Chapter 074
Chapter Title: The Skeleton King
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“Leo! What in the world is that!”
Lunia and Eiran rushed over to Leo’s side.
“A Skeleton King.”
At his words, Lunia and Eiran gasped.
The Skeleton King.
One of the strongest undead a necromancer could command.
“W-we should run…!”
Leo shook his head at Eiran, who spoke with a deathly pale face.
“No. That’s not a good idea.”
“Eiran’s right, we should retreat! This is no time to be stubborn!”
Even if they were the top first-years of Lumerne and Seirun, they were no match for a Skeleton King.
Lunia and Eiran’s opinions were perfectly reasonable.
“Trying to run away recklessly will only put us in more danger.”
Leo glanced over at Kargor and Lauta.
“They have no intention of just watching us walk away.”
Lunia gritted her teeth, while Eiran wore a terrified expression.
Indeed, turning your back on a top-tier undead like the Skeleton King to flee was a dangerous choice.
“Then what do we do?”
“What do you think?”
Leo stepped forward.
“We have to take it down.”
Lunia’s eyes widened at Leo, who spoke as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
“That’s impossible!”
“It might be impossible under normal circumstances, but.”
Leo smirked as he looked at the Skeleton King.
“That Skeleton King wasn't summoned through normal means.”
“What?”
“Lauta made a pact with the Hell Kaiser through death to gain power. It seems he somehow managed to summon the Skeleton King by combining that power with the curse of the dead lingering in this place, but.”
Leo gripped his sword.
“He barely met the summoning requirements. That Skeleton King can’t maintain its form for long.”
The most fundamental condition of summoning.
The spiritual power required to maintain the summoned being.
Necromancy, being in the realm of summoning arts, was no exception; it was only natural for a summon to be dismissed when the power to sustain it ran out.
“Then we just have to hold out until the mana maintaining the Skeleton King's summoning runs out!”
“But they have not only the Skeleton King, but also Lauta and the Death Knight. Can we really hold out?”
“We’ll have to try. Lunia, you take Lauta. Eiran, you handle the Death Knight.”
“What?”
“Are you planning to fight the Skeleton King by yourself?”
Leo nodded at the two startled girls.
“Yeah, that’s the plan.”
Leo’s casual tone made Lunia shout.
“That’s reckless!”
“Reckless or not, it’s our only option right now. Trust me. If that Skeleton King is a top-tier undead.”
Leo pulled something from his pocket.
*Chirp?*
“Then I have the strongest familiar.”
At his words, Lunia clenched her jaw.
‘He's right, this is the only way right now…’
Lunia took a deep breath.
“You! If you die, I’ll never forgive you.”
“Pfft.”
“What? Why are you laughing?”
“No, it’s just that I’ve heard those exact words before.”
Leo grinned and ruffled the flustered Lunia’s hair.
“Don’t worry. I’m not about to die to some bag of bones like that.”
***
“Hahaha! Power! I’m overflowing with power!”
Lauta shouted, unable to control his surging strength.
“Skeleton King! Destroy the barrier before you right now!”
*ROOOOAR—!*
At Lauta’s command, the Skeleton King planted a massive hand on the ground.
*CRACK—!*
With a flash of gray light, a huge, worn-out sword materialized.
*WHOOOOSH—!*
The Skeleton King raised its hand to swing the sword, which was imbued with a chilling black aura.
*SWOOOSH—!*
That motion alone created a powerful gust of wind, scattering the surrounding snow in every direction.
“This is magnificent!”
Lauta’s eyes, filled with ecstasy, fell upon Leo.
“You bastard! You dared to kill me!”
His eyes blazing, Lauta chanted a spell.
*FWOOSH—! CRACKLE—!*
An arrow of black flame flew toward Leo’s back.
*CRACK! BOOM—!*
But a wall of red flames materialized and blocked the attack.
Lauta’s face twisted.
“I’m your opponent.”
Lunia stood before Lauta.
“How dare you! Do you dare stand against me, your senior?”
“Senior? Don’t make me laugh. You’re nothing but a traitor who has disgraced the name of Seirun!”
Lauta’s expression changed as he saw the contempt in Lunia’s eyes.
“It seems you need to be taught how to respect your seniors.”
Lauta summoned a staff.
And he slammed it into the ground.
*THUD—! WHOOOM!*
A magic circle formed on the ground.
At the same time, undead creatures began to appear.
Scoffing at the sight, Lunia unleashed her spiritual power.
*FWOOSH—!*
Numerous flame familiars materialized.
The battle between the summoner and the necromancer had officially begun.
“Heh heh—there’s no easier opponent than one paralyzed by fear.”
Kargor, gripping his sword, let out a chilling laugh.
Eiran took a step back at the sight of him.
“Ugh.”
Eiran had only been able to muster her courage since entering the forest because Leo and Lunia were at her back.
But now, she had to face the Death Knight all by herself.
‘Can I do this?’
Eiran’s hand trembled.
Eiran, who hated fighting, wanted to run away.
As she backed away, she saw Leo and Lunia.
‘If I fail, Sir Leo and Miss Lunia will be in danger.’
Eiran’s eyes, wavering with anxiety, gradually found their focus.
Watching Leo face the Skeleton King with a smile, she thought he was like a hero from a story.
And Lunia, cheering him on in her own way, looked more brilliant than ever.
‘I've never wanted to be a hero. But… but…’
The girl who loved tales of heroes had enrolled at Seirun with the dream of watching those tales unfold by their side.
‘At the very least, I can’t hold them back!’
*WHOOOSH—!*
A fighting spirit flared in Eiran’s eyes.
‘This wench… her aura has changed?’
Kargor’s face hardened as he watched Eiran stop trembling and take her stance.
Leo, charging toward the Skeleton King, smiled.
‘Having a grand dream doesn't make you a hero.’
An aura of flame enveloped Leo’s body.
‘Sometimes, small dreams gather one by one to create a great hero. Your personalities are different, but in that respect, you're more like Verchia than anyone, Eiran.’
Leo clenched his fist, recalling the small elven girl who had admired the footsteps of the great heroes.
“Piora!”
A powerful aura of flames enveloped Piora’s body.
*FWOOSH—!*
*GRWAAAAAAAAAAAR—!*
The Skeleton King’s roar echoed at length.
Hearing the sound, a black energy swirled around Leo’s body.
“The Wail of the Dead.”
A type of fear-based curse used by the undead.
A curse that decreased the defense of the living who heard it, while increasing the attack power of the dead!
In this situation, it was the worst possible curse.
But Leo just grinned.
“Piora. Cry out!”
*CHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRP—!*
Piora’s clear and cute cry resounded throughout the forest.
The moment they heard it, a red energy enveloped Leo, Lunia, and Eiran.
The power of the Phoenix, the cry of the unquenchable flame.
It was a blessing with the exact opposite effect of the Wail of the Dead used by the undead.
“Just how long are you going to keep chirping like that?”
Leo burst out laughing and charged toward the Skeleton King’s sword as it swung down at the barrier cast by the former Fairy King.
*FWOOSH—!*
Transforming from a small, cute baby bird into the form of a beautiful phoenix, Piora landed gracefully on Leo’s sword.
‘Summoning Art - Manifestation.’
*FWOOOOSH—!*
Piora turned into flame and imbued herself into Leo’s sword.
It was a technique that imbued a familiar or spirit into one's body or weapon to draw out its power.
*FWOOSH—!*
Wings of fire formed at the tip of Leo’s sword, creating a blade of flame.
The furiously burning flame sword instantly grew to the size of the Skeleton King’s own.
Everyone stared at Leo in astonishment.
As Leo’s red eyes flashed, he swung his sword at the Skeleton King’s.
*CRRRRAAAAAAAAASH! KABOOM!*
*CRRRRAAAAASH!*
*GRWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!*
With a deafening explosion, the Skeleton King’s arm was sent flying into the air.
The Skeleton King staggered from the impact and collapsed.
*RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE! CRASH—!*
Its massive body took down several trees as it fell.
Leo used magic to float in mid-air.
*SWOOSH—!*
Piora, having emerged from the sword, flapped her wings gracefully and perched on Leo’s head.
[Wow! Leo! You can even use Manifestation?]
Kiruan, who had been watching the situation, clicked his tongue.
Manifestation was a difficult technique for even seasoned summoners to use.
[You’re pretty good for a kid yourself.]
At Kiruan’s words, Piora chirped, *Pyak!*, and haughtily lifted her chin.
[Hmph. That's good enough to be my subordinate. From now on, I'll make you Subordinate Number O— Ack! You little chick! I'm not food!]
Kiruan struggled as his head was swallowed by Piora’s beak.
“Stop playing around.”
At Leo’s words, Piora spat Kiruan out. *Ptooey—!*
*THUD—! RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE!*
The Skeleton King pushed itself up.
Although it had been knocked back by Leo, it hadn’t sustained any major damage.
*THUD! THUD!*
The Skeleton King, now on its feet, fixed its gaze on Leo.
*SWOOOSH—! CRRRRAAAAAACK!*
The Skeleton King’s sword swung at incredible speed.
*CRASH-CRASH-CRASH-CRASH—!*
The spot where Leo had been standing was instantly annihilated.
The Skeleton King’s gaze shifted to the tip of its sword.
Leo, meeting the Skeleton King’s crimson gaze, pointed a finger at it.
“Kiruan.”
[Huh? Oh?]
*FLASH—!*
A soft silver light emanated from Kiruan’s body.
“Assist me.”
[Got it!]
A runic letter appeared at Leo’s fingertip.
It was none other than elven magic.
“Luminance Ray!”
*FLASH—!*
A stellar magic circle formed at Leo’s fingertip, and an intense bullet of light shot out.
*KABOOM—!*
*GRWOOOOAR!*
The Skeleton King, struck squarely in its right eye, let out a monstrous scream.
*SWOOSH—!*
As the Skeleton King swung its sword wildly, Leo quickly leaped away from his sword.
‘The mana consumption is insane.’
Leo sighed.
The spell he had just used was a high-level one he shouldn’t be able to cast.
The only reason he could was thanks to Kiruan’s help.
He had used his spiritual power to draw out Kiruan's latent abilities.
Fairies were also powerful wielders of magic.
He had managed to perform a magical calculation that was normally impossible by borrowing Kiruan’s power.
‘If Kiruan's power were whole, I could have used it without much strain.’
Although he had managed to land a blow with the spell, Leo’s own mana was now overloaded.
*Thud—!*
Leo landed on the ground.
*GRWAAAAAR!*
The Skeleton King’s destroyed eye light regenerated.
‘The power gap is just too wide.’
Leo wiped the cold sweat from his brow.
Both of his attacks had been beyond what his current self should have been capable of.
‘But I just have to stall for time.’
Leo’s goal was, after all, only to stop the Skeleton King.
He lowered his stance, preparing for the next attack.
*Swoosh—!*
The Skeleton King raised its sword again.
‘No matter how powerful an undead is, it can’t draw out its full strength without the proper support of a necromancer.’
The undead were just like familiars.
Just as Leo couldn’t draw out Piora’s full power right now, the Skeleton King summoned by Lauta couldn’t unleash its true strength either.
‘If I just stall for time, I can stop it…’
*VWOOOM—!*
Suddenly, the Skeleton King’s sword glowed a dark crimson.
Seeing it, something clicked in Leo’s mind.
At the same time, he instinctively swung his sword to the side.
*SWISH—! THWACK—!*
“……!”
Leo gasped at the pressure he felt from the side.
As if it had teleported, the Skeleton King’s sword was suddenly right beside him.
Leo, who had blocked it instinctively before he could even register it, gritted his teeth.
*CRASH-CRASH-CRASH-CRASH—!*
Leo’s body was sent flying.