Those crazy skeleton heads!
No, I mean they’re actually skeletons!
The skeletons are coming at us on two legs, rattling their jawbones!
Of course, they looked ridiculous, and having played a lot of games, I wasn’t overly shocked, but seeing actual skeletons moving on their own was a shock in itself.
“Grk.”
“Grgak.”
The skeleton is walking!!!!
The skeleton is actually walking!!!!
“Aaaah!”
I couldn’t help but tear my hair out and scream. Of course, I wasn’t the only one; many warriors joined in with panic-filled screams.
“Hey! Don’t be scared, you bunch of idiots!”
The squad leader’s roar snapped me out of my panic.
“Those Golgakgui are classified as the weakest demons among all! Even if they came out of the maze, there’s nothing to be afraid of! Sure, there are a lot of them, but we can take them down!”
Weak demons, huh?
Well, thinking about it, there’s no way that pathetic skeletons could be strong. If a skeleton is strong, then a living person with muscles should be even stronger, right?
“Go smash them!”
At the squad leader’s shout, the warriors regained their focus and readied their weapons.
But something strange caught my eye. The Golgakgui were decked out in what looked like ancient armor? Among them, there were even some with flags.
“Hey, Squad Leader! Those guys have flags!”
“Flags? Ah, they must be remnants of the Yuan dynasty’s soldiers.”
“Yuan dynasty?”
“In the end, they’re just the defeated remnants of a fallen kingdom. It’s laughable to think that the soldiers who once scared the Han are in this state! Go kill them! Avenge our ancestors! Hurry!”
Even if I don’t know the details, it’s clear that those Yuan undead are weaker than our living folks.
“Uwaaaa!”
“Kraaaa!”
Along with the warriors, I let out a battle cry and charged forward.
Honestly speaking, just watching these crazy skeletons getting up and moving makes me want to sit down in fear.
Still, as the fear grew, my fighting spirit rose, and I managed to pull myself together. Those things think they can beat me? No way. I will absolutely not lose.
“Haap!”
I bravely launched myself into the fray.
“Die, you stupid Sans!”
With a powerful shout, I kicked the ribs of a Golgakgui.
Crack!
With that, the bones shattered, and the Golgakgui crumbled to the ground.
“What…?”
Even with a kick, it went down in one hit?
I’ve practiced Taekwondo to a third-degree level and have learned the Six Combination Fist, but if I can take one out with a kick, it means these guys have ridiculously low durability.
Aren’t their HP lower than Soseongui’s?
“Hehe, that’s refreshing. But make sure to smash the skeletons into bits. That way they won’t get up again.”
“Oh! That reminds me!”
Jaemi Son said he had experience defeating Golgakgui.
If he can do it, there’s no way I can’t.
Smash!
I started doing a tap dance, looking around.
Creek!
Jaemi Son stabbed at a Golgakgui’s ribs, hooking onto it and then swinging it to hit other Golgakgui.
“Uwaaa!”
“Die!”
The warriors were wildly swinging their swords and punching, smashing Golgakgui into pieces. I joined in, adding to the momentum and breaking more of them.
Just like that, the dozens of Yuan remnants were swiftly defeated by our ragtag bunch. Considering their terrifying appearance, their combat skills were truly pathetic.
“We did it!”
I raised the rotting Yuan flag and roared. In ancient warfare, a flag is akin to a unit’s lifeblood.
I’ve defeated the Yuan army!
Take that, you pathetic skeletons!
“Well done! There’s no need to fear the Golgakgui that appear from the maze! Just kill them as they come!”
The squad leader, watching our efforts, said that.
“Got it!”
“Yes!”
The squad leader.
He seems pretty reliable.
He has a violent streak, but that’s typical for a pre-modern martial artist. Moreover, his qualities fit that of a squad leader guiding his men, so it’s a good trait.
Plus, by providing accurate information about the enemy and boosting morale, there’s no need to doubt his leadership abilities.
This squad leader is just as respectable as Mr. Song.
“Squad Leader! I recovered the enemy’s flag!”
“That’s unnecessary.”
“I’m in awe of your leadership! Thanks to your accurate information and sharp orders, we were able to crush the Golgakgui without any issues! Truly impressive!”
“What? Heh, of course. Unlike you warriors, I’m a martial artist trained through the clan.”
Feeling pleased by my flattery, the squad leader grinned.
If I act this humbly, it might loosen the barrier in his heart a bit. By chatting in this way, I could gather useful information. Therefore, such conversations are essential.
“I’d like to know your nickname, Squad Leader!”
“pili-ja (피리자) Moon Hyung-ki.”
“Pi, pili-ja?! Is that…!”
“Yeah. Even lowly warriors can understand that.”
I had no idea what that meant, and I had never heard such a nickname before, but my reaction seemed to lift the corner of Moon Hyung-ki’s mouth.
“So, isn’t Piri-ja the hero of the Namgoong clan?”
“Hmm? What do you mean by that?”
“I assumed, as a martial artist of the clan, you would surely be a bloodline of the Namgoong clan.”
“Ah, it’s not always like that. There are units like that, for instance, there’s a martial group composed of collateral branches called Mukangdae. Or an elite formation only made up of direct descendants like Chang-gungdae.”
The happy Piri-ja hero explained more.
“But we’re a unit made up of foreigners, a hired combat group, so to speak.”
After the detailed explanation, it seems that they were picked up by the Namgoong martial artists during their youth and, in exchange for learning martial arts and a salary, pledged absolute loyalty to the Namgoong clan.
The group’s name is River Group (하천대), and it seems the Jade Flower Sword, Namgoong Serin, freely commands this unit, meaning she’s like a squad leader.
“If I develop my skills as a warrior, could I join the clan’s foreign combat group?”
“There is a possibility… But the break is over! We’re heading out again!”
“Understood!”
The unit moved again.
Under the leadership of the Piri-ja hero, we rapidly swept through the Golgakgui we encountered, cleaning our way through the maze like it was nothing.
* * *
Before long, we joined up with the advance party.
The first to enter were the Jade Flower Sword and the members of the River Group.
No one looked particularly battle-worn. They must have cleared the path first and then had the warriors handle the cleaning at the back? Regardless, they seemed very familiar with the maze.
“Good job, Piri-ja. Did anything of note happen?”
“Yes! We defeated over a hundred Golgakgui and collected materials! No other issues!”
“Understood.”
As I heard the commanding voice of Piri-ja hero while resting with Jaemi Son,
“Oh, Geunhyeop.”
“Lady?!”
“Have you finally reached the depths of this maze?”
“Yes, we have.”
As I replied solemnly, the Jade Flower Sword spoke gravely.
“What do you think? How was your first experience stepping into the maze?”
“I was scared at first, but seeing you, Lady, feels like meeting a guardian in hell. Hehehe.”
“That’s a fitting expression.”
“I also found defeating the Golgakgui quite enjoyable.”
Honestly, running around smashing pathetic demons feels a bit like playing a dungeon exploration game, and it’s been quite fun.
“It seems it suited your temperament. But be cautious from now on.”
“Excuse me? Is there something more ahead?”
“Golgakgui are merely corpses that were buried and came back, not true denizens of hell.”
True denizens of hell, huh?
“I found the path!”
One of the warriors shouted.
“However, there are hungry ghosts blocking the way, so it will take some time to break through!”
Hungry ghosts?
“Prepare your positions. I’ll handle them after luring them in.”
“Yes! Everyone, take your positions!”
At that, the Namgoong warriors moved swiftly while the Piri-ja hero shouted at us.
“Everyone follow me!”
“Yes!”
“Yes!”
Soon enough, we positioned ourselves according to his guidance, and I felt like our warriors were to act as a barricade.
Huh?
“Uh! Hey, Jaemi Son! Are we playing the wall role?!”
“Hehe… I guess you’ve finally realized.”
Oh crap!
“Soon the hungry ghosts will come! They are demons from hell, but aside from their numbers and slightly reckless nature, they are nothing but worthless trash! Kill every last hungry ghost that charges at us!”
“Yes!”
“Yes!”
“Yes!”
Of course!
There’s no way only easy guys like Golgakgui would show up!
“Hungry ghosts!”
What kind of demons could they be? Are they the same hungry ghosts found in Buddhist hell? I asked Jaemi Son, but he only had a rough idea, claiming he’d never seen one.
Whoosh!
Then, arrows flew through the air.
The lure squad seems to have sent a signal.
“The hungry ghosts have been lured! They’ll be here soon, so get ready!”
The Piri-ja hero shouted.
Soon…
Thud, thud, thud!
Thud, thud, thud!
Noisy sounds began coming from the distance. Hearing it made me gulp. Just what kind of demons are these hungry ghosts?
“They’re coming!”
“Ah, here come the hungry horde!”
“Hungry ghosts!”
And there they were—the swarm of hungry ghosts.
“Yikes!”
What bizarre appearances they have.
Some crawled on the ground, while others ran on two legs, looking just like the very embodiment of hunger.
Oversized heads that don’t fit their body. Yet beneath that, their necks were thin like a duck’s, with their rib bones protruding grotesquely. Their arms and legs were so thin they looked like sticks.
But their bellies were unnaturally swollen, proving their hunger.
“I’m hungry, I’m hungry! I’m hungry, I’m hungry!!”
“Give me food, food, food, food, food, food!”
“Meat, meat! Meat, meat, meat!”
And they could talk!
With maniacal cries, the ravenous horde rushed toward us, baring their hideous jaws and glaring!
“There are so many of them!”
Watching them approach makes fear swell inside me. This is exactly why having warriors is essential. To face such a horde of chump demons, we need numbers on our side!
Using the warrior squad as shields to slaughter the hungry ghosts…!
I can’t be afraid!
I must raise my fighting spirit to win!
“If it were Mr. Song…!”
Mr. Song would surely butcher them mercilessly!
I must act like Mr. Song!
“Graaaah!”
“Uwaaaa!”
“Kiyaaaaa!”
And so, we clashed with the hungry horde!
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