Chapter 8 - Group Recovery

I finish crushing the skull of the final undead, the body disintegrating into a cloud of bone powder and scattered ash.

I stare down at the weapon in my hands.

This...is...

So easy.

Even early game normally I have to do a good amount of dodging, especially when I don't know the systems yet and I'm not in any kind of armor.

Yet...

In this that advice is just...

Ignored.

The skeletons are slow and clumsy, they struggle to aim at anything at all - much less anywhere vital - and every time they even manage to get a swing anywhere near me before they die, they always end up with some kind of glancing, pathetic blow.

I haven't been scratched this whole time.

When I glance over toward the others I can't help but stop and stare,

Elara is leaning against the wall, panting and cradling her arm. Arin is using a spell to heal an injury on her arm.

Kael looks exhausted. Cuts are on his arms and face, and he holds himself up with some difficulty near the pile of skeleton remains he must have just finished off.

...Is this...

Are these people actually so weak?

It explains why they'd been struggling to find a fourth member, though.

I'm a new arrival to this world. I've never been trained in fighting in either world - not outside of a video game, anyway. I did actually pick up some useful tips about how swords work and dodging and whatnot from playing games, but...

Still.

I'm green. I know this.

If these are so weak they're basically helpless to a newbie like me, just how weak are these party members of mine?

Are they just a liability after all??

I'm strongly tempted to actually ask that voice how I can tell what other people's levels or stats are - or if it's even possible at all.

There have been games that are so immersive they refuse to give those kinds of staff, especially of others beyond oneself. Others require some kind of special spell to figure out those kinds of stats. And those were just video games.

This place, weird as it is, is definitely more than just a video game experience.

That makes it even more immersive and realistic, most likely.

That said...

Tempted as I may be to ask my overly excited, overly chatty woman's voice in my head such profound questions...

Really, I just want to spite her at any cost.

If that means missing out on information, so be it.

I'll survive.

"Uh." I blink and stare at the group. "...You alright?"

The group, as mentioned, is much more worn down now from this fight.

Still Elara manages a confused look.

"How are you holding your own so well?" She shakes her head. "It's like you don't even needs us."

I don't.

At least I haven't needed them so far.

Still.

Surely she must have.

The only answer that makes any sense is that she's definitely swung her weapon around and definitely struck at least one skeleton in this big mess.

I definitely - am pretty sure - I didn't take down every skeleton in that big crowd. There were ones around or even behind me.

But a single swipe of a stick breaks down these trash mobs.

So I'm not really sure what's going down, here.

Her cheeks flush with color as she turns her eyes away.

Arin frowns and brushes his light blonde hair from his eyes.

"Look, you may be good, but you can't just dismiss this so fast. Skeleton soldiers have enough strength to topple an unprepared warrior in armor! Much less-"

"Aren't you guys prepared, though?"

That's the whole point of being called an adventurer and going willingly into a dungeon, right?

I mean...

Unless they're lying to me and these people just have no clue how to fight properly, which could be the case, but-

Kael puts a hand on the other's shoulder and steps in. "Ryo. Look. What Elara was trying to say is that you're doing well, but we're lowly beginner adventurers just starting out. You can't expect us to keep up."

Elara purses her lips and frowns at Kael. "You don't have to put it so...accurately! Spare my feelings a little!"

Kael sighs. "What good would that do?"

"A lot!!"

I wave a hand between them and stare. "Hey. Uh. Anyway, like...okay, this is a dungeon of some sort."

Obviously. We left behind the concept of it being a naturally formed cave with monsters inside it by unrelated chance back when what we encountered were not animals or beastly monsters but instead re-animated corpses.

Apparently the handiwork of some kind of necromancer, at that.

But I can't talk about that part.

They're looking at me strangely enough as it is right now, no need to let them come up with any weird ideas about...

Is it even possible for them to think I'm on the side of the skeletons?

"Although it isn't likely they would, they could definitely think you're working with the demon king, Master!"

I ignore that chirping voice.

Maybe if it had something new to say I'd respond.

I don't need to make myself the bad guy at any point.

I clear my throat. "Anyway...my point is. Doesn't this feel like..."

I gesture over my shoulder toward the more...

Ornate looking door in the distance.

"The boss room is right past that door, or whatever. Should we really just be hanging out here?"

Maybe that's wishful thinking. But...at this point I just want to try something challenging.

I'm confident I could take on a whole crowd of skeletons that stretched on into the evening at this point, probably on my own.

Possibly still without getting injured.

I feel like I've earned getting to see the boss, now.

After all...

There's a lot of games that are really hard that have trash mobs like these and then bosses that are face-meltingly difficult to fight.

I'm looking forward to it!

I realize I should be more wary than anything else, especially considering the bosses here might be there to humble the cocky new adventurer.

I realize this well enough.

But I'm on a roll.

I can't help it.

Kael squints at the door. "You think it'll be the final chamber ahead?"

She takes a few steps forward and gives another short nod. "I think so. It matches the descriptions I've been given."

Arin walks up to me. I shake my head. "Save your magic. I'm fine."

He just presses his hand to my cheek.

I feel...warmth.

A little tingly, like a sensation of something creeping into my veins.

"...Seems like it." He shakes his head in disbelief. "You're something else."

I can't help a little quirk of a smile at that.

I mean.

I am pretty singular. I'm not going to be humble about it. Nobody takes on hard challenges like me with such determination or excitement.

"Yeah, I guess I am."

I'm given exactly one second to enjoy this moment before the System Helper chirps up.

"You sure are, Master! There's no need to worry at all. You won't even break a sweat facing the Necromancer with your abilities!"

That's.

Just.

...Damn it.