Boldly Without Fear
Skeleton Master Chapter 407
Boldly, without a shred of fear.
That described Cork perfectly.
Shoulders high.
Chest puffed out proudly as he strode forward.
"Ahem."
He tried to put on a fierce, imposing expression.
But he couldn't hold back the snickering.
"Heh, heh heh…."
He glanced back casually.
Over 350 skeletons marched in perfect formation. It felt like he was their commanding officer.
"Nice. Real nice."
"What is?"
"Feels like I'm some top-tier demon lord or something."
"Pointless thinking."
"I know, but thoughts are free, right?"
"Hmph. Do what you want."
Cork kept grinning at the skeletons as he walked.
"Heh heh heh."
By then, they'd reached the border zone.
The moment they crossed, the outer patrols would spot them and report back—just like before. An upper demon would come out with minions in tow.
"Not running today!"
He didn't slow down, barreling straight through.
Whoosh.
Presences flickered in the distance.
The same upper demon from before, two new mid-tier demons from who-knows-where, and three low-tier ones.
"You again."
"Yeah, us. What're you gonna do about it!"
"Hah…."
The upper demon shook his head in disbelief.
"You'll probably tuck tail and run soon anyway. Not letting you off easy this time, though."
"Bluffing as usual."
"Tch, a mid-tier acting all high and mighty."
"Then kill me, if you can."
Cork smirked and taunted him.
"Fine. I'll oblige."
The upper demon stepped forward.
The two mid-tiers flanked him.
The three low-tiers hung back.
"Bones! Let's go!"
Cork shouted, but the Armor Knights didn't budge.
"Uh, huh…?"
He whipped around, face paling.
"Hey, buddies? Time to move, yeah? Haha…? R-right. You guys are pissed. I got too cocky. I'll be careful from now on. Won't you join in…?"
Only then did the Armor Knight draw its sword.
—Let's go. Time to fight.
—Understood.
—Test the new ones first. Charge.
The Death Skeletons charged.
The upper demon smirked and swung at the one closing in. The instant the light impact hit—
KABOOM!
The Death Skeleton detonated itself.
Far more damage than expected.
"Guh…?"
He tried to leap back in shock, but Death Skeletons already swarmed from all sides.
—Continuous Thrust.
—Continuous Thrust.
Thrusts hammered home first.
Then body slams.
When an attack proved too much to tank—
BOOM!
They self-destructed without fail.
"Y-you maniacs!"
Endless Death Skeleton assaults. Meanwhile, Armor Knights and Armor Cavalry encircled them. Armor Mages stood back in tight formation, while mounted archers prowled at range.
—Good. We're joining in.
—Understood.
Suddenly, Burtan fired a ki blast.
"Guh…!"
A split-second imbalance.
Then a barrage of bone arrows and spells.
———!
Blood mist sprayed in waves.
—Ice Space.
The Snowman froze their feet solid.
They couldn't dodge.
The demons crossed their arms in defense. Arrows and spells rained down.
A massive explosion erupted. Armor Cavalry and Armor Knights charged straight through the dust.
Their weapons swung.
—Accelerated Thrust!
—Powerful Strike!
Even Death Skeletons piled on.
—Continuous Thrust!
The low-tier demons crumpled and died. The surviving mid-tiers and upper demon were far from unscathed.
"You filthy pests…!"
The upper demon's aura shifted.
Rumble.
Black energy oozed from him like a manifesting devil.
The Death Skeletons reacted strongest, trembling violently.
—Give it everything.
At the Armor Knight's command, the Death Skeletons hurled themselves forward.
Boom, kaboom, kablooey!
Pinned by overwhelming pressure, their final gambit.
Self-destruction.
Over 200 detonations created a spectacle.
"Whoa, that's insane. For real."
"Impressive."
"Let's fall back a bit first."
Cork and Bokuma retreated from the shockwave.
The remaining skeletons did the same.
They watched the unending blasts from a safe distance.
"Damn, when does this end?"
"Hmph."
"Heh heh, bet that did some real damage."
"We're taking it down today."
"Obviously!"
The explosions finally ceased. Cork waved his hand, blowing away the aftershock with wind. The carnage lay revealed.
"Ooh…!"
Both mid-tier demons were dead.
The upper demon had endured, though not unscathed.
"You're really pissing me off."
His aura remained fierce.
Whoosh.
A volley of bone arrows flew at him. A single gesture scattered them all.
Raw power couldn't even scratch him.
—Power Shot.
The next bone arrows carried real force.
"Hmph…."
Even he dodged, weaving side to side.
Too strong to brush off, too risky to tank cumulatively.
It wasn't the skeletons bothering him—it was Cork and Bokuma behind them.
"Where do these bones keep coming from anyway?"
"No reason to tell you."
"Fools. You're about to see real hell."
"Please do. That'd be great."
The upper demon laughed eerily.
"Remember this. I am the upper demon, Kel Bresh."
"Not ringing any bells."
Kel Bresh stopped talking and powered up.
His aura exploded again.
Thrum.
A sinister darkness crept up around him. It coalesced, forming black full-body armor.
"Whoa, getting serious now?"
This was a technique only upper demons and above could use.
Combat mode.
Once every century. A last resort, rarely revealed outside dire straits.
"Kinda scary."
"Definitely different from mid-tiers."
But one thing was clear.
"He's desperate now."
"Agreed."
Time to go all in.
"Let's join the fray."
Cork and Bokuma finally entered the battle.
*
Cork lay sprawled, gasping raggedly.
"Huff, hack, haa…."
Bokuma collapsed beside him, half-dead.
"H-heh, tough one."
"Hoo, haa. Hah. Huff, heave. F-fucking brutal. Seriously…."
The ground soaked red with blood.
But only for a moment.
They mustered their remaining energy, focusing. Wounds knit rapidly.
"Thought we were goners, damn it."
"Right on the edge."
"Ugh. Can't move a muscle now. Please, no one show up…!"
What of the skeletons?
One remained, far off.
The Poison Ogre.
Unsure what to do alone, it bolted toward the lawless zone's heart—to die.
Cork lifted his head slightly, watching. He clicked his tongue.
"That one's nuts too."
He ignored it.
It'd respawn anyway.
"Hah, let's rest…."
They lay still for a long while, recovering stamina.
Cork propped himself up.
"Phew. Hey, Bokuma. You good?"
"Fine."
"Then let's get to it."
"Yeah."
They'd slain an upper demon.
Its potent death energy lingered everywhere.
Cork and Bokuma eagerly absorbed it.
The influx merged with their inner power.
"Hooo…."
They opened their eyes, thrilled.
"Whoa…!"
Vast energy surged within.
"Kuh, this is nuts!"
"Incredible…!"
Still mid-tier, but a clear step up. Time to claim the upper demon's territory.
*
Mu-hyuk's eyes widened slightly.
What the hell was that EXP…?
The summons in the Demon Realm had started dying off rapidly. When only the Poison Ogre remained, a massive EXP influx hit.
Occasional big chunks before, sure.
Five bursts just before that last death.
Plenty already….
But this was on another level.
What happened?
Based on prior gains, the skeletons must've taken down an upper demon or higher.
Possible?
Current skeleton power topped out at mid-tier.
He itched to know what went down.
No answers from thinking, though.
He checked the summon EXP.
A ton.
Save it for now. Dumping into stats now barely boosted combat power.
Better to invest precisely when short on forces later.
"Oppa, oppa."
"Yeah?"
"Warp from the village to Hemil Empire, right?"
"Yep."
"We're almost there then."
Mid-conversation, a hologram popped up.
Main Episode 3-1 'Reclaim the Lost Points' has been completed.
Surprised, but he accepted it.
"Clean finish, I guess."
"Yeah. Oh, we're already at Main Episode 3."
"Time flies."
"Kuh. Wonder what 4 is."
"Slay a dragon or something?"
"Maybe…!"
They reached the warp zone chatting.
"To Hemil Empire."
"Understood."
Hemil Empire felt busier than usual. Other mercenary players gathering, no doubt. Mu-hyuk rode his warhorse to the central plaza.
The destination loomed ahead.
"Ho."
A high platform before the fountain.
Familiar knight orders.
Crowds of players gathered before them.
"Whoa, packed."
"All war participants showing up."
Time passed.
Players filled Hemil Empire to the brim.
Finally, the awaited Duke Amur appeared.