Chapter Three: [Frigid Cemetery]

[Conquer The Dungeon]

[Leave the Dungeon within thirty days.]

[Do not die]

"No fucking shit man…brrr. Description?" The screen takes its sweet time. Throwing three innocent little balls of light in a circle as it thinks.

[Welcome to the Frigid Cemetery]

[Within my walls lies the final resting place of the fallen race of True Elves. Whether you're searching for treasure, secrets, or a glimpse into our forgotten history. I must warn you. None but my kin shall leave this unholy retreat alive.]

[The dungeon shall be activated in 2:59 minutes. Prepare yourself.]

"Holy shit."

In a rush I put Boo down and made sure he wouldn't run off. “Don’t go anywhere.”

Within a minute, I equipped myself with not only the cloak and shoes.

But the weapons, I had no idea how to use.

Maybe the knife? Stabby stab can’t be too complicated. It’s happening. Oh my god it’s happening. What do I know about dungeons?

The cloak reaches down to my knees ahielding me from biting winds. The sudden closure makes me painfully aware of the numbing feeling of losing your limbs to the elements. My toes are definitely goners.

"Pheww."

Boo scratched at my boots and I picked him up so I could shove him in my cloaks pocket.

He didn't fit, unfortunately, and I cursed. Hide hide. Where can he hide in a literal sandbox?

Wait. [Equip] The backpack pulls my arms slightly but it’s nothing compared to the burning starting in my extremities. “Go go go.” I shoved him inside and whispered encouraging words. “You got this little man. Shh.”

The countdown continued its deadly streak, and I looked around for clues. What's going to come popping out? It's fricking cold so maybe a yeti or something?

What am I going to do to a Yeti? Kick it? I’d sooner break my own leg than scratch its hide.

[Dungeon Activated]

I struggled to breathe as a strange whimper groan escaped. Come on. I bounced on the soles of my feet and swung my arms around. Where are you?

Nothing happened.

I didn't relax as I crept forward little by little . Snow was softly crushed beneath my boots, and I moved forward. Maybe the task is survival? Maybe I should just leave?

Nothing's popping out. Maybe—

Something cracked underneath my foot, and I stopped mid sentence. What is that? Mindful of my surroundings, I kept an eye on the horizon but picked up a piece of…bone? A gray and brittle bone turned to dust as I squeezed it between my thumb and index finger.

"That's not good."

Carefully, I stepped around the uncountable remains buried beneath everlasting snow.

There must have been at least a hundred of them that I had crushed.

Deteriorating slowly due to the influence of the elements. The only lasting reminder of their existence is captured in their other halves.

Spears. Swords. Broken shields. Evidence of a terrible battle was crushed underneath my boots.

“There are so many bones here. Please tell me that’s not adventure bones.” Murderous game with a plot. That sounds about right. Just NPC’s. Nothing to do with me.

Sorry. Sorry. I’m so sorry.

Click click…

I almost stepped on a skull when I heard a clicking sound.

Clack

Pausing, I continued on my way, pretending to be unaware of the sound, all the while secretly checking out of the corner of my eye for the source.

In my peripheral vision, several bones assembled together to make a semi-complete skeleton.

It stood up unsteadily and tried to look around with its poorly assembled body. Tiny head swerving on the decaying neck like a lazy susan.

"..."

[Inspection.]

Jostling around with the ever moving beginning of the herd of undead is the preliminary report.

Hovering around just above the monsters head.

[Undead Skeleton LvL 10]

[HP: 5000/5000]

[MP: 100/1000]

"..."

It turned around suddenly, and its bones made a horrible creaking sound that made me wince.

We both stared at each other. Aware that we could both see one another.

"..."

"..."

I picked up my foot, and it mimicked the movement. I stepped back, and it stepped forward.

"..."

"..."

"Please don't hurt me?"

It opened up its mouth, and its whole jaw fell down and proofed into dust. Is that a yes or a no…Literally. It landed in a pile of other bones, before becoming ashes, I winced. "Dude, that's like so rude. Pick up your jaw, this isn't your house."

It broke out into a dead sprint, and I screamed bloody murder. “AHHHHHJJJJJJK!!!”

It jumped up slightly out of shock, and I took the opportunity for what it was.

My ass lit on fire as I ran away from the animated jumble of bones.

It followed close behind me despite its ancient joints, doing a number on my ego, and I sweated so much it turned into little icicles on my skin. Melding with the tears to form a thin outer layer.

"What do I do? Oh my god. Jesus. Holy shit. Uh…Our father…"

It threw a bone at the back of my head, and I face planted.

Blood streamed from the back of my head and my nose as I cursed him out. "You motherfucker! Fuck your mother!" Hail Mary full of…

It caught up to me, and I raised my hands just to defend myself from the incoming attack, and it flew away.

Phew…Plop!

Fricking flew away. It landed in a snow pile a little ways away, and I sat up on my elbows to see if it came back looking for more.

"Well…That's what you get!"

I touched the back of my head lightly and groaned in pain. Should I put some snow on that? That’s probably really unsanitary though? No matter what I do.

That's going to hurt tomorrow. If I make it to tomorrow.

Anyway. What was that? A familiar scene caroused past my third eye and the day I accidentally threw my brother into a pile of swords popped up like an ugly surprise.

The sudden burst of energy. Feeling the pull of power coincide with what I wanted most. The tangible threads intertwined with my hands and I gave a little tug.

I can do this. I can do this.

The bones underneath me shifted a little, and I sniffed. Trying to get comfortable I wiggled my butt a little and froze.

“Oh shit!” I leapt almost three feet in the air, stumbling away from the reanimating corpses.

Uh-oh. All around me, bones shifted, latched on to one another, and formed skeletons.

Undead skeleton assholes that were staring intently at me with empty skulls like they had a bone to pick with me.

Uh-oh.

"..."

Trying to muster up a good icebreaker I started with. "I'm sorry?"

Cue the fucking mob.

They broke out into a dead sprint, and I ran as fast as my little legs would carry me.

Thank goodness, they seemed to be relatively slow in comparison to the living soon to be their best fricking friend.

Boo meowed and peeked out to look at the situation from inside the backpack with a bit of caution bordering entertainment value.

About ten minutes later, I was not only sweating, freezing, and exhausted.

But I was nowhere near any markers of civilization.

There was no point in running when there was nothing to run to. I can't run anymore.

But they're skeletons? How can they be so energetic? Should I just blow them away? I can't kill them since they're kinda already dead.

Jesus Christ.

The Skeleton's gang up on me, circling like sharks, and their jaws snapped open and closed.

"You all have such bad manners."

One throws a bone laughably off target and I watch it hit another chuckleheads. They’re not the sharpest bones in the crypt.

Damn it what do I do?

How much magic stuff do I have? There's like a hundred corpses here, however many I defeat, they can just reassemble,and I don't want to get too close to any of them.

I veered away from them and towards a lumpy pile of snow so I could hide for a little bit. The idiots barely noticed. Too caught up in shaking their new legs and catching up with their buddies.

"Status!"

[Miseria Noxcissa Duccanes.]

[Level: 20]

[Class: Control Witch]

[Race: Vampiric Elf, ???]

[Age: 1]

[Health: 1950/1950]

[Mental Energy: 800/800]

[Strength: 10]

[Vitality: 13]

[Intelligence: 20]

[Agility: 10]

[SP: 75]

[Skill : Telekinesis]

[Skill: Psychic Perception]

[Skill: Cognitive Overload]

[Skill: Aura Manipulation]

[Skill: Psychic Barrier]

[Skill: Pet Space]

[Skill: Culinary Novice]

[Skill: Novice Gardener]

[Equipment: Cloak, Backpack, Shoes, and Compass.]

[Balance: 0 GD]

Right. Status points. I originally wanted to save those for a rainy day, but now is as good a time as any. While keeping an eye on the approaching mob, I hastily added to the list.

[Miseria Noxcissa Duccanes.]

[Level: 20]

[Class: Control Witch]

[Race: Vampiric Elf. ??? ]

[Age: 1]

[Health: 3000/3000]

[Mental Energy: 3000/3000]

[Strength: 20]

[Vitality: 23]

[Intelligence: 40]

[Agility: 20]

[SP: 25]

[Skill : Telekinesis]

[Skill: Psychic Perception]

[Skill: Cognitive Overload]

[Skill: Aura Manipulation]

[Skill: Psychic Barrier]

[Skill: Pet Space]

[Skill: Culinary Novice]

[Skill: Novice Gardener]

[Equipment: Cloak, Backpack, Shoes, and Compass.]

[Balance : 0 GD]

I refused to use all of them. But I did significantly increase all my stats. Please work.

I raised my hands again and called for those tendrils. They left my hands in a frenzy but struggled to grab hold of something.

Just this time.

"Octopus thingie go!"

I spread my hands and let them go loose. Figure it out yourselves.

They grabbed hold of a Skeleton creeping closer to me and squeezed. Juicing it until those brittle bones turned into dust, and I received my first notification.

[+100 EXP]

“…”

Laughing a little in surprise, I jumped up and fist pumped the air. "Holy shit. I did it. I really did it. Let’s go—OH MY GOD!"

A growl came from behind me, and I ducked as one of the Skeletons took a swipe at me. Not today, you sneaky bastards. That was a low blow and you know it.

[+100 EXP]

[+100 EXP]

[+100 EXP]

[+100 EXP]

[+100 EXP]

Constant notifications rang out as I whittled down the number of Skeletons.

The cold bit at my exposed cheeks, and I had some close calls from running in between their legs and escaping their range of attack.

But finally…

[+100 EXP]

I sat down in a huff and wheezed from the sheer amount of cold dusty air I was inhaling. Piles of bonedust swirled in the wintry breeze and were carried away.

[Floor One Cleared]

I jumped up, and a glowing circle appeared about ten feet away from me. Hurriedly, I stepped on it uncaring of the consequences and teleported to the next floor.

To be continued….