Ed ventured through a good chunk of the third floor before finding out that the Transmission skill had a limit. He could have many skeletons in a large room but whenever he started walking through the dungeon some of them would be lost. The skill likely stops affecting the skeletons after they leave the skill's radius. Assuming the hallways wouldn't get any narrower, Ed could move a total of 60 skeletons around the dungeon.
'It is a satisfying number'
He couldn't really complain if he could gather all of the mobs in the dungeon it would just be Ed's lair rather than the third floor of a dungeon.
'I still am a bit disappointed...'
He was enticed by the thought of having his own lair. As an 18-year-old college student, he was used to living in small spaces, but that didn't mean he wanted to live in small spaces. Every man has to have ambitions and a bigger house is usually part of those ambitions.
'Well, the lich would still be the real owner...'
It would be really sad if his army of skeletons was decimated by the lich under orders of the dungeon.
'Well, I am basically enslaved to the dungeon right now so that would have to wait for the future.'
While the dungeon couldn't physically move him, it could still order him around like a slave.
'I should stop thinking about that'
Ever since he started to regain his memories, he became more enraged at the thought of being a slave. Ed wasn't any sort of big shot so he didn't really have an image to maintain. Still, it would irk any modern person to be denied their basic human rights.
[Assimilation is off cooldown]
It was the message he was anxiously awaiting.
'Time to assimilate something else'
He wanted to try to assimilate other items to learn more about the skill. Knowing what type of items affect what attributes would help him create an ideal build or at least what he believes is ideal.
'I wasn't some professional gamer based on what I can remember'
Not that he could afford to with all of the essays he needed to write. Whenever he tried to play ranked on any game he would lose to some kids.
'Why am I remembering such bad times!'
He would appreciate it if he could get his happy memories back first instead. What made it worst is that he didn't remember what those games he played were.
'I am getting sidetracked again!'
The influx of new memories made it hard to focus on one thing.
'Breathe in, breath out'
The other skeletons that were following him saw Ed doing weird motions and were thoroughly confused.
'Let's try something unique'
The assimilation might be able to do more than just give attributes, and he needed to test that. He stopped walking and took out a book from his bag. It was the spelling book he stole from the magician.
'Assimilate!' Ed yelled in his head full of anticipation.
The book rumbled ferociously and then...!
Nothing happened.
'Eh?'
No wait, something did happen. He learned one of the letters of the foreign language.
[Assimilation on cooldown]
[Assimilation has leveled up]
'Are you f*cking kidding me!'
He opened up the book and found out that the first page was gone. Ed felt like he wasted the assimilation skill completely! He wanted to learn the entire book not a page!
All things considered it was a bad idea. Ed hoped that by learning the new language he could read the magic book for the next 12 hours of the Assimilation cooldown. He should have prioritized his strength instead of knowledge.
'But the magic in the book could have contributed to my strength!'
Ed felt frustrated at the lost opportunity, he desperately wanted a refund!
'Well what the hell! Show me the effects of the level up!'
He wanted to forget the entire thing that happened so he focused on the one good thing it brought. The level up.
[Assimilation lvl. 1]
Passive: Skill holder can assimilate understanding, 60% boost to skill experience.
Active: Assimilate skills and items. 12hr cooldown.
Unfortunately for Ed, the cooldown did not decrease.
'I hope this skill is affected by its own experience boost'
He could only count on the next level up decreasing the cooldown of the skill.
'I better focus on learning some more useful skills'
His combat potential was still pretty much zero. His combat skills were non-existent with the exception of Adept throwing. Because it was his only viable skill it became the backbone of all his strategies as well. He relied on throwing stones, and things like the potions he managed to get to eliminate threats.
'I only survived thus far due to luck'
Were it not for the secret inventory of the robe he would be dead, If he never found the boss room he would also be dead.
'I should try to improve my Swordsmanship'
It is the only combat skill he had. Even if the skill was a joke. It wasn't like he could learn any martial arts anyways.
'Not that I can learn any sword strikes either...'
He was hoping that the assimilation skill would guide him through the process. His Swordsmanship level -1 was still a skill.
'Jokes on you system!'
He removed the shortsword, which he was still carrying around, from his waist and gripped it with both hands.
'This is probably wrong...'
He had no way to know and he couldn't ask the skeletons behind him either, they weren't any better than himself.
He tried to create a basic stance based on his vague memories alone. He had watched shows in which Swordsmanship was practiced.
He put his left foot out and lifted the shortsword so that the end of the blade reached at least his shoulders. He then swung the blade forward.
'This just feels wrong'
In the first place, the people in the shows used longer swords. It was also impossible for him to recreate the stance just by seeing it, not to mention by relying on his blurry images.
'Maybe I shouldn't grip a shortsword with two hands'
He couldn't remember any of the encounters with the adventurers either since things always happened too quickly.
'I was mainly focused on the lich too.'
He was just about to give up when he remembered the lich's battle.
'Can I ask the lich for help?'
The lich did have three skeleton knights, after all, maybe it could summon them again. If not, the lich might still know a thing or two.
'He would have to agree though...'
He wasn't too keen on asking that creepy existence for help.
'I'm just as creepy though...'
While he didn't radiate an aura of death, he was still a walking skeleton. He was also taller than average giving him an imposing figure.
'I won't make any progress otherwise though'
Before meeting the lich he really thought he could do whatever he wanted in the dungeon. The term dungeon champion must have gone to his head.
'I will probably lose these guys if I go'.
His skeleton armada was not known for its patience and if Menny was any example they weren't keen on going inside the boss room.
'If they leave the skill's effective range for too long they will leave'
He had to make a decision.
'It would have been a waste of my time to gather these guys then...'
But then Ed had an idea.
'I will just block the corridor'
He had at one point dragged furniture and items around the dungeon for 10 days! Creating a basic anti skeleton barricade should be a piece of cake. They are pretty stupid.
'Hey, maybe I can hold out there in the future too'
He would make a fortress out of old wooden furniture!
'Well... maybe not'
He got to work. He started looking for large furniture in a multitude of rooms and had the skeletons help him move it around.
'This is a good way to keep me busy for twelve hours'
Or so he tried to convince himself.. He joined one of the skeleton groups that was pushing and pulling a large dresser and helped out.