The Bone Dancers' Deadly Dance

The taut string was a clear sign that an anomaly was about to occur. My comrades showed a brief flicker of anxiety, but they soon regained their composure as the calm melody flowed from Ham Eunyoung's lips.

Good timing. For some reason, Eunyoung had seemed in higher spirits ever since that goblin-like demon appeared. In any case, every hunter who entered this dungeon had come prepared to face such variables. Dungeons were dangerous places by nature, but if you entered with sufficient preparation, you could obtain what you desired. Lately, however, the shifting atmosphere suggested a difficulty so arbitrary that people would simply have to accept it even if dozens of giant skeletons suddenly plummeted from the sky.

I knew this because I had been secretly listening to the news in the early morning hours, gathering information on how the world was changing. The report stated that the number of hunters entering dungeons had decreased by five percent compared to this time last year. It should have been increasing, yet it had fallen. The reason was obvious: powerful variant monsters were appearing in dungeons without warning at an accelerating rate. In the end, the sharpest decline was among the lowest ranks—F-grade and E-grade hunters. They were still weak and lacked experience. Choosing to protect their lives over money was a wise decision.

"Huu..." Yeonhee's breaths grew steadily deeper.

"......"

We all understood the predicted situation, yet no one voiced the obvious negative thoughts. Especially the name Skeleton Knight. None of us wanted to dwell on it. The moment that creature appeared, the aggro of every nearby monster would converge on a single point. This was no mere marking like the ant in an E-grade dungeon. A literal large-scale army would form with the Skeleton Knight at its center. It would be horrific—the sight of thousands of undead legions, more than twice as strong as before, charging relentlessly.

Purrrr— Arin shook her head vigorously from side to side. Was she imagining the same thing? It was definitely a scene I didn't want to picture.

Skeleton Knight, monster bombs, the massively increased numbers of giant skeletons…

No matter which enemies appeared, I needed a plan to protect Yeonhee.

The persistent tension slowed my comrades' steps and roughened their ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠breathing. At least Eunyoung's ability continued to watch over us. Even if we ended up separating from Jua and Arin later, I felt certain that Ham Eunyoung at least had to remain on our team. Of course, for Yeonhee's sake.

As if mocking our heightened nerves, ordinary skeleton decurions began appearing within the range of my senses once more.

Damn it! This cursed dungeon really knows how to toy with people.

After dozens of minutes spent on edge, we stretched our bodies thoroughly. The four ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠battles that followed were finished cleanly.

It was two hours after we had set out. We were sitting in a clearing, replenishing our energy with snacks.

They're here.

There were three main things I wanted to obtain in this dungeon. One was to hunt the small creatures living in the caves and complete the quest. Another was to find the hidden artifact. And the last was the monster that had just entered my detection range—the Bone Dancer.

The creature had an impressive tailbone, needle-sharp at the tip with abnormally swollen, rounded segments at every joint. Its elongated skull extending backward gave a rough idea of its living appearance, resembling the alien from a science fiction movie. Its thin legs split into two strands that stretched toward the ground. A classic top-heavy build with a weak lower body. From its appearance alone, it looked easy to subdue, yet it was the most vicious monster in this dungeon.

There are too many… I'll need to reposition slightly.

I immediately signaled the party members to alert them that enemies were approaching.

"What type?"

"... Bone Dancers."

I informed them we needed to move in the opposite direction from the approaching creatures. Naturally, I had no intention of simply running away to create distance. I planned to lead them into a narrow space where their movements would be restricted before engaging. Their long heads and bodies created significant terrain limitations. Besides, they weren't the type to display impressive mobility in combat. That alone would make our response far easier.

"How many?"

"... Around twenty..."

"Are you insane? That many?"

Even considering Yeonhee's capabilities, the number was burdensome. These weren't pack creatures like Lesser Dire Wolves, making the situation absurd. It would have been ideal to encounter two or three, eliminate them leisurely, steal the skill, and be done. But when did the world ever bend to my wishes?

The party members, including Yeom Tae-seok, quickly began moving according to my signal. The five comrades excluding myself and Yeom Tae-seok were all riding on the lizardmen's shoulders.

As we started running, the Bone Dancers pursued on all fours. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Unlike other undead, these creatures possessed a sensory ability that allowed them to detect hunters from great distances. A peculiar monster in many ways.

After running without pause for about three minutes, Yeom Tae-seok spoke.

"Hmm… It seems you're planning to enter the Tomb of the Giants."

"Yes. Correct."

"Excellent… Just what is the true identity of this Ilwol? Was he a commander from another world in his previous life?"

Even while guarding the rear opposite me, Yeom Tae-seok continued to voice his astonishment about me without restraint.

"But his magic is too proficient for that."

"I've heard about the newly acquired abilities. He couldn't use fireballs during the canyon incident… It's truly fascinating, isn't it?"

Jua answered Yeom Tae-seok's question somewhat curtly, but No Hayun deliberately redirected the comment toward Yeonhee.

"... Yes. It's always surprising… Whether inside the dungeon or outside…"

"Hmm…"

At Yeonhee's absentminded remark, Hayun seemed to think of a question and parted her lips, but now was not the time.

We arrived at the Tomb of the Giants, densely packed with tombstones my height. This place was presumed to be the burial ground of the giant skeletons occasionally mixed among the skeleton decurions. In truth, it was an ideal location for ghouls or other skeleton soldiers to burst from underground, so the tension on everyone's faces was evident.

"Couldn't this lead to us being surrounded if we're not careful?"

"It won't. Ilwol's judgment appears sound. Other hunters must have cleared this area once. It's clean now."

He certainly senses undead energy well.

Yeom Tae-seok gave me a thumbs-up before shifting his gaze toward the group approaching from afar with strange movements.

"Those are the Bone Dancers…"

Yeonhee muttered and unconsciously grabbed my hand. Upon spotting us, the creatures began emitting bright light from their tail segments, which resembled several small watermelons attached together. The glow was mysterious and carried a strange depth.

They would hurl those long tails to wrap around their opponents before detonating together. Avoiding the tail wrap didn't prevent the self-destruction, however. The conclusion was simple: if an enemy entered a certain range, they would explode without fail. The tail wrap was merely part of their aesthetic.

"That's what triggers the detonation."

Seeing my party members staring blankly at the creatures, I shook my head.

Creak— Clatter—

They supported themselves on the ground with leg bones so thin they looked ready to snap, then began leaping toward us while rapidly flapping their arbitrarily twisted arm and leg bones from side to side.

The sight was so grotesque that Yeonhee, Arin, and Jua—who were seeing it for the first time—all screamed in horror.

"Kyaaaak! What is that?!"

"Uwek— It's disgusting. Just as I heard."

"W-we have to run!"

Yeom Tae-seok and No Hayun responded well. I told them multiple times to close their eyes when the Bone Dancers light their tails.

When hypnotizing people, suggestions like "Close your eyes, now you are falling into hypnosis" were effective. The way the creatures had ignited the lights in their tail segments was their version of initiating that process. In this manner, four hunters had been helplessly enchanted. Though the bizarre movements instinctively made one frown, once your eyes locked onto that group dance, your mind would be captivated in an instant, falling into a near-paralytic abnormal state.

"Uh…"

"Heh…"

Just like Jua and Arin right now. But weren't they falling under the spell a bit too quickly?

"Everyone, come to your senses!"

At the perfect moment, Yeom Tae-seok roused the party and activated his skill. Sacred particles of light descended softly onto their heads all at once. Thanks to this, Jua and Arin, who had only just entered the initial stage of hypnosis, quickly regained their senses. Yeom Tae-seok had kept his eyes closed from the moment he spotted the creatures. No Hayun had already retrieved sunglasses from her inventory and put them on. Sunglasses didn't truly prevent enchantment, but in this world, vague beliefs in such effects often manifested real power.

As the distance closed to thirty meters, the creatures' acceleration reached its peak. Yeonhee, who had staggered briefly as if dizzy, sent a signal to the summons she had positioned in ambush upon entering the graveyard.

Paeang— The orcs lying flat on the ground yanked the ropes made from Big Boar hide from both sides, tripping the lead group of charging Bone Dancers.

Crunch—! Crash!

The Bone Dancers tumbled like dominoes.

As if waiting for exactly this moment, I unleashed a barrage of fireballs and bombs over the fallen creatures' heads.

BOOOOOOM——!

Whoosh——!

I used only a small number of the time-consuming bombs and relied heavily on fireballs, whose damage had increased significantly. Still, single-hit fireballs and bombs had their limits in eliminating all of them.

Only two?

But that was enough to steal their skill.

"Everyone, charge!!"

Yeonhee issued the command without hesitation, and the lizardman and orc units rushed forward without a moment's delay.

"......!"

Whiririric—!

The Bone Dancers that had tripped over the ropes extended their tails simultaneously, wrapping around the charging summons that were drooling with anticipation. Strangely, instead of pulling their captured targets closer, they chose to charge toward the summons themselves. And then—

Kiiiiiiing———

The tails wrapped around the summons emitted an intense red glow. A piercing tinnitus stabbed through our heads. If my fireballs or skeleton bombs produced traditional explosion sounds, the noise these creatures created felt like thorns digging into the eardrums.

"Aaaack!"

Arin collapsed while clutching her ears and rolled across the ground. I had forgotten to stuff Wangwang's fur into her ear canals. Furthermore, the explosions caused by ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the Bone Dancers weren't radial bursts centered on an area. They were spear-like trajectories aimed at specific points.

BOOOOM——!

Intense explosions erupted in succession. The summons that had charged the creatures vanished in the blink of an eye. I had grown used to Yeonhee releasing her summons when they died or fell into critical condition, watching them disappear in gray smoke. But when over thirty summons were annihilated, leaving behind only fragments of their bodies, Yeonhee could only blink in stunned silence.