[Trantor - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
w
Chapter 43: Mock Battle (2)
ck! ck! Rattle!
After a few orders, ten skeletal soldiers stood in a line.
One of them, its teeth chattering, creaked into its final position.
〔Skeletal Soldier (No. 1)〕
〔Skeletal Soldier (No. 2)〕
〔Skeletal Soldier (No. 3)〕
...
Theirbined stats totaled only 15.
Their only skills were "Rattling," "Dislocating," and "Gleaming,"
essentially making them no more than bone bombs with limited utility.
It was as if they were designed to be expendable as explosives.
"Got it?"
"Y-Yes, Commander...!"
For the best possible oue, everyone had to y their part — them and me.
Hoping they’d fulfill their duty safely, I patted one soldier''s shoulder.
And then, suddenly...
[Skeletal Soldier (No. 1) has been promoted to ''toon Leader Trainee''!]
‘?!’
The trainee had been promoted.
To toon Leader Trainee.
〔Skeletal Soldier (No. 1)〕
-Affiliation: Temporary Guard Unit 1st toon under Lee Eunho
-Rank: toon Leader Trainee
...
-Appointed as toon Leader by Commander Lee Eunho. Seems proud of the promotion.
Huh?
"toon Leader… will do my best...!"
ck! ck! ck!
Skeletal Soldier No. 1 clicked its teeth furiously.
The remaining nine, now part of the 1st toon, bowed their heads.
Well…
Whether trainee or toon leader, the task remained the same.
Step. Step. Step.
I led them forward several meters,
to the edge of the grass field where the enemy’s camp began.
【The ''Raven of the Administrative Bureau'' asks why you’re dividing your forces.】
【The ''Prince of the Investigation Bureau'' advises an all-out assault instead.】
Then, the observers chimed in with their unsolicited advice.
It made sense, given how bleak the situation appeared.
【The ‘Ferryman of the Administrative Bureau'' protests the unfair mission conditions.】
【They ask how it’s even possible to retrieve the g surrounded on all sides.】
The enemy only needed to defend the g at the center of their camp,
while I had to break through their well-established defensive formation.
Moreover, this was an open in with no ranged weapons, essential for sieges or captures.
A barren wastnd, devoid of any advantage.
It was, on the surface, an utterly hopeless situation.
But...
"Summon."
A handicap is just a handicap.
I wouldn’t lose to mindless bones when I had strategy.
[Would you like to activate ''Torch''?]
[Choose between Beacon me or Smoke Signal.]
"Smoke Signal!"
The two words left my lips and resonated with the torch.
The angr body of the torch hummed for a moment,
then its straw-like, woven head glowed red-hot.
Ssssss-!
Soon, thin, acrid smoke began to rise.
One wisp, two wisps, three wisps.
The slender trails of smoke twisted and intertwined,
gaining momentum.
【The ‘Ferryman of the Administrative Bureau'' asks why you suddenly pulled out a torch.】
【The ''Prince of the Investigation Bureau'' wonders about Lee Eunho’s intent in using such a trivial item.】
The torch, despitecking mes, produced an abundance of acrid smoke.
I looked on in satisfaction, while the observers remained doubtful.
Of course, that was to be expected.
"It''s no ordinary torch, nor just any smoke."
They didn’t know.
And why would they?
They didn’t belong to thisnd.
Whiiiish—!
"Feel the wind."
The direction and strength of the breeze blowing toward the enemy.
The rustling des of grass stretched wide to the enemy''s camp.
These were sensations they couldn’t perceive.
Sssssssssssst!
The wind, though not strong enough to push us forward,
was perfect for spreading the smokeless me.
Step. Step. Step.
Touching the rustling grass with my fingertips,
I brought the torchhead close.
Snap! Snap!
The dry grass sparked and glowed red-hot.
Using the lush green field as fuel,
smoke billowed out without mes.
Fwoooooooosh—!
As the torch''s power activated,
the pale smoke spread like wildfire.
"!!"
The grass field, now consumed, sent the smoke spiraling into the sky,
obscuring visibility entirely.
"F-Fire?!"
"Where is iting from?"
One of the ck skeletons standing guard raised the rm,
prompting theirmander to shout in response.
They frantically drew their weapons, swiveling their heads in every direction.
Exploiting the enemy’s weakness and breaking their formation.
A simple, straightforward n.
Vision, hearing, smell, taste, and touch were all impaired.
With nothing but remnants of their eyes,
the enemy wouldn’t be able to see.
They’d be lost.
Even for me, it was hard to make out their movements now that I’d drawn so close.
【The ''Prince of the Investigation Bureau'' is dumbfounded that you used the in itself as fuel.】
【The ''Raven of the Administrative Bureau'' apuds Lee Eunho’s ingenuity, calling it a stroke of genius.】
【The ‘Ferryman of the Administrative Bureau'' chuckles, noting Lee Eunho requires a different standard for adversity.】
This was nothing.
"Ah, I can’t… see anything…!"
"What do we do…?!"
"Don’t panic! Maintain formation!"
As the smoke spread, the enemy grew increasingly agitated.
Meanwhile, the morale of my troops surged.
[The skeletal soldiers burn with resolve at theirmander’s brilliant strategy!]
[Current loyalty: 55%]
Crack! Rattle! Snap!
The cacophony of hundreds, thousands of bone joints echoed loudly.
Raising the still-smoking torch high above my head, I advanced.
ring triumphantly at the disoriented enemy troops and the skeletal soldiers watching intently.
Then—
Hup!
He took a deep breath...
Woomph!
The soldiers’ noise grew muffled.
As if an invisible veil had been cast over them.
And above it all—
“Attention, everyone!”
My voice rang out like a gunshot.
Flinch!
It pierced directly into the ears of every one of the 100 skeletal soldiers.
[The signal transmission is enhanced due to the effect of Beacon of Fire.]
“!!”
Silence.
A thin, still silence hung overhead.
Not because they stopped rattling.
But because my words, carried by the torch, pierced into their very bones.
[The skeletal soldier horde is now ready to receive themander’s orders!]
[Current Loyalty: 60%]
[Data required to unlock skills is being measured.]
A hundred hollow eyes locked onto mine.
Their jawbones clicked open and shut as they silently waited.
If they had ears, I’d imagine them standing upright with attention.
So, I shouted—
“First toon, you’re the scouts! Follow me to the rear!”
Louder, more firmly.
Straining my voice until veins bulged in my neck.
“The rest of you, hold position! Attack the front immediately when you see the signal!”
ck! ck! tter! Snap!
The soldiers cked their teeth together, as if to say, “Understood.”
Enthusiastically.
[Loyalty of skeletal soldiers increases due to organizedmands!]
[Current Loyalty: 65%]
Now, onest thing.
[Targets failing to secure the ‘g’ by the end of the mission will be eliminated, and rewards will be calcted based on the number of surviving soldiers.]
“Remember this!”
I had to make sure they understood.
“Your priority is your survival!”
I need to survive, yes, but so do you.
Only then can we reap the rewards.
“I don’t want sacrifices from any of you! Got it?!”
“Yes…! Uwoooohhh—!”
“Rrrraagh—!”
[Themander’s orders resonate through the ribcages of the skeletal soldiers!]
[Current Loyalty: 70%]
[Data required to unlock skills is being measured.]
“Charge!”
Snap!
Skeletal Soldier No. 1 pulled out one of its ribs.
“I’ll give you all my limbs—”
“That’s enough.”
“But... Squad Leader...”
“I said, that’s enough.”
Even as I refused, it kept offering.
Was it because they said returning from death makes them insensitive to pain and the fear of obliteration?
Perhaps that’s why theycked the concept of “sacrificing” their own bones.
“Well, if you insist... just give me your pinky.”
“Yes...!”
“Only one side.”
“Yes...”
Thanks to the generous skeleton, preparations wereplete.
And we’d reached the target point.
Now, then.
“Let’s move in.”
tter-!
The tension emanating from the skeletal fingers gripping swords and their hollow eye sockets.
Amidst the taut atmosphere, I raised my de.
“Kehek...!”
“I—I can’t see...!”
The enemy, their vision obscured by smoke, stumbled and iled in confusion.
Seizing the moment, I led my soldiers to strike from the rear.
[The effect of the Pathfinder title activates!]
The awaited buff had arrived.
[Followers: 100]
[Movement speed increases by 10%.]
[Defense increases by 10.]
It felt as though the spring breeze of a hundred warriors lifted our legs and des, propelling us forward with a reassuring buff.
“Enemy spotted…!”
“Where?!”
I fixed my gaze on the enemies ahead.
Despite their confusion, the ck skeleton horde still maintained a tight formation.
Now was the time.
Before they noticed my presence—or the de aimed at their spines.
Thwack!
Iunched forward, breaking through the ranks of the unsuspecting enemies.
[Trantor - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
w
The skeletal scout toon following me had already dispersed.
This left nothing in my way to stop my de as it shed through an enemy’s neck bone.
Crack!
The slender de connected with the neck bone.
For a moment, I felt the hard surface.
Then, in one smooth motion, the de carved through, cleanly severing the rounded bone segments.
“Uwaaaaah—!”
ng! ng! Thud!
The ck skull dropped to the ground.
Normally, it would have rolled from the momentum, but it didn’t.
Half of the severed neck bone was still attached to the skull, keeping it pinned to the ground like a golf ball.
“My body! Where’s my body!!”
The head, now stuck in the dirt, cried out in shock.
‘It didn’t die in one strike.’
In that case, sorry, but I’ll strike again.
I raised my de above my head.
Or rather, above its neck—if that was still the right term.
Its severed head was already rolling near my feet, after all.
In any case—
Slice!
I brought the de down, cutting through horizontally as the copsed ck bones split and crumbled into a pile.
[You have defeated a Skeletal Soldier (Lv. 1)!]
[You have gained 50 Welfare Points!]
"You filthy...!"
"A mere living being like you...!"
The head embedded in the ground said no more.
Instead, it was the surrounding allies that came charging, shouting.
"Where are they...?!"
"Where could they be?!"
Skeletal soldiers swung their arms like windmills, desperately trying to dispel the fog.
''Their efforts aremendable, but...''
Turning slightly, I could see their profiles.
They iled their arm bones with all their might, trying to find me in the mist.
''I can''t afford to lose the advantage I''ve worked so hard to gain.''
Swoosh!
I gripped the bottom of the hilt tightly.
To maximize the sweep of the de.
Then, downward.
All at once.
sh—! Thud! tter!
Their arms were severed just below the shoulders.
Four arms fell to the ground.
Twenty bony fingers twitched on the dirt floor, as if they still had life.
"Aaaaargh!"
And then the ughter began.
For every one I felled, two came charging, and for every two, four more followed.
When that didn''t work, they abandoned all formations and attacked from every direction.
[You have defeated Skeleton Soldier (Lv.1)!]
[You have gained 50 Welfare Points!]
[You have defeated Skeleton Soldier (Lv.1)!]
[You have gained 50 Welfare Points!]
...
Oddly, striding through the midst of blind enemies felt familiar.
Perhaps it was due to the movement speed buff.
It felt simr to fighting with eleration.
It was almost like dancing.
I’d never danced in my life, but if I did, it might feel something like this.
"Commander! The enemy is too strong...!"
"We can''t hold out...!"
Thud-!
A skeletal soldier shouted what sounded like itsst words toward theirmander before copsing.
Ah, I suppose they never had eyes to close in the first ce.
The dim light glowing in their hollow sockets faded away.
''It should be time now.''
A towering figure, 2 meters tall.
Just from its massive frame, it was clear this ck-boned leader was on a whole different level from the others.
It must have realized something was off about me.
After all, I had broken through their rear and was now nearly at the center, where the g fluttered.
If that''s the case...
"Number 1! Send the signal!"
I shouted to Scout Number 1, who had been standing by nearby and was now a toon leader trainee.
Clutching the pinky finger he had plucked from his own hand, he responded, ready for the moment.
"Yes...!"
Amid the rattling noises, a faint reply reached me.
And shortly after—
—Whoosh!
A pale bone shard flew into the sky.
Higher, and higher.
Piercing through the acrid smoke.
I had instructed him to throw it so high his shoulder might dislocate.
It seemed he had thrown it with just that much force.
When the bone shard seemed to reach the highest point of its arc—
"Now!"
[Skeleton Soldier (No.1) has used the skill ''Bone Bomb (Lv.1)''!]
Apanied by a system message confirming Number 1 had timed it perfectly—
—Boom!
The bone soaring through the sky exploded.
Like fireworks.
And finally—
Fwoosh!
I held the torch I had summoned high above my head and shouted.
"All troops, charge!"
[The signal fire''s influence has increasedmunication range!]
[The skeletal army charges with bone-shattering force!]
"Uooooooohhh!"
"Attack!!!"
—Rattleeeeeeeee!
The roar from far away reverberated through me.
The smoke had cleared slightly, but now the dust storm kicked up by 90 skeleton soldiers charging was even stronger.
So much so that it reached even here, far away.
"What... What should we do...?!"
"Commander...!!!"
This time, the ck-boned soldiers scratched their skulls anxiously.
Before them was a monstrous enemy swinging a sword, and behind them, a horde of ferocious enemies charging with full force.
Even without a system message, it was clear their morale had plummeted.
Tap!
Seizing the opportunity, I quickly pushed toward the center.
Toward the g.
"Commander...!"
And then, almost simultaneously with me, the pale scouts arrived.
Other than a few minor scratches, they were unscathed.
They must have avoidedbat as much as possible while running.
All that nagging must have paid off, to the point where they had scabs where their ears used to be.
Flutter—!
The g, attached to a pole slightly thinner than a utility pole, waved at the top.
Just as I approached to seize it, a giant wearing a helmet emerged from the ck-boned ranks.
''It''s him.''
He had abandoned his front lines to rush here.
"Stop... him...!"
"Aaaaargh!"
The panicked cries of the ck-boned soldiers and the crumbling formation assaulted my senses, but they seemed irrelevant to him.
His focus was solely on me and the g.
"Pull out the g! We''re retreating!"
"Ugh...!"
"You worms! Hurry up!"
The giantshed out like a whip, but it was no use.
Because...
"This... This is..."
"It''s too heavy...!"
The skeleton soldiers'' strength stat was zero.
They didn’t have the power to pull out a gpole as tall as a building’s first floor.
"Looks tough. Want a hand?"
"Shut up, you insolent wretch!"
Half-jokingly, half-seriously, I offered help, only for the leader of the ck-boned soldiers to explode with anger.
Blue light zed from his hollow eyes.
"You dare, with your filthy blood...!"
"Why are you so mad?"
Muttering anything that came to mind, I waited for the perfect timing.
To steal the g and escape with my eleration skill.
And then.
"How dare— urgh!"
I dodged the massive figure that lunged at me like lightning.
Instead, their leader rammed into the ck-bone soldier standing behind me.
Crash!
The ck-bone soldier crumbled under the impact, shattering and copsing.
Taking advantage of the enemy’s momentary stumble.
"My turn, huh?"
Crunch-!
I drove my de into the back of the enemy’s neck.
With a sound like stone breaking, the sword tip barely managed to pierce through.
And when the long de emerged from the other side—
"Arghhhhhhh!"
I twisted the sword and yanked it out.
Just as I was about to stab again—
"You scum!! Blow it up! Now!!"
— Thunk!
A bone shard, as big as an arm, fell at my feet.
Judging by its pitch-ck color, it was from the enemy''s bones...
— Vwoooom-!
The ck-bone fragment vibrated in response to something as ity on the dirt floor.
— Rattle! ck!
The dark bone began to swell, light pouring out from the gaps in its surface.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
[The enemy skeleton soldier has activated the Bone Bomb skill!]
A terrifying—no, a seemingly terrifying skill, but—
— KABOOM!
"I’ve already ounted for that."
[High defense negates the shock damage!]
With the Pathfinder title giving a defense buff of 10,
plus the effects of my Shell Breastte and Wooden Shield, I had a total defense of 30.
It meant that even if my ribs cracked, I wouldn’t feel a thing.
"More! Blow up more of them!"
[The enemy skeleton soldier has activated the Bone Bomb skill!]
"I’m telling you, it doesn’t work."
KABOOM!
[High defense negates the shock damage!]
KABOOM!
[High defense negates the shock damage!]
[The Shell Breastte absorbs some of the shock!]
[The Wooden Shield blocks the impact!]
……
"They don’t believe me."
sh-!
I decapitated the enemy, whose mouth kept running despite the hole in their neck.
And then—
Whoooosh-!
I unleashed a sword wind, slicing through the gpole and taking out all the surrounding skeleton soldiers.
Because right now, neither this one nor that one mattered—only the g did.
"Wha— what?!"
I grabbed the gpole as it toppled after being cut.
The cold metal surface touched my palm.
[The g is imbued with the energy of White!]
— Fwoosh!
Light began to stream up the length of the gpole from where my hand had touched it.
As I tilted my head back to look up at the g, the light reached its surface.
[You have obtained the g of Victory!]
The pitch-ck g slowly turned pure white.
As pristine as freshly fallen snow.
"Done! Let’s get out of here!"
[Trantor - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
w