Chapter 184. The Wailing Forest (5)
Eun-Ho’s family had moved constantly ever since he was little.
“Mom! Why do we have to move all the time?”
“H-huh?”
Apartments or villas, just as he was starting to settle in, they would pack up and leave again. It had been exhausting and he never had neighborhood friends either.
“I don’t want to move again... Can’t we just stay?”
“I’m so sorry, my dear. Mom’s sorry.”
Only after he was grown did he understand that they hadn’t had a place they could call home. Even while scrambling to find houses that barely met their circumstances, his parents had gone out of their way to prevent him from having to transfer schools.
Perhaps that was why he’d never cared much about possessions. However, when it came to a home, he always had. Calling it greed didn’t feel quite right as it was closer to longing.
Fwoosh—!
[Buildings can be upgraded using Benefits.]
[Select your desired facilities and customize your own office!]
A massive screen filled his vision. On a translucent background, rows upon rows of colorful cards displayed all kinds of buildings. The moment he saw it, his heart started pounding.
My own office, Eun-Ho thought.
Those words alone made him giddy like a child.
“Uh, M-Mister! What is all this?!”
“This is insane! There’s not just one or two!”
“Can we really build all of these?”
Min Yeo-Jin and the Swear-Master were just as excited as he was.
He quickly started scanning the cards. “Oh! A log cabin!”
The first card showed a lone log cabin sitting in the middle of the clearing. There were neatly trimmed logs stacked into walls, with a proper roof overhead. A hunter or forest ranger seemed about to come out from the shabby house at any moment.
“But doesn’t it look too nice?”
“It really does!”
At least it was far better than their current run-down shelter, with crumbling walls and a nearly collapsing roof, making the inside more dangerous than the outside.
“Hm... But what do the card colors mean?” Ji-Eun asked.
At Ji-Eun’s comment, they noticed the variety of background colors behind the illustrated cards, with houses, walls, towers, and more. To be precise, only the log cabin card was white. Starting with the watchtower, the rest came in different colors.
“White, brown, silver, gold.”
“What is this? Bronze, silver, gold or something?”
Even without the Swear-Master spelling it out, the meaning became obvious once they checked the descriptions beneath the images.
“The prices are different.”
“Prices?”
“Upgrade costs.”
For example, the Log Cabin(Lv. 1) card was white.
[Log Cabin(Lv. 1→Lv. 2)]
1. Provides shelter from rain.
2. The exterior walls slightly reduce the impact of external damage. The number of rooms increases(1→2).
+Upgrade Cost: 100 Points
The Watchtower(Lv. 1) card, on the other hand, was brown.
[Watchtower(Lv. 1→Lv. 2)]
1. Can detect distant enemies.
2. A telescope capable of observing within a one-kilometer radius is added. The chance to detect stealthy enemies slightly increases.
+Upgrade Cost: 150 Points
There were also cards like Field(Not Owned) and Castle Wall(Not Owned).
[Castle Wall(Not Owned)]
1. Unavailable
+Unavailable
Nothing was visible yet, but he could tell it would be more expensive and have better function.
For now, he decided to start with what they could do. “Upgrade the watchtower.”
[Upgrading Watchtower(Lv. 1) to Watchtower(Lv. 2)!]
Immediately, the card spun inside the screen.
Whirr—
Clatter! Creak!
The four wooden legs supporting the watchtower began to shake.
Is it going to collapse? Eun-Ho thought.
He waited nervously.
Pop—!
Then, a dark brown glow burst from the card, followed by a reddish wooden light that wrapped around the tower. A glossy sheen climbed upward from the ground. The uneven wooden pillars that were crudely cut to different lengths and thicknesses smoothed out into sleek supports, as if machine-crafted. Seams hammered with nails and tied with rope vanished as if it had always been one solid piece. The ragged roof transformed into clean wooden planks.
Click! Clank—!
That wasn’t all. At the center of the roof, a telescope straight out of an observatory locked firmly into place.
[Upgrade has been completed!]
The watchtower had been completely reborn in an instant.
Worth every point.
“Whoa!”
“That’s insane.”
The sudden transformation left everyone staring, mouths agape. Then, there was one more thing.
“Upgrade the log cabin.”
They had to build their nest too. Sleeping at the mercy of the elements wasn’t an option.
[Upgrading Log Cabin(Lv. 1) to Log Cabin(Lv. 2)!]
“Team Leader! You’re upgrading the log cabin too?!”
“Isn’t that a bit much for the first day?”
“No,” Eun-Ho said.
From a young age, he was hammered with the idea that sleeping arrangements had to be as comfortable as possible.
“To Level Three.”
Whirr—
The card spun.
Clatter! Creak—!
Each log that had been on the verge of collapse rattled like beads on an abacus. Then, a surge of pure white light burst forth, as if it were being vomited out.
“Shall we go home?”
***
Home was a massive shield that protected them from cold, rain, and wind. To prepare for a fight that would inevitably come someday, he had upgraded the watchtower and the log cabin to create a safe haven. Yet before a full day had passed, it had already proven its usefulness.
[The First Trial has begun!]
[Brace for impact!]
Beeeeep—!
“Holy shit, what the hell is this in the middle of the night?!” Swear-Master shouted.
“You didn’t seriously expect this to happen, did you?!”
A violent storm shook the ceiling and walls alike. Outside the windows, the scenery burned red as if the world were on fire. On top of that, a siren-like warning blared nonstop.
Thuuuud—!
As if everyone wasn’t rattled enough, a wave of sound crashed over them, making their minds go blank.
[The Forest’s Wail has begun.]
[The lost curse blankets the entire forest.]
Eun-Ho’s ears rang. It felt as though invisible water was rising to his chest, drowning his soul. However, they barely survived thanks to the upgraded log cabin’s effect.
[Log Cabin(Lv. 3) partially blocks noise.]
[The curse’s effects are slightly reduced.]
Even so, panic and confusion swept through the group as people scrambled about in fear.
“T-Team Leader, do you have some kind of prophecy skill or something?”
“No!” Eun-Ho hurriedly drew a clear line at the question and raised his voice. He had to organize the chaos and take command. “Summon! Activate!”
[The Employee of the Year Residence Access Pass has been activated!]
[The Door has been opened.]
“Everyone, evacuate! I’ll check the situation outside fir—”
Thuuud—!
Just as he was speaking, a thunderous roar shook the ground like a tidal wave. He clenched his teeth and covered his ears.
“Aaaah!”
The deafening noise swallowed even someone’s scream before finally passing.
Thuuud—!
“Damn it. That name really doesn’t lie.”
As the second wail reached a brief lull, something came flying and slammed into a window.
Clank!
“Is that a bird?!”
“No, that’s a rock!”
It was a small bird sculpture, clutching a tiny note in its beak. The ones on watch duty at the tower, the yellow-haired tattooist and his girlfriend, had sent it.
“There’s a note.”
“Read it!”
“No deaths. The ground’s like a sea. Lots of bugs?”
Had they carved the stone, breathed life into it, and sent it flying? Eun-Ho thought.
“What does ‘the ground’s like a sea’ even mean?!”
“And what do they mean, bugs?!”
Good-natured Ji-Eun sprang to her feet with a determined expression. “I’ll go out! I can bring them here with psychokinesis!"
The team members, who had been scrambling to evacuate, hesitated and stopped.
“S-should we go out too, at least to check?”
“They don’t sound like normal bugs.”
“We can fight them! We’ve got new swords now!”
Forty faces reflected a wide range of emotions from anxiety, worry, anticipation, tension, and a flicker of competitive spirit. However, there was one thing they all shared.
“May we fight?”
“Team Leader!”
They were all waiting for his permission.
Ji-Eun waved her hands frantically, clearly feeling responsible. “Ah no! I can go alone and pull them in with my skill!”
She even flung open the pitch-black, gem-like door, urging them to continue evacuating.
Eun-Ho thought everyone should do what they wanted so there wouldn’t be regrets nor resentment.
“Those who want to avoid it can stay back. Those who want to fight, let’s go out.”
“I’m going out.”
“Eun-Ho!”
Rrrrk—
The compass rattling in his pocket since earlier also bothered him. If he climbed the watchtower and took a look, something would probably reveal itself.
He made the decision and looked outside. “Let’s go together!”
What awaited him was a quagmire.
Splash—!
Thud! Thuuuud! Baaaam!
Slither—! Splash—!
It was a hellscape one would get if they crammed hundreds or thousands of Super Mealworms into one place and let them breed.
“Bugs?!”
“What kind of bug gets that big?!”
The monsters were similar to Super Mealworms in both size and shape.
“If that was the case, they’re big and heavy, so they won’t be very fast. Their shells look tough, so aim for the gaps between the segments instead. Four people per one. Two on each side,” Eun-Ho muttered.
“You figured all that out already?” Ji-Eun asked.
“Of course not.”
Ji-Eun’s eyes went wide at his words, so he answered calmly, “I’ve fought them before.”
“What?”
Besides, he wasn’t the only one with experience. “Summon.”
“Eun-Ho! That’s—”
“Activate.”
Let’s take a look at that face. Or rather, that skull, Eun-Ho thought.
***
It had been a while but he remembered their first meeting.
[Processing...]
[Skull - confirmed]
[Rib Bone - confirmed]
[Humerus - unconfirmed]
[Radius - unconfirmed]
[Ulna - unconfirmed]
...
With their minds still hazy, they had been crawling across the dirt, desperately searching for the arm they had lost.
“Numbers one through ten! Step forward!”
“Forward!”
[Skeleton Soldier Number One has been appointed as the Squad Leader!]
Even though they knew nothing, that man still placed his faith in them and entrusted them with positions.
“Winning by grinding one’s soldiers into dust is something even a child can do. A commander’s job is to win while minimizing casualties.”
He had shown them an ideal of leadership they could never have imagined, let alone dared to hope for. Above all, from the very beginning until now, he had never wavered.
“I told you already. Anyone can win by killing their subordinates along the way.”
“Yes, sir! Squad leader reporting to drill instructor, sir!”
Just as their commander had ordered, they had welcomed a new instructor. Of course, they always carried the man who had given their very first lesson within their hollow ribcages, and etched the instructor into their cold skulls.
“I retrieved data from your master’s homeland,” said the assistant instructor.
“Commander’s homeland?”
“Teaching this won’t make you exactly like him, but it’s worth trying.”
For Commander’s sake, they followed the assistant instructor’s teachings.
“Have you heard of the ten-thousand-hour rule?”
“Ten thousand?”
“They say anyone can become an expert if they put in ten thousand hours. Let’s start with ten thousand repetitions.”
Therefore, they did everything ten thousand times, including ten thousand swings, ten thousand thrusts, and ten thousand slashes. Their joints eroded, and cracks formed without even colliding with anything. Still, even when the wind from their own swings sent chills through their knee bones, they never rested.
Ding!
[Congratulations!]
[You have unlocked a new achievement, Continuous Sword Training for Ten Thousand Hours.]
“Achievement!”
For the first time since dying, they obtained something called an achievement. After that, as they waited while feeling their ribcages swell, another message arrived.
[You have acquired the title, Foolish Swordsman!]
“F-foolish?”
[Your swordsmanship-related intelligence increases drastically.]
[Understanding of swords and swordsmanship increases greatly.]
[Even unfamiliar sword techniques can be mastered through practice.]
[Swordsmanship skill proficiency increases rapidly.]
“T-this is—”
“Does that mean we were acknowledged?”
“We... Finally!”
Clatter. Clatter. Clatter...
Every Skeleton Soldier rattled their jawbones uncontrollably.
Finally. Finally. Finally.
Then, just as they straightened their swollen ribcages and were about to cheer, a living person opened the door and stepped inside.
Click!
“You came at just the right time,” said the assistant instructor.
The commander they had waited for endlessly had returned.
“If you’re done with your lesson, I could use some help,” Eun-Ho said.
Not only that, but he asked them for help!
Thuuuud—!
“Aaaah!”
“Ye-Ji! Grab my hand!”
“Over here! I’ve got it!”
Through the classroom wall and the open doorway, scenes of utter chaos unfolded.
Eun-Ho jerked his chin toward it. “I need you.”
From skull to toe bones, something stirred in them. It felt as though invisible electricity coursed through their bones.
Thuuuuud—! Baaaaam!
The vibrations coming through the doorway made them hum all over. Feeling that tremor fully, they ran and burst forward. “We’re going!”
Clatter—!
Fwooosh—!
Black smoke coiled around the chipped blades and surged toward the sky. Raw energy roared upward, forming a sword dance that bloomed after death. The blades returned together, as if drawn back from hell.
“For the Commander!”
“For him!”