Knock, knock, knock...

From the other side of the boulder, I hear three knocks signal the end of my five day training. I return the gesture and after a few moments, the boulder finally begins to budge. Sunlight spills into the cave as I make out two figures standing at the entrance.

"Gahahahaha! You're still undead and kicking! Never thought there will be a day I'd worry about a skeleton!"

Quite down will you! I don't want a freaking avalanche burying us all!

Ah, that's right. I can't talk.

"It's good to see you're fine, Enbos. I'm sorry for our late arrival. Last night's snowfall slowed us down. I had to bring my son Ken along to help shovel the snow and push the boulder."

"Actually, I'm planning to use this place to practise a few Spirit Arts. By the way, aren't you a bit quiet? Come enjoy the fresh air!"

It's not like I can enjoy it anyway, but in order to retort I'll have to leave. I step outside the cave and into the world of white. I suddenly feel a familiar sensation in the back of my mind as I reconnect to the World Stream. The full functionality of returns, and so do the rest of my Extra Skills.

"Testing, testing. One, two three... All clear. Hello everyone. It's good to be back. Staying in the Dead Zone was certainly... huh?"

Ding!

Parallel Thought (Basic) has evolved to Parallel Thought (Greater)!

Analyse Soul (Greater) has evolved to Analyse Soul (High)!>

Spectral Sense (Greater) has evolved to Spectral Sense (High)!>

Spirit Art: Life Tap (Greater) obtained!>

"What's the matter Enbos? You seem a bit stunned."

"Oh, it's nothing Takashi. A lot of notifications from suddenly popped up."

"I see. Just to be sure, you did learn , right?"

"Yeah, I have. In fact, it's a greater rank skill..."

As soon as I finish my remark, Takashi drops on his hands and knees and hangs his head in dismay. Ken looks at me in astonishment, before helping his father back on his feet. It seems I've left his pride in tatters once again.

"D-don't be too hard on yourself! You were a good master after all..."

"I wasn't even there to teach you the actual skill!"

"Oh, erm..."

"Sigh, never mind. Anyway, it's time for us to leave. Take care my son, and remember to seal the entrance when you're done!"

"Gahahaha! No worries father! The last undead that'll leave this cave will be our good friend Enbos!"

... I'm sorry Ken, but I've just invalidated your vow. Because clinging inside my rib cage, with my spiritual energy disguising his own, is my dear forsaken pet. During my time in the Dead Zone, I learnt how to give basic orders to my undead rabbit, and right now I've told him to stay still.

I hope Takashi, a master of spiritual energy who is standing 2 metres away, won't notice my smuggled subject... which sounds pretty hopeless now that I think about it.

"Also, before you go Enbos, I think you should pay little Hachirou a visit."

"Huh? What happened!? Is he okay?"

"More than okay, he's doing better than ever! In fact, the other day he asked me for... Anyway, I think it's best you see for yourself."

"Takashi?"

"I won't say anything, but I think you'll be pleasantly surprised."

Leaving me with those words, I bid Ken farewell as me and Takashi make our way through the snow covered forest. Like last time, he's riding atop a Yagi at a steady pace while I follow closely behind, but I'm no longer the skeleton from before.

Despite the same decrepit scenery, I can now sense life hiding within the trunks and hibernating beneath the earth. The range of has become quite sizable, to the point of rendering my title useless. As for my other skills...

undead.>

isn't very specific. I guess I'll try it on Takashi and spot the difference.

NameNomura TakashiSpeciesKoboldHP 100%MP 100%

Huh? A scan?

NameNomura TakashiRaceKobold

Class???HP 100%MP 100%

Max HP???Max MP???Attack???Defence???Magic???Resilience???Agility???Integrity???

"Wait, what is this?"

"What it is, Enbos, is an invasion of privacy. Did you really think an accomplished spirit artist wouldn't notice? I shielded the rest of my soul from your appraisal."

"Ah, sorry about that Takashi. I was just trying out a new feature of ."

"It's alright, just ask for permission next time."

"In that case..."

"No."

Although my attempt failed, judging by the details displayed I can finally analyse the stats of my target! I shouldn't rely on it too much as there is more to battle than just numbers, but it should be useful for loose comparisons.

Hrm? Wait a second. If I'm scanning the soul, where exactly do these numbers come from?

"By the way, Enbos."

"Yes?"

"It's been bugging me for a while but..."

He stares directly at my chest as if he has x-ray vision, and I feel every bone in my body shiver in anticipation. Mr Bonny is inside and my spiritual energy still is draped over him, yet I can't help feel my imaginary heart sink to my boots.

"... I think you should get your clothes washed. The dirt from the cave can really stain. You might also want to visit the public bath. We wouldn't want bioluminescent fungi eating away at your bones, now do we?"

"O-of course. Thanks for the suggestion, though I'm perfectly fine with dipping in the river like usual."

"I know you don't care for temperature, but at least use the chance to socialise."

"Takashi, the sight of a skeleton scrubbing his ribs and wiping his pelvis is simply embarrassing. I would be putting on some perverse skeleton crew performance!"

We continue to trek back to the village while exchanging pointless chatter. It's a miracle he hasn't noticed, but that still leaves the problem of where to hide Mr Bonny...

"And we're back, to this good old, pirate-loving village... For some reason, I'm starting to miss the undead cave."

"Now, now, at least it's better than being scorned by half the branch."

"I guess you're right. By the way, do you know where Hachirou is?"

"I'd imagine he's in the dojo."

"The dojo? Why would he... Oh, never mind. I'll see for myself."

I part ways with Takashi after the village gates and make my way to Hachirou. Along the road, I avoid the kids with and ponder the meaning behind my friend's location.

Why is he at the dojo? He must be visiting one of his siblings or volunteering for some chore. It's been a little over a week since he's regained consciousness, so he shouldn't be doing errands, let alone...

After a while, I reach the village dojo which resembles more of a wooden gym. As I approach the entrance, I hear the sound of clashing wood, preceded by the grunts of a familiar voice. Curious, I enter the building only to find a miraculous scene.

Hachirou is standing face to face with his eldest brother Michio, each armed with a wooden sword in their hands.

Hachirou. Attacking. With a sword.

While I struggle to process that simple thought, the spectacle before me continues to escalate.

"Ha!"

"That motion was too wasteful and your balance was flimsy. Keep your back straight and do not lunge."

"Hn!"

"There was no power behind that swing, and it leaves you wide open to a kick..."

I silently watch as Michio trains his little brother. Hachirou's body is battered and out of breath. Even with magic, I find it hard to believe he's in any condition to spar. Yet despite all my qualms about his health... I can't stop him. I've never seen such a determined look in his eyes. I've never seen him do anything with such resolve. He's no longer an aimless soul but a driven kobold with a vision. I allow the entire fight to play out before Hachirou collapses on the floor with barely any strength left in his body.

"That will be all for today. I suggest you spend tomorrow doing Ken's muscle training to build stamina."

"No- *Huff*... Not yet..."

"Listen to your brother, Hachirou. Besides, you have a guest and I best leave you two alone."

With a confused expression, Hachirou turns his head towards the door before mirroring my own surprise. I walk over to his worn out body sprawled on the dojo floor and sit by his side. He's too tired to say a single word, while I feel as if I'm back in a Dead Zone. Instead, we just stare at each other as I try to figure the meaning behind his beaming smile.