The skulls grinned at them, smug as ever. The two bones lay neatly in front, daring them to try again.

  The adventurers slumped in the chamber, thoroughly defeated.

  “I’m out of ideas,” Harlada muttered, drumming her fingers on her staff.

  Leo’s notebook was filled with crossed-out equations and angry doodles of skulls. “Correction: there are no ideas left. Statistically, the puzzle is unsolvable.”

  Bert lay flat on his back, tossing one of the bones into the air. “Let’s just eat the snails. Problem solved.”

  Silence stretched. Even the skulls seemed bored, their jaws clacking idly.

  Harlada sighed, sparks dancing at her fingertips. “Fine. I’ll do something stupid.”

  She closed her eyes, whispered the words the gem had burned into her, and lifted gently from the ground. Her boots left the slime-slick stone. She drifted upward toward the chamber’s dark ceiling.

  “Show-off,” Bert muttered.

  “Correction,” Leo said primly, “testing verticality is statistically valid.”

  At the far ledge, she steadied herself against the wall. Something caught her eye — faint dents, uneven but deliberate, hewn into the stone. She brushed off the slime and squinted.

  Not scratches. Not random marks.

  A pattern.

  “Huh,” she called down. “There are carvings up here.”

  Leo adjusted his glasses. “Describe them.”

  “Like… little dents. Groups of three, then two, then three again. Looks rhythmic.”

  Bert blinked. “So… like drum beats?”

  Her eyes widened. “Exactly like drum beats.”

  The skulls clicked their jaws in unison, almost… expectant.

  ***

  Harlada floated back down, landing lightly beside the pedestals. “Alright, let’s try this. Maybe it’s music.”

  Bert perked up. “Finally! I’ve been waiting my whole life to smash skeletons like drums.”

  Leo rubbed his temples. “Correction: skulls, not skeletons.”

  “Translation?” Bert asked.

  “Just hit them,” Harlada sighed.

  ***

  They lined up. Bert took one bone, Harlada the other.

  CLUNK. The left skull gave a deep, hollow note.

  CLANG. The middle skull rang higher, sharp like a cracked bell.

  CLINK. The right one gave a tinny chime.

  Three skulls. Three tones.

  “Definitely music,” Harlada whispered.

  They tried the rhythm from the wall: three, two, three.

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  CLUNK CLUNK CLUNK… CLANG CLANG… CLINK CLINK CLINK.

  The crystal pulsed smugly:

  Attempt Invalid. Insufficient Resources.

  Bert squinted. “Insufficient what now?”

  Leo frowned. “We only have two bones. Three notes, two sticks. The sequence can’t be played accurately.”

  Harlada groaned. “So we’re missing… a bone.”

  Silence. The skulls stared, jaws wide, waiting.

  Bert tapped his chin. “So… where do we get another one?”

  Leo adjusted his glasses grimly. “Statistically? From another corpse.”

  Harlada looked between them, sparks twitching in her hands. “…Don’t look at me.”

  The crystal pulsed with visible glee:

  Achievement Unlocked: Missing Instrument. Reward: None.

  They slumped together in defeat, two bones clattering against the stone.

  ***

  They sat slumped in silence, two bones clattering uselessly between them.

  Leo tapped his quill against his notes, eyes narrowing. “Technically… we already have three instruments available.”

  Harlada frowned. “No, we don’t. We’re missing a bone.”

  “Incorrect.” Leo raised a finger. “The human body contains over two hundred bones. The closest, most practical option is the frontal cranial plate.”

  They both stared at him.

  “…Translation?” Bert asked.

  “Your forehead,” Harlada said flatly.

  Bert’s jaw dropped. “Wait. You want me to headbutt a skull?”

  Leo adjusted his glasses primly. “Precisely. Applied percussion. Statistically optimal.”

  “Statistically suicidal!” Bert snapped.

  Harlada smirked. “C’mon, you’re the tough one. Big muscles, thick head. Perfect job for you.”

  Bert crossed his arms, sulking. “This is abuse.”

  “It’s teamwork,” Leo corrected.

  ***

  Reluctantly, they lined up again. Harlada took the left skull with her bone. Leo the right.

  Bert glared at the middle one.

  “On three,” Harlada whispered.

  “Wait—” Bert started.

  “Three!”

  CLUNK.

  THUD.

  CLINK.

  Bert reeled backward, clutching his forehead. “OWWWWW!”

  The skull chamber vibrated. The three skulls’ jaws snapped open, clicking in rhythm. A deep rumble shook the pedestals as the sequence completed.

  The crystal pulsed in reluctant approval:

  Puzzle Cleared. Attempts: 5. Reward Generated.

  A pedestal rose from the floor, glowing faintly. A pouch of coins rested atop it, along with a gem swirling with pale light.

  Bert groaned, still rubbing his forehead. “I hate puzzles.”

  Harlada grinned. “You solved it with your head. Literally.”

  Leo scribbled, nodding. “Statistically elegant.”

  “Statistically painful!” Bert snapped.

  The crystal pulsed smugly:

  Achievement Unlocked: Thick Skull. Reward: None.

  Bert was still sulking, rubbing the red mark on his forehead.

  Harlada tilted her head thoughtfully. “Wait… Leo. If a forehead works, wouldn’t your elbow also count as a bone?”

  Leo froze. His quill slipped from his fingers. Slowly, he nodded. “…Statistically… yes.”

  Bert’s roar of outrage shook the chamber.

  The crystal pulsed, text scrolling like laughter:

  Achievement Unlocked: Over-Complication. Reward: None.

  Before anyone asks: yes, the forehead is the hardest part.

  The elbow would have really hurt.