章 17: Congratulations Old Man!
"When I held the thighbone in my hands, I felt... my hands were better weapons, but still, I used the thighbone in the fight, because it was the most logical choice."
"After a few swings, the thighbone broke. I didn't have anything but my hands to use at that time. My chance to survive depended on my hands, so I didn't hesitate."
"The first pygmy skeleton that I killed produced a crisp sound of shattering when I slammed it to the ground. To be honest...I liked it."
"It was like music to my ears. I wanted to hear more, and I wanted to hear different tunes of that sound. So I killed them in different ways."
Ulfred was looking completely honest. At first, he felt awkward, 'Why do I have to do this?' was the question that kept hovering in his mind. He didn't even know what he should say, or where to start.
However, as he kept talking and was honest to himself, the words had come out from his mouth on their own accord.
Dante and Nathaniel were waiting for the wrong word to come out of the old man's mouth. They were ready to burst into a laughing session. But as they listened to Ulfred's speech, their smiling faces gradually disappeared. Astonishment was evident on their expressions.
"I slammed them to the ground, to the cave walls, to another pygmy skeletons! I crushed their rib cages, spines, and skulls! I have found relaxation and strength in those melodies!"
"I even tried to make a composition from the sounds that I have created with my own two hands! As I kept doing it, I liked the feeling it gave me even more!"
"A while later... It wasn't enough anymore. I needed to share my joy with other people. I wanted to tell them stories... And I wanted them to create a vivid scene in their minds. A scene that I am making a composition using my bare hands."
[Ding!]
[Quest completed.]
[Quest log updated.]
Ulfred's face was indescribably pale. He didn't even look this much pale when that high-level pygmy skeleton slashed him from the chest. His eyes were misty and wide open as if he had just done the hardest thing possible to him.
The words of Ulfred was unexpected for the rest of the party members. At first, they couldn't give a response.
"Ulfred, I want to laugh at you, but I can't." Nathaniel was the first one to speak. He knew Ulfred was a savage man, but he has never thought Ulfred's savageness had an artistic side.
"I knew it you also have a screw loose! I salute you as a fellow psychopath!" Dante made a bowing gesture befitting to the nobles, causing Ulfred's old heart to fiercely shake!
"Didn't I tell you before? You are yet to know yourself. So how does it feel to find abnormalities in yourself?" He was smiling weirdly at the same time.
"N-no! Don't get me wrong. I don't think I can have the same feeling if I kill humans. The monsters that I killed were skeletons, that's why I felt that way. Yes, yes... That must be it!"
Without a doubt, Ulfred had suffered from the biggest shock. None of the party members -including Ulfred himself- expected him to be affected so much from a simple confession.
He had not ignored his unusual thoughts until this point. The situation was just too embarrassing for him to handle!
Dante came near Ulfred and threw an arm around his broad shoulders as if they have been close friends for forty long years.
"You don't have to be depressed. Look at me. You guys told me some weird things about my personality before, but I don't feel the least bit depressed. Do not demoralize yourself over this. Knowing yourself is essential, you'll get used to it in no time."
*Pat* *Pat*
Dante spoke as if he had vast experience on the subject and patted Ulfred's back. However, the old man didn't relax at all. Instead, he felt even more depressed!
Dante had gotten Ulfred wrong. He just embarrassed himself to death!
"Anyway, since you stopped talking about your feelings *cough*, your quest log should be updated. Did you completed the quest?" Dante asked. The situation was still funny enough for him.
"Y-yes. It is completed. I'll read the new quest now."
[Do a heroic deed and start spreading your own legend, or let other people spread it for you.]
"Heroic deed? How do we know what kind of deed can be considered a heroic deed?" The text was unclear and thought-provoking.
After a few minutes of contemplation, Dante began to speak.
"Old man Ul, it seems like you have to do something that could be considered as the start of a legend. More appropriately, the start of your own legend. The second part of the quest is actually unimportant. As long as there are people at present, your heroic deed should 'start' spreading."
"Somehow I feel like the reward of this chain quest will be really amazing," Nathaniel commented from the side.
"The reward will most likely be a Hidden Class. Looking at these weird quests, I can't think of another possibility." Dante said with a smile. He was happy for Ulfred.
"Hidden Class? Then my chain quest's reward might be a Hidden Class too!" Nathaniel was the happiest among the party because he was happy for both himself and Ulfred.
"Both of your first quests are similar to each other. Its reward might really be another Hidden Class. But you shouldn't keep your hopes high. It's too early to say something before we see your second quest." Dante said and turned to Ulfred.
As he heard Dante's words, his depressed mood slowly disappeared. He looked much better now.
"Congratulations old man! You'll be the first one among us who has a Hidden Class... At least, I hope so."
...
The party continued to explore the Lower Catacombs. It's been almost two days since they entered this place.
The journey was smooth for them. As the party got stronger, killing skeletons became much easier. Even purple-lined skeletons wasn't a threat for them now.
Ulfred was undoubtedly the strongest in the party at the moment. His stat growths were inhuman. When he reached level 6, his power became even more of a distinguishing trait.
Dante was also a level 6 participant now. As he saw Ulfred's ever-increasing inhuman strength, he kept thanking the system for the achievements he had gained.
Nathaniel was at level 5. He was holding himself back due to his chain quest. Because it was getting harder with every level up.
According to the system, [The Lower Catacombs] didn't have monsters whose level were higher than 7. So he had little hopes for completing the quest in this dungeon.
As for Iona, except for herself, no one knew what level she was at the moment.
The party has been walking downward for a while. The marcasite rocks were not at present anymore.
Right now, they were deep inside of the catacombs. So nobody was making noise any longer. It was too dangerous.
Suddenly the slope of the cave turned to normal. The ground has flattened again.
The party wasn't surprised at this change, but the next thing they saw had surprised them a little.
One and a half meter long 'pillar' that made of many small bones was protruding out from the cave wall with a forty-five degree of angle. The top of it was looking like a plate which had black liquid in it. The 'pillar' was a big torch.
The party members looked at each other.
"Should we ignite this big torch?" Nathaniel asked with a low voice.
Dante thought about it for a few breaths of time. "It's a bet. Igniting this torch might be a necessary thing for us, or it might be a trap."
In this kind of situations, Dante was the decision maker. They had no choice but to trust his luck stat.
"Nat, since you have the highest agility stat among us, you'll be the one igniting it. However, if you feel that something is wrong, immediately get away from the torch." Dante commanded to his henchman.
Nathaniel unwillingly approached the big torch and set it on fire!
*Whoosh*
Due to the black liquid being a highly flammable matter, the torch immediately turned into a roaring fire source. On the other hand, Nathaniel stepped back as soon as he had ignited the fire pillar.
Silence reigned in the cave for a while.
"Looks like nothing happened..."
*Whoosh*
*Whoosh*
*Whoosh*
...
As soon as Dante's words fell, similar sounds which the newly ignited torch produced began to come from ahead!
One torch, five torches, ten torches... hundreds of torches began to burn fervently one after another, completely illuminating a wide hall that filled with purple-lined pygmy skeletons!
クリエイターの想い 
qostoq
qostoq Let's play a little game in honor of 2019!
I'll give away a Gift Card containing 100 SS to a reader who correctly guesses Ulfred's class!
All I can say about it, it's a very very rare class in MMORPG games!
I am frequently checking the comment section. You can leave your guesses there!
The first correct answer will get the Gift Card! But you have to stick to your answer! No changing it! Think well before answering!
The deadline is 01.01.2019!
Wish you luck!
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