The Fraudulent Protagonist Obtained a Fraudulent Item (2)

Thudududududu! Ten zombie tanks charged forward, shaking the ground beneath them.

Just like Tiasia, the restraints on their bodies had been released, making them even more dangerous.

"Kuaaaargh!!"

Even with just their raw physical strength, they already possessed enough destructive power to partially demolish a building over five stories tall. Their charge was no ordinary charge. Their massive frames rivaled those of tanks, yet they moved with unnatural agility, and their willingness to throw their bodies into the attack without hesitation made them all the more terrifying.

Among the Wortroll horde that had shown no particular reaction to their charging allies, only the General seemed to recognize their true nature. It let out a frantic roar. At its command, every Wortroll except for a few Armors and Riders near the General immediately turned and rushed toward Joyeon.

"The leader really is the leader, huh. Pretty quick on the uptake."

Three hundred Wortrolls and the Shabeleos surged toward Joyeon. The ground began to quake violently, as if an earthquake had struck. The sheer spectacle was enough to make anyone falter, yet Joyeon remained as nonchalant as ever, in stark contrast to Arty, who clung to his clothes and asked if this wasn't getting a little too dangerous.

"[Howl with the throat you no longer possess.]"

Joyeon told Arty not to worry and continued his incantation. The Book of the Dead radiated crimson light. He directed the Giant Soldier, which had been suppressing the tanks, to hurl them toward the approaching Wortrolls. The thrown tanks crashed into the middle of the horde, only managing to slow their advance.

"[Mark them with the eyes you no longer possess.]"

BOOM! Joyeon's zombie tanks collided with the Wortroll horde. Several Shabeleos and Riders that had tried to meet the charge head-on were blown apart like they'd been hit by artillery shells, dying instantly.

"[Despise the life you no longer possess.]"

Thanks to that collision, however, the zombie tanks' momentum had been greatly reduced, and they were quickly surrounded by the Wortroll horde. The Wortrolls that slipped past the tanks soon reached Joyeon's immediate vicinity.

"Where do you think you're going, you trash!"

Clack! 'I won't let a single one of them lay a finger on Master!'

Clack! 'Don't come any closer!'

—Interference. Obstruction of vision. Tiasia, Jack, May, and House all threw themselves between Joyeon and the dozens of Wortrolls without the slightest hesitation. Tiasia matched their monstrous strength and held the line, while even Jack and May, whose specialty wasn't combat, clumsily grabbed onto Wortrolls to narrow their path. House spawned countless baby roaches that spread like black fog, restricting the Wortrolls' vision.

"[Burn only the hatred that remains.]"

Despite their resistance, the difference in numbers was overwhelming. A Rider, a Shabeleo, and an Attacker eventually broke through the followers and reached Joyeon.

"[Flames of Hatred That Burn Life]"

A ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠powerful buff enveloped the followers in red energy. Joyeon muttered while watching a Wortroll swing its club toward his head and a Shabeleo aiming its fangs at Arty.

"You're late. How long were you planning to take?"

Shhhk! From behind the Wortroll horde, two swords wreathed in crimson energy flew in at tremendous speed. Thud! The two monsters targeting Joyeon and Arty were impaled before they could even react. Flames erupted from the wounds pierced by the buff-enhanced blades. Moments later, two pristine white skeletons landed in front of Joyeon, using the monsters' bodies as stepping stones. It was Kahn and Ron, who had been tasked with luring the Wortrolls.

"The protagonist has arrived, the protagonist has arrived. Your timing is impeccable. Right, Arty?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Th-thanks?"

Joyeon clapped sarcastically while Arty reflexively agreed with him before offering her thanks. Having keenly sensed Joyeon's foul mood, Kahn and Ron immediately prostrated themselves before him.

Clack! 'We're sorry, Master!'

Thud! 'We failed to complete the order we were supposed to protect at all costs, and we were even late!'

"I know. You two were the most useless just now. So, what should I say to you?"

Clack! 'We'll accept any punishment. If you tell us to return to nothing, we'll gladly do so!'

"I'm not doing anything that pointless. Why would I do something so stupid? Right?"

"Huh? Me? Uh, uh-huh. Right? Since we're short on manpower to stop the Wortrolls, shouldn't we ask them for help?"

"You heard her. Apparently I'm in a position where I have to ask you two for help."

Thud! 'Asking for help, how could we— Please give us your command! We'll burn our entire bodies to fulfill it!'

"You didn't even complete the order to lure the Wortrolls, though."

Kahn and Ron could only bow their heads even deeper, unable to say a word. Both Joyeon and the two skeletons knew the order had been impossible to begin with, but that didn't mean the situation could be overlooked.

"One of you. I'll forgive only one of you. Bring me the General's head. If neither of you can do it… then it's over."

Thud! 'Master's boundless generosity! Thank you!!'

Clack! 'This time, we will live up to Master's expectations!!'

Kahn and Ron pressed their heads to the ground once more in gratitude before charging straight toward the General. Joyeon watched ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠them for a moment, then surveyed his surroundings. The zombie tank struggled in the middle of the Wortroll horde, trying to shake them off, while his followers blocked the Wortrolls heading for the hospital with their bodies. Even the Giant Soldier continued to swing its massive arms to suppress the Wortrolls approaching the hospital. They were holding on for now, but it wouldn't take long before they were pushed back.

Still, many new corpses had appeared nearby, and Joyeon's mana was still overflowing.

"…[Death is equal to all, yet the timing is greatly unequal.]"

Joyeon's incantation continued.

****

Inside the hospital lobby, the people who had remained as a final line of defense against any possible breakthrough at Joyeon's command were so captivated by the scene unfolding outside that they forgot how dire their situation was. The Rion Party members staring blankly at Joyeon were no different.

"…I thought he wasn't ordinary from the first time I saw him, but I never expected it to be to this extent…"

"I've never seen a necromancer in person before, but… are they all this strong?"

"No. The necromancer I saw didn't have ridiculous abilities like this… Normally, undead should be weaker than they were when alive after being resurrected, but his undead are the opposite."

"Undead that become stronger upon resurrection…"

Even the Rion Party, who had experienced quite a lot before the world fusion, could tell that Ju Joyeon's abilities were far from ordinary.

"[The Abyss That Pulls Up the Dead]"

Joyeon's incantation came to an end once more. A vast black abyss spread out from where he stood. Dozens of Wortroll and Shabeleo corpses that had been sucked into it slowly began to rise. There were about fifty of them. Even though little time had passed since the clash, roughly fifteen percent of the Wortroll forces had died—and now they had returned to life. Stronger than before, and unable to die again.

The Wortrolls resurrected as zombies and the Shabeleos resurrected as beast skeletons all looked up at the sky and let out simultaneous roars.

People felt goosebumps rise on their skin at the sight they could hardly believe even with their own eyes. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠The tide of battle, which had seemed overwhelmingly unfavorable just moments ago, had reversed in an instant—because of Ju Joyeon alone.

"…Dominator?"

"Is it talking about that guy?"

"Definitely not an ordinary necromancer."

"…The Dominator of the Undead…"

No one could fully understand what the notification meant, but everyone knew exactly who the "Dominator" was referring to.

"Now then, I wonder how many more will die after this?"

After muttering to himself, Joyeon opened his mouth again. Translucent energy flowed from the black gem orbiting around him, and the Book of the Dead took on a gray hue. Once more, Joyeon began his incantation.

"Everyone, attack!! Counterattack!!"

Tiasia ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠gave the order to the newly risen followers in Joyeon's stead. In response, the followers that had been howling at the sky all scattered red energy and glowing eyes before swinging their weapons at the beings that had been their allies until just moments ago. The battlefield instantly turned into chaos as comrades who had just died suddenly revived and attacked them. The difference in numbers had effectively disappeared. The Wortrolls could no longer tell friend from foe. The General roared desperately in an attempt to regain control, but the monsters, gripped by fear, were nothing more than uncontrollable wild beasts—unlike Joyeon's followers, who were completely under his domination.

Clack! 'So you're the General!'

Thud! 'For Master's command!'

Moreover, Kahn and Ron, their eyes bloodshot from Joyeon's order, began raining sword strikes upon the General without a word. Kuaaaargh!!! The General swung its massive saw-bladed sword in irritation at the two sudden skeletal intruders. The gap between ordinary skeletons and a Wortroll General was like heaven and earth, but because they were Joyeon's followers, because they were under his buff, and because they had received what could be their final order from him, Kahn and Ron continued to cling to the General relentlessly.

With even the General—the only one capable of maintaining control—unable to issue commands due to the battle, the tide turned even more sharply in Joyeon's favor.

"…If what the notification says is true, then we're witnessing a historic moment firsthand."

Rion muttered as he looked at Joyeon, who had just finished another incantation, and the other party members beside him nodded in agreement.