I opened my eyes lazily, slowly rising from my bed and looking out the window... it was a tranquil day yet again, nothing exciting happening.

Just as it always has for my whole life, which I hoped that it would've gotten more eventful but no... its always been like this.

I work as a programmer for a financial firm, I make sure to do my best and I earn enough to live a comfortable life while buying what I want. I even get my parents gifts from time-to-time.

My parents moved to their dream home after retirement, they always wanted me to be stable so as soon as I was... they went into retirement without worries for me being unable to provide for myself.

I only had a few friends and I remained single throughout high-school, I occasionally meet up with my high-school friends.

The only thing that gave me excitement were fantasy books that I read as a child, I loved imagining the different scenarios in my head as I kept reading. Manga and Manhwas were also something I avidly read when I have free time, all the storylines and world-building really makes me fall in love with the fantasy genre.

I loved the idea of going on an adventure to slay some demon king, it seemed childish to some but I wasn't embarrassed about those type of stuff and continued to read it.

Maybe it was because I led such an uneventful life that I yearned for a more exciting life like in those fantasies, I would love something exciting to happen in my life for once.

My alarm woke me up at 6 am in the morning as usual which signaled the start of my day, I rarely sleep-in... which is a huge contrast to when I was younger, I'd just sleep through the afternoon since nothing exciting happened

I got up and started to stretch my body, I had to do my exercise routine everyday for my health.

I wouldn't say that I was a very strong person but I was decently fit for my age, I always made it a habit to keep fit so I don't have any physical problems.

I looked at a text that my mom sent while I was asleep... they seemed quite worried since I haven't been texting them as often, I was quite buzy last night so I slept early.... I'll text them now then so they won't worry.

After tying my shoes, I went outside for a run. Ahh... Yep today's a good day, I feel like something grand might happen!

I felt the rain wet my clothes as a drizzle came about as I jogged around... I guess I should rush back to a shelter, I don't want to get sick.

Maybe heading back home before the rain gets heavier is a better idea, I wanna shower and read some manga.

I stopped at a traffic light while heading home.

While waiting for the green light to appear, I checked my watch which showed it was 6:55 am.

It was at that time I heard rapid footsteps went by me.

A high-school girl paced by me and went to cross the road, maybe she was in a rush to school... reminds me of my days when I was in high-school, I wonder how my friends are doing... I haven't contacted them in a while.

The rain was already getting heavier, from a drizzle to a heavy downpour. The weather here's been getting quite chaotic lately, more rainstorms and small earthquakes frequently happen... I hope my area will be safer than the others.

I thought of the high-school girl running just now, she should be careful not to slip and fall.

In the corner of my eye, I see lights coming from the right. Is that a truck?... Its going pretty fast.

"Ah! My ball!" Huh!? A boy? Oi! Its dangerous!

A small boy that had dropped his toy ball had ran across the road to grab it back. The truck was approaching fast towards the boy when a girl jumped in to try to get the boy out of harm's way.

Wait it was the girl from before! She probably also saw what happened and acted quickly without hesitation.

Th- They're going to die! The girl wasn't able to push the boy completely away from how I saw it... They'll both die at this rate!

My body moved swiftly and pushed both of them away from the speeding truck, I feel sore all of a sudden... I feel weird what happened to me?

Eh? Why did I move? I didn't know how but I was now the one that was in front of truck while the high-school girl and young boy was out of the truck's way.

I could see the girl's expression, she was surprised to see me. I was too since I didn't know why my body reacted that fast... I- Why did I save them? I'll die... No wait what about... my parents- I still need to... do stuff but... damn I wanna eat some ramen right now.

Before I knew it, I was facing the sky as the rain poured heavily... I've never felt this cold before... I can't feel my right arm. All I wanted to do was close my eyes, I think that was my consciousness fading? I'm not sure but I feel really tired- Ah its probably the loss of blood.

I was still breathing miraculously, I could clearly hear my own heartbeat. A girl appeared before me, it was the high-school girl... I wonder why she's here.

She seemed to be shouting for help, I couldn't hear but I could see her expression. This sucks... I wanted to eat some ramen... I'll miss the taste.

I was able to save them at least. Even if I didn't know why I saved them but If i tried to and they still died, I'd be pretty irritated because I wasted my life for nothing.

My whole body felt numb but it didn't feel as painful as I expected to be rammed by a truck, did I not actually get hit? Was it a dream? Nah I got hit hard.

I should die soon though, the hit was pretty hard and I probably lost a lot of blood by now.

My vision started to blur out. I instinctively tried to grab something as if I was clinging to my last breaths.

I grabbed the girl's hand and I coughed the words I wanted to say the most...

Alas I couldn't conjure up a single word out of my mouth. My vision had completely faded to black right there and then.

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Am I dead? I feel so cold... Its like death itself is embracing me. I wonder if there is an afterlife? Maybe this is the afterlife... cold just abyss and sink into it

I had regained consciousness but I couldn't feel my body... I guess this is the afterlife? Not as flashy as I was expecting but I guess this is it.

Suddenly I heard a baby crying, where was it coming from?

My eyes opened and I found myself next to a crying baby. What the- Where am I... Who's baby is this?

Was I reincarnated into a baby or something?

I moved my hand and saw only a bone hand... huh a bone hand, that's perfectly nor-

I jumped from where I was from shock, I looked around and found myself beside three more similar looking skeletons and the baby I woke up to.

I tried to speak but nothing came out. I was a skeleton so it made sense I couldn't talk but wait skeletons aren't able to move by themselves in the first place.

"Ah~ It seems like we have an early riser." A voice came from behind me, it was another skeleton. It resembled more of a human skeleton than this small skeleton body that I had.

Wait, I could hear this other skeleton clearly... it was a woman's voice but the skeleton wasn't opening its mouth so how did it talk?

The skeleton walked towards me and picked me up, it stared at me curiously before putting me down on a bench.

I looked around, I was on a plain of grass which the sun brightly shined upon the place.

I could feel the warmth of the sun and the wind blowing through my ribs.

The skeleton looked at me once more, I looked back and saw a mark on the skeleton's head.

Do I have that too? I touched my head to feel for any marks but it seems like I didn't have any sort of marks like the skeleton in front of me.

"Quite the special one aren't you.." The skeleton spoke to me again, I didn't know how but it seems like its telepathy if it couldn't talk using a voice.

I tried responding back but to no avail, I was unable to speak. She wasn't moving her mouth but I could hear her clearly.

"Ah you should visualize yourself concentrating mana to your head to speak." The skeleton spoke once again.

Mana? Like magic? Can I do that? It didn't hurt to try so I visualized telepathy in a sense by concentrating 'mana' into my head.

"Ca- Can you he- hear me?" I was able to speak, it was an incredible moment as I spoke without a voice.

"Wow! Seems like you have a knack for this kind of thing." The skeleton spoke once more but sounded quite happy that I was able to speak.

"Whe- Where am I?" It was still a bit rough but I was able to speak so its fine that I stuttered a bit.

"Where are you? Hmm..." The skeleton didn't seem to figure out that I'm from another world, she explained that I wasn't like the other skeletons that mostly acted from orders. She also said I was supposed to be a special skeleton but she said i'll know the details later.

Vera which was the skeleton's name was a special kind of skeleton that could act independently, she was one of the direct servants of the Head Necromancer here.

"I'll help you get yourself comfortable." It was a short but reassuring sentence, maybe it was the telepathy but I could feel her sincerity behind her words.

"I'll explain to you the rules of this world first." Vera had brought out a notebook to draw some stuff that couldn't be verbally explained easily.

Vera explained the current affairs of this world to me as time went by...

1. Magic exists in this world, most people could use magic but only few could fully utilize it

2. Races such as Humans, Elves, Demons and Dwarves exist in this world, there are a lot of sub species but they are the main races

3. Currently a war is taking place, it has been going on for at least 5 years or so

4. The faction that I am in is the Necromancer Savien alongside the Divine Demon faction which was against another faction the righteous faction of Behtman Angel Faction which consisted of different races even fellow demons

5. I am a special kind of skeleton that was made to protect the heir of the Head Necromancer of the group

6. The Divine Demon Faction was losing the war as some of its supply routes had been cut off recently and it was on its last legs. The remaining groups were the Necromancer Savien and the remnants of the main demon king forces

7. There are other factions but they are miniscule in comparison to the two main factions

The other faction Behtman Angel was a faction that accepted all races even the races that had defected from the Divine Demon faction, few had grudges against the opposite faction races as they knew they were manipulated by the Demon King which is what some people want others to believe.

Ms Vera was very educated about the affairs of the world so she understood the Behtman Angel faction's way of doing things but she told me that the Divine Demon Faction had a better reason to continue fighting this war... no matter how righteous the Behtman Angel Faction sounded, it was just a ploy to rally people together to exterminate the Divine Demon Faction as a whole so that no one could oppose them in any way.

"I see... I understand the situation that I'm in..." Vera had finished her summary of the situation in this world.

I'm in quite the predicament, I shouldn't panic... it'll be a few years before the opposite faction comes and ends the war.

I had another question for Vera so I spoke up.

"Ms Vera, may I ask a question?" I should ask for permission to speak as it seems that Vera is my superior in this situation.

"Vera is fine, what would you like to ask?" Vera turned to me and had a cheerful tone.

"The mark on your head... what is it for?" I curiously stared at her mark.

"It is a mark that confirms me as a marked servant of a necromancer, once a necromancer has fully mastered skeleton control, they mark their servants so that they can distinguish and enforce strengthened control over the servants." Vera fluently explained to me about the mark.

"So what am I supposed to do now?" I'm not even sure what my place is in this faction... I know I'm not some random skeleton to be sent to the frontlines, I know I have an important role here.

Ms Vera had given me a blank stare before speaking again.

"I do have to speak to my master about you... so please just sit tight here with Lady Atelie." Lady Atelie? Oh I guess its that baby.

"So I guess I'll wait for you to come back then!" Well... there's nothing I can do but wait.

Ms Vera had the plan for me and the other three skeletons to escape with the heir of the Head Necromancer, I along with my fellow skeletons were a special rare case of skeletons that had advanced potential and thought process which could be developed to one of the strongest soldiers but in exchange, we would not be controlled forcefully nor be marked which would make us seem like normal skeletons that wander this world's surface. I guess that's why I still maintain my mind? I wonder if someone else was supposed to be in this body instead of me.

In the meantime, Ms Vera wanted my help to hopefully lead my fellow three skeletons to support the plan and become strong. To be honest, I'd like to stay here if this faction wasn't going to be crushed but it wasn't the time for such thoughts.

"I just realized... Your name? Do you want to name yourself or would you like me to do it?" Ms Vera had gotten off the bench and walked to the the three other skeletons and baby while i followed.

A name... its another life so what name would fit here? I thought of it deeply and one sprang into my head.

"I thi- I think my name will be Atlas..." Ms Vera looked at me and seemed to have a satisfied look with the name

Well I would be guiding my three other skeletons and Atelie as a leader like a guide hence the name Atlas.

"Hmm... make sure to watch Atelie while I'm gone, I'll be back to check up on you guys. If any of the others wake up... explain what I told you just now

Atelie hmm... it sounds close to the word Atelier maybe she'll become an artist of some sorts in the future.

"Atlas expect to be spoken to by the Head Necromancer tomorrow, in the mean time do not show any suspicious behaviors such as snooping around." Ms Vera had a stern tone while saying that and slowly put down Atelie.

"Yes Ms Vera..." I responded with seriousness. I guess i'll be asked some questions or be checked up for any abnormalities

"If we're alone just call me Vera but address me as Ms Vera in front of others." Ms Vera walked towards a door and seemed to be exiting the place.

"Yes... Vera." It didn't seem right to me to address her that way but I shouldn't disobey her.

"Take care until then..." Ms Vera had opened a door which led to a castle hallway which upon closing the door the door had disappeared from sight.

That door must have been a magic door, I wanna learn magic if possible... Its pretty nifty.

Well... I should probably reflect on my situation here until then. I didn't feel tired, has only a short time passed or is it because I'm a skeleton. Well it doesn't matter right now, let's think about other important things for now.

I wonder if my parents are already grieving on seeing my lifeless body in the hospital... Maybe being buried as I speak, if I go back... will I just be a lifeless corpse? Or will I be alive as if nothing happened?'

Now I feel nervous being in another world, the peaceful and uneventful life I had is gone. Should I look for a way to get back? Maybe I'm in a coma and about to wake up soon... no that can't be, I definitely died at that moment.

The more I think the more anxious I get, I feel like I'm going to have a panic attack. I need to calm down... Just calm myself, no need to panic... focus now.

I don't want to imagine my parents crying for me at my deathbed. Shit, I wanna go back home already even if it'll take a while

Suddenly I feel a soft touch grab my pinky, it was Atelie. She had grabbed my pinky, now that I looked closer she was quite the cute baby.

Somehow I became much more composed upon feeling the warmth of the baby Atelie.

"Right.. I should focus on surviving." I always though of what living in a fantasy world would be like... I guess I get to experience that now unfortunately.

"I wonder what kind of cultures there are here... I wonder about how the food is like?" We seem to be in a medieval type of setting so I really hope there's at least some decent dishes.

"Ah wait, I'm a skeleton... I can't taste anything!?" i tried grabbing a handful of dirt and placed it into my mouth, as expected I couldn't taste anything.

"That sucks... well not needing any sustenance is pretty good overall but I still wanna eat or taste food."

"Gah!" I turned around and see Atelie trying to attempt to eat dirt the same way I did.

"Eh! No no no!?" I gently grabbed her hand and dusted it from any dirt.

"Bweh..." She's kind of cute... adorable even. I'll take care of her until Ms Vera comes back to check up on us.

"Uwahhh... I wonder how long it'll take for her to get back..."

[To be continued...]