When morning arrives, we immediately depart for the 23rd floor. They shouldn’t be too surprised because I already told them what the next floor is.
“Whoa! What is this!?”
Uhm, that’s what I thought. But when they saw the bamboo grove, they gave a surprised voice. Apparently, bamboo is a rare plant in this world.
“Is this your first time to see a bamboo?”
“It’s a plant I’ve never seen in Sanargia Forest.”
Erna touches a thin bamboo and confirms its hardness and suppleness. As expected from an elf who grew up in a large forest. It seems that she is good at grasping the characteristics of plants.
“These are called bamboo, and they can be processed into various types such as fishing rods, bows and tableware.”
I cut a bamboo with my sword and show its inside to them.
“Hey, it’s an interesting plant.”
“The inside is empty…”
By the way, when I used the appraisal, bamboo is displayed as “Babū”. Probably in this world, its official name is not bamboo. However, since it is not possible for the 56-year-old me to call it Babū so I dared to call it bamboo.
Kata…kata…kata…
I suddenly heard a sound. It’s a light sound, like that of clattering bones. Looking at Erna, she seems to have already noticed it too as she is now holding out her cane.
“Father, the smell comes from the other side.”
Pero sniffed and pointed at the bamboo grove on the other side. When I used the skill Enemy Search, a green window like a radar is displayed in my field of view. Blue dots and red dots were displayed in the window, and I guessed that the blue dots represent us. If so, does a red dot mean an enemy?
“There are four enemies. Their distance is about 10m away from us.”
“Okay, I’ll blow it away with my magic.”
“Uhm, let’s let Pero do it this time. If you cast magic, this floor will quickly become a sea of fire.”
“Sea of fire…”
For some reason Erna looked happy. I’m worried that she has this misunderstanding between a Great Mage and a Destroyer.
Kata…kata…kata…
The owner of the sound emerges from the bamboo grove. It consisted of pure white bones from head to toe, and there were only two holes in the place where the eyes should be. In one word, it’s a skeleton.
I used appraisal immediately.
【Appraisal Result: Skeleton: Skeleton refers to a magical beast created by the Undead from a corpse. Its strength varies depending on the physical characteristics of the person when he was still alive. Its bone has a high strength and is useful as a material: Rarity D】
| Name: Skeleton Race: Undead Magic attribute: Darkness Magic: Shadow Skills: Taijutsu A (Intermediate), Hardening (Intermediate), Soul Eating |
Undead are troublesome. The opponent is already dead, it’s an immortal being who feels no pain or fear. Moreover, as far as I can see, it wore equipments such as breastplates and shin pads. Based from the skill, it seems that it will attack with Taijutsu but I am wondering how much wisdom it possesses.
While thinking about that, the other three appeared from the bamboo grove. There are four skeletons in all. It is a sight to see if they can be defeated by Pero’s strength.
“Hiiii! Undead!”
Erna hides behind me and appears to be scared.
“They are just bones you know?”
“You can say that because Shinichi doesn’t know about these undead! They eat the soul of the dead and make them their companions! Furthermore, the souls that were eaten are trapped in eternal darkness!”
“Eternal darkness you say…”
Is it because of the skill called Soul Eating?
Pero seems to be in danger if it’s like that… but Erna said it was the soul of the dead. In that sense, it can be inferred that the undead needs to kill their target first to eat their soul.
“One question, does the undead eat the soul of the living?”
“No, they don’t. It seems that one’s soul is covered with multiple walls, so they shouldn’t be able to eat it until after you die.”
“Hearing that is enough. Pero, do it.”
“Waauu!”
Pero starts running and strikes his fist on the skeleton’s head accurately while avoiding the attacks of the other skeletons. One is defeated in less than a second and the four skeletons were defeated in a blink of an eye. Apparently, its head seems to be the skeleton’s weak point.
“Father it’s over!”
“Well done Pero.”
When I stroked his head, he closed his eyes and looked comfortable. I’m glad my son is outstanding.
“Well, shall we check these skeletons?”
The skeletons that had been knocked down had their heads destroyed and shattered. Pero’s blow seems to have been quite powerful.
Looking inside its head, there was nothing like a brain and it was totally empty. I wonder how it worked. Well, this is a world beyond my understanding so it would be useless to think about it. I then toss the bones inside the bangle.
“Did the skeletons have good skills?”
“No, it didn’t have much. I don’t feel like getting the Soul Eating skill.”
“Hiiii! My soul isn’t delicious!”
Erna hides behind Pero’s back.
I said I didn’t feel like getting that Soul Eating skill… well, never mind.
As we move out of the bamboo grove, skeletons appear one after another. This 23rd floor is like the skeleton’s gathering spot.
When I defeated the tenth skeleton, I recalled the time when I came to this world. There was a skeletonized corpse near where I reincarnated, but when I think about it now, I believe it was a skeletonized adventurer. However, there are still two mysteries left.
Why was there a skeleton in that place? And why did that skeleton die there?
I am very grateful as I reincarnated but the corpse of the skeleton that had fallen unnaturally is still a mystery for me. I put the defeated skeletons in the bangle then we start walking again.
“It seems that our sense of direction is out of order with only these bamboos around.”
As Erna says so, the 23rd floor is tremendously large, just like a vast garden. Still, where ever we look, the surroundings are full of bamboo so there are no landmarks. It’s probably because of the map we have that we’re barely working on. Unless you look at the map and check your compass, it’s difficult to find the stairs.
“I’m tired! I don’t want to walk anymore!”
Erna sat down on the ground. We’ve been walking for about five hours. It would be better to take a break here.
Kata…kata…kata…
With that in mind, I suddenly heard the unique sound coming from a skeleton. In the search range, ten bodies were captured, but with my super sensation, I can confirm a total of twenty bodies. Apparently, they intend to divide into two units and attack us. They seemed to possess wisdom in spite of them being only made up of bones.
“Erna, Pero, get ready to fight!”
Just when the two of them are ready, skeletons appear one after another from the bamboo grove. The way they fight depends on the equipment of the individual. If the person who died has a sword, the skeleton can use it without wasting it and if the person doesn’t have anything, it will try to fight with its bare hands.
It’s just a bone but it indeed has wisdom.
“Hey, with Shinichi’s skill, you can make a skeleton belong to you right?”
“Hn? You mean with Familiar Creation?”
I’m surprised at Erna’s unexpected words. Familiars refer to family members and relatives but sometimes, it seems to refer to slaves and subordinates. If that’s really the case, there is a good chance that it will work on these skeletons.
Everything is a gamble.
I tried to use the skill Familiar Creation on one of the skeletons. A window opened up in my field of view with a red gauge. The red gauge, which was 100% before begins to be pushed by a green gauge. The red gauge was pushed by the green gauge from 80% to 50%, and finally, the green gauge became 100%.
It’s about two seconds.
Kata…kata…kata…
A skeleton rebels and begins to attack its allies.
I immediately appraised that skeleton.
【Appraisal Result: Skeleton: Skeleton refers to a magical beast created by the Undead from a corpse. Its strength varies depending on the physical characteristics of the person when he was still alive. Its bone has a high strength and is useful as a material: Rarity D】
| Name: Skeleton Race: Homeless Variant Magic attribute: Darkness Magic: Shadow Skills: Taijutsu A (Intermediate), Hardening (Intermediate), Soul Eating Control Rate: 100% controlled by Shinichi Tanaka |
The control rate and so on is displayed on its status. Then, the gauge I mentioned earlier may be the rule from where the skeleton and my ego were competing.
It’s quite interesting.
I tried to make the other skeletons into my familiars and I was able to put the ten skeletons under my control. Perhaps because they became Homeless Variants, their bodies turned black in the blink of an eye.
“Did the skeletons become our companion?”
Erna asks the question while piercing the skeleton that does not make even a slight movement. Pero must have thought that he would fight so he looked a little uninterested.
“Yeah, the skeletons now became my familiars. I’ll make the remaining ten bodies into my familiar too.”
“But you can’t make as many as you want, right?”
“I don’t know that yet. I may or may not be able to do it. I won’t know until I try it out.”
With that, I also tried to make the remaining ten bodies that appeared into my familiars. The result is a great success. I succeeded in taking control of as many as 20 skeletons.
“Kata-kata-kata”
The skeletons stabbed one of their knees on the ground and knelt before me. Apparently they are waiting for an order.
“All right then, guide me to the stairs.”
“Kata-kata-kata”
The twenty skeletons begin to walk in front, destroying all the other skeletons we meet. With a jet-black body and red lights in their eyes, their power and speed are already different from those of the previous skeleton. In addition, they act faithfully on my given orders.
I decided to name them “Homeless Skeletons”.
At that moment, I feel that something is being sucked up.
【Appraisal Result: Homeless skeleton: Higher rank of a skeleton. It is a new race born from Shinichi Tanaka’s familiar. Its power is ten times than that of a general skeleton: Rarity B】
| Name: Homeless Skeleton Race: Homeless Skeleton Magic attribute: Darkness | No Attribute Magic: Shadow Skills: Swordsmanship (Intermediate), Axemanship (Intermediate), Spearmanship (Intermediate), Hammermanship (Intermediate), Archery (Intermediate), Taijustu A (Intermediate), Taijutsu B (Intermediate), Hardening (Intermediate), Soul eating Control Rate: 100% controlled by Shinichi Tanaka |
When I appraised the skeletons, their names have changed to Homeless Skeleton. Apparently, I changed something about them.
“In that case, even with one of those weapons, they can perform well.”
I cut down some bamboo then made a bamboo spear by applying a simple process. The skeleton platoon is completed with all of them having spears. I’m planning to let them have a decent weapon eventually, but for now, this should be fine.
“Kata-kata-kata”
The skeletons bowed their heads many times and I can see that they are happy. Looking at them like this, I feel that these skeletons are also cute.
“All right, we’re heading for the stairs!”
After we walked for about two hours, we found a staircase in the middle of the bamboo grove.
“Oh, I’m so tired! Let’s eat soon!”
Erna sprawled down to the ground. Certainly, the time is already around noon. It’s about time for lunch. I took the bamboo shoots out of the bangle and I decided to put them in a pot and boil them.
However, it’s strange as no matter how long I wait, lye does not come out from the bamboo shoots. In Japan, boiling bamboo shoots produces a large amount of lye. By carefully removing it with a ladle, you can eat it deliciously, but it seems that bamboo shoots in this world are different from what I thought of.
When the bamboo shoots are boiled, I tried a bite.
“Mhmm, this is comparable to the finest bamboo shoots I ate a long time ago.”
In the meantime, I also sprinkled salt on the boiled bamboo shoots and gave it to the two.
“It’s delicious! This crunchy feeling is the best!”
“Yes, it’s delicious.”
Neither of them seems to hate bamboo shoots. Sometimes we may come here to harvest bamboo shoots. But it would be inconvenient if there was no path in this floor. Then a good idea comes to my mind.
“Homeless skeletons, make a path towards the 22nd floor. You guys should be able to do it.”
Having said that, I handed a hoe to one of the skeletons.
“Kata-kata-kata”
The skeletons bowed and immediately began to make a path. Those with a sword cut down the bamboos and the one with a hoe dig up the root. The cut down bamboos were then hammered into the ground, they are working to make a simple fence.
“Undead employees are the best.”
They don’t need to eat or ask for breaks. They won’t even need a salary or sleep. Thinking about it carefully, they are probably the best manpower to have. Such human resource is what I wanted when I was a president.
These skeletons are the best. Long live my familiars!
After the break, we went down the stairs leading to the 24th floor. The next level is a place like a meadow on one side. Horse-like creatures run through it and bird-like creatures fly over the high ceilings.
When I opened the map, this level was written as “Livestock farm”. I think the Great Mage is a gourmet just like me. Somehow, I feel that Moore’s personality becomes apparent.
“It’s a large and comfortable place!”
Erna lies down on the grasslands and Pero also imitated her.
“Hey, Let’s take a break later. Let’s go find the livestock farm on this level first.”
“Ye-s”
“Wauu”
We then set out to investigate the twenty-fourth floor.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
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Yume Neiji's Works 
Uuuh, interesting, this is getting better and better, I wonder how the race picking skill will come into play.
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