Chapter 49: New skill

Zombie was being dragged away from Cranberry.

Literally.

The more distance there was between them the more restless he grew.

When he was taken to the basement and lost sight of her completely, his cold dead heart was pierced with inexplicable pain.

"...ghaogh...! (...master...!)"

He groaned through the muzzle but didn't attempt to break free.

After all, she ordered him to go with the two butlers, who just so happened to have a conversation.

"Pineapple, how come you weren't able to make some mere corpse puppet move?"

The shorter one mocked the taller one.

"Oi, you weren't able to either!"

The taller one named Pineapple groaned defensively.

"Well, yeah, but I'm not a physical attacker, and you even used a skill... Seems to me like someone is slacking on leveling his skills~"

The shorter one hummed while searching for a key in his pockets with one hand.

"How dare you?! What, do you want to spar with me to check out exactly how strong my skills are?!"

Pineapple got angry and his face reddened while waiting for his companion to unlock the door to the deeper level of the basement where the cells for the unwilling slaves to be were.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa...! Pineapple, my friend, why would you want to fight me when we have such a nice punching bag right here?"

The shorter one smirked and nodded at the blue boy.

"He's just some dumb corpse anyway, what will he do if we use some skills on him? Tell on us?"

He smiled nastily.

"It's been so boring recently, I've been aching for some fun~"

He laughed.

Pineapple looked at him and smirked back.

"I've been wondering what were you going for, you idiot. Were you listening when Durian said that this guy has to be returned to the Prides?"

He shook his head.

"As if I'm going to listen to what our portable skill enhancer is saying! I'm a normal person and just read through the system messages."

The shorter one shrugged as they went straight for the closest cell.

"If you ask me you're playing way too much into the slave role, are you sure he used the willing option on you...? You're listening to him way too much."

He giggled mockingly.

"As if! I'm telling you now, Grape, watch your mouth or I'll show you what my over-leveled punch is worth!"

Pineapple frowned while pushing Zombie into the cell.

"Do it, but show me on that corpse puppet."

Grape encouraged him with a smug grin.

"Idiot, even the message said that we have to return him to the...!

"It only said to return him, it hasn't said anything about the state he's supposed to be in."

Pineapple opposed but Grape shrugged it off.

"Come on, I want to see you send him flying! Show me what level 40 brawler can do!"

Grape was taunting his companion.

"Holy shit, fine! One punch, alright?! But if we get in trouble I'm going to put all the blame on you!"

Pineapple ended up bending under the pressure and concede.

"Ha! Are you a kid or something? Fine, just punch away."

Grape nodded and pointed at the blue boy standing still in the middle of the cell.

"I never really fought the undead before... as long I don't crush the head he'll be fine, right...?"

Pineapple took a stance and his hand started shining with bright light.

"Yeah, go for the torso."

"Ha, this dumbass doesn't even realize what's going to happen to him! Grape, make sure to put that shackle on his neck once he hits the wall, alright?"

"Sure. Now punch him already!"

The two butlers nodded to each other, and Pineapple launched the attack.

He was so focused that he barely realized that the blue boy's body started glowing right before his punch connected.

*CRUNCH*

"GHAAAAAAAA!"

In the next moment, Pineapple was clenching his mangled hand and screaming while Zombie was still simply standing in the same spot.

"MY HAND! MY FUCKING HAND!"

"Idiot! Stop waving it around and just show me!"

Shocked Grape got to Pineapple and grabbed his injured arm.

"What the...?!"

Even he was taken aback.

Pineapple's hand was looking more like a bloodied meaty mace with shattered bones sticking out like spikes.

"DON'Y JUST STARE, YOU RETARD, HEAL ME!"

Pineapple shouted gritting his teeth in pain.

Grape nodded and closed his eyes.

His palms started glowing and warm light enveloped Pineapple's injured arm, mending every bone and muscle back in its place and healing it completely.

"Whew, I'm not quite on Luke's level, but I'm not half bad~"

Grape hummed but then his expression became clouded as he nervously glanced at the motionless blue boy staring at the ceiling.

"What the hell is his defense stat...?"

He mumbled.

"Fuck...! I don't even know how to describe it, I never punched anything so hard before...!"

Even though the pain was gone, Pineapple was still clenching his arm.

They looked at each other nervously and nodded.

Just like before, they grabbed Zombie and pulled him with them.

He didn't oppose since Cranberry ordered him to be taken away.

And so he was put under the wall and a sturdy metal shackle chained to the wall was put around his neck.

"Let's just guard the door like we were told to."

Pineapple murmured anxiously and walked out of the cell.

"Yeah, let's... huh...?"

Grape nodded and was about to join his companion when he spotted something on the stone floor.

"What the...? Oi, Pineapple, was this always here?"

He pointed at the number 56 carved into one of the stones.

"I... don't remember...?"

Pineapple looked back inside and gulped down his saliva.

He slowly looked at the blue boy who was continuing to stare at the ceiling with glowing eyes.

"You... do you think he can understand us...?"

He asked nervously.

"Even if, so what?"

Grape frowned and shrugged.

"Maybe... what if he heard you say that I'm level 40, so he wrote his own level or something...?"

Pale Pineapple asked.

"Don't be ridiculous, he would have to write it with his..."

Grape shook his head, pointing at Zombie's legs.

And then the word got stuck in his throat when he realized that the diameter of the thin high heels of the blue boy's boots perfectly matched the thickness of the lines of the numbers.

Grape himself became pale as a ghost and ran out of the cell shutting the door and locking it up with shaking hands.

"Grape, don't you think we should put him in a cell with leg shackles, just in case...?"

Pineapple asked anxiously.

"Fuck that! I'm not going into the same room as a monster! I'm just a healer!"

Grape shook his head, changing his act in a flash and refusing the idea.

"Hey, don't be such a wuss now, Grape. His master will become Durian's slave so everything will be alright."

Pineapple smiled nervously.

"...ghaugh... (...master is...)"

A muffled groan came from inside the cell.

"What the... don't tell me a corpse puppet seriously understands..."

"GRAOUGH! (MASTER IS MINE!)"

/Proficiency level reached

Servant receives a skill

Jealous rage (level 1)

/Servant's skill upgrade

Jealous rage (level 1) + (shared)Dragon rage (level 3) »» Dragon Madness (level 1)

/Error

/Story element unlocked before the main story reached the corresponding stage

/Error

/Calculating...

/Dragon Madness skill detected

Servant's affection level unlocked

Servant's affection maxed out

/Form adjustment initiated...

*RIP*

*CLING* *CLANG*

"WHAT THE HELL...?!"

/Form adjustment complete

/All status points, skills, and affinities levels, raised

/Servant receives a revenge quest

Kill all of Durian's slaves

0/73

Reward: Servant's monster rank upgrade