Chapter 117
Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 117
Chapter Title: Guardian and Underground Tomb (5)
'Bigger than I expected.'
The underground tomb was larger than I'd imagined.
For starters, the passageway we were walking through was spacious enough for three people to walk side by side.
The walls on either side were lined with coffins that presumably held Dustin family members and their loyal retainers. Every single one had its side smashed open.
And there were no bodies inside.
So where the hell had they gone?
The answer to that question came soon enough.
Clack clack.
A noise echoed from the darkness.
We immediately went on alert, and moments later, several skeletons appeared.
They clutched weapons in one hand or both—likely burial goods interred with them.
'These undead are definitely a cut above.'
The skeletons moved with natural fluidity.
Their speed was impressive, too.
It meant they'd been people of high standing in life.
But the same went for my familiars.
Krunch!
Gilbert and the other undead knights soon clashed with the skeletons revived by the tomb's mysteries.
And we gained the upper hand.
My repeatedly reinforced familiars overwhelmed them with sheer skill, pushing the enemy back.
The golem Giant steadfastly held the torch even under attack, letting us clearly see our forces dominating the skeletons.
'I'd love to light up the area with a glow spell... but conserving mana comes first.'
Who knew when or where I'd need to cast? I planned to preserve as much mana as possible.
The moment I resolved to do so...
"Hah... impressive. They're no ordinary fighters."
"Right? I didn't expect them to handle enemies that gave Dustin Castle's knights so much trouble this easily. Amazing."
I overheard Randolph and Matilda whispering.
My shoulders lifted a bit at that.
It felt like praise for me.
'My undead are exceptional, after all.'
By the time that thought crossed my mind, my familiars had already finished off the skeletons that ambushed us.
They'd severed heads and limbs, breaking them into pieces.
Undead were hard to stop completely, so dismantling them like this was the best way to neutralize them.
'Come to think of it, this underground tomb is a necromancer's dream spot.'
It was filled with the corpses of high-caliber individuals from life.
If I were some evil necromancer, I'd lose my mind.
Prime materials everywhere.
But I had no desire for them.
Steal corpses from the Dustin count's family tomb?
Absurd idea.
Rattle rattle.
Skeletons kept appearing after that.
Each time, my familiars pushed them back.
But we didn't always win easily.
Clang!
One particularly skilled skeleton appeared, and Gilbert blocked its swinging sword with the flat of his blade.
Using the edge would dull it, so defending like that was swordplay basics.
But then...
Snap!
Gilbert's sword broke.
This wasn't some backwater hack's work—it was forged by a master smith from Chester Castle.
And it even had a durability enchantment.
For it to snap like that?
Shocking.
But I could guess why.
The skeleton's sword was a magic artifact.
'What spell's embedded in that blade? Something that amplifies power on swings?'
I couldn't say for sure.
But it was definitely no ordinary weapon.
Slash!
Fortunately, Gilbert finished it off even with the broken sword.
Once the artifact-wielding skeleton was down...
I called out to Randolph and Matilda.
"Sir Randolph, Lady Matilda."
"What is it?"
"Yes?"
They looked puzzled.
I turned to them with a question.
"What should we do with the magic artifacts?"
Most things here were burial goods.
Leaving them in the tomb made sense, but this was a special situation.
We didn't even know the original owners.
That's why I asked.
It felt right to take the burial items with us.
"Hmm... Lord Dustin ordered us to recover any artifacts we find on sight. Taking that sword out with us is the proper course."
Randolph spoke up.
The quick affirmative told me they'd discussed artifact handling with the count before entering.
He probably planned to distribute them to his knights and bolster the castle's forces.
"Until then, may my knights use the artifacts as weapons? As you saw, normal blades struggle against them."
"Normal blades? Aren't all your subordinates' weapons magic artifacts themselves?"
Randolph countered immediately.
He'd noticed the durability enchantments on our weapons.
But I wasn't backing down.
"They're just enchanted for basic durability. And we just proved they can't stand up to other artifacts. Like this."
As I spoke, Gilbert held up his sword.
The tip was gone, leaving it shortened.
"For the record, this was a gift from Lord Chester. So no arguments about weapon quality."
I added that just in case, and Randolph, mid-retort, clamped his mouth shut.
Matilda, who'd been watching, chimed in.
"Why not do it Heros's way? It'll speed up clearing the tomb."
Matilda's support fire.
Randolph finally nodded.
"Very well. You're permitted to use any artifacts found here. But remember: you return them the moment we exit the tomb."
"Of course. Why would I take items from someone else's tomb? I'm a mage, not a thief."
With that...
I had Gilbert carry the artifact.
I figured luck might let me snag one or two as tomb-clearing rewards.
The delve progressed smoothly.
It had to.
My familiars handled everything.
They weren't fazed by darkness or undead, and endless fights didn't tire them.
Fast progress was inevitable.
'This is easy. So easy.'
Matilda, apparently thinking the same, gazed at the lead undead knights and spoke.
"This is way too easy. Last time we tried this tomb, it wasn't like this..."
The moment Matilda said that...
Randolph shot her a glare.
She quickly shut up.
He cleared his throat and asked,
"By the way, your knights are awfully quiet. Aside from two, I haven't heard any of them speak."
He meant Bear and Connell, no doubt.
I answered,
"Most were in a secret society. Sparing words is habit for them."
"A secret society?"
"Yes."
Six of the seven undead knights, minus Gilbert, had been Silence Compliance Society members. Not wrong.
"How did you recruit them?"
"Luck. I'm pretty lucky."
With that...
I pointed ahead and continued.
"Hold on. Looks like a grimoire up front."
The moment I said it...
A massive skeleton emerged from the dark.
The tallest we'd seen in the tomb.
And its attire was unusual.
For a skeleton, it wore quilted armor and chainmail.
Hence the jingle jangle with every step.
"That getup's no joke."
"Definitely a knight in life."
Randolph frowned as we eyed the imposing figure.
But the enemies didn't stop there.
More skeletons appeared behind it.
And from our rear, too.
We were surrounded front and back.
Still, no tension.
"Sir Bear, Sir Connell, take the rear? Keep the unit safe."
"Leave it to us."
"No casualties on my watch."
Bear and Connell headed back on my order.
With Fergal there, those three could handle the rear skeletons easily.
"I'll join the fight this time."
With assignments set...
I declared it, facing forward.
That way, Randolph and Matilda would hold back.
Casting without coordination risked friendly fire. Better to state intent clearly.
"Heros! Could you do that fire spell from the freak extermination op again? A big fireball!"
Matilda called out, eyes sparkling.
But I had to refuse.
"Using that here might collapse the tomb."
"Oh..."
Matilda sighed, face full of regret.
Ignoring her, I observed the foes.
The standout skeleton seemed like the guardian.
And it was.
Its level dwarfed the others.
Its speed was insane, for one.
Swish.
The guardian never stopped moving.
It constantly switched opponents, clashing swords without pause.
Watching, Randolph sighed deeply.
"Leave that one to the knights? Too fast for spells to hit reliably. Rash casting might tag our own."
He was right.
Battlefield was a tangle of friend and foe.
One slip, and Gilbert or the knights could get caught.
'Then I'll just make sure they don't.'
Thinking that, I cast Tracking Arrow.
Light particles gathered before my eyes, forming a mana arrow.
It launched toward my target.
The guardian's right knee.
Shwee!
It should've flown straight.
Instead, it arced upward per my will.
Then curved down in a diagonal.
I wanted finer control, but its speed made it tricky.
'A bit more to the side.'
I nudged its path carefully.
And...
Finally, the arrow hit home.
Crack!
The guardian's right knee shattered under the spell's force.
Its mobility tanked instantly.
Good enough.
Without that speed, its end was near.
As I thought that...
Randolph asked, face stunned.
"How did you do that?!"
"Do what?"
"That spell just now!"
"One I learned yesterday. Pretty useful, right?"
"Not what I meant. Didn't you just redirect a finished spell with your will? It adjusted mid-flight to avoid allies."
"You saw that clearly."
"Cast spells follow the mage's initial intent. You targeted the skeleton, so your part ends there. That arrow should've flown straight into it—and any allies in the path."
Randolph swallowed.
Then stared into my eyes.
"How did you intervene in an already-cast spell?"
"Get used to mana control, and it's possible."
"Hah..."
Randolph froze at my answer.
Like a statue.
I ignored him and checked forward.
The fight was over.
The guardian lay dismembered by Gilbert and the knights, limbs scattered.
'Rear?'
The rear skeletons bugged me, so I glanced back.
They were neatly dismantled, thanks to the unit's efforts.
Bear and Connell had shone.
Rear cleared.
One thing left.
'Check out the grimoire that started this mess.'
Thinking that, I moved ahead.
Beyond the darkness in my sight...
I felt the grimoire's mana.