Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Pluto’s Black Star

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For a while, I carried Luna on my back.

Now that the fog had lifted, I could see that Kalin’s Swamp was more like an open wasteland, and there was nothing around to hinder our advance. There was no need to even draw our weapons.

I had heard that this place, before it became a swamp, used to be a vast plain covered in neatly arranged rice paddies and fields. That made the clear view ahead make more sense now.

Still, just in case, I kept an eye out in all directions and sharpened my hearing as much as possible.

Who knows, some weird mole-like monsters might suddenly burst out from underground and attack my ankles.

“Seems heavy, Samaritan.”

At that moment, someone spoke to me as I was carrying Luna.

I turned around to see who it was. It was a member of the Maiden of the Sword, her golden hair braided in a ponytail, her face dotted with freckles. What was her name again? Rene?

As soon as Rene spoke, I could feel Luna, who was clinging to my back, trembling violently, almost like she was in great distress. Was she frightened of these people?

“Do you want me to carry her instead?”

“I’m fine.”

I gave a short, concise refusal, expecting her to take the hint and back away. However, Rene didn’t move away from my side and continued chatting.

“Still, you’re way more impressive than I thought. Killing alligators, slicing through goblins… Are all Samaritans as fierce as you? You feel like a different kind of warrior compared to the Spartans.”

I hadn’t expected someone who was shouting with mud all over her face, like the Amazon warriors, to call me “fierce.” So, was this another sign that my sense of modern civilization was long gone?

“You seem to have received the grace of some great deity too. You’re an interesting one. Actually, the most interesting man I’ve met recently. That’s a compliment.”

“Uh… really?”

For some reason, the corners of my mouth curled up slightly at the unexpected compliment from a woman.

To someone like me, who only ever received criticism from Elpride, these compliments and praises felt incredibly sweet.

I would boldly say that no one in the world dislikes compliments, and I personally am someone who enjoys receiving praise.

Still, I could feel Luna’s arms tightening around my neck, so I snapped out of my thoughts.

The relationship between Luna and these people was like that of prey and predator. Imagine the relationship between a lonely kid and a school bully.

If you were aware that a terrifying bully was waiting nearby, you would naturally get scared.

Just as I was about to tell Rene to stop bothering me and leave already…

“I’ll talk to you later, Samaritan.”

Rene waved her hand cheerfully and rejoined the ranks of the Maiden of the Sword. There were some raised voices behind her, but soon enough, something else caught my attention—a voice close to me.

“H-Hassan…”

“What’s wrong? Are you uncomfortable? Or is your ankle healed?”

“There was something I wanted to tell you earlier…”

“What was it?”

“I was… on night guard duty… In the dead of night, I prayed to Nox. And… I received a response…”

Mid-sentence, Luna suddenly froze, as if her words had been sealed shut.

Not only that, her body started trembling violently, like a person thrown out in winter without clothes.

Is she having a seizure? I started to worry, but just as that thought crossed my mind, Luna spoke again.

“Put me down, Hassan! Quickly!”

“Alright.”

I didn’t know what suddenly happened, but when someone asks to be put down, there’s no reason to keep holding them. After gently placing Luna on the ground, something strange began happening.

Pak, pssshh…

The sound of something cracking the dry ground came from all around. And soon, objects resembling long white sticks started sprouting out of the earth.

Sprouts? I thought for a moment. But soon enough, when they revealed their complete forms, I wasted no time unsheathing the two swords tied to my waist.

It was time to use the full power of my Samto Ryu.

Sweeesh…

The objects sprouting from the ground were bones, bones that were so bleached they seemed ancient. The fact that they moved with intention was anything but normal.

They were skeletons, the dead—call them whatever you want.

After accompanying Elpride several times into Pluto’s Underground Maze, I had encountered these creatures before, but no matter how much experience I gained, the surreal sight of corpses moving never ceased to shock me.

“Unsheathe your weapons!”

One of the adventurers shouted, but the voice was tainted with clear panic. No wonder—.

“There are too many, dammit!”

The number of skeletons easily amounted to a squad, if not more. It was like a respawn zone where more and more kept emerging.

Hehehe…

At that point, a low, eerie laughter spread among the panic-stricken crowd.

“Kalan’s Swamp is filled with the dead who perished during the harsh winter… Dying without even a copper coin… Not even allowed to board Charon’s boat… These restless spirits…”

Ugh…

Suddenly, a voice from somewhere made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. It felt like a tongue licking the damp swamp floor, sending chills down my spine.

It wasn’t just a sound—it was more like a curse or a malevolent noise.

Shh…

A dark shadow appeared among the undead. It was like a drop of ink spread on the dry barren ground.

This open plain, without a single tree to cast any shadows—something was wrong.

“The scent of overwhelming fear…”

The shadow swelled up and revealed a human-like figure. It wore a black robe draped tightly over its body.

Around the neck was a spiky necklace, sharp like a mace. The chest area was notably swollen, suggesting it could be a woman.

“The fog and sticky mud may have dried, but the power of d*ath that lingers in this land cannot be overcome by mere sparks of light…”

Is it a witch? I’m weak against magical elements, and I must admit, I have a real disadvantage against witches.

“Your true identity is revealed, cultist! Are you the one controlling these undead?”

Hippolyte, sword in hand, declared with a bold voice. At the same time, a Silver Tier officer of the Guild also readied his large combat mace and assumed a battle stance.

“Necromancer Koma! I will bind you as a prisoner!”

“No one can confine d*ath… Moreover, the God of d*ath, Pluto, shall rise from the dark underground to rule the ground, the sea, and all of the skies…”

“You’re crazy!”

Deciding she couldn’t listen any longer, Hippolyte lunged with her sword at the supposed necromancer. However, a wall of countless skeletal remains blocked her path.

Squish, squish…

“These cheap tricks!”

Clank, clink…

Simultaneously, the tension-filled skeletons started charging toward us.

Although they lacked weapons or sharp teeth, the sight of moving skeletons itself invoked a sense of d*ath, instilling fear that paralyzed the heart.

And above all, there were far too many.

“Gaaaah!”

“S-Save me!”

The skeletons, fueled by rage and longing for life, clung to the limbs of the Bronze Tier adventurers, tearing them apart.

Gah-gah-and with unsettling sounds, the adventurers crumbled into fragments.

“Thanatos, Ziges-The-, Vel Mos Grimma…”

As the Necromancer’s chilling spell resounded across the barren ground, the remains of adventurers fused grotesquely into a crude flesh golem.

“Go, flesh golem…”

Uhghhh…

d*mn it, Necromancers are total cheats. Why can’t I switch my class from Berserker? Frustrated, I swung my sword repeatedly.

However, blades weren’t very effective against these skeletal undead, so I quickly switched tactics, wielding my sheathed sword as a blunt weapon instead.

“d*mn you, skeleton brat! Time to crumble again!”

With each swing of my sword, the skeletons lost their shape and collapsed to the ground.

Indeed, blunt force is much more effective on undead than edged weapons. The knowledge I picked up from following Elpride proved quite useful.

“Ugh… undead, huh? It’s time for my Soul Summoning Voodoo!”

At the sound of Luna’s voice raised defiantly, I snapped back to reality. Wasn’t she a Voodoo Priest?

Voodoo is somewhat skilled in creating zombies and such, so it’s safe to say it’s a close cousin to necromancy.

“Soul Summoning Voodoo! Haa!”

Luna swung her large staff with full force, smashing the skeleton into pieces.

d*mn, is this just a silenced totem doing the job? Claiming it’s Soul Summoning Voodoo but seems like just a fancy name.

Still, Luna’s silent totem was 100% effective in dealing with the undead. Every time she swung her arms, a cluster of skeletons disintegrated into fragments.

Seeing this, the adventurers followed suit, putting away their swords and resorting to blunt tools like sticks and sword scabbards to smash the skeletons.

Pak, psshs!

The sound of skeletons crumbling spread everywhere. Despite their terrifying appearance, these guys were pretty weak.

In truth, only armed skeletons such as Skeleton Warriors or Knights are tough to handle when they cluster together. These bare-boned spirits were weaker than goblins. They lacked strength and intelligence.

“Come on, everybody! Smash them!”

Grrrrrr…

Even the formidable flesh golem collapsed under a combined attack by the Maiden of the Sword.

d*mn necromancers, they’re idiots. A barbarian warrior would’ve done better. This is why you need to choose your class carefully when changing professions.

“Reasonable… but let’s see how you deal with this… Rise, my servant!”

Clank, clunk, clank…

With the Necromancer’s words, the scattered bones of the dead adventurers began clustering together.

As if assembling itself like Lego pieces, it quickly formed the shape of a colossal Skeleton Dragon, its eerie blue eyes glowing ominously.

Grrrrrr…

“What? It’s a dragon skeleton…”

The ones who were happily bashing skeletons earlier now let go of their weapons, their hands trembling with fear, their faces filled with sheer despair.

Even the mighty Maiden of the Sword, who had seen their fair share of battles, fell onto their knees in terror.

d*mn, a dragon made of bones? Seriously, how can humans even deal with something like this?

Without artillery from tanks or helicopters, I couldn’t think of any real way to destroy it. And just as I thought this, something heavy leaped into the sky.

The hammer held high in the sky, and the sight of thick fur confirmed it was undoubtedly the Guild Officer.

“Vulcan! Grant me your strength!”

Thud!

The enormous hammer smashed directly into the skull of the Skeleton Dragon, emitting an incredible shockwave.

The might of a Silver Tier adventurer combined with an artifact-grade hammer created a shockwave so powerful it was as if a cannonball had struck!

“Haaaa!”

The impact knocked several adventurers off their feet. If I hadn’t braced my legs firmly, I might have been blown away too.

“Hhhh!”

d*mn, being so light, Luna flew far away like a leaf in the wind! Is she alright? But I had no time to worry about others.

Grrrr…

Even after receiving such a monstrous hammer blow, the Skeleton Dragon began moving its body without a scratch.

It lifted its massive front claws and struck down the Guild Officer, who was landing from the jump.

Crack!—and with a tremendous sound, the Guild Officer was sent flying far away. The dragon then swished its sharp bone claws and heavy bone tail wildly, wreaking havoc all around.

Grrrrrr…

“Ughhh!”

“R-Run!”

It was nothing short of a one-sided massacre. Humans were getting flung and crushed by the dragon’s tail, which weighed at least a few tons.

Who’s in a position to call someone a coward when they choose to flee, turning their backs to escape? I was scared as hell and wanted to run too, but the skeletal hand wrapped around my ankle wouldn’t let me move.

“Get out of here, brat! Let go of me already! Why are you clinging like this?”

It was at that exact moment.

“With these skills, do you really think you can stop Mars’ daughter?”

Hippolyte, who had cleared all the skeleton walls around her with her sword, assumed a fighting stance and swiftly slashed in the air several times.

Whoosh, whoosh.

I thought it was a missed attack, but then a deafening sharp sound cut through the air, and an invisible wave sliced through the Skeleton Dragon.

Shing, shing, krrrrr…

Unable to maintain its form, the dragon collapsed, leaving me utterly speechless.

d*mn, was that… a sword wave? Such things actually exist? Or is it a spell? Is Hippolyte also a witch?

My mind spun with disbelief as I processed what I had just witnessed.

“Tsk… you’re quite worthy, claiming to be Mars’ descendant…”

Seeing this, the Necromancer clicked their tongue and began fading into shadows, escaping quickly.

Swoosh…

Watching this, I upgraded my evaluation of the necromancer’s skills by half a star. d*mn, they’re really skilled.

“Koma is escaping! Everyone, follow me! If we let her go, this expedition and our deaths will all have been in vain!”

Hippolyte attempted to chase after her, but there was no one capable of following her lead.

Other than me, everyone else had stumbled onto the ground, wounded and groaning in pain.

“d*mn it! You there, Samaritan! Follow me!”

“Y-You mean me?”

“If this goes well, I’ll erase last night’s debacle from my memory completely!”

d*mn, it feels like the electronic ankle bracelet I was wearing got unlocked. A sense of refreshment and positivity welled up inside me.

“You won’t just forget about it. Catch her, and you’re guaranteed a Bronze Tier promotion! I swear it by the River Styx!”

What? A vow by the River Styx? If anyone knows how trustworthy that promise is, it’s me.

“Hippolyte, what are you waiting for?! Let’s go!”

“Wha… what?! Oh, you truly are fearless, huh.”

I’m scared too.

Still, the necromancer’s ultimate ability must be on cooldown, meaning they’re a mage in recovery mode. And with a little help, maybe I could take them.

Besides, Hippolyte is there. She’s the walking missile launcher who can fire sword beams.

[Afterword]

Uh… hmm (roughly, Hassan’s first expedition is nearing its end. Alligators appeared, but don’t worry, there won’t be any midterms.)

s*ck it up and recommend, comment, and throw in some coupons, please!!

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