Thick bones covered his entire body in an instant.
[Abed Necrapeto has released Bone Armor].
The man smiled satisfied and stared forward. The flames that transferred to the bones quickly died out, but the remaining flames in the passage turned into a wall and blocked the path.
«Hmm, I didn't think I'd run away».
Should I follow him?
Contemplating this as he looked beyond the scorching flames, the man soon decided to end the matter. How to make someone angry... I wasn't exactly curious about that.
«...Captain, it's the body of a knight.»
«As expected, they have come this far. Everyone, stay tuned. The enemy has to be close».
About twenty explorers appeared just in time through the passageways connected to the second floor portal. Seeing that they carried the same symbol on top, it seemed to be a small clan.
«Tsk.»
The man clicked his tongue in displeasure and continued forward. His mission in this insurrection was to be in charge of the second floor portal and prevent people from escaping. Originally, it was a mission that the dragon slayer had to take care of.
«That snake-eyed bastard is no help».
If that guy had recovered in time, he could have focused on helping his mass murder specialty in the central region, as planned.
«Well, I'm sure they'll take care of the fugitive for their part».
After all, there was no reason to chase and kill a guy who had run away. Just thinking about it was annoying. All he had to do was his own job. With that in mind, he was about to advance towards the second floor portal.
Buzzzz.
The message stone vibrated in his pocket.
«Necrapeto, what is your situation? Have you reached your destination?»
«Oh, deputy commander! Don't worry. I arrived a long time ago and it is so well blocked that not a rat can escape. Pshehe!»
Although he spoke with confidence, the answer came after a long interval. Strictly speaking, it wasn't even an answer. «...What is that tone? And what is that strange laugh?»
«Strange laugh?» The man tilted his head at first, but soon understood the meaning of the words and giggled. «Oh, it's just a habit. Don't worry, Deputy Commander».
«A custom?»
«Yes, something that happens when I put on a mask».
«...I don't know what he's talking about. Anyway, if something goes wrong, contact me immediately.» With that, the transmission was cut off.
The man tapped his index finger on the skull mask he had received as a supply. Suddenly, the members of the Round Table came to mind.
Fox and Goblin would surely be here.
How many of them would be alive and healthy at the next meeting? I was already looking forward to it.
***
I ran with all my might, worried that Clown would come after us.
Huff, huff.
After sprinting down the passage for about ten minutes, Mr. Bear murmured: «Have we lost him?».
It was a signature phrase that made me nervous for a moment, but I didn't bother to say anything. I had a similar thought.
To be precise, we didn't lose him, he just didn't chase us.
In any case, it was clear that we now had a break. «Let's go slower from now on.»
«...Aren't we going to run anymore?»
«We don't just have to be careful with that man».
Currently, we were in the Crystal Cave covered in fog. If we accelerated too much, it would be difficult to respond to an unexpected danger. It was safe to say that the entire first floor was already a minefield.
«Bjorn, maybe the right thing to do was to fight».
«What do you mean, Ainar?»
«The Corpse Collector... It was an opportunity to spread your name even more! But you left that opportunity and ran away!»
Yes, no wonder she had been silent all this time. So this was what he didn't like. This girl had a tendency to admire me like a heroic former barbarian. The chance to gain fame?
I'm just grateful that no one got hurt.
The true value of a necromancer was demonstrated the moment a corpse was taken out of subspace. Furthermore, the Corpse Collector had a numbered item that bought him that fame, a signature item similar to the dragon slayer's sword. If he took that out, some of us would surely have died or been seriously injured.
«Ainar, don't be unreasonable». Without needing to take a step forward, Missha gave Ainar a warning before which she cowered.
«I'm fine...! As an adult, I can understand it. But w-how do I explain this to the young warriors?!».
Ah, now I saw that that was the real problem. Ainar always went to the sacred land and told them about the explorations he had done with me. It was almost deifying to the point of embarrassment, but I left her alone, as it might increase my approval rating in the tribe.
«You can make something up».
«That is...! Warriors don't lie!»
«Tsk! Stop replicating!»
When Missha reprimanded her forcefully, Ainar fell silent. His sunken shoulders made me feel bad. The charm of a barbarian was in always being sure of himself.
After thinking about it for a moment, I responded: «Ainar, we haven't just fled».
«Hey?»
«That man ran away from us». It was a common barbaric-style mental victory.
«What do you mean? Don't make fun of me... I'm not that inconsiderate!»
Hmm, I didn't know that. I continued with a serious expression. «I'm not making fun of you. Ainar, a wise warrior must also know when to pick a fight. What we just did was rush towards a battlefield that was in our favor and, knowing it, fled».
Ainar frowned, distraught, and then asked cautiously: «Is that right?.». I was a little worried inside, but luckily that seemed to have worked. When I nodded firmly, Ainar perked up as usual.
«Mr. Yandel, you really are...».
«What, do you have something to say?»
«No. Only... I was thinking that a leader should be someone like that». Raven looked at me strangely. I assumed that my method of comforting Ainar's desperation was quite impressive.
«So let's move on».
The talk ended at that moment, and I cautiously advanced down the passage, vigilant in all directions. My destination was the center of the first floor, the place that was believed to be swept away with blood right now.
«Isn't it better to go through another portal?»
«Anyway, there won't be much difference there».
I abandoned the option of heading to the second floor. After all, the Corpse Collector was standing in the alley towards the Goblin Forest.
He was probably trying to block the portal.
My assumption was that another individual of similar strength would be waiting at the other portal.
«In that case, I will follow your decision. Yandel, you have good intuition for these things».
So, we went through the fog for a while.
Rattle, rattle.
About ten people appeared ahead. When we realized each other's presence, we were already in sight. Fortunately, they didn't seem like enemies.
«...He is a gentleman.»
Not only did they all wear a knight's armor, but each piece of armor had the symbol of the family to which they belonged. Well, even this could be imitated if they really tried...
«Explorer, raise your wrist and show your identification tag».
Judging by that arrogant tone, it seemed to be original armor. Following the instructions, I first showed them the label on my wrist and asked: «Do ID labels have any meaning in this situation?». That was the information I was most curious about.
The knight responded dryly: «To some extent».
«I want to know more about it».
«There was a person who ambushed us with dog tags on our side. Because of that, we suffered some damage».
«I see.»
«If your curiosity is resolved, put down your weapons and stay glued to the wall until we pass».
The gentleman spoke oppressively to us after that, and I obediently followed the instructions. The atmosphere was really dangerous here. The knights seemed to have fought many battles to get here, as they were all soaked in blood.
However, he had to ask whatever was necessary. «Can you tell me exactly what the situation is?»
«...What a strange question.»
«We ran to the second floor as soon as we started. We have no information about the interior».
«Hmm.» The gentleman stopped walking and stared at me as if he wanted to discern whether my words were true or not. Seeing those ominous eyes, I was starting to think I shouldn't have asked.
«Hello. I am Arua Raven, a mage from the Altemion School». Raven stepped forward, revealing her identity. «If you're doubting our identities, I can use magic to prove...».
«Stop, don't come any closer. Unless you want to die».
«No, I...»
«Do you think there are no wizards in Noark?»
At the gentleman's deep voice, Raven couldn't say anything and kept her mouth shut.
A heavy silence had set in at some point.
«Sir Garfizel, these people can't be on Noark's side, so you don't have to worry about that». The situation turned upside down when a gentleman from the back row intervened.
«How can you guarantee that?»
«He is a fairly famous explorer».
«Hmm, this man?» The knight who seemed to be the leader looked at me with questioning eyes.
Mine were the same. «...Do you know me?»
«Of course I know him». The gentleman who answered my question raised his helmet. Then a face emerged from memory.
«Carls Erimor?»
«What an honor that you remember. How long without seeing each other».
Carls Erimor was a knight of Baron Martoin's house whom I met at the count's estate. He was just an apprentice, but still. He was a rare scout turned knight, so we got along pretty well. And to think I would meet him here.
«So who is this man?»
«His name is Bjorn Yandel, and in the city he is more famous as Little Balkan».
When my identity was verified through Carls, the gentleman looked at me with different eyes. «Little Balkan, huh? I've heard it in passing too. In high society they call you the crushing knight, right?». His gaze was far from benevolent. However, since the suspicion that I was an enemy had been cleared up, I was much better than before.
«So can I hear what the situation is now?»
The knight briefly explained that as soon as they entered the maze, Noark's scouts attacked from all sides. Those with an identification tag were also hidden, so the initial damage was considerable. Even after the fog appeared, the knights gathered in the dark area of the central region to protect the scouts and prepare the battle lines.
«By the dark area, do you mean where the monument is located?».
«Yes, head there. You will be safe as long as you get there».
It was good news. I stopped him from leaving immediately and asked carefully: «Are you going to the portal?».
«...Why do you ask that?»
Wow, what a fighter.
«Because we come from there».
«Interesting».
I told the interested gentleman what I knew. That was because for now we were on the same team. He couldn't let them die in vain. «The Corpse Collector is near the portal. So, if you see a dead body in the passage, be on your guard. That means he's found you too».
Contrary to my expectations, the gentleman concentrated on my words and nodded without question. «All information is valuable in times of war. The Corpse Collector, huh? Thanks for telling me». Surprisingly, he even thanked me and handed me a ring. «If you meet a gentleman who doubts who you are, show him this and tell him about me. Then your identity will be guaranteed».
«...I'll use it well.»
«I'm running out of time, so goodbye.»
As soon as he handed over the ring, the knight led the group and disappeared into the fog. That vision no longer seemed so arrogant to me. Now that I saw him, he was someone who knew his duty.
I guess it doesn't come with resizing magic.
After trying to put the ring on my little finger, I gave up and gave it to Missha.
«Hey? I? Do you want me to wear it?»
«It doesn't fit my hand».
«...Then it can't be helped». Then Missha elegantly extended her left hand to me. What did I want? Did you want me to wear it? «Ahem...»
I turned my hand so that the palm was facing up and placed the ring on top. «You put it on».
«Hmph, what a shame».
...He said nonsense.
***
After the meeting with the knights, we accelerated a little more. The further we got from the outskirts and closer to the center, the more the smell of blood intensified.
«Here, too...»
«Stop looking and keep moving forward».
There were corpses every few minutes wherever we went. Almost everyone was naked.
Even in the middle of this, you get what you need, huh? Well, the feeling is mutual.
«Yandel! It's an ambush!»
There were also quite a few battles as we got here. This makes nine? Once it was after checking their ID tags that they suddenly attacked, and the rest attacked us as soon as we saw them. Most of them were rank 5, like us, but until now there had been no big problems.
«Behell-ahhhhhhhhh!»
On average, we were a pretty strong team. We were slowly reaching the capabilities of the sixth floor, and because we did not have a professional scout, our combat power was quite high.
«Bjorn, what are you going to do with the two who escaped?»
«Leave them. We don't have time, so grab your equipment and let's go».
As the distance traveled became longer, the equipment piled up in our subspace. It felt like being in an infinite Player Elimination dungeon.
I never thought I would feel so much excitement on the first floor.
Anxiety was growing slowly. So far it had progressed smoothly, but how long could this last?
«Bjorn...»
«Don't worry. We're almost there».
I pushed down my anxious feelings and continued to lead the team.
After spending a long time like this, at a crossroads divided into several forks, we encountered a group of about thirty unknown explorers. They seemed to be resting after an arduous battle and took out their weapons as soon as they saw us.
Wham!
My heart was beating like crazy. If these guys were from Noark, then we were screwed.
«Eh...? Sir?»
That's when I heard a familiar voice.