Fear and Resolve

With the assistance of「Arcane Mapping」and「Life Form Detector」, the journey of returning to the cave section where I encountered the skeletons was smooth and short. Soon enough, I once again began my long and snail-paced exploration of the dungeon, uncovering pieces of the dungeon on my arcane map bit by bit.

I've been wondering for a while but...aren't there a little too few monsters in this area?

I've been travelling for about thirty minutes and haven't found a single monster.

My「Life Form Detector」and「Mana Sense」have been dead quiet for the last half an hour as well.

I can't help but have a bad feeling about this.

Attempting to fill the hole in my insecurity, I searched through my「Dimensional Storage」to see if there was any stealth item among the treasures. My search ended in disappointment as I returned my attention to the exploration empty-handed.

What's with the lack of useful items in your treasury Godefray!

Come on, I'm feeling anxious right now!

You have a magical cup that turns any liquid poured into it into high-class wine but no stealth items?! What the hell man!

Complaining in my mind, I continued my dungeon expedition while enduring the anxiety and bad feeling in my chest. However, over time, the insecurity and uncertainty in my chest only grew louder.

This is getting unbearable.

Its way too quiet...

What the hecks going on?

Come on「Life Form Detector」, pick up something.

You too「Mana Sense」!

Please. Spider, centipede, monsters, anything will do!

Just break this freaky silence!

After exploring new cave sections and tunnels for another half an hour, I floated up to a tunnel I have yet to explore and began to float my way through it. For some reason, my anxiety and unease seemed to be ramping up the moment I entered this tunnel.

I hate this feeling.

There's something about this area that bothers me.

It's so quiet.

Should I turn back?

...No no, maybe I'm just in a bad mood haha.

Let's just keep going...

What should have been a short tunnel trip felt like an eternity to travel through as I finally spotted the glow of crystals at the end. Exiting the tunnel, the view of a giant opening is introduced to me. One that would put the size of the treasury to shame.

The ground, starting from where I was located, extended downwards in a steep angle for a few dozens of metres before returning to the normal flat fashion. Although the large crystals at the top of the cave were large and bright, they weren't enough to brighten up the entire cave. But even night vision wouldn't be needed to know what was moving around in this room.

What I saw absolutely stunned me and caused fear to rise up in my chest.

Countless small red lights could be seen all over the area.

I stared down at the thousands of skeletons that were present in the cave section. Their red glowing eyes moved in an uncoordinated fashion as each of the undead individuals wandered around in the darkness. The skeletons that wandered around ranged from soldiers in rusty plated armour holding flags to small children in ragged clothing. Many of the skeletons in armour held magically enchanted weapons, some of the weapons even had a presence that approached Arondite's quality. What really caught my attention were the symbols that could be seen on flags and on the back of each soldier's armour, symbols I was very familiar with. The Morvas kingdom.

W-What is this.

Why.

No. This is a dream, right?

...Why are they all here?

WHY!?!

Suddenly, I felt something watching me as my eyes were drawn towards the other end of the cave section where there was a dark tunnel. A pair of large deep crimson glows flickered like flames and stared me from the distance as if wanting to rip me apart.

During those moments, there was only one emotion present in my mind.

Fear.

I'm scared.

I can't move.

What do I do.

I'm scared. I'm scared. I'm scared. I'M SCARED!!!

The horde of skeletons below became restless as they noticed the presence of a living nearby and rushed towards me. The skeletons began to crowd below me and climb on top of each other, desperate to transverse the steep ground and reach me.

...n-no!

Stay away!

The horde of skeletons gradually made progress up the steep slope as I floated there, frozen in fear by the gaze coming from the other side of the dome.

As if judging that I was insignificant, the being in the dark cave seemed to lose interest in me. Its crimson red eyes disappeared into the darkness. After being freed from the gaze, I came back to my senses and looked down at the approaching undead.

I have to run!

I turned around and sped into the tunnel as the undead finally made it up the steep slope and began rushing towards me, pushing at each other and trampling those who were too slow. I pulled out Arondite as the endless amounts of red eyes stared at me in anger and hatred.

Damn it.

I have to try it!

Trying not to panic from the fear that still remained in my mind, I began to charge Arondite with mana to launch the「Energy blast」attack. The sword glowed brighter and brighter in brilliant blue colour, I didn't have time to admire it as the undead were about to reach the tunnel entrance. It was very painful because I was practically charging the attack with my blood, but I endured it until the attack was ready. Finally, as the first few undead were entering the tunnel, I swung Arondite with all my might causing a bright blue arc of light to be fired forward from the blade. The arc of light flew forward and impacted the ceiling at the entrance of the tunnel causing rubble to crash down onto the ground, crushing the first group of skeletons in the process, and blocking the entrance.

Without a second thought, I turned around and rushed down the tunnel as fast I as could in fear. I didn't know where I was going, nether the less I kept running. When I was finally calm enough to think, I found myself back in the cave section where I first met the skeleton party. I was hiding behind a rock in the corner of the cave.

What...What was that thing?

I shivered in fear when I thought back to the experience of the creature staring at me from the dark. It felt like that creature was a being that could easily crush me as if I was a bug. The fear from when I died in my previous life and the fear I felt when confronting the spider for the first time was nothing in comparison.

The fear I felt...It felt like I was about to break.

I'm scared...

Why did all this happen...

All those skeletons...they were the escape party, weren't they?

All those people. That being that was staring at me killed them didn't it?

That being...would I ever match up to it?

As I thought about this, the gaze of the being appeared in my mind once more. The fear I felt was so petrifying that I dropped Arondite onto the ground and shrunk back further behind the rock.

No way. No way.

If I fight something like that I'll die...

I'm scared...

Should I return back to the castle?

Atleast I won't die if I hide there...

I hid there in the corner of the cave behind the rock for the next hour, thinking about the things that have happened. As I continued to contemplate my decisions, I looked at Arondite that was on the ground and stared at my reflection on the shiny blade. Staring at my reflection, new thoughts began to surface in my mind.

...Do I want this though?

If I stayed in the castle, wouldn't I be weak forever?

If that being could somehow break into the castle, it would kill me.

If I'm weak I won't be able to protect myself. Life in the dungeon is all about strength.

As I'm thinking about this, Godefray the king of the Morvas kingdom began to appear in my mind.

Wait, the fact that Godefray didn't turn into an undead meant that he had no regrets when he died. He wasn't afraid of death then?

...can I become someone like him?

.

.

.

...I can. I can do it.

No. I'll become someone better.

Godefray's people died because they were weak. He's admirable, but if he was strong enough he could have protected his people.

That's it...

I'll just become the strongest so nothing can harm me.

I'll become the strongest in the world.

A new sense of resolve arises in my heart as I moved forward and picked up Arondite off the ground, wiping it with a piece of cloth from my storage.

Creature. Whatever you are, I'll make you regret the things you did.

When I get stronger, I'll come for you. I swear it.

Wait for me.

I owe Godefray a lot, so I'll avenge his people.

I'll definitely make you pay.

After I pulled out both the adamantite hammer and the magic bow and had all three of my weapons float around me, I headed towards a location on my map.

Deeper into the dungeon.