Ch. 212

At my words, Terdius drew the sword hanging at his waist. We had to be careful. Terdius's sword 'Poison Dragon Sword' and the holy power I possessed were the greatest forces for clearing this hidden dungeon.

"The sword you have has special magic cast that emits 'poison,' right? You need to use that for these guys to be eliminated."

When I spoke calmly, Terdius nodded as if understanding without even a single word of question.

"Understood."

Along with answering, Terdius immediately moved his body. He moved and slashed a skeleton. Simultaneously, the poison on the Poison Dragon Sword began infecting the skeleton.

The skeletons made of pure white bones were instantly stained black by the poison and dissolved while disappearing.

'...As expected, it works properly.'

Within HSAW's system, there were two methods to defeat undead-type monsters like skeletons.

First, a method for someone like me with divine power to use 'holy power' to eliminate them.

Second, a method to corrode the bones themselves that form the fundamental of skeletons using powerful poison.

The latter was a method mainly used by those who couldn't properly control holy power or didn't possess strong holy power.

'Well, with the holy power Terdius has, he could sufficiently defeat them even without poison, but...'

This matter didn't simply end with defeating the hidden dungeon, so I recommended weapon use to him.

After clearing this hidden dungeon, more important matters remained, so it was better to save Terdius's holy power as much as possible.

Using magic imbued in weapons was an easy method that didn't require much force.

Tap—

Like that, we advanced forward while defeating skeletons.

Terdius used the method I taught well to easily defeat skeletons appearing before his eyes.

And how long had we walked?

"This is..."

A huge space appeared. The dome-shaped space was brighter than the passage. But it still had an overall dark atmosphere. While looking around briefly.

Crack—

Some sound was heard from the floor. Immediately turning my head toward where the sound came from, things that gave goosebumps to see with eyes open were visible breaking through the floor.

It was a scene that evoked a feeling similar to but different from scenes seen in zombie movies. The sight of arms made of pure white bones breaking through the floor.

And most importantly, there wasn't just one bone breaking through the floor like that.

Crack, crack—

Easily dozens, no, over a hundred skulls were crawling out breaking through the floor.

"...Leviathan."

"Yes, Brother."

"It seems you'll need to participate in combat this time."

Terdius said while putting strength into the Poison Dragon Sword held in his hand. He handled it alone until reaching here, but now he couldn't guarantee, meaning. It was a fully understandable situation.

It couldn't be helped, because the number of these damn skulls had now multiplied to close to hundreds.

No matter how fast and strong Terdius was, he couldn't defeat hundreds of skulls here in one breath.

'No, it would be possible but.'

I would definitely get hurt. So I obediently nodded and answered.

"Yes. We should."

When I looked at Terdius with a smile while speaking, he briefly answered that he understood.

Clatter—

Then the skulls began approaching us. Simultaneously, Terdius lightly kicked the ground and flew into the air.

After confirming him sending sword energy, I extended one hand toward the skulls approaching me. And I lightly raised holy power.

"Heal."

The light of healing flowing from me immediately touched the skeletons. Moreover, the healing power I used this time was an 'area' skill.

Though it possessed weaker holy power than holy power emission, its range was quite wide. However, since the opponents were skeletons, undead, my healing skill transformed into considerable attack.

Kieee!

Skeletons properly struck by my area healing skill disappeared with bizarre sounds. As skull bone dust scattered, the number of entities clearly decreased.

'This is easier than expected.'

Holy power consumption wasn't that great, and the range was wide, so I liked it. Moreover, the healing skill also reached Terdius who was passing nearby at just the right time, raising his momentum another level.

'Fatigue recovery and wound healing for allies, critical hits for undead.'

I smiled broadly due to the rather pleasing method and continued attacking.

Like that, while defeating skeletons with Terdius for a while, before long, the skeletons inside the huge space were finally all eliminated.

When even the pure white bone powder that filled the interior all disappeared, only Terdius and I remained in the dome-shaped space.

"Is it over?"

Terdius muttered while putting the sword he was holding back at his waist. And I sighed looking at him.

'That guy, properly setting up a flag.'

Well, actually even if Terdius hadn't said such words, it wasn't over yet. The moment I thought that.

Crackle—

The empty ground began splitting again. But this time was different from when groups of skeletons came out just before.

What split the center of the empty ground and came out was one skeleton arm, but its size was extraordinary.

Crackle—

What finally revealed itself was a huge skeleton that seemed about 5 meters in size.

However, unlike other skeletons, it wore a crown on its head and held a staff with a red gem embedded at the end in its hand.

Finally, the Skeleton King had appeared.

"That's..."

"We just need to defeat that thing."

I told Terdius that and lightly extended my hand. The Skeleton King looked at us and struck the staff on the ground with a thud.

Crackle—

Simultaneously, another group of skeletons began emerging from the floor again.

"The method is exactly the same as before. Just work a bit harder. Once we defeat that thing, it's over."

After saying that, I extended my hand toward the skeletons. At that moment, for some reason the Skeleton King seemed to smile.

'Ah, that guy.'

Come to think of it, the Skeleton King also appeared with some intelligence even in the original. So it must be smiling at me now.

'It probably thinks I'll use healing skill again.'

Even in the original, if you tried attacking the Skeleton King with skills that attacked skeletons, it didn't work properly. Because the Skeleton King gauged opponents using its subordinates as bait.

It probably revealed itself obediently because I seemed weaker than it.

I smiled broadly and gathered holy power at my fingertips. When pure white light gathered in my palm, I could see the Skeleton King step back slightly.

Meanwhile, Terdius was diligently handling skeletons. Well, that's over now too though.

And I emitted holy power with a faint smile.

"Holy Power Emission."

Flash—!

Pure white flash flew at fast speed from my palm to the end of the space. Its size was larger than a person, so numerous skeletons disappeared in one breath.

Of course, the Skeleton King was the same.

'That guy thought I'd use a healing skill or something.'

Though healing skill was also an area skill, its range was smaller than Holy Power Emission. So the Skeleton King measured that distance and stepped back, but...

'Sorry, but healing isn't my only skill.'

When I defeated the Skeleton King in one breath, even the skeletons teeming around disappeared.

Simultaneously, rumble— the ground began shaking.

"...You already finished it."

Terdius approached me with a regretful face. I gestured to such him and said.

"Because time is precious. Rather, let's escape quickly. The tomb seems like it will collapse."

"Understood."

We quickly began escaping from the tomb.

***

As soon as we exited the tomb, it soon disappeared. And at the place where the tomb had been, the well the villagers used appeared.

'It was like this in the original too.'

The hidden dungeon where the Skeleton King resided disappeared in place without collapsing because it was suddenly created, unlike other hidden dungeons.

Perhaps if Terdius and I had exited late, we would have disappeared together.

'Thinking about it is scary.'

Still, when we walked out from the tomb intact and even eliminated the tomb, villagers cheering while watching us were visible.

"R-really, thank you!"

"Hooray! The tomb disappeared!"

"The well returned!"

I roughly listened to the people's thanks while confirming the message that appeared before my eyes.

The message that appeared as soon as I defeated the Skeleton King made me content.

[Hidden Quest <Defeat the Skeleton King> Clear!]

[Hidden quest reward will be paid.]

[You obtained 'Skeleton King's Staff'.]

I finally obtained the item I wanted. I smiled broadly and opened the inventory to check the item.

Inside inventory was a staff the same as what the Skeleton King had been holding. I lightly checked the item description.

[Skeleton King's Staff

Grade: Mythic Item

Description: A staff the Skeleton King used. Can freely manipulate the dead.]

Right. This is exactly what I wanted. Because with just this, whatever happens in the Continental War, I can somehow seize victory.

"We're really so grateful, Church Leader."

While looking at the staff contentedly, Hemun approached me, even shedding tears.

"Ah, not at all."

"The Church Leader and Holy Knight are our benefactors. We want to treat you somehow."

Hemun held my hand and said. But I shook my head.

"I appreciate the sentiment, but unfortunately we need to depart."

"What? Are you that busy?"

"Yes. Because we need to hurry and enter the desert before the sun sets."

At my words, Hemun's eyes opened round.

"D-desert? Perda Desert?"

"Yes. That's right."

When I said our destination was Perda Desert, he seemed very surprised. But soon Hemun managed his expression and approached the well.

Then Hemun drew water from the well and extended wooden cups to Terdius and me.

"Please drink. Our Skelth Village's water is cool and refreshing. And... it gives luck to those departing on journeys."

At Hemun's serious attitude, Terdius and I accepted the water cups. As he said, the water was cool and delicious.

"May your future be full of luck."

Receiving greetings from Hemun and the villagers, Terdius and I left the village.

"Thank you, Hemun."

After finishing the last greeting, on the path toward the desert, I put on a hood and took out items prepared in advance from inventory and handed them to Terdius.

"It will block sandstorms to some degree."

After putting on a mask imitating as similarly as possible to masks used in the modern era.

We finally entered Perda Desert.

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