Carion's side, a little while before Garami's transportation was finished

The light from the magic circle disappeared, and I found myself on top of a magic circle made of stone. The surroundings were filled with trees, but you need to do better than that if you want to fool a Forest Elf. These trees are dead. Just death-aether shaped in the form of trees. Then this must be the Husk Forest. Like, a forest made of husks of trees. Haha, good one.

While I was busy making jokes looking over the situation, sounds started to come from the forest. I quickly hid in the trees in the opposite direction of the sounds.

An old man dressed in noble clothing revealed himself from the trees. The man looked for something on the magic circle, but when he did not find anything, he started to swear.

"Blasted fools! Can't they do anything right? The base in Velantas' as good as gone. It's better to just activate the Husks and get this over with." - Old man

Husks? Are they the real reason for this Dungeon's name? And that guy, ain't he...

"Hmm, someone else is also teleporting to this place. And this guy... heh. Let's have the prototype armored with Mizatto's Scales take care of the remains." - Gregor

After fiddling with a contraption in his hands, the old man, Raft Gregor himself, went further into the forest. I walked to the magic circle again, but it was long turned off. Since there was nothing else to do here, I followed the former baron into the forest. But that last line of his..., you better be in one piece Garami. Or else the girls will skin me.

---

*STAB!* *CLANG!*

Too close! The impact on my back snapped me out of the daze from the sudden teleportation, and I hurriedly threw off the cult-robe I was still wearing. The cloth fluttered in the air, and on the inside of it, there was a monstrous mouth.

I hurriedly fired a Dark Bullet on the monster robe while jumping back to dodge the slash of the knight Draugr.

The attack on me missed, while the robe was blasted in hundreds of bits. The surreal sight of a robe spilling blood and flesh parts made me flinch a moment, but I had already anticipated that freak of the clothing shelf. 

I threw a handmade smoke bomb on the floor, and while the Draugr's sight was disturbed by the smoke, I ran out of the clearing and into the woods. 

=====================================================================

QUEST PROGRESS:

Legacy Quest, [Falsehood Breaker], is completed:

• Reveal the truth of an item or individual that [Appraisal LV8] cannot see through, without any help, 1/1 COMPLETE

Rewards are now received:

Requirements are now fulfilled:

Skill [Appraisal LV8] has become [Appraisal LV9]

[Fake Data Detection] has been unlocked for the skill: [Appraisal LV9]

 

Title [Pinch Breaker] has been upgraded to the title [Fatality Crusher]

Through acquiring the title [Fatality Crusher], skill [Instinct LV1] is obtained.

=====================================================================

And there they came. That title was unexpected, but the skill reward sounds like it's useful for me. And is fatality supposed to be a wordplay on fate? Lame.

By now I believe that people want to know why all this happened, so I'll tell you guys while the Draugr's occupied with the smoke. [Stealth] also works on these guys, so I got some time to talk. 

The reason why I died in the prophecy wasn't cause of the Draugr, it was the damn disguise I used. That thing must be some sort of Living Clothing, or Mimic, or whatever, with some camouflage or transformation ability that completely disguises itself from [Appraisal]. That was my theory after I failed to store the robes of the cult members me and Carion defeated in the temple's control room.

I was going to try out that theory in my dream when I was captured by the town guards after the rodeo on the bison, but Agnir busted that plan. And when I wanted to have that dream, it never appeared! 

So, why did I go all the way to dress up as a cult member, despite the threat it proposed? Cause, it was the fastest way into the forest! According to the prophecy, I would die in front of that knight Draugr, in the middle of a ghostly forest. The only forest that fits the bill is the Husk Forest, so I thought, why not take advantage of it? The cult's base should have something that was connected to the forest, so why not have fate give a helping hand? Didn't expect to be teleported straight into the fight...

And for how I survived the strike, it's all thanks to Raoul. Thanks to his improved [Transformation] skill and some new defensive skills, I had him turn into a thin, but damn durable armor underneath my clothes. He was the one the freak-a-cloth stabbed at, which in turn made it throw away its disguise and defense, letting me finish off that nightmare. I removed Raoul from underneath my shirt to take a look at him.

=====================================================================

Name: Raoul

Race: [Treasure Mimic]   | Level: 19

Owner: Garami

Karma Value: 30

Skills: 16

Titles: 1

Skill points: 0.0

Condition: Broken

 

HP: 1/1   | MP: 2/2   | SP: 0/0

STR: 0   | VIT: 2   | MAG: 4

RES: 3   | SPD: 0  | DEX: 0

INT: 100   | LUC: 110

=====================================================================

R-RAOULLLLL! He's lost almost all of his body, except the blue gem-eye! Speak to me pal! Don't go into the light!

Damn that hunk of tar! The filthy robe's already taken care of, but is that enough to calm me down? NO. WAY. IN. FUCKING. HELL!! I'm gonna-?! What was that? That bad feeling I just got? 

?! Duck!

*SLASH!*

Right where my head was just a moment ago, a large force wave cut through the forest. When I looked up again, I saw the Draugr in a position with his sword to the side. Did he slash with the sword so it created a flying slash? But shouldn't that be a Sword Art? Draugrs are incapable of using skills, except for that Remnant-whatever thingy. Oh, [Appraisal] reached it from all the way here. That's a level up for ya.

I wrapped Raoul with some threads for protection and placed him in my pocket. I then started to appraise the Draugr while running away from those flying slashes. His stats are a little different from the guy in the temple, with this guyæs STR, VIT, and SPD being in the triple-digits, and the rest are in the single digits. INT and LCK are null like before, and its HP and SP are around 400 each-whoa!

*SLASH*

I made a sliding tackle as if trying to reach the last base in a baseball run, and dodged the horizontal slash of the Draugr. Damn that tar... huh? It's SP didn't go down even with that Art? Something's up here. The skill is no different from the guy at the temple, so it's not that. And this guy's supposed to be Test Subject #2? Maybe that fancy armor or sword-! Jump!

Too close! It has understood that it won't catch me by chasing me, so it's taken a turret strategy in the middle of the clearing by throwing flying slashes at me. Damn that guy. Let me see your secrets already!

=====================================================================

Item Name: Grave-Scale Armor of Mizatto

Rank: ---

Type: Full Plate Armor

Durability: 1000/1000

DEF: 200

Weight: 300

Effects:

• Life Link
• Eternal Stamina
  • The SP cost to use skills or other abilities are negated.
• Skill Granting:
  • [Physical Resistance LV30]
  • [Magical Resistance LV30]

Description: A full plate armor made from the scales of the Automata Dragon, Mizatto. 

- Created by the Black Baron

=====================================================================

=====================================================================

Item Name: Fang-Sword of Mizatto

Rank: ---

Type: Greatsword

Durability: 1000/1000

ATK: 200

Weight: 150

Effects:

• Life Link
• Unlimited Swordplay
  • Can use Arts skills related to swords without the required weapon proficiency skill.
• Skill Granting:
  • [Sword Arts LV30]
  • [Greatsword Arts LV30]

Description: A greatsword made from the fangs of the Automata Dragon, Mizatto. 

- Created by the Black Baron

=====================================================================

?!""&¤@$#!? 

---

Welcome back. The fights still at 0-0. Test Subject #2 keeps on firing those slash attacks at me, while I dodge them and try to fight back with the blood daggers. Not that daggers are any good against something like that.

The armor made from the other parts of Wayvol's Automata Dragon keeps the Draugr's SP-tank at full, while my stamina has a limit to it. I want to fire a Hydra at the guy, but will poison even work on him? I want to try with the poison powder first, but I have no way to close the distance to him. If I get too close, then I'll get sliced and diced. And if I try to run away, then I'll get lost in this damn forest that keeps on jamming my [Auto-Mapping]!

That damn cheater, what kinda protagonist are you anyway! No, that's wrong. But I hate those OP-abilities! Specially when it's not mine! Add some demerits to those things! Ah, sword slash. 

I jumped over the first attack... only to be met with two new ones!? I twisted my body to escape the second slash, and I met the third one with Orimaru. One Neckhunter later, and I was safe from this assault. But I lost Orimaru in the process! And here comes more of 'em!

I ran away from the next slashes, which, by the way, came without stop now. Is this guy a slow starter or something? Never heard about a cooldown time, tar-bastard! 

Urgh... I seriously didn't want to use this, but...

I kept on running around the Draugr while dodging the slashes he threw at me. Then suddenly, the Draugr was struck by something from behind its back. It had way more force in it than the blood daggers had, so the Draugr turned around in anticipation of a new enemy, but no one was there. Except for Orimaru, weakly levitating right underneath the Draugr.

Before it could turn around again, I ran up to it, placed my hands on the small crack in his armor, and used my second ace-in-the-hole after Hydra.

"Sandstorm!" - Garami

A massive amount of sand and wind forced its way into the armor of the Draugr, tearing up its body from the inside of its impregnable armor. I watched as its HP nosedived downwards, and after a little while, it reached 0.

The Draugr let out one last voiceless cry before it fell on the ground, with its tar-like body disappearing in a cloud of black smoke, leaving behind a naked skeleton. At the same moment, its impressive armor and sword started to rust all of a sudden, before they too were gone. Almost as if they were following their master.

Ah, that must be what Life Link is. The stuff's limited to a sole owner. And I wanted to give them to Mira. Well, the remains should be good enough... what's this? A part of the armor that remained was pulsating. What the heck?

=====================================================================

Item Name: Eternal Heart of Mizatto (1/6) |  Disaster of Life

Rank: ---

Type: ???

Durability: ???/???

Weight: 5

Effects:

• Disaster of Life (Lost)
• Durability of the Divine

Description: INFORMATION CLASSIFIED

- Customized by the Black Baron

=====================================================================

I found it! That easily? Wait, "(1/6)"... and "customized by the Black Baron"? 

...I hate that guy!

Argh, now's not the time to create new targets on my kill-list. Orimaru's... there! Poor guy's seen better days. Most of his blade and guard's broken. Still better than Raoul, but no way I can use him anymore without risking that he will break for good then. Relax partner, I'll get the best blacksmith to see you and Raoul.

=====================================================================

Name: Orimaru

Race: [Living Cursed Kodachi]   | Level: 19

Owner: Garami

Karma Value: -15

Skills: 12

Titles: 1

Skill Points: 0.0

Condtion: Broken

 

HP: 5/15   | MP: 2/2   | SP: 0/0

STR: 4   | VIT: 1   | MAG: 0

RES: 2   | SPD: 4  | DEX: 1

INT: 80   | LUC: 100

=====================================================================

=====================================================================

SKILL LIST

Ability Skills: [ATK Enhancement LV10] UP5

Attack Skills: [Dagger Arts LV10] UP9  [Katana Arts LV1]   [Mana Blade (Darkness) LV20] UP10

Active Skills: [Stealth LV5] [Latent Potential Release LV10] NEW  [Levitation LV10] NEW

Passive Skills: [Critical Enhancement LV6]   [Surprise Attack LV15] UP10

Resistance Skills: [Curse Resistance LV5] 

Racial Skills: [Living Weapon] [Assassin Blade] [Mode Change (Blade)]

Elements: [Darkness Element LV1]   [Curse Element LV1] 

=====================================================================

To take a self-damaging skill like [Latent Potential Release]... and did you level it up right now? Even when I forbid it when you got it during the Haunt trips... 

Okay, it's decided: I'm gonna have these two get as good as new, if not better, no matter what the price! Even if I have to use the corpse of Glavras and the Pyrollusion Gold as materials for this!

...But I don't wanna fight any more tanks from now on. They're too tough for an Assassin like me. At least make them the living type. No more undeads!

Okay, now I'm psyched up. Where is the exit? ...Or is there even one? This is the type of Dungeon that people can't escape from when they first enter, was it? Come on, Garami. Think, think, use that brainbox of yours for once...

I keep on seeing the shadows of people by the trees, but they're only a Terrain Effect of the Dungeon. They're not real. Once I get too close to them, they disperse into the darkness... wait a sec. There's aether going to the shadows from the ground. Like an electric grid.

Then if I follow this grid, won't I find the "generator" for this Dungeon? Maybe it's the same thing that disrupts my [Auto-Mapping]. Better than to sit here and wait for the next Draugr. I'm out of Sandstorms this week, so that's a meeting I don't wanna experience.