Land Of Forgotten Warriors (3)

.

An undead imbued with the soul of a once powerful knight or warrior.

In truth, it must be quite unfair for it.

Strictly speaking, it’s a formidable opponent that isn’t easy for me to take down one-on-one.

‘And it’s abilities are, of course…’

Its swordsmanship is probably superior to mine.
Simply put, if we only consider pure specs, I absolutely can’t win.
So, originally, I would have to cooperate appropriately with Moon Bora to continue a fierce battle…

Rumble!

Unfortunately, the equipment I possess and the power I’ve recently learned are a direct counter to it.

Boom!

A booming explosion occurred.

I watched as parts fell from the sky to the ground.

The armor and bones comprising the .

Each piece was engulfed in [Holy Power] and blazing fiercely.

While [Holy Strike] itself is powerful, the additional effect of the [Saint’s Sword].
A strike with 50% increased power against <Demon, Evil>.
It’s natural for it to hurt more than usual.

‘Being undead, its inherent weakness would also apply…’

It must have dealt almost bug-level damage in an instant.

Indeed, [Recycle]…

It was a cheat.

I looked at the Death Knight’s corpse briefly.
Should I say it feels nostalgic?

It feels like just yesterday I warned Meowi that encountering a in the would be annihilation.

To think I defeated an undead of a higher level so easily…

I felt truly moved, realizing just how much stronger I’ve become.

Suddenly, a voice of astonishment.

“Ho, hoeeeh…?!”

B-grade examiner Um Jimi looked back and forth between the Death Knight and me, her mouth agape in disbelief.

“R-r-really… Are you sure you’re C-C-grade?”
“I’m actually B-grade now.”
“Ah, ah, well, that’s true… But, what on earth? Huh? What’s your identity?”

I responded appropriately to Um Jimi’s question.

Anyway, I was planning to collect the mana stones and rewards and gradually finish the real test.

Moon Bora, who was next to me, suddenly shouted in surprise.

“Seha!”
“…!”

Rumble!

A dark red aura surged up like a pillar, emitting formidable power.

The source of the emission was the sprawled Death Knight.

The broken body of the creature began to reassemble.

That unique red aura.
And even the warning ringing in the …

“This–”
“No way, a rare boss?!”

Before I could speak, Um Jimi screamed first.

With her mouth agape, she unhesitatingly rummaged through her belongings and pulled out a return stone.

“Y-you two! Come around me. Le-let’s escape first–”
“No, it’s okay.”
“Th-this isn’t the time for bravado!”

She placed her hand on my shoulder.

I couldn’t blame Um Jimi for her reaction.
Right now, in this situation.
It was commonly known as a event.

‘It happens occasionally.’

An event where bosses become stronger or even change forms through specific triggers.

‘Existence evolution’ is one of those.

Usually, creatures in this state get a + added to their grade.

The first ones I encountered, <Kappa Rhino (C+)> and <Pearl Garden Tortoise (B+)>, are examples.

Probably now, that has successfully evolved to A+.

Anyway, regardless of what Um Jimi said, I focused on observing the creature.

‘Red. It means it’s a blood-type, which means…’

It indicated that the [Death Progression] skill had been unlocked.

It was essentially a life+1 ability that allowed one to overcome fatal damage and continue fighting.

Normally, I would have run away.

Currently, both [Wavelength of Usurping Light] and [Saint’s Sword] were on cooldown, putting me at a disadvantage in the fight.

But it’s okay.

“I still have one more move left.”
“…Eh, what?”

I opened my hand.

[Slasla] on my hand unfolded a much larger subspace than before. From within, a mace was automatically summoned into the air.

I grabbed the mace, which was spinning around me as if it had a will of its own, with a strong grip.

I dashed forward in an instant.
The had only just been resurrected.

Now was the best time to finish it off while it was still disoriented.

“Moon Bora. Platform!”
“I’m already preparing it!”

The [Ice Wall] that rose from the ground at just the right time became a platform.

I stepped on it and jumped high.

The [Khan’s Mace] in my hand shone brilliantly.

Then, the light transformed into a massive hammer of light as big as my body.

Intrinsic skill, [Hammer of Judgment].

It didn’t have any special additional effects, but it unleashed a pure, powerful, attack-focused divine law that was much stronger than [Holy Slash].

-Clatter!!!

The resurrected finished adapting and belatedly recognized me.

It hurriedly raised its sword.

“Too late! You bastard.”

Boom!!!

A massive shockwave filled with white shook the [Boss Room].

When I looked down, I finally saw the completely dead, reduced to mush.

“Whew~”

I examined [Khan’s Mace] thoroughly.

Originally an epic, but now a weapon downgraded to hero status.

The concern about defects due to the downgrade was as foolish as it was excellent.

Vwoom!

At that moment, a bluish orb floated up from the corpse of the .

“Huh?”

My eyes widened automatically.

It was unmistakably a .
And it was a .

I carefully picked it up, still holding the return stone, and turned to Um Jimi, who looked like her jaw was about to hit the floor. I smiled gently.

“With this…”

It’s a pass, right?

A moment later.

I turned my head this way and that, examining the in my hand.

This is quite…

‘What a dilemma.’

“Hmmm…”

I let out a small groan as I reviewed the again.

Really…

“Useless.”

Well, I mean…

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t a bad rune.

If it were a , maybe.

But since it’s a , consuming it doesn’t drastically increase mana consumption.

Plus, it raises the very unique resource of .

‘…Maybe the higher the charm, the more it affects intimacy?’

Honestly, I’m not sure.
In ‘GAL,’ special abilities like obsession, madness, charm, and greed have little known information.

Anyway, I realized this from looking at the info window…

‘The defeated was a woman…’

It felt like the preconceived notion that it would be a man was shattered.

Anyway, it was surprising.

I naturally expected to get abilities like [Touch of Decay] or [Veil of Night] from a .

A brief moment of contemplation.
I quickly made a decision.

“Alright, I’ll sell it.”
“Huh?!”
“Hm?”
“You’re, you’re going to sell it…?”
“Yeah, that’s the plan.”

At my words of turning it into money, Moon Bora looked at me with regretful eyes.

She gulped, clearly tempted…
She seemed to really want it.

‘Unexpected…’

Does she want it that much?

Huh? This feels like…

‘It’s kind of similar to when I got the rune before.’

It seems such things are important to women.

I glanced between the rune and Moon Bora.

Then handed it to her.

“Moon Bora.”
“Huh… Yes?”
“Do you want to consume it? Or should I sell it for–”
“I want to consume it! Let me consume it!”
“…Uh, okay…”

I handed it to Moon Bora, looking bewildered.

She accepted it and laughed brightly, more than anything.

She looked so happy that it seemed almost too good to be true.

I, too, couldn’t help but smile at her reaction.

“Seha, thank you.”
“No, it’s nothing. It’s a strange feeling seeing you so happy.”

Moon Bora immediately consumed the rune.

She quickly took out a hand mirror, touched her skin, and muttered, “Wow~ it’s so firm… as expected, runes are great.”

In the meantime, Um Jimi finished all the evaluation records and approached us.

“C-congratulations. To both of you.”

She explained that she had finished her report to the higher-ups.

“Well then, now…”
“Yes, yes. Ahem!”

Um Jimi straightened her bent back and handed over two platinum-shining hunter cards.

“H-Hunter Yu Seha. And Hunter Moon Bora. Both of you, from this moment on, are officially B-grade hunters. Congratulations.”
“Thank you for evaluating the test well.”
“Oh, no. It’s all thanks to Seha’s amazing abilities.”

Um Jimi laughed with a giggle.
She slyly grabbed my hand.

“Uh, um… just in case something happens in the future.”
“Yes?”
“Sh-shall we exchange phone numbers, at least?”
“Oh, sure. I’d like to know someone here too.”

Um Jimi happily recorded my number.

I thought that was the end, but…

She made another suggestion.

“Ah, you haven’t eaten yet, right?”
“What? Oh, no, I haven’t eaten anything since morning.”
“Th-then how about having lu-lunch together? I know some good places around here–”
“That won’t be possible.”

Uh…
Don’t get the wrong idea.
That wasn’t my voice.

Moon Bora, who had been quietly watching, suddenly spoke up as if she had been waiting.

She gently grabbed my shoulder and looked at Um Jimi with a hmph…

“…Seha and I have a prior engagement.”
“Uh, uh…”
“Huh? Moon Bora, what kind of promise—?”

Crunch!

“Ouch, that hurts!”
“Be quiet! Anyway, it seems difficult. Thank you so much for today, Um Jimi.”
“…Uh… yes… uh…”

A moment later.

Um Jimi left first.

I explained to her that I still had things to do here and would return to the later.

“Seha?”
“Yes?”

While retracing our steps from the [Boss Room].
Moon Bora asked with a curious look.

“Why did you choose to stay here? The respawn quickly and will reappear in an hour.”
“It’s okay. I have business in the .”
“…?”
“Yes.”

Though explaining here is fine…
Seeing is believing, as they say.
I decided that showing her would be best.

“Moon Bora.”
“Yes?”
“Will you trust me and follow this time?”
“……”

It was a straightforward statement without any additional explanation.

Moon Bora laughed softly, as if finding it amusing.

Her eyes were filled with a light of unwavering trust.

“What are you doing? Lead the way. Seha has never given me anything bad, right? I’ll follow you anywhere, so don’t worry.”

“…Thank you.”

I soon stopped in front of a massive stone.

“Huh? Seha, this is…”
“Yes, a collapsed statue.”
“…Saying you have business here… does that mean you knew how to use it?”
“Exactly.”

I lifted the head of the statue that had fallen to the ground.

‘There are a total of 5 statues.’

The parts, treated as objects, have remained intact.

Piece by piece, as if assembling a puzzle, it fit together as if glued.

After a few minutes, the statue regained its original form.

“……”
“……”

Well, of course, nothing happened.

If it were this easy, the hunters who came in earlier would have opened the way long ago.

“…Seha? Nothing’s happening.”
“This is just the beginning. Moon Bora, do you remember what I told you?”
“What you told me… Oh, you said to bring some comfortable activewear…”
“Right.”

I took off the [Blue Scale Leather Armor] I was wearing.

I stripped down to my upper body.

Moon Bora’s face turned bright red at the sudden exposure.

“U-uh, huh! Huh!”

Regardless, I activated [Smile’s Arsenal] and took out various mops, towels, and cleaning tools from it.

“Now, Moon Bora.”
“Huh?”
“It’s time for a big clean-up.”
“…Don’t tell me, all of this…”
“Yes.”

Each and every one…

“Needs to be cleaned thoroughly.”

Only then can we enter.

In the past, a where the spirits of great warriors gathered for an endless festival.

A-grade Trial.

Into the .