Chapter 242

Chapter 242

Countless humanoid somethings were scattered in the air above the inner castle walls.

Wrapped around their entire bodies like cocoons were shadows, seemingly waiting for a metamorphosis.

As I stared blankly at this eerie scene, I suddenly snapped back to reality.

What are you doing, Ash? What are you up to, RetroAddict?

Was this guy, whos played the game 742 times, really getting scared by this?

Well, the game never did give a close-up view of this wall...

But I had to stay calm! I was the party leader, after all!

I slapped my own cheeks to refocus and turned around to shout at my teammates.

"Pull yourselves together, guys!"

"!"

"Weve made it through worse than this! If you get discouraged by something like this, all those hellish challenges we faced before will laugh at us!"

I wasnt sure if it was my words or my passive skill that protected our allies from mental status effects that did the trick.

But one by one, the frozen party members started to come to their senses.

Hold tight.

Snap.

They all clung to me with terrified faces... seriously? What are you guys, chicks?!

Taking the lead, I strode towards the inner castle wall.

Even if this was just a mere background scene, I needed to figure out what was going on.

The party members trailed closely behind me.

"Hmm."

The bricks and humanoid figures were suspended in mid-air.

They were trapped inside an invisible magical barrier.

So, this grotesque scene was merely decorative, and the actual Inner Gate Checkpoint was made of this transparent magic barrier.

"Verdandi, why does it look like this?"

"Im... not entirely sure."

Verdandi looked up with a pale face and responded.

"Its been like this since the first time our party arrived."

"..."

"But theres one thing you should know. These humanoid figures are piled up inside the inner zone. Youll be seeing a lot more of them."

At her words, the faces of the party members darkened.

Damn it, we have to keep seeing this as we move forward?

"Adventurers whove explored this place call them... Shadow Cocoons."

"Shadow Cocoons..."

"Theyre essentially harmless. They just sit there. But, occasionally."

Verdandi hesitated before continuing.

"...they speak."

"They speak?"

Could they possibly be alive?

"Well, its like theyre muttering in their sleep. Its often hard to make out, but... most of them say the same thing."

With a heavy sigh, Verdandi spoke.

"They ask to be killed."

"..."

"Please kill me."

As the sound of encroaching darkness filled the air, everyone froze.

"Wah!"

Suddenly, Verdandi shouted and flung her arms up.

"Mama!"

"AAAAAH!"

"Squawk!"

Behind me, Evangeline, Damien, and Kuilan screamed and jumped.

Seriously, Kuilan, cut it out!

"Ha ha, sorry about that. You all looked so tense, I thought Id lighten the mood a bit."

"Seriously?! You almost gave me a heart attack!"

In reality, Kuilan was lying on the ground, frothing at the mouth. Someone, please tend to this big guy... I pleaded.

The dungeon, to begin with, was dark with not even a hint of sunlight. Monsters would spring out from all corners, making it a terrifying place. But with all these grotesque scenes in the backdrop, it seemed even more nightmarish.

I scratched the goosebumps that rose on my arm.

"Haha... But really! You cant be this tensed."

Verdandi added with a stifled chuckle.

"There are even more terrifying things inside."

"..."

"And a ton of real monsters aiming for our lives."

Her words sobered me up. I realized what was truly terrifying.

"Yes, the shadows and illusions talking might be eerie, but the monsters, attacking my city and taking lives... Thats far scarier."

However grotesque these illusions appeared, they were merely a background. The monsters posed the real threat. They were the actual beasts, seeking to kill humans on the surface. What I should fear is the damage caused if we fail to stop them. Not this mere scenery.

Hearing my words, the party members nodded slowly. I hope they reevaluated our true enemies.

Watching the arrows come at us from close range, I calmly had that thought, when at the same time,

"Shall we go-!"

Evangeline crouched down on the spot with her short legs and then leaped high.

Squirreling into the air, Evangeline raised her shield in mid-air, blocking the first wave of incoming arrows.

Patter-patter!

The sound resembled rain hitting a window, as Evangelines shield glowed brightly.

Soon after, that bright light transferred to Evangelines lance.

Slash!

Evangeline swung her magic lance horizontally, dispersing the accumulated light in all directions.

A fierce wind swept in, brushing away all the arrows in its path.

Using the shields [Damage Save] ability, the accumulated damage was unleashed through the cavalry spears [Damage Payback], effectively blocking the rain of arrows.

"Woo-hoo!"

Evangeline, her platinum hair flying, landed beside me, her large green eyes blinking and beckoning.

"Now, praise me quick!"

"Nice cover, Evangeline!"

"Heeheehee."

Evangeline flashed her teeth in a grin. She really could be so childish...

Before the second wave of arrows could hit, we had to pass beneath the castle gate.

Lucas, activating [Step of Persistence], dashed out at the forefront.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

At that moment, heavily armored demon soldiers stood in the now vacant castle gate, holding shields as large as their own bodies. Were they intending to block the entrance with their bodies?

"Huh-!"

Without hesitation, Lucas, running headlong, had a dazzling array of lights swirling around his longsword.

Flash!

With [Soul Strike] activated, he cut through the demon soldiers, sending them flying sideways with their shields.

Lucass first skill, having been diligently stacked up till now, possessed an immense destructive power.

Having shattered the enemys defense, Lucas immediately turned to look at me. I promptly gave him a thumbs up.

"Nice charge, Lucas!"

Lucas puffed up like a big dog basking in praise. In contrast, Evangeline frowned slightly.

Were they always this hungry for compliments? Or have I been stingy all this time?

Tang! Tang-!

Outside, Damien took down archers on the walls one by one with precise shots. Meanwhile, our main force safely made it inside the castle gate.

"Verdandi! Assist with clearing the top of the wall. Can you manage alone?"

"For someone called an assassin, Im pretty capable. Dont worry."

Verdandi immediately climbed the inner castle walls.

With the support of Verdandi and Damiens sniping, the top should be cleared out in no time.

Lucas cut down the demon soldiers blocking our main forces path, while Evangeline smacked them away, clearing them out swiftly.

It didnt take long for us to reach the capture point: the flagpole.

And below the empty flagpole, where no flag hung...

"..."

A boss monster awaited.

It was a massive demon, clad in armor without any gaps, and four large horns protruded from its forehead.

Ding!

A system window updated simultaneously.

[Inner Checkpoint - Capture Point Reached!]

- Defeat the boss and maintain control for 5 minutes!

- Lv.40 Demon Gatekeeper <Checkpoint Supervisor Boltimore>

"This place is reserved for the citizens of the Lake Kingdom."

A weary voice echoed from the boss monster.

"Those without citizenship cannot enter."

Thud!

The monster, brandishing its massive mace, growled menacingly.

"Present your ID and documentation. I will assess if you are qualified to enter this chosen land."

Like other dungeon bosses, this one too was spouting oddly contextual dialogue.

"If I knew it was going to be like this, Id have brought my passport."

I teasingly produced a black jade medallion reserved for the royal family and waved it around.

"Will this get me access, Mr. Supervisor?"

Thud!

In response, the boss monster violently slammed its mace to the ground.

Annoyed, I pocketed the medallion and pulled out my magic staff instead.

"Thought youd assess it, you bastard!"

"Entry denied! Turn back!"

"Were not here to harm anyone; we just want to take down your king and leave, okay?!"

As I swung my staff, my party members charged head-on.

Facing us, the boss monster too, charged forward.