Chapter 57

Episode 57

✠

While Agnes and Ailette were busy fostering their master/protégé relationship, Tesilid stood panting in a bleak, desolate patch of land that was packed with crosses. His once pearly white robes were now tattered and soaked with blood. The acrid air filled his lungs with ash and smoke each time he inhaled. Ominous, glowing embers flickered as smoke rose up into the murky atmosphere.

A-Class Dungeon, [The Sacrificial Hollow].

Each of the iron crosses that lined the ground had a dark silhouette that strangely resembled a human body attached to it. These remnants were what was left of the sacrificial rituals performed on people who were swallowed up by the dungeon sink.

The sacrificed people were all heretics. The religious order adamantly refused to conduct a proper funeral for individuals who were not baptized by the Strict Order and Goodness. Once the dungeon was closed, the corpses of the sacrificed people would fall into the Demon Realm’s abyssal wasteland.

Tesilid knew that they could’ve been saved. If only the Vatican had approved their entry into the dungeon a day sooner. No, it was too late to lament their deaths. His remorse would not bring back the dead. He drove his sword deep into the ground and slowly closed his eyes. The only thing he could do now was offer them a prayer of requiem.

✠

Rrrrrrumble!

A colossal, ivory mass kicked up dust as it collapsed onto the ground. The dust clouds rose up, blocking my view, but I still stowed away the training whip sword into its sheath.

A system message popped up as the sword fell into place with a satisfying metallic click.

⟬«System» Congratulations! You’ve defeated the 275th-floor boss, [Skeletal Demonic Dragon, Bone Drake.]⟭

«You defeated this one quite effortlessly. Outstanding job.»

“It’d be weird if it weren’t. I’ve already taken care of ten demonic dragons.”

The ten floors that I blasted through after becoming an aura expert all contained demonic dragons. It was the perfect training to become a dragon slayer. Inferno dragon, glacial dragon, celestial dragon, mountain dragon, noxious dragon, and so on. Having defeated almost every conceivable type of demonic dragon, I could basically read their weaknesses like an open book. Some no-name undead dragon? No problem.

«I mean, I guess you have been slaying dragons all year long.»

“I know, right?”

I still can’t believe Lord Architect tried to milk the same boss archetype for ten whole floors.

⟬The Architect of the Skyscraper of Suffering clears their throat uncomfortably.⟭

I decided to look on the bright side of things. If it’s come to the point where Lord Architect is recycling dead dragons, we’re pretty much at the end of the line.

«You still need to collect the drops, Ailette.»

“Whoops.”

As the powdery mixture of bone dust and dirt clouds began to settle around me, I slipped inside the bone drake’s ribs to collect the loot.

“Let’s see... Alchemy ingredients, an alchemy skill book... Aw, there aren’t any weapons?”

«That’s a shame.»

“Why am I not getting any weapon drops? We’re already on the 275th floor. It’s high time this tower gave me a decent whip sword.”

I wasn’t expecting anything super high-grade, but I wanted to at least hold a standard-grade sword instead of this clunky training weapon. As I grumbled something about cheap developers, I noticed something was off.

“Hm? These bones. They’re not disappearing.”

The remains of defeated boss monsters usually vanished after a certain amount of time, but the bone drake’s skeleton seemed to have been assimilated with its environment. I broke off a relatively small claw from the dragon’s forelimb. Of course, it was still much larger than my entire body. The claw’s intricately formed joints remained intact despite being severed.

“Whoa, I think I may be able to take this with me!” I exclaimed.

«Hm? What are you going to do with it?»

“I’m sure we’ll be able to use it somehow.” I excitedly stuffed the bones in my satchel. The dragon itself was much too large to take with me, but I managed to secure the left forelimb and the tip of its tail. “I’m going to step outside for a bit before proceeding to the 276th floor.”

I departed the tower through the exit gate, taking the interdimensional portal I had set up to lead directly to my room. I left the annex and was walking to the main building when Agnes called out to me.

«Ailette, look over there.»

I found a familiar face with pink hair standing in the middle of the pathway. “Oh, it’s Prinz. Prinz!”

“Allie!”

Prinz, who at this point had been attending the knight academy for years, had returned to visit Gilette Castle. Now that I think about it, we were in the height of summer. The cicadas were buzzing, and the blazing summer sun shined down through the leaves.

“Summer break must’ve started today.”

“Yup.”

“You should’ve sent us a message. We would’ve prepared a feast to welcome you back.”

“No, no. Traveling is instantaneous with the teleportation stone.”

I looked Prinz up and down in his knight academy uniform. He seemed to have grown taller over the past few months, his features maturing into a striking handsomeness. Prinz was a senior at the academy now. Eighteen-year-old Prinz had both the dapper good looks of a young man while still possessing the innocence of a growing boy.

“But where’s that punk... I mean, Lord Romdeo? Didn’t you guys come together?”

“The young master is still at the academy for remedial summer school. I think his test scores weren’t all that great throughout the year,” he explained.

“Didn’t he get held back last year? He’s still struggling, huh.”

“Yes, unfortunately.”

“What about you? How did your exams go? I hope you don’t get held back like the young master.”

“No need to worry about me!” Prinz playfully replied to my joke as he ruffled my hair.

⟬The Critic for Balance burst out into laughter, quipping about how no older brother in the history of brothers is that kind.⟭

⟬The Scale that Judges Souls says he’s grown up to be an ideal romantic fantasy male lead.⟭

⟬The Critic for Balance is skeptical about the misuse of a genre change voucher.⟭

⟬The Architect of the Skyscraper of Suffering says it doesn’t even really matter since the transmigrator isn’t your standard, run-of-the-mill little sister either.⟭

I resumed talking with Prinz amidst the gods’ squabbling about sibling stereotypes.

“Then how come you never share your grades with us? I feel like I’ve earned viewing rights to your report card as your supportive little sister. Do you realize how many care packages I’ve sent you?”

“But I’m embarrassed. And I’m paying for my tuition through scholarships anyway.”

“Heh, better cough up all the potions and supplements I’ve sent you every semester.”

“No, no, they’re all gone. I’ve put those potions to good use in my body.”

We continued to banter before going our separate ways after agreeing on a sparring session after dinner.

«I feel sorry for your brother,» Agnes remarked. «Having to deal with a little sister who wants to put him in his place the moment he gets home. Do you really want to assert dominance that badly?»

“What do you mean? We’re just catching up after all this time. Just with swords, of course.”

I headed straight to the library after sending Prinz on his way. I wasn’t heading there to check out books but to check up on my dungeon farm. Pulling out a certain book like a lever revealed the gate to a hidden dungeon. As I stepped through the portal, an immaculate, well-kept farm emerged.

Click? Clack!

Clickety-clack!

The laboring skeletons noticed my arrival and began to excitedly dance around me with their jaws clacking noisily. I couldn’t exactly understand what they were saying, but I assumed this was their way of welcoming me.

Oh, I take that back. There is one fellow that I can understand properly.

“Farm owner! The farm owner has returned!”

Helveros woke up from its nap and made its way toward me through the furrow. I tossed the demon a few herb scraps as it hopped up and down in excitement. Helveros slightly flared up as it savored the flavor. Demonic creatures tamed by feed have an odd, pet-like charm to them.

“Hello everyone. Everything going all right?”

“Yup!”

Clack!

“How’s the farm doing?”

Epiden excitedly clacked his jaws and flailed his arms to explain the situation. I stared at him with a serious expression. I’m sorry. I can’t understand a thing you’re saying without Bianca. Turns out, there really wasn’t much going on at the farm.

“He seddat weeyuh dun pickin’ da uhbs, so take dem befoh dey go bad! Wite now deyuh fwixin’ da wehsuhbaw, an’ he wans’ta know if we can waise fwish deyuh when deyuh dun. Deyuh wos a dunjun sink, so a buncha fweshwada fwish came in.”

Thank god Helveros was here to translate.

“Of course. Raise all the fish you want. Any work-related issues troubling you lately?”

Cl...ack...

Epiden’s hands dropped to his side as he lowered his head. Sure enough, Helveros began to lay it all out.

“He, he’s worried about Hyacin and Agapan. Hyacin bwoke his arms yestaday, and Agapan’s shin popped out of its socket today.”

“What?”

I quickly scanned the work site. I found Hyacin shoveling away with a splint and Agapan was struggling to readjust his legs.

“Aw man, I knew this would happen. I told you guys to not overdo it.”

“Th-they worked vewy hard because dey wanted to waise the fwishies...”

They may not look it, but the skeletons working here were all several hundred years old. And that also meant their bones were rather battered and worn out. I knew they were at risk for fractures, abrasion, and osteoporosis, but it would seem these two were the first to overexert themselves and get injured.

“Hey, you two, come over here for a second. Let me take a look.” I warmly beckoned Hyacin and Agapan to come over, but something unexpected happened.

Cl-click, clack, cli-click click!

The two skeletons hugged each other tightly as their entire body quivered in fear and shook their heads.

“Hm? What...? Are you guys refusing to accept my act of kindness?”

I stared at them incredulously when Helveros plopped down in front of me.

“D-don’t do it, farm owner! Hyacin and Agapan will pewish if you heal dem! Pwease forgiv’ dem! I beg of you! We’ll work even moah! Wah!”

“Who said anything about healing them? I’m not going to use heal on them.”

“Really?! You not goin’ to get wid of dem because theywe useless now?”

“What? No? What do you take me for? I’m not going to do anything of the sort, so hurry up and get over here.”

Hycain and Agapan reluctantly teetered over to where we stood. They were still trembling with fear.

“Yah!”

Thud!

I pulled out a small piece of the Bone Drake’s left claw and tailbone from my satchel. I carefully looked over the raw material before pulling out the middle finger and holding it up against Hyacin’s forearm.

“Alright, this is perfect.”

I wedged the bone drake’s middle finger into his arm.

Parts swap complete!

Clack...!

Hyacin jumped up and began to marvel at his new, powerful arm. I checked one last time to make sure his newly acquired arm was functioning properly before moving on to the next patient.

“Agapan, looks like we’re going to have to reshape yours a bit.” I popped out his worn-out leg and began to carve the demonic dragon’s bone with my aura to replace it.

“All done! Try moving it.”

Claaaaack!

Agapan began to sprint around the farm at an incredible speed. Speaking of which, I noticed Hyacin was also digging like crazy with his new arm.

“Hyacin and Agapan sez dey can feel da dwagon’s energy!”

Seems like there were some unexpected upgrades as well. Nice!

«Goodness. I never realized the bones of a demonic dragon could be used like this.» Even Agnes stared at the skeletons in wonder.

“All of you, come here. Y’all must all be aching all over after all these years.”

Clack! Click clack!

All of the other skeletons that were watching intently from afar quickly gathered around, pointing at their creaky joints and time-worn bones. Helveros jumped right into translating their requests.

“Aster say his spine feels a bit nippy... Velo’s left booty is...”

One by one, I began to work on each of the skeleton workers, popping out sockets, etching and sculpting different parts, and assembling the molded components. I felt like I had become the skeletons’ resident physician.

⟬The Voice that Shapes the World is touched by your selfless service, taking care of even the undead.⟭

⟬The Scale that Judges Souls is disgusted by the blatant favoritism.⟭

Clickety clickety clack!

“Everyone says tank you sho much!”

“Really? I’m glad everyone’s so happy.”

“Bud yu know, farm owner...”

“Hm? I casually glanced over at Helveros.

“Everyone else got pwesents, but where’s mine? Where is Helbwehross’ pwesent?”