Chapter 14: The Pathmaker

The Skeleton Lord sat alone on his colossal throne.

His empty eye sockets were connected by magic, sharing the sight of his subordinate, the Skeleton General.

What they were watching was a group of humans trespassing into his territory.

“Daring to invade my land with less than fifty of your kind?”

The Lord felt not just contempt but anger at the meager number.

He decided to imprint his wrath by demonstrating overwhelming power.

All his forces within the territory were sent toward the humans’ location.

Gathering the troops was a swift operation.

Though it took half a day to assemble thousands of skeleton soldiers.

After that, the Lord dispatched scouts in groups of six.

They shared sight with the soldiers to assess the humans’ level.

For amusement, he had stripped all the soldiers of their armor.

They held only swords and shields, and none rode horses.

It was at that moment—

‘Hmm?’

The humans suddenly started dashing through the dense forest, now thick with fog so thick they couldn’t see an inch ahead.

Their sprint was so fierce it kicked up clouds of dust.

They seemed desperate to escape the forest at any cost.

…?

The Lord rested his chin on his hand, pondering.

The sudden, inexplicable situation baffled him.

All his troops had surrounded that spot, entrapping the humans.

Even if the humans had someone who could cast detection magic, it was already too late.

The encirclement was complete, so preventing their escape was simple.

This was exactly the outcome the Lord desired.

Yet, he could not laugh at the humans.

They had precisely executed the correct countermeasure under such circumstances.

Though delayed, they had made the smartest possible move.

“What is this? What dares to vex my mood so?”

The Lord slammed his fist onto the throne, as if to dispel his irritation.

This act transmitted his command to the Skeleton Generals afar, and they immediately charged their troops.

Thousands of skeletons surged forward, targeting fewer than fifty humans.

Our sprint was cut short, blocked in the thick forest.

Their numbers far exceeded our expectations.

They had formed a dome-shaped barrier with the mobile mana generators, a continuous white wave relentlessly pressing in.

The mage quickly conjured a protective shield, but it shattered swiftly under the onslaught of countless skeletons.

Ultimately, six A-rank hunters stepped forward, forming a hexagonal defense line.

Though a few skeletons slipped through occasionally, causing injuries, the hunters assigned as my guards quickly handled the threats—no fatalities occurred.

At the 12 o’clock position around the mana generator stood Wooyeonhu, swinging his spear and shouting loudly.

“Hold the line! Don’t let a single one through!”

His voice brimmed with unwavering determination not to allow any skeletons inside the dome.

Was it the leader’s fierce will, cutting down the most skeletons, that inspired his comrades?

All five team members held their ground without retreating.

Each exerted their fullest strength to resist the overwhelming skeletal assault.

Thanks to them, the logistics team, mostly civilians, could keep themselves safe.

But even that couldn’t last forever.

Humans inevitably tire, and skeletons, fully equipped and mounted, were a different breed from the scouts we had encountered.

I drew my longsword and stepped forward to assist the combat team.

“Jion! Don’t!”

“Don’t go forward! Step back, now!”

Kim Minju and Wooyeonhu tried to stop me.

If I died, this expedition would fail to collect the Udamhwa, and everything would be over.

But the expedition would also end if the combat team grew exhausted and could no longer hold back the skeletons.

What use would it be if I survived alone to gather the Udamhwa, with everyone else dead?

“I’m fine. Don’t worry about me. Just fight!”

I shouted and stepped forward, filling my longsword with mana.

A warm touch, once, twice…

Quickly gathering the energy equivalent to ten warm touches.

Had I overcharged the mana in the longsword?

The mana enveloping the blade shimmered like a blue blade.

Wooyeonhu’s eyes widened when he saw it.

Then he gave a small, approving smile and nodded.

Hmm. It seems he misunderstood something…

Well, I’d just let it slide for now.

There was no time to leisurely clear up misunderstandings.

I stood beside the female mage who was diligently casting spells.

Not because she was weaker than the others.

But mages need time to chant their spells, and I was here to buy her that time.

“T-Thank you!”

The moment I stood before her, she seemed to instantly grasp my intention and thanked me.

In response, she mumbled “World Tree Slash” softly and swung her longsword.

A crescent-shaped blue light shot forward.

“…Huh?”

I had intended only to cut a fan-shaped arc.

But contrary to my expectation, the World Tree Slash shot straight ahead.

The crescent-shaped blue light charged forward, cleaving the skeletons in two.

About fifty fell before it ended.

The blue light vanished in a flare after decapitating the Skeleton General.

“Flame Strike!”

I shouted again, filling the longsword with mana and moving forward.

Warm touches once, twice…

Gathering the energy of ten warm touches quickly.

Had I charged too much mana again?

The blade’s mana shimmered like a blue sword.

Wooyeonhu’s eyes grew wide once more.

Then he smiled and nodded again.

Hmm. He seems to have misunderstood something again…

Well, I’d just let it pass.

There was no time to waste on clearing misunderstandings.

I stood beside the hardworking female mage once more.

Again, not because she was weaker.

But to cover her while she cast spells.

“T-Thank you!”

She greeted me as if she knew my purpose.

I whispered “World Tree Slash” softly and swung the longsword.

The crescent-shaped blue light launched ahead.

“…Huh?”

I’d planned to cut a fan-shaped arc.

But the World Tree Slash fired straight ahead instead.

The blue crescent rushed forward, splitting the skeletons in two.

About fifty fell.

The blue light disappeared after beheading the Skeleton General.

“Flame Strike!”

I replied, “Just a hunch,” as it seemed easier to convince them that way.

The World Tree Slash cut through the front line again.

Though the blue light killed skeletons, their numbers refilled as if the water itself was replenishing the horde.

Truly, the end was nowhere in sight.

Wooyeonhu shouted decisively.

“Let’s break through!”

“But…!”

“I know it’s a trap! Everywhere else is…!”

He cut down an attacking skeleton and continued.

“We can’t break through anywhere else! Let’s go through there!”

“…Agreed!”

He meant to charge straight into the obvious trap.

It was a proposal none could refuse.

It was the best chance for survival.

Except for the gap, the skeleton wall was too thick to penetrate anywhere else.

And continuing to hold this position was not a good option.

People would tire eventually, facing thousands of skeletons.

I alone, with infinite SP, would be left to resist.

Oju Han, standing at 6 o’clock, stepped back to shrink the defense line.

He prepared to charge in the 10 o’clock direction.

Following him, the mage and I, at 4 o’clock, also gradually drew back the line.

While we contracted the defense, the mage asked.

“Jion, can you hold?”

“Do your part!”

“Thank you!”

I instantly understood her intent.

She probably planned to run toward 10 o’clock, leaving me to hold 4 o’clock.

Breaking the skeleton encirclement required either a powerful charging skill or a wide-area magic attack.

Among the hunters here, she was the strongest damage dealer.

Switching my longsword to my left hand, I cast Warm Touch.

“Now!”

I shouted, and she immediately began chanting her spell, sprinting toward 10 o’clock.

With the mage gone, the skeletons attacked more fiercely.

Charging mana into the longsword to cast World Tree Slash, I lightly tapped the skeletons approaching me with Warm Touch.

Each time my index finger touched a skeleton, it crumbled to dust.

Unlike when they burst apart, this death looked like clerics casting healing spells on undead.

Perhaps it was because the World Tree skill was considered a sacred tree.

“Flame Strike!”

The sound of the mage casting her spell came from behind.

Then the sound of people rushing forward.

The mage’s magic had pierced the skeleton encirclement.

“Jion!”

“Understood!”

Hearing Wooyeonhu call me, I swung the longsword with my left hand.

Blue light shot forward again.

The skeletons were effortlessly cleaved.

I turned and ran toward the direction where the others were pouring out.

My guess was right.

Though skeletons blocked our path, resistance wasn’t fierce.

By the time the logistics team, dragging the mobile mana generator, was gasping for breath, we had exited the forest and entered a vast canyon.

“…Damn it.”

Wooyeonhu muttered quietly beside me.

He had realized it.

This canyon would be our grave.

We were walking straight into a prison we had built for ourselves.

But we had no choice but to run.

We couldn’t stop here.

After a few more minutes, Oju Han’s voice came from the front.

“Stop! Everyone halt…!”

One by one, the group came to a stop.

We’d reached a dead end—blocked by dense trees.

Oju Han swung his dagger at the trees, but they didn’t budge.

People stood in stunned silence, staring at the blockade.

Even with skeletons behind us staring with hollow eyes, their gazes remained fixed on the trees.

The thickly packed trees seemed to gnaw away at people’s hope like a barrier.

…Huh? Trees?

“I’m saved!”

I shouted aloud without realizing it.

The others looked at me as if to say, ‘What are you talking about?’

Wooyeonhu’s expression matched theirs at first.

But as time passed, a spark of hope lit his face, and eventually he laughed heartily.

Everyone else stared at us like we’d lost our minds.

He gathered mana throughout his body, lifted his spear, and stood before the skeletons.

I dashed straight toward the trees.

“Please! Jion!”

“Yes, this will be over soon!”

Only one person here understood our words.

Kim Minju.

While others looked puzzled, only she began encouraging everyone.

“Just hold on a little longer! We can survive! Let’s push through!”

Hearing her encouragement, I extended my right index finger toward the trees.

[Warm Touch has contacted a C-rank Layer Tree.]

[Maintaining current state will initiate gathering.]

[Probability adjusted to 100%. Gathering commencing.]

[3, 2, 1.]

The Layer Tree I touched suddenly sprang up.

I touched other trees, and within three seconds their roots snapped free.

“…??”

People looked at me, dumbfounded.

‘What on earth are you doing?’

Their faces seemed to ask this all at once.

Seeing those faces, I couldn’t help but smile.