Chapter 6

After the battle with the shadowy skeletons, Itennu harvested each of their crystals and put them in his boar sack which was now getting a little heavy. He returned to the outside, the sun still shining overhead. He grew an appetite after the fight and went on the hunt for food. He killed two more rabbits and ate them harvesting their furs also.

He then found a place to leave his goods so they won't slow him down. He double-checked his equipment, he was equipped with his sword, dagger, and a few boar sharpened boar horns, he then continued his way into the cave.

He dwelled around the cave cautiously, looking around corners and making sure nothing appeared behind him while walking the same path, he found a separate room that he must've overseen, this is probably how the shadow skeletons came from behind him. He looked inside and saw a moldy, old wooden chest with multiple cobwebs attached to it, the room itself was a bit cramped. Itennu carefully stepped into the room looking around it as he approached the chest two torches on either side illuminating the room.

He wiped away the cobwebs and opened it, the chest coughed up mounds of dust as its old hinges started to move again. A silver ring lay inside the chest, and Itennu picked it up. The ring had an enteric pattern embedded in it, which appeared to make a large cat in mid-stride of running. He put on the ring which fit nicely on his slender fingers.

He felt a sudden surge of energy resonate throughout his body, which he felt increased his vigor. He checked his stats to see that his Vitality and Agility had gone up each by 5 making his Vit 21, and his Agi 39. Itennu was content with this hidden treasure he found, but he continued onward in the cave, checking the empty wooden chest, so as to see if he forgot anything, before going.

The clanks of bones grew louder as he drew upon the position he was cornered. Itennu was unnerved by the noise and kept moving forward.

He caught sight of two skeletons around a corner each with a sword and shield patrolling the area. Itennu waited a few more seconds, their clanks growing louder. He was waiting for the right moment to pounce on them and make his odds better by immediately taking out one skeleton. He closed his eyes listening to their footsteps, judging their distance, and blocking out his other senses. As he felt them draw closer Itennu charged out of the corner sword drawn, the skeletons couldn't react in time as Itennu brought down a fatal slash to one nearest to him. The skeleton's skull shattered from the might of his swing.

The other skeleton quickly went on the attack, almost cutting Itennu's head clean off with a quick slash to the neck. Itennu moved his head back, seeing the sword flash before his eyes. Itennu then quickly moved in, the skeleton however anticipating the attack brought his shield up. Itennu seeing this quickly used his weight and momentum to ram the skeleton.

The skeleton was easily pushed back and was bashed up against the wall, getting stunned from the attack. Itennu quickly used the butt of his blade to smash the recovering skeleton's head, the sound reverberated throughout the cave. Both skeletons turned into light and left behind two more small crystals. Itennu didn't know what these crystals were but they seemed important to him. Itennu didn't pick up the rounded shields of the skeletons as he felt it would slow him down.

LvL: 7 -> 8

Exp: 640/3350

Stat Points Remaining: 20

Ability Points Remaining: 24

One-Handed Sword Mastery lvl 5,

Crafting lvl 6,

Hide Presence lvl 10,

Silent Foot lvl 8,

Skinning lvl 7

He pressed onward, his senses keened on everything around him. He made sure to check behind him every now and again. He peaked around another sharp corner where the cave turned into. He shook as he saw a multitude of skeletons wandering around with some shadow skeletons mixed in, in a large clearing. He counted eight normal skeletons and five shadow skeletons. He checked his stats and put 10 points in Agility and 7 in Strength and the rest into Vit.

Str: 30->37

Vit: 21->24

Agi:39->49

Stat Points Remaining: 0

He decided to allocate his points this way for the upcoming battle. With the extra strength, he should be able to one-shot a skeleton more reliably and with the added agility he should be able to maneuver around quicker and dodge their attacks better. The rest of the points into Vit would hopefully help his stamina regen faster.

Itennu pulled out one of his sharpened bull horns, as many thoughts raced in his head. He was afraid this might be too much to handle but he needed to get stronger. He aimed the boar horn at the skeleton nearest to him and threw it. It soared through the air and grazed the skeleton's large white skull. The skeleton turned around looking at where Itennu was. Itennu cursed himself as he readied another boar horn behind cover.

The other skeletons took notice and started their way to Itennu's position. Itennu readied his sharpened boar horns. He came out of cover and threw two more boar horns, one grazing one skeleton's arm and another piercing a skeleton's neck, causing it to crumble and turn into light. He reached for two more.

The skeletons menacingly lumbered forward, starting to close in on Itennu. He threw the horns piercing one skeleton in the skull and cracking a shadow skeleton's crystal. The shadow skeleton let out an unearthly shriek, which deafened Itennu's ears and echoed throughout the cave. The shadow skeleton flowed through his comrades and started a mad run at Itennu. The surprised Itennu quickly pulled out his blade as the shadow skeleton recklessly slashed at him.

Itennu jumped backward and the skeleton's blade struck the ground hard causing a small dust cloud to rise. Itennu struck the skeleton while it lifted its blade again. The skeleton's black mist was sucked into its crystal and its rotting bones turned to dust as they hit the ground.

That was a close one Itennu thought if he had been any slower than the skeleton would have cut his head in half. Itennu started to get cold feet once again as he readied his blade against the other skeletons. Six normal and four shadows to go, Itennu noticed as the skeletons came closer that some were closer than others. Even though he was outnumbered if he was quick enough he could destroy the skeletons before their allies reached him and then rinse and repeat the process.

Itennu gripped his blade tightly and blitzed the group of skeletons lumbering towards him. He focused on the two normal skeletons in front both equipped with a mace and a shield. The skeletons reacted by holding their shields out in preparation to block. Itennu's mind race to think up of a counter, but his body was way ahead of him.

He kicked the left skeleton's shield and due to his momentum and strength sent him crashing into his allies. The other skeleton sensing an opportunity swung his mace at Itennu as he did this. Itennu caught the mace with a sword and let it slide off his blade.

The skeleton brought his shield up to block Itennu's next attack while he recovered from the parry, but Itennu pulled his shield down overpowering the skeleton, and bashed the skull of the skeleton with the butt of his blade.

He then picked up the skeleton's mace quickly. The mace was old and beat up but it should be better at bashing than his double-edged blade. He held his blade in his right hand and carried the skeletons mace with his left. The skeletons he knocked over got back up, taking a hold of their weapons once again. Two shadow skeletons were now ahead of the pack and Itennu engaged them. He dodged their strikes easily and used the mace to bash their crystals. They only took one strike from Itennu's mace before dissipating.

Itennu retreated back to where he slew the first skeleton. The skeleton he kicked knocked over two others and now they were dead last. The last two shadows and one normal skeleton were ahead of them.

Itennu gripped his weapons tightly and charged forward his weapons at his sides. The normal skeleton counter charged Itennu and with great prowess thrusted his long spear at Itennus head. Itennu's eyes followed the spear and instead of dodging the attack he parried it using his mace to hit the blade of the spear up.

This caused the skeleton to be wide open for attack, its body turning to light as Itennu smashed the skeleton's skull with the flat of his sword. The two shadow skeletons swung their blades in coordination at Itennu, as their comrade fell, Itennu couldn't dodge both attacks and the shadowy blade cut his stomach but it wasn't too deep.

Blood slowly dripped from the wound, but Itennu didn't notice his body was filled with adrenaline. Itennu Charged the shadowy skeletons but was forced to back off as two vicious strikes almost slashed him. He sucked his teeth and charged once again, he veered more to the left skeleton so the right one would be slower to react due to the distance.

His plan worked and he successfully destroyed the left shadow skeleton dodging its attacks and quickly destroying the crystal with one shot from his mace. The other shadowy skeleton missed a fatal stab and caused its death as the skeleton couldn't react to Itennu's counter strike. Itennu was drained at this point and was breathing heavily, he slowly backed up from the other skeletons looming towards him, he had to catch his breath.

As he did so he felt the pain coming from his belly and saw a long cut, bleeding and staining his loincloth. Itennu felt like he should disengage from this battle, but he was so close to victory. He observed his last three opponents, the left one had a mace and shield and the right one had a sword and shield and the middle one carried a spear pointing it at his target. Itennu looked into their soulless eyes, the sounds of their bones filling his ears. He readied himself and charged forward with a great heave.

He narrowly dodged the spear as it zipped past his head, he got in close and the other two skeletons attacked together, the right one aiming for his neck and the left one at his legs. He jumped forward diving through the strikes and past the skeletons. He rolled and recovered quickly enough to smash the middle skeleton's leg, causing it to fall and drop its spear. The other skeletons attacked him but missed as he rolled away.

The middle skeleton now void of its weapon slowly crawled towards Itennu, its jaw hinged open, the other two skeletons slowly lumbered towards Itennu menacingly. Itennu was now in a large clearing, and he decided to use most of it. He swung around the left, and attacked the skeleton with the sword head-on since its comrade was right behind it, the skeleton wouldn't be able to strike Itennu. The sword skeleton's overhead strike was quickly parried and it brought up its shield in defense of Itennus' sword which he stopped right before it hit.

Itennu kicked the skeleton's shield causing it to fall back on its comrade. The crawling skeleton latched onto Itennu's ankle, and Itennu quickly retaliated, bashing the skull of the skeleton with his mace. As it dissipated into light, Itennu smashed the skulls of the recovering skeletons, it was quick as they struggled to get up and pick up their weapons. The unearthly sounds of their skulls being bashed in echoing throughout the cave.