Chapter 382
If you strike the head, the body will fall.
Once I captured the three who seemed to be the leaders, the undead they controlled halted their movements like wind-up toys, and the monster horde, deprived of its command, scattered—either dying or fleeing.
“Arch Lich?”
At my question, the three kneeling figures nodded their heads.
I wasn’t sure if I should even call these things, which were already dead and reduced to mere bones, “figures,” but regardless.
As I patted each of the three skulls in turn, I continued speaking.
“When someone talks to you, you should answer. Are you acting all high and mighty just because you’re dead?”
Before I could finish speaking, they quickly responded.
*Y-Yes. Yes. It’s true that the Arch Lich sent us.*
*You heard correctly, great human.*
*Indeed.*
“Hmm. An Arch Lich, huh? Never heard of that monster before… By the way, who was it that answered in such a disrespectful tone just now?”
*It was him!*
*How dare he speak so insolently to the great human!*
*Swish, swish!*
The bony fingers of the others pointed at one of their own.
The accused skull trembled violently, betrayed by its comrades at lightning speed.
*No! It’s a vile slander!*
“…I don’t think it’s slander.”
If you’re going to lie, at least change your tone.
I glanced around and then took “it” out of my inventory.
“Hey, Skullskull, time for a snack.”
One of the skulls, with a strange black sheen and flickering flames in its hollow eye sockets, emerged.
*…Skullskull? If that’s what you’re going to call me, I’d rather you stick with Warlordmon like before.*
“Why? Skullskull fits you perfectly since you’re just a skull.”
*How dare you insult the great Warlord!*
“Well, if you don’t want it, then never mind.”
Just as I was about to put him back in the inventory, the Skeleton Warlord shouted in a voice filled with frustration.
*I’ll eat it!*
“Honest little guy, aren’t you?”
An honest kid deserves a reward. But a liar needs to be punished.
“Alright, dig in.”
*Thank you, slightly less vile human. But, um, how much should I eat…?*
“Just a little, like last time.”
*Hmm. I’d like to eat more, but… Fine.*
Too much snacking can be excessive. The Skeleton Warlord, showing a hint of disappointment, opened his mouth wide towards the trembling skull.
*Come here, now.*
*No, nooo!*
*Yes.*
As soon as the Skeleton Warlord’s stern command rang out, the transformation began.
*Fwoosh!*
It’s fascinating to watch, no matter how many times I see it.
Like a vacuum cleaner sucking up dust, the black mist that seeped from the kneeling skull was absorbed by the Skeleton Warlord.
*Gaaaah!*
The transformation didn’t stop there.
As more of the black mist—what the Skeleton Warlord called **Death Qi (死氣)**—was drawn out, the skull’s bones turned a pure white, in contrast to the dark, glossy sheen that enveloped the Skeleton Warlord.
*No, stop!*
*Hehehe, such delicious Death Qi…*
*Noooo!*
*Shall I take it all, Death Qi!?*
*Smack!*
*Gasp.*
“Death Qi? What the hell is that? Where did you even learn that?”
*…Who are you to talk?*
“Anyway, stop eating now.”
*Why?!*
“You’ll get fat.”
Momentarily speechless, the Skeleton Warlord was shoved back into my arms as I turned to look at the victim.
When I first saw him, his bones were a dark, dull color, but now they were half-bleached white. It seemed the intense loss of Death Qi left the green flames in his eye sockets flickering precariously.
*Gaaah, gaaah.*
Seeing their companion weakened and drained, the other two skeletons clattered their teeth anxiously.
*Ask us anything, great ruler of flames.*
*We humbly beg of you. Please accept the loyalty of this humble being, Orpheus Maximus Valencia Bayern.*
“…Are you a bidet or an undead?”
They must really be desperate to keep their power. Well, if they’re going to be this cooperative, I can’t complain.
“Now, if there’s anything you haven’t told me, spill it all. If you lie…”
*We’ll tell you everything!*
*We humbly beg of you, allow this wretched being to speak the truth.*
*I-I’ll talk!*
Not wanting to become mere soup stock, the three skeletons eagerly participated in the questioning.
After hearing all the details, from the Arch Lich’s first appearance a week ago to everything that had happened since, I frowned slightly.
“Are you sure?”
*Yes, absolutely!*
*We swear on the River of Death!*
*Not a single lie, we promise.*
Seeing the three of them nodding their skulls vigorously, the Skeleton Warlord suddenly butted in.
*It’s true.*
“Did you get a bribe from them? How can you be so sure?”
*They swore on the River of Death. For beings like us, that’s an absolute vow. It cannot be broken.*
“Hmph.”
For once, this guy, who usually talks nonsense, was being serious, so it probably wasn’t a lie.
Besides, in this situation, they had no reason to pull any tricks.
“Okay. I’ll believe you.”
*Thank you! Thank you so much!*
*Sniff, sniff. I will serve you with all my heart, my king!*
*I-I too shall serve you faithfully, human. I swear on the River of Death that I will never again commit such an act…*
*Crack!*
The last one didn’t get to finish his sentence.
His green eye lights flickered between the fist embedded in his chest and me.
*W-Why?*
“Why? You’re asking why?”
*I-I swear, I pledge, on the River of Death…*
“It’s too late.”
The cold voice that escaped my lips didn’t feel like it was coming from me.
“To undo what you’ve done.”
Countless people died here today.
Even the regular army, armed with modern weaponry, couldn’t stop them. The number of civilians who must have perished at the hands of this monster horde over the past week is unimaginable.
“Your loyalty is meaningless. Especially when it comes from bastards like you.”
As I channeled my fiery Qi into my fist.
*Fwoosh!*
The extreme yang energy ignited, spreading through my fist and enveloping the skeleton’s entire body in searing blue-white flames.
*Kyaaah!*
I saw it. The green light in his eyes flickered out like a candle in the wind.
And then, I saw the other two, who jumped to their feet, hurriedly chanting spells.
*Zazcha wa Umbado…!*
*Vargan Mahra…!*
*Fwoosh!*
A magical wind stirred around them. Just as their wicked spells were about to be completed, I muttered a single word.
“Devour them. All of them.”
As if it had been waiting for that command, the Skeleton Warlord burst out from my coat, mouth wide open.
*As you wish.*
*Varzaba—aaah!*
*N-Nooo!*
The monsters’ final death cries, desperate to remain as undead.
But contrary to their desires, the Skeleton Warlord’s suction was stronger and faster than ever.
*Fwoosh! Gulp!*
The massive amount of Death Qi was swallowed in one go, and as the Skeleton Warlord trembled with satisfaction, the two remaining skeletons crumbled into dust, having lost all their power.
*Ding! Ding! Ding!*
*You have successfully completed the Emergency Quest: [Unexpected Ambush]!*
*You have dismantled the monster horde! This is a truly remarkable achievement!*
*As a quest reward, you have earned the title [Undead Hunter]!*
*You have gained a significant amount of experience and fame!*
*Level up!*
Only one level?
Before, this would’ve been enough for multiple level-ups, but now that I’m at level 120, it seems the experience required has increased.
‘Not that I did it for the experience.’ I only did what needed to be done, but I can’t help but feel a bit disappointed.
The stronger I get, the more useful it will be in future battles.
‘The same goes for this guy.’
As I muttered to myself, I glanced at the Skeleton Warlord.
Thanks to absorbing an immense amount of Death Qi, the power I felt from him was on a whole different level compared to when I first encountered him.
*Wooo…*
*Wooo…*
Black mist billowed out from the holes in his skull, including the eyes, nose, and ears.
His eye sockets glowed with a purple light, and his now glossy black surface exuded an ominous aura. The next moment, his loud laughter echoed in my mind.
*Khaha, khahaha!*
“Turn down the volume. You’re too loud.”
*You vile human! This time, I truly thank you!*
“Of course you should. I’m the one who fed you, after all.”
At my indifferent reply, the Skeleton Warlord bristled.
*Fed me? Do you think I’m some kind of pet?!*
“Pretty close, don’t you think?”
*Don’t be ridiculous!*
“Really? Skullskull, come back.”
As I held out my hand, he jumped up and landed on my palm. I gently scratched the space between his brows.
“You did well, Skullskull. Such a good boy.”
His skull trembled slightly.
*Th-This can’t be! How could I, the great Warlord, be treated like this by a mere human!*
“Your mouth says no, but your body tells the truth.”
*I am the master of the Black Forest, the commander of the mighty undead legion! Don’t mock me!*
“The commander with only a head left?”
*What?! I can restore my body anytime I want by consuming more Death Qi!*
“Really? Then why haven’t you restored it yet?”
*…Because some crazy human would just smash it again anyway.*
“Oh, correct.”
*Grit. Grit.* With no teeth to grind, the Skeleton Warlord’s eye sockets narrowed as his bone joints creaked.
*Tell me, vile human.*
“What?”
*What’s your true motive? There must be some dark scheme behind why you gave me so much power. Speak the truth!*
After a moment’s thought, I answered.
“Hmm. Because you’re a weakling.”
*W-What?*
“You can’t beat me anyway. And it’s more convenient to have a stronger, more useful weakling at my disposal, don’t you think?”
“Now, go back inside. People are coming.”
I placed the stunned Skeleton Warlord back into the inventory and stood up.
The duty-free shop corridor, which would normally have been bustling with airport staff and passengers, was dark and empty. Three people were walking toward me.
And two of them were familiar faces.
“Jin Tae-Kyung.”
“Mr. Jin.”
Team Leader Choi, looking relatively unscathed, and Xiao Shen, an A-rank hunter from the Chinese Public Security Force, were among them.
Xiao Shen’s face, still covered in blood and dust, showed signs of deep exhaustion, even though a considerable amount of time had passed since the battle ended.
“You were here.”
I gave a nod of acknowledgment to Team Leader Choi and explained myself.
“Yes. I had some things to take care of.”
“Please speak more casually, sir. You are a hero who saved me, my comrades, and the people of China.”
Is it just my imagination, or did he almost call me ‘sir’ in a less respectful tone?
Whether he noticed my thoughts or not, Xiao Shen continued speaking in a highly respectful manner.
“Thanks to you and your colleague from the Peace Guild, we were able to defeat the monsters. I want to take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude once again.”
“Oh, it was nothing. Just doing what needed to be done.”
I waved my hand dismissively, glancing at Team Leader Choi for his reaction.
I was worried that the [Universal Language Pack] might malfunction, but since we were talking to Xiao Shen, it seemed that my words were still being heard in Chinese by Team Leader Choi.
“By the way, who is this…?”
The one unfamiliar face among them.
A middle-aged man with graying hair, who had been silently listening to our conversation, extended his hand for a handshake.
“I’m Wei Fenghu, Minister of Defense for the Central Military Commission. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Jin.”
“Minister of Defense…?”
“My rank is General.”
“Oh.”
I knew he was an important person, but I had no idea what a General was.
Reading my thoughts, Team Leader Choi whispered in a voice barely audible.
“Four-star general. Four-star.”
“Oh, I see! Nice to meet you, General!”
I had four stars once too, back when I used to play that game as a kid. Man, those were the days. Even though I ended up losing big time.
Wei Fenghu smiled faintly as he shook my hand.
“You’re full of energy, as expected from a young man. I have many questions for you… Shall we talk as we go?”
“Sure.”
As I was about to follow Wei Fenghu, I hesitated.
“But where are we going?”
“To the operations headquarters. We have a jet waiting.”
“Excuse me? Headquarters? A jet?”
“Yes. Everyone’s waiting for you there, Mr. Jin.”
Everyone? Who could that be?
