episode_0117

The darkness of the empty eyes is so deep that it seems to absorb the gaze of the viewer.

The skeleton army, with that darkness in their eyes, rushed in from all directions.

“Gather together!”

Helena shouted.

As always, the first policy in response to a surprise attack is to hide behind Helena’s protection.

First, endure with that defense, and then observe the opponent.

Vivian and Lucia held close to Helena.

Immediately after that, a hemispherical protective shield surrounding the group unfolded.

-Kwakwang!

Each weapon carrying a skull knocked on the protective wall.

There was a loud explosion, but the group was safe.

However, the facial expressions of the group were not very good.

“Skeleton… .”

“You’re fine.”

Skeletons encountered on the way flew far away when they hit Helena’s protection, or their arms fell off altogether.

But those here now are different.

Although I stumbled, my limbs were fine.

“… … .”

Cold sweat began to flow down Helena’s face under the helmet.

“Just watch for now. Helena, can you hold on?”

“Yes… !”

Helena remained protective.

-bang!

The skeletons attacked again, but the group did not get a single scratch.

It was the same with skeletons.

They lost their balance, stumbled and fell, but that was all.

“How about it?”

“I can endure.”

Although embarrassed, Helena was confident.

This is because the enemies’ attacks were not that strong.

‘But my physical strength also has its limits… . ‘I can’t hold on forever.’

The three looked through the skeleton army and tried to find a breakthrough.

Their gaze immediately caught the sense of incongruity.

The skeleton army was no longer attacking.

They stood a few steps away from the hemispherical protective wall and quietly observed the group.

“This is… .”

“Thinking… I see they do it.”

The skeleton leader on the platform also looked down at his enemy.

As if wondering what that light yellow defense shield is.

“I think it’s because of that, right?”

Vivian asked, facing the skeleton leader.

Helena and Lucia also saw the leader together.

The reason why the skeleton here is different from the skeleton we encountered just a few minutes ago.

It was clear.

This was because there was something that guided them, managed them, and gave them power.

“How can I attack that thing… .”

“There are too many enemies around to remove protection.”

At that time, the skeleton leader’s fingers slowly waved in the air.

Then the skeletons changed their posture.

“This is… .”

-bang!

There was no surprise.

The skeletons were throwing the weapons they were holding in their hands.

-Kugugung!

Military weapons poured down like rain and hit the protective shield fiercely.

The weapon bounced away, and he picked it up again and threw it again.

“Huh… .”

Vivian moaned.

That wasn’t the end.

The skeleton leader’s index finger moved gently as if stroking the air.

Then, a skeleton flew up from behind the skeleton army ranks.

The leader pointed at the group, and the flying skeleton plummeted towards the shield like an arrow.

-bang!

It uses skeletons that are too far away to throw weapons.

The skeleton, disassembled in all directions, trembled and came back into shape.

Helena reported right away.

“We can’t continue like this.”

“It seems like this is the moment when offense is needed rather than defense… .”

“I have a way.”

Vivian stepped forward.

“I will ‘ground up’ and bring the three of us to a higher place.”

Ground Up is a magic that makes the ground rise up and build a wall.

Vivian felt the need for cooperation when dealing with ogres last time and learned it.

“While you two deal with the skeletons that will come up together, I will aim at that giant skeleton from a distance.”

“Okay, sister.”

“Okay!”

While maintaining Helena’s protection, Vivian cast a spell.

The ground rose up from beneath my feet.

Standing at a high point, they were able to see more clearly the number of skeletons filling the cavity.

“… .”

Lucia was so shocked that she let out an exclamation.

Meanwhile, Helena took protection, and Vivian aimed at the skeleton leader.

The size and shape of the raised ground was almost like a castle wall, so several skeletons that were around came up.

“I will go left!”

“Yes!”

Helena and Lucia separated and ran to Vivian’s left and right.

Immediately after that, Vivian’s ice spear hit the skeleton leader diagonally.

“You got it right!”

Vivian, who sensed that she was going to hit the target, jumped up and shouted, but at that moment, she was afraid of the high position and trembled with her legs.

The ice spear that fell at that time hit the skeleton leader’s skull.

-Quad!

The leader just swayed while sitting.

The Ice Spear moved backwards, leaving behind only scratches.

“Oh… ?”

It was an unfamiliar experience for Vivian.

I’ve never seen someone so fine after being hit by their own magic.

Although I was confused, I cast the spell again.

He sent out a barrage of huge ice spears.

-Whoosh!

When the leader raised his arm in a slow movement to block, he was blocked.

“Ugh… ? What… !”

Vivian continued to try her magic.

Fire Ball, Water Ball, Rock Shot, Lightning Bolt.

Afterwards, I used the ‘Lightning Chain’ that I had recently learned.

It was a technique in which lightning bolts attacked the enemy multiple times without interruption.

“… … .”

It didn’t cause any significant damage.

Vivian, looking at that fine appearance, recalled something she had vaguely heard from Ian.

‘Magic resistance… .’

They said there were monsters that had their own resistance to magic.

The degree varies from individual to individual, but the difference between whether there is even a little or not is quite large.

“See… . That king’s bones… .”

Lucia and Helena have returned after clearing out the enemies around them.

“Is it magic resistance?”

Lucia said, and Vivian nodded.

“Then… . That means we have to reach there ourselves.”

Helena muttered.

Although it is a similar height to the current skeleton leader, it is a distance that will not be easy to reach.

The leader pointed his finger again and sent the skeleton flying.

-thud!

Helena spread her shield and blocked it.

The three of them looked down at the situation and thought about it.

“Using Helena’s protection and the topographical conditions of being on top of this wall, I don’t think it will be difficult to clear out the skeletons on the floor.”

Those were Vivian’s words.

“But the downside is that it takes too long. Or maybe that king bone will find another way… .”

Like keep throwing skeletons.

Or tear down this wall you’re standing on.

“I don’t think that giant skeleton will come forward in person. If it could have happened, it would have been right to have done it earlier.”

It was Helena’s opinion, and it was valid.

Lucia concluded.

“In the end, it means that we have to approach the guy who looks like the leader ourselves. Either organize the guys below, or do something about it.”

Lucia’s gaze slowly lowered as she looked at the skeleton leader.

There, I could see the platform where the leader was sitting.

“… Isn’t there any magic resistance on that platform?”

Those words I threw out without thinking.

“… Ah?”

“Oh!”

Vivian and Helena realized.

Terrain determines many things.

Even if the number and quality of troops are poor, if the terrain conditions are met, you can compete and win.

This is what Ian taught me.

I didn’t have a chance to use what I learned until the D-class dungeon.

Because the dungeon path was one-sided and flat.

“Ian was looking very far away… .”

Helena shook her head.

“I will try to destroy that pillar. Are you aiming for the fallen king bone? So should I organize the following first… ?”

“Um.”

Lucia shook her head.

“No. I’ll try it. I have an idea. What… .”

Lucia told Vivian and Helena about her plan.

“Ne?!”

“Yes?!”

The two people who heard everything opened their eyes wide and were surprised.

“It’s not too dangerous… ?”

“Lucia’s safety is not guaranteed… !”

“I can protect my body.”

Lucia smiled and reassured the two.

“He’s a hero. You have to be willing to make some sacrifices.”

“… … .”

The two could only nod.

Other than that, I couldn’t think of a safer and more certain move.

*

Lucia recalled the time she received one-on-one training from Ian.

He once said this while looking at Lucia with a defeated smile.

‘What should I say? ‘There are times when I wonder if what I’m teaching is right.’

‘yes?’

‘You’re so gifted.’

‘Is this praise also part of education?’

‘Hmm… . There are times like that, but this time it’s pure sincerity.’

‘Is it that much…? .’

I didn’t know much at the time.

However, I realized it while working.

‘I guess I was born with it.’

It was a talent that cannot be expressed in words.

Just do it if you want to do it.

It is not a matter of simply defending against the opponent’s attack and counterattacking.

She seemed to have a vague vision of the best outcome, that she would always win.

This sometimes became clear while working with Ian and solving dungeons with his colleagues.

That’s right now.

“Helena. Are you ready?”

“Yes!”

The two stood facing each other.

Far behind Lucia, there was a skeleton leader.

The skeleton leader waited, observing what the group was doing.

They took advantage of the enemy’s intelligence.

“I’m ready too!”

Vivian said, having memorized what she had to do.

Although they didn’t show it, the three of them were afraid.

It’s my first time.

Until now, I have never thought that I might not win.

It wasn’t a fool’s errand.

They were always confident.

Even though it was a bit difficult, there was a solution if we discussed it and moved forward.

Thanks to the trustworthiness of Ian and Kati, who always had their backs, they were able to focus only on moving forward.

But it’s different now.

The enemy in front of you can only be defeated if you do your best and overcome it.

I could have run away.

Ian said that running away is common in C-level dungeons and above.

After discovering the boss monster first, you can either retreat and redefine your strategy or join with another party to attack it.

They could have done that too, but they didn’t.

‘You have to prove it.’

That was the only thought on everyone’s mind.

This time, I rejected Ian’s advice.

Ian, you are probably watching this from beginning to end.

He certainly wouldn’t have taken his eyes off me even for a second.

So, I had to show him.

That they can do it only with their own strength.

Their goal was the first warrior party.

Even though its prestige has declined now.

These are warriors who made history and achieved noble feats that will never be seen before in the empire.

In order to pass the ones that Ian personally raised and managed, he couldn’t back down or collapse in the formal exam.

‘I have to do it.’

Although the three did not reveal their intentions outwardly, they all had the same feeling.

Lucia announced the start.

“Phew… . Let’s do it.”

The three eyes sparkled with determination.

*

Helena deployed her protection diagonally against Lucia.

“Huh!”

After taking a quick breath, Lucia lunged at it, leaping briefly and twisting her body at the same time.

My back collided with the defense.

-bang!

“Black… !”

A dull shock went down my back and spread throughout my body.

However, Helena’s healing touched me and the shock slowly eased.

The healing didn’t last long either.

Because it bounced off the ignorant rebound force and was flying in a parabola in the air.

Like a stone launched from a catapult, towards the leader.

“I will!”

With Vivian’s shout, several ice spears rose out of the air.

It was born above Lucia and fell before Lucia.

-Kwagwagwang!

The area below the podium where the leader sat was bombed.

-Kugugung… .

As expected, there was no magic resistance in place.

The cylinder was about to slowly collapse.

-bang!

A slightly smaller ice sphere flew in late and pushed the top of the platform.

The cylinder began to fall backwards.

-Roaring… . thud!

The skeleton leader sat motionless on the podium, then fell to the floor.

Even then, I still held the magic stone carefully in my hand.

-Ku Gwang Kwang!

Next, dozens of ice spears flew past Lucia and landed close to the leader.

Like a downhill road narrowing from all directions, an icy path to the leader appeared.

-Crack! Crash!

Skeletons flocked to the leader’s instructions after noticing something unusual.

-Cow!

Ice walls rose up on either side of the leader, blocking support.

Lucia grinned.

‘Sister Vivian. As expected, the timing was right.’

The destination is the skeleton’s head.

However, it won’t be easy.

The orbit is already distorted, and even if you fall like this, your body won’t be able to withstand the impact.

So, you need to choose a suitable ice spear, ride it, and slide down.

Lucia held the hatchet in both hands and opened her eyes wide.

‘Okay, let’s do it…’ .’