Eternal Rest

Bones continued following the forest path until he reached an intersection. He had two paths available. He tried to visualize the map of the area and remember the paths he took to get here.

"I remember the goblin patrol from the entrance of the stage. I went forward through the forest until I reached a forest path, then took a turn right and followed the forest path until I saw the remnants of the battle. I backtracked and went northwest until the goblin village, and then west again until the intersection!"

Bones concluded that the left path would lead him south, back to the start of the stage, so he turned right and continued north. He would find out if he was right soon, and sure enough, not even ten minutes later, he saw a goblin patrol coming his way. He stopped, got off the path, and hid behind a tree. He waited until the patrol passed him by and then secretly followed from behind.

He followed the patrol until the intersection, and once he saw the patrol turn left toward the demolished goblin village, he sprang into action.

His approach didn't go unnoticed, and the last goblin in the patrol turned around in time to see Bones cast Bone Spikes. The skill did wonders on small and ground targets. The only downside was a rather small radius of attack, but nothing a few consecutive Bone Spikes didn't fix.

None of the six goblins in the patrol died due to spikes, but all were crippled and pinned in place. They were normal goblins, equipped with spears, swords, and one with a bow that tried to fire an arrow at Bones. He was the first to die and also the goblin that noticed Bones approaching.

Without being able to display their nimbleness, the goblins were sitting targets, and again the reach of Bones' spells and Skully's weapon attacks played an important role in taking care of the goblins without suffering injuries.

Bones brought up his status screen and saw that he had a long way until the next level up in both class and race. He just leveled up his class, so it wasn't a surprise, but he hoped he progressed more with his race.

"I guess race experience will pick up speed when I invest more time in engraving and shaping."

Bones looted the goblins of their weapons and returned to the place from which he started following the patrol. He continued north along the path for some time but changed his mind and got off the path. He forgot that he was supposed to gather intel on the dungeon first and foremost!

He moved northeast through the forest and encountered another goblin village, but he didn't engage this time. He observed the goblins from a distance and noted there seemed to be more of them, with two hobgoblins residing in the village. Further east, Bones engaged a pack of wolves with two alphas, whom he had a hard time fighting against. The wolves were more cautious than goblins and, from what Bones could gather, more intelligent. Their cautiousness forced him to taunt the wolves and leave himself open to attacks. Eventually, he baited the wolves into making mistakes and killed them, but not without cost.

"See, Skully, that's why you evade attacks rather than take the hits!" Bones said while trying to adjust his broken arm and looking for his leg. Skully didn't fare much better. Still, the leather equipment offered more protection than Bones's robe. Bones didn't bother fixing himself up but focused on repairing the golem. His bone armor would fix itself over time. One of the perks he enjoyed was the synergy between the permanent Mend Bone and Bone Armor skill.

"I think I might be close to the center of the stage. South, southwest, and west are areas I've encountered goblins and occasional wolves. The area of the massacred wolf chieftain might be southeast then. If I'm right, I should encounter both soon and on a larger scale…"

Roughly two hours later, Bones watched from a hidden spot on a hillside forest as a small regiment of goblins engaged multiple packs of wolves in formation. Led by hobgoblin worg riders, the goblin forces faced off against the wolves, with a mysterious figure in mage-like robes commanding from the back. Though too far away to identify the figure, Bones was certain it was a goblin mage—the first he had ever seen or heard of.

On the opposite side were wolves, led by direwolf alphas, with a direwolf chieftain at the forefront.

"It seems like history repeating itself," Bones mused. "The goblins outnumber the wolves, and I wouldn't be surprised if the same outcome occurs."

"Now then… what should I do?" Bones pondered. "I don't see how I could get involved in a large-scale battle like this one. How would a party of adventurers engage? Direct confrontation or wait and observe?"

"I think I'll sit this one out and see what happens."

Bones observed as the confrontation escalated into a full-blown battle. While the hobgoblin worg riders and the direwolf chieftain dominated the battlefield, it was the goblin mage that caught Bones' attention. The mage continuously cast spells of different affinities and purposes, focusing on support rather than direct damage.

A blizzard descended, slowing the wolves, followed by bolts of electricity that briefly stunned their foes. Finally, a totem pole emerged from the ground, boosting the nearby goblins' attributes.

"A shaman!" Bones recognized the goblin mage as a shaman. With the shaman's involvement, the tempo of the battle shifted, and the goblins gained the advantage. Bones could now see how the direwolf chieftain would lose.

Initially, the wolves had the upper hand with their mobility, but the situation changed after the goblins were buffed. With a temporary boost to strength and a frenzied state, they overpowered their enemies. Soon, the direwolf chieftain was left alone, facing the full brunt of the goblin regiment's attack.

It didn't take long for the chieftain's vitality to be depleted, but not before biting the head of the hobgoblin and killing dozens of goblins in a last stand.

“Vitality? Oh…”

Bones checked his status.

Status

Attributes

Name: Bones

Race: Undead Skeleton lvl 24

Class: Bonemancer Adept Lvl 31

Soul Weaver lvl 13

Profession: Mana Engraver lvl 11

Hp - 530 (5.3 hp/s)

Mp - 950 (42.5+8.5 mp/s)

Sta - ∞

STR: 28

AGI: 5

END: 5

VIT: 53

INT: 96

WIS: 33

Free points: 2

"I can't believe I forgot to distribute the points from the class level up and had a leftover point from Mana Engraving reaching level ten!"

Seeing the battle winding down, Bones hurriedly allocated the two free attribute points into VIT and closed the screen.

After the battle, the shaman gathered the survivors and began chanting a spell. Bones watched with interest as a green light enveloped the goblins, and their wounds began to heal.

"As expected of the shaman. The healing spell has a long casting time though. Around twenty seconds, I think? Is it because it's an area healing spell?"

The shaman finished his spell and slammed the butt of his staff into the ground before turning and leaving. The rejuvenated goblins followed behind him. Bones waited for some time after they had left before descending the rough hillside. The battlefield was a gruesome sight, littered with mangled corpses, missing limbs, and other body parts.

Bones proceeded to loot the bodies, a common practice in such situations. However, to his surprise, he found no mana stones among the corpses. While he could gather weapons and shabby clothing from the goblins, Bones expected more substantial loot from the wolves, particularly the alphas and the chieftain.

"Could it be because I didn't kill them myself?" Bones pondered aloud. "That's the only plausible conclusion I could come up with. I seriously doubt the hobgoblin, direwolf alphas, and direwolf chieftain wouldn't drop more loot."

It made sense, and Bones realized he wouldn't be able to reap the benefits without getting his hands dirty in the future.

"All these monsters outlevel me by a few levels. I won't be able to fight on par against them for quite some time…"

Bones noted that the goblins and wolves' corpses were of higher levels than their counterparts he had encountered before. Realizing that the dungeon run had turned into more of a scouting mission, Bones decided not to take any unnecessary risks, such as engaging in combat like he did with the goblin village. He adjusted his course northeastward, avoiding the forest path patrolled by goblins.

As he progressed, Bones observed an increase in the number of goblin patrols, each led by a hobgoblin worg rider. Occasionally, these patrols sensed his presence and gave chase, but Bones managed to evade them each time. Despite the challenges, he pressed on deeper into the forest, aware that he had no business being so far from safety.

"It should be close to two days since I entered the dungeon, and I did say I would return to the smithy in a day or two," Bones mused. "I'll stay for a few more hours, then leave."

Furthest east, Bones encountered an obstacle he couldn't bypass or go around. The densely forested hills were too steep to climb, blocking his path. Undeterred, he continued walking north along the hillside, eventually reaching what seemed to be the edge of the stage.

As night fell, Bones heard the unmistakable sound of howling wolves. Intrigued, he followed the sound until he stumbled upon a large den, presumably belonging to a pack of wolves.

Approaching cautiously, Bones stopped several dozen meters away from the den's entrance. He extended his senses, detecting a figure deep inside the den. Strangely, the figure seemed to sense his presence and started moving toward the entrance. Sensing danger, Bones quickly retracted his senses, suppressed his aura, and made a swift retreat toward the nearest tree that he could climb for safety.

He watched intently as a pair of glowing yellow eyes emerged from the darkness at the den's entrance. With cautious movements, a wolf the size of an alpha stepped into view, scanning the surroundings with keen senses. As Bones identified the creature, it suddenly locked eyes with him and let out a piercing howl. Without hesitation, Bones swiftly somersaulted off the tree, landed gracefully, and vanished into the forest, sprinting away.

Though he didn't sense the wolf in pursuit, Bones didn't dare to stop running. Only after several minutes did he slow his pace, continuing southward toward the entrance of the stage. Having seen enough, he decided it was time to depart, glancing at the screen before him with a sense of finality.

Queen's Cub, lvl 40 elite

Bones had successfully located the boss's den, a crucial discovery for his progress in the dungeon. He estimated the boss, likely the Queen, to be a formidable opponent, potentially several levels higher than the wolves he had encountered before.

"Once again, facing an enemy over ten levels above me. Clearing this stage will require considerable preparation and strength," Bones mused aloud, addressing his silent companion, Skully. "But dwelling on it won't change anything. You're quite the attentive audience, Skully."

Reflecting on his accomplishments in the dungeon, Bones felt a sense of satisfaction. With his objectives achieved for now, he wasted no time and promptly exited the stage, ready to continue his journey outside the dungeon.

By morning, Bones returned to the smithy after replenishing his mana potion stock at an alchemy shop. The smithy appeared busier than usual, with unfamiliar faces bustling about, likely apprentices. Upon entering, Bones was promptly approached by the same dwarf he had encountered before.

"Mr. Bones! You were expected to stop by anytime now. It's been a few busy days, and Hem has left a message for you!" the dwarf informed him.

Handing Bones a note, the dwarf then bowed slightly and departed. Bones glanced at the note, which simply read, "When ye get 'ere, come to the shop!"

"Why the note? Could've just said so…" Bones mused, referring to the dwarf who had delivered the message.

Bones left the smithy and made his way to the shop, which was situated close to the Construction Guild, necessitating a forty-minute walk since he preferred not to use public transport. Upon entering, he found the shop bustling with a crowd of people, and he spotted Hem waving to him from the back. Pushing through the throng, Bones finally reached the back room where Hem was waiting.

"Hem! Good to see you. What's going on?" Bones inquired, gesturing to the crowded shop.

"Heya Boney! What ye mean? It’s been like this fer the last few days! Ye didn’t ‘no?" Hem replied in his characteristic dialect.

Shaking his head, Bones admitted he hadn't realized the shop was typically so busy. Hemdus went on to explain that the recent border war had driven up demand. While the capital's armor and weapons shops were often too expensive for many, their shop offered more affordable options, leading to the influx of customers.

"So business is…" Bones trailed off, prompting Hem to finish his sentence.

"Booming, ye!" Hem confirmed with a grin.

Hem handed Bones a ring with his share of the profit from the sales and explained that he left the note because he had been spending more time at the shop due to the increased demand. In his absence, hired apprentices occupied the smithy.

"So, killed the spider lady?" Hem inquired, and Bones nodded in confirmation. "Out with ye loot then!"

With a sigh, Bones began unpacking the loot from his dungeon run, starting with the fur pelts. Hem's interest was piqued as he watched.

"Ye tried the next stage? Noice, Boney!"

After unpacking everything, Bones briefed Hem on his experiences in the third stage and the likelihood of encountering the wolf boss. Hem nodded, noting that he would pass the information along to Darsumi.

"Look, Boney, yer gon have to find yerself something to do until evening, kay? Come meet us at the smithy later!" Hem suggested before bidding Bones farewell for the time being.

Bones took the hint, nodded, and said he'd come by later then. He turned to leave the shop but not before asking if his bone miniatures had been sold. Hem cheerfully replied, "All sold!"

"That's great! For how much g…silver have you sold them for?" Bones asked. Noticing Hem's hesitation, he corrected himself. "Copper?"

"Ah, yes, forty-five copper per toy!" Hem admitted reluctantly.

Sigh They're not toys…I'd rather you gave them away then!

Bones turned and left the shop without waiting for a response.