fine, I get it."
Suddenly, about ten more skeletons appear. But before I can even unsheath my weapon, Isadora has dealt with them. As we come upon a fork with three possible directions, Biana flits her finger between the options. "Dream, wake, day, night, where will Biana sleep tight?" She smirks and points to the entrance her finger lands on, "Let's go through there."
I sigh but follow her lead, hoping she's randomly picked the right way.
After five minutes of walking, we enter a room and I halt, eyes darting around. I count under my breath, "1, 2, 3, 4, 18, 58, 96, 173..." A curse escapes my lips, "Fuck, you can never choose the way again Biana."
Biana shrugs, nonchalantly. "What's the big deal? They haven't noticed us, we just need to head back." She starts to back away, but trips over her own feet, crashing onto the stone floor with a resounding thud.
Isadora and I spin around just in time to see a horde of skeletons turning our way. Biana's eyes widen, "I fucked up didn't I?"
"Fuck... Run! Just fucking run! Shit! Why the fuck are you so stupid, Biana!" I shout, grabbing Isadora's arm and making a dash towards the entrance. Isadora, still carrying Biana, effortlessly keeps pace with me.
"Well, I'm sorry I don't have eyes in the back of my head!" Biana retorts, voice high with panic. The clattering sound of bones echoes behind us, a clear indication of the horde chasing us.
As we stumble back into the junction of corridors, my heart pounding with the adrenaline rush, I grimace at the memory of Biana's clumsy error. "Damn it, Biana. You can't be the one to choose the way ever, you hear me! Never! and I mean Never."
Biana just shrugs it off with an audacious grin, not bothering to hide her excitement. I roll my eyes at her, pointing at the entrance at the far end, "Let's go there."
Not wasting any time, we sprint down the chosen path, slicing through a few stray skeletons as we go. Isadora, with her uncanny strength and speed, obliterates the bony enemies with a swing of her sword, while Biana shrieks in disgust.
Risking a glance back, I see a group of about 50 skeletons trailing behind us. My heart sinks. 'Shit, the rest of them must have taken another route.'
Taking a deep breath, I decide to halt our escape, "Let's deal with these before any more join them," I propose, staring defiantly at the approaching horde.
Isadora turns to look at me, her piercing gaze causing my heart to skip a beat. For a moment, I'm frozen, then I realize - I'm still holding onto her hand. I quickly retract it, a flush creeping up my neck, "I-Im sorry, I did it out of instinct, my bad," I stutter, stepping back a little.
'Why did I hold her hand?' I berate myself internally, She's way faster and stronger than me. I'm such an idiot. I hope she doesn't get any wrong Ideas.
Attempting to regain my composure, I look up to find Isadora, seemingly unperturbed by my awkwardness. Biana, on the other hand, has regained her footing and stares at us in amusement, "Oi, what happened? Don't tell me you made a move on Isadora, in this place? Hahaha, you must be crazy," she cackles, completely oblivious to the impending danger.
Ignoring her, I turn my attention back to Isadora. As though she'd read my thoughts, she drops Biana unceremoniously, her gaze zeroing in on the horde.
Despite the urge to punch Biana for her absurd remarks, I bite my tongue and focus on the matter at hand. I decide it's best to just support Isadora from behind in case any skeletons attack her from the back and just let her deal with the ones in front of her.