Chapter 7: Powering Up

Well, that changes things. I wasn’t sure how to react to the dead rising before me. But I found myself strangely relieved. I had one problem solved, hiding bodies, and now a whole lot more questions.

I read over the Soul Stroll Skill once more.

I couldn’t talk to the two unexpected guests in the living room right away. No siree. I had to first try to test out my new Soul Stroll ability. They seemed like fine enough chaps, but I wanted to make sure I wouldn’t spook them into running away. The description made it clear that I could intentionally use this ability to scare people. And that just wouldn’t do. Pappy had ingrained in me as a young lass on how to make a good impression.

Of course, he hadn’t taught me about eavesdropping. That one I picked up on my own.

“Well, I’m sure they’re… fine. Bees like fire, right?” One asked.

“Not usually,” the other responded. It seemed very distraught. I pitied the poor creature with the strangely fashionable hat.

What an odd conversation. I was starting to suspect these weren’t the original homeowners.

Especially after the former, the one with the pirate patch, mentioned something very particular that caught my attention.

“Fine. Stay here next to that creepy Dungeon Core.”

Ah, lucky me. These two happened to know something about what I was. Ain’t that the bees knees.

Speaking of which…

Ah, yes.

It was muffled and faint. Yet buzzing up a storm as it tried to escape..

I had completely forgotten!

There was that queen bee under the dirt pile still. Whoopsie. Must have slipped my mind with all the ruckus going on…

I’ll get you out in a jiffy, little fella. I focused all of my attention upon Mana Dusting up the pile.

Wow, that was quick. My skill levels were already paying off.

I activated Soul Stroll ability from my Skill Menu. Just like before when trying to summon an object, like dirt, my avatar appeared as a floating translucent blue form before me.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

The ghost form certainly looked like my past self. Or at least it was my past self just before I shuffled off my mortal coil in the hospital bed. Same old wrinkles and moles and all.

I concluded I wouldn't scare them off these visitors looking like this.

Neither of the skeletons reacted to the image. Even when I waved out and about in the air in front of their faces. And the ghostly form of myself was frozen in time with a soft, kindly expression.

This isn’t exactly what I expected.

Oh no. Why wasn’t this working?

And even worse: saving the bee had the opposite effect I was looking for. The skeleton that mentioned I was a Dungeon Core was even more determined to leave still. He began marching towards the door, out of the range of my Weary Bones aura.

I was going to lose this opportunity!

I did the only thing I could think of.

I selected my next Power.

I toggled it on.

The sailor skeleton trudged on for a moment. Then slowly slumped to the ground, groaning.

The second, Jellybee, I presumed, instead stood up slowly. His bones rattled menacingly as he took a few tentative steps towards my Core.

I felt a spike of fear.

His chest cavity smoldered with gray smoke and his eyes blazed with a bright green intensity.

He took another step. Then another.

Was I in danger? Could this Jellybee resist my upgraded Aura?

But no. He walked over to the queen bee, gradually sat back upon the ground, picked up the traumatized bug, and then cradled her into his chest cavity. Jellybee then laid down, curled up in the fetal position, and…

And was that skeleton crying?

Yes, indeed. The poor dear was sobbing.

I wanted to reach out and give him a rub on the back. Err, spine. Maybe just a pat on the head would do instead?

And maybe I still could. I finally remembered I had to actually place my avatar into the world using mana.

I summoned forth my spirit into the living room. “Excuse me, my dears, but before you go, would you be willing to help out this old bag of bones?”

For a long moment, neither of them spoke. I briefly wondered if they heard me. “Uh, hello? Is this thing on? Testing.”

The skeleton with an eye patch responded while staring up at the ceiling while lying on his back. “We hear you, Lady. Turn it off.”

I feigned elderly ignorance. “What was that? Turn what off?”

“You damn well know!” He groaned. “Your Aura. Turn. It. Off.”

“Oh! Silly me. I will get right on that. Just promise you won’t leave when I do? I get mightily lonely at this age.”

“I ain’t promisin’-”

Jellybee interrupted. “We promise! Just make it stop.”

I toggled off the Brittle Bones Aura.

And then the air steward lady spoke up. Cheery as always, declared in bold letters:

SPINEMESS, UNDEAD SKELETON MAGE (LVL 2), ADDED TO MINION TAB

JELLYBEE, UNDEAD SKELETON SAPPER (LVL 3) ADDED TO MINION TAB

JIMBO-NO, UNDEAD SKELETON BRIGAND (LVL 6) ADDED TO MINION TAB>

Jimbo-no shouted, “Oh for fucks sake, Jellybee!”