The Ice Field Engulfs the Skeletons
In that dungeon, Yeonhee immediately summoned Zombie No. 1, No. 2, and Chehwa.
"Groooaaan—"
We were now used to the sight of zombies, but I wondered how No Hayun would react.
"Heh— How fascinating... Hehe."
"......?"
To my surprise, rather than showing any revulsion toward the zombies, No Hayun actually approached them with enthusiasm, inspecting every inch of their bodies. Ugh... To look at that grotesque figure with pus dripping everywhere and not flinch, she really had a strong stomach. Of course, I was hardly one to talk.
Come to think of it, No Hayun had never shown any particular aversion to me either. Maybe it was because of the intense physical contact right from the start.
"Groan...?!"
It seemed the zombies were the ones more flustered by No Hayun's proactive attitude. They shuffled backward hesitantly. That wasn't like them at all...
"Your name is Chehwa? How did you come up with such a pretty name? Kyaa!"
She showed just as much interest in the Spectre that flickered like smoke. At No Hayun's praise, Yeonhee covered her mouth with her fist and cleared her throat.
"Our Chehwa is pretty cute, isn't she. Ahem."
"She really is!"
No Hayun was displaying behavior quite fitting for her age. The last time I'd seen her, she'd seemed more aggressive and unpredictable. I wondered if something had happened in the meantime to change her personality.
As expected, the attention on us skyrocketed the moment No Hayun joined. People gradually began gathering around our party, but while it was predictable, it wasn't exactly welcome.
With a heavy thud, just as the commotion threatened to grow louder, Yeom Tae-seok slammed his mace—thick as his own thigh—into the ground and swept his gaze across the crowd. The massive impact startled the other hunters, who didn't dare approach any closer. They kept their distance and continued gossiping about our party from afar.
"Shall we get moving?"
"Yes!"
There was no reason to linger, so we set off along the B course—the most standard route. It was the path we'd decided on beforehand, chosen because every monster that appeared in this dungeon was said to spawn relatively evenly along it.
Five minutes after we started, a piercing scream began echoing endlessly from somewhere, accompanied by the dull clacking of bones colliding like some sort of background effect.
"This is like an upgraded version of the abandoned school. Argh, it's so annoying for real."
Jua spoke with clear irritation. It was common knowledge that sounds like these gnawed away at hunters' mental strength. The frequent infighting among parties in this place was largely due to those effects.
"Even if you're angry, please endure it. Words carry life force. The moment you speak them, they exert their power," the newly joined Yeom Tae-seok politely reminded Bae Jua.
I deeply agreed with him. Bae Jua also acknowledged her mistake, immediately bowing in apology. Only I noticed the slight upward twitch at the corner of Yeom Tae-seok's mouth as he watched her.
"Hehe. Even though I'm quite a bit older, since we're the same rank, you don't need to treat me like an old man."
"Same... rank? You're joking, right?"
Jua gave him a wry smile. Yeom Tae-seok briefly met No Hayun's eyes. When she raised an eyebrow, he simply shrugged.
Are we being evaluated here?
That was the feeling I got, but there was no real reason for them to gauge us. It was puzzling.
Anyway, our first battle arrived quickly. It was a Skeleton Decurion. To be precise, it should have been called a forty-man skeleton squad.
The group—forty skeleton soldiers perfectly organized by class—formed a solid formation the moment they spotted us and charged without hesitation. The basic infantry included some armed only with swords or spears, while others wielded both sword and shield. Those carrying only shields were the skeleton heavy infantry, and in the back I could already see archers with arrows nocked.
Fortunately, there were no mages, cavalry, or giant variants in sight.
Thud— Boom!!
Their shield-led vanguard collided head-on with our summons, sending sparks flying in every direction.
Woooong—
At the moment of impact, Yeonhee showed excellent judgment by summoning additional creatures behind the enemy formation, creating a perfect encirclement.
"Ice Field...!"
Crack—!
No Hayun's magic layered on top, freezing all forty encircled skeletons in place. A few were completely encased in ice; a light tap would have shattered them. The power was impressive enough, but the range had grown absurdly wider than before.
That artifact is seriously overpowered.
An artifact that massively amplified both the power and range of ice-attribute magic. The effect was simple, yet those kinds of abilities often proved the most efficient.
It looked like today was going to be the day we rode No Hayun's bus. It was truly overwhelming.
"Whoa~ Is she a monster?"
Even Bae Jua, who had run this dungeon with us several times, was left speechless by No Hayun's transformed abilities.
No Hayun offered a slightly bitter smile at the reactions but didn't hold back her power. The skeleton soldiers, their lower bodies locked to the ground by the wide-area ice magic, could only flail their arms helplessly. Led by Yeom Tae-seok, the summons and remaining hunters used blunt weapons to crush them in an instant.
Crash—!
I moved to the rear and focused on the skeleton archers and spearmen, stabbing the crown of their heads—where their cores were located—with my dagger to rack up kills. Unfortunately, daggers weren't the ideal weapon against skeleton-type undead, so the efficiency was mediocre. Some required multiple strikes before their skulls would crack.
Smashing them with my fists would have been more effective, but then the quest wouldn't register.
The greatsword is still a few more days away, they said...
Mid-battle, I pulled out the club I'd been using since the beginning and swung it once. The damage was better than expected.
Crack—!
Thanks to the dungeon buff, even this piece-of-junk club can deal decent damage.
Of course, these were weak early-floor monsters, but it was enough for me to feel the strength of my buff. Still, I had to switch back to the dagger to complete the quest. The satisfying impact of the club lingered, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.
Yeonhee had been calling the workshop daily about the commissioned greatsword, asking them to speed up production. Thanks to her persistence, they'd promised it would be ready a few days earlier, but it would still take at least three more days. Since I also had the dagger and attribute quests to worry about, that was plenty of time.
"Rock Spear!"
Crack—!
With Bae Jua's rock magic as the finishing blow, we subdued the thirty skeleton soldiers in the blink of an eye. This dungeon was efficient for Jua as well. It featured many skeleton-types vulnerable to blunt attacks, and her rock magic fulfilled a similar role.
On the other hand, the Orc Apprentice Mage (Tusks No. 10) summoned at dawn was still struggling to grasp its own abilities. It needed to raise earth from the ground or materialize soil to create effects, but that was easier said than done. With no one to teach it, the creature would have to endure plenty of trial and error for now.
The battle had gone far more smoothly than expected. The summons diligently gathered the shattered bone fragments without rest and brought them to me.
Wangwang will like this.
These days, Wangwang was earning over three hundred thousand won daily just from the magic stones it produced from its tail. That was nearly ten million won a month—an absolute golden goose. It also seemed to have realized I was the one who fed it; lately it had taken to rubbing against me and acting cute.
What an adorable little guy.
It was a shame I hadn't summoned a few more Wangwangs back when the lowest-grade summon scrolls appeared. It would have been much better both materially and mentally.
"Heh... To think something like that is possible. The efficiency seems excellent."
"I told you it wasn't a joke."
"Hmm—"
Yeom Tae-seok, forgetting to even maintain his mace, stared blankly at the summons while chatting with No Hayun. They seemed quite close, speaking so comfortably with each other. Yeom Tae-seok looked genuinely fascinated by the summons cleaning up the monsters, and our eyes met several times.
Hey, stop staring so much, mister.
◈ Attack Power +18
"Would it be all right if I stand in the vanguard with this fellow?"
"Hm? Ah... What about Miss Hayun?"
"Hayun will do fine on her own. Just attach a few Lizardmen beside her and she should be good."
Yeom Tae-seok asked Yeonhee and Arin whether he could stand at the front with me. Yeonhee said she had no objection, so in the end I stood side-by-side with him at the very front line.
"Hmm... A skeleton soldier... I heard it's a special summon with intelligence. Is that correct?"
The moment he joined me, Yeom Tae-seok started with a question. I gave a light nod. He widened his eyes in surprise and let out a hearty laugh. Though middle-aged, his laughter carried the innocent joy of a boy.
I like this uncle.
It was exactly the kind of person I personally favored. He didn't act arrogant just because he was an adult, and he kept the principles he needed to keep. On top of that, his own abilities were outstanding. During battle he prioritized raising our experience rather than seeking personal gain. I liked how hard he worked to faithfully fulfill his role as a helper.
"I heard you also act as a guide?"
"Clack clack."
"Hahaha, this is truly amazing. Looks like the world won't fall apart just yet."
He spoke to me occasionally as we moved. I responded with quiet nods or the occasional click of my teeth, keeping him company. His behavior stayed just within the limit of not disturbing my concentration, so I was enjoying the fun of dungeon exploration in a way I hadn't felt since becoming a skeleton.
If things had continued this smoothly, it would have been perfect. But on only our second battle, we encountered a rather large group.
Clack—
When I spread both arms wide, the summons and the party stopped in unison.
"......"
In the brief silence where even the eerie wind and distant screams seemed to hold their breath, my senses picked up a horde of over a hundred ghouls. These monsters retained the strengths of zombies while overcoming many of their weaknesses. They weren't as slow, possessed strong survivability, attacked with clear purpose, and even inflicted a passive paralysis effect. They were tricky opponents indeed.