Chapter 60

Chapter 59. The End of the Third Floor, The Army Without Hearts (5)

"Stop provoking me. If we fight properly, we will suffer great losses, but you won't be able to survive here either."

Cedric tried to suppress his anger.

It was impossible not to feel enraged when provoked by a mere greenhorn just by the sound of his voice.

"Sure, sure, sir. I know you have a lot of undead troops and are well-prepared, so please stop overworking your teeth. I heard getting dental implants these days is quite expensive."

"Y-You! Bastard! I'll kill you!"

Cedric's face turned beet red.

At the same time, a massive amount of mana burst forth from the staff he clutched in both hands.

Rumble!

[Cedric activates his unique ability 'Gravekeeper of the Black Tomb'!]

[The special skill 'Guardian of the Pyramid' is activated!]

"Cedric-sama! If you use that here—"

"You won't have enough mana left to fight the boss monster!"

The necromancers shouted urgently.

But it was already too late.

Cedric, filled with the single-minded desire to tear his opponent to shreds, couldn't hear any of their words.

"Shut up and follow my orders!"

If he could kill that masked guy, even if they failed the boss battle, it would give them something to say to the Mine Association.

It wouldn't be a problem.

Right now, he had to focus all his attention on killing that despicable guy.

Rumble!

The ground began to split right then.

"Kraaaah!"

"Kieeek!"

New undead rose from the ground.

Mummies wrapped in bandages.

Their ornate armor made of gold and precious stones and their distinctive crescent-shaped swords of Egyptian design were noticeable.

"Huff! Huff! Huff…"

Cedric's chest heaved repeatedly.

His complexion had turned pale from the massive mana expenditure, but his face was filled with a sense of accomplishment.

"The ability to summon the Pharaoh's royal guard…"

Seeing this, I can't help but feel… that it's futile to go all out alone, no matter how hard I try.

Necromancers and summoners just delegate everything to their subordinates and give orders from behind, right?

To be honest, I envy them.

If—

"Those subordinates are truly useful, then."

A bunch of useless guys, even if they number in the thousands, are just a ragtag group.

No, it's even worse.

To maintain so many of them would require an unimaginable amount of mana.

"You're still as arrogant as ever. Fine, I'll show you that it's not just about numbers."

Cedric gathered mana once more.

Sizzle! Sizzle…

The staff glowed, then flickered.

The mana wouldn't gather as he wished.

"Tch! Did I push it too far?"

Cedric clicked his tongue.

But only for a moment.

"Come here. I'm very hungry right now."

Cedric grabbed the neck of the necromancer standing right next to him.

"C-Cedric-sama…? Gaaaah!"

Squish!

The vitality being absorbed through his palm.

The necromancer, whose neck was being choked, writhed his entire body.

He struggled desperately to break free, but it was futile.

Cedric wouldn't let go of prey he had already caught.

"Stay still… Struggling only prolongs your suffering."

Squish! Squish!

"Gaaaah…!"

The screams gradually faded.

Soon, the completely withered body of the necromancer crumbled to pieces.

"Disgusting. Weren't we on the same side?"

Jinhyuk frowned.

"Hehe. Of course, we're on the same side. So, he must have sacrificed his precious life for our victory, right?"

"You killed him without his consent, yet you talk so well."

"Perhaps, he would have agreed. Ask him yourself when you meet him in the afterlife."

With sufficient mana supplied, Cedric caressed his staff.

Then—

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The mummy soldiers joined the front lines.

The battle, which had been one-sidedly pushed back by the Moai statues, was completely turned around with the arrival of the reinforcements.

Boom!

Bang!

Golden spears created holes in the statues' bodies.

Their movements were precise, and their power was overwhelming.

'If they gather, they could match a Death Knight.'

No matter how powerful the Moai statues were, capable of destroying dozens of undead with a single strike, they couldn't close this power gap.

"What do you think? Can you still make big talk after seeing this?"

Cedric smiled confidently.

In contrast, Jinhyuk bit his lip tightly.

"…"

Seeing this, Cedric seemed even more excited and joked.

"Hahaha! Lost for words? It's fine. It's normal to be afraid!"

"Huh?"

Jinhyuk tilted his head.

What is this guy talking about?

"No, I lost my words because it's too ridiculous. Seriously, did you really think you could challenge the boss monster with just this?"

Even if I give it the best possible evaluation, they would be wiped out in five minutes…

I'm being as careful as possible, considering they might get hurt, but in reality, they wouldn't even make it to the boss monster before being wiped out.

However,

Despite Jinhyuk's sincere advice, Cedric judged it all as mere bravado.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures. Whatever, let's end this boring conversation."

Cedric gave a hand signal to issue the command.

"Kieeek!"

"Keek!"

The mummy soldiers roared fiercely.

Their mouths split vertically, and black smoke flowed out.

"Kill him."

＊＊＊

In the forest a short distance from the temple.

Two people were perched on the highest branch of the tallest tree, watching the battle.

Melena and Lichao, sent by the Mine Association.

"Hmm. This is more reckless than I thought."

Melena tilted her head.

Lichao immediately responded.

"His intention to destroy the base was good, but it was foolish not to escape afterward."

"Haha! Yeah, that's not courage, it's foolishness. But what was he thinking, not running away?"

"He must have misjudged the power difference. He probably thought it was doable with just skeletons and Dullahans, but it was a complete miscalculation. Cedric's unique ability is much more troublesome than that."

The black magic to revive ancient corpses is indeed useful.

That's why Cedric was assigned to this raid.

In contrast,

The opponent, whom the officers were so wary of, was incredibly weak.

"With him being this foolish, we don't need to get involved."

Cedric should be able to handle it.

Just as she thought that,

Sizzle!

A strange aura emanated from the masked man.

"Hmm?"

"What is that?"

It wasn't the cold attribute magic or holy power he showed earlier.

A sinister and thick aura.

The two people's pupils dilated rapidly at the ominous mana that completely enveloped the dagger.

"Is this a joke? What kind of ridiculous skill is that?"

Melena stood up from her seat, unable to believe it.

Lichao was equally flustered.

"Could it be…"

Did he really have the confidence to win against such a large force?

It's impossible.

No matter how strong he is.

No matter how confident he is in his skills.

Who could claim victory against such a vast army?

Swallow!

Lichao swallowed hard.

With half of their forces tied up in the battle with the statues and three mana nodes already destroyed,

If all of this was part of the opponent's trap.

If Cedric's provocation and his being surrounded in the enemy's midst were all part of the plan…

…they might face the worst possible outcome.

＊＊＊

[Sword Tomb is activated!]

A chill ran down his spine.

'Yes, this is it.'

Jinhyuk's lips curled upward.

The thrill that seeped into every corner of his body.

While 'Ice Sculpture' and 'Blessing of the Stars' were good, he particularly preferred 'Sword Tomb' for this very reason.

'Ordinary magic and holy abilities don't have this thrilling taste.'

This ability, which pursued pure offense without any regard for defense, was the true power that made a high-level player stand out.

'Hmm… Was it like this?'

Jinhyuk drew the dagger, now filled with dark energy, from side to side.

A smooth line connected the dots.

After a few attempts,

Finally.

'Ah! Got it.'

A fragment of the 'Soul Chasing Sword Dance' that Chanyu-seong had mastered was recreated.

[Understanding of Soul Chasing Sword has increased.]

Jinhyuk performed a sword dance far more intricate than before.

If Chanyu-seong had seen this, he would have fainted, foaming at the mouth.

It was a complete disregard for the decades he had spent mastering a single sword.

However, with the talent of a sword demon now manifested, such things were no longer an issue.

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

The sound of slicing through the air became softer.

Now I understand.

How the ultimate technique, 'Soul Chasing Sword,' was born.

[Understanding of Soul Chasing Sword has increased to a high level.]

How to properly use Soul Chasing Sword.

All of it.

[Understanding of Soul Chasing Sword has increased to a very high level!]

With the continuous status windows, countless memories flooded Jinhyuk's mind.

And at that moment,

'Soul Chasing Sword Dance.'

Black flames scattered in all directions.

'Fifth Form.'

The pinnacle of the sword, which even Chanyu-seong couldn't reach.

And the realm beyond that, the 'Transcendent Demon.'

'Soul Chasing Heaven.'

The fifth form, the essence of Soul Chasing Sword, was now being performed right here.

"What…"

Cedric's pupils dilated in shock.

At the same time, the sword swept horizontally.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The first to be hit were the sword winds.

Not just wind, but a mana-infused weapon.

Thus, the mummies at the front had no choice but to be cut down.

"Kieeek!"

"Keek!"

Their bodies were torn to shreds, and black flesh rained down.

"Gah!"

Cedric's shield also received a tremendous impact.

Rumble!

"Ugh…!"

The three-layered defense barrier shook violently.

But before he could catch his breath, the true strike of 'Soul Chasing Heaven' came.

This time, there was no pressure on the shield.

Instead,

Rip!

A chilling sound of flesh being torn echoed.

Cedric's head slowly turned downward.

The arm that should have been there, that should have been visible, was gone.

"This… can't be…"

Just one swing of the sword, and all the mummy soldiers were cut to pieces?

Not only that, but it shattered the shield and cut off an arm?

Shiver!

His jaw trembled involuntarily.

He had just mocked his disciple, Alex, for dying pointlessly.

He couldn't understand why he lost with so many undead under his command.

But now, in this situation, he finally understood why Alex couldn't do anything and died.

This monster can't be defeated.

The only way to save his life is to run.

"Death Knight… Stop him… now!"

The statues were no longer a concern.

Even if he lost all the remaining undead and necromancers, he had to escape from here immediately.

Cedric picked up his severed arm.

He whipped his nearly collapsing body and walked toward the northern gate.

Or, tried to.

"You should have asked for permission to leave the stage."

The voice he least wanted to hear pierced his eardrums.

At that moment,

[Black Moon Night is activated.]

A black moon shrouded Cedric's face.