Chapter 381

*Fwoosh.*

I couldn’t see it, but I could feel it. A sticky aura emanating from the Skeleton Warlord, stored in my inventory, spread out in all directions.

The change happened in an instant.

*Kirik?*

*Guaak?*

The ferocious monsters suddenly froze in their tracks.

Orcs, trolls, goblins, lycanthropes—monsters of all kinds that you’d only see in an encyclopedia of monsters, along with fallen hunters.

The common trait among them? They had all died once and were resurrected as undead.

*Gulp.*

I swallowed dryly and muttered.

“This actually works.”

*Wow, it really does work.*

*…Huh?*

Momentarily stunned, I whispered softly.

“What the hell are you talking about? You did it because you knew it would work, right?”

The Skeleton Warlord hesitated before replying.

*Well… To be honest, I didn’t think it would be this easy.*

“I thought you said your control was way stronger?”

*Oh, that was just something I said out of pride.*

“What?”

*It would’ve hurt my pride to stay quiet…*

Is this guy nuts?

I was dumbfounded, but the results were undeniable.

As the undead monsters within a few dozen meters froze, the fierce battle around us paused for a moment.

“The monsters… They stopped moving!”

“What the hell is going on?”

“Don’t let your guard down! Some of them are still moving!”

Just as someone shouted, it was too early to relax.

Only some of the nearby undead monsters fell under the Skeleton Warlord’s control. Those farther away or non-undead monsters were exceptions.

*Gwaaah!*

*Shwiik!*

“Hyaaaah!”

*Clang! Thud!*

The moment of confusion was brief. The uncontrolled monsters soon resumed their rampage, and the battle restarted.

A fight where we were hopelessly outnumbered. But from this moment on, things would be different.

I shouted in a low, suppressed voice.

“Go, Warlordmon!”

The enraged Warlordmon—or rather, the Skeleton Warlord—yelled back.

*You vile human! Do not call me that!*

“Then, would you prefer ‘Warlordmon Who Can’t Wait to Be Obliterated’?”

*…Damn it.*

The Skeleton Warlord, who couldn’t even breathe, let out a deep sigh and began chanting a spell.

*Fight, Skeleton Skeleton.*

This guy must really enjoy saying “skeleton skeleton.” It was a silly spell, but its effect was undeniable.

*Gwaak?*

At the Skeleton Warlord’s command, the eyes of the undead monsters that had been staring blankly regained their ferocity. In the next moment—

*Crack!*

An undead ogre’s iron club smashed a troll’s skull, and the newly controlled undead monsters charged at their own kind.

*Gwaaaah!*

*Shwiik?*

*Crack! Slash! Thud!*

The sudden, unexpected ambush from our own side crushed a segment of the monster horde surrounding the Chinese hunters.

*Shwiik!*

“What the hell!”

“Why are they suddenly…?”

It wasn’t just the monsters betrayed by their kind who were shocked.

The Chinese hunters were equally bewildered. I called out to the young hunter who had been leading the charge with his spear.

“Xiao Shen!”

“Mr. Jin?!”

His wide eyes turned to look at me.

“How do you know my name?”

I had just checked his status window using [Sense], but that wasn’t important right now.

“What are you doing? Why aren’t you switching to an all-out offensive?”

“But what’s going on here—”

“Are you really that curious? Do you want to grab an undead monster and ask it why it’s helping us, following the six journalistic questions?” [1]

“No, sir!”

“Then what should you be doing now?”

Suddenly focused, Xiao Shen raised his spear high.

“Attack formation! All members of the Public Security Force, target everything except the undead monsters!”

“Yes, sir!”

Now that’s a fine example of sound judgment.

With a unified shout, the momentum of the 500 hunters who had been cornered shifted.

“Kill them!”

“Avenge our fallen comrades!”

*Shwiik, slash!*

*Gwaaah!*

A lycanthrope, lunging at a hunter who had just decapitated an orc, was met with a massive fist that smashed it to the ground.

*Crack!*

*Gwaaaah!*

An ogre, having just crushed the lycanthrope’s skull, let out a ferocious roar. But before it could even revel in its victory, a griffon swooped down, its sharp talons glinting in the light.

*Kriiiieek!*

With a screech, the griffon’s magically charged talons aimed for the ogre’s eyes, but—

“Ice Ball!”

“Lightning Bolt!”

A hunter’s spell hit the griffon, electrocuting it mid-air, causing it to shudder violently.

At that moment, a figure leapt off a troll’s shoulder, striking the griffon with their weapon.

“A custom-made longsword from J, one of Germany’s finest weapon forges!”

*Slash!*

With a single, clean stroke, the griffon’s head was split in two.

Landing gracefully, Team Leader Choi grinned, satisfied as he looked at the untainted blade.

“A longsword auctioned for 5.2 billion won. Worth every penny.”

He’s kind of a moron, but damn, he looks cool. Cool, but still kind of a moron.

The Skeleton Warlord, watching this scene, asked in a bemused voice.

*Is that human your superior?*

“Well, technically, in guild hierarchy, yes…”

*He seemed smart for a human, but what a bizarre guy. Just like you.*

“Want to risk your undead life by saying one more word, Skeleton Warlord?”

After a brief pause, the Skeleton Warlord responded by chanting a spell.

*Rise, Skeleton Skeleton!*

Like an old dog who’s learned new tricks, he was now doing well without being told.

The griffon slain by Team Leader Choi, along with other monsters felled by the joint assault of hunters and undead, began to rise again, now under the Skeleton Warlord’s command.

The number was two hundred. The range seemed to have expanded since the first attempt, as even distant undead monsters fell under the Skeleton Warlord’s control and began attacking their former allies.

“Wow. You’re really something.”

*Wow. I’m really something.*

*…Actually, I wasn’t this strong before. But for some reason, immense magical power is surging through me in this place!*

“Uh, sure.”

I gave up trying to understand this bizarre named monster.

Well, as long as the results are good, there’s no point in overthinking it now.

*More! Bring me more of the legion!*

Although I couldn’t see it since it was in the inventory, I was sure his skeletal skull was trembling with excitement.

Sighing, I gripped my spear tightly.

“Yeah, that’s exactly what I plan to do.”

*You have a way?*

“I do.”

The method to increase the number of undead? Simple.

“Just kill them all.”

*Kahahaha! You are indeed a vile and brutal human!*

Arrogant bastard. But this time, I had to partially agree with him.

Listening to the Skeleton Warlord’s crazed laughter echoing in my head, I stepped forward.

*Flame Path.*

*Fwoosh!*

With each step I took, a path of flames blazed to life.

—

Three figures, draped in pitch-black robes and holding staffs adorned with dangling skulls, transmitted their thoughts to each other.

*There’s a problem.*

*The undead monsters are slipping out of control. They’re helping the humans attack the legion. How is this possible?*

They weren’t asking how this happened. They already knew the answer.

*It’s a higher undead. One stronger than us.*

All monsters have a hierarchy, and among the undead, the chain of command is absolute.

If their control had been stolen, it could only be the work of a higher existence.

*But… how could this be?*

None of the three could answer that question.

How could there be a stronger presence here, one that could wrest control of the undead and aid the humans?

*Could it be… Him?*

*Don’t be ridiculous. Have you forgotten the orders He gave us?*

*Kill the humans. Create more undead and a larger legion, kill more humans.*

As they recalled their orders, the three figures fell into a brief confusion.

If it wasn’t the Arch Lich, who could possibly override their control?

*Is there a necromancer among the humans?*

*I didn’t sense anything.*

*Humans despise and fear death. There’s no way. Even if there was, they wouldn’t compare to us.*

The underlying hostility in their thoughts stemmed from their past lives. They had once been necromancers who were despised and shunned by humanity.

But that was long ago, in another dimension.

They had drifted in the sea of death until they encountered the Arch Lich, who granted them new power, allowing them to ascend to become liches.

But…

*If only the transformation had been completed… If only there had been more death in this land.*

*Then we wouldn’t have lost control.*

The three were filled with regret.

Once great necromancers in life, they had not yet fully transformed into liches.

They had yet to fully absorb the **Death Qi (死氣)** needed for the transformation into liches. While they had been reborn in the bodies of dead sorcerers, the one week they had spent here was far too short a time to complete the process.

*That’s why He sent the three of us.*

*If this mission fails, He will be deeply disappointed.*

*He might even strip us of the power He granted us.*

This was their greatest fear. They had to overcome this crisis at all costs, even if it meant exhausting their remaining strength, to win the Arch Lich’s favor.

*We have no choice.*

*Are you suggesting we combine our powers?*

*Yes. If the three of us pool our strength, not even a higher undead can continue to wrest control from us.*

*Agreed.*

*Do you concur?*

*I concur.*

The three, who had been rivals for the Arch Lich’s favor, found common ground at last. Without hesitation, they began chanting a shared incantation.

*Valencia. Madrid.*

*Bayern. Munich.*

*Stuttgart. Zurich.*

The deathly aura exuded by the three spread through the air, tainting the lush green grass black. Soldiers of the People’s Liberation Army, caught within the aura, clutched their throats and collapsed.

*Gaaaah!*

With their dying breaths, the Death Qi that flowed from the bodies of the fallen soldiers seeped into the monsters around them.

*Kyaaaah!*

*Graaawr!*

The raw power infused into the monsters made the very air around them tremble. Their strength now far surpassed that of ordinary monsters.

Feeling the enhanced control and the surge in power within their legion, the three liches finally ceased their incantations.

*Kikikikikik!*

*It worked.*

*We expended a tremendous amount of energy… but this should be more than sufficient.*

As they gazed upon their now empowered army, the three liches laughed in satisfaction. But then—

*Boom!*

In the distance, the sound of an explosion echoed as a monster’s limb was sent flying.

The three liches observed the rising flames and spoke.

*Is there a fire mage among them? Not bad.*

*But in the end, they’re just human. Let’s deploy a large number of Skeleton Mages.*

*Good idea.*

However, moments later, as more flames erupted, the three liches exchanged glances.

*Just now… what was that?*

*We’ve lost control. But it wasn’t stolen.*

*It was destroyed? Impressive.*

*But are we sure it’s a mage? They seem to be moving too fast…*

*Let’s deploy the ogres.*

*Ogres? And Dullahans too?*

*Dullahans? Then who will protect us?*

*He’s right. Deploying Dullahans might be excessive. The enhanced ogres should suffice.*

*True enough.*

But within three minutes, the air around the three liches grew tense.

*We’ve lost control.*

*Again?*

*I told you we should send in the Dullahans.*

*What the hell is that? It doesn’t seem like a mage…*

*Let’s just deploy the Dullahans!*

*Fine. Let’s do that.*

As they watched the twenty Dullahans they had sent off disappear into the fray, the three liches reluctantly came to another consensus.

*Hmm… this situation isn’t likely, but just in case…*

*I was thinking the same thing.*

*Shall we create a Death Knight?*

*But we’ve already expended so much energy… And the materials aren’t ideal… Plus, it would take time.*

*We could make do with the best of what we have. If we combine our powers, it’s possible.*

*Let’s give it a try, then.*

However, their plan to create a Death Knight fell apart in less than ten minutes.

*Fwoosh! Boom!*

Even with only bones left, they could feel the intense heat of the high-temperature flames.

*These damn bastards… There’s so many of them.*

*Crunch!*

As they watched a figure wielding a flame-covered spear tear through the monster horde, the three liches hurriedly began chanting a spell.

The slow, deliberate tones of their voices quickly sped up like a rapid-fire chant.

*Omnihasoyu!*

*Yenwigajike!*

But before they could even complete their incantation, the young man—whether he was a fire mage or a warrior—had already arrived right in front of them.

“Yo, nice to meet you.”

*Omnihasoyu!* [2]

*Y-Yenwigajike!* [2]

Jin Tae-Kyung tilted his head with a smirk.

“Hi there. Are you guys from some entertainment show? Idiots.”

***

Footnotes:
[1] The “six journalistic questions” refer to the basic questions journalists use to gather information: Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How.The “six journalistic questions” refer to the basic questions journalists use to gather information: Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How.
[2] These phrases are magical incantations used by the liches. They are not meant to have a specific meaning but serve to enhance the mystical atmosphere of the scene.