Ed spent the next couple of hours gathering more and more skeletons. The main reason why it took hours was the command sub-skill didn't work unless the consciousnesses entered the system.
Ed didn't find this to be too farfetched. The efficacy of the sub-skills in controlling others had already been proven. If it did things remotely chances were it would turn into another transmission skill.
Which speaking of, Ed used it communicate with Iron quite often.
'Resist my command' He had been transmitting this message and others like it quite a lot. He even tried to create weird paradoxes by given contradictory orders and in the end, he found it to be impossible.
'Commands don't stack' It was logical since otherwise simple commands like stay in place would mean locking the entity in place for the rest of their life. For the latest command to replace the previous regardless of content was therefore not unexpected.
It wasn't like Ed expected the skeletons to vibrate and let out sparks before inevitably tearing the very fabric of time and space to have them both stay in their place and walk forward simultaneously.
'It's a pity, it would have made for a good weapon' It would be both physical and psychological warfare. Who could keep a straight mind after seeing the laws of time and space being bent by a simple command? Most of all, the skeletons would be performing it. Maximum psychological horror!!!
Another thing that Ed found out about the command skill was what would happen if he gave it impossible orders. Ed had for exampled told one of the skeletons to teleport across time and space. The skeleton obviously didn't do anything.
It was worth mentioning that Ed was in no way trying to find a way to bend time and space through such commands. He had obviously expected them to fail and was therefore not disappointed.
Ed also verified that an impossible order would still cancel out a previous order. Outside of that he also confirmed that commands asking them to attack him were still on the table.
The sword-wielding skeletons had swung with vigor at his body but all that occurred was their rusty weapons crumbling into dust or snapping in half.
Asking them to attack him also verified another thing, Ed could give large scale orders. Originally, it was limited in scale. It was only after he figured out to use the command in tandem with the transmission skill that this became permissible.
The command sub-skill did allow for large scale commanding, just within a small radius. Ed figured this out by stacking the skeletons upon one another. The large pile of skeletons wasn't able to follow his commands but it wasn't that they didn't try.
Those at the bottom of the pile would still writhe and squirm in an attempt to set themselves free. Those that did manage would then successfully carry out his order.
This also told Ed one more thing. The command skill was very robotic in nature. Those under the influence of the skill would not think outside of it.
Well, Iron was able to but as he was at least a hundred times smarter than the skeletons so it wasn't a surprise.
'This concludes the test' Ed thought to himself as he examined the large army. It was large, but it hadn't reached max capacity. It was just that Ed had gathered all of the skeletons in the finishing half of the floor.
'Follow Iron in an orderly line, he will take you to base camp where you will wait for my return silently' Ed said transmitting an order across the mass field of bone. The dull skeletons instantly looked lively as they started steering closer to Iron.
The ones that were outside of the range of transmission were then clearly showcased as they all inched closer to Ed. This meant that Ed was able to simply repeat the same order again before sending Iron on his way.
'I'll reward you for sure' Ed was thinking of increasing the quality of Iron's sword. He wasn't planning on doing this through his own smithing skills, no, he wanted to use the forge.
He wanted to create a living weapon. Normally such a thing should have been beyond his capabilities but with the system skipping the ranks in between didn't seem like too large a pipe dream.
'If I can't do that I can also experiment with making a weapon out of a tree branch' Trees did have consciousnesses in them. Their branches could even be broken and separated but the consciousness would still largely remain.
'Wait… if I do this wouldn't I have to feed the sword?' While that sounded cool in this case it was actually watering the sword.
The idle thoughts kept Ed preoccupied as he carried on walking closer and closer to the fateful room. The room right before the safe zone. Ed continued making his way there all while asking himself one question.
'Can I leave this floor?' Ed found it curious that he could take the portal to the orc plains but that he couldn't enter a room with some stairs. The main reason why he wanted to check the safe zone however was to recruit more skeletons.
'I sent back 189 with Iron' In the easier half of the dungeon Ed had thus far captured only 76, most of them without weapons.
'The ones in the previous floor must have no equipment at all' Ed thought as he absorbed the consciousness of another skeleton and gave it the command to follow him.
Ed finally hit his max when the number of skeletons behind him reached 132. At this point, Ed was also able to recognize the room where he killed that first adventurer, the magician.
'I truly wish there were more fellows like him around' All of the adventurers he had killed after the magician tended to only bring weapons and the sort but the magician had been different. His robe which was enchanted with the capability to store items had all manner of things. There were thus many gains that came in the form of spells and knowledge. Well, one spell, space hop.
'The gift of learning is also magical' Ed joked as he entered the room which he had ingrained into memory. Littered all over the place were all sorts of rocks and dirt.
'Looks like much of the rocks and bricks have been crushed by adventurers as they passed' It was a pity as those rocks now belonged in a museum and should be treasured. Nonetheless, Ed entered the bracket-like corridor that connected the room he was in with another and the safe room.
'Hm?' The first thing Ed too notice of once he did was the dim lighting. It was a dungeon standard but the safe rooms were different. They had only the brightest of torches!
'The light level has fallen to at least half' Ed commented as he drew nearer to the safe zone not minding the rattling bones of the army of skeletons behind him and the way their feet kicked and crushed the rocks he claimed were pieces of history.
Ed, now in front of the safe room, slowly drew his hand towards it when suddenly.
'I- It's yellow!' His sixth sense had activated and painted the safe room a yellow hue. His hand which was drawing towards the empty space hesitated for a second before striking forward.
'Huh' It struck the empty air which was under normal circumstances not possible. Here however there was a wall of… something. A wall of something living,,, or undead? Regardless, there seemed to be some sort of spiritual block, a pillar perhaps that prevented entry into the room.
'I'm not giving up so easily this time' Ed didn't need to enter the safe room and enter the next floor but since his sixth sense activated for the first time he instantly grew curious. It couldn't be helped, this was his nature.
Ed walked a couple of steps back before charging forward and punching at the air. His boney fist bounced back in a way that defied what Ed thought possible.
'Not yet' Ed drew back once more, but this time he took something from his storeroom.
A slick green sword materialized into Ed's hand. The elegant design which Ed hadn't seen in a good while enamored him but he quickly shook away the haze.
'What a weird weapon' He commented before glaring at the empty space between himself and the safe room. This intangible enemy was without a doubt one that demanded full concentration.
Ed held the sword's hilt firmly, he drew back his hands and prepared himself to dash forward and swing down on the invisible barrier.
Ed dashed forward and with a swoosh had his sword cut through the air. But not the air it needed to cut past, Ed's sword seemed to be stuck briefly in place before a bang was heard.
[You've been dealt damage. -32 hp]
Ed was sent shooting backwards, he hit his back on the wall and the sword that he found ever so fancy had fallen to the ground so simply.
'Dragon my ass, what type of weak dragon were you?' Ed took his anger out on the sword. Before breathing out mentally.
'I have one last trump card' The sword would be a trump card for combat but for matters of the soul, the system knew best!
'Spirit insertion don't fail me!' Ed gritted his teeth as he drew back his arm lashed out his empty palm. If it was a consciousness he just had to absorb it!