Chapter 43. Mock Battle (2)
Clack! Clack! Rattle!
After a few commands, ten Skeletal Soldiers stood in a line. The last one, who had been chattering its teeth the whole time, finally creaked into place.
[Skeleton Soldier Number 1]
[Skeleton Soldier Number 2]
[Skeleton Soldier Number 3]
...
Their total combined stats was a measly 15, with their only skills being Clattering and Bone Dislocation. While they did flash occasionally, they were basically glorified Bone Bombs. Cannon fodders, basically.
It was almost insulting, as if the system was telling him to use them as throwaway explosives.
“Got it?” Eun-Ho asked.
“Y-yes, Captain!” came the shaky reply.
Still, if he wanted the best outcome, every one of them needed to play their part, including himself. With a bit of hope that they’d make it through this intact, he patted a nearby Skeleton on the shoulder.
[Skeleton Soldier Number 1 has been appointed as the Squad Leader!]
Huh?
The trainee had been promoted to a Squad Leader.
[Skeleton Soldier Number 1]
- Affiliation: Lee Eun-Ho (Temporary) Royal Guard Platoon 1
- Rank: Squad Leader
...
- Appointed by Commander Lee Eun-Ho. Seems proud.
Wait, what?
“Squad Leader... Will do my best...!” the Skeleton clacked loudly, smashing its teeth together, as if hyping itself up.
Clack! Clack! Clack!
The other nine Skeletons, apparently part of the same platoon, lowered their heads as if accepting the sudden hierarchy.
Well... Either Trainee or Squad Leader, their tasks didn’t change.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
He marched forward with his Skeleton squad trailing behind. They stopped right at the edge of the grassy field, where the enemy camp began. The battlefield stretched out ahead.
[The Crow from the Bureau of Management asks why he’s splitting up forces?]
[The Prince from the Bureau of Investigation advises that he should charge all at once.]
Observers started chiming in with their unsolicited advice. Understandable, really. The situation was undeniably hopeless.
[Ferry Man from the Bureau of Management complains that the trial conditions are unfair to start with.]
[They are asking how he is supposed to reach the flag if the enemy has it locked down on all sides.]
The enemy had it easy. All they had to do was sit tight and guard the flag, which had spawned right in the middle of their base. Eun-Ho, on the other hand, had to break through a well-established defense line.
To make matters worse, there wasn’t a single bow or a scrap of siege equipment. Vast, open plains reached endlessly in all directions—a no-man’s-land in every sense. From the look of it, victory seemed impossible.
However, a handicap was just a handicap. He wasn’t about to lose a battle of strategy to some brainless bags of bones.
“Summon.”
[Would you like to activate the Capital Beacon Torch?]
[Choose between Beacon Fire and Beacon Smoke.]
“Beacon Smoke.”
The words left his mouth and shot toward the beacon like an arrow. The beacon’s angular structure gave a small sound and glowed. Its top, woven with dry straw, flared red without catching fire.
Fssssh—!
Thick, acrid smoke poured out. Thin tendrils curled upward like cigarette smoke, weaving together into something denser and more forceful.
[Ferry Man from the Bureau of Management asks why he brought out a beacon all of a sudden.]
[The Prince from the Bureau of Investigation wonders if this really is the time to wave around some smoke.]
Eun-Ho appeared entirely pleased with himself, but the onlookers weren’t so sure.
“It’s not just a torch. And it’s definitely not just smoke,” Eun-Ho muttered.
Of course they wouldn’t know since they weren’t from this world.
Fwoooooosh—!
“The wind’s blowing.”
Eun-Ho felt the direction, the pressure, and the way the wind surged toward the enemy lines. He sensed it in every blade of grass trembling beneath the breeze—in the subtle shift of the air itself.
These were things no outsider could perceive. After all, they couldn’t feel this world, at least not like he could.
The wind picked up. It wasn’t strong enough to knock someone over, but just right to carry smoke where it needed to go.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Stepping forward a few paces, he crouched low, running his fingers through the brittle grass—dry, crackling, perfect fuel. Then, he steadily lowered the beacon torch’s head.
Crackle. Crackle.
The straw ignited without flame, glowing with ember-red heat. From the green field itself, pale smoke began to rise—thick, curling, and eerily fireless.
Fwooooooom—!
The smoke spread like a wildfire.
It surged across the battlefield with sheer volume, engulfing the grasslands in a smothering gray that climbed toward the sky. Just like that, there was a sudden whiteout.
One of the black Skeleton Soldiers, stationed ahead, called out in alarm, “F-fire?!”
“Where’s it coming from?!” their commander shot back, blade drawn, eyes darting in every direction, trying and failing to pierce the smoke.
Eun-Ho knew that he had to destabilize their lines by exploiting a weakness. It was as simple as that.
He remembered the system message about the Skeleton Soldiers.
- Visual, auditory, and tactile senses are dull, but this makes them less susceptible to pain or fear of annihilation.
Even Eun-Ho could barely make out the enemies just a few meters away through smoke and haze. It’d have been much worse for them.
[The Prince from the Bureau of Investigation asks if he just used a whole field as firewood.]
[The Crow from the Bureau of Management slaps their knees in admiration at Subject Lee Eun-Ho’s ability to create something out of nothing.]
[Ferry Man from the Bureau of Management mutters that they might need a separate difficulty scale just for him.]
This is just the beginning.
“I-I can’t see anything...!”
“What do we do?!”
“Hold the formation! Don’t break it!”
As the smoke continued to spread, panic rose in the enemy ranks. Meanwhile, Eun-Ho’s soldiers were getting fired up, both literally and figuratively.
[The Skeleton Soldiers are fired up by your brilliant strategy!]
[Current loyalty: 55%]
Hundreds or even thousands of clacking bones filled the air with a storm of noise. Then, Eun-Ho raised the torch high overhead. As smoke swirled around them, the white Skeletons locked their eyeless sockets on their leader.
Hummmmm—!
The moment he took a deep breath, the chaotic noise suddenly softened, as if a blanket of silence had been laid over the battlefield.
“Attention!”
Through that hush, Eun-Ho’s words rang out, sharp as a gunshot.
[Empowered by the Beacon, your voice projects with unnatural clarity.]
A thin veil of silence hung over them. The Skeletons hadn’t stopped rattling. Eun-Ho’s voice had simply pierced through all of it, sinking straight into their marrow.
[The Skeleton unit is now ready to receive your orders!]
[Current loyalty: 60%]
[The parameters required for skill activation are being calculated.]
One hundred Skeletons stood at full attention. They said nothing, jaws gently clacking open and shut. If they had ears, they would probably have perked them up by now.
Therefore, Eun-Ho gave the order.
“First Platoon, you're scouts! Follow me. We’re flanking from the rear!” he said it louder and firmer, strained from the effort, his neck veins standing out. “The rest of you, hold your position! Once you get the signal, charge the front line immediately!”
Clack! Clack! Rattle— Snap!
The troops answered not with words, but with furious gnashing of teeth. It was an eerie kind of salute.
[Your organized leadership has raised the Skeleton Soldiers' loyalty!]
[Current Loyalty: 65%]
Eun-Ho had just one more thing to drive home.
[If the flag is not under your control by the end, you will be deleted. Your trial reward will be based on how many soldiers survive.]
“Don’t forget this!”
They had to know.
“Your survival is the top priority!”
His survival wasn’t the only concern—theirs mattered too. That was the only way to maximize the reward.
“I don’t want any of you dying out there. Understood?!”
“Y-yes...! Awooooh—!”
“Raaargh—!”
[Your words have struck deep into the Skeletons’ ribcages!]
[Current Loyalty: 70%]
[The parameters required for skill activation are being calculated.]
“Charge!”
***
Crack!
Skeleton Soldier Number 1 pulled out one of his own ribs.
“I offer my limbs just for you...”
“No. That’s not necessary.”
“But... Leader...”
“I said no.”
Even as the Squad Leader declined, the soldier kept shoving bones into its hands. Apparently, being dead had dulled his sense of self-preservation. It was something about being numb to the fear of pain and destruction.
“Alright, fine... Then just a pinky.”
“Yes sir!”
“Just one side, okay?”
“Yes sir!”
Thanks to the overly generous Skeleton soldiers, the prep work was complete. They’d reached the infiltration point, too.
“We’re going in.”
Clatter—!
As Eun-Ho raised his blade into the smoky air, the tension rippled from the Soldiers’ stiff joints, clenched bone fingers, and hollow sockets.
“Gkkhh...!”
“I-I can’t see a thing!”
Blinded by the smoke, the enemy stumbled around, rattling in confusion.
A system message came as Eun-Ho rallied his troops through the rear.
[The effect of the title Pathfinder has been activated!]
Finally, the boost he’d been waiting for!
[Followers: 100 units]
[Movement Speed has been increased by 10%]
[Defense has been increased by +10]
Momentum had shifted. The battlefield had become his. The buff felt like a hundred spring breezes wrapping around his legs and sword arm—pushing, lifting and guiding.
“T-there’s the enemy!”
“Where?!”
Eun-Ho fixed his gaze on the disoriented Skeletons ahead. Despite their confusion, the enemy lines remained tightly packed. Yet they sensed neither his presence nor the killing intent coiled around his blade.
He burst forward, feet pounding the ground, charging straight at the blinded formation like a wedge. His Skeleton scouts were already scattering outward, securing the flanks. Meanwhile, Eun-Ho brought his sword down in a clean, unobstructed arc.
Crack!
The slender blade met vertebrae. Briefly, he felt something solid. Then, just like slicing through packed snow, the bone gave way. The neck stump gleamed with a newly split shell’s sheen.
“Aaaaaugh—!”
Clunk! Clunk!
The jet-black skull hit the ground with a thud. Momentum should’ve carried it further, but half a vertebra still clung to the base, skewering it in place.
“Where’s my body?! Where is it!” the head wailed, jammed into the dirt like a grim golf ball.
“Huh. So it doesn’t die in one hit.”
Round two, then. This time, he raised his sword over its neck. It was already headless, after all.
Swoosh—!
The blade swept down and bones cracked and tumbled. Then, an entire mound of blackened Skeleton collapsed at his feet.
[You have defeated a Skeleton Soldier(Lv. 1)!]
[You have earned 50 Welfare Points.]
“You little!”
“You filthy living trash!”
The impaled head told no tales. Its comrades picked up the slack, though, rushing in with cries of rage.
“Where are you?!”
“Where is he?!”
They spun their arms like windmills, trying to sweep away the smoke with bare bones.
How cute, Eun-Ho thought.
As he turned to the side, he caught a glimpse of them. They were thrashing wildly, waving their bone-thin arms with all they had, desperate to find him.
No way I’m giving up the upper hand I fought so hard for.
He shifted his grip, hand sliding lower on the hilt to maximize reach. Then, with one clean motion, he severed their arms cleanly from the shoulders below.
Thunk! Thud!
Four limbs slammed into the dirt. Twenty fingers twitched where they landed, still trying to grasp something.
“Aaaaaargh!”
Then came the slaughter. Take one down, and two more rushed in. Take down two, and four came charging. When that didn’t work, they abandoned formation altogether and swarmed in from every direction.
[You have defeated a Skeleton Soldier(Lv. 1)!]
[You have earned 50 Welfare Points.]
[You have defeated a Skeleton Soldier(Lv. 1)!]
[You have earned 50 Welfare Points.]
...
Perhaps due to the movement speed buff, striding through the middle of a blind enemy horde felt strangely familiar. Yes, just like fighting with Acceleration, stretching time to his favor.
It almost felt like dancing. He’d never danced in his life, but he imagined it’d feel something like this.
“C-Captain! The enemy is too strong!”
A Skeleton scout cried out toward its Commander, “We can’t hold the li—”
Thunk—!
Soon, it fell silent. It didn’t close its eyes due to having none to begin with. Instead, the faint light in its sockets vanished.
It should be showing up any moment now. .
It was a towering figure, over two meters tall. The sheer thickness of its bones made it stand apart from the rest. It was the leader of the black boned ones.
It had likely sensed that something was off as well. Eun-Ho had already broken through the rear and made it to the center, right under the fluttering flag.
Hence, it was time for Eun-Ho to send the signal.
“Number 1! Send the signal!” Eun-Ho shouted toward Scout Number 1, who was now technically the Squad Leader. It stood nearby, clutching the pinky it had plucked off earlier.
“Y-yes, sir!” The bones clattered softly with his reply.
Then, moments later, a pale fragment flew high into the air, slicing through the smoke.
Swoosh—!
Eun-Ho had told him to throw it hard enough to pop a shoulder, and it seemed like it took it literally, as the bone reached the apex of its arc.
“Now!”
[Skeleton Soldier Number 1 has used a skill Bone Bomb(Lv. 1)!]
The system message flashed, signalling the Skeleton Soldier Number 1 has used its skill at the right timing.
BOOM!
The airborne fragment exploded midair like a tiny firework.
Fwoosh!
Then, Eun-Ho raised a summoned torch high overhead and shouted, “All units, charge!”
[Empowered by the Beacon, your voice projects with unnatural clarity.]
[Skeleton Soldiers are charging with bone-crushing force!]
“Uwoooooooh!”
“Let’s gooo!”
Clatter—! Clatter!
A roar surged from the distance. The smoke was thinning, but a new storm rolled in. Ninety charging Skeletons were kicking up a whirlwind of dust and bones. It shook the ground even this far from the front line.
“W-what do we do?!”
“Captain...!!”
Now the black Skeletons were scratching their heads. There was a sword monster in front of them, and a roaring horde coming from behind. Eun-Ho could tell that his enemy’s morale was collapsing.
Taking his chance, he slipped through the opening and dove for the center, going for the flag.
“Captain!”
The white-boned scouts arrived close behind him. They had just a few minor scrapes, proving they’d avoided unnecessary combat and focused on the objective. Eun-Ho had drilled that into them so relentlessly, it was a wonder their ears hadn’t grown scabs.
The flag fluttered atop a pole, just thinner than a telephone post. As he advanced toward it, a helmeted giant exploded from the enemy line.
That’s him!
The enemy Commander had abandoned the front to intercept.
“Stop them!”
“Aaaargh!”
The black Skeletons crumbled in panic, but the Commander didn’t care. He only had eyes for Eun-Ho.
“Pull the flag! We’re retreating!”
“Uuurgh...!”
“You useless vermin! Move faster!” The Commander snapped out a whip-like command, but it didn’t do much good.
After all, the Skeleton Soldiers had zero strength.
“T-this is...”
“It’s too heavy!”
There was no way they could yank out a metal pole the height of a building’s first floor.
“Looks like you guys are struggling? Do you need a hand?” Eun-Ho asked half-jokingly.
The black Skeleton Commander roared in fury, its eyes glowing with icy rage. “Silence, you insolent wretch! How dare you! You foul-blooded scum!”
“Yikes. Someone’s cranky,” Eun-Ho muttered casually, stalling for time.
He was waiting for the perfect moment to grab the flag and bolt with his Acceleration skill.
The hulking Commander lunged like lightning. “How dare yo—”
However, Eun-Ho dodged and leapt aside just in time for the leader to smash straight into its own men.
Crash!
Unable to withstand the force, the black Skeletons shattered and collapsed. Taking advantage of the moment as the commander staggered, Eun-Ho drove his blade into the back of the giant’s neck.
“My turn.”
Crunch—!
The tip of the sword barely forced its way in, accompanied by the sound of stone cracking. Then, the long blade burst out on the other side.
“Graaaah!”
Eun-Ho twisted the sword and yanked it free. Just as he prepared to drive it in again, a forearm-sized bone fragment landed at his feet. It was pitch-black, clearly coming from the enemy’s side.
“You bastards! Detonate it, now!”
Thunk!
Vmmmm!
The fragment vibrated on its own, resonating with something unseen.
Clack. Clack Clack!
The black shard pulsed, swelling, and glowing from tiny pores in its surface.
[The enemy Skeleton Soldier has used a skill, Bone Bomb!]
The skill seemed terrifying, but Eun-Ho had already accounted for it.
Boom—!
[Impact has been negated due to high defense power!]
His title, Pathfinder, was giving him 10 Defense Power. Besides, the Chitin Breastplate and the Wooden Shield allowed him to sit at a solid 30 Defense Power. Even if a few ribs blew off, it wouldn’t make a dent.
“More! Blow more of them!!”
[The enemy Skeleton Soldier has used a skill, Bone Bomb!]
“I told you. That won’t work on me,” Eun-Ho said.
Booom—!
[Impact has been negated due to high defense power!]
Booom—!
[Impact has been negated due to high defense power!]
[Chitin Breastplate has absorbed some of the impact!]
[Wooden Shield has absorbed the impact!]
...
“And they still don’t believe me, huh.”
Swoosh—!
Then, Eun-Ho silenced the still-ranting Skeleton by lopping off its head entirely.
Swoooosh—!
A gust from his blade flew out, cleaving clean through the flagpole and all the Skeletons standing nearby. The flag was the priority, not the enemies.
“What?!”
Then, he caught the base of the toppled flagpole as it fell. The moment the cold metal touched his palm, light surged from his hand, racing upward along the pole’s length.
[The energy of White has imbued the flag!]
Fwoosh—!
Slowly and steadily, the pitch-black flag transformed into a brilliant white, as pure as freshly fallen snow.
[You have claimed the Victory Flag!]
“We got it! Let’s head back!”