Chapter 44: Everyone, Fall Back!

"Everyone, fall back!"

"Fall back...!"

"No...!"

A Black Bone soldier blocked the way ahead.

I quickly raised my right arm and swung my sword.

Skeok!

Using a longsword one-handed made precise control difficult.

But fortunately, the heavy and sharp cut sliced through the pitch-black bone.

"Uuuuurgh!"

This time, a skeleton lunged at me from the side, aiming for the standard I held in my left hand.

Should I turn my body to dodge?

No, that would leave the other side exposed. The others wouldn't leave me alone.

They were rattling, ready to pounce at any opening.

If that's the case—

Puh-uk!

I gripped the long standard and swung it.

Jirit!

The chilly, hefty feel of the iron pole ran up from my palm, through my arm, and to my shoulder.

"Uuuuugh-!"

"Aaah! Why...!"

Several soldiers who were about to charge were knocked down by the sweeping standard.

The ones next to them, and the ones beyond, all fell together.

Tadak-!

Thanks to that, I was able to slip into the now-empty space.

Wagjak!

I crushed a pile of black bones under my feet as I moved.

"This way! Hurry!"

At the same time, I gestured to the White Bone soldiers fighting hard in their positions.

They had charged deep into enemy lines, following only me.

Knowing full well that the only way out was through me, they shoved aside the skeletons they'd been fighting and rushed over.

Tadak-!

【'The Management Bureau Crow' shouts to sweep away everything, flags and all!】

...Ignoring the all-purpose battle maniac, I turned and made my retreat.

"Waaiiit! Stop!!!"

A scream, almost a wail, rang out from behind me.

And that harsh, grating voice...

"?!"

It was the skeleton captain, staggering forward.

'How...?'

I had clearly crushed his neck so he couldn't possibly reattach his head and body.

Other soldiers I attacked the same way had all lost their vitality and become piles of bones.

Why was this one still moving?

"That look says you wonder how I can move."

He gave a nasty grin and adjusted his helmet.

Sususususu-!

A helmet made from the sharpened skull of a horned beast.

Sseut, sseut.

From the black helmet, a purple aura shimmered, swirling around the broken neck.

"...I think I get it."

So, that helmet he wears alone is his source of life.

I'll have to take that helmet.

I shouldn't cut his neck, but slice through the middle of his head.

Thinking that, I raised my sword.

"Ca, captain...!"

He grabbed a subordinate next to him.

Dalgak! Kuung-!

"Captaaaain!"

He threw him.

"Detonate!!!"

He shouted.

Told them to blow up.

"Pointless."

He must have seen that I'd blocked it all earlier. Either he can't learn, or he's making a last-ditch effort.

Either way, I had no intention of accepting it quietly, so I raised my shield.

"You think it won't work...?"

The skeleton soldier, dislocated and sprawled on the ground, wailed, uuuuung-!

Twisted, broken arms.

A skull, fallen from the neck down to near the knees.

A spine, completely bent and folded.

Uung! Uuung-!

Each bone joint glowed red.

Like firewood about to spit flames.

And then—

[Enemy Skeleton Soldier has activated the 'Bone Bomb' skill!]

[Skill activation area expands to entire body.]

[Special condition met!]

['Bone Bomb' skill evolves into 'Self-Destruct'!]

"Self-destruct?!"

「Bone Bomb (Lv.1): You can detonate extracted bones. The power increases in proportion to the mass of the detonated bones, so be careful.」

The power of the 'Bone Bomb (Lv.1)' skill depends on the weight of the bone used.

When I tested it earlier, twenty rib bones gave an impact force of about 10.

One shell armor wasn't quite enough, but with a shield, there was no effect—so that's accurate.

But if all the bones in the body explode, not just the ribs?

'Ten times? Twenty times?'

It would easily surpass my current defense of 30.

This...

I can't block it. Absolutely not!

'I have to dodge!'

I can always reclaim the flag, but if I get hurt, it's over.

For now, accelerate and get as far away as possible. That should be enough.

The moment I opened my lips—

"Go..."

Tak!

Something hard and claw-like grabbed my arm.

Startled, I turned around to see two black holes bored between milky bones.

"Number 1?"

Skeleton Soldier Number 1 pulled me back.

His four fingers rattled as he did so.

"It's... dangerous...!"

It's not dangerous.

"Squad leader... let me..."

You can run away.

With 20 seconds from the acceleration skill, that's enough to get myself out.

But...

'If you act like this, I can't just leave you.'

"Acceleration! Petrify!"

So I moved my hands instead of my feet.

Chuchuchuchut!

The bone mound swelled as if about to burst.

Even with petrification reinforcement, I felt a stinging heat as I grabbed it haphazardly.

It wouldn't explode in my hand.

There are about 0.1 seconds until a complete explosion, which is two seconds in this slowed time.

Whiirik! Whiiik!

So I hurled it with all my strength.

The skull. The shin bone. The foot bone. Even the torso, still mostly intact—all of it.

But—

Ttick!

As time returned to normal—

Uuuung-!

A bulging mound of earth glowed red.

Apparently, I missed a few bone fragments.

"!!"

Fwaaah—!

A blinding light poured from the sky, enough to burn your eyes if you looked straight at it.

Slow as a sunrise over the dawn sea, yet in an instant.

And then—

—Kwoaaaaaaang!

An equally slow but inescapably forceful explosion.

It was too late to dodge. In that case—

'Block it.'

"Summon! Activate!"

I shouted, gripping the green admission ticket.

Paat—!

A metal door, summoned atop the dirt, intercepted the explosion with its cool, smooth surface.

It crumpled and caved in like slow motion, and finally, the door was pierced through.

The explosion, filtered by the door, swept toward me.

[Impact overcomes defense!]

['Wooden Shield' absorbs the shock!]

['Shell Armor' partially absorbs the shock!]

'Ugh!'

The heavy impact pierced through my title, armor, and shield, and I felt some of it.

And at the same time—

[Warning!]

['Wooden Shield' is destroyed by repeated impacts!]

Jjigeok-!

A crack ran down the center of the shield.

Kwaduk!

It shattered.

Paseut! Passseuseusut-!

Enemy soldiers nearby crumbled as well.

Splintering, breaking, and turning to dust like the cracked shield.

The iron door could be summoned again with another ticket.

I could buy a new shield from the shop.

The problem was—

[White Flag is tainted with Black Energy!]

The pure white flag had been seized by the enemy commander, the giant skeleton clad in black armor.

And he had destroyed dozens of his own subordinates with his own hands to get it.

['Victory Flag' has been stolen!]

In an instant, the flag was dyed black.

"You bastard...!"

I rushed forward, but stumbled.

Maybe from the explosion's effect, my legs wouldn't support me.

"Captain...!"

As the skeleton soldiers ran to support me, the enemy escaped with the standard into their ranks.

Damn...!

Dalgak-!

Leading the black skeletons, they looked at me with strange eyes.

All that was left—

"Ugh..."

"It... it hurts..."

The Black Bone soldiers who had lost their lower bodies, limbs, or parts of their bodies due to their comrade's self-destruct, collapsing unable to balance.

And then the White Bone soldiers came running, panting.

"Are... are you alright...!"

[The sacrifice of the commander greatly increases the loyalty of the skeleton soldiers!]

[Current loyalty: 95%]

"Shall we... chase them...?"

"We could catch up if we go after them, but..."

[The skeleton soldiers are eagerly awaiting the commander's orders!]

"You'll be in danger."

"!!"

"If they self-destruct again, I won't be able to save you."

If we go unprepared, my rewards... no, I'll just lose more soldiers for nothing.

Let's think.

There has to be a way.

A way to minimize losses and win.

Just then, an announcement echoed.

[The skeleton soldiers offer boundless trust to the commander who understands the heart of bone!]

[Loyalty to 'Lee Eunho' has reached its peak!]

Huh?

—Ttirring!

[Congratulations!]

[You can now command the skeleton soldiers to make the ultimate bone sacrifice.]

[You can demand noble repose.]

Ultimate bone sacrifice, noble repose?

And—

[Target: 'Lee Eunho.' Due to strong influence transcending race, data measurement speed is increased!]

[Skill unlocking data collection complete.]

A new skill, too?

[Congratulations!]

[Based on charisma to lead the lost, influence beyond race, and the qualities of an Emperor, the skill has been unlocked.]

[Command (Lv.1) skill unlocked!]

Command...

It was one of the courses I'd seen at the Academy.

▣ Charismatic Leadership

- The Age of Chaos! Who will lead the lost people? Take your first step in the imperial studies of our era, for prospective leaders!

- Completion reward: Command (Lv.1) skill unlock

'I've saved an admission ticket.'

Back then, I wondered what I'd ever use this for.

'Never thought I'd get and use it like this.'

[Due to the effects of Command (Lv.1), your influence over subordinates has increased.]

"Captain...!"

"If you order us to die... we will die...!"

"Give us... your command...!"

Command skill.

Bone sacrifice.

The Black Bones, agonizing as they looked at their shattered bodies.

And even 'that' I'd been saving, expecting it might come in handy someday.

"Alright."

I've added up the variables and constants, and found my own formula for victory.

Calculations complete.

---

Dalgak!

The skeleton knight trembled with joy that coursed from his skull to his toe bones.

Every joint collided, sending a shiver through his body!

Dalgrak!

First time since death.

This feeling.

"...It's proven!"

We've surpassed humans!

Though many soldiers and countless bones were returned to the earth, it was a sacrifice for the greater good.

Now the world would know.

That paltry flesh and blood is nothing before death!

"Rejoice, O Great Creator!"

Dalgak!

The skeleton knight raised the victory flag high above his head.

And shouted.

"The end of the human era has arrived!"

By the grace of the Great One, the lowly have achieved a mighty feat.

How pleased would the Creator be,

To see his own creation grow so much!

Shaking with joy—

Dalgak!

A soldier clattered over from afar.

"What is it, soldier!"

I definitely told them to block any intruders—

Wait.

Now that I see...

"Your bones are a mess. Could it be that the enemy was so strong you couldn't stop him...?"

"Enough."

"En-enough?!"

How dare a mere soldier interrupt his commander's words!

Thinking to teach the insolent wretch a lesson, I cracked my knuckles—

"Summon."

He spoke some strange word.

"?!"

Swaeek!

He swung a shining piece of metal.

Daengang!

And split me—from my eyes to my mouth—clean in half.

The skull of the commander who had just accomplished a legendary feat!

"Wha, wha—what is...! Puhek!"

The skeleton knight's head stuck into the dirt.

More accurately, the top half with the helmet.

"Hm?"

The foot soldier cocked his skull, confused.

"Treason?! Is that what this is?!"

"Even cutting you like this doesn't kill you?"

Muttering something utterly foolish.

"Foolish... mere creature! How dare you deny the role assigned by the Creator!"

The skeleton knight couldn't hold back his rage.

Dalgak-!

Moving his headless body as best he could.

It was frustrating that the seeing and speaking holes were so far apart, but that could be fixed by reattaching them.

The other one, flicking his ankle bone, watched and approached his own body.

"Petrify."

He spoke something unintelligible.

Kwaang! Kwaduduk!

Smashed the jaw upward.

Crushed the ribs.

Stomped on the shins.

He smashed all the bones in his body.

"M-my body...!"

"Haa, you're persistent."

The knight, whose bones were broken and buried in the dirt, managed to move his trembling jaw.

"This crazy...!"

Madman!

This guy was clearly insane.

The Creator had made a mistake and crafted a mad creation!

If only I could recover my body...

"Should I start by taking off the helmet?"

"No, you can't! That's the sign of a knight bestowed by the Creator!"

The desperate jawbone shouted.

Even a knight couldn't recover from this much damage without his helmet.

That must be protected at all costs!

"Stop! What do you want?! A ten-squad leader position? No, I'll even make you my lieutenant!"

"Don't need it."

But the skeleton soldier ignored the promotion and walked over to the flag.

...Wait.

The flag?

"You! What are you scheming?!"

Dalgak-!

The skeleton soldier grabbed the standard.

[White energy fills the flag!]

The beautiful black flag was being defiled, turning white.

"White?!"

"It's white."

['Victory Flag' has been stolen!]

Dalgak! Tak-!

I was so shocked, my jawbone fell off.

"Wa-wait! Come to think of it, you...!"

"Oh, me? You figured it out?"

If I had eyes, they'd have popped out too.

"Who... who are you?"

With no lower jaw, I barely managed to ask.

The mysterious soldier pondered for a moment, then answered.

"Hmm..."

Kwaduduk-!

Stepping on the fallen, collapsing knight—once a knight—whose helmet was taken,

"Skeleton Soldier 101?"

...What?