<h4>Chapter 13</h4>


    "..."


    <i>I wasn’t exactly saying that elite monsters would be popping up one after another,</i> Ian muttered to himself.


    "So it''s one of the monsters that have troubled the kingdom for so long, that they became the subject of rumors," Mev said in a subdued voice.


    "Today will be thest day," Ian swallowed his next words as Mev nodded and drew her sword.


    "I''ll take the lead, Ian," said Mev.


    "I''m more than happy to yield that position to you..." Ian added with a peculiar look in his eyes. He continued, "How about we just observe for now?"


    "Observe?" Mev asked.


    "Something feels off," Ian gestured toward Duhan. He went on, "It''s like it''s waiting for us to attack."


    Mev''s gaze shifted to the hill. The Duhan stood there, its ominous presence only indicated by its tainted magic and silhouette.


    After a moment of contemtion, Ian continued, "I know you''re skilled, but there''s no need to walk into a trap."


    "My lord, I also think the mercenary''s advice is sound," Philip chimed in.


    Mev finally nodded, "Right. Overconfidence is dangerous. Alright, Ian, I''ll follow your lead."


    "Wise decision," Ian said with a slight smile, looking back at the Duhan. Its appearance was no different from in the game, even the standoff situation was the same.


    <i>...So, if we attack first, it''ll be just as troublesome as in the game, </i>he thought.


    The Duhan, in the game, would start in a defensive stance when the yer attacked first, initiating a difficult and dangerous pattern of defense. Conversely, waiting for it to attack first was an easier strategy, as its attack pattern was much simpler. Ian was confident he could handle it either way, but there was no need to choose the harder path, especially when the rights to the loot were at stake.


    "...." And so, a silent standoff continued; even Philip didn''t speak. The silence was broken when Ian thought it was about time.


    "It''s all done! Finally!" A rough voice suddenly burst out from the direction of the tomb.


    "...!" Ian raised an eyebrow and turned his head. The voice belonged to Miguel, who approached cheerfully, waving a shovel.


    "I did my best. Now, all that''s left is to pack up and leave...." His smile stiffened as he saw Mev in her helmet, Philip with his mouth agape, and Ian with a cold gaze.


    "Is there, uh, a problem...?" Miguel blinked nkly.


    "There wasn''t until just now," Ian replied with a sigh, turning his head. He continued, “...Now there definitely is."


    The silhouette of the Duhan sharpened in his eyes. It was now violently flickering like mes. As expected, Miguel''s shout was taken as a deration of war.


    "What on earth is... <i>Eek</i>?!" Miguel, turning his headte, also froze at the sight of the Duhan. The headless horseman raised one arm. In its palm, only visible as a ck silhouette, a pair of bright red lights flickered in a sphere.


    "■■ ■■■■- ■■■■-!" A strange voice, a mix of high and low tones, echoed. Though thenguage was iprehensible.


    "<i>Aaaah!</i>"


    "<i>Eek...!</i>"


    Just from the sound waves, Miguel and the mercenaries clutched their heads, staggering. Philip also grimaced. The only ones unaffected were Ian and Mev.


    "What is this...? A spell?" Mev softly murmured.


    "Just ancientnguage. It said humans cannot be forgiven. Invaders who trampled upon thend of the fairies, the humans," Ian responded calmly.


    "You understand that?" Philip, catching his breath, looked up at him.


    "Somewhat," Ian replied.


    "How on earth..." said Philip.


    "Well, it just happened." Ian shrugged nonchntly at Philip''s exmation.


    Ancient Linguistics. A trivial skill he had acquired for ancient civilization events in the game, leveled up to two. To Ian, it was just one of many skills he had mistakenly acquired, and even in this reality, it was hardly useful. He had no interest in knowing that the Duhan was the ghost of an ancient swamp fairy.


    "■■! ■■■, ■■ ■■■■!" The strange voice spoke once again.


    "Do you understand that too?" Philip asked.


    But it didn''t seem like a useless skill at all to Mev and Philip.


    "It''s cursing. Saying that all humans who steps on thisnd will never be free, even in death," Ian replied indifferently.


    "That ominous..." Philip, muttering to himself, clutched his head as the roar continued.


    "■■- ■■■■, ■■■!" Duhan roared.


    "Sir, this is something different, isn''t it?" Philp asked.


    "Of course. That''s a spell." Ian, frowning, turned his head toward the tomb.


    "Get out of there now. The dead are about to rise... Damn." Ian stopped speaking as he saw the mercenaries.


    "<i>Hehe</i>... <i>Heh</i>."


    "<i>kek, kek</i>...."


    The mercenaries were no longer in their right minds. Their pupils were dted, and theirughter was vacant.


    "You idiots! Come this way right now!" Miguel, who still had kept his mind, yelled out.


    <i>Puff—! Whoosh!</i>


    But the warning came toote. Arms and legs sprouted from the tomb, and in an instant, ghouls crawled out of the ground, contorting their limbs grotesquely as they pounced on the nearby mercenaries. They regained their senses only after being dragged down and rolled on the ground.


    "<i>Ah... Aaah</i>?!"


    "<i>Ah, Ahh! Ahhh</i>!"


    Their screams were toote. The ghoul''s wide-open mouths and limbs mercilessly covered them. Their weapons were thrown nearby, so they had no method or tool to resist. The sounds of biting and chewing echoed, along with terrible screams.


    "No! You ungrateful bastards!" Miguel cried out in despair, throwing himself forward. He picked up a fallen dagger and ran forward.


    "What do we do now, Sir?" Philip, now pale as a ghost, asked.


    <i>What else is there but to fight?</i> Instead of responding, Ian firmly gripped his sword. His gaze at the Duhan was calm, as usual. It was a different oue than he had hoped for, but he was all too familiar with such sudden situations. Maybe it was time to divert the attention.


    "As promised, I''ll yield the lead to you," Ian said calmly.


    "Help them, Philip." Mev looked at Philip as if she had been waiting.


    "By myself, you mean?" Philip''s eyes widened in shock.


    Mev had already dashed off into the distance, whipping the reins. Philip''s gaze naturally turned to Ian, but he, too, gave no attention.


    "...Please, defeat it before I die, Sir." Finally resigning to the situation, Philip left with a heartfelt plea.


    "Making a mountain out of a molehill," Ian then chuckled softly to himself.


    <i>How tough could a few ghouls be, anyway? </i>Ian thought. Despite the chaos around him, his attention was calmly fixed on Mev as she charged forward. He was keen on assessing her true abilities first.


    If they had to engage in a battle on horseback, he wanted to avoid a prolonged fight. Knowing her full capabilities was essential for him to formte a suitable strategy. However, regardless of the change in circumstances, he had no intention of giving up the spoils.


    <i>''Two birds with one stone, discovering her real skills,’</i> thought Ian. From the blue light of Mev''s sword, Duhan''s figure became clear, the silently burning ck knight. Facing such a monster, Mev would have no choice but to reveal her true power. The moment she passed the middle of the hill, Duhan''s silhouette undted.


    <i>Whoosh—</i>


    ck thorns suddenly sprouted along the hill''s ridge, right in front of the charging Mev. In a split second, as Mev and her horse were about to be impaled, she extended her sword.


    <i>sh!</i>


    A blue light cut the thorns in half. As the barrier of thorns shattered, Mev, filled with holy power, leaped forward. She charged like a beam of light, colliding directly with the Duhan.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    The blue trail pierced through the Duhan, extending to the other side of the hill. Between the dispersing trails, the tattered silhouette of the Duhan was revealed, as if it had been hit by a shell.


    "<i>Ha</i>..." Ian let out a hollowugh.


    <i>I should''ve chosen a knight, after all,</i> thought Ian.<i> </i>


    Herbat skill was impressive enough to elicit such thoughts. It would take some time, but she could definitely handle Duhan alone.


    <i>...This might actually be for the best,</i> Ian mused.


    Of course, he wasn''t going to let that happen.


    <i>I never intended for a long battle anyway. </i>Ian chose how to deal with the Duhan, gripping his sword. It wasn''t his typical style, but he decided to give it a shot.


    <i>Swoosh.</i>


    Ian swung his sword, releasing the head of Andolf which was strapped to his saddle, then immediately whipped his horse forward.


    "...This won''t be easy," said Mev.


    Mev circled her horse, clicking her tongue. The impact of the collision had been unexpectedly light. That''s when she heard a hissing sound behind her, like a snake cutting through the air. Realizing the danger, Mev twisted her body acrobatically on the saddle. The horse, moving as if one with her, performed a sharp turn that would normally be impossible. Mev immediately swung her sword.


    <i>sh!</i>


    Blue sparks shed right before her, illuminating the scene. The ck trail that had nearly reached her was cleanly severed. Her horse kicked up clouds of dust as it was pushed back by the force. The trail that had fallen to the ground quickly evaporated, vanishing in an instant. Among the remnants, several mysterious ck bone fragments were revealed.


    Then, the bone fragments flew in one direction, drawn into the running ck silhouette. The Duhan had, seemingly, returned to its original form as if it had never been pierced by Mev. It still appeared as a pitch-ck silhouette. This wasn''t merely a shadowy disguise; it was the true form of the Duhan, a mass of curses and vengeful spirits.


    Despite Mev running in parallel to it, the Duhan''s hooves made no sound. The ck trail, having returned to its original form, now enveloped the Duhan. Just as she had experienced before, it was a whip with an incredibly long range.


    "■■■, ■■■!" With an annoying roar, ck thorns sprung up in a line along Mev''s path.


    "...!" Mev ducked low and pulled the reins. The horse nimbly dashed left and right, dodging the thorns. Of course, she couldn''t avoid all of them.


    <i>Swoosh!</i>


    Mev unleashed the holy power in her sword, cutting through several thorns blocking her path. As the severed thorns evaporated...


    <i>Whoosh—</i>


    The ck whip shot through, aiming straight for Mev''s forehead. Without time to retrieve her sword, Mev leaned back to avoid it. The trail, missing her, coiled back like a snake, returning for another strike.


    "...!"


    Mev quickly raised her left arm. The whip, initially aiming for her helmet, coiled around her forearm instead, emitting a metallic shing sound and dazzling blue sparks. The magic-infused whip pierced through the holy energy enveloping her gauntlet. At that moment, Mev clenched her teeth and readied her sword.


    <i>Swoosh—</i>


    A sudden gust of wind, and the taut whip lost its strength. The magic that had been seeping into her arm evaporated like a mirage. Clutching a falling bone fragment, Mev reflexively turned her gaze.


    "Ian...!" said Mev.


    Her voice revealed her relief, even though she might not have realized it. She saw Ian, who had cut through the whip and moved past it. Ian also turned to look at her, and his voice, filled with magic, reached her.


    "Strike it one more time, with all your strength," said Ian.


    Without waiting for a response, Ian turned his horse and left. The ck whip fell to the ground behind him. Mev then turned her attention back to the Duhan, which was now focused on Ian, the unexpected intruder.


    With determination in her eyes and crumbling the bone fragment in her hand, she muttered, "To the ends of this humble de..."


    <i>Swoosh!</i>


    Her sword, previously dim, shone brightly again. The holy energy on her armor became clearer, and she felt a surge of strength throughout her body.


    The horse, previously panting, now breathed steadily. Mev gripped the reins tightly, spurring the horse, which forgot its fear and charged. The Duhan, following Ian, came closer.


    "<i>Haah</i>—" Mev, with a shout, unleashed her holy power and collided with the Duhan again.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    The Duhan shattered into pieces. Despite piercing it once more, Mev frowned.


    <i>Another failure?</i> thought Mev. It felt too light again. It was then she heard the sound of Ian''s horse''s hooves. Turning the horse''s head and looking toward Ian, she saw him charging toward the disheveled form of the Duhan. His sword, imbued with faint magic power, shed momentarily.


    <i>Swoosh— </i>


    A sharp curve cleanly sliced off a corner of the Duhan''s form. An inexplicable location.


    "...!"


    But in the next moment, Mev''s eyes widened.


    <i>Swoosh.</i>


    The Duhan''s silhouette vanished like a mirage. All that remained in the air was the small piece Ian had cut.


    Immediately after, Ian kicked off the saddle and leaped up, raising both hands and holding the sword above his head. Reaching right in front of the ck fragment in a single bound, he forcefully brought down both hands.


    <i>Crack!</i>