There were a few important things Ethan had overheard during the humans' conversation when he first encountered them the night before.
They talked about the Maze, and the key to enter it. And how the awakeners in this world were all scrambling to claim control over each maze, trying to solidify their positions and amass more power.
And one of those mazes was located here?
Then why weren't more humans roaming the area?
He had a theory. This place was crawling with venomous monsters, most of them not particularly high level. It meant that for regular awakeners, it simply wasn't worth the effort.
The poison would eat away at their time and strength, while the low-level enemies offered little in the way of EXP or meaningful rewards. A poor trade-off for any serious awakeners.
Unlike Ethan, the humans required constant external healing to survive in an area like this. The poison from those undead lizards he encountered yesterday turned out to be far more dangerous than he'd initially realized.
But he wasn't affected. Because he was undead.
To the other undead, he wasn't a threat. That's what allowed him to stroll through this toxic territory like a peaceful garden, blending in effortlessly with what now felt like his own kind.
They wanted the key for themselves, to sell it off and earn a hefty reward, pushing them closer to the next level. Their aim was to reach class advancement as soon as possible, so they could take on higher-tier missions and leave behind these pathetic, toxic zones that were only dragging them down.
And now, here he was, standing before the four of them, appearing at the perfect moment. Fortunately, the zombie boss had already been weakened by their efforts. Ethan had just the right tools to finish the job: crowd control, long-range attacks, and his devastating Soul Chain skill that delivered punishing damage.
With that combination, he'd taken down the damn zombie boss in no time at all.
[You have killed Rare - Gravemaul Revenant Lv. 25]
[You received 6319 Exp]
[You have leveled up]
[You have leveled up]
[You have leveled up]
[You have leveled up]
[Level 19]
[Exp: 1815/4593]
[Your skeletal frame has grown stronger.]
That wasn't all. After the zombie boss fell, two glowing items hovered low above its remains, then shot straight toward him.
He hadn't had the chance to inspect them yet, thanks to the humans arriving so quickly. But they were clearly rare drops.
Still... seriously? He gained four levels just from killing that one monster?
That was a massive jackpot, no doubt about it. Although, of course, the EXP had been partially shared with his undead thralls. But even so, the surge was significant, and it was clear that his plant undead had also leveled up considerably alongside him.
At the very least, recruiting that plant-based undead army had turned out to be a brilliant decision. They were strong enough to keep the zombie boss restrained just long enough for him to take it down.
Ethan silently absorbed the zombie boss's carcass into his dimensional storage, completely ignoring the blonde woman's words standing before him. Once done, he made a mental note to test his Chain the Dead skill on the corpse later, maybe once he hit level 25.
"So... did I steal your kill?" he asked in a low voice, turning his gaze toward the four humans.
And just then... it struck him.
This might've been the first time he'd heard his own voice in weeks. Had he really not spoken out loud in all that time? Seriously?
But what shocked him even more was how different it sounded.
Deep, and resonant. A commanding tone that felt more like the voice of a dungeon boss than anything human. It didn't even sound like him. It echoed with a weight that made him pause, and clearly, it affected the four standing before him too.
"No. Yes. I mean, haha..." the man with the greatsword stammered. "You definitely earned the carcass. We're honestly grateful for the help. And, if possible... Could we get to know you better? Maybe there's something we can do to repay you?"
That was a fast change in attitude. Just earlier, he'd overheard them talking about how they could use him. They didn't realize his hearing was sharper than most, sharper than he himself had expected, actually.
Maybe it was a perk of being a Skeleton Caster. He didn't even fully understand how his hearing worked, being made of bones and all.
The humans introduced themselves one by one. The blonde woman gave him a warm smile that felt a little too wide, seriously strange. But Ethan didn't return the gesture, nor did he take any of the hands extended toward him.
"Well, yeah, hahaha... Sorry," Ash, definitely Ash, not Ass, spoke again. "We're all around level 20, but we're a competent party, really. Just... the poison kind of wrecked us. Our combat strength took a hit. That monster's an area boss, and, yeah... a bit stronger than we expected. Hehehe."
The longer Ethan stayed, the more information he managed to gather from them. All he had to do was play it cool, stay reserved, and let them talk. They'd reveal everything he needed without him ever having to ask. After all, this was his chance to reconnect, however cautiously, with humanity in this post-apocalyptic version of Earth.
"Are you alone?" Ash asked again. "And judging from your strength... I'd guess you've already gone through class advancement?"
"I've been solo since level one," Ethan replied calmly. "And yes, I've experienced one class upgrade."
That shut them up for a moment.
Shock flickered across all their faces, none of them able to hide it, especially Coren, the expressive gunner, who practically gawked.
Baren, the spear-user, stayed quieter, more composed. Ash, on the other hand, clearly had the most to say and the most running through his head, some kind of plan or agenda swirling behind his eyes. And then there was the woman... still smiling that wide, oddly cheerful smile.
"What if we exchange Hunter IDs?" Ash continued, pulling something from beneath his armor, hanging on a slim chain around his neck.
Ethan tilted his head slightly. Hunter ID?
Ash held up a rectangular object, like a thicker credit card.
Was that the new model of smartphone?
"My phone was broken," Ethan replied casually.
"Oh... so you're not affiliated with the Hunter Association?" Ash asked, surprised.
"Hunter Association," Ethan echoed thoughtfully. "No. And what benefit would I even get from joining them?"
The four went quiet again.
"Well, that makes sense," Ash said eventually, chuckling awkwardly. "Someone as strong as you probably wouldn't be interested. But being registered lets us sell our spoils easily and pick up missions. Ranking up in the Hunter Association is the goal for most of us."
"So... you're registered hunters?" Ethan asked, still sounding relaxed.
"Yes, our party is ranked D," Ash said with a sheepish grin.
Rank D? That didn't sound particularly impressive.
So, there really was a Hunter Association. They distributed missions to registered hunters and even provided some kind of device that served as identification, something like a Hunter Device.
Maybe Ethan needed to secure one for himself eventually.
But then the question hit him, would getting one require a photo?
Because there was no way he was unwrapping his cloth bandages and letting anyone snap a picture of his skull face. That definitely didn't sound like a good idea. Not even close.
After a pause, Ash extended his hand again. "May I know your name?" he asked once more.
His name…
"Ethan," he answered. "Ethan Skell."
He had completely made that 'Skell' part up. No way was he giving away his full identity.
Now Ethan wanted more information about the Maze. If he played his cards right, maybe he could capitalize on this so-called Maze before the other hunters even got the chance to chase after it.
Who knew? If he moved fast enough, he might just be able to claim it for himself. Before the rest of the world came knocking.