Chapter 51
Chapter 51
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: Skeleton Lord
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How much time had passed?
"Young man, are you coming to?"
When I opened my eyes, the dwarf's beard filled my entire field of vision.
"Urgh."
A groan escaped my lips on its own.
My body felt chillingly cold, as if I'd caught a bad flu.
My bones ached, and every muscle was heavy with fatigue.
'I'm insane.'
The old man's intermediate stage had been incredible.
It surpassed every pain I'd ever felt.
The fact that I was hurting now probably meant my body was in the recovery phase.
"Are you alright? I thought for sure it was a reaction from that chicken I made and nearly had a heart attack!"
Ah.
Right, Dagunar probably couldn't even see the old man.
He must've thought I was dying alone, writhing in agony.
"It was nothing."
"Nothing? Your bones were twisting, your skin burning and healing over and over! Come to think of it, young man, you've been pushing yourself too hard lately. Staying up all night hammering isn't enough—you're training every day on top of that... If you were one of us, you'd have been bedridden ages ago."
"Haha, I'm really fine."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Just think of what I went through as our kind's molting process."
"Molting?"
The way snakes or insects shed their skin or shells to grow.
It was a joke because it felt similar to my situation.
But Dagunar seemed to take it dead seriously.
"M-molting? Y-you mean...!"
"Uh...?"
"You're a dragonkin! T-that makes sense! Now that I think about it, I've heard of it! Dragons command Dragon Fang Soldiers as their summons, right? I-I can't believe it... The benefactor from afar turns out to be a hidden dragon? Are you a descendant of the sealed Giant Dragon or something?!"
"..."
"W-what's your goal infiltrating our dwarf village? Don't tell me you came all this way for—"
"Sigh."
I shook my head.
I had no idea how to explain further.
And honestly, clearing up the misunderstanding felt like too much hassle.
'Besides.'
[Rewards for rank change have arrived!]
There was still something I needed to check.
The reward for finally reaching B-rank!
I slowly read the messages floating in the air one by one.
[Skill 'Balanced Skeleton Summon' (C-rank) has been upgraded!]
[The skill has changed to 'Great Skeleton Summon' (B-rank)!]
'Great...!'
Oh man.
My bones, which had started with the title "Ordinary" back in E-rank days.
They were great now?
It made my chest swell with grandeur.
I examined the message in more detail.
[Skill: Great Skeleton Summon]
[Rank: B]
[Effect 1: Consume 10 stamina to summon an intermediate skeleton. Up to 10 possible.]
[Effect 2: You can name each skeleton.]
[Effect 3: Each skeleton's stamina increases by 100.]
[Effect 4: Each skeleton can summon a total of 10 'skeletons' one rank lower than itself.]
"What?"
I blinked.
Effects 3 and 4 were new additions to the original 1 and 2.
Just the base stamina boost of 100 each was huge.
'My bones can summon bones?'
A rank lower meant C-rank Balanced Skeletons.
If all six summoned fully, that was 60?
It gave me chills.
A shiver ran from my toes to the top of my head.
'This is ridiculously good...?'
Overnight.
I'd become a hunter leading 6 B-ranks and 60 C-ranks.
In theory, Bone Seven through Twelve would make 110, but still.
It was storm-like growth.
[Congratulations.]
[Burning away all waste in your body.]
[Stamina increased by 100.]
[Performance of Clear Sky Heart Method improved.]
"......!"
It wasn't just benefits for the bones.
My base stamina had increased by 100 too.
Totally worth trusting the old man's massage.
That was the end of the messages.
"Ungh."
I twisted my body this way and that, loosening my muscles.
The stiffness was fading as time passed, growing familiar.
At the same time, I closed my eyes and calmly sensed my energy.
'It's almost gone for sure.'
The presence of the 'Thorn Drake' at the bottom underground.
But thanks to what we'd hunted so far, only a small amount remained.
"No need to bother with fire now."
Whoosh!
I swung my staff, calling out the bones.
"My liege."
Sun greeted me first.
"How's the new body?"
"Not bad. My mind knew, but my flesh couldn't keep up—feels like that wall crumbled in one go."
"Yeah?"
"Of course, I'm still far from my true power."
"Well, that's obvious."
I checked Sun's info.
[Name: Sun Spear]
[Stamina: 200/200]
[Unique Ability: Great Skeleton]
[Class: Spearman]
[Rank: B]
[Strength: 42] [Agility: 42] [Vitality: 40] [Magic: 38] [Technique: 41]
[Possessed Skills]
-'Intermediate Thrust' (Lv.4)
-'Sun Chain Strike' (Lv.4)
-'Raging Desert' (Lv.4)
-'Soulflare' (Lv.4)
-'Skeleton Summon' (Lv.Max)
Compared to just a few months ago, it was absurd growth.
Stamina up to 200, rank B.
And on top of that.
"Hmm, wanna call out your minions too?"
"...As you command."
Sun accepted the new skill without resistance.
100 stamina drained from him.
Crack! Crackle!
Ten spear-wielding skeletons spawned solidly behind him.
"Whoa."
Weaker than Sun, sure, but proper C-rank skeletons.
They creaked and clattered.
They didn't seem to have egos like Sun...
"Show me the others too."
I urged the rest of the bones to use the skill.
Creak!
They nodded and spent their stamina.
['Bone1' uses skill, Skeleton Summon (Lv.Max).]
['Bone3' uses skill, Skeleton Summon (Lv.Max).]
['Bone4' uses skill, Skeleton Summon (Lv.Max).]
['Bone5' uses skill, Skeleton Summon (Lv.Max).]
['Bone6' uses skill, Skeleton Summon (Lv.Max).]
Thud! Crackle! Crackle!
On the dark, worn stairs.
Raising countless skeletons—it was eerie.
Anyone else would think I was some dark lord.
Well, this was the true face of a necromancer.
Finally feeling like I fit the job, I stared down at them.
A total of 66 skeletons.
Shiver shiver.
Dagnar trembled behind me at the sight.
"My liege."
Thud!
Sun slammed his spear into the ground.
Thud! Snap!
The rest raised their weapons in perfect unison.
All skeletons aligned with Sun's will.
It was moving.
That sight moved someone unknown too.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations!]
[A title has been acquired.]
A congratulatory message dropped.
'Title...'
The other name all rankers had.
Born from how you used your unique ability.
Finally, I had one too.
[You command all skeletons.]
[You reign over all skeletons.]
[No skeleton can attack you.]
[You are the 'Skeleton Lord.']
Skeleton Lord.
Not as grandiose as my rival-in-my-heart 'Dark Lord,'
But it described me perfectly.
The one existing above all skeletons.
Nice.
Not bad at all.
Just look at Sun.
My bones weren't ordinary.
"My liege."
Boom!
Sun struck the ground again.
"We are ready. Shall we handle the rest? Win rate: 100%."
As if struggling at C-rank was ancient history.
Sun's eyes burned fierce.
One word, and he'd bathe in drake blood.
'Good.'
Stamina was full anyway.
The real cheat of my unique ability?
No matter how torn or shattered they got, as long as I had stamina, I could revive them.
I nodded.
"Sweep them."
The first command as Lord.
* * *
Boom boom boom!
The space shook.
Footsteps echoed.
The bones forming ranks at my order, descending.
"All to positions."
At Sun's command, they took formation.
Bone Four's group of tanks up front.
Bone Three and Bone Five's skeletons at the rear.
The rest on the flanks.
Basic setup.
- Kieeek!
The drakes sensed us and charged with shrieks.
Horns lowered for body slams.
But.
Boom!
Bone Four blocked with his shield.
The other tanks resisted the slams with shields too.
Pushed back a bit, but they held.
Dust rose from the clash of titans.
'Blocking that.'
Befitting Bone Four's B-rank growth.
Ping! Piping!
Next, Bone Three's legion loosed arrows.
They had high physical resistance, so aim for gaps.
Eyes, soft underbelly.
Vital spots pierced.
- Kiek! Kieeek!
Drakes raged like mad.
['Bone5' uses skill, Fire Field (Lv.2).]
Roarrr!
Next, the flame party.
Ten skeletons around Bone Five casting fire magic—it was spectacular.
Boom boom boom!
Fireballs raining like downpour.
The floor turned to a sea of fire in seconds.
- Kueeeek!
Drakes looked pitiful now.
Any that burst out got shoved back by Bone One's greatsword, Sun's legion assisting.
"You..."
Dagnar looked incredulous.
"You're getting... stronger and stronger."
"Still think I'm a dragon?"
"Hmph. You didn't deny it!"
"Whoever I am doesn't matter. What matters is we're digging up this dungeon ruin together, right?"
"W-well, true."
I turned my gaze downward again.
B-rank me was definitely stronger.
Clearing what was "Impossible" difficulty like nothing.
['Thorn Drake' defeated.]
['Thorn Drake' defeated.]
['Thorn Drake' defeated.]
....
'But.'
No complacency.
Drakes alone wouldn't get me that rank.
"......"
How much time passed?
Fwoosh!
Flames died down.
Every drake charred black and cooked.
"Hm?"
At the very bottom.
Whirr!
Something glowing.
"Y-young man! Look there!"
Dagnar shouted, eyes wild with excitement.
"Yeah?"
"See it? The glowing bow and hammer!"
"Ah, yeah. I see them."
Clear as day.
Two items side by side.
"Those are Demir and Eldrin's relics!"
"Oh?"
The duo who sealed the Giant Dragon 500 years ago, losing their lives.
Finally before my eyes.