The Skeleton Soldier Failed to Defend the Dungeon-Chapter 52. Between Appraisal and Emotion (3)

[Loading the first choice with Hero Points!]

A blue light bloomed before my eyes.

[1. Fire Resistance +30

— You are currently on fire. You need Fire Resistance.

— If you choose this perk, you won't take any fire damage of Rank B or lower for an hour.]

[2. Sprint Lv. 3

— You killed a spider with many legs. This spider moves skillfully on the ground and across webs.

— The points (essence) you absorbed are efficiently converted into a skill with the following effects:

— Sprint Lv. 3: Enables 300% speed for 15 minutes.

— Cooldown: 50 minutes

— Daily usage limit: 3 times]

[3. Spider Affection +10

— You killed the boss of the Vault of the Fallen Spider, the mother of the spider lair. The spider boss burned in agony, so your act could be seen as merciful.

— All spiders' Affection toward you will increase by 10.

As a result of increased Affection:

— You can more easily detect spider monsters' weaknesses.

— You gain slight communication abilities.

— Spiders will attack others before attacking you.]

I'm supposed to choose what I like from these options.

The second option looked very useful, but I didn't have a choice because my entire skeleton was burning. The fire that melted my armor clung to my bones.

Ding!

[Warning! Health is below 7.5%!]

My health was still constantly dropping. I wasn't sure about Spider Affection, but the second option, Sprint, looked very useful. However, survival came first. I wasn't ready to die again.

"Option 1, Fire Resistance."

[Selection complete!]

[Fire Resistance +30]

[You won't take any fire damage of Rank B or lower for an hour.]

Whoosh.

The fire clinging to my body began to extinguish as if by magic.

I looked down. My armor had melted and was full of holes. This was Rubia's armor, so I didn't intend to discard it.

It'll need significant repairs, though.

I walked forward, the sound of my steps echoing. The flames hadn't yet died down in the pit. However, I didn't take any damage. The charred black corpses of the guard captain and the other guards were scattered everywhere.

I won.

I had taken a slightly unorthodox approach, but I'd burned alive those who had harmed Rubia. Lost in my emotions, I stood absentmindedly, unaware of the heat. At least, in some small way, I'd avenged her.

Clink!

I gripped the sword hilt tightly, trembling slightly. The image of those men hauling out carts overlapped in my mind once again.

Once isn't enough.

I didn't know how many more times I would return, but I had to burn these bastards to death over and over. If I repeated it enough times, I'd probably grow tired of burning them eventually.

If I had gained overwhelming power, it might have been worth exploring alternative methods. Perhaps I would feed them to spiders while they were still alive, or maybe there were other ways. Rena would probably have some good ideas.

I walked among their corpses with steady steps.

Thud, thud.

I flipped the corpses over with my sword and gathered the melted silver coins.

Huh?

What stuck to the guard captain's burnt-out inner pocket wasn't silver. It sparkled, and it was a half-melted gold coin.

Wow.

The gold coin was a seiron, the largest coin made from 90% gold and 10% mithril. It weighed more than twice as much as a roti—a silver coin—and had a diameter more than five times that of a widget—a copper coin.

One seiron was worth 100 rotis, equivalent to 10,000 widgets. The seiron, crafted with 10% mithril and 90% gold, was currency for wizards and nobles. The Imperial Mint produced them in collaboration with the Azure Tower.

I knew this because Lady Succubus once read a book to me while I lay my head on her lap. My knowledge of the human world was rather fragmented, but I remembered what she told me. She kindly and patiently explained various things I couldn't fully understand in different ways, always with a warm smile. Her voice was like a gentle breeze, caressing my mind tenderly.

Hmm.

Just thinking about it healed my heart, but remembering how she died made all my bones tense with pain. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom

I must avenge her.

That was the only path I could take. The lock on my heart clicked open.

I composed myself and resumed searching the corpses. The fire was dying down, and I could wake Rena up and assign her to the search. However, I didn't want her rummaging through charred human remains.

This was my own personal matter. Whether she would be fine with it or even enjoy it didn't matter to me.

I found nothing else on the corpses other than the melted silver coins and the guard captain's gold coin. Even if they had other things, they had probably been burned beyond recovery.

I walked slowly outside.

Oh, I need to search the boss.

I checked the spider boss's corpse, which I'd forgotten about. It wasn't a clean or beautiful task. A red gemstone emerged from the creature's bisected heart.

[Webslinger's Ruby

— The Webslinger has long feasted on humans. The echoes of their cries and screams, accumulating within her stomach, have crystallized into a red gem.]

It's impressive though.

The gem, gleaming with a somber red light, was quite striking. Nevertheless, I had no idea what price it might fetch or how it could be processed. I could not assess that, nor was there an explanation of its function.

I should leave this to Rena.

She might not know either, but at least she could bring it to someone who did. Ideally, I'd be able to appraise and interpret items myself.

I should consider learning appraisal magic.

Learning it was a far-off dream, but I might be able to manage it if I kept dying.

I turned around and walked back inside the temple to wake Rena.

***

Rena was very upset.

She shouted with tears streaming down her face, "How could you leave me behind like this? How could you just go off without me? Am I that unreliable? Do you know how miserable I feel right now?"

Her reaction caught me off guard, but I didn't show it outwardly. I had no words. I handed her a few melted gold coins, and lumps fused together into a silver ingot.

Her eyes sparkled at the sight of the bright yellow gold. "What... is this?"

"They're from the guards."

"Haha... Oh... really..." She brushed away the tear droplets, accepting the small, hardened silver and gold coins with both hands. "Money is always welcome..."

Her attitude calmed as she roughly estimated the amount, finding some peace.

She inhaled deeply and exhaled, "Phew..."

Then she smiled at me. "It's quite a lot."

Has her anger subsided?

Soon, she looked serious again and continued to protest. "Still!"

"..."

"It was too much. I just need to get stronger, right?"

I nodded.

"Next time, don't leave me behind like that. I'm not a burden."

That sounded like a vow.

Oh, I forgot.

I pulled out the gem in my pocket.

Rena let out a small gasp at the fist-sized, glowing red gem. "Oh..."

"It came from the spider. It should be somewhat useful, don't you think?"

Rena blushed slightly. "It's annoying, but it's still nice... hahaha... Money is really the best."

Watching her go from crying to laughing, I found it a bit frightening.

Did I hit her neck too hard? I thought I controlled my strength.

She said, "It's true that I'm still weak, so I have no choice but to get stronger."

"You'll soon be stronger than me."

"Really?"

I nodded. "Of course. And... is that enough for the promotion?"

Rena blinked. She tilted her head slightly, trying to organize her thoughts.

"A promotion to full member? That's excessive. Just the silver here would be enough. The gold and the gem are more than sufficient. My goal is..."

"To be the branch leader?"

She smiled. "No. With this, I should aim higher. I've only been receiving help. I need to reach a position where I can repay it. You mentioned looking for the Necron guys?"

I nodded. "Yes."

Although I'd just burned the guards to death, I still needed to dismantle the entire organization that touched Rubia. The lord of Erast and the whole organization were problematic.

Pinning down their limbs and ripping out their hearts was quite personal for me. Even without Rubia's involvement, they repeatedly killed me in the past. The helplessness I felt, dying again and again in that grave, needed to be repaid in some way.

I realized I found revenge enjoyable while burning the guards alive. It was a refreshing, satisfying feeling. Revenge might become a habit or even a lifestyle for me.

I asked, "Are you going to the guild?"

"May I?"

"Of course."

We left the dungeon.

Whoosh...

Outside, autumn rain was falling. Rena took out a robe and offered one to me as well.

I rejected it. "Reserve human considerations only for yourself."

"Should I? It's to protect your armor though."

I pointed at the armor full of holes. "It's already in a terrible state."

Rena chuckled softly. "It'll need repairs. Will you take it to that old man?"

"I'll think about it," I replied nonchalantly.

Rena pulled the robe over herself. The robe seemed waterproof because raindrops slid down its surface.

I let the rain soak me on purpose to wash away the smell of burnt corpses. The stench from the charred corpses of the guards and the giant spider was overwhelming.

Sshhh...

The rain felt warm. Beneath my damaged armor and burnt cloak, only my bones remained unscathed. The autumn rain had a mischievous quality as the sap-dried trees drank up the rain to become moist once more.

We walked deliberately, slightly staggeringly through the vertically falling rain. It felt right to walk like this.

As we continued on our path, a question surfaced in my mind.

"Where are we headed?"

Rena had mentioned going to her guild. I didn't know what kind of place it was or its exact location, nor had I ever asked.

"Near Yublam. It's an orphanage."

"An orphanage?"

"Yes."

There were only a few possibilities if her guild was near a town. But "orphanage" didn't match with the word "guild."

"An orphanage..."

It seemed like a word out of context.

"T&T has branches scattered everywhere. It operates in a cell structure in towns and cities."

"I see."

"The contact I can reach is just one member who lives near Yublam."

I walked silently by her side, leaving the conversation hanging. Rena would either continue or shift the topic, and that was her choice. However, one word lingered in my mind. The word "orphanage" sounded oddly familiar.

Rena added, "That person runs the orphanage. He's a rather decent man. He takes in children found on the streets."

The gentle autumn rain continued to descend from the sky.

Rena explained, "Most orphanages are for containment, not education. They're filled with violence and abuse."

"Hmm."

"At the age of eight, they're sent to textile factories, locked in tight quarters with only a piece of bread, and they breathe in dust."

I remembered the countless cages hanging in the Barren Underground Tomb. Those countless iron bars could barely contain a single person.

"It must be hard to endure that."

"Yes. Over half the children turn to prostitution by their early teens. The boys become criminals or vagrants and die in back alleys."

"Would you call that decent?"

Rena shook her head. "He's different. Even if sponsorships run out, he ensures that the children don't go hungry and finds proper jobs for them. Yet, he works for a suspicious guild."

Is that praise?

This was my first time hearing Rena speak so kindly about someone. A strange, uncomfortable feeling welled up in my chest. This faint emotion that seeped from within me felt like jealousy.

"Hm..."

Rena looked at me with concern. "Are you in pain? Is your body..."

"No, let's go."

"Oh, I have something to confess. It's embarrassing, but... since I trust you more than him now, I feel like not telling you would be wrong."

"What is it?"

I felt a tense anticipation at the sudden prelude to a confession.

What is she going to say?

"Well, actually..."