Seeking Secrets Amidst the Skeletons. (66)

This body has become heavier, and the itching is simply unbearable. It feels as if a thousand tiny insects are crawling under my skin, causing incessant discomfort and irritation.

[Ah, yes, your body is rapidly deteriorating, with less than two weeks remaining.]

The Lowest Loss was in the Arena all the time without any impact of Punishment, as 605 said.

My skin hasn't changed color, except for the appearance of new ulcers and the foul odor emanating from the burst boils.

Passing through the spacious hall, I was pushing a cart full of severed limbs. The weight of the limbs strained my muscles, but I continued on, driven by the need to fulfill my role in this wretched place.

[Your Hardy Worker skill has increased in level!]

[Your Hardy Worker skill has increased in level!]

[Your Hardy Worker skill has increased in level!]

[Your Hardy Worker skill has increased in level!]

The itch intensifies, and in frustration, I vigorously shake off a hand that has become entangled with decaying flesh. The foul stench fills the air, but I try my best to ignore it.

[You can train skills and raise their levels, but it's worth considering that this method will be less effective without Spiritual Stones since there is not as much energy in the Arena as in space. You also got your role as an employee of the lower Arena, but this is still not enough to complete all the floors. Please try your best!]

[How do I use Shadowed Familiars?]

[To use a Shadowed Familiars, you need to summon one and attach it to your target. Don't worry, they are invisible to ordinary beings unless they possess a strong soul. Encounters with such individuals are rare in the Arena, especially in the work area where you are stationed.]

So, first, I needed to choose a target.

Approaching one of the corridors, I scanned my surroundings, noticing several Lower Losses moving alone along a set trajectory.

Damn.

Continuing down the path, I refrained from summoning the Shadowed Familiars immediately and instead focused on determining my current location.

Where are we headed?

The corridor gradually narrowed until we found ourselves in an inconspicuous hall. The steel walls, now adorned with skeletons in tattered robes, gave the place an eerie ambiance.

This is what I need!

The skeletons appeared disorganized, but a specific pattern was vaguely visible in their arrangement.

Walking along the purple patterns on the floor, I came across a towering mountain of corpses.

Thankfully, my sense of smell had diminished, sparing me from the putrid stench. The skeletons seemed preoccupied with the approaching monsters, paying no attention to the departing Lower Losses with their empty carts.

Shaking the gurney containing its caustic contents, I turned towards the corridor. In the palm of my left hand lay the Shadowed Familiar, its form emanating an eerie aura as the lizard-like creature extended its forked tongue to lick its eye.

My first test subject would be a skeleton in a red robe holding an open book. Perhaps, with his help, I would be able to uncover some secrets of the Arena that the system was unaware of. Only time would tell if my plans would work out.

The lizard sprinted a distance of 20 meters, unnoticed by anyone, and clung to the hem of the robe. For a moment, its yellow eyes glowed red, and then it disappeared, merging with the fabric.

With an imperceptible shrug, I watched the window displaying my Endurance and Intelligence stats.

[Endurance: 510.]

[Intelligence: 165.]

[The skill draws upon Transformation stats, as that's where you summoned the Shadowed Familiar.]

[I see. It's unfortunate, but there's nothing to be done about it.]

After a minute, my Stamina points dwindled, while Intelligence remained unchanged.

[Endurance: 506.]

[Intelligence: 165.]

[Since you are using only one Shadowed Familiar, your Intelligence will deplete at a slightly slower rate than your Endurance. Fortunately, the Caster's skeleton was well within your strength range.]

[The Caster's Skeleton?]

[Yes. They usually possess a spell book and can summon various monsters from the Wasteland. Remember the battle in the Tunnel?]

[I do remember.]

How could I forget those who almost killed me?

I continued to follow the monsters without turning around, subtly observing the area in hopes of spotting someone beyond the collective of workers.

Deformed silhouettes stretched in two lines. Some had lost body parts in their movements, while others seemed to have recently transformed into Lower Losses.

[And how can I ascertain what is transpiring around the target?]

[Close your eyes and concentrate on the summoned Shadowed Familiar.]

Closing my eyes, I attempted to establish a connection with the lizard-like creature. An invisible yellow thread extended from my mind, propelling me at the speed of light back to that hall.

The thread stretched like a taut string, and suddenly, I found myself in a familiar place. The mountain of flesh grew higher, obstructing my view, while the motionless skeletons continued their vigil. I could hear the grinding of steel wheels and the wheezing emanating from the monsters.

[You can also gather information from the Shadowed Familiar after depleting your summoning energy. However, keep in mind that during this "observation" phase, your points will deplete at twice the usual rate.]

[Endurance: 500.]

[Intelligence: 165.]

[Ha-ah. It's more challenging than it seems.]

[You'll adapt after a few summonings.]

---

I found myself back in the familiar environment of conveyor belts, with the clamor of running machinery filling the air.

Limb fragments were scattered across the tape, and I tried my best to ignore the working monsters addressing the defects.

Guiding the cart to an empty spot, my reflexes took over, and I entered autopilot mode. I allowed my gaze to wander across the hall adorned with skeletons.

[Endurance: 303.]

[Intelligence: 138.]

The mountain of flesh almost touched the ceiling, and its width reached the skeletons standing against the wall. Suddenly, a searing pain pierced my temple as the Caster began leafing through the book, and I noticed glowing runes etched into the floor.

At some point, I was abruptly thrown out of the hem of my robe, flying like a bullet along the thread and straight into a monster sorting through limbs.

"Kha!" I coughed in surprise and inadvertently dropped someone's fingers onto the conveyor belt.

"Holy shit. Are you still here?!" The guy in the white coat pushed back his bangs and looked at me through gold-rimmed lenses.

Here I am in trouble.

Suppressing any visible reaction, I raised fingers, coated in pus, and brought them closer to the dark maw of the working meat grinder.

Blood droplets splattered onto the already stained apron.

"How many times do I have to tell you? We throw them one at a time! Look at this mess you've created. If you clog up this damn thing, I'll turn you into minced meat. Do you understand?!" His voice shifted into a hysterical tone. Unable to endure it any longer, I took a slight step backward and "accidentally" bumped into the guy, causing him to fall onto his rear with a bewildered expression.

Covering my mouth with my hand, I made a choking sound and resumed observing the progress of the conveyor.

Don't spout nonsense about the working class, or I'll incite a riot, you little twerp.

---

After enduring half an hour of relentless swearing and invasive gestures toward my body, accompanied by threats of sending me for dismemberment with dull saw blades and subjecting me to experiments, the blond finally decided to retire into a steel-colored sunset.

Exhaling deeply, I turned to the system for answers:

[Why did my connection with the Ghost Soldier abruptly end?]

[*crunch* *slurp* *crunch* Eh? What? Wait a minute... * rustle* *crack* * creak * Ah, there you are. What were you asking about?]

[My connection with the soldier was suddenly severed.]

[Ah, well, I did warn you about the limitations of distance. It's possible they entered another environment, an anomalous zone, or even moved to a different planet.]

In that case, I need to explore other avenues.

Glancing at the distant silhouette in the white coat, I clenched my fangs and crushed the last remaining front teeth.

After checking my empty gums with my tongue, I grunted sadly and sent two Shadowed Familiar, attaching one to the guy and the other to the monster next to him.

[Endurance: 289.]

[Intelligence: 137.]