He is big, his armour is black, his bones are yellowed and his presence just a few meters in front of the door is not welcomed.

  Skeleton Knight lvl 14

  You know, I liked skelly from the guardroom. He was such an easy going guy. I’ve had a great time with him, although he, from my arguments, lost his head. I had a great time with him. I liked him and would love to talk to him, or his like-minded friends again...

  ...sigh...

  I step out of the doorway. Being caught in a place, where I can’t swing my big Thing, isn’t something I want .

  This is gonna be hard. If this thing catches a pace, I’m dead. I have to attack first.

  “Let’s fuck you up!” I pull the sword behind me, tighten my grip, gather all my strength. Aiming for one fatal blow, my feet dig into the ground and with a deep growl I unleash a huge swing.

  It makes a very deep “swoosh”. I have to focus all my strength to hold it. The force required to swing this thing in a controlled manner is enormous. I am just lucky enough that it doesn’t fly off my hands while swinging it in the correct direction.

  It’s a hit!

  *Clang!*

  Luckily, this skeleton isn’t much smarter than-

  The impact is enormous. Even for him. We both bounce away, trying to catch stability. I feel the impact more. I actually feel it a lot more. More, like through my whole body.

  The shock is so strong that I even forget to swear.

  The tingling in my arms is paralyzing. The impact went through my whole body, it’s like a shock.

  If I let go of the sword, the aftereffects wouldn’t be so devastating, but my grip on the sword hasn't eased. Without weapon, I’m as good as dead.

  There’s no time to recover before he gets back to me.

  I swing again, this time I actually aim - to lead the blow from below, from an angle where he doesn’t have the leverage to block.

  But he doesn’t try to block it. Instead, he reaches out and stabs me in the right shoulder. At least, he tried. Fortunately, my sword hit him first, slamming him away, my shoulder sparred. I still got hit a little, but the shoulder stays functional – just a little scratch.

  His armour is dented as fuck. My heavy ass sword did its job.

  As my strike threw him away, he doesn’t look like standing up again, but he is still alive… Well, not alive, but undead for sure.

  He’s still moving, probably trying to get off the ground. It seems like I may have broken his spine, the armour is dented enough for it to be possible.

  Just as I’m about to finish him off, a double rattle echoes behind me.

  I‘ve been so focused on this fight, that I completely forgot about my surroundings. Such an amateur move... Not like two skellies should make any kind of trouble, but still.

  Okay, maybe they can.

  They are close to each other - too close. I won’t have time to swing twice...

  No major problem on my side though.

  I grip the Colossus sword, and start a massive swing. It’s weight straining my already burning arms. The blade cleanly splits the first skeleton in half. The momentum carries me into a full spin and halves the other skeleton just as easily.

  LEVEL UP

  I stagger to stop, panting, Although I am topless. I sweat like hell, it drips down my face and chest.

  This sword is no joke – the impacts are like hammer blows.

  And my shoulder? It hurts like hell! It’s the same one the wolf bit into. Surprisingly, I can’t find, nor feel anything else than scabs. So even the stab should be ok in no time, it’s more just like a scratch. Nothing big.

  After dealing with those two weaklings, I get back to the knight skelly.

  Just standing there, leaning on the sword, resting and gathering strength for the final blow.

  I have time this time, he’s not gonna go anywhere.

  ***

  LEVEL UP

  No consideration needed, I devastated his armour too much, it doesn’t even show the information window. I wouldn’t take it anyway though. It would just slow me down. I don’t need it. I don’t want it. I’m also sure that I wouldn’t beat his ass if I had on heavy ass armour.

  That said, I leave his bones behind and after observing the room a bit, my eyes start to shine, like a little child’s on Christmas.

  Loot box! ...Okay maybe not a loot box, but a chest for sure! The System one. It clearly has been put in its place by the System... I am no Sherlock, but in an old, corrupted dungeon shouldn’t be non-rusty and shining with newness wooden chest.

  It lays on the pedestal at the far end of the room. Illuminated with purple light from the torches, creepy aura around it.

  It would be pretty fucked up, if this is the monster chest…

  And if it would try to eat me the second I try to open it…

  …I have absolutely no idea how I would fight it... Hmmm... No, absolutely no idea, it would probably devour me in a few seconds.

  I hate my thoughts, now I’m actually scared of the chest. It’s no use for hesitation, let’s look at the loot.

  “There will for sure be good loot and no monster chest. I’m sure, there actually are no monster chests, they just don’t exist, it would be too mean to have them.” I’m manifesting my thoughts while getting closer to the pedestal.

  Dim, purple light of the torches illuminating the chest, absolute silence disrupted only by crackling torches. The scary atmosphere utterly challenges my imaginations to become true and the chest to eat me. I don’t like it, and like it ,at the same time.

  I grab the Colossus sword with both hands, cover in fear of being devoured and nudge the chest with a tip of the sword.

  I immediately bounce back, expecting the chest to open, the inside full of sharp teeth, long tongue and plenty of tentacles trying to catch me...

  None of this is happening. The chest sits still, without any change.

  Frown appears on my face.

  Although I'm still cautious , I step up to the chest again, this time without fear. The chest is made to blend in with the surrounding dungeon – black metal, dark wood and a skull emblem decorating it.

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  There’s no lock, no key needed.

  Good thing for me, I suppose, when not having the key. I just grab it by the lid and open it wide.

  No evil devourer in there for me. What a pity.

  Well... I shouldn’t say that it’s a pity. After all, there's loot! I eagerly lean over the open chest.

  Two items are laying in there, and I couldn’t be more happy with them.

  A coat and boots!

  I can’t wait furthermore, so I pick up the coat and look at its description.

  Traveler’s Mantle (Rare)

  A thick, battle-worn coat crafted from reinforced beast-hide, built for endurance and utility. Its many deep pockets offer ample storage, making it a favored garment for explorers and warriors alike.

  Enchantments:

  Stonehide Weave – Reduces damage from slashes and piercing attacks, dulling the force of incoming strikes.

  Selfrepair – Slowly repairs minor tears and punctures over time, by taking mana from the world around. The repairing speed can be boosted by infusing more mana.

  “Damn, this looks sick. I like it!”

  It is basically a long, quite worn out coat. It will suit me well, covering me from shoulders, whole way down to ankles.

  I immediately put it on my half naked body and melt down under the wave of satisfaction…

  …It’s so warm!

  I’ll finally not be running around and fighting skeletons half naked, just in my pyjama shorts and even get some protection.

  “Simply lovely!”

  Another thing that is extremely uncomfortable - running around barefooted.

  I would even give my huge ass sword, for some garbage pair of boots… and these are not even garbage!

  Reinforced Wayfarer’s Boots (Uncommon)

  Sturdy leather boots with light metal plating, offering protection without hindering movement.

  Enchantments:

  Selfrepair -not gonna read it again, I bet it’s word to word the same.

  I couldn’t be happier with this loot, truly.

  Looks matter, they said back on old earth… What would they think about me now then? On top of my pyjama shorts and on my otherwise naked body the long and thick Traveler’s mantle and on my feet robust Reinforced boots.

  On top of that, the colossus sword laying on my shoulder - I must look absolutely badass.

  No doubts.

  Where are all the girls now, huh?!

  I have also finally found time to look around and… yeah, I should have registered sooner, but to be fair I was distracted by the skellies.

  I’m in a church.

  Yes, big old church, or actually, it might be more like a cathedral. High vaulted ceilings, with mosaics of unknown (to me) gods.

  There are also those big and long windows, but no sun shines through them, only dungeon black. Pitch black.

  I am standing in the front of the cathedral, and where should be the altar, is sitting my chest.

  Also, He is not hanging there - no cross is in sight. The symbol they use instead is more like… I don’t know how to describe it, it’s too complicated and weird… It looks like a colossus sword, double edged axe and a hammer in one.

  It’s pretty weird when I look at it as a whole. There are no benches either, so the cathedral looks a bit empty, but whatever.

  I came from a side entrance on the right side, which leaves my only way out in the hands of the main entrance to the (or out of the?) cathedral and another side entrance on the opposite side.

  “They will be locked, right?” I murmur as I come closer to the main entrance.

  Did I mention how huge everything is there? Those guys living there before the System had to be really huge, I wouldn’t want to meet one, tho.

  It actually makes me wonder why all the skeletons I fought were all just a human size - I don’t complain, really. It just doesn’t make much sense.

  The door I was getting to while thinking - the main entrance door, are of course locked, or I’m just unable to move with them, even a bit. They do not move at all.

  That leaves me with only one other option. Side door.

  It is not locked and as I’m opening them, one particular thought fills my head.

  There is none. Instead, an enormous library takes place here. The bookshelves are everywhere - on the walkside, on every place they fit and even hanging from the ceiling, full of books.

  I can hear the rattling of some skeletons between the shelves, but they haven’t noticed me yet, so there’s no rush. The books are old, and I mean really old - the layer of dust on them might as well be mistaken as a protective spell or something.

  I wipe the dust of a book laying on, what I would call a receptionist table and read the heading.

  Tales of a brave soldier Sandrick

  It’s a fucking fairy tale.

  Not to be superficial, I rather open the book and read a few lines on the first page, but it only strengthens my conclusion…

  …”Once upon a time, beyond seven mountains and seven rivers”...

  I probably shouldn't read it aloud as the rattling of the skeletons starts moving closer to me.

  It’s also interesting that the multi language skill works on writings, it must be quality skill. I wouldn’t expect to get something of that quality from the start tho.

  Instead of waiting for the skeletons, I go between the shelves and look for them by the rattling sounds - hunting them one by one. A single smash usually sends their bones flying across the library.

  Also, did I mention that the aisles between bookshelves are big enough for me to perform a full swing with my massive sword?

  No?

  Well, now I did.

  The dust here is so heavy, that even the swings don't send it flying (unlike the skeletons).

  I tried to open a few more books, but I couldn't find anything useful - only a lot of stories, tales and other non-helpful bullshit.

  I think that in the process of finding books, I had killed all of the skeletons here. I can't hear any more rattling around, but I am still cautious. If I remember right, there were six skeletons… no problem, if they come one by one.

  Unfortunately I didn't get a level up from them, but they kept me warmed up.

  ***

  I've been wandering between the shelves full of fairy tale books for a while now (definitely not lost), until I finally found it (yes, I've been looking for that the whole time - not lost!).

  History section.

  It's away from other books, clearly separated - like something that's not very popular. The layer of dust is also thicker than in other sections of the library.

  My nose, who’s been itching the whole time here, starts itching exponentially more in this history section - the scent of… I don’t even know of what, is unbearable.

  ***

  I found the cause of the smell.

  For clarification - it's the smell of a corpse. A gigantic one.

  It’s lying in the history section, behind the first few bookshelves.

  It was already pretty damn clear that this place was, before it became a dungeon, belonging to some big type of race, but now it’s crystal clear.

  On the floor there lies what remained of, I guess, a librarian. He already began to rot, so it’s hard to tell the cause of death, but if I have to assume… he was desintegrated?

  There are places of his body that are completely missing - not cut away, not torn apart, just missing and under those parts are scoops of gray powder. I saw this powder earlier, in the cathedral and even under the armour that I-

  …

  That fell.

  And I bet I would find it in the other armour and if I look carefully, in the other places also.

  All of those giants that were there just turned into ash.

  This specimen I found is nearly double the height I am, muscular and by the remains of his cloak I would bet my new boots that he got some kind of magic…

  …

  I leave him there to his rotting, and get back to the books- the main reason why I even bothered to withstand this increased scent of rotting.

  It takes me some time, but I manage to find something like the history of this race.

  The Greatest Kings Of All Time

  ***

  This is… not what I exactly wanted, but there is unfortunately nothing better.

  All other books in the history section are about mostly leaders of this race and their battles, or about their castles.

  This book is no different, it’s about leaders of colossans… and their battles and castles. There are just more of them - that’s why the book is thicker than others.

  So although I got a lot of info on this particular race called colossans, I couldn’t find anything about what might happen here. It’s kind of surprising, but as much as they loved battles, they had no historical enemies - their wars were only between them and no one else.

  Colossians were a race full of warriors, they worshipped physical strength and one's battle spirit; I didn’t find anything about their religion, but it sounds like strength and battle spirit were way more important for them than any god.

  Time after time, there always appeared some extremely strong and talented individual, and he usually became a king of the whole race for a brief time… but only after killing every other leader, until others recognized him as the strongest one.

  Aaaand… that’s basically all about this race, they were decent blacksmiths, had some magicians (no one liked them) and battles were their drugs, if I have to summarize it.

  One more interesting thing - thanks to their endless warfare, they were excellent strategists, who were often hired as generals of armies by other races.

  ***

  There is no point taking the book with me, so I leave it there. Of course I put it back in the bookshelf and I go to find a way out of this maze.

  It takes me a lot of time, but I finally get, at least, back to the place where I got in.

  …There is something like a hallway between the shelves, leading along the edge of the library…

  Yeah, I am quite hungry and it’s getting on my nerves. The higher level helps with that as well as with tiredness, but it’s not on that level (more like I am not) to let me live completely without it.

  ***

  There are main doors at the end of the hallway, but I stopped approximately in the middle, and now I’m standing in front of another, smaller door (smaller, but still big).

  Old stone staircase is waiting for me to discover it, probably, by its look, leading to a tower.