She stepped back into the stone chamber.
And immediately confirmed a terrible suspicion.
The Wandering Noble she had killed earlier—
Had revived.
He stood in the exact same position, facing the wall, as if nothing had happened.
If someone didn't know better, they might think she had walked onto the set of some looping sci-fi film.
For reasons unknown, this world—which felt painfully real in every other way—had retained the peculiar game mechanic of minor enemies reviving.
Mia had no choice.
She would have to kill him again.
This time, backstab into a finishing blow. Clean. Efficient.
She crept up behind him.
Up close, she noticed something new.
The noble's bald head bore charred black marks.
The rest of his body looked mostly intact—
But his skull resembled something dug out of a burned ruin, face scorched beyond recognition. Flakes of blackened residue clung to his shoulders.
He hadn't looked this… flamboyant the first time.
Mia immediately recalled pressing her hand against his head and casting Catch Flame before her previous death.
So he hadn't respawned from scratch.
More like—
He had regenerated over time.
A fatal wound only rendered him temporarily immobile?
That was troublesome.
Because she had no idea how long it took for one of these things to stand back up again.
Then again—
The worst-case scenario was simply dying a few more times to figure it out.
That wasn't so bad.
Paralyze him first.
She moved behind him and thrust her short spear into the back of his head.
Even in the Lands Between, human anatomy wasn't so different from Earth's. The spear met little resistance.
The noble collapsed forward with the shaft still lodged in his skull.
For good measure, Mia twisted the spear before pulling it out.
She immediately retreated two steps, wary of another surprise ambush.
But after waiting for quite some time, nothing happened.
She repeatedly glanced toward the tunnel leading deeper into the cave. No other nobles emerged.
Her earlier scream hadn't attracted them this time.
Good.
She cautiously approached the fallen noble and poked him with her spear.
No movement.
So a fatal wound truly disabled them.
As for how long they would stay down—
She had no patience to conduct long-term research.
But staring at the noble lying there for the second time, Mia began to think.
Her short spear was too fragile.
When she tried to block earlier, it had shattered instantly.
There was a saying: an inch longer, an inch stronger; an inch shorter, an inch riskier.
But the sheer size difference between her and these undead erased whatever advantage reach provided.
And she lacked experience.
She didn't yet know what move to use in what situation.
When her spear was cut in half, for example—
In hindsight, she only needed to step back and thrust at the enemy's chest.
He would have fallen.
Easy to say after the fact.
In battle, she hadn't been nearly that calm.
To be safe, she needed a backup weapon.
Her gaze fell to the slender sword dropped on the ground.
'A thin blade carried by the Wandering Nobles. Designed for ease of use. Ornately decorated with gold and once traded at high prices.'
Before picking it up, she hesitated.
This might not suit her.
In the game, the Noble's Slender Sword was classified as a straight sword, usable with one or two hands.
In real-world terms, perhaps something like a hand-and-a-half sword.
But in her hands—
It was enormous.
For her size, it was practically a greatsword.
When she planted it upright on the ground, the hilt rose higher than her own head.
The height difference between her and the Wandering Noble—nearly seventy centimeters—translated directly into weapon scale.
Wait.
If that was the case—
Wouldn't she also be unable to wield the legendary boss weapons she might obtain later?
…Damn it.
For the first time in her life, she felt genuine resentment toward her height.
Then—
An idea struck her.
She reached down and stored the sword in her personal space.
Then retrieved it.
"…!"
It had shrunk.
Mia stared, stunned.
The Noble's Slender Sword now matched her proportions perfectly.
Delighted, she swung it experimentally.
Horizontal slash. Vertical cut. Upward sweep. Thrust.
The combat instincts bestowed by Grace guided her movements smoothly.
As advertised, it truly was a sword designed for ease of use. In her hands, it felt like an extension of her arm.
Comfortable whether wielded in one hand or two.
Satisfied, she fastened the resized sword and its scabbard to her waist.
Left hand resting on the hilt.
Right hand holding the short spear.
If she replaced the spear with a staff…
Yes.
She would radiate the aura of an ultimate mage.
Backup weapon secured.
Now—
The issue of these reviving enemies.
She didn't know how many times she would die within this cave.
But if every resurrection required clearing the same enemies again…
That would be tedious.
Was there a way to render them permanently incapable of moving?
So she wouldn't have to fight them again after each revival?
She scanned the surroundings.
The Cave of Knowledge wasn't some clean arena. Its layout hinted at forgotten lives.
Along the chamber walls lay piles of barrels, crates, and sacks—every one of them empty.
Between clusters of stalagmites, she spotted a small cart loaded with tools.
Perhaps—
Before they became undead, these beings had once lived here.
They had once been normal.
How long had they stayed in this place?
To the Tarnished, this was a tutorial cave.
But to the once-conscious Wandering Nobles, what had it been?
Her scholar's curiosity stirred.
Still, she didn't forget her plan.
At the cart, she found a bundle of hemp rope that was still usable. She tugged at it.
Good enough.
She dragged the unconscious noble by the legs to a thick stalagmite and proceeded to tie him up.
Thoroughly.
She had never studied rope techniques.
But she firmly believed in a simple principle:
More was better.
By the time she finished, the noble's upper body was wrapped like a rice dumpling.
She stepped back and admired her work, brushing her hands together.
Perfect.
Next time she revived, he'd be stuck there watching her stroll past.
"Heh."
She placed her hands on her hips.
"I'm a damn genius."