43rd
Pluto’s black star
043 ? Pluto’s Black Star #2
I carried Luna like that for a while.
Since the swamps of Kallan were like open wilderness after the fog cleared, and there was nothing around to impede our advance, there was no need to draw our weapons.
Well, before it became a swamp, it was a plain with rice fields and fields lined up. If that’s the case, then this wide open view makes sense.
Still, just in case, I look around with my eyes and prick up my ears to sharpen my hearing.
Because I never know when a bunch of monster moles might suddenly pop out from under the ground and attack my ankles.
“You look heavy, Samaritan.”
At that moment, someone spoke to me as I was carrying Luna.
I turned my head to see who it was, and it was a member of the Sword Maidens with blond hair tied back like a ponytail and freckled face. What was her name? Renee, I think.
As soon as Rene spoke to me, I felt Luna trembling behind me, making me feel very uneasy. Was Luna afraid of them?
“Should I carry it for you?”
“It’s okay.”
I thought he would back off and keep his distance by saying no briefly and concisely, but Rene did not move away from me and kept talking to me.
“You’re even more awesome than I thought. You kill crocodiles. You even cut down goblins. Are all Samaritans as vicious as you? You seem like a different kind of warrior than the Spartans.”
Who would have thought that an Amazon with mud on her face would call me a savage while she was shouting? Does that really mean that I have lost my appearance as a modern person?
“It seems like you’ve somehow received a blessing from some great god. You’re a funny guy. You’re the funniest guy I’ve seen lately. That’s a compliment.”
“Is that so?”
When I unexpectedly receive a compliment from a woman, the corners of my mouth seem to go up.
To me, who had only been persecuted by Elfriede, how sweet the sound of praise and admiration was to my ears.
I dare say that there is no one in the world who dislikes compliments, and I rather like being complimented.
However, I was suddenly pulled out of my thoughts when I felt Luna’s arms tightening around my neck.
The relationship between Luna and these guys could be described as that of prey and predator, or the relationship between the bread shuttle and the bullies in charge.
If a scary bully were lurking right next to you, who wouldn’t feel anxious?
So, stop talking and go away – that was when I was about to open my mouth.
“Then let’s talk again later. Samaritan.”
Rene joined the ranks of the Sword Maidens, waving her hand. After that, the women began to raise their voices, but I was soon distracted by Luna’s voice that spoke to me.
“Ha, Hassan-.”
“Why, is something uncomfortable? Or is your ankle better now?”
“There’s something I was going to say last time, right?”
“Last time?”
“I stood watch… and prayed to Knox at dawn. The answer to my prayer was….”
Luna, who was about to say something, suddenly stopped as if her mouth was blocked.
Not only that, but the guy’s body started shivering violently, like someone who had been stripped naked and thrown outside in the winter.
Are you having a seizure? Just when I was starting to worry and thinking that, Luna spoke again.
“Hey, let me down, Hassan-. Hurry up!”
“okay?”
I suddenly wondered what was going on, but there was no reason to continue carrying Luna when she was being asked to be put down. That was when I put Luna down on the floor.
Pa, pas …
Soon, the sound of something breaking through the dry ground was heard from all directions. Then, pure white stick-like things suddenly appeared above the ground.
I wondered if bamboo shoots had suddenly sprouted, but soon they fully revealed themselves, and without hesitation I pulled out two swords from my waist.
It is time to use the power of my three swords.
Swish… .
What was sticking out from the floor was a kind of bone. Old bones that had bleached to a pure white color. However, it was quite abnormal that it moved as if it had a will.
They were skeletons. They were dead. You can call them whatever you want.
For me, who had followed Elfriede into Pluto’s underground labyrinth several times, these were monsters I had encountered several times.
No matter how much experience I have, I can never get used to the surreal sight of a corpse coming to life.
“Wha, draw your weapon!”
One of the adventurers shouted that. But the voice was tinged with confusion and spread. And that was to be expected.
“There are too many, damn it!”
The number of skeletons seemed to be at least a platoon. Not only that, but they kept breaking through the ground here and there, making it seem like they were respawn areas or something.
Hehehehehe… .
At that moment, low laughter spread among the bewildered people.
“The swamps of Kallan… are full of the dead who died in the bitter winter… Those who died without even a copper to pay… Those who were not even allowed to board Caron’s ships… .”
Us …
Shit, a voice suddenly came from somewhere and a terrible goosebumps appeared on the back of my neck. It was a horrible voice, as if someone was licking the damp floor of a swamp with their tongue.
Rather than a voice, it would be more appropriate to call it a curse or an ominous noise.
Swish-.
Soon a black shadow appeared among the dead. It was a truly black stain, like ink sprinkled on the floor.
A shadow formed on this vast plain without a single tree, on this dry land where there is absolutely no reason for a shadow to fall. This is not normal.
“The scent of terrible fear… .”
The shadow swelled and appeared on the ground in the shape of a human. It was wearing a black robe pulled down low.
There is a sharp necklace hanging around the neck that looks like a hammer, and the chest area is quite puffed out, so I think it might be a woman.
“The fog and… the sticky mud has dried… However, the power of death that lurks in this land cannot be stopped by the power of the mere light…”
Shit, are you a witch? I’m weak to magical elements. Seriously, I’m weak to witch attributes in many ways.
“You’ve revealed your identity, you cultist! Are you the one who commands these dead people?”
Hippolyte draws her sword and shouts proudly. At the same time, the Silver Tier’s Vice Admiral also takes up his stance, holding his huge war hammer.
“Necromancer Coma! I will have your new recruits arrested!”
“No one… can restrain Death… And Pluto, the god of death, will rise from the dark underworld and rule over the land, the sea, and the whole sky…”
“That’s crazy!”
Hippolyte, who thought she couldn’t listen any longer, drew her sword and rushed at the necromancer or something. However, countless skeletal remains piled up like a wall in front of her, blocking her path.
Grumble-.
“This kind of trickery-!”
Dalgeudak, dalgeurak-.
At the same time, the skeletons that had been maintaining a tense standoff and tension also began to rush towards us.
Although they are neither armed nor have sharp teeth, the skeletons that move and live are reminiscent of death itself and have the ability to strike fear into people’s hearts.
First of all, there are too many of them.
“Whoaaah!”
“Hey, save me!”
Skeletal corpses filled with rage and longing for life grab the limbs of Bronze Tier adventurers and tear their limbs apart.
An adventurer who makes ominous noises like “Wooduk, wooduk” and then turns into pieces.
“Thanatus, Zigtes-. Bel Mos Grima… .”
The adventurer’s flesh clumped together into a rough lump of flesh, along with the sinister sorcerer’s ominous spellcasting that rang low on the dry ground.
“Go, flesh golem… .”
Ughhhhh… .
Shit, the Necromancer is a total fraud. Can’t I change my job to something other than a Barbarian? Me, swinging my sword with such a resentful mind.
However, since the bladed weapon itself was not effective against the skeletal dead, he soon changed his strategy to sheathing the sword and swinging it around to strike.
“Fuck, you skeleton! Go back in there again, you little shit!”
Phew-, pass-.
Every time you swing your sword, the skeleton babies lose their form and collapse to the ground.
Indeed, striking attacks are more effective against the undead than stick attacks. The knowledge gained from following Elfriede around is quite helpful.
“Oh, the dead. It’s time to use my, my voodoo of consolation!”
At that moment, Luna’s voice shouting loudly brought me back to my senses. Isn’t Luna a voodoo witch?
Voodoo is also good at creating zombies. You could say that it’s a relative of the necromancer.
“Voodoo of consolation! Haaat!”
Luna swung her giant stick full swing and smashed the skeleton’s torso into pieces.
Shit, isn’t that just a Silence Totem? They call it voodoo for the soul, but it seems like they think they can do anything just by giving it a name.
However, Luna’s Silence Totem was 100% a hit type and was very effective against the dead. Every time Luna swung her arms around, a bunch of skeletons would turn into pieces.
The adventurers who were watching this also changed their strategy to sheathing their swords and breaking the skeleton’s torso with sticks or scabbards.
Pass, pass!
Soon, the sound of skeletons collapsing here and there resonates loudly. Despite their menacing appearance, they are incredibly weak.
In fact, armed skeleton warriors or skeleton knights are difficult to defeat even when fought in groups, but these dead, naked, are weaker than goblins. They lack both strength and wisdom.
“Guys! Push!”
Grayeeeek-.
The flesh golem, which seemed like the ultimate weapon, also lost its shape and collapsed when the Sword Maidens surrounded it and struck it with their swords.
The necromancer is really stupid. I’d rather be a barbarian warrior. This is why you should choose your job carefully and then change jobs.
“Not bad… But, how about this… Rise, my servant.”
Clink, click, click-.
As the shaman’s words came out, the piles of skeletons and remains of dead adventurers on the floor began to gather together.
It was put together like Lego blocks that fit together automatically, and soon took the shape of a giant skeleton with eerie blue eyes.
Krrrrrr… .
“It’s, it’s a dragon…”
The kids who had been happily beating up skeletons just a moment ago let go of the strength in their hands that were holding their weapons. The expression on their faces was one of utter despair.
“Hey, Sister Hippolyta…!”
Even the Sword Maidens, who had eaten some rice, saw their legs tremble and collapse to the floor, showing that the situation was not ordinary.
Shit, a dragon made of skeletons! It’s as big as a three-story building, seriously freaking scary. Is it even something that humans can fight in the first place?
There was no way to kill that bastard, unless we bombed him with tanks or helicopters. At that very moment, something heavy leaped off the ground and rose into the air.
The hammer was held high in the sky, and with its thick fur, it was clearly a sledgehammer.
“Vulcan! Give me strength!”
Boom-!
Soon, a giant hammer struck the skeleton dragon’s head, releasing a massive shockwave.
The power of a Silver Tier Adventurer, combined with the epic relic hammer, created a huge ripple effect as if a cannonball had hit it directly!
“Whoaaah!”
The wave caused several adventurers to lose their balance and fall far away. If I hadn’t put so much strength into my legs, I might have been blown away too.
“Huh-!”
Shit, Luna was so light that she was blown away by the shockwave like an ant in the wind! Is that guy okay? But there’s no way she’d have the luxury of worrying about others.
Krrrr… .
Even after being hit with a very strong hammer, the skeleton dragon began to move its body without a single scratch!!
The guy soon raised his heavy front paw and struck the torso of the body that was landing on the ground.
The part flies far away with a loud cracking sound and crashes down. At the same time, the skeleton dragon starts waving its sharp bone claws and heavy bone tail around, causing chaos in all directions.
Grrrrrrr… .
“Ugh, ugh!”
“Run away!”
It was nothing short of a one-sided massacre. People were being blown away and crushed here and there by the tail that must have weighed at least several tons.
Who could call adventurers who turned their backs and chose to run away cowards? I was so scared that I wanted to run away, but the palm of the skeleton wrapped around my leg held me back and I couldn’t move.
“Get out! You little shit! Let go! Why are you being so sticky!”
It was just then.
“You mortal who is halfway to death. You don’t think you can stop the daughter of Mars with your talents, do you?”
Hippolyta, who had cut through the walls of skulls surrounding her with her sword blade, took a stance and swung her sword several times into the air.
Phew, whoosh.
What the hell, I was just swinging my sword, when with a loud, ear-piercing sound like a whoosh, an invisible wave sliced through the skeleton dragon’s torso.
Ssung, ssung, kuarrurur-.
I was speechless at the sight of the dragon collapsing, unable to maintain its form.
What the hell, a sword? Did something like that even exist in this world? Or was it magic? Was Hippolyte a witch?
My head was spinning as I saw something unbelievable.
“Tsk… As expected, he is worthy of claiming to be a descendant of Mars….”
The shaman clicked his tongue at the sight, transformed into a shadow again, and quickly began to run away somewhere.
Ss …
That sight gave me a half star rating in my mental evaluation of the necromancer. He’s a damn talented kid.
“Koma is running away! Everyone, follow me! If you let him go, this expedition and death will all be in vain!”
Hippolyte also tried to follow him, but there was no one who could follow Hippolyte.
I was the only one standing upright with my feet on the ground. Everyone else was lying down, groaning with serious injuries.
“Oh, oh my god-. You there! Samaritan! Follow me!”
“Me, me?”
“If this goes well, I’ll make sure to completely forget about last night’s embarrassment!”
Shit, this is exactly what it feels like to have the electronic ankle bracelet removed. It feels refreshing and positive at the same time.
“Not only will you forget him, but if you catch him, you’ll be promoted to Bronze Tier! I swear on the River Styx!”
What? You swear on the River Styx? I know better than anyone else how much trustworthiness that statement carries.
“Lady Hippolyte, what are you doing! Let’s go!”
“Oh, that, that’s right! I told you to go, but you really are a fearless guy.”
It’s not like I’m not scared.
However, the necromancer is missing his ultimate ability. In other words, he is a mage on cooldown. I wonder if I can beat a mage like that.
Above all, since Hippolyta is here, anything will work out. Damn, this girl is a woman who shoots swords. She’s like a walking missile launcher.
[Work review] Hehehehe (It’s roughly about how Hassan’s first expedition is almost over. The alligators have appeared, but it means that there’s no need to worry about the year.)
Hmph (Please give me recommendations, comments, and coupons…!!)
