Chapter 23 : Reasonable Doubt (Part-2)

“If the owner allows it, sure.”

Cotton didn’t understand Eden’s words and quickly tried to make his case.

“So, I’m asking the great warrior here. I might look like this, but I’m actually quite useful. I could help you later… full course… in the city…”

Cotton then noticed that Eden’s gaze was fixed on the skeleton sitting in the chair.

“Hey, this isn’t some storybook ruin. I’ve never heard of a corpse getting up and walking in real life.

Besides, the lady mentioned earlier—there’s absolutely no possibility that anything alive could be present in this location.”

Cotton articulated his thoughts with a sense of assurance, completely oblivious to the unsettling occurrences that had taken place in the nearby village, events that included the presence of a reanimated corpse that had been witnessed by several individuals.

However, Eden had already caught a glimpse of the flames dancing in the hollow eye sockets of the skeleton during their initial entry into the chamber, an image that lingered in her mind, contrasting sharply with Cotton’s unwarranted confidence.

[You have the qualities of a hero. I like you.]

“…Huh?”

Cotton slowly turned his head in the direction of the voice that had called out to him.

All he could see in that moment was nothing but the skeleton.

“What the hell… What is this?”

When the skeleton spoke, a palpable shift occurred in the demeanor and movements of everyone present.

Cotton, immediately sensing the gravity of the situation, swiftly took a few steps back, creating distance between herself and the source of the unnerving voice, while Fran, displaying a fierce determination, raised her hammer high above her head, clearly gearing up for a confrontation that might be imminent.

In contrast, only Neb and Eden maintained their composure amidst the chaotic atmosphere, choosing to listen intently and with great focus to the skeletal figure as it continued its monologue.

The skeleton itself was clad in tattered and faded garments that appeared to be remnants of a bygone era, completely indifferent to the anxious reactions of those around it as it continued to articulate its thoughts without pause or hesitation.

[But time is equal for everyone.]

The flames in the empty eye sockets turned toward them.

[Whether you’re a worthless rogue from any age, a monster-believing paladin, an emperor who might lose his mind, or a warrior from the North…]

“Did you just call me a worthless rogue?”

[So, what remains forever? I’ve pondered that. I wanted to live long and leave a lasting legacy.]

“You’ve already lived long enough, old man.”

“Shut up.”

Eden silenced Cotton.

But surprisingly, the skeleton answered Cotton’s remark.

[This is not alive. It is merely remaining. It exists only to meet someone truly great, someone who will be remembered forever in history.]

“…I don’t think we’re that.”

Ignoring Cotton, Eden spoke directly to the skeleton.

“So what are you trying to say?”

[You just need to prove that you are outstanding enough to be remembered in history. I don’t have much time, so we’ll talk about the details later.]

At the skeleton’s words, Cotton let out a sigh of relief.

“Phew, I thought some crazy skeleton was going to start chasing us down saying, ‘I need your body!’ Like back at the entrance. So, we just need to solve a riddle, right? Well, we didn’t actually solve anything to get in here, but…”

The skeleton’s voice continued.

[There’s a very simple way.]

At the same time, the cave resonated with a loud noise.

Boom!!

The statues standing against the walls began to move on their own. Armed with spears, swords, and hammers, they slowly raised their heavy bodies.

“…I don’t think this is the time. I’m leaving.”

But the passage they had entered was now blocked by a transparent barrier.

“Damn it?”

Seeing Cotton’s startled expression, Fran turned to the skeleton with a question.

“What’s this simple method? And what’s truly everlasting isn’t something like that. It’s our devotion to the sun god.”

[Ha ha, paladins are the same in any era, huh?]

The skeleton kindly explained.

[History is always made by the strong. That’s the minimum condition I want.]

The skeleton chuckled as though it had heard a funny joke, watching them.

It seemed like the conversation had reached its conclusion, with no more words left to exchange on the topic at hand.

Eden, however, was not at all perturbed by the skeleton’s comments, displaying a remarkable level of composure and indifference to what had been said.

This situation reminded her of the exact type of design you would typically encounter in a dungeon or ancient ruin inside a video game, where the environment is meticulously crafted to create a certain atmosphere.

In those scenarios, an adversary or object would suddenly materialize, you would engage in combat, and just like that, the encounter would come to a swift end, often leaving behind some loot or experience points.

Eden continued to move forward, her determination unwavering, and turned to Fran to share her thoughts, saying,

“Take care of the others.”

“…Understood.”

Of course, Eden wasn’t harboring any high expectations regarding the paladin’s capabilities or performance in the impending confrontation.

This sentiment was only reinforced after taking a close look at the paladin’s noticeably dented faceplate, which suggested that he had encountered quite a few battles that had left their mark on his armor.

At the very minimum, Eden understood that his primary objective was to buy sufficient time to effectively manage and address the situation that lay before them, ensuring that they would be prepared for whatever challenges awaited.

With a determined expression, the barbarian turned his head towards the daunting challenge that lay ahead, ready to face whatever obstacles might come their way.

‘Three meters is easy.’

He had faced formidable adversaries many times before, yet engaging with adversaries of such scale was still an experience that felt both familiar and somewhat foreign to him.

Nevertheless, Eden felt no trepidation.

In fact, the rapid thumping of his heart served only to amplify his sense of exhilaration.

Crack! A sudden, piercing noise resonated from the grip of the axe he held firmly in his grasp.

The twin axes that he had relied upon since the very moment he was transported into this game world were uniquely suited to endure the level of force he could exert, standing strong against the risk of shattering or splintering under his might.

[······!!]

A statue charged rapidly toward Eden, moving at high speed and swinging a massive sword with great force.

With a sidelong glance, he took a moment to thoroughly examine the statue.

Steel, brass, bronze…

It seemed they were made of various materials.

Eden swung his axe upward.

At a glance, it looked like Eden would be overwhelmed by the statue’s weight, but the one that broke was the statue’s sword.

The thick blade, even sturdier than a typical greatsword, was split cleanly in two.

His wrist ached more than expected.

‘Is it solid steel?’

If he could bring it back, it would fetch quite a price just for the scrap metal—
the real problem was transporting it.

Without hesitation, Eden swung his axe at the giant’s knee joint, shattering it.

Since his opponent wasn’t a living creature, he wasn’t aiming for the head or chest.

Even though he swung the axe one-handed, the massive statue fell to its knees.

Eden then swung the axe he held in his other hand, slamming it down on the statue’s head.

Thunk! A heavy sound echoed as the statue’s head dented, but its massive hands still moved, trying to grab him.

‘The head’s not the weak spot.’

He shifted his attacks, targeting the wrist, elbow, shoulder, and then the chest.

Even as more statues were approaching, Eden focused solely on finding their weak point.

‘The gemstone on the chest.’

Eden quickly identified the statues’ weakness.

“Th-that expensive thing!”

Cotton’s wailing voice rang out from afar, but Eden paid it no mind and swung his axe.

There was no need to drag this out.

Another statue swung a massive axe at Eden’s waist, but he stepped back nimbly to dodge and counterattacked at its exposed side.

It was as natural as chopping wood.

As statues lost their balance and fell, Eden stepped atop them, ready for the next foe.

Time passed, and the number of shattered statues continued to rise.

Watching the scene, the skeletal figure realized that even if it doubled the number of statues, they wouldn’t be able to take this warrior down.

This trial wasn’t designed for one person to fight alone—yet Eden didn’t seem to need any comrades.

Mouth agape, the skeleton shouted:

[…Enough!]

Even though he must have heard the skeleton’s words, Eden simply adjusted his grip on the axe and swung again.

Thunk! Clang!

Fragments of steel scattered as another statue’s neck was broken.

The entire chamber fell into heavy silence.

Fran and Cotton stood frozen in shock, just like the skeleton.

The only one still maintaining composure was Neb.

The skeleton stared at Eden.

[…You…]

He asked, struggling with the words.

[Are your parents even human?]

At the sudden, crude insult, Eden’s mood soured.