From Human to Skeleton: Revived with Infinite System Crystals

Falling to the ground shortly after the finger rolled off, Elithira caught Jalen before he could faceplant. She put a hand over his head, whispering, "It's going to be okay."

Her vision suddenly disoriented, she almost fell over herself. Nana rushed over, her face filled with concern. "Lady Elithira, are you okay?! What happened to you, and who is this exactly?"

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General Mattison walked up, nodding as sweat beaded down his forehead. "Yeah, what is actually going on here and where did the King go?"

Elithira fell to a sitting position, rubbing her shoulders and eyes, trying to straighten herself up. "I'm not entirely sure, but I would guess Erebos tricked your king into thinking he was on his side."

General Mattison clenched his fist, frustration evident in his voice. "How do I know who to trust here?"

Suddenly, a voice cracked behind him as Sanguina spoke up. "Sadly, Erebos is not to be trusted. He is damaged right now from a loss."

Sanguina stepped forward, her cloak billowing slightly in the wind. "Erebos has always been manipulative and deceitful. He uses people until they are no longer useful to him and then discards them. King Griswald was just another pawn in his game."

General Mattison looked at Sanguina, his eyes narrowing. "And how do I know you're telling the truth? How do I know you're not part of his scheme?"

Sanguina met his gaze steadily. "You don't have to trust me blindly. But consider our actions. We fought against Erebos, we saved each other, and we are here now trying to make sense of this chaos. Our goals align with yours. .

well, at least on the surface, but know that I have the finger I can return to my father and let him know we can find where Erebos is hiding.

Reaching down to grab Elithira's hand, General Mattison was surprised when she snatched it away. "Sorry, no, I will be keeping this on hand until I get back to my father," she said firmly.

General Mattison looked between Elithira and Sanguina, his confusion evident. "Wait, you two share a father?"

They both turned to him, speaking in unison. "No. My father is the Demon King / Vampire King."

"The who what now?" General Mattison stammered.

Elithira sighed. "It doesn't matter. In short, Erebos is a vampire like her," she said, nodding toward Sanguina, "and I'm a demon. The Demon King has dominion over this universe."

General Mattison rubbed his head, trying to process the information. "Wait, aren't demons deities or something?"

Elithira nodded. "That's correct. Though the other eleven universes view demons as evil creatures, just as you view Erebos."

"Eleven what?!" General Mattison's confusion deepened.

Elithira shook her head. "I shouldn't be explaining this to a mortal," she muttered. Standing up fully, she gripped the skeleton finger tightly. "I think that's enough healing for now. I need to find my sister. She's likely back at her fort where she produces and creates the crystals for this world.

Nana and Todd, please come with me. Once we have seen to her safety, we will be leaving this world."

General Mattison grabbed Elithira arm and stated "wait, who exactly and you all cannot just leave, Someone has to stay back and inform the others of what happened, this is going to cause a trickle effect that could ruin the kingdom!"

Elithira lightly grabbed General Mattison's wrist, surprising him with her strength as she squeezed it firmly. "Let's not start grabbing my wrist," she said, her voice calm but commanding. "I'm still strong enough to put you into the ground. What happens from here is sadly none of our concern. I do apologize for the mess, but in the grander picture, we have more pressing matters to attend to."

Nana stepped forward, her expression resolute. "Well, I can speak on behalf of Todd and myself while you go investigate what happened with your sister and Sanguina. You both are strong enough to handle your own, and we can try to amend the damages and hopefully lessen the problems that will occur."

Elithira looked confused for a moment. "I'm not sure what damages will occur. With the Dragoon and, I guess, the other book taken by Erebos, shouldn't the summoning of monsters slow down a bit?"

General Mattison shrugged his shoulders. "That's the bigger problem. I really don't know and need to seek the council to find the next best move, but I need a few to come with me to vouch for what happened."

Elithira nodded thoughtfully. "That makes sense. Nana, Todd, stay with General Mattison and provide whatever assistance you can. Sanguina and I will head to my sister's fort and ensure her safety."

Todd stepped forward, giving a reassuring nod. "We'll handle things here. Just make sure you both stay safe and find your sister."

Nana spoke up, "Do you mind giving me a ride back to—"

Suddenly, Elithira and Sanguina vanished in a blur of motion. Nana barely saw their feet move before they disappeared, kicking up a small patch of dirt in their wake.

"Well, shoot. How are we supposed to get back now?" she muttered.

General Mattison, his eyes heavy with exhaustion, sighed. "Well, I guess you can walk. I can get back on my own," he said, pulling his sword over his chest. The blade glowed faintly as he departed. "I will meet you all at the front gates where we departed and have a medic team on standby for the furred creature."

Nana looked down at Jalen, noticing that his fur was slowly starting to revert, and his form was shrinking. His sickle blades were also changing, the large weapons gradually reducing in size until they resembled small chains linked together.

"Hey, Todd, tell me, does that weapon look a bit familiar to you?" Nana asked, tilting her head in curiosity.

Todd, who had been deep in thought, snapped back to reality. "Huh? Sorry, I was lost in thought. What do you mean?" He walked over, glancing at the lifeless body of Robrick before shifting his focus to Nana.

When Todd looked at Jalen, he saw that the transformation was nearly complete. The fur had completely receded, and Jalen's body had reverted to that of a young boy with cracked glasses. The once formidable sickle blades had transformed into a small, innocuous chain linking them together.

Todd's eyes widened in recognition. "Wait a minute... That weapon looks just like—"

"Yeah, Ty's weapon," Nana interrupted. "But it's a bit different on the handle. I've never seen someone use a weapon like his before. Maybe the weapon is linked to the same planet here?"

Todd nodded, pulling a small capsule from his pocket. With a swift motion, he extended it into a full staff. "That's possible. The Demon King mentioned that there are thousands and thousands of worlds. I'm starting to understand why now. I mean, I've had a decent idea for a while, but it's just clicking more now."

Nana, still puzzled, tilted her head. "Sorry, I'm still not following entirely."

Todd sighed, trying to put his thoughts into words. "Well, if we think about it, what's the reason for all these worlds existing endlessly?"Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Nana pondered for a moment, then shook her head. "I don't know. Why do you think that is?"

"Well, if I recall correctly, it's to make strong warriors and such, so he has a strong army to deal with threats like Erebos or the 'Devil King,'" Todd said, his mind racing with possibilities.

"Yeah, true," Nana replied, "but these worlds probably serve another purpose he didn't find important to mention. Or maybe, since we technically never finished our lives on our planet, we weren't told.

Even Elithira was on our world in disguise for centuries, possibly. It's possible these worlds create things that the Demon King can use, like his daughter creating weapons for fighters. I bet there are other planets that also provide unique resources or teachings."

Todd nodded thoughtfully. "That must be why the gap between us and those at the top is so large," he finished, glancing down at the unconscious boy with cracked glasses. As he ran his hands through the boy's shirt, he noticed the #8 sign emblazoned on it.

I suppose this would make him the #8th ranked in the Demon Kings army or something similar.

Well, regardless lets go ahead and get on back now before General Mattison things we ditched.

"But there is a silver lining here, if anything," Todd stated.

"And what is that?" Nana asked, curiosity piqued.

Looking at his wrist, Todd pointed out, "Look, the mark on my hand is gone. So I guess whatever happened here cleared that away. For now, at least."

Nana examined his wrist, nodding in understanding. "I see. I never got that put on me, thanks to Lady Amaris and all of that."

Todd's eyes lit up with interest. "Oh yeah, how is she doing anyway? Does she still see you as her daughter?"

Nana nodded, a soft smile playing on her lips. "She does, and part of me is okay with that. I'm not one to ruin her feelings."