After that realization — more or less worrying, after all, they're not exactly strong enemies — the skeleton does his best to plug the hole with some rocks lying around. Not a real solution, of course, but for now, it'll do. Then he makes the return trip to fetch the book Zena mentioned, and after quickly skimming the titles, the one called "Small Encyclopedia of Cave Vermin, Pests and Parasites" jumps out at him.
"Uh, he really was well-prepared, I'll have to go through all the books he had at some point."
"Oh yes, that's a good idea. Plus, if you read up on monsters, I'll be able to remind you about them without it counting as 'help'. So study well."
After that short exchange, the skeleton dives into reading, skimming past a few monster names like: Stone Nibbler, Cave-Fly, Wall-Hairy, and Hooked Crawler. He'll look into those later — for now, he focuses on the chapter that interests him.
Chapter VII — On Subterranean Gastroliths, known as "Bone Slugs"
"Of all the vermin encountered deep in crypts, caves, quarries, and abandoned tombs, few inspire as much revulsion — mixed with an almost academic curiosity — as the Bone Slugs (Limax Osteophagus, common name: 'bone slug').These slimy creatures, typically ten to twenty centimeters long, are distinguished by their pale, sometimes translucent flesh, and by a rare affinity for bone material.They do not feed on flesh, nor on mold or bodily fluids like ordinary vermin. No: these slugs feed exclusively on calcium, which they most often extract from bones using a chitinous tongue covered in microscopic hooks. This adaptation makes them capable of gnawing through the oldest femurs and the freshest skulls, leading to the collapse of many skeletal reliquaries — and the fury of more than one necromantic practitioner.They are slow, silent, and patient. You don't hear them coming. It's only when you notice a thin trail of whitish slime at the foot of a sarcophagus that you realize — often too late — that an ancestor's carefully preserved corpse is now hollowed out like an empty eggshell.Few defenses are effective against them. Salt acts as a moderate repellent, as do certain plant-based oils (lemon, black mint, elder resin). A minor fire spell is enough to drive them away — but beware their numbers. If one bone slug is watching you, there are ten more you don't see."
The section is followed by an anatomical drawing of a slug.
"Well then, nasty little things. But if salt works, we should be okay. I think the old necromancer had some in a bag somewhere — maybe a kilo? We could scatter a bit every night before dark. For now, that's probably best."
"Good job, nice idea! But it won't last forever, so you'll need a better method before it's too late."
"Yeah, I figured. But for that, I guess it'll have to be magic… like the old guy who got fried."
"You do realize you're technically way older than him, right?"
"… Okay, sure, but I'm not gonna start calling him 'the kid' either. And it's not like he can take offense."
He looks toward the exit, thinking that the necromancer's scorched remains had probably already been eaten by the slugs — or whatever other scavengers roamed the place. A shame, really. He hadn't thought about it before, but maybe that would've made a special skeleton?
Setting the book down on the pile, he taps Three on the skull and explains the situation by writing on the floor, after which he heads back toward the entrance, armed with a sack of salt. Immediately, he notices a slug wriggling between the cracks, trying to sneak in. One quick axe swing later, he undoes as little of the barricade as possible before stepping outside. Under the light of the moon and stars, he quickly spots three more slugs: one crawling on the barricade, and two heading his way. He takes care of them, and his XP rises to 89/100!
"Huh, that's going fast! I expected leveling up to be harder."
"Calm down. You're low-level and haven't evolved yet. You'll see soon enough, it's not that easy. But for now, don't worry about it — you've got a base to build and probably more monsters to deal with."
"Yeah, yeah, I get it. But still, can't I enjoy the moment a little? It's not like I've had many reasons to lately… Technically, this is the first time I've felt even a little happy…"
Following that thought, he grabs a handful of salt — which slips through his bones — and sprinkles it around as best he can, circling the entrance. Not forgetting the slugs can climb ceilings, he spreads some on top too, since the entrance is set into the side of a hill. Once that's done, he rebuilds the barricade, not forgetting to pack salt into the cracks.
"There. That should last a few days. Long enough for us to decide on a plan. I was thinking of going exploring, but maybe it's not the right time… Damn, I've already got so many doubts. Doesn't feel ideal for someone who's supposed to become a king…"
"The best kings doubted their own decisions… the key is to make them anyway, and hope they're decent."
"Ah, Zena… always the right words to lift my spirits. Well, I guess I'll head out tomorrow during the day — at least I'll dodge the slugs!"
"There you go! See? You can do it! That's a perfectly decent decision!"
"Sarcasm?"
"No, really. Not bad."
"… Thanks, Zena."