“Hah… Hah… I’m sorry… he is persistent. Perhaps I shouldn’t have attacked him without ascertaining if I could take him,” I said, trying to keep my breath as my running barely could outdistance the skeleton, which was already faster than zombies. “Go on without me.”

The spry speed combat specialist Lydia could easily outdistance both me and the skeleton. I had no doubt of that. She was keeping her speed down to my level, which wasn’t very fast. I had even switched to Hero for a bit to get a boost of stamina, but in the end, I was just too chubby and lacked fitness. Given training, I could have been better, but that was the brunt of it. They say in zombie apocalypses it’d be the fat people who die first. I can vouch for that one, although getting chopped apart by a skeleton was slightly more preferable than being torn apart by a zombie.

“I won’t leave…” Lydia spoke stubbornly, a strangely resistant expression on her face for a slave. “Try to heal it some more.”

“I’ll try,” I said, huffing.

From level 1 to level 5, the difficulty had increased by way too much. I already had cast heal on it ten times, and it was still walking. I had to drink a mana potion just to keep going. Another two heals allowed me to notice that the skeleton could no longer just walk it off. Each time I healed it, it was stunned for about a second. That was progress, but who knew how many more heals it’d take to defeat it. More than that, we could run into another powerful skeleton around any corner. We were aimlessly moving around the 5th floor at the moment.

“When I cast the spell, I want you to take the sword from the skeleton.”

“Wh-what?” The girl’s voice came out in a squeak.

I reached forward and patted the top of her head. “I believe in you. You’re fast, and deep inside you is a powerful swordsman waiting to come out. If we can disarm the skeleton, we should be able to dispatch it quickly.”

The girl winced at first from my unexpected touch, but then she pushed her head against my hand almost like a cat, her eyes closed, and for a second, I thought I felt a purr. Her eyes opened just as quickly, and she gave me a nod.

“Mm! I will act as Master commands.”

“I’m not your Master though…” I said wryly, but she had already turned to face the incoming skeleton.

I raised my hand and said it out loud this time. “Weak Heal!”

White light burst around the skeleton, and it froze for a second like the last couple of times. As for Lydia, she leaped forward and grabbed for the sword. The skeleton tried to pull away from her. I winced at its quicker than expected recovery time.

“Weak Heal!” I shot the spell at him again.

It backhanded Lydia, and she flew away. However, its sword went with her. She struck a wall and crumbled down to the floor. I didn’t know how hurt she was, but I didn’t have time to think because the skeleton immediately ignored her and began heading towards me. I thought it’d look less intimidating without the sword, but with its claw-like fingers outstretched, it looked very intimidating.

“Weak heal!” I declared again.

It got a few steps closer.

“Group Heal!” I shouted.

Even if I couldn’t stop it, maybe she’d wake up and have a chance to escape now. The mana deprivation overtook me, and I fell down on one knee. The skeleton was now on top of me. It raised its claws, swiping for my throat.

Thunk!

A sword swung out and struck the skull of the skeleton. A moment later, there was only half of a skull. The skeleton fell down to the ground as a pile of bones appeared right in front of me. Behind was Lydia, breathing roughly, blood dripping down the side of her head, the sword gripped so tightly in her hands that it was shaking.

{White Mage has increased to level 6.}

{You have unlocked the White Mage skill: Divine Aura.}