Once the final word came out of the skeletons jaw, the shackles that held up all the corpses broke. The loud clunk of metal hitting the floor rang out the room, and the corpses slowly fell to the ground. Once they landed on the floor, a dim light glowed within them. And finally, they stood up from the floor. When they stood, 4797 shot at a few of them, which resulted in them dropping dead. Again.

4797 shot six times before having to reload, and when a new magazine was inserted, the enemies had picked up weapons laying across the ground and marched towards 4797. It shot nine times before it had to reload again, and the number of the walking dead didn't seem to dwindle as much as it wanted it to.

It was beginning to go low on ammo, and the empty magazines would take a while for them to recharge. 4797 scanned the entire group of undead that was wobbling towards it, and counted forty-two in total. As they were beginning to gain speed, 4797 browsed around the room, looking for any weapons that the undead didn't pick up. It then spotted a sword of average length, with rust corroding the blade. 4797 scanned the sword, and didn't waste time to initiate its experimental ability.

://_Initiate adaptation?

Y/N...

Adaptation Initiated! ADAPTING... ADAPTING...

ADAPTATION COMPLETED! _\\:

After twelve seconds passed, 4797's hard drive was filled with two hundred gigabytes of swordsmanship. With the new profoundness of sword play in its archives, 4797 took a guarding stance. Soon, an undead got close, and 4797 swung the sword horizontally and managed to cleanly cut the enemy in half. It took out its gun and shot three undead in the temple of their heads before having to reload. But while in the middle of reloading, one managed to get close enough to take a swing at the Patroller.

The blow didn't land however, as it turned swiftly and blocked it with one arm. The undead was surprisingly strong for a mummified corpse as 4797 felt a little bit of resistance. Though it wasn't enough to overpower 4797 as it twisted the sword out of its grip and slashed at the undead multiple times.

Suddenly, a hatchet flew straight in its direction and managed to land on its side. The wound wasn't fatal, but it still caused a lot of damage.

*Health Points: 34/100*

4797 didn't want to use the only healing item it had so soon right after getting it, but its health was critically low. The problem however was how it was able to use it, as there was no mouth to take a swig of the potion. It focused on the item hard enough that it must've prompted for a display screen to pop up.

*Use Health Potion?

Y/N*

Prompting for yes, the cork that contained the liquid in the bottle popped out, and the liquid inside flew out of the bottle and surrounded 4797. The liquid then went to its wounds, such as the claw and bite marks and the new wound from the thrown hatchet. As 4797 was healing, the others didn't let it take its time and charged at it. 4797 dodged blow after blow as the inflicted wounds were slowly being mended.

4797's health points were gradually increasing every second as it dodged and attacked the undeads. It managed to slay four of them before it had to retreat from horde closing in on it. if it were to be surrounded, 4797 had little chance against fighting them all at once.

As it made distance, it took out its gun once more and fired nine bullets into the horde, which managed to kill six. The other bullets either wounded or missed the undead. Swiftly, 4797 had to dodge an attack coming from the side, and another from the back. Strangely enough, the undead seemed to be getting stronger with each second they were alive, and then suddenly a bright light shone in their bodies.

"Enough! The pain that they have suffered will not be in vain, wretched disciple!" The skeleton voice was raspy and deep and was full of oozing venom. "Your worship ends here!" The skeleton jumped from its spot and had its scythe behind its back as it wounded for a heavy attack.

Before 4797 could explain that this was all a misunderstanding, it had to dodge as the skeleton hit the floor where it had stood. 4797 then quickly dodged again as the skeleton swung at it. As it dodged, it managed to jump into a group of undead, which snarled at it. They swung and missed as 4797 deflected one blow and dodged another. It was about to kill one of the undead until the skeleton hit it with the pole of the scythe.

"These unfortunates have been eager to take their rage out on the disciple of the Wicked One's disciples for all of their years, and I will not have their wishes be unfulfilled by the likes of you!"

"You must be misunderstanding the situation. This unit is made for peace and order by the Geminisis Amoebias Security. You must be mistaken this unit for another individual." 4797 spoke, as it blocked a swing.

"You take me for a fool? I am not believing a snake like you for a creation of peace. No, I am not!" The skeleton swung again once more, which managed to land another blow on the Unit, causing 4797 to fly away and towards the stone wall. The vibrations that were sent throughout its body was tough, but they were manageable as its insides weren't severely damaged.

It was in a dazed state, as its cameras were glitched out from the impact. But once its vision took hold, the skeleton was already in the middle of an attack. 4797 just managed to roll over in time and stand back up. Before it had the time to recover, it then had to dodge a swing from both an undead with a mace, and the skeletons scythe.

Both the scythe and mace connected, which rattled both of their weapons and vibrated through their entire bodies. The sheer force of the skeletons blow caused the undead to die from the immense shock that rippled throughout their body. The skeleton, however, was less affected from the force as it took little to no damage.

As the skeleton took the life of one of its subordinates, it began to be enraged as its eyes flared brighter and changed in color. It was now a deep magenta color with a pink highlight around the edges, and smoke were slowly coming out of its sockets. "For a creature of peace, you have not been kind to these innocents!"

The surrounding undead had their bodies glow the same magenta as the eyes of the skeleton, and they all seemed to be in a frenzy as they now had been given the strength to go from a brisk walk to a full sprint.

"This model is not capable, nor made for killing human life. If you take the chance to understand the situation, this unnecessary squabble will cease." 4797 said, their voice calm and monotone, a contrast to the angry skeletal companion.

"Have your fellow worshippers stopped to listen to these people? To truly understand them and not be viewed as cattle? I thought so!"

"What will convince you to know that this unit is not what you think it is to be?" It said, dodging a blow from an undead before knocking it down to the ground and stabbing it in the head. It took out its gun and fired at the skeleton that was now sprinting towards it.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

A couple of shots managed to hit, but the damage was minimal as the skeleton ran like nothing had happened. Suddenly, an undead managed to grab 4797, and held it in a choke hold. This left 4797 unable to move and gave the skeleton a chance to deal immense damage.

4797 pulled out its gun and shot the undead in the head, and its arms finally let go. It wasn't enough however as the skeleton still managed to hit 4797 in the side of its torso. "Your carapace is weak, worshiper. Give up now, and your death will be swift- as swift as they'll let it be that is."

The scythe was still in its side as the skeleton taunted at 4797. The horde of undeads circled around the two, growling and frothing at the mouth. 4797 was out of options, one more blow from any weapon was enough to finally disable the Unit. Suddenly, an idea popped up. It was unlikely to work, but it didn't have much choice. 4797 took off its backpack and swiftly opened it.

"What are you-!" Before the skeleton could have any time, 4797 pulled out the Power Orb from its inventory and held it out to everyone in the room. The skeleton backed away, leaving the scythe to remain in 4797's side. "Gah! You dare show that filthy Orb!? You sicken us!" The skeleton snarled as its eyes glowed a bright yellow. Whatever affect that the Orb had on them buyed it some time, but not enough. How 4797 figured out that the Power Orb had an affect at all? It didn't, and it was all just a coincidence.

Quickly, it changed up its previous plan where it would have consumed the orb. It now instead chose for a more peaceful option with negotiation. "This model is telling the truth. It has no issue with any of you, or does it have any relations to any of those that you oppose. So let us bargain." It was going to talk its way out. And if that didn't work, then it only hoped that whoever came in this dungeon would find its loot useful.

The skeleton titled its head slighted, skeptical on what 4797 had entailed. "If you insist upon preaching your innocence, then make it convincing." The skeleton then had its hand outstretched towards 4797, and it could feel a slight tug coming from the scythe stuck in its side. "Or be met with the coolness of steel against your throat."

4797 nodded in response, still holding up the orb. "Now, will you give reasons on why you believe this Unit to be a member of this cult you speak of?" It spoke.

The skeleton growled, and stood up straight, its hand still outstretched. "You give no reasons to have us believe you aren't one." The skeleton said with distaste. "That is a fair argument. This unit is new to what this planet may be, and it has only been here for a matter of two days."

The skeleton, despite having no way to show emotion, managed to look surprised from its body language. "Impossible... You must be tricking me, unless you are a..." the skeleton paused, seeming to be in thought.

Finally, it spoke out, "May I ask, what are you?" The skeleton didn't say anything more, as it look at 4797 with expectance. It left 4797 confused, and it didn't know what the specifics on what it meant. The skeleton saw this and replied. "Traveler. Answer us honestly. What is your current test."

4797 didn't know why its current test status were of any importance, but it still answered. "The current objective is to reach level two hundred by the end of the second year. If it were to fail its mission, it will be wiped. It is uncertain on what it means... How do you know about the tests?"

The skeleton only cackled in response, putting its hand on its forehead. "Oh, how unfortunate you are to be in a place like this! On your second day, no less! Haha, and how foolish I was to be so blinded by justice." The skeletons eyes shifted back to its regular pale white hue, as the smoke dissipated from its sockets. The horde began to calm down, as their aggressiveness seemed to have died down for the time being.

4797 was reluctant to let go of the Power Orb in its hand, as it assumed this to be a trick. "Don't be worried, little traveler. I see what is at play here, you can lower that orb if you so wish" The voice of malice was replaced with a more docile tone. 4797 reluctantly lowered the orb into its backpack and waited for any sudden movement.

But there was none, as the horde surrounding them didn't move, and so did the skeleton. "Traveler, I apologize for our... unflattering greets, really, I am. Though if you were in my place, you'd understand." The skeleton approached 4797, which instantly pulled out its gun and aimed. The skeleton only shook its head as it lowered the gun.

The skeleton grabbed onto the pole of the scythe, and after a few seconds of contact, the weapon started to distort. The distortion didn't seem to affect 4797, and only made the weight of the scythe lighten. Soon, the distortion stopped, and the scythe disappeared from existence as if it wasn't there to begin with.

It was a display that 4797 wished to learn about, as the fundamentals could revolutionize the issues of capacity on Earth. "Hold still, this will only take a moment." The skeleton put its hand on 4797's head and body, it seemed to zone out. The color of its eyes changed once again; this time it was a neon lime. the skeleton grunted, as its head tossed and turned. "What... What is this? Your entire system is made up of confusing tangles of string! And my goodness, how dull it is..." Some wounds on 4797's body began to distort, and after a few seconds of rippling space the distortions filled the wounds with what looked to be the same materials that made up 4797. "I fear that is all I can do."

This was another spectacle that 4797 yearned to learn, as it could yet again revolutionize Earth- in the way of its health care this time. "When you did that, you said along the lines of 'not normal'. What do you mean?" 4797 asked politely. The skeleton shook its head in confusion as its eyes shifted back. "Your Life String, its very faint. It is surprising you're able to walk, let alone fight like you did before."

4797 only blankly stared at the skeleton, confused on what a Life String was. The skeleton could tell that the Unit in front it had no idea what it was talking about and shook its head in dissatisfaction. "Well, I assume I could explain." The skeleton then slapped its hand together, and a distortion appeared in its hands. The bending space then took physical manifestation in the form of yarns of string.

"This is Life String. It is the manifestation of one's health and is given the form of a long and thin gland going through the entire body. Hence the string part of its name. A healer- or anyone of that field- are able to see this gland. They can interact with it, but the only way they could interact with the gland is through a psychic connection between both users.

The glands vibrancy and whole could be an indicator of one's health. Let me show you an example." The string in its hand began to split in two, and now were in each hand. The string on the left hand began to glow, though not as bright as the one on the right hand. The color of the right string was a bright orange, and shone like a lightbulb.

"If the gland were to be as bright and vibrant as to say as a sunny day, and none of it were to be distorted or missing a part of themselves, it means that person is in top shape. And- in your case- if someone were to have their gland to be dim and distorted... Well, I think you can understand what the implications are."

4797 nodded its head in understanding, soaking in what the skeleton has said. "But don't take my words for gospel. What I just explained was a very simplistic example. It is much more complicated, and I just simply explained the core basics of what it is." While the two were discussing, the groaning of the horde began to grow lighter, which caught the attention of the skeleton.

The skeleton held out its hand to the mass of undead surrounding them, and its jaw unhinged once again. "My dear friends, I beg for forgiveness! The opportunity you sought was all but one of delusions! Forgive me for my idiocy. Go back to your rest, and slumber for a hundred more." The undead then flopped like dolls, as the lights shining in their bodies vanished. The broken shackles on the floor started to levitate off the ground, and the limp bodies of the undead- including the ones 4797 had 'killed'- started to float as well.

Soon, the bodies flew up to where they were held up before, and the shackles started distorting once they latched onto their wrists. Finally, the entire room was back to where it had previously been, with the weapons on the floor and the bodies chained to the walls. The skeleton, satisfied, surveyed the bodies on the wall and its shoulders slumped gradually.

"These men and women have done nothing to deserve what they had undergone. Traveller, this may be a far cry to ask, but you can decline if you so choose." The skeleton looked expectantly at 4797 with eyeless voids. "It is able to do anything that you may ask with open arms. You may ask away."

The skeleton looked to be slightly relieved at its answer, as their slumped shoulders slumped even further. "Thank you." The skeleton responded with full earnest and gratitude. "What I ask of you will be difficult and a bit selfish of me, but I assure you that everyone in this room will be in use of your help. We ask of you to find and soothe lost souls hidden in this tomb. Lost children of the Magnifent, and close friends of ours. They are the reasons why we aren't able to pass on- despite our dormant state. We simply cannot leave them behind."

The skeleton sounded mournful, and its eyes glowed a dark blue. "I can feel ten in total, hidden away, and I can feel their immense fear and sorrow seeping into me. I wish I could help, but I have simply been integrated into being a Dungeon Boss. So, being of the Geminisis family, what is your answer?"

4797 didn't hesitate to take out its hand and reach out for a shake, leaving the skeleton perplexed. Hesitantly, it reached forward with its hand and held onto 4797's. "It will help in any way it can." It said whilst shaking its hand. The skeleton didn't respond, but 4797 could tell that it was trying to hold back emotions. "... Thank you." Suddenly, the entirety of the skeletons body started to ripple like water, and then the hole that it came from glowed orange.

"Before I leave. I want to learn the name of our hero." The skeletons feet were first, as it got sucked into the hole like a vacuum. 4797 was about to answer with its assembly number before it stopped. Hesitantly, it spoke out with the name given by its partner and the people around it.

"Its name," It paused with unintentional theater. "Is Apto."