It took three hours for Kindle to find another Living Skeleton. Three, to be exact. The seemingly endless halls of stone, sconces, dancing light, and nearly nothing else, this dungeon is a horrible first introduction to the world. A set piece of two would be nice.
The Living Skeletons are much like Kindle, the same off-white or similar color of clean bone, only a bit grimy and even cracked in some places dependant on the corpse. The more important difference is the fact they don't seem intent on killing their own kin. Kindle prods at them just a bit, poking, nudging, lightly pushing with curiosity more befit of a child than the living biological framework of an adult Homonid.
It's only once Kindle tries punching them that they actually respond accordingly.
The punch itself wasn't lackluster, it was a right hook straight to the jaw of the first Living Skeleton, which snapped it off entirely. However, there's a very clear lack of reaction from the thing that just had it's jaw punched off, which is where Kindle comes to late realization that Living Skeletons do not feel biological pain, as they literally don't have nerves. Being held up by mana, the only way they'd feel pain is if their soul was to be harmed, and they won't really die unless their body becomes too broken to hold together.
Of course, even if the jawless skeleton wasn't about to throw a haymaker, the other two definitely would have reacted anyways, as they're currently positioning to surround Kindle, who has no real plan.
The punch doesn't break Kindle, but getting grabbed and tackled by two other hostiles, then pommeled down a pair of pure bony fists while the other pair of hands holds their arms down makes Kindle feel like they might. Each strike isn't too heavy, but it's certainly not a love-tap either. Thunk. Thunk. Thunk. Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.
Kindle thrashes in their pinned position, their legs getting pinned down next by the jawless skeleton as the beatdown continues. Thunk. Thunk. Thunk. Thunk. Thunk. Crack.
[WARNING: HP BELOW 50; 9/20 HP]
Every second, every punch only drops Kindle's HP by another point, only draws them closer to dying as easily as they were made. A pathetic end, really, for a pathetic being.
Thunk. Thunk. Thunk. Thunk. Thunk. Crack.
[WARNING: HP BELOW 25%; 4/20 HP]
Thunk. Thunk. Crack.
[WARNING: HP BELOW 10%; 1/20 HP]
If Kindle could close their eye sockets and embrace their demise, they would. They didn't get to live for anything—or, unlive for anything (is that even a word?), and while the regret of being nothing may cling to them until they can no longer think, they will embrace the innevitable all the same.
[I can't deus ex machina you all the time, but I should probably do so right now.]
Time stops, or perhaps it is simply the fact everything about to occur is happening in a single point of time so small it might as well be stopped. Obsidian's voice and being rumbles through Kindle again, back a bit earlier than expected, though it feels more like dissapointing a parent than the happy review they expected.
[I probably should have considered how frail you Living Skeletons are before simply giving you two growth-based traits and moving on, there's a reason why most of you never get far. Still, having to spend more DP now that I could potentially use it for more cool stuff later is a bummer.]
[NOTICE: PATRON {OBSIDIAN} HAS GIFTED YOU A BOON]
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
[+TRAIT ///UNDEAD DOMINANCE (F)///]
[There. Try not to get too cocky again, little kindling.]
Before Kindle can properly process the reappearance of their patron, time returns to normal, though the hostile skeletons seem to freeze up, then move back. When Kindle takes a minute to recover from their skull being cracked before getting up, and oddly nauseating experience for something that shouldn't feel nausea, the other Living Skeletons do not move, simply standing back and watching carefully while Kindle finally picks themself up.
Once Kindle does, and fully realizes the hesitancy in the other Living Skeletons, they too hesitate, as if expecting to be jumped again.
Nothing. Just patience. Kindle waits for a bit, then quickly opens their system window to read the Trait description.
[///UNDEAD DOMINANCE (F)///: ALL UNDEAD BELOW LV. 5 STRUGGLE TO HARM, IGNORE, OR DISOBEY. (PATRON BOON)]
Kindle looks at the bony trio, and doesn't take too long before approaching the jawless skeleton. They poke again, this time a bit rougher, as if to mock the skeleton, then punch them with a return haymaker. The jawless skeleton stumbles back, it's mandible broken now as it falls to the floor.
Kindle climbs on top of them, and begins to copy the same exactly thing they had done to them moments prior.
Thunk. Thunk. Thunk. Thunk. Crack.
It takes only a few punches for the jawless skeleton's skull to cave in, and only a few moments later for the body to collapse in a struggle to maintain it's structure, the rest of the bones dropping to the floor with no mana holding them together.
Kindle takes a moment to themself, then begins to stand and turn to the other two, before pausing. Why were they being spiteful about killing these skeletons just because they almost killed them? It is true the Living Skeletons nearly beat then to death, Kindle's skull still cracked and weak, but they only committed to doing so once Kindle had assaulted them first.
Does Kindle really have the right to kill them? Did Kindle really have the right to kill the jawless one in the first place, to punch it when it didn't even attack them? The idea makes them hesitate, even sliding their front foot back a bit. If Kindle doesn't have the right to kill them, then what else are they supposed to do?
For a while, Kindle just stands there, staring at the two whilst pondering what they're really supposed to do. Living Skeletons are like any low-rank monster, really. They don't kill their own kin without reason, but they will kill anything else. They aren't attacking Kindle, sure, but that's only because Kindle is like them, another undead corpse. They are not fully sapient like Kindle, nor do they think of what actions they take as Kindle already does.
If they have the right to kill everything but undead just because they lack the capacity to think about it as much, Kindle should have the right to kill them because Kindle is more aware than them.
The other two Living Skeletons do not live long after Kindle reaches this conclusion, the effect of ///Undead Dominance (F)/// making it difficult for them to fight back as their skulls are broken in punch by punch.
Once all that's left is three piles of bone, Kindle is given a system notification signalling their "victory."
[NOTICE: LIVING SKELETON (3) SLAIN]
[+30 XP; 30/50 XP]
Still only at 1 HP, Kindle is keenly aware of how fragile their current state is. All of the damage is done to their skull, their cranium cracked and jaw chipped by the punches they received. They won't survive another beating like that, but the use of ///Undead Dominance (F)/// seems to be their only real opportunity. It's not much, but against LV. 1 Living Skeletons on the first floor of a dungeon, it should be enough.
It takes another half hour for Kindle to find anything, another four Living Skeletons, who all pause as Kindle approaches. They don't resist well once Kindle starts beating them down, unable to resist the effects of the new Trait. When all is said and done, the system popup appears again.
[NOTICE: LIVING SKELETON (4) SLAIN]
[+40 XP; 50/50 XP]
[NOTICE: LEVEL UP; VITAL STATS RESTORED; +6 AP]
[LV. 1 -> LV. 2; 20/150 XP]
With the Level Up recognized, Kindle feels a wave of rejuvination flow through them, their skull growing back the chipped pieces and filling the cracks until they're fully restored. Feeling better, Kindle opens the system window to use their Ability Points. With six Core Stats to choose from and no idea what works best, Kindle simply hopes for the best and spends one AP on each of them.
[-6 AP]
[+1 STR; +1 CON; +1AGI; +1DEX; +1PER; +1INT]
As soon as the notice pops up, Kindle feels the change. Their bones feel more solid, the mana holding them together feels stronger, and they feel lighter overall. They can feel the clarity in their thoughts, the increased precision of their senses, the minute increase in their thinking speed. It's not extreme, but it's certainly more, and with how easily Kindle almost died earlier, it's a welcome upgrade.
With that, Kindle continues traversing the first floor of the dungeon, hoping to continue making good progress without needing another Deus Ex Machina moment.
