That one really hurt. Ah. I can still feel their little claws tearing into me. Ripping and tearing into me. I hate red-caps. I float in the ether, my spider body now distant and far away from where my spirit now resides. I guess I’ll have to go back to that floor to find the stairs next chance I get. But I doubt I’ll spawn there twice in a row. That hasn’t been how it has worked this whole time so I assume nothing has changed in that regard. Ah. As I float there I feel an odd desire for something specific for someone without a body. I want to stretch. I feel like I just woke up and that my frame is stiff and rigid. Like my bones would pop in a satisfying way if I could just reach out and up and stretch from the tips of my toes. But I have no body. I have no bones. There is no satisfaction in this part of my existence right now.
I hope the thief-girl is safe. But I think so. Red-caps can’t climb trees and she was way up there. Assuming she still exists. I don’t know what the rules are, friend. If I die, what happens to the people in the time I was in? I guess they just go back, right? Go back to wherever they start when I respawn, like none of it ever happened. That’s how it’s always been, I think? So I suppose she’ll be fine. She’ll be fine.
She is different though. Different from the others. I’m a fool, an idiot, dumb, I have problems with my attention and with my memory. But even I can see she is different. She knows too much. She doesn’t act like the others. Like the trash-mobs, like the other adventurers. Like the hero. I don’t think she likes me, which is understandable. But I can’t sum her up either. I don’t know what her deal is. She seems to recognize me though, to know me on sight even when I am something else. How?
How?
She knew from the start when I was a drake. She knew it was me from the start when I was a spider-girl. Does that mean… I think back to our other encounters. When I was a skeleton. A minotaur. Did she know then too? Did she… wait. Wait. Did she ruin my swordsman duel with the hero on purpose? If I had fists I would clench them. That wound is still fresh in my pride. I really, really wanted to fight him one on one, guy. No. No. Let it go. That’s in the past. It’s not healthy to carry old grudges with you, right? I suppose it never really happened either, if the whole going back in time theory stands so… hmm. I’m surprised I still remember that. My memory has been sharper since I got my menu.
Truth be told I sometimes wonder if I’m built for the trash-mob life, friend. I don’t like hurting people. I don’t like being hurt. I guess I’m kind of a coward if I think about it like that actually. Dark-lord forgive me. I guess all I know about her right now is that she wants to kill me. I think she might remember her life between respawns. I think she might be like me in that sense. Like the fairy of the fountain. I think she knows. I saw it in her eyes. That tiredness. That want for sleep but the active resistance to it, like my own. No rest for the wicked, right? Has she been here as long as I have? It’s hard to say. If so. Why her? Why does she remember if the others don’t? Why do I remember if nobody else does? The fairy?
I can’t say.
If she remembers, I hope she’ll go easy on me next time. I feel like I’ve earned a break. Like she owes me one. But I suppose that’s just how I see it. Her hair was nice though, it was really soft. She could maybe use a bath, but I guess we all can so that’s fair enough.
I float.
I should have killed another red-cap. At least I would have gotten that level up. Oh well, next time. Next time. I feel like I’m doing good though. I really nailed her with that spear. I guess it was a surprise attack, a bit of a lucky hit. But still. I think I can hold my own against her, at least. Is she not as strong as the others? Or am I just becoming strong? I’ve been holding out against them decently enough every time we fight. I mean, I always lose but still. It’s never a total wash anymore, so that’s nice, right?
Oh well. We’ll figure it ou-
The lurch, the pulse of energy rippling through the shapeless entity that I am lets me know that it’s time. My whole feels like I am being dunked into a bath of icy water. It’s col-
I open my eyes and stare out over the dusty, clammy stone floor I lay on. I see a thin, meatless hand before me. Bare. Vacant spiderwebs fill the gap between my time-stained ligaments. Particles of dust fill the stagnant air, floating from brick wall to brick wall of the final labyrinth. I groan. Here again? Boooring. As I do so, a quiet, whistling shriek leaves my mouth instead. The only noise I can make in this body. I hear the clanking of my bones rattling over the floor, rising up from the position I am laying in. For some reason I was down on the ground? Weird for a skeleton, we’re usually quite the active bunch. Very sporty people, those skeletons.
Slowly, rattling and shaking like an old man I rise up to my feet and look down, down at my long purple robe covered in odd tatters and holes. I’m a skeleton caster. The robe is old. Really old. I like it though, it reminds me of my cape from back then when I was a skeleton last time. But it’s not like those robes of the other skeleton casters. They never have this color of cloth. My bones as well. This body isn’t just old, it’s ancient actually. I close my fingers, testing my dexterity. They close, but there is a significant delay for a moment until they move like I want them to. Even as a skeleton, old age can hamper you, friend. Remember to take care of your joints, you’ll need them for a while. I like the robe though, I examine it carefully. The faded purple material covered in a golden thread that weaves through it, creating a mesh of crudely geometric depictions. Fancy stuff. Something about this feels… familiar. Hmm. I tap the top of my skull with my finger, sending out a gentle ‘thunk’ ‘thunk’ that bounds off of the stone around me as I think.
Have you ever had that feeling of deja vu? Like something that has happened before is happening again? Hmm.
I look around with my new body. The first thing I notice is that my mind is clear. Clean. No poison potion making me nauseous. No angst or adrenaline fueling a hunger. No anger, rage. Despair. Fear. I am calm and I feel a sort of… hmm… how do I put this… I feel an old man's mischievousness, like the kind of childishness that only the elderly have access to. The feeling that you’re allowed to have fun, because we’re all gonna die eventually anyways, right? It’s kind of nice, actually. Relieving. My shoulders feel really light. This is a nice body, I think. A little old, but who of us isn’t?
I roll my shoulders back and stretch hoping for a pop, but nothing gives way. I suppose nothing could. I don’t think I can make it up to the forest in time with this old rickety shell, so… I wonder what I’ll do today instead?
Wait a minute. I open my menu and look at the refreshed window pane of the first panel. I’m not sure what I expect to see, but… I stop and look at the thing floating before me.
I can read human. I can read this. Wait. Isn’t this the human body I made my cape from?
*Megalovania INTENSIFIES*
*hey, take it easy.
*he's has got a TON of work done today
*a skele - TON
That was very humurous of you, really tickled my funny bone. You'd have to be a total numskull or be completely heartless to not enjoy these jaw-dropping jokes. well, I'm going to knee cap it there because I don't think people have the spine or the guts to keep reading these, seriously grow a thick skin, ahh I'm just ribbing with ya. But give yourself a hand for getting this far, if you cant I got spares.
I usually forbid dad-jokes in my comments.
But today I'll throw you two a bone
@DMRhodes that one is one of sans jokes
Yooooo, is mc the old heroes skeleton!?
Currently our mc is the purpled robed skeleton who we found laying inside of the Labyrinth during our original skeleton chapters. It is important to note that we are not Demon-Miasma's body which was on the secret floor above the slimes, but a different, also interesting dressed fellow. =)
Blob Neutral
The first skele chapter instance arc I listened to bonettusle and this one I'll listen to megolovania.
Thanks for reading! Sounds like a good choice to me
S/he can speak human in this life!
Yes! But we can also do lots of other super cool stuff
No poison potion making me nauseous.
lol I GUESS alcohol is TECHNICALLY a poison potion, sure.
3) That's a dapper looking menu, cleans up nice doesn't it?
It isn't though since it is a dead link and there is no image sadly...
I scream, but god can't hear me.
Fixing it now, thanks!
@Razmatazz Yay!
hmmm, I wonder what stat, "HaHa" means... oh wait it is mana
Thanks author sama
Thank you for reading!
Cute pixel art! Immediately thought undertale when i saw it. Authors note did not disappoint.
Thanks for reading!
I was about iffy about this novel at first, but as we’ve begun to explore an actual plot and gotten past just wandering for wanderings sake its gotten really good. Looking forward to where this goes!!!???
It get's weird haha. You aren't quite there yet, but things get wibbly-wobbly on multiple levels. Glad you're having fun!
Postin this here instead of latest chapter cuz this is where I left off last time, and latest chap is far away. I realized the reason why I loved this wn but didn’t want to come back to it for a while was the lack of internal conflict (for now I guess). I felt that everything happening, while it was amazing to read, was happening to the MC, and the MC was reacting to every event. I felt like I already understood where the story was going to go, even though that’s probably not the case.
I think the decision not to kill himself and not kill theif girl, etc, are internal conflict, but they feel idk, supplementary rather than a huge point in the plot? It feels like the plot isn’t really affected by their decisions, which is kind of highlighted by the fact that inciting inc/first plot point (whatever term) was him accidentally finding the stairs. He doesn’t really have much a reason to NOT continue up the stairs, other than having relaxing slime fun. So it’s not that there is no internal conflict, it’s just... not really substantial/feels like it doesn’t matter?
The way the plot is going, it feels like going through the motions, I think that’s what I’m trying to convey? I’m not a writer, sorry, it’s hard to put this vague feeling into words. Maybe it gets better from here on even, I haven’t read past this after all. The theif girl plot point could be an example of the exact thing I’m waiting for, I just thought as a slightly objective 3rd party, you’d want to hear how I felt about your story. And remember, I’m only one reader, with my own subjective opinions that may or may not correlate with other readers’.
Interesting, so you feel like there should be more of a tighter internal dynamic? Hmm. Okay, thank you for the detailed feedback friend. I really appreciate it and will try to keep it in mind as we progress in the future! =)
@DMRhodes No prob! Yeah, that’s basically it~ And hey, amazing job so far! It takes a f*ck ton of courage to show your stuff to people at all *coming from an easily embarrassed perfectionist hopefully-to-be-writer*, and it’s pretty well done and entertaining in my eyes!
@Plantorsomething Thank you friend, that means a lot to me! I get the whole being embaressed thing, especially when I look at my older stuff haha. But you just gotta put yourself out there, you know? It's the only way to get where you want to go in the end! Scribblehub is nice though, the readers here are very chill especially in comparison with RoyalRoad which can get really intense. *Laughs nervously*
Let me know when you have something posted, I'll be sure to give you a shoutout!
@DMRhodes Wow, really? Damn, thanks a ton! I’ll try not to keep you waiting :) I read up to latest btw; as addicting to read as always!