Chapter 325: Well... I am sorry?
Eli's gaze remained fixated on the new incomer.... Skeleton, entranced by the otherworldly sparks that danced around its skeletal frame.
'Tuck, Tuck, Tuck....'
"Hello, good sir. I trust you find yourself in good spirits..." Eli muttered, a subtle jerk of his left hand propelling the Ember within his wrist towards the skeleton's skull.
'Spark, Spark'
However, much to his dismay, the skeleton dissipated from its initial position, leaving behind a mesmerizing trail of sparks that hung in the air like spectral fireflies.
Eli's brow furrowed in confusion as he swiftly rolled to the side.
'THUD!'
Twisting around, he beheld a massive thigh bone crashing onto the ground with a resounding thud, the impact echoing through the eerie silence of the surroundings.
Eli's face shifted to one of seriousness as the skeleton effortlessly wielded the colossal bone, the weight seemingly inconsequential to its bony structure.
Drawing his Celestria with a deft motion, Eli pointed the Trident weapon at the skeleton, which reciprocated by aiming its immense bone weapon in his direction.
'Spark, Spark'
'Spark, Spark'
The clash between their respective weapons produced a dazzling display of sparks, tracing intricate patterns in the air with every swift movement.
'Ting'
'Tung'
'Ting'
'Tuck'
'Tucckk'
'Ting'
Each strike, a masterful swordplay and skeletal prowess, was either skillfully blocked or cunningly diverted.
'A swordmaster?' Eli thought, his mind racing to comprehend the unexpected skill of the skeleton.... A mere Skeleton!
Frowning, he exerted himself to keep pace with the skeleton, which moved much faster than he had anticipated.
'Tsk,' Eli clicked his tongue, a momentary pause in the intense dance, as he gracefully stepped back, allowing himself a moment to catch his breath.
'-Ha-Ha-'
Eli expected that the monster would attack using this time. However, the skeleton remained stationary, almost mocking him with its rhythmic jaw taps.
'Tuck, Tuck, Tuck, Tuck...'
It sounded as if the skeleton were chuckling at his efforts.
"Looks like you're quite the entertaining one, aren't you?" Eli muttered, vanishing in an instant and reappearing behind the stationary skeleton.
Yet, the creature pivoted to block Eli's incoming assault.
"You're just faster than me... that's all," Eli remarked. As the three teeth of his trident were about to make contact with the enormous bone weapon, a sudden interruption occurred.
'Clang, Clang'
Chains of Ember wrapped around the skeleton monster's neck and then the knife extended and stabbed it to a nearby wall.
'Spark, Sp---'
The sparks that had been emanating from the monster abruptly extinguished.
Eli smirked, poised to deliver the finishing blow, but before he could strike, a rhythmic sound echoed.
'Tuck, Tuck, Tuck...Tuck.Tuck.Tuck.Tuck.TuckTuck.....'
The skeleton crumbled, its bones falling like detached threads, scattering across the ground.
"Well, I didn't expect that..." Eli muttered, his gaze fixed on the now-defeated monster, an intrigued expression on his face.
"It's certainly just the remains of those who entered this dungeon... I need to learn more..." Eli mumbled to himself before crouching down to analyze the bones.
While Eli was engrossed in examining the skeletal remains, Your next journey awaits at m v|l-e'm,p| y- r
"Arrrhh," Arlyne groaned, awakening from her unconscious state. She slowly turned her head, catching sight of Eli deeply engrossed in mutterings while crouching down.
As Arlyne, initially unaware of Eli's activity due to her position (Back view), assumed he was sitting and mumbling, she slowly stood and approached him. Her intent was to inquire about what had transpired with the Skeleton Monster.
'Shit! Did I just faint because of a Skeleton Monster!' Arlyne couldn't believe she had succumbed to unconsciousness merely at the sight of a skeleton. She inwardly cursed herself for acting like a child in the face of danger.
"Hey, Eli, what hap--POOffff!!!!" Arlyne softly tapped his shoulder, a sense of guilt etching her face as she prepared to question him about the monster. However, the moment Eli turned to face her, she was met with an expression that rendered her speechless.
Witnessing Eli's face, Arlyne's eyes widened, and that was it. She fell backwards, fainting without even letting out a scream.
Eli swiftly caught Arlyne as she fell, cradling her in his arms and looking down at her fearful face that remained etched with terror even in unconsciousness.
""Well... I am sorry?" Eli muttered with a shrug, trying to offer an explanation to an unconscious person.
Attempting to provide an explanation, He continued, "I was just checking how the skeleton saw with eyeballs sockets..... That's why I placed them on my face and tried to look through them, to understand the view it would have and explore the possibilities of how skeleton works"
However, his words remained unheard by Arlyne...
"Sigh..." Eli sighed deeply, his breath carrying a mix of contemplation and resignation.
Holding Arlyne gently on his lap, he admitted to himself that he might not fully comprehend the entirety of what transpired in the mysterious dungeon. Yet, a glimmer of understanding emerged when he remembered hazy views.... that Arlyne supported him unfalteringly, regardless of the peculiar and, as he described it, "disgusting" situations.
After checking on Arlyne, Eli returned to examining the remaining skeleton....
"Arrrhhh..." Pearl, the last to regain consciousness, awoke and, much like Arlyne, found Eli with his back turned, muttering something.
Slowly rising to her feet, Pearl approached Eli, reflecting on her momentary loss of consciousness. 'Seriously, I just fell unconscious again! If my master knew about this, the next time I might become a skeleton.'
'!!!' A shiver ran down her spine, dispelling those unsettling thoughts. Pearl tentatively tapped Eli's shoulder.
"Eli, what happ---KKYYAAAAA!!!!" Pearl's scream echoed through the dungeon as she saw Eli's mouth gripping a huge bone, seemingly in the act of devouring it.
"It's me..." Eli hastily reassured her, promptly removing the oversized bone from his mouth.
Pearl froze for a second before collapsing to her knees, her heart pounding as she struggled to regain control.
"Well... I am sorry?" Eli said awkwardly, acknowledging the unintended fright he had caused. This time, his intention was to check the bone's strength, specifically to understand how much pressure it could withstand. His curiosity stemmed from the monster's evasion of his attack at that particular point.
After taking a calming breath, Pearl shot a stern glare at Eli.
"Don't! You guys are the ones who fainted, so there's no point in glaring at me," Eli stated matter-of-factly, shaking his head in an attempt to lighten the mood.
Hearing that, Pearl could only swallow her anger and work to calm her inner rage.
"So....?" Pearl inquired, her eyes scanning the bones of the defeated Skeleton Monster, already assuming Eli's victory.
"Hmm.... It's an easy kill as long as you outwit its speed," Eli briefed her, his tone casual yet filled with the confidence of experience.
"I see..." Pearl nodded, her attention then drawn to Arlyne, who was peacefully sleeping on Eli's lap.
Her lips twitched in annoyance. "Looks like you're soft on humans rather than other races..." as she hinted at how Eli mistreated her...
She was a princess of Atlantis and yet she was lying on the ground...
"Soft...?" Eli frowned, perplexed. However, noticing the jealous in Pearl's eyes, he added with an amusing expression, "At least you screamed..."
"Hmm? What do you mean---- OH!! I see...." Pearl raised her eyebrows, then chuckled softly, realizing Eli's words.
"So?" Eli questioned.
"Hmm?"
"Why did you help me? Knowing it was a trap?" Eli asked as he discarded the bones like garbage and fixed his gaze on Pearl's eyes.
"W-Well...." Pearl avoided his eyes and hesitated to answer, feeling the warmth of Eli's gentle tone seeping into her. It was as if he had the ability to make her feel safe and understood.
"What is it, Pearl?" Eli's voice softened, resembling the comforting tone of a concerned friend or parent.
'What am I thinking!!' Pearl screamed inwardly, her face flushing beet red. With a mixture of embarrassment and hesitation, she answered, "M-My legs moved before I knew it."
Eli deeply stared into her eyes, making her discomfort grow.
"W-What?" Pearl stammered, her face turning even redder.
"Well.... You might get sed-- I mean, your seduction is really working now..." Eli responded in an amusing tone.
"Huh?" Pearl was initially taken aback, but as she comprehended his words, her face lit up with joy, as if her mission was about to reach its conclusion..... Simultaneously, she felt a strange mix of emotions, a combination of triumph and confusion as she looked at Eli with a sceptical gaze.
Eli simply smiled.
Meanwhile, the third member of the group, who had already woken up, pretended to still be unconscious, her ears turning beet red as she tried to conceal her embarrassment.