Chapter 6: Chapter 5: Something Approaches

While listening to the noises that were happening just outside my room, I try to get a handle on viewing my surroundings in this new form of vision I have that is omnidirectional, unlike my past life with normal human vision. During this time I have to spare, I wonder in the back of my mind if it was a good idea to spend so much time on my status, though at the time I didn't notice anything that needed my attention. Maybe I should have paid more attention to the noises during my inspection and stopped, but I guess hindsight is too little, too late for what is happening now.

While I wait for the "guest" as it takes its sweet time to get inside, I take some time to make another personal note to myself. It looks like I still have some way of hearing despite my new body clearly lacking any kind of sensory organs. That means I have another avenue for knowledge, if I can get close to anyone sapient and with loose lips, I can learn more. Something I'll have to keep in mind with my potential guest getting audibly closer to my room, dragging something metallic with it?

Though It does feel strange to hear like this, as it somehow feels...invigorating? Not sure why that is or how to further describe it, though it is an odd sensation to have. Though before I get too wrapped up in this investigation, I have immediate things to attend to, so I will have to leave it there for another time.

Declaring to myself in a severe tone to remind me of what is about to happen, I return focus onto the noise as it gets closer, shuffling to a dim portion of the room? Hmmm... I shift myself to the edge slightly of the pedal stool to get a better look, straining my vision to get an idea why it moved there, focusing on that portion of the wall as much as I can try.

Hmm...Oh! There is a door in the corner of the room, though it looks to be completely metal with a thick rust coating it all over. It might still be serviceable though, so I guess it will open the door then huh._.? I question myself, becoming somewhat embarrassed I didn't even check what the walls of the rooms were like before I made expectations of a grand entrance. At least I know where it's entering now, as I start shuffling my body onto the center of my pedal stool just as the guest makes an unexpected action with the door.

As they begin to beat and break down the solid metal door, with some kind of heavy object, denting the door each time the object hits, continuing every few seconds or so, poised to break the door off the hinges within a matter of seconds. Though I contemplate staying where I am once I see that happening, I decide in the next few moments that I'll be moving.

Once decided, I shift myself to the edge of the pedal-stool as fast I can for a better look at what's about to enter to understand what I'm dealing with, and its good I did. After a few more beatings by the intruder, the door finally gives way, a horrendous noise of metal ripping off the wall unable to support its weight anymore, as the busted door crashes onto the floor with a hefty "Thud" to its landing.

What does enter surprises me though, as it appears I still held some expectations of what would enter. As what enters the room instead of my image of an injured thug, is a moving pile of bones, a skeleton. Though if not for moving without any visible aid, I would have thought someone placed it there as a joke or as a prank for the owner of the room. Though what it has in its hand, gives me even more pause for a surprise.

As what it has in hand, is what I think is a longsword, though it's hard to say with how rusted the entire weapon is, as it just looks like a hunk of rusted iron at this point, barely with any held edge, as most of it looks blunted by rust and damage. Though even if it looks so corroded, it would still hurt a lot being hit by it, at least if one still had soft flesh to be harmed by it. Besides that kind of blunt trauma that might bash someone's skull in though, it's just a hunk of iron with a nice handle attached to it in the end.

Once the dust settles, it starts to move forward into the room, its gaze glancing to me first, at least where I am, before sliding away, as it seems to survey the room for anything, (I'd imagine for combatants). Once it seems to be comfortable no one is around, it sets the hunk of iron to the side of the door, as it walks into the room, towards the closest crate. 

 As it gets closer, I can see it much better as it seems to be turning its skull back and forth, staring with its eyes it had when it was alive as a person, to observe its surroundings rather than what I do with my sight. As I observe, I can almost tell that it was expecting something...more I guess?

Though it has yet to do anything besides stand there surveying the surroundings one last time. I am just imagining meeting this thing in my past life, the sight of this thing would have given me a horrid shock, as my world would have surely been shaken then. The strange grooves and tears all across its bones don't make it a prettier sight to behold either, - hmmm?

While I'm passing criticism on its appearance, it started going through the crates, though I am first confused at what it is doing, while watching it go through the boxes, I'm able to note that it's searching through the boxes. Straining and focusing my sight on the crate further reveal that it seems to be grasping as many ragged cloaks as it can at one time.

As it then proceeds to toss them all out at once into a pile, as it grabs a well-preserved cloak out after. While it takes stuff out, it starts to places the items it finds into two different piles, and once it's done with one crate, it picks up and tosses the pile of much lower quality items back into the crate, before moving onto the next it opens or slides the lids off.

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As for the ones that stay out, they look much more pristine and functional than the ones that are tossed back into the box. Amongst them are an assortment of polished and slightly tarnished swords, tattered but otherwise still well-maintained cloaks, and finally some strange corked bottles with fancy decorations on them with liquids of varying color within.

Though I have little knowledge regarding what anything of it is, just what I can recognize seems to be what made my own body, some of the swords look similar to the hunk of iron that was once a longsword, and maybe the liquids in bottles are a medicine of some kind? But what would a skeleton want with medicine?

While I stewed in my thoughts on that question momentarily, it then pulls out a weird-looking polished stone, palm-sized and black with a white etched symbol on one side of it. Once it holds it in hand, it starts to clack its jawbone, as then frothing forth from its jaw is some kind of strange pitch dark-colored mist.

That proceeds to flow into the stone, as it promptly glows with an almost eerie-...No, not an eerie light, it is a comfortable light that floods the room with its glow. It starts to make gestures with its hand, as it stares at the stone it holds. There is some context here that feels familiar to me at the new actions but what is it-Oh! Is that stone some kind of phone perhaps?

 At least from what I feel is occurring based on its unusual gestures, the skeleton is making and the movement of its jaw, though there is no noise being made, it makes it difficult to take a guess what is said. Though it certainly reminds me of one of my old coworkers who would not stop being on his phone at work or while leaving from work. Poor sap got killed by an assassin because he forgot to lock his door after a job we did together.

Back to the matter at hand, appears it's communicating with something or someone, while it does so, it makes occasional gestures to the items that it did leave out, as well as to the outside of the room. Though I cannot tell exactly what it is telling the one on the other end, at least Its relaxed gestures help paint a rough picture of the conversation. Within a matter of minutes though, the Skeleton appears to have finished communicating, as the stone stops being lit with the comfortable hue of light it held.

 It pockets the stone once more, as it moves to place the stuff into an empty crate to carry out, while it does so, it catches sight of me once more as it finishes placing the rest in a crate. Though my first instinct is to get ready and enter a stance, I hold that thought and stay still, as I recall how the abilities I did receive are not suited to single combat right now. Even if it just used its hands, It could probably rip my body to sheds, with its wicked and sharp bones it has all over, it is better to just pretend I am a rag someone just chucked on the pedal stool instead!

While I reaffirm my decision, appears the skeleton walks towards me, with not a particularly hostile motion, as it seems to be studying what I am. Once close enough that I can see every crack in agonizing detail on its bones, it pokes me, as it seems to tilt its head, before continuing to poke a few more times.

Once satisfied for whatever reason, they pick me up and start looking over my body, though the thorough observation feels uncomfortable, it doesn't appear they have noticed anything more about me yet. After a while, it seems to decide something, like its two eye sockets within its skull light up with similar light to the rock, just as comfortable, though I am gonna guess it is some kind of study skill like what was said in one of my-

{Item Status effects have successfully masqueraded your true status, displaying a false status for the observer now.}

. . . .Appears [Item Status] works just like it said on the description, wasn't sure If what I read on it was gonna work against whatever this skeleton is, but I'm happy it pulled through! Though this isn't a particularly good situation to be in, as I have no idea what this skeleton's intent is, it can definitely be worked to my advantage. Whether I choose to pretend to be equipment or escape somewhere along its path, I win. in that gamble. I state to myself, as the skeleton tosses me into his crate shrugging.

If this thing doesn't take me elsewhere and instead use me as some kind of neat equipment, then I can use that too for my benefit for myself! Just got to keep up the act and I'll be golden! I comment fruitfully, joyful and invigorated I have something of a plan to rely on, and more so, I won't have to try crawling everywhere myself! Continuing my own boasting, as the skeleton closes the crate and picks it up it feels like from inside.

Though pausing a moment when it does that, I continue my reverie of pride. One of the best parts of this plan, as without this skeleton, I would have taken a while to get out of just this room, let alone any hallways or other rooms after this. I rather not imagine that scenario further though as it did not pass, and rather focus just where it is taken me now. I'll need to take every drop of information I can get and turn it into strength, as I am becoming increasingly aware, I need a way to be able to act on my own goals, maybe something out there will give me the boost I need, whatever form that will take.