Temple

(A/N: Admittedly the original version of this chapter sort of devolves into a weird rendition of 'Dem Dry Bones,' but apparently someone liked that, so I've kept it. But you can skip to the next chapter if you aren't much of a skeleton fetishist.)

Walking down the dirt pathway, lost in thought, something happened.

I sneezed.

"What godforsaken Jap is talking about me now?" I said while wiping my nose. "Wait, after the duel, probably all of them. I'll make sure to deliver righteous punishment on the next little devil I see thanks to this."

How long does this path stretch on? I've been walking for hours. To be fair, it is medieval times, a mount would be needed to travel efficiently.

But I don't have that right now. I need to clear my reputation more than ever. As time goes on, it's getting more and more annoying.

Eventually, I saw treetops over the horizon. A forest? Hopefully the monsters there can give a decent challenge, all these boars I've faced are too easy, giving no real gains at all, whether it be in fighting experience, technique or EXP points.

I developed my strategy of "sidestep, crouch, swipe, repeat" on the first boar I faced, learned to do it well enough on that same boar that facing it was too easy, and then all other basic monsters after that could be taken down easily enough with a similar approach.

It just gets repetitive. They didn't even give that many EXP points, I haven't reached level twelve yet.

Having come closer to the forest, I saw varying vegetation and some trees of the same type - brown with green leaves.

Pulling out my sword in case I faced a monster's surprise attack, I came closer and saw insects buzzing around the air.

One thing that - while never scaring me or disgusting me like others - annoyed me greatly was bugs.

Unless you're some friendless nerd who studies them, who truly enjoys having tiny creatures buzz around you and perching on your person?

No sane man does.

However, I must deal with it all the same; some discomfort is worth the potential gains.

Walking through the hoard of pests, I reached the end of the pathway, and it started leading into the forest from here.

It felt like a jungle.

Insects buzzing around everywhere, the humidity not matching the normal atmosphere, the vegetation being thick enough to warrant me cutting it up to get through... and it only got worse the further I went in.

This is the Japanese wilderness, set in a medieval-like world, why is there a godforsaken jungle in this place?

Worrying that a Vietnamese soldier would pop out of the bushes, I made sure to have my sword equipped.

One can never be too careful.

The Vietcong could be allied with the Japanese for all I know.

Despite all these jungle conditions, there's still a pathway leading through this forest, however overrun with vegetation it is. Why is there a pathway in the first place? Who would carve it out?

Questions that I intended to answer by following it.

It is a risk. However, considering that this world is modelled after a video game, that means there will be ample rewards at the end of this, though it will most likely be a struggle to get them.

Clearing through more foliage, I found a temple-esque structure at the end of the path.

What the hell is this place? Last I checked, the Ancient Mayans didn't take up residence in Japan.

Its stone walls were coloured pure gray, and some flora covered the outside, though around it there was a large area cleared of trees to make space for it. The stones formed a high dome above it, and the temple's vast structure was a round mass of cold stone.

The position I'm in leads directly to a back entrance of the temple, but before I started walking, I questioned whether or not I should go in or just go back the way I came.

Bravery is nice, but not when it leads to foolhardy death.

Looking at this place, it should have plentiful rewards within.

But do I have the skill required to clear the challenges?

Plentiful rewards means a challenge, or price to get them, and this is especially true in a video game.

Can I get to those rewards without dying?

Well… there's only one way to find out. "Go big or go home," I think it was?

If the trials are too difficult, then I'll stop and leave the thing.

Starting to walk towards the temple, I noticed that the surroundings were eerily quiet.

Taking that as yet another warning, I continued.

Reaching the entrance, rather than leading into the temple itself like I expected, it went down.

Stone stairs lathered in moss greeted me, and peering down to try and see where they ended, I saw only darkness.

Hmm… Booby traps are common in these types of places, especially in video game and movie settings, so I should take precautions.

Grabbing a rock on the ground near me that fit comfortably in my hand, I threw it through the entrance and let it roll down the never-ending steps until I didn't hear it anymore.

No traps were triggered, so it should be safe.

I walked down the stairs, and after five steps, the entrance behind me shut with a bang.

…What? There wasn't even a door there, it was an open doorway, how the hell did it even close behind me!?

Damned Japanese trickery. I'm stuck here, and the only option is to go down.

I don't have the strength required to break through a stone wall.

I reached the bottom, after nearly tripping on some slippery vegetation in the dark.

Starting to look around, I noticed some torches lighting the pitch-black passage.

How did these torches on the wall not extinguish themselves? Everything I've seen in this place indicates that it's been abandoned for a long time, so are these torches forever-burning or something?

Probably some video game stuff, this world just keeps giving me reasons to doubt its authenticity as reality.

The walls were dark gray, covered in moss, and the floors were dirt.

Seeing how there was only one pathway in this place besides the stairs, I had really no choice on where to go.

Curse these damn Japanese and their death traps.

Holding my sword in front of me, I began walking through the hallway, eventually reaching a bridge that was strung above a cliff, and I couldn't see the bottom.

Walking carefully, as the bridge swayed with my movements, I had reached the middle of the overpass when a mossy skeleton appeared on the other side.

The thing started stumbling its way towards me - however, as an "undead", it wasn't exactly walking circumspectly.

The bridge beneath my feet was rocking back and forth with increased vigor as time went by, and I realized I needed to throw caution to the wind and hurry.

Getting an idea, I put my sword in my inventory and pulled out the guardsman's lance I had yet to use.

Positioning it in front of me, I began running, while taking care to not fall off the bridge in the process. I bent at the knees and tried to ensure that each step was on a firm part of the bridge's centre.

After around ten seconds of running I reached the skeleton.

Impaling it with the lance, going fast enough for it to not slow down my momentum by much, I knocked the thing on its back and proceeded to smash its skull into the bridge's wooden planks by stomping on it and continuing to run in case the bridge tipped over and brought me with it.

Storing the lance in my inventory and sprinting the rest of the way, I reached the end and leapt off the bridge onto solid ground. A large cloud of dust flew up where I landed, with my hands on the ground to steady myself.

Looking back, I saw the bridge careening wildly from side to side.

My luck is truly miraculous.

Looking back at the bridge, I saw that it was still tossing itself around, though with not as much vigor as when I was running across it.

The skeleton was nowhere to be seen, however.

Good.

Turning away from the bridge to survey the path forwards, I was faced with yet another issue.

A passageway of skeletons, all turning towards me.

I should've never gone into this godforsaken temple.

Pulling out my sword and preparing to fight, I used my free time to think about my strategy.

These skeletons have superior numbers, but I am stronger than them individually.

Much stronger, as shown by how easily I steamrolled that one on the bridge.

However, being overwhelmed with numbers will defeat any man, unless the one man's strength is far beyond any of the numbers, and that fact is especially true considering how we're now fighting in an enclosed space.

One mistake can lead to one of the mobs striking me, causing another mistake, which leads to more mistakes until I die.

So I have to be on full alert.

How should I actually fight them? One man versus… counting them, there are twenty. One man versus twenty sounds hopeless, but one versus one sounds much better.

Rather than attacking them all at once, I could isolate and dispose of them one by one, though that would be more difficult in an enclosed space such as this.

Splitting up the enemy is an elementary military tactic.

If the enclosed space proves to be detrimental to this tactic, I can always use my surroundings.

By that I mean leading a group of them to the edge of the cliff behind me and then shoving them off.

They don't seem to have sentience, so they won't think tactically.

I have a Plan A and a Plan B, it should be fine.

If only they had a bloodstream to poison... I'd lather my sword in that poison I won from the duel earlier if that was the case.

Rushing towards the closest skeleton, who was a few meters away, I swung towards his spine, and as exposed as it was, it shattered.

Going for the skull is ineffective in this situation; it would only dull my blade and take more effort than needed.

If these things are this fragile, I shouldn't even have to use Plan B.

Nineteen to go.

Jumping back to avoid the hands of another skeleton, I also realized that without real weapons, they stood little chance.

However, that temporary victory was short lived, as my boot was grabbed by the skeleton I had just 'defeated,' giving the one that had just swung towards me an opening. The skeleton didn't die from that blow to the spine?

Fuck… though, would their strikes even do much damage?

Not intending to find out, I stomped on the hands of the downed skeleton, now named Skeleton Number Twenty, with my free leg, and jumped backwards to avoid the other skeleton, now named Skeleton Number Nineteen.

Looking behind me, however, I saw Skeleton Number Eighteen swinging a… helmet towards me?

Catching the helmet with my bare hands, I pushed Skeleton Number Eighteen to the ground with little effort and, as I was about to smash his ribcage to dust with my foot, a boned claw swept through the air, striking my face.

Rather than the small cut I expected, with how brittle these things' bones and bodies were, I got a cut that felt like it came from a knife, slicing a gash into the side of my head.

I have felt worse pain in the past, but these things can actually do decent damage. And while facing twenty of them, I'll probably get overrun and sliced to pieces. Dying from blood loss is not how I want to go out.

Deciding to cut my losses and sprint away from the crowd, I thanked my luck yet again in that encounter, because only four skeletons had gotten close enough to deal damage to me.

Glancing towards Skeleton Number Twenty, I saw that he was still on the ground, but was moving.

Do I need to crush their heads?

It's worth a try.

The skeletons pursued me, but only a few were fast enough to stay close by.

Making sure to take advantage of how half of the skeletons were still on the other side of the hallway, shambling towards me, I intended to take out as many skeletons near me before they reached us.

Taking out my lance, intending to use the mid-range advantage it has here even if it shatters into a million pieces, I stabbed Skeleton Number Nineteen, who was closest towards me out of all the other skeletons, and cracked his skull in two.

However, I was not, and would not be satisfied enough to acknowledge it as a kill until his skull is powder on my boots.

Blocking Skeleton Number Eighteen's helmet attack, I rushed towards Nineteen as quickly as I could, and stomped on his face.

Their bones are brittle.

Feeling his skull cave in, I acknowledged it as my victory and jumped back, avoiding Seventeen's attack.

Glancing towards Nineteen while I gripped Eighteen's ribcage, breaking off a bone like it was a twig, I saw that Nineteen was no longer moving.

Perfect.

Taking Eighteen's rib bone and plunging it into the back of his skull, I twisted it, and made even more cracks.

Leaving that one and turning towards Seventeen, I blocked his strike and grabbed him by his sternum, dragging him along with me as I retreated away from the hoard yet again.

Taking the chance while away from the rest of them, I shoved Seventeen to the ground and crushed his head as well.

After around a minute, two are dead, but it'll get harder soon.

Glancing towards the crowd of skeletons on the other side of the hallway, they were much closer than before.

I'll have to eliminate more before I get truly overrun.

Going back into the crowd of eight skeletons, I decided to leave Twenty for last, since he's unable to move much in the first place.

Going for Eighteen, who still had a rib bone stuck in the back of his skull, I stuck my spear into his eye socket and made more cracks.

Leaving Eighteen, I confronted Sixteen, who was swinging a rock towards me.

Simply kicking his feet out under him did the trick, incapacitating the skeleton.

Turning my attention back to Eighteen, I ripped my spear out, and decided to try something with that fragmented head.

Sticking the spear into the ground, I blitzed the skeleton, gripped his skull between my hands, and squeezed.

Rather than popping like a cherry, it just crumpled.

Leaving the pile of bones behind me, I turned my attention to Sixteen, who had risen, and was now swinging his rock towards me again.

I feel genuinely insulted that these things think I can be killed using rocks and rusted helmets.

Hitting the rock out of his hand, I grabbed my spear out of the ground next to me and struck the spine, shattering it again like with Twenty.

Not wanting to be distracted by a downed enemy again, I finished him off.

That leaves sixteen skeletons left, one of them being Twenty, who is downed.

Having only five immediate enemies to deal with, and Twenty being nearly paralyzed, I wanted to get rid of this batch before I dealt with the ten approaching skeletons who were around five meters away, and getting ever closer.

I thanked them for their slow speed, and continued on with the slaughter.

Dodging Fifteen's attack, I returned it with a spear to the sternum.

However, it broke in two pieces.

Not wanting to dull my sword just yet when I have usable materials with me, I had one half of the spear in each hand, and intended to use it during this battle.

Taking each half, I turned my attention to Fifteen, who was stumbling back from my attack, accompanied by a cracked sternum. Rushing towards him, intending to eliminate another skeleton before I got rushed with more, I positioned his head between the two halves of my spear, and crushed his skull by swinging each half towards it at the same time and then using each half of the spear as a lever, caving in the skull.

Turning around, I met Fourteen face to face.

I was met by a ringing blow to the cheek, which dragged a long cut across the side of my face.

Hastily, I executed the same move as before with the two parts of my spear, crushing the sixth skull since I came here.

That leaves three more immediate enemies, Twenty, and the ten others approaching me.

Taking care of the last three after little struggle, I was left with Twenty, who I killed easily.

Leaving me with the ten other skeletons who are now right next to me.

How did it take two whole minutes for them to arrive? If the skeletons are this slow, I was worrying too much.

However, retreating to see the current situation, I noticed something I hadn't factored into my plans.

My own limitations; while I am strong, I am not immune to exhaustion and injury.

Seeing my heavy bleeding after fending off multiple opponents at the same time, I saw that I'd have to finish this quickly.

I was currently running off of adrenaline and my own willpower.

Deciding to use Plan B, I retreated to the bridge, and prepared for what I was about to do.

As the skeleton mob followed, stepping onto the bridge, I kept retreating until I was on stone ground again, the place I had come from.

By now, the skeletons were halfway across the bridge, and I decided to throw caution to the wind and strike.

Throwing one of my broken spear's halves towards the skeletons while rocking the bridge dangerously, I saw the spear half smack one in the ribcage and cause it to fall backwards and into two others. They all lost their balance and slid off the bridge, leaving me with seven.

Throwing the other half of my spear, I hit another one in the skull, but when this one fell, it didn't take any others with it.

That leaves me with six enemies, a sword, a lance, and my inventory.

Deciding to throw fruit at the skeletons, it didn't have an effect until I chucked this world's equivalent of a watermelon at them, however, while this time it fell short, it rocked the bridge even further.

However, the skeletons seemed to slow down under the onslaught of stolen fruit.

While the skeletons tried to regain their balance, I threw more and more fruit at them, until one of them fell.

He didn't fall off the bridge, he fell onto the bridge, but that produced an even better effect.

Knocking the other skeletons' feet out from beneath them, that led to a domino effect, leading all the other skeletons to fall, and this time, they fell off the bridge.

Leaving one left on the bridge, the one I had produced the domino effect with.

I shall name him Skeleton Number One.

Walking onto the bridge, I reached One, who was trying to get up.

I simply pushed him, and he fell.

The bridge was still unsteady, swaying and twisting from side to side, so I waited for it to stabilise before proceeding.

Walking across the bridge yet again, I reached the end, and sat down, gazing at the bones all over the floor.

I caught my breath, and just laid down.

I may have overreacted a few times earlier, but better be safe than sorry, as they all say.

[CONGRATULATIONS.

Experience Points Gained: 2,000

Cor Gained: 300

Items Gained: Bones]

Immediately checking my level, I saw that I was now level fifteen.

HAHAH! It was all worth it in the end!

Placing the excessive amount of bones I had received in my inventory, I checked my stat page, seeing fifteen free stat points.

I currently have twenty-one strength, and eighteen agility.

Intending to balance my build, I put nine points into AGI, and six points in STR.

At a grand total of twenty-seven points in each stat.

Going through that cathartic feeling of my growing stronger in nearly every way, I sighed in appreciation for the fruits of my labor.

Apparently, allocating stat points or leveling up rids me of my fatigue, so there's not even a need to rest.

Walking through the hallway, avoiding stepping on any more bones, I reached the end of it and fell.

Yes, I fell. But not through tripping like some bumbling fool, the floor beneath me literally opened up as I stepped on it and sent me falling through a hole, like a trapdoor.

Is… is this the end?

There is quite literally nothing I can do to stop my fall. If I tried to stick one of my weapons into the wall and stop myself, the momentum I've already built up would break my arms at the sudden stop, or break my weapon, or my weapon wouldn't stick in the solid stone at all and I'd be back at square one.

However, as I was about to start cursing the Japanese, Koreans, Americans, Russians, Europeans, Africans and everyone else in the world, my fall ended.

Ended by a pool of water saving me.

MY LUCK IS THE GREATEST IN THE ENTIRE WORLD- NO, THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE!

Swimming up to the top of the water, as I was about to start laughing hysterically, I noticed light-brown hair and a small face looking at me from the edge of the water.

A woman. No, not even a woman, she looks to be around twelve or so.

I don't feel like babysitting, so should I rid myself of the dead weight and continue on?

Wait, she might not be dead weight.

She could be used as a meat shield, sacrifice or distraction.

Making use of any resources I come across is paramount to victory, and my strict moral code doesn't allow me to spare Japanese devils like her.

"He-hello…"

She seems to be nervous, did she see my duel earlier or something?

The red ribbons in her hair were shivering lightly, giving away her nervousness, even though she tried to remain still.

If she's the righteous type, then it would be better to kill her now, rather than risk being betrayed in the middle of battle in some bout of righteous fury.

Looking at her username, it read 'Silica'.

Deciding to see where this would lead, I responded with: "Yes?" and nothing else.

If she is indignant about my duel, I will kill her.

If not, I will use her.

In the end, I will win.

Like always.

(A/N: I wasn't supposed to release today, but a friend of mine died today, and he used to read this, so this is a tribute. It's not the greatest chapter in the world, just a guy fighting 20 skeletons each referred to by their number, but it's something, right?

Now, for the rest of ya, don't expect any more chapters until I can snap my mind out of this skeleton fixation enough to write something decent.)