W-what... is going on?!

I turned into... I turned into...

I hurriedly checked the rest of my body. A rib cage of bare bones, a clearly visible spine—my entire body was made of bone!

There was no doubt about it. I was a monster, nothing like a human.

I turned into...

A skeleton soldier?!

But I’m human! I—I still have a human mind!!

Don’t attack me! I wanted to tell them that, so I waved my arms frantically and slowly backed away.

The people in front of me sensed that something was off and exchanged confused looks.

“What’s this monster doing? Is it broken?”

“I don’t know, but it’s a monster, so we should kill it!!”

“That’s right! Smash it to pieces!”

“And that half-elf! She must’ve led those Necromancers here!”

“Find her! Burn her alive!”

The crowd roared again, brandishing tools they usually used for farming. But they were afraid of the skeleton soldier, so no one dared to charge in first. Instead, they slowly tightened the circle around me.

“Woooah!”

I took a step back. The flames in their eyes seemed ready to burn me to ashes, full of hatred and fear.

The way they looked at me was the way you looked at a monster.

I... I’m not a monster!

I started desperately forcing air through my throat. A broken, eerie voice stumbled out, piecing itself together into words that were hard to make out.

“I—am—”

“hu—man!!”

At last, I shouted it out, and the people around me froze in fright.

Silence.

The air seemed to stand still.

I roared, but the people around me just stared with wide eyes, looking even more incredulous—like they’d seen a ghost.

Finally, someone tremblingly pointed at me and cried out.

“A monster... It’s a monster!”

Seriously, do they not understand human speech?!

“This monster’s become a demon! It can even talk like a person!”

“We can’t let it live! Kill it!”

Bang!

“Kaaah!”

A burly man charged at me, swinging a sickle. I dodged it.

But one stone sent ripples through the whole crowd. At last, they broke through the shackles of their fear, raised their mallets and clubs, and surged toward me all at once.

Damn it! I have to run!

There’s no talking sense into these people!

This was just like what happened in Syria! I’d only wanted to give that kid some candy, but the moment he saw the gun in my hand, he burst into tears, begging me not to kill him.

I barely dodged a blow and glanced around. Burning houses and furious villagers were in front of me; on either side were towering fences I couldn’t get over. It was a classic case of trapping the dog before beating it!

Only behind me lay a forest stretching as far as the eye could see. The firelight cast shadows that danced across the black tree trunks, grotesque and terrifying, like twisted monsters.

Run into the forest! It was my only way out!

I didn’t hesitate. I turned and bolted. Running into the forest at night was the absolute worst option, but it was the only one I had!

The shouting behind me grew more distant. The firelight soon fell away, and endless darkness once again embraced the world.

This body was surprisingly light. I ran with every ounce of strength I had, but didn’t feel tired at all.

Had losing all that unnecessary flesh made me incapable of feeling tired?

What a terrifying existence...

If I’d had this kind of endless stamina back then, I wouldn’t have had to run myself ragged for so long!

“Huff... huff...”

I didn’t know how long it had been.

Did I get away...?

I looked back, but all I could see was the land swallowed by boundless darkness.

Looks like those people won’t catch up to me anytime soon.

So what exactly is going on...?

I... didn’t die?

No, I must’ve died. But after I died...

Did I get reincarnated??

Could something this absurd really happen?!

It didn’t feel real at all, but I had no choice but to accept what was happening.

But what was I supposed to do now...?

I couldn’t speak, I’d become a monster everyone wanted to kill, and I didn’t even know where I was.

Starting with nothing. The worst possible opening.

“!!”

Oh, right!

Something suddenly came to mind, and I hurriedly felt around between my legs.

Then I collapsed right onto the ground.

It’s gone... It’s really gone...

My little buddy!!

My poor little buddy! You died such a horrible death!!

Well, of course a skeleton wouldn’t have one of those things, and all my hair had fallen out, too.

But I refuse to accept this!! I would’ve been fine reincarnating as a slime, an orc, a succubus, anything!

And when other people get transported to another world, they get gender-swapped and lose a certain appendage. What the hell happened to me?!

I got turned into a skeleton, of all things!

Forget it...

I sighed and started searching the forest for something to cover myself with, wearing a bone face that looked utterly done with life. After all, I didn’t want people calling me a monster again.

It really sucked to be treated like an outsider.

And even as a skeleton, I still had to wear clothes. Otherwise, I’d be showing way too much...

But I’d only taken a few steps when a strange electronic voice rang out in my head.

【Neural link complete】

【Operating environment confirmed】

【Detecting soul fire...】

【Detection complete】

【System environment secure】

【Bringing all systems online...】

【Starting service...】

【Inter-temporal Communication System

Object17001 is now online】

【We hope you enjoy using our service】

“What the hell is that?” I blurted out without thinking.

“Huh?!”

I covered my mouth.

I just...!

Did I just speak?!

“I—I can talk?!”

It was so smooth! And it sounded just like my old voice! That creepy, eerie voice from before had completely disappeared!

Was it because of this weird... whatever-it-was system?

“Hey, you... can you hear me?”

【Yes】

It answered! Inside my head!

“Who are you?! Why am I here?! Am I dead? Wh-why did I turn into a skeleton, and what exactly are you trying to do?!”

【Please wait. This is the system’s first startup, and I’m clearing out redundant data. You can take your time asking questions. I’ll answer them one by one.】

Redundant data? First startup?

What the hell was this thing?

“You... am I dead?”

【Biologically speaking, yes.】

“I see...” I suddenly felt a little sad.

I’d already prepared myself for it, but hearing that I was dead was still hard to accept.

【However, your soul has been perfectly preserved as the soul fire inside your skull. Now that the system is online, I can link with all your senses and enable you to speak.】

【In other words, you now exist in this world in a non-Life form.】

A non-Life form...

“A skeleton soldier?”

【Yes.】

Tch. I really had turned into a skeleton soldier. Was this some kind of fantasy world, then?

Oh, right. Those people had been shouting about half-elves and Necromancers. That pretty much confirmed it.

Just my luck...

I shook my head and kept moving through the forest, chatting in my mind with this thing that called itself some kind of system.

“So, what do you do? What was it again, Miss System?”

【My designation in the mission log is Inter-temporal

Communication System Object17001. My main responsibility is to guide and assist you in this world.】

“That’s a really long name... By the way, why am I in a place like this? And why am I a skeleton soldier?”

【User 001. Name: Wutong.】

The cold, emotionless mechanical female voice echoed endlessly inside my head, pounding against a brain that wasn’t even there.

【You’re very lucky. You’ve been selected as the first executor of this mission.】

I tilted my head.

“A mission? What mission?”

【According to our observations, this world is on the brink of collapse.】

【The gods have become obsessed with this world. Before long, the God War will begin.】

【To ensure our observations can continue, you must obtain divinity, acquire enough bargaining chips, and take part in the wager between the gods.】

【And in the end, flip the table.】

【To that end, this system will spare no effort in helping you.】

I was a little speechless. I didn’t know what to say.

“Divinity... You mean...?”

【User 001, from now on, I’ll do everything I can to help you survive and grow stronger.】

【And ultimately, ascend to the divine throne.】

“I refuse.” I rejected it without a second thought.

The mechanical voice paused for half a second, like a skipping record, then made a strange sound.

【Why? Don’t you want to become a god?】

“What would becoming a god do for me? I’m already dead, my only family left me long ago, and now I’ve turned into this ghastly thing.”

I gave a bitter laugh and shook my head.

“You want me to become a god? Come on, there have to be limits to a joke. Just look at me. Do I look like someone who could become a god?”

【Even if becoming a god would let you bring your younger sister back to life, you still wouldn’t accept this mission?】

Click.

I stopped in my tracks and asked in disbelief,

“What... did you say?”

【Once you complete the mission, this system can grant any one wish of yours.】

“You can bring Karina back to life?! You really can?!”

【This system can send you back to any point in time before the incident that befell her, with your memories intact. I believe that’s more valuable than simply bringing her back to life.】

I thought about it.

It was true. Traveling through time with my memories intact was far more useful than simply bringing her back to life! And whether or not it was lying to me, I knew nothing about this strange world, I’d turned into a monster everyone hated, and even staying alive was a problem.

For now, I should agree. What if it really could do it?

“All right. I’ll do it. Let’s work well together.”

【Let’s work well together.】

“By the way, what exactly is this place—”

I was about to ask something else, but before I could finish, I heard a voice in the distance speaking words I couldn’t understand at all. It sounded sweet, yet somehow cold.

At the same time, a complicated circular pattern, like a magic circle, appeared beneath my feet, glowing faintly green in the moonlight.

“Wh-what is this thing?!”

I have to run!!

I instinctively tried to flee from the strange magic circle, but it was too late.

“Why...?”

I can’t... move!

My whole body had gone rigid. I couldn’t move at all.

At almost the same moment, I felt something in my mind being clamped in chains.

“Wh-what... is this...?!”

【Soul spell detected: Corpse Manipulation. Priority: 2.】

【Current status: Controlled.】

【Activate [Steadfast Will]?】

【Yes/No】

Corpse Manipulation??

[Hey, what the hell is Corpse Manipulation?!]

【The literal meaning: a type of necromancy that can manipulate undead creatures—in other words, control corpses.】

[Huh?]

Someone’s controlling me?!

【Activate [Steadfast Will]?】

The leaves in the bushes nearby rustled, as if someone were approaching. It had to be the person who’d used [Corpse Manipulation] on me just now.

I thought it over.

[If I activate Steadfast Will, can I immediately regain control of my body?]

【Yes】

[Then I won’t activate it yet. I’ll see how things go first. This should be my first real contact with someone in this world. If I can just blend in with them like this, that wouldn’t be bad.]

So I stayed hunched over and didn’t dare move.

Before long, a petite figure came hopping over. In the moonlight, I got a clear look at her adorable face.

She was a girl wearing a black mage’s robe, her long silver hair hidden beneath an oversized witch’s hat. Her ruby-red eyes glittered in the moonlight. Beneath the robe’s ominous color, she wore a pink skirt, adding a touch of girlish cuteness to her otherwise unapproachable air.

There were a few scratches and bruises on the girl’s face, but they did nothing to diminish its cute, charming looks.

“...A kid?”

She looked about fourteen... Was this kid really the one who’d taken control of me?

She came bouncing over, circling around me, looking absolutely thrilled.

Wasn’t she afraid of me?

“I... I did it! I finally did it!”

“It’s my first time! This is my very first time!”

The girl rubbed the back of her left hand, looking a little tired, but her excitement was plain to see.

As I listened to her, I glanced at the back of her hand.

A dark mark, almost like a tattoo, had appeared on the back of her once-pale, adorable hand.

Is that... a Command Spell? Am I supposed to shout, “You are my MASTER!” too?!

Before I could make sense of what was happening, the girl raised her right hand and pointed at me. The tattoo on the back of her hand glowed faintly.

Then she gave me an order.

“Raise your right hand!”

“Huh?”

I raised my right hand.

“It worked! It really worked! I’m finally a true Necromancer!”

I ignored what she was saying. I just wanted to turn my head and look at my right hand.

I hadn’t moved at all just now, but my body had started moving on its own.

Tch. So this is [Corpse Manipulation]?

What was she planning to make me do, anyway?

I made up my mind: if she tried to make me fight or get myself killed, I’d run for it immediately.

But she seemed completely satisfied. Her adorable little face was flushed, and her excitement was written all over it.

She nodded, then crouched down to look into my hollow eye sockets, her expression turning a little lonely.

“My name is Aierlinni! I’m a Necromancer!”

“Hey, Mr. Skeleton.”

“Let’s be friends, okay?”