Free Web NovelChapter 62: Chapter 62: Graveyard
The scene unfolding before them made the group tread more lightly.
This was a long-abandoned graveyard, where dozens of crooked tombstones stood in the gloom like silent sentinels.
This wasn’t Black Stone Town’s official cemetery. Legend had it that long ago, this place had been a potter’s field for some nameless village, and later became the final resting place for homeless wanderers.
Over time, many terrifying legends began to circulate—tales of a woman’s cry late at night or drifting will-o’-the-wisps—but most of it was baseless rumor.
But a sighting of Skeleton Soldiers? That was a first.
Night had only just fallen, so it wasn’t yet time for the Skeleton Soldiers to appear.
Marcus surveyed the area and chose a small knoll beside the graveyard for the team to rest temporarily.
"Let’s wait over there."
Marcus pointed. "We’ll have the high ground, making it easier to observe."
The four of them hid in the bushes behind the knoll, silently waiting for the right moment.
The night grew darker, and a deathly pale, full moon hung high in the sky.
The cold, clear moonlight spilled across the ground, coating every tombstone in a silvery glow.
Maybe it was because they were next to the graveyard, but Zelir felt that tonight was colder than usual. He couldn’t help but pull his robes tighter.
From the distant woods, an unknown bird let out a series of shrill cries. A sinister wind gusted without warning, rustling the bushes—SHHH SHHH—like the whispers of ghosts, sending a chill down the spine.
To pass the time, Zelir began mentally reviewing the Spell Structures he had learned. Marcus polished his Battle Saber, while Gray yawned, looking a little drowsy.
Valles, meanwhile, had his eyes silently closed, but his ears twitched from time to time as he took in every sound around them.
Before long, however, Valles’s angry growl broke the silence.
"Gray, don’t drool on me!"
Finally, midnight arrived.
Valles’s ears twitched several times. He snapped his gaze toward the center of the graveyard and whispered,
"They’re here."
GRIND... GRIND...
A grating, grinding sound emanated from the center of the graveyard, and the ground itself seemed to tremble faintly.
Suddenly.
With a dry scraping sound, a hand composed of ghastly, withered bone punched through the soil, clawing its way up from below.
Its five fingers dug into the soil, bracing as it strained to pull a skeletal frame slowly from the grave.
Adventurer’s Association Universal Monster Atlas
[Tier Three]: Skeleton Soldier
Individual Threat Rating: [Simple]
Appearance:
An Undead Creature derived from a human corpse. Its appearance is that of a bare skeleton. The bones can range in color from yellowish-white to brownish-black, depending on how long they have been interred.
A ghastly green Flame typically burns within a Skeleton Soldier’s eye sockets. This is the core of its animation.
Habits:
Skeleton Soldiers have no physiological needs. Their sole purpose is to obey the commands of their creator or act on primitive, hateful instincts.
They typically haunt ancient battlefields, abandoned graveyards, Cursed ruins, and other sites saturated with the aura of death.
Special Ability:
Basically none. If you really have to say they have an ability, it would be that they don’t feel pain.
Core Weakness:
The skull.
Shattering the skull will instantly destroy its animation. Note: it must be shattered, not merely pierced or damaged.
Association Notes:
Just charge ’em. These Demons are better practice dummies than goblins, especially for rookie Adventurers looking to hone their skills.
However, be warned: if there are ten or more Skeleton Soldiers, there’s a chance a mutated Evil Remains may appear among them. Proceed with caution.
Additionally,
Remember to secure the kill. Unlike normal creatures, a Skeleton Soldier won’t cry out in pain or retreat even if it’s missing arms and legs. You must absolutely shatter its skull.
The first Skeleton Soldier to emerge slowly twisted its neck in a full three-hundred-and-sixty-degree rotation. A faint green fire ignited within its hollow eye sockets.
Then, one after another.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
Similar scenes played out across the graveyard. Burial mounds were breached in succession as over twenty swaying Skeleton Soldiers crawled out from the earth. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
The once-desolate graveyard was suddenly bustling with activity.
"Well, damn."
Gray rubbed his eyes. "So there really are folks who can’t even rest in peace when they’re dead."
Marcus narrowed his eyes and counted carefully.
"Twenty-six in total. I don’t see an Evil Remains yet."
He began to lay out their strategy in a low voice.
"Gray, you’re with me on the front line. These Skeleton Soldiers are brainless. Zelir, Valles, you two are free to engage as you see fit."
Marcus drew his Battle Saber. "Let’s move!"
He was the first to rise from the knoll, charging straight down!
"You got it!"
Gray was right behind him. The moment his Longsword left its sheath, its bright gleam merged with the moonlight, giving off a cold chill.
Their sudden appearance immediately drew the attention of the aimlessly wandering Skeleton Soldiers.
Twenty-six ghastly green Flames swiveled toward them in unison. The Skeleton Soldiers’ hollow jaws opened and closed, producing a harsh, clattering sound—CLACK, CLACK, CLACK.
Some Skeleton Soldiers picked up shattered bone fragments from the ground. More, however, simply reached into their own chests and—CRACK—snapped off a rib to use as a weapon.
The Skeleton Soldiers advanced to meet them, their steps stiff and jerky.
"Come on, you bags of bones!"
Marcus roared. He led the Charge, shield first, and slammed violently into a Skeleton Soldier.
THUD!
With a dull thud, the Skeleton Soldier’s ribcage shattered, the bones scattering in all directions.
As it lost its balance, Marcus capitalized on the opening, his saber slashing down. The heavy spine of the blade provided immense force, severing the Skeleton Soldier’s neck.
CRACK!
The skull hit the ground, but the blow wasn’t fatal; the ghastly green Flame in the Skeleton Soldier’s eye sockets still burned.
Marcus followed up with a shield bash, stooping to smash the skull to pieces.
Only then did the ghastly green Flame flicker out. The headless skeleton stood there blankly for a moment before collapsing—CLATTER—into a useless pile of white bones.
He had just finished off the Skeleton Soldier when two more flanked him, raising their rib-bone blades and swinging directly at his head.
Marcus didn’t dodge or evade, simply thrusting his Shield upward with immense force.
Shield Strike!
The immense Power sent one Skeleton Soldier flying into the air, while the other was knocked stumbling backward.
Marcus seized the opening. His Battle Saber swung in wide, powerful arcs, hacking repeatedly at the skeletons and sending bone dust flying with each impact.
At this point, he was no longer aiming to shatter their skulls directly; even destroying most of a Skeleton Soldier’s body would significantly weaken its combat effectiveness.
