Pell sat there, flat on his ass, completely frozen stiff. Every bone in his body locked up, his jaw hanging open in shock. His soul flames tightened into tiny, flickering specks as he stared up at the monstrous skeleton towering above him.

It was an absolute monster—in every sense of the word. The creature’s bones were covered in thick, calcified layers, giving it an unnatural bulk and an intimidating presence. Where a normal skeleton might have two bones in its forearm, this one had four, each the size of a femur. It stood roughly a skull and a half taller than Pell—maybe not the tallest being he'd ever encountered, but certainly one of the most menacing. In its hands, it wielded a massive sword made entirely of bone and a multilayered white shield.

The noble skeletal knight loomed over Pell, who remained frozen in terror, sprawled on the ground. The purple flames flickered in the knight’s eye sockets for a brief moment, then it took a step toward him.

Pell flinched as the massive, armored skeleton advanced. Panic immediately set in. "Don’t you dare! I’ll—I’ll blow up! I’m warning you!" he screamed, voice cracking.

The knight ignored his outburst, taking another heavy step forward. Its bony hand reached down, wrapping around Pell's skeletal hand.

Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, Pell cursed internally. He had just been revived—was he really about to die again so soon? Dungeon monsters weren’t supposed to be hostile toward the owner, but Pell wasn’t the owner. He was merely an admin with access to the core, and that small technicality meant the dungeon’s protective measures might not apply to him. The realization sent a cold, eerie chill through his already cold bones.

Before Pell could make any desperate, yet pathetic, attempt at self-preservation, the skeletal knight pulled his arm, hoisting him upright. Pell stood face to face with the knight, barely an arm’s length away, completely frozen, waiting to see what it would do next.

Nothing happened.

The noble skeleton knight, having pulled Pell to his feet, immediately released his hand. Without a word, it turned its back on him and lumbered over to a large, half-shattered stone slab lying on the ground. Dusting it off with a slow, deliberate motion, the knight turned and sat down, now facing both Enya and Pell.

“Wh-what?” Pell stammered after a few moments of confused silence.

Enya, standing on the left side of the room, paid no attention to Pell’s earlier shouts of distress. In contrast, her eyes became narrow as she examined the skeleton knight known as ‘Kidirge.’ Her gaze lingered on the resting knight, and for a brief second, her eyes flickered yellow. It was all that she needed to figure it out.

“Mr… Mr. Bones?” Enya asked hesitantly.

The skeletal knight, sitting still until now, shifted its head toward her. His soul flames vanished completely, leaving his skull hollow and filled with pure darkness. He confirmed Enya’s suspicion with a single, slow nod.

image [https://i.imgur.com/ZiLMGqb.png]

“Well, count my coins! I can’t believe it’s you!” Pell exclaimed, slapping his bony hand onto Mr. Bones’ massive shoulder with a loud clang, like stone against stone, mixed with a gritty sound. “I always knew there was something off about you!”

Enya walked up to the skeleton knight. It felt strange seeing the towering monster, once an unstoppable force of destruction that had easily batted away her minions, now housing the soul of Mr. Bones—the same Mr. Bones she had lost in an attempt to save Pell.

"Is... that really you, Mr. Bones?" she asked again, her voice softer this time.

The skeleton knight gave another simple nod, confirming it.

Enya squinted, still uncertain. “Then... if that’s really you, then... uh, do something only Mr. Bones would do.”

The knight raised his arm, pointing a finger at her and gesturing for her to come closer. Hesitant but curious, Enya complied, stepping within arm's reach. As she drew near, the giant skeleton extended his finger toward her face. Enya flinched, unsure of what to expect, but when the bony finger gently poked her cheek, her eyes widened in realization.

“It is you!” Enya exclaimed, jumping forward and hugging the massive skeletal knight. The hug was awkward, given the knight’s size and its sitting position, but Enya didn’t care. She squeezed him as tightly as she could.

Mr. Bones responded by moving his arm back and giving her a few light pats on the head.

"Say, can you speak?" Pell asked, completely unbothered by Enya’s outburst.

Mr. Bones turned his hollow-eyed skull toward Pell and shook his head.

Pell sighed. “For some reason, I figured you were going to say that.”

Enya loosened her hug and looked up at Mr. Bones. “I’m... I’m sorry for getting you killed, Mr. Bones. I didn’t—” Before she could finish, Mr. Bones gently shook his head and placed his hand back on her head, giving a few comforting pats. Enya stopped mid-apology, a small smile forming on her face as she hugged him again, comforted by his silent forgiveness.

image [https://i.imgur.com/ZiLMGqb.png]

"Over here?" Pell called out, watching as the pile of rocks and rubble before him disintegrated and vanished. The system panel for the dungeon core was open in front of him. With the access granted to him, he could now make edits using the core’s restructure option. This was how he and Enya were going to escape—by creating a straight staircase to the surface, or at least to one of the upper floors, and walking out from there.

But before they left, Pell had one last goal in mind. He wasn’t about to leave empty-handed after four years of imprisonment inside the dungeon. He wanted loot—something to make all of this worth it.

Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

As the large slabs of stone and dirt cleared away, they revealed a small pathway leading deeper into the chamber. Kidirge—now Mr. Bones—seemed to know exactly where the dungeon’s hidden loot was, for reasons that were unknown. Enya had caught a glimpse of something in this part of the room earlier but had been too focused on the dungeon core to investigate further. Now, it seemed they were about to discover what treasures the dungeon had to offer.

The three of them stood before a wall adorned with intricate engravings, winding designs that almost seemed alive. With just a thought, the wall vanished, revealing a small room with a porcelain-crafted table. The table itself was sleek, a polished white surface etched with delicate patterns of twisting flowers, but that wasn’t what drew their attention—it was what lay on top.

Pell entered the room first, followed by Enya, and Mr. Bones trailing behind, his massive form making the space feel smaller. Pell’s gaze landed on several items displayed on the table’s surface: an amulet, a crystal-shaped container, a black key shaped like a bone, a neatly folded cloth, and a black lantern.

“What are these?” Enya asked, curiosity bubbling in her voice as she tiptoed to get a better view, gripping the edge of the table for balance. Unfortunately, Enya was really short.

“Dunno,” Pell answered, reaching out to pick up the amulet. It was a circular piece, hanging from a worn, shabby chain. In the center, a red amber gem, spiked and cross-shaped, gleamed faintly under the dim light.

He considered using his identify skill, but weighed the situation. This dungeon had been tough—thanks in large part due to the demon rat that had terrorized the fifth floor. The noble skeletal knight, now Mr. Bones, was far more formidable, but Pell wasn’t certain if the loot here matched that level of difficulty. By his judgment, the items on the table were probably decent—gold-tier, F-rank at best. Unlike Enya’s extraordinary platinum-tier dress, not everything in the second layer was absurdly powerful. The rebound talisman he had was merely a fluke of a find.

Still, there was always the chance that one of these items held something more valuable than it appeared.

After a brief internal debate, Pell decided not to use his identify skill on the items. It wasn’t about risking his mana in possible burnout—no; he needed all the points to carve a tunnel and get them out of the dungeon. Evaluating loot could wait.

He clutched the amulet in his bony hand and opened his subspace inventory, shoving the amulet inside. The crystal container, black bone key, and lantern soon followed. It was a tight fit, especially with the awkwardly shaped lantern, but he eventually managed to secure everything. His inventory was completely packed, making it hard for even a single additional coin to fit.

As for the folded cloth, it obviously wouldn’t fit alongside the other items. Pell sighed and unfolded it, revealing a plain black cloak. Nothing about it seemed special, though it had likely been stashed here for some purpose. Whether it was magical or just a mundane item, he figured it was worth holding onto.

“You look nice,” Enya commented, eyeing Pell now draped in the cloak.

"Oh, shut it," he scoffed, brushing off her remark.

“Was this everything?” Enya asked, looking at the table curiously.

Pell glanced over at Mr. Bones, who returned the look with a small nod. “Should be,” Pell confirmed.

Enya's gaze lingered on the beautifully engraved table. "What about the table? It's really pretty."

A groan escaped Pell. “How the hell am I supposed to carry a table? My inventory’s full, and it won’t fit in the tunnel when we head up. And don’t even think about asking Mr. Bones—it's too big for him to carry all the way up."

Enya pouted, but Pell stood firm. "We’re here for loot, not furniture."

“But it’s really pretty…” Enya mumbled, her eyes still glued to the intricately carved table.

Pell’s soul flames flickered with exasperation. “Come on. Let’s get out of this damn dungeon already.” With a huff, he turned and marched off, Mr. Bones following closely. Enya reluctantly trailed behind, stealing one last glance at the flowered designs on the table before resigning herself to leave it behind.

image [https://i.imgur.com/ZiLMGqb.png]

Outside, the forest was alive with the melody of chirping birds and the gentle rustle of autumn leaves. The vibrant colors of the season painted the trees, and small animals darted between the trunks, enjoying the peacefulness of the day. High on a branch, two birds—a blue-and-white male and his smaller companion—snuggled together, basking in the warm breeze. They chirped contentedly, lost in their own little world.

CRRrrRrRRK!!

The ground trembled, splitting open as dirt and debris erupted from below. The rumbling grew louder, drowning out the peaceful sounds of the forest. As the earth shifted beneath, the surrounding trees quivered, their leaves rustling in response to the vibrations.

Spooked by the sudden change, the birds panicked. The female bird took off immediately, wings flapping frantically. The male, startled, followed suit but wasn’t as lucky. It flew straight into a branch with a solid thud, the impact rattling its tiny birdbrain. Dazed, the poor thing plummeted back down to the branch, landing flat on its back, unconscious, while its partner flew off into the distance, without a single glance or chirp back.

"Fucking finally. Actual goddamn sunlight!" Pell's raspy, dry voice echoed out from the hole as he emerged first from the tunnel, followed closely by Enya and Mr. Bones.

"Woah, it's..." Enya raised her arm to shield her eyes. "So bright up here..." she muttered, squinting against the overwhelming sunlight. After spending so long in the dungeon’s gloom, with only flickering torchlight and glowing altars in the study, the sudden flood of brightness was almost too much. She looked up, trying to trace the light to its source.

High above her, a brilliant yellow orb—the sun—blazed down, bathing the forest in light. Enya’s eyes widened as she stared directly at it, her vision quickly blurring. The world seemed to swim.

"So, how is it, brat? You finally made it to the sur—" Pell started, turning to gauge her reaction, only to freeze mid-sentence. "Hey! Don't stare at the damn sun!" he barked, rushing over. He grabbed her head and forced it down. "Are you trying to go blind?!"

Startled, Enya struggled briefly before looking up at him with a dazed expression. "You’ve got some weird black spots floating around you..." she mumbled, blinking rapidly.

Pell stared at her, dumbfounded, before slapping a skeletal hand over his face. "Don't. Stare. At the sun," he grumbled, his voice muffled behind his palm.

Mr. Bones approached, his towering and imposing figure casting a long shadow over Pell and Enya. In his hands, he carried the murky sphere that was the dungeon core, its faint glow a stark contrast to the sunlit forest. Pell stared up at him, still trying to wrap his head around the change. The once meek, nearly invisible Mr. Bones was now this large, imposing skeletal knight, capable of snapping him in half without effort.

“What’s going to happen to the dungeon? Are we even allowed to take the dungeon core?” Enya asked, rubbing her eyes, still adjusting to the daylight.

“The dungeon will probably either revert back to normal or collapse in on itself. It’ll be like it never existed. But as long as we have the core, Mr. Bones here will stay under your control. I think,” Pell replied with a shrug, not sounding entirely confident.

Enya hummed in acknowledgment, pondering. “Then… where are we—hey! What’s that!” she suddenly shouted, cutting herself off mid-sentence. Her finger shot out, pointing towards a bush about a couple dozen meters away.

Both Pell and Mr. Bones followed her gaze. There, near the bush, were two small squirrels locked in an intense tug-of-war over a walnut. The squirrel on the right pulled with all its might, trying to pry the walnut from its opponent. But before it could succeed, the squirrel on the left stuffed the entire walnut into its mouth in one swift motion. Its cheeks bulged comically, the shape of the walnut almost perfectly outlined through its fur.

Pell tilted his head, staring at the little scene in confusion, while Enya watched in wide-eyed fascination. Mr. Bones, as ever, stood by silently, seemingly uninterested.

“Hey brat… isn’t that…” As Pell started speaking, his words gradually faded as he realized what the scene represented, and silently answered his own question within his mind.

“Yeah… that is… what I saw in my vision. About two months ago,” Enya said slowly.