Having reached the absurd realm of Berserkers, my mind still hazy, it took me a few seconds to understand Ran’s words.
The side effect of using power that my current body could not handle.
To begin with, the [Blood Frenzy] ability itself is one that leads to exhaustion…
‘Still, it’s an incredible skill. It’s a bit unsettling to think that I can become someone else for a while… But does this mean I can reach that realm someday as I grow?’
Ran said that the future potential I saw was just a fragment of countless crossroads. I should not think it would definitively happen.
‘Right… That wasn’t my power. I should just think I was lucky.’
Ran’s ability brings a possibility to one of my powers.
I had no idea when I might be able to bring back the possibility of [Blood Frenzy].
‘Orcs… Such a terrifying species.’
[Warrior’s Roar] and [Blood Frenzy].
The two skills obtained from the Orcs appear barbaric and crude at first glance, but having experienced them myself, I could feel in my bones why our world was so overwhelmed by Orcs in my past life.
‘Orc Legion Commander… He must have reached or was very close to [Berserker]. Apart from Jo Gi-man and a few transcendent beings, there was no one who could challenge him.’
Of course, the transcendent beings didn’t suppress the Orc Legion Commander either. They were just buying time until Jo Gi-man arrived.
While recalling my fading memories, an unwelcome message appeared.
– Magic Recovery is limited for 30 minutes.
– Physical abilities will drop below half for 30 minutes.
‘… Damn it. Here we go. But it seems the restrictions aren’t as strong as I thought… Is this the dignity of a Skeleton Soldier?’
(I don’t know what you’re thinking, but considering you ignored my advice, your luck isn’t too bad. After all, you defeated the monster.)
‘Hmm… That’s true.’
Mana: 113/1694
The fixed mana value felt unfamiliar. It used to recover steeply, but hmm…
‘Gori—’
I summoned twenty Gori Minions to carry me.
It seemed that when number 27 Escalon died, he must have sent some signal, because over a hundred Creeper Guards were sprinting towards this place from afar.
“Wheeek—!”
‘Sorry.’
I thought it would be easy for them to lift me since I had nothing but bones, but the Gori Squad struggled more than I expected.
“Whee— Whelp—”
The spot I had dug into was a bit far from where the fierce battle was taking place.
Flap— Flap—
Thanks to the little Gori flapping their tiny wings, I was able to get out safely before the Creeper Guards arrived.
After moving to a place where I could hide as much as possible, I dismissed the noticeable Gori Squad and collapsed limply on the ground.
‘Let’s hold out for just 30 minutes like this.’
I wrapped my aching head in my arms and diligently sensed whether there was anything that could harm me.
‘Let’s see, that’s an interesting name.’
The artifact I obtained from defeating Escalon, ‘Soho’s Prank.’
It was a stylish banner with a refreshing blend of green and yellow. As I carelessly placed it on my chest, it melted into my Flame Armor in an instant.
Soho’s Prank
– ‘The Jester Soho’ doesn’t tolerate seriousness even in battle.
– If you successfully attack the enemy’s head, there’s a very low chance to fill ‘Soho’s Playful Banner.’
– An opponent with ‘Soho’s Playful Banner’ will burst out laughing at anything I say.
– An entity with ‘Soho’s Playful Banner’ has a very low chance of canceling their attack and instead performs ‘Soho’s Bizarre Dance.’
– …
‘What… kind of artifact is this?’
I had seen all sorts of artifacts, but this was my first encounter with something like this.
It’s weird enough that the effect only activates when hitting a specific spot, but making them dance? What the hell…
‘Well… even if it’s at a low chance, the fact that it can cancel attacks is absurdly good. But what’s that last part covered in a question mark?’
Usually, hidden effects under a question mark either grant a very positive effect or are akin to a curse of misfortune…
‘Hmm… Since it’s already merged with my armor, there’s nothing I can do about it. By the way, what’s happening on the battlefield?’
I cautiously extended my senses to observe the situation of the battle unfolding outside.
‘Everyone… They look better than I expected.’
My companions still seemed lively. Although there was a sense they were adjusting their mana usage because I wasn’t there, they were visibly active even from afar.
Of course, there were still one or two people losing their lives to monsters, which was a worrying sign.
Healers were stationed everywhere, but unless it was someone like Gu Sang-min, they couldn’t help with near-instant death wounds.
‘Yeon-hee— summon me back, please.’
I had been trying to convey that will to Yeon-hee for a while, but she was completely focused on the battle, absorbing all of her mental energy.
Drip drip drip—
Even pouring Irmana’s water on my head from the jug in the space wouldn’t help. It showed just how powerful the exhaustion was.
‘This… looks like I’ll have to wait helplessly.’
Over there, I could see the plant-based S-rank Hunter Yoo Min-jeong looking around vigilantly.
She must be searching for me after recovering her mana.
Seeing her, I felt unexpectedly anxious. If I could make a good impression on Yoo Min-jeong, there would surely be a time to use that later.
‘If there’s something to gain, there’s bound to be something to lose.’
Saving people.
Matching more breaths with the S-rank Hunter.
I chose the first option between the two.
This was the moment I really felt that life was a series of choices.
– Kreeeeeeek!!
– Murgiiiiiii!!
Thousands of Creeper Guards screeched horribly, and over a thousand High-Rank Hunters roared bravely, facing off like a majestic epic captured in a painting. It was a grand scale battle that shook the heavens and the earth.
I thought this would likely be the largest battle I’d experience until the Orc Legion Commander arrived.
‘There are way too many of them than I expected. I didn’t even call all the Creeper Guards from the north, yet there are this many already. Just how much have they made a mess of things?’
It seemed like a long battle awaited.
Fighting for a few hours wouldn’t be enough to wipe out all those monsters.
In the end, I shook Ran, who had melted on top of my head like cheese.
Though I didn’t show it outwardly, it was clear that Ran had strained herself while pulling in my potential.
‘Tell Yeon-hee to return and summon me back.’
(Hmhm… I wonder if I can fly too. But can I leave you alone like this?)
‘There’s probably no one as used to being alone as a Skeleton. You helping her quickly is how you help me.’
Ran tapped my head once with her pure white wings before flying straight to Yeon-hee. Watching her wobble and struggle to fly high made me feel quite anxious.
But with her spirit’s trait of not being easily detected by other beings, it seemed she wouldn’t be in too much danger.
‘Speaking of which, Ran has gotten far enough to fly quite a distance now. Other summoned creatures can’t do that.’
Is the spirit truly a special being?
I suddenly recalled that there had been a female knight who hated spirits in the Ilseom Guild. Her name was Kwon Hyun-a… but that’s not important.
As I let go of my petty thoughts and gazed at the battlefield, a chill ran down my spine.
Ominously—
Something cold clawed at my heart.
‘… Damn… when did he get here?’
A figure gradually approached me from about 50 meters away.
The one who had kept me on edge for days.
‘The Man of Stealth… the rat that had been chasing us. He probably didn’t know my location when I went underground. Did he see the Gori Squad coming up?’
“Shh shh shh— Be quiet—”
About 30 meters away, a man brought his finger to his lips as though soothing a baby.
He was dressed entirely in black, with his face completely covered by a mask. I wondered how well he could see like that.
“Hehehe… Honestly, I’ve never had this happen before. I just couldn’t hold it in.”
He looked at me with sparkling eyes, as if he had discovered an exquisite jewel.
“I don’t get it. Why can’t you move all of a sudden? Your summoning should have been released, so when did you get summoned here again? Can Lee Yeon-hee summon creatures from this far away?
It’s almost like the Devouring Creeper has developed a new ability, doesn’t it? A woman who commands monsters… Could her roots be the same as the Great Beasts?”
“……”
The guy spewed out a bunch of thoughts without a filter, contrary to what I had pictured him to be; he talked too much…
“Don’t you think so?”
“……”
Reflecting on my short history of living as a skeleton, I realized that chatty characters often turned out to be villains. He had been silently trailing behind me up until now, so what the hell was going on?
“Oh dear, you’re a Skeleton Soldier, right? Of course, you can’t speak. Hehehe… But you do understand everything I say, right? I’ve spent days analyzing your behavior and communication style with those around you. You’re a high-level being with intellect just like a human.”
“……”
I had absolutely no idea what this guy wanted or why he approached me.
‘Maybe I shouldn’t think of it that badly?’
It’s just that my current situation was rock bottom.
Objectively speaking, he didn’t seem to show any hostility towards me, and I even felt a hint of favor from him. Additionally, I was gathering bits of information about his voice, mannerisms, and physique.
But I absolutely couldn’t let my guard down.
So the moment I sensed him, I completely erased my sensory abilities. The fear and vigilance that he might be able to grasp my abilities were enormous.
“How fascinating. Seeing it up close makes it so. You are more of an alien being than any being I’ve encountered. The ‘person’ I was trailing not too long ago was impressive, but compared to you, ‘they’ were simply extraordinarily lucky… just a mere monster in the realm of humans.”
‘I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, dude. What makes you think I care? I might just detonate myself if you come any closer… Why are you palpably staying at that precise point and not coming into my explosion range? Are you predicting my blast radius…?’
There’s commonly a trait related to what’s called instinct.
Hunters of the guide lineage often possess such abilities, and for a Hunter of that level, having one wouldn’t be too strange.
“Don’t worry, Skeleton. I won’t harm you. That isn’t in my job description. Why would I take out something as enjoyable to watch as you? Right? Hehehe… But it’s a bit odd. From far away, there was some peculiar aura spreading around you. Hm…”
What a sharp guy.
I really have no clue how he developed such a keen ability.
‘Good call on shutting my senses down. He’s far too insightful. To feel the ripple of my senses from that far away? He’s got a skill similar to a Were Croc, huh?’
Just as I was trying to hide my caution, the Man of Stealth squatted down and began to stare at me intensely.
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