Chapter 3. Awakening from Life (3)
Rubia Ray was the necromancer who had awakened me, but it took me a while to remember her. There was a reason for that.
"Follow me," I said to Rubia.
"F-follow you?"
I vaguely remembered what had happened twenty years ago. Soon, two bandits would appear.
I was helpless.
Back then, Rubia Ray had been a novice necromancer who had just raised a Skeleton Soldier for the first time ever. Unfortunately, that Skeleton Soldier had been unprepared for anything. This sorry duo that couldn't even handle an annoyed goblin had no chance against human bandits. Both the necromancer and Skeleton Soldier suffered miserably and were destroyed because of the human bandits' violence.
It might turn out differently this time.
After that incident, I lived for twenty years. Now, I had come back through time and had the strength of an Lv. 36 Skeleton Soldier. I couldn't call myself strong, but against untrained bandits, I stood a decent chance. However, I preferred not to take any risks.
Since bandits weren't regular soldiers, their combat power was inconsistent. However, I couldn’t think lightly of them because there were definitely strong bandits out there.
Besides, twenty years ago…
I couldn't remember exactly what happened during that incident. Therefore, I had no idea how strong the enemy was. Due to the lack of information, it'd be best to hide for now.
Clatter.
I raised my hand, gesturing to Rubia.
"Woman."
She was still speechless and visibly flustered. I decided to call her by her name, hoping it'd help her focus a bit.
"Rubia."
Only then did she flinch.
"I said, come here."
Click.
I clattered my teeth together. There was no time to waste because the bandits would be here soon. I couldn't remember how quickly they arrived after I rose the first time, but it would not hurt to hurry.
"F-follow... you?" Rubia asked with a frightened tone.
The woman wasn't scared of the bandits. She was afraid of me.
"Bandits will come here. Quickly."
I gestured to Rubia again.
"You can... talk?" Rubia muttered blankly.
She continued to stand still, fixated on trivial matters.
I asked her with a bit of an attitude, "And you're not surprised I can move?"
I was moving, gesturing, and climbing up the ladder. It was ridiculous to only be surprised that I could talk, but I soon realized my mistake. She had been in shock from the moment I rose from the grave.
Nevertheless, I decided to ignore my slip-up and changed the topic.
"Hide over there. There isn't much time."
I pointed to the overgrown side of the path opposite us, leading up to the cemetery. I planned to hide there with Rubia. If the bandits showed up, they'd have no choice but to come up from the path, because they wouldn't emerge from the graves or hide in the bushes in this weather.
However, something was puzzling and odd about this situation.
Whoosh...
The rain was pouring down heavily. No matter how desperate the bandits were, who would attack in such weather?
Something was fishy. There was something I didn't know.
"Ah... ah..."
Rubia was still flustered. She didn't heed my advice to hide in the bushes. I couldn't blame her for being dumb or slow because the skeleton she had just raised from the grave gave her odd instructions.
But we really do need to hide.
Staying still would only bring trouble. I glanced at the distant cliff where I had been kicked off twenty years ago, trapping me in the frigid ice below for over a year.
This time might be different. I might just shatter and die for good.
Clatter.
I shook my head. I didn't want that because I needed to survive for now. It wasn't a dramatic resolution. I was not greatly attached to my second life as a Skeleton Soldier, but I wasn't completely indifferent to just throwing it away.
I might be able to meet my master again.
I had returned to the beginning. That meant I could bring about a different result. The world belonged to humans, but if I hid well enough, I might succeed in living in peace with my master for a long time.
"Why would bandits come for me? There's nothing to take."
Rubia's words snapped me out of my thoughts. She still had a blank look on her face. It was a foolish question with a simple answer.
Nothing to take? I thought.
Clatter.
I raised my finger and pointed to Rubia's clothes. "Robe."
I pointed to the weapon in her hand. "Dagger."
Then I pointed to her body. "Pleasure."
"Wh-what!"
Rubia was flustered.
Her reaction to such an obvious statement was surprising. I remembered her pathetic stats and her naivety. To add to the burden, she also seemed to have a desire to seek some kind of revenge, which appeared to be the reason she summoned me from the grave in the first place.
How troublesome.
I thought about just leaving her. Two bandits were about to appear, but I could hide alone. I could ignore her and go my own way. What was about to happen to her wouldn't matter to me, no matter how much she cried or screamed or if she was about to be cut up…
Crackle.
My bones cracked as I clenched my fist. I shook my head.
I don't like that.
The painful memories of the incident with the bandits washed over me, overlapping with my memory of my master's final moments. Besides, this woman was the one who had brought me back to life.
Swoosh!
I grabbed Rubia and pulled her.
"Hup!"
She opened her eyes wide in surprise.
Whoosh.
She was flustered by how easily I lifted her.
"How are you this strong?!"
I was a Lv. 1 Skeleton Soldier, but I had accumulated considerable strength over the last twenty years. It was easy for me to lift a frail human woman.
She was quite shocked. "I-I've never heard of a Skeleton Soldier being this strong!"
"Get used to it."
"Huff!"
I scolded her, but it was harsh to criticize her for being slow to adapt. Few people wouldn't be flustered by a talking skeleton, even if they were the necromancer who raised it from the grave.
"Neeeigh!"
At that moment, I heard the neighing of a horse. It came from the direction of the path where I had expected the bandits to come from. My prediction was correct.
Damn. Are we too late?
We had wasted too much time.
"Shh!"
I put my finger on Rubia's pale, wet lips. Then I quickly carried her into the thick bushes, and we lay down to hide.
Can we hide from them?
"Huff... Puff..."
"Be quiet," I whispered to Rubia.
Boom!
Crash!
A storm was raging. Thunder rumbled over us. The area was dark, and the ground was muddy. It was good for hiding.
We could only rely on the weather to keep us concealed, as it was too late for us to run. The bandits were probably too close already. Whatever reason those men had for chasing her, it was an environment conducive to them giving up the search.
Clatter.
I slowly raised my head and looked ahead as quietly as possible.
Splish! Splash!
A blue horse appeared, walking through the muddy path. I could hear the fatigue in its neigh.
"Neigh!"
Squelch! Squelch!
Soon after, a second horse appeared, followed by a flash of lightning.
Boom! Crash!
I focused on the bandits whenever lightning struck, observing their weapons and appearances. The first one to appear held a loaded crossbow. It was a modified crossbow that had the form of two crossbows stacked together.
I had seen that crossbow before. The bolts of that modified crossbow could penetrate stone walls and shields.
The second man who appeared had a huge hammer on his back. Perhaps because of the hammer's weight, his blue horse looked especially tired.
Splish!
The man with the hammer jumped off his horse first. Despite holding the heavy hammer, he was light on his feet.
Splash!
The man with the crossbow also jumped off. The two men wore similar outfits, consisting of leather clothes with leather and metal studs.
They don't seem to be bandits…
Twenty years ago, I thought bandits had attacked me. That was how I remembered it. But there were many odd details. These men had well-forged weapons and wore functional armor. It was rare that bandits would be this well-equipped. They rode horses too, which indicated it was unlikely they were bandits. Most importantly...
They give off an unusual air.
They smelled like human hunters. Human hunters were people who professionally hurt others. In my past life, I was caught by them without knowing anything. Now, with twenty years of experience as a Skeleton Soldier, I sensed something different.
I watched them quietly while lying face down.
Rustle, Rustle.
I guessed their location from the sound of them pushing through the bushes. However, the sound wasn't enough. I waited for the next flashes of lightning, observing the men whenever I could.
It was fortunate that Rubia stayed quiet in the meantime.
Whoosh!
The rain poured harder.
Rustle! Rustle!
The men pushed through the bushes for a few more minutes. They looked around the cemetery.
Then, one of them frowned and said, "The weather is really bad. Let's go back for now."
There was another flash of lightning.
After exchanging glances, the men mounted on their horses again.
"Let's go!"
When they descended the path, it became clearer that they weren't bandits.
Boom! Rumble!
As the thunder continued to roar, Rubia, who was lying face down on the ground, trembled slightly.
She lifted her head and asked, "Do you think it is over?"
Whack!
I grabbed Rubia's head and pushed her back down.
"Shh."
"Ah, ah!"
The men's departure was a ruse. I figured out the meaning behind the looks they exchanged just before they left. They were continuing their pursuit. They knew there was prey around here.
By now…
They were likely targeting us with crossbows from afar. It was a waiting game. If Rubia held out longer, she could survive. If she could not hold out… Well, the hunters would gain a lot.
I had observed humans for a long time. A young, pretty woman fetched a high price in many ways. Rubia's skin was especially fair and soft. Even from an objective standpoint, humans would unanimously call her beautiful.
Rumble!
A long time passed. We continued to lie down through several more thunderclaps. The mud got in between my ribs, making me feel slightly uncomfortable.
It must be hard for her.
The human body struggled with waiting. It couldn't endure itchiness, stiffness, or coldness well.
"Ugh..."
Sure enough, she seemed to be suffering.
Rumble!
"Stop whining," I said harshly, deliberately speaking when the thunder rumbled.
I vaguely recalled what had happened twenty years ago. I hadn't understood then, but I did now. Those two hunters would kidnap this woman and viciously rape her.
Time passed by, enveloped in a damp chill.
Rustle.
The hunters reappeared from the bushes beside the path.
I knew it.
Soaked in the rain, they looked cold. The man with the crossbow was frowning, and the man with the hammer was shivering. They had been hiding and watching for a long time.
They're used to this. Where did they come from? What is their goal? How did they know to come here?
I had many fleeting questions. The hunters had caught me straightaway in my past life, so I had no time to think about these questions.
Back then, there was no chance of winning even if I fought. But now, I cautiously considered the possibility.
Swoosh...
Squelch.
They approached slowly and started searching in the pouring rain more carefully than before.
Splish, splash.
They were getting closer to us. Rubia clenched her teeth as she trembled.
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