abcnovels
Chapter 45
Chapter 45
Chapter 45
“……”
The skeletons were more than just eerie decorations.
As Ian suspected they might move, a dark aura began to emanate from the pile of bones devoid of flesh.
The bones clattered and began to rise. The once jumbled bones fit together with precision, like parts of a complex machine.
These weren’t just human bones. There were also remains of beasts and monsters.
As the final trace of black smoke seeped into the bones, the passage was quickly filled with black skeletons.
Clack-clack—
The skeletons clashed their teeth together. Strange lights emanated from their empty eye sockets, filled with hatred and resentment toward the living.
“…My lord, you said there were no traps.”
“It’s hard to call this a trap. It’s right in front of us.”
It wasn’t even an ambush; there was no hiding. They hadn’t even been given time to react.
Though the number was somewhat high, it wasn’t a significant issue.
The skeletons were preparing to charge, lowering their stances or walking forward to exclude the intruders.
“Crush them and advance.”
There hadn’t been any alarm bells, but the Dark Mage inside would likely have received some kind of signal. Magic was quite convenient like that.
Among the twenty red-clad knights, nine formed a shield wall in a wedge formation.
The corridor was wide enough that even ten men standing in a line would have ample space, so it wasn’t cramped.
As the skeletons with their crude weapons charged forward, Mael shouted.
“Advance!”
The knights took a step forward, drawing their shields in, and swung them in unison.
Wham!
The front of the shields struck the skeletons mercilessly, and the magical energy within the shields burst forth like a shockwave.
The released magic shattered the skeletons in front and caused damage beyond them.
The formation collapsed instantly, and the offensive was turned around.
The red-clad knights did not maintain the line but advanced and engaged in hand-to-hand combat.
The gauntlets wrapped in the flames of the Bane of Evil were as effective against evil beings as any weapon could be.
Smack!
With precise punches, the skeletons couldn’t hold their ground, and even if they were struck by the crude weapons wielded by the knights, it only resulted in minor scratches on the armor or shields.
The skeletons didn’t stubbornly push straight ahead. Perhaps instinct from their past lives, the smaller skeleton monsters moved agilely and leaped over the knights.
Their intention was to penetrate the inner ranks of the knights.
However, the red-clad knights weren’t about to let a skeleton pass over their heads.
One knight reached out, grabbed the skeleton’s leg, and brought it down like a club.
The skeleton’s waist was shattered, and the knight finished it off by stomping its head.
As they were clearing the passage, Ian heard footsteps approaching from inside. Someone was running this way.
It was hard to judge their numbers due to the noise, but there weren’t many.
Soon, three men in mercenary attire, not mages, appeared carrying torches, emerging from behind the skeletons.
And they saw the red-clad knights thrashing amidst the skeletons, wrapped in flames.
“Damn, it’s a Red Spear!”
“…Sound the alarm!”
Beep beep beep beep beep!
The reaction was quick. The sound of the alarm horn echoed loudly through the passage.
One man had already turned and fled inside, and the remaining two showed signs of trying to escape.
Ian, who had been quietly observing from behind the knights, leaped off the ground.
As he floated in the air, a clear path became visible.
[Bane of Evil Level 2, Comet.]
Ian’s body accelerated instantaneously, shooting diagonally. Since mastering the Bane of Evil, this has become one of his most useful techniques.
In an instant, he passed over the skulls and reached the Dark Mage’s side.
As soon as he landed, he saw a man to his left. The man drew a sword from his waist.
‘A black knight?’
No matter. Ian threw a dagger.
It would have been preferable if the dagger had struck him in the forehead and killed him instantly, but the man, having seemingly received the blessing of the Third Eye from the shrine, didn’t go down easily and raised his arm to block it.
Thunk!
The dagger pierced the man’s forearm.
Seeing the pain contorting the man’s face, Ian didn’t hesitate. He stepped forward and kicked up from below to ensure a decisive finish.
The sole of his foot pushed against the hilt of the dagger, which was still embedded in the man’s arm.
“Guh?!”
The blade that had pierced his arm was driven into the man’s upper lip. It was a seamless follow-up.
‘One.’
He was writhing, but he was essentially dead. He would die soon.
Ian shifted his gaze. The man on the right was chanting a spell. Black magic swirled in the air.
There must be more skeletons coming from behind. He could tell without seeing them.
He kicked off the ground and slammed into the man’s shoulder. Watching him fall limply, Ian drew his sword and drove it into the man’s heart.
‘Two.’
If only he had more time, he would have asked many questions.
How many people were inside? What level was the strongest among the Dark Mage and the black knights? What were they doing in this ruin?
But the horn had already sounded, and with intruders inside, there was no time to relax.
He needed to deal with the skeletons first.
* * *
The Dark Mage ran. He was the man who had gone out with two companions to check the back gate.
As soon as he saw the Red Spear knights fighting the skeletons, he didn’t hesitate. He turned his back and put the horn hanging from his neck in his mouth. Then he blew with all his might and started running.
Peeeee!
The loud sound echoed. It also seemed to be a final scream. One of his companions must have died.
‘How did they find this place?’
This area is so remote and dangerous, with treacherous terrain and various monsters.
There are no villages nearby, and even hunters don’t come here.
So why did the Red Spear knights come rushing in? It must be because they had some kind of certainty.
An answer to this question arose along with the realization.
‘…Lupmeron! It must be him!’
He was the only one. Rather than performing his assigned supply duties, he had started gathering mercenaries one by one and bringing them along to procure test subjects.
Just a few days ago, he had captured a wandering knight and, gaining confidence from that, must have done something reckless and caused trouble.
And the Red Spear knights, having obtained some information from Lupmeron, must have come here.
The sequence of events seemed to fit perfectly in his mind.
‘Damn it!’
The man cursed inwardly. The number of Red Spear knights looked considerable.
Skeletons blocking the passage were just a temporary delay.
He looked up. The first thing he saw was a straight passageway. And there were several prisons with barred cells along the sides of the passage.
The rooms originally used as storage had been remodeled to use for necromancy materials or to confine already-used test subjects.
‘I should be able to buy some time.’
The man spat out the horn he had been holding in his mouth and shouted.
“Intruders!”
Though it was a short statement, it was enough to alert his comrades in the hallway to the danger.
The Dark Mage, who had been lounging behind a desk under the pretense of managing the cells, and the black knight who had been joking with him, were startled and quickly stood up.
“Tail! Release the prisoners!”
“What? Are you crazy?”
“The Red Spear knights are here! Not just a few of them! Release them immediately!”
Clank! Clank!
The magically-enchanted iron bars lowered. The test subjects, also known as prisoners, who had been locked inside, awoke from their deep slumber.
They staggered to their feet and stood there with dazed expressions. But that would only be for a moment.
Their selves had long been crushed by magic and curses, leaving only a fundamental enmity and rage. They would soon spring into action.
“Prepare the rest for battle! They’ll be here soon!”
“And you?”
“I’m going to get Lord Rahan!”
That was the end of the conversation. The Dark Mages began chanting spells and summoning their creatures, while the black knights hurriedly equipped themselves for the fight.
The man passed them by and finally arrived at a door. He knocked heavily on it. Under normal circumstances, he would never have dared to do this.
“Lord Rahan! Lord Rahan!”
He called urgently. Rahan, the Dark Mage, had been the first to discover this ruin and was a disciple of Riorg Ribella, one of the authorities of the Black Tower.
In this situation, he was their only hope.
Click. The door opened on its own. The man, who had been standing in front of it, was suddenly pulled inside as if by an invisible force.
His gaze moved forward. A middle-aged Dark Mage stood by a desk, glaring. This was Rahan.
“What’s the commotion?”
His voice was filled with annoyance. The man spoke urgently.
“We’re under attack!”
“Here? By whom?”
“The Red Spear knights have broken in through the back gate!”
“How did they find this place?”
“I believe Lupmeron is the mastermind. You know, he’s the only one wandering outside!”
“…It seems I underestimated him. To cause trouble precisely when Master is away.”
The man lowered his head. Since it wasn’t his fault, there was no need to ask for forgiveness.
Rahan was aware of that and did not press further. He reached out his hand.
The coat hanging on a hook flew over to him, and then a staff followed.
Having hastily finished arming himself, he began to walk and chanted a spell. It was a defensive magic to prepare for any unexpected attacks.
“Hmm!”
As Rahan left the room, he let out a faint groan. At the end of the straight corridor, a bright light accompanied by the sound of armor approached.
Thanks to the slight incline, he could see the scene clearly. Conversely, this also meant that they could be seen from the other side.
“Hmm?”
Among the Red Spear knights, one particularly caught his eye. A young one.
“Knight? No, a mercenary perhaps.”
The straight posture exuded confidence, and the sharp gaze was quite threatening.
At that moment, as if drawn by the noise of the armor, the prisoners began to stagger out of their cells.
They still appeared half-asleep, but as soon as they turned their heads and saw the Red Spear knights, they let out a ghastly scream.
Aaaah!
It was a piercing scream. The corridor shook, and dust from the ceiling poured down.
Their appearance was also horrifying. They were so grotesque that one could barely recognize their former selves. The prisoners rushed forward.
“Javelin!”
With a short shout, a spear made of flames flew through the darkness, but surprisingly, most of the prisoners dodged it.
This was possible because they too were blessed with the Eyes of the Divine.
The Dark Mages watched in amazement. Rahan, too, was astonished by the unexpected sight, his eyes wide open.
But the young one, who had put something in his mouth, pushed through the Red Spear knights and emerged.
“…….”
Rahan watched quietly. He wondered what the young one was up to, but the young man drew his sword, wrapped it in flames, and took his stance. Then.
??????!!!
With a sharp tearing sound, a red line was drawn through the air in an instant.
Simultaneously, the upper bodies of the leading prisoners were severed at the waist and burst into flames.
It happened in the blink of an eye. However, there were still about half of the prisoners left. They continued to charge and collided with the knights.
Bang!
With a rough sound, the melee began, but the prisoners proved no match for the knights. If it had been a one-on-one fight, the odds might have been in their favor.
The prisoners did not stop even when their limbs were severed, nor did they lose their will to fight even if other prisoners around them died.
Their unexpected tenacity led some of the knights to be unable to respond properly and sustain injuries.
Moreover, the knights were not only fighting the prisoners. The Dark Mage’s summoned creatures were also attacking.
‘They shouldn’t be too difficult to handle.’
The Dark Mages stationed here were not very high-level. Therefore, the summoned creatures were numerous but only as strong as foot soldiers at best.
But contrary to expectations, the Red Spear knights were struggling. It seemed they were also affected by the curses from the Dark Mages, and their movements were sluggish.
Rahan narrowed his eyes.
‘…Are they novices?’
He was contemplating whether to quickly dispose of the data and escape, but it seemed that would not be necessary.
Realizing that the Red Spear knights were weaker than he had thought.
Thus, the odds of winning were quite good. Just as he was about to make that judgment, a fireball appeared in the middle of the corridor. It took the form of a blazing wheel and began to spin violently in place before rolling forward.
———–