Chapter 22

Ancient Desert (2)

A desert raining.

The appearance of the child standing blankly was haggard.

Grotesque.

Eyes wounded as if stabbed by something and scars carved all over the body.

And the black wings attached to its back.

A monster.

Indeed, the child’s appearance was worthy of being called a ‘monster’.

Grrrrrl.

A boiling sound came from its throat.

Crunch.

It was holding something in both hands.

A long, hard object.

A sharp piece of metal attached to the end.

The child knew instinctively.

That the beings before it feared this object greatly.

They called this a spear.

“Hey, you grotesque monster! Can’t you get lost?”

“Lowly and filthy bastard!”

“How dare a half-human, half-beast try to mingle with us! Just die!”

“…….”

The child was silent.

It merely sensed the people shouting angrily before its eyes.

The child could not see.

From the moment it first opened its eyes to the world.

It had to forcibly lose its sight.

It had to give its eyes to the people who rejected it.

“…….”

An invisible world.

The child actually thought that might be better.

Because it wouldn’t have to look at those noisy people.

Because it wouldn’t have to face the malice pouring towards it head-on.

Whoosh!

The heavy rain evaporated as soon as it fell.

Whoosh!

Simultaneously, the spear was thrust out.

The people who had been chattering in front of the child could no longer speak.

Thud!

Because the metal piece had pierced through their hearts in an instant.

The movements were precise and clean.

With brief motions, it tore and split dozens of bodies.

Thudududud!

Blood poured out, flesh split apart.

The pouring heavy rain washed them all clean.

Silence flowed into the noisy space.

Quiet, it was good.

“…….”

The child thought.

What am I?

What kind of being am I?

Am I really the ‘monster’ people say?

A being that cannot be loved?

Tears welled up in the child’s eyes.

The tears evaporated as soon as they fell.

“Damn it.”

In this hopeless situation, curses came out naturally.

But, I couldn’t just stand there blankly.

I had to make a quick judgment.

Rumble rumble!

The floor was shaking, the walls vibrating.

The sight of 100 skeletons charging towards me was terror itself.

[Warning! Warning! Warning!]

[Ancient Skeleton Lancer (D-grade) × 100 are swarming!]

“First, Bone Four! Move forward!”

Creak! Thump!

I hastily put the shield soldier forward.

The only fortunate thing was.

That there were no enemies behind, only in front?

‘I’ll hold out here without being pushed back too much.’

The terrain was somewhat decent.

If it were a wide open space, I’d be surrounded instantly.

But this is a narrow corridor.

The passage through which enemies can enter is fixed, meaning I only have to deal with a few enemies at a time.

“Everyone, get ready.”

I controlled them.

I placed Bone One and Bone Two right beside Bone Four.

And placed Bone Three and Bone Five in the rear.

‘Don’t be hasty. We need to take them down one by one, slowly.’

Is it because it transformed into a job-related dungeon?

Originally, skeletons should be limited to E-grade or F-grade.

But each of them is D-grade.

Meaning, they might be special beings similar to my bone crew.

‘Of course, it’s just a possibility.’

I believed without a doubt.

My unfounded confidence that our guys are aces, and they are just monsters.

‘I don’t think all D-grades are the same.’

My bone crew are special bones taught by Mansul Old Man, you know.

And that’s not all.

They all only have spears.

But my bone crew form a ‘team’ with their respective weapons.

They have a balance of attack and defense.

Thump thump!

The vibration sound was getting closer.

‘Come on.’

Gulp.

I swallowed my saliva.

Kugugugug!

The skeletons began to pour into the corridor.

The ones entering sequentially stabbed their spears towards Bone Four’s shield.

Bone One and Bone Two, positioned beside it, slashed and stabbed the neck joints of those guys.

The ones whose skulls fell off rolled on the floor.

[‘Bone4’ uses skill, Low-Level Taunt (Lv.6).]

Thanks to Bone Four’s aggro.

Bone One and Bone Two hadn’t taken direct hits yet.

‘But.’

I couldn’t let my guard down.

Bone Four’s durability has its limits.

And above all, the pressure from the guys bunching up and pushing was getting increasingly fierce.

“Fall back slowly!”

Thud! Bang! Crash!

Bone Four, gripping the roughly shaking shield, gradually fell back.

[‘Bone4’ uses 10 Energy.]

[‘Bone4’ uses 10 Energy.]

As the impacts grew fiercer.

Bone Four’s energy dropped in chunks.

Before I knew it, Bone One and Bone Two were also clashing weapons with the opponents-

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Bone Three also diligently shot arrows from behind.

“One at a time! Smash them thoroughly! Then look for the next target!”

I shouted.

This is the concept of concentrated fire.

Simply put, it’s a gang-up.

If we take them down one by one, thoroughly, in a 5 vs 1 situation in a narrow space.

Wouldn’t we be able to subdue a large number with less force?

Creak!

“Huh?”

It was then that a spear flew towards me through a gap in Bone Four’s shield.

In the past, I would have been surprised, but now.

‘I can dodge this.’

I slightly turned my head and body to evade the thrown spear.

Whoosh! Crash!

With a rough wind sound, it embedded itself in the back wall.

Creak?

The guy who lost its weapon tried to fall back.

“Tch, do you think there’s space to dodge there?”

As expected of an undead, its intelligence is lacking.

Crunch!

As if taking revenge for daring to target me.

Bone One’s greatsword smashed the guy’s skull to pieces.

“Well done, Bone One!”

Clap clap!

Was it my imagination that it seemed to smile at my praise?

As if not to be outdone, Bone Five’s eyes also lit up.

[‘Bone5’ uses skill, Fireball (Lv.8).]

Whoosh!

Kwaaaaang!

Through two weeks of training.

Bone Five’s Fireball had also risen to a high level.

Since it’s the only splash magic available right now.

Its efficiency was particularly high in a situation like this.

Kwadududud…….

The guys bunched together were smashed in chunks by the intense fireball.

They piled up a mountain of bones.

Of course, new skeletons kept pushing in stubbornly over them.

Crunch! Grind!

The melee continued for a long time.

When the enemies attacked, we blocked.

Then we slashed, stabbed, and smashed.

I also snatched the guys’ weapons and swung them.

Using what I learned from the Old Man, it definitely worked.

‘They’re not as strong as I thought, though.’

Instead, there were many of them.

Because of that, my bone crew’s durability was inevitably being worn down.

[‘Bone4’s Energy becomes 0.]

[‘Bone4’s summoning is released.]

The reverse summoning of the most reliable tank.

But.

[Use skill, ‘Awakened Skeleton Summon’ (D-grade).]

[Use 10 Energy.]

[‘Bone4’ appears.]

I called it back again.

‘Looks like I need to focus Energy as much as possible on Bone Four.’

Remaining Energy is 60.

If I just keep summoning the tank with this, it might be doable.

As the number of guys decreases.

The burden of the Energy we use will also lessen.

“Yeah! Keep coming at me, you bastards!”

I swung the spear with all my might.

I constantly used my muscles.

If a bone spear broke, I picked up another one.

The skill ‘Thrust’ (C-grade) that Mansul Old Man taught me.

Cragagaga!

Grabbing the spear with both hands, I pushed with all my strength.

In my own way, my own posture.

My whole body trembled violently.

The blood vessels in my wrists and ankles swelled up taut.

The muscles in my thighs and calves screamed.

As time passed, I too was losing strength.

But the more that happened, the more I gritted my teeth.

I clenched my teeth.

“Just die, damn it!”

My heart raced like crazy from the continuous movement.

Come to think of it, have I ever fought this fiercely before?

Honestly, it was fun.

I might be a crazy bastard, but it was enjoyable.

Those urgent moments when I could lose my life at any misstep.

Even in hopeless situations, it was when I felt alive.

[The ‘Tae Yang-chang’ sleeping in the ‘Pyramid’ opens its eyes.]

[‘Tae Yang-chang’ is watching you.]

“What is it? Again.”

I, who was swinging the spear, paused.

Tae Yang-chang.

The being I must meet in this stage.

The warrior and absolute ruler who governed the Ancient Desert Empire.

[‘Tae Yang-chang’ mocks you.]

[‘Tae Yang-chang’ asks if you think you can encounter it with just that level of skill.]

“What are you talking about?”

Sending just a few D-grade skeletons and then mocking me?

‘Whether it’s Tae Yang-chang or whatever.’

I need to show it a proper lesson.

Squeeze!

More strength went into my fists gripping the spear.

I don’t know who Tae Yang-chang is.

But I’m someone who has cleared dungeons worse than this.

I’m the one who persuaded Mansul Old Man, whom even Rankers couldn’t defeat!

“Bone Four, from now on, don’t fall back, advance forward.”

I said with determined eyes.

Creak?

The guy tilted its head as if asking why suddenly.

“Tae Yang-chang. That bastard is provoking me from ahead.”

Anyway, the goal of this dungeon is to meet him.

I don’t know what other monsters might be ahead, so I can’t just keep falling back.

Because I don’t have infinite Energy.

“Whatever is ahead, we have to clash now.”

Abandon caution.

Charge forward challengingly.

Like when I obtained Mansul Old Man in the past.

Sometimes, you have to charge ahead without a safety net.

I boldly advanced.

The fight lasted longer than expected.

And it was even more brutal.

Was it around the time we had almost dealt with about a hundred skeleton lancers?

[Warning! Warning! Warning!]

[Ancient Skeleton Lancer (D-grade) × 100 are swarming!]

Because another hundred came pushing in.

“Motherfuckers.”

In the end, my judgment was correct.

A trick set up so that skeletons spawn infinitely until reaching the destination.

The problem is.

“When the hell are you coming out? Tae Yang-chang!”

Whoosh!

I swung the spear.

Whoosh! Crunch!

Beside me, Bone One and Bone Two also shattered the skulls of the swarming skeletons.

My breath was already at my throat, my muscles losing strength.

Yet, there were still about 40 skeletons left.

My Energy was also down to only 20.

[‘Tae Yang-chang’ looks at you with a surprised expression.]

[It thinks you are holding out better than expected.]

[But it still thinks your skill level is trash.]

Damn.

Calling me trash again.

It’s a word I heard endlessly from Mansul Old Man.

Well, it’s not wrong, so I have nothing to say.

Because compared to the goals I aim to achieve in the future, my current self is indeed ‘trash’.

[‘Tae Yang-chang’ says not much is left.]

[It tells you to hang in there a little more.]

Not much left?

I looked around.

All I could see was still a long corridor.

The only difference from before was that the width was gradually increasing?

Because of that, it actually became more disadvantageous.

Because the guys started crossing over one by one to the sides, beginning to surround us.

I also checked the bone crew’s condition.

From Bone One to Bone Five.

None were intact.

They had already used their Energy to the bottom, and seemed precarious, as if they would shatter soon.

‘I can cover up to two of them, but…’

If this continues, there’s no end.

I needed a quick resolution.

“Bone Four.”

Creak?

“Give me the shield.”

I received the shield from it.

It felt slightly heavy, but since I handled it a few times during training, it was bearable.

“Next, Bone Five.”

Creek!

Bone Five, who had knocked away an enemy’s spear with its staff, looked at me.

“From now on, we’re breaking through no matter what. Replenish the Air Shield every time it breaks. And the rest…….”

I, holding the shield forward with both hands, lowered my stance.

“Absolutely cover my rear.”

The bone crew formed a defensive formation with their backs to me.

A life-or-death sprint towards the Sun King’s abode.

Whether my foot reaches the destination first.

Or, I collapse before that.

It’s time to roll the dice.