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Chapter 43: Mock Battle (2)
Clack! Clack! Rattle!
After a few orders, ten skeletal soldiers stood in a line.
One of them, its teeth chattering, creaked into its final position.
〔Skeletal Soldier (No. 1)〕
〔Skeletal Soldier (No. 2)〕
〔Skeletal Soldier (No. 3)〕
...
Their combined stats totaled only 15.
Their only skills were "Rattling," "Dislocating," and "Gleaming,"
essentially making them no more than bone bombs with limited utility.
It was as if they were designed to be expendable as explosives.
"Got it?"
"Y-Yes, Commander...!"
For the best possible outcome, everyone had to play their part — them and me.
Hoping they’d fulfill their duty safely, I patted one soldier's shoulder.
And then, suddenly...
[Skeletal Soldier (No. 1) has been promoted to 'Platoon Leader Trainee'!]
‘?!’
The trainee had been promoted.
To Platoon Leader Trainee.
〔Skeletal Soldier (No. 1)〕
-Affiliation: Temporary Guard Unit 1st Platoon under Lee Eunho
-Rank: Platoon Leader Trainee
...
-Appointed as Platoon Leader by Commander Lee Eunho. Seems proud of the promotion.
Huh?
"Platoon Leader... will do my best...!"
Clack! Clack! Clack!
Skeletal Soldier No. 1 clicked its teeth furiously.
The remaining nine, now part of the 1st Platoon, bowed their heads.
Well...
Whether trainee or platoon leader, the task remained the same.
Step. Step. Step.
I led them forward several meters,
to the edge of the grass field where the enemy’s camp began.
【The 'Raven of the Administrative Bureau' asks why you’re dividing your forces.】
【The 'Prince of the Investigation Bureau' advises an all-out assault instead.】
Then, the observers chimed in with their unsolicited advice.
It made sense, given how bleak the situation appeared.
【The ‘Ferryman of the Administrative Bureau' protests the unfair mission conditions.】
【They ask how it’s even possible to retrieve the flag surrounded on all sides.】
The enemy only needed to defend the flag at the center of their camp,
while I had to break through their well-established defensive formation.
Moreover, this was an open plain with no ranged weapons, essential for sieges or captures.
A barren wasteland, devoid of any advantage.
It was, on the surface, an utterly hopeless situation.
But...
"Summon."
A handicap is just a handicap.
I wouldn’t lose to mindless bones when I had strategy.
[Would you like to activate 'Torch'?]
[Choose between Beacon Flame or Smoke Signal.]
"Smoke Signal!"
The two words left my lips and resonated with the torch.
The angular body of the torch hummed for a moment,
then its straw-like, woven head glowed red-hot.
Ssssss-!
Soon, thin, acrid smoke began to rise.
One wisp, two wisps, three wisps.
The slender trails of smoke twisted and intertwined,
gaining momentum.
【The ‘Ferryman of the Administrative Bureau' asks why you suddenly pulled out a torch.】
【The 'Prince of the Investigation Bureau' wonders about Lee Eunho’s intent in using such a trivial item.】
The torch, despite lacking flames, produced an abundance of acrid smoke.
I looked on in satisfaction, while the observers remained doubtful.
Of course, that was to be expected.
"It's no ordinary torch, nor just any smoke."
They didn’t know.
And why would they?
They didn’t belong to this land.
Whiiiish—!
"Feel the wind."
The direction and strength of the breeze blowing toward the enemy.
The rustling blades of grass stretched wide to the enemy's camp.
These were sensations they couldn’t perceive.
Sssssssssssst!
The wind, though not strong enough to push us forward,
was perfect for spreading the smokeless flame.
Step. Step. Step.
Touching the rustling grass with my fingertips,
I brought the torchhead close.
Snap! Snap!
The dry grass sparked and glowed red-hot.
Using the lush green field as fuel,
smoke billowed out without flames.
Fwoooooooosh—!
As the torch's power activated,
the pale smoke spread like wildfire.
"!!"
The grass field, now consumed, sent the smoke spiraling into the sky,
obscuring visibility entirely.
"F-Fire?!"
"Where is it coming from?"
One of the black skeletons standing guard raised the alarm,
prompting their commander to shout in response.
They frantically drew their weapons, swiveling their heads in every direction.
Exploiting the enemy’s weakness and breaking their formation.
A simple, straightforward plan.
Vision, hearing, smell, taste, and touch were all impaired.
With nothing but remnants of their eyes,
the enemy wouldn’t be able to see.
They’d be lost.
Even for me, it was hard to make out their movements now that I’d drawn so close.
【The 'Prince of the Investigation Bureau' is dumbfounded that you used the plain itself as fuel.】
【The 'Raven of the Administrative Bureau' applauds Lee Eunho’s ingenuity, calling it a stroke of genius.】
【The ‘Ferryman of the Administrative Bureau' chuckles, noting Lee Eunho requires a different standard for adversity.】
This was nothing.
"Ah, I can’t... see anything...!"
"What do we do...?!"
"Don’t panic! Maintain formation!"
As the smoke spread, the enemy grew increasingly agitated.
Meanwhile, the morale of my troops surged.
[The skeletal soldiers burn with resolve at their commander’s brilliant strategy!]
[Current loyalty: 55%]
Crack! Rattle! Snap!
The cacophony of hundreds, thousands of bone joints echoed loudly.
Raising the still-smoking torch high above my head, I advanced.
Glaring triumphantly at the disoriented enemy troops and the skeletal soldiers watching intently.
Then—
Hup!
He took a deep breath...
Woomph!
The soldiers’ noise grew muffled.
As if an invisible veil had been cast over them.
And above it all—
“Attention, everyone!”
My voice rang out like a gunshot.
Flinch!
It pierced directly into the ears of every one of the 100 skeletal soldiers.
[The signal transmission is enhanced due to the effect of Beacon of Fire.]
“!!”
Silence.
A thin, still silence hung overhead.
A towering figure, 2 meters tall.
Just from its massive frame, it was clear this black-boned leader was on a whole different level from the others.
It must have realized something was off about me.
After all, I had broken through their rear and was now nearly at the center, where the flag fluttered.
If that's the case...
"Number 1! Send the signal!"
I shouted to Scout Number 1, who had been standing by nearby and was now a platoon leader trainee.
Clutching the pinky finger he had plucked from his own hand, he responded, ready for the moment.
"Yes...!"
Amid the rattling noises, a faint reply reached me.
And shortly after—
—Whoosh!
A pale bone shard flew into the sky.
Higher, and higher.
Piercing through the acrid smoke.
I had instructed him to throw it so high his shoulder might dislocate.
It seemed he had thrown it with just that much force.
When the bone shard seemed to reach the highest point of its arc—
"Now!"
[Skeleton Soldier (No.1) has used the skill 'Bone Bomb (Lv.1)'!]
Accompanied by a system message confirming Number 1 had timed it perfectly—
—Boom!
The bone soaring through the sky exploded.
Like fireworks.
And finally—
Fwoosh!
I held the torch I had summoned high above my head and shouted.
"All troops, charge!"
[The signal fire's influence has increased communication range!]
[The skeletal army charges with bone-shattering force!]
"Uooooooohhh!"
"Attack!!!"
—Rattleeeeeeeee!
The roar from far away reverberated through me.
The smoke had cleared slightly, but now the dust storm kicked up by 90 skeleton soldiers charging was even stronger.
So much so that it reached even here, far away.
"What... What should we do...?!"
"Commander...!!!"
This time, the black-boned soldiers scratched their skulls anxiously.
Before them was a monstrous enemy swinging a sword, and behind them, a horde of ferocious enemies charging with full force.
Even without a system message, it was clear their morale had plummeted.
Tap!
Seizing the opportunity, I quickly pushed toward the center.
Toward the flag.
"Commander...!"
And then, almost simultaneously with me, the pale scouts arrived.
Other than a few minor scratches, they were unscathed.
They must have avoided combat as much as possible while running.
All that nagging must have paid off, to the point where they had scabs where their ears used to be.
Flutter—!
The flag, attached to a pole slightly thinner than a utility pole, waved at the top.
Just as I approached to seize it, a giant wearing a helmet emerged from the black-boned ranks.
'It's him.'
He had abandoned his front lines to rush here.
"Stop... him...!"
"Aaaaargh!"
The panicked cries of the black-boned soldiers and the crumbling formation assaulted my senses, but they seemed irrelevant to him.
His focus was solely on me and the flag.
"Pull out the flag! We're retreating!"
"Ugh...!"
"You worms! Hurry up!"
The giant lashed out like a whip, but it was no use.
Because...
"This... This is..."
"It's too heavy...!"
The skeleton soldiers' strength stat was zero.
They didn’t have the power to pull out a flagpole as tall as a building’s first floor.
"Looks tough. Want a hand?"
"Shut up, you insolent wretch!"
Half-jokingly, half-seriously, I offered help, only for the leader of the black-boned soldiers to explode with anger.
Blue light blazed from his hollow eyes.
"You dare, with your filthy blood...!"
"Why are you so mad?"
Muttering anything that came to mind, I waited for the perfect timing.
To steal the flag and escape with my acceleration skill.
And then.
"How dare— urgh!"
I dodged the massive figure that lunged at me like lightning.
Instead, their leader rammed into the black-bone soldier standing behind me.
Crash!
The black-bone soldier crumbled under the impact, shattering and collapsing.
Taking advantage of the enemy’s momentary stumble.
"My turn, huh?"
Crunch-!
I drove my blade into the back of the enemy’s neck.
With a sound like stone breaking, the sword tip barely managed to pierce through.
And when the long blade emerged from the other side—
"Arghhhhhhh!"
I twisted the sword and yanked it out.
Just as I was about to stab again—
"You scum!! Blow it up! Now!!"
— Thunk!
A bone shard, as big as an arm, fell at my feet.
Judging by its pitch-black color, it was from the enemy's bones...
— Vwoooom-!
The black-bone fragment vibrated in response to something as it lay on the dirt floor.
— Rattle! Clack!
The dark bone began to swell, light pouring out from the gaps in its surface.
[The enemy skeleton soldier has activated the Bone Bomb skill!]
A terrifying—no, a seemingly terrifying skill, but—
— KABOOM!
"I’ve already accounted for that."
[High defense negates the shock damage!]
With the Pathfinder title giving a defense buff of 10,
plus the effects of my Shell Breastplate and Wooden Shield, I had a total defense of 30.
It meant that even if my ribs cracked, I wouldn’t feel a thing.
"More! Blow up more of them!"
[The enemy skeleton soldier has activated the Bone Bomb skill!]
"I’m telling you, it doesn’t work."
KABOOM!
[High defense negates the shock damage!]
KABOOM!
[High defense negates the shock damage!]
[The Shell Breastplate absorbs some of the shock!]
[The Wooden Shield blocks the impact!]
......
"They don’t believe me."
Slash-!
I decapitated the enemy, whose mouth kept running despite the hole in their neck.
And then—
Whoooosh-!
I unleashed a sword wind, slicing through the flagpole and taking out all the surrounding skeleton soldiers.
Because right now, neither this one nor that one mattered—only the flag did.
"Wha— what?!"
I grabbed the flagpole as it toppled after being cut.
The cold metal surface touched my palm.
[The flag is imbued with the energy of White!]
— Fwoosh!
Light began to stream up the length of the flagpole from where my hand had touched it.
As I tilted my head back to look up at the flag, the light reached its surface.
[You have obtained the Flag of Victory!]
The pitch-black flag slowly turned pure white.
As pristine as freshly fallen snow.
"Done! Let’s get out of here!"
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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