How to Survive Restructuring

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 98: The Ownerless Room (2)

“C-Commander...?”

Startled, # 1 turned to meet my empty gaze.

Tendon Tearing, Bone Splitting.

That alone was shocking, but what was even more surprising was—

— Ding!

[You have obtained ‘Skull of Skeleton Soldier (# 7)’!]

The disassembled bones were recognized as items.

And then—

▣ Skull of Skeleton Soldier (# 7)

-A freshly obtained skull of a skeleton soldier.

It looks like it could be used as a decoration.

"Store!"

[‘Skull of Skeleton Soldier (# 1)’ has been stored!]

The fact that I could store these items.

Rattle! Crackle!

[You have obtained ‘Clavicle of Skeleton Soldier (# 1)’!]

[You have obtained ‘Rib of Skeleton Soldier (# 1)’!]

I could disassemble and store them, carrying them around.

If that’s the case—

‘I can take them anywhere!’

Given how much effort went into creating them, they’re incredibly useful.

Their stats may still be low and their bodies weak, but they have one incredible advantage: they can never truly fall.

Even if their limbs are broken, they can be reattached.

They have no fear of ‘death,’ so they can face enemies far stronger than themselves.

They don’t require food or drink either.

And as I just confirmed, they can grow stronger over time.

‘Taking them along will be a huge boost to my combat power.’

There’s just one problem.

Clatter! Clack-clack-clack! Crunch!

They’re too conspicuous.

To people, and to the ‘eyes’ above.

On top of that, those who inherit Iro’s research might impose restrictions once they discover them.

‘I need to hide them somewhere until things calm down.’

Somewhere away from prying ‘eyes.’

For example...

"Activate."

Somewhere like the Beginner Swordsmanship Classroom.

[‘Beginner Swordsmanship’ ticket has been activated!]

[‘Door’ has been opened.]

Fwoosh!

In the cluttered research lab, filled with all sorts of apparatuses and preserved organs on display shelves, a ‘door’ appeared.

“...?!”

“...?”

The startled skeletons tilted their heads awkwardly, as if replacing their missing eyes.

“Do you want to leave?”

“...Yes! We’re sick of these experiments...!”

“It might be dangerous.”

I asked, just in case, to make sure they wouldn’t blame me later.

“We’ll just... follow you, Commander!”

“With... every bone in us...!”

“Uh, alright.”

The skeleton soldiers answered with clenched bone fists, radiating a strange sense of determination.

Click!

I turned the cold handle and opened the door to reveal a familiar sight.

Wisps of mist swirled in the air.

“Let’s go, then.”

“Yes... Commander...!”

* * *

Wooooong—! Fwoosh!

Eunho, inside the capsule, spun around like clothes in a washing machine before finally disappearing.

“Gah! N-Noona! Hyung just...!”

Jaehyuk’s jaw dropped as he exclaimed, but Jieun remained calm.

“He said it’s fine. So it’s fine.”

He’s someone who does what he says.

If he can’t, he finds another way.

If Eunho said it’s fine, then it really is.

“Yeah, I guess he must’ve figured it all out before going!”

“Right? I bet he’s gonna come back with some amazing skill or item again.”

While the two of them let their imaginations run wild—

—Static!

Another announcement played over the speakers.

[Attention, survivors in the ‘Gangbuk’ region.]

“What?!”

“Another broadcast?”

[A project emergency inspection will commence at midnight tonight. Please gather at the waiting area near the Sky Island entrance.]

“Emergency inspection?!”

“Ah... Could it be because of the monster rampage earlier, Noona?”

Freeze.

Jaehyuk’s question left Jieun silent.

Could they be investigating the monster from earlier?

Would it end with just an investigation?

Or, worse... could they try to harm Eunho, who not only defeated the monster but also fought the mop-haired man?

Worry crept in.

—Static!

[Once again, this is an announcement.]

[A project emergency inspection will commence at midnight tonight.]

[All survivors are requested to gather at the waiting area near the entrance before midnight.]

Jieun’s cheerful expression hardened into a serious one.

This was bad.

It was already past 9 PM.

There were less than three hours until midnight.

Which meant Eunho also had to return within three hours.

“Noona! What about Hyung...?!”

“Let’s inform him!”

“Yes!”

There was no time to waste.

* * *

“Hm. Is this all?”

[…….]

“Too easy.”

The clueless student left a flippant remark before departing.

[‘Basic Swordsmanship’ completed.]

[The student has exited.]

In the now-dark classroom, left purposeless with the student gone, the lone assistant thought:

‘How dull.’

〔Target: Sun Ming (Rating: Low Low)〕

Strength: ( Below Average )

Intelligence: ( Low Low )

Charm: ( Low Low )

‘How can someone be so unimpressive?’

Those who have some wits lack strength, and those who swing a sword decently have no brains.

The ones who try to balance both intelligence and strength think they own the world, commanding the heavens underfoot.

Boredom.

Monotony.

A thirst that arises every time he sees these subpar students.

When did it begin?

When did he start becoming aware of the passage of time?

When did he begin to feel irritated by the occasional students who showed up?

— Ding!

[A new student has entered.]

["Beginner Swordsmanship" class activated.]

So then...

[Lee Eunho?]

How had he come to look forward to such an insignificant student?

"It's been a while."

It was a mystery.

A being who could be defeated in one move if he set his mind to it.

A fleeting existence that would vanish as quickly as it came—why did it feel so significant?

And yet.

Thud!

Why did the fool’s antics feel less annoying and more... exciting?

[Hmm?]

Lee Eunho plopped down on the dirt floor.

Then, he casually dropped the large sack he had been carrying on his back.

Thud!

The contents spilled out with a loud clatter.

The contents...

[?!]

A mountain of bones.

[What sort of madness is this time?]

* * *

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Emergency maintenance notice. Assemble at the entrance of Sky Island by midnight. Do not be late, no matter what!

I could sense Jieun’s urgency in her message.

I could almost picture her frowning slightly, her lips twitching as she typed.

Probably muttering, “There are less than three hours left!”

But.

"Plenty of time."

After all, there were still three whole hours left.

For us, three hours inside the academy equaled 180 hours—more than a full week.

"Well, let's get moving."

I mumbled to myself, then immediately shut my mouth.

There was no one to respond, as all my skeleton soldiers were tucked away in my inventory.

Clang!

I pushed the iron door wide open.

Step.

I walked in.

Into a space where the flow of time twisted and bent.

Whoosh—!

[Classroom entry complete!]

["Beginner Swordsmanship" class begins now.]

The familiar notification appeared in the space that had become as familiar to me as my own home.

〔Class Objectives (Lee Eunho)〕

Eliminate rooted enemies (1/100)

Eliminate mobile enemies (19/50)

Eliminate winged enemies (0/10)

I no longer paid attention to these objectives, having grown used to them.

"Skeleton Soldier # 1, assemble all units!"

Clatter, clatter, clatter!

I poured out a heap of bones onto the cold cave floor.

Taking care not to mix them up, I started from # 1 and worked my way down to # 10.

"This is... the ribcage. And this, the sternum."

I carefully aligned the cervical spine below the skull, followed by the vertebrae, ribs, and sternum in proper order.

Below that, I placed the arm and leg bones neatly, along with the phalanges.

"This item description feature is convenient."

Then.

[Using the skill Reconstruction (Lv.1).]

[Feel free to reshape the bones and muscles as you see fit!]

Click!

Starting with the larger bones, I assembled them one by one, methodically.

Click! Click! Click!

"The vertebrae are attached to the pelvis... Next is..."

"Commander... Stay strong...!"

Click! Click! Click!

"The femur is in place. Now, where’s the kneecap?"

"Over... there...!"

"Oh, thanks. Then the tibia, fibula, ankle bones, and metatarsals..."

Click! Click! Click!

Finally, after attaching the ankle bones, metatarsals, and toes:

"Wow..."

Skeleton Soldier # 1 seemed to be brimming with new life, moving its body excitedly with a clatter.

Clatter!

"Fully operational...!"

# 1 twisted and turned its body, testing its joints.

It bent and straightened its knees, raised and lowered its legs, and even marched briskly.

But then.

"Hmm?"

Something felt off.

"The legs aren't the same length. The right one's shorter."

"Huh...?"

"Strange. I attached the pelvis correctly... Were you originally lame?"

"Maybe... That could be..."

Perhaps because I had assembled it myself, the slight difference in leg length bothered me.

Of course, I understood that unlike mass-produced factory items, perfect symmetry was hard to achieve, but still...

"Let’s fix it."

"Huh?"

"Reconstruction!"

[Using Reconstruction (Lv.1)!]

Clatter! Clunk! Rattle—!

"Co-Commander...?!"

Ignoring # 1's panic, I dug through the pile of bones for a while.

Then, I discovered another star of asymmetry.

“Oh, found it.”

I picked up the right shinbone of Skeleton Soldier #9.

At that moment, #9’s skull, lying some distance away, rattled in surprise.

“Th-that’s my leg...”

“Switch them.”

“W-what?”

And so, I held two leg bones in my hands and swapped them.

Crack!

“Try running.”

Tap, tap!

“Oh…! It feels much better…!”

“This is incredible…!”

And so began the bone-assembly session.

The bones scattered across the cave floor started to come together one by one, moving at last.

Creaaak!

Much smoother than before.

Creaaak-clack-clack!

“#5! Your pelvis was way off. I’ve adjusted it, but don’t stand unevenly on one leg anymore.”

“No… uneven… standing…”

Creak! Creak-clack-clack!

“#7! Your rounded shoulders were severe. Didn’t they hurt?”

“Rou… round… should… Yes…?”

“I’ve fixed them for now, but they’ll revert soon. Keep your posture straight.”

“Posture… straight…”

Clack-clack-clack-clack!

And so, continued the scene of labor.

… Or rather, a scene of physical alignment therapy.

Finally, at the end of the session—

Ding!

A sudden notification sound.

[Congratulations!]

[Earth's first achievement, ‘Bone Customization,’ has been unlocked!]

Huh?@@novelbin@@

“Bone Customization?”

At first, I thought I must’ve misheard such a ridiculous term.

But that wasn’t the end.

[As a reward for the achievement, you have obtained the title, ‘Manual Therapist of Death.’]

“Manual… therapist?”

[Would you like to check the title effects?]

“…Check.”

[The bodies of customized targets become lighter!]

[Movement speed increases by 10%.]

[Fatigue recovery speed increases by 10%.]

[Defense increases by 10%.]

[Duration: 7 days.]

‘Of all things, now I’m doing manual therapy…’

Sigh.

The extent of this customization… where does it end?

Does it work on the living too?

I had so many questions, but for now—

‘Let’s finish what I started first.’

Clack-clack-clack-clack!

I twisted and bent #7’s arm.

And then, the guy started screaming outright.

“Ahhhh—AHHHHH!”

“Huh?”

It shouldn’t hurt.

Skeletons have dulled senses.

They didn’t even feel pain when I used the bone-setting skill.

So why suddenly…?

I was still pondering when—

[Note: However, it is painful.]

A helpful message popped up.

Gulp.

#7 trembled in my grasp.

A skeleton, unafraid of death itself, was trembling in fear of my hands.

Still—

“C-Commander…! It hurts too much…!”

“Endure it.”

Clack-clack-clack-clack!

I felt a bit guilty, but—

“AAAAAAARGHHHH!”

Pain helps you grow.

That’s how it works.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]