[HOST, CONGRATULATIONS FOR COMPLETING QUEST: **ELIMINATE GOBLINS AND HOBGOBLIN**]
[REWARDS CLAIMED:
* 1,000P
* APPRAISAL (F) RANK SKILL
* EYES OF THE RULER (F) RANK SKILL]
"Finally got some decent rewards," I muttered.
But my attention immediately shifted to the new skill.
[EYES OF THE RULER (F) RANK SKILL]
The ruler sees through the eyes of all beings under his dominion.
The user can sense the exact location of their undead and observe surroundings directly through their vision.
"...Amazing," I whispered, a rare trace of excitement slipping into my voice as I finished reading the system notifications.
For the first time since arriving in this nightmare...
I actually felt stronger.
Then I slowly lifted my head and looked around.
The battlefield has become a complete massacre.
Goblin corpses littered the corridor.
And in the middle of all that destruction—
Two of my undead still stood silently.
Despite having their heads completely cut off.
"...That’s creepy as hell."
A faint chill crawled down my spine.
The headless undead remained motionless for a few seconds.
Then one of them blindly reached downward, groping across the floor until its fingers touched its severed head.
CRRK...
Slowly...
It picked the head up.
Then placed it back onto its neck like someone casually putting on a helmet.
The second undead did the exact same thing.
CLICK.
Their necks twisted unnaturally before snapping back into place.
Then both of them stood upright again.
Completely normal.
Watching the scene unfold sent another strange feeling through my chest.
"They really aren’t easy to kill..."
Though I could clearly feel the cost.
A dull headache throbbed faintly behind my eyes.
The undead repairing themselves had consumed part of my mana.
"...Tch."
I pushed the thought aside for now and slowly walked toward the fallen hobgoblin.
Its big body still lay sprawled across the ground.
The red aura surrounding it had completely vanished.
I crouched beside the corpse.
Then activated my new skill.
"Appraisal."
DING.
A translucent screen immediately appeared before my eyes.
[MONSTER: HOBGOBLIN]
RANK: F (ELITE)
SKILL:
[BERSERK (F)]
"...So that’s why."
My eyes narrowed slightly.
That explosive burst of power near the end of the fight—
It all came from that skill.
Berserk.
A dangerous ability.
If my undead hadn’t surrounded it in time—
I probably would’ve died there.
Slowly, I exhaled.
"Haa..."
Then another thought crossed my mind.
I only had ten summon slots.
And honestly—
A normal goblin wasn’t worth keeping anymore.
My gaze shifted toward one of the weaker undead nearby.
"Return to death."
The moment the command left my mouth—
The undead froze.
Then its body slowly crumbled apart.
CRRSH...
Its flesh turned into black ash before scattering into the air.
Gone.
An empty slot immediately opened within my connection.
A faint smile appeared on my face.
Then I placed my hand over the hobgoblin’s corpse.
"Resurrect."
The corpse suddenly twitched violently.
Its shattered muscles slowly repaired themselves.
Then—
The hobgoblin’s fingers suddenly moved.
And finally...
Its eyes opened.
Dark hollow light flickered within them.
For a brief second, the creature remained motionless.
Then—
THUD.
The massive hobgoblin knelt before me.
Absolute loyalty radiated from its posture.
But at the same time—
A sharp pain suddenly pierced through my head.
"Ugh...!"
I grabbed my forehead tightly.
The mana consumption this time is absurd.
Far worse than resurrecting normal goblins.
At my current level...
I could probably resurrect only one or two elite undead before completely exhausting myself.
That realization made my expression darken slightly.
"I seriously need to rank up soon..."
Otherwise, my limits would become a massive problem later.
After calming my breathing, I finally asked the question lingering in my mind.
"System."
"What’s the difference between Common and Elite rank undead?"
DING.
The system responded immediately.
[Host, Common-rank undead are the lowest tier.]
[They possess limited intelligence and cannot speak even after evolution.]
[Elite-rank undead possess significantly higher intelligence.]
[They are capable of fighting multiple enemies of the same rank simultaneously and emerging victorious.]
[Monsters also follow this hierarchical system.]
"...I see."
Even though the explanation felt incomplete—
It still gave me a rough understanding.
Elite monsters aren’t simply stronger physically.
Their existence itself stood on a higher level.
Which also meant...
My undead army could continue evolving into far deadlier forms later.
That thought alone sent a strange excitement through me.
Soon, I collected the remaining corpses and materials before continuing deeper into the dungeon.
Tap... Tap... Tap...
The sound of footsteps echoed endlessly through the dark corridors.
Nearly ten minutes passed.
Then finally—
I found something new.
A staircase leading upward.
"...An upper floor?"
Hope flickered briefly within my eyes.
Without hesitation, I immediately climbed the stairs alongside my undead army.
The further upward we moved, the colder the air became.
Soon—
I finally recognized the area ahead.
The split pathway.
The exact same crossroads Suzan’s group had reached earlier.
The memory immediately resurfaced in my mind.
"The boss room is on the left."
I slowly looked toward the left corridor.
Darkness stretched endlessly inside it.
Any normal person probably would’ve avoided it instantly.
But after everything I had experienced—
My eyes only narrowed calmly.
"I’m clearing this dungeon."
My voice echoed coldly through the corridor.
"And then..."
"I’m leaving this cursed place behind."
But after walking for another twenty minutes—
CLANG!
SLASH!
BOOOOM!!
The violent sound of battle suddenly echoed through the corridor ahead.
Angry goblin screeches mixed together with desperate human voices.
"Damn it—!!"
Baldric roared furiously.
"Fall back! FALL BACK!"
"Mirelle! Baldric and Kaine are badly injured already! We should never have entered this cursed dungeon!"
Suzan’s panicked voice echoed through the corridor.
Fear completely filled her tone now.
I slowly stepped closer.
Tap... Tap... Tap...
The sound of my footsteps echoed softly through the dark hallway.
Then—
I finally saw the scene ahead.
The corridor had turned into a bloodbath.
Several goblin corpses littered the ground.
Kaine leaned unconscious against the wall, his body covered in deep wounds and blood.
Mirelle stood near the front while breathing heavily, desperately blocking incoming attacks with her sword.
CLANG!
Meanwhile Baldric—
The same man who kicked me like an animal earlier—
Now looked utterly miserable.
One of his arms bled heavily while countless cuts covered his armor.
His breathing sounded ragged.
"Huff... Huff..."
And then—
Suzan suddenly noticed me.
Her body froze instantly.
The color drained from her face.
Because standing there...
Was someone who should’ve been dead.
"...Y-You..."
Her lips trembled.
Shock completely filled her eyes.
Then her gaze slowly shifted behind me.
Toward the undead army standing silently in the darkness.
The wolves, goblins and the undead hobgoblin.
Fear immediately replaced the shock on her face.
"You... awakened a class..." she whispered weakly.
For a brief moment—
Nobody moved.
The atmosphere turned deathly silent.
Then hope suddenly appeared in Suzan’s eyes.
"W-Wait!"
She hurriedly stepped forward.
"Please help us!"
"We can escape together!"
Her desperate voice echoed through the corridor.
Even Mirelle slowly lowered her weapon slightly while staring at me in disbelief.
I stared at them silently for several seconds.
Then—
A cold smile slowly appeared on my face.
My voice echoed softly through the corridor.
"You threw me away like garbage."
The smile on my face slowly disappeared.
"You used me as bait."
Baldric’s expression stiffened slightly.
"Tch..."
He clicked his tongue while gripping his sword tighter.
"That was just survival," he growled coldly.
"You think anyone survives this dungeon without sacrifices?"
"S-Sacrifices?"
A faint laugh escaped my mouth.
"Heh..."
The sound felt strangely hollow.
"You kicked me half to death."
"You abandoned screaming prisoners without even looking back."
"And now..."
My eyes slowly turned emotionless.
"Now you want my help because you’re the ones dying."
Silence.
Even Suzan lowered her head slightly.
"...We didn’t have a choice," she whispered shakily.
"But you survived..."
"Please... we can still work together..."
For a brief moment, I simply stared at them.
Then my gaze shifted toward Baldric.
The man who looked down on me from the very beginning.
Now—
I could clearly see it.
Fear, Hidden deep inside his eyes.
"...You’re scared," I muttered quietly.
Baldric’s face instantly darkened.
"Watch your mouth, brat."
BOOM!!
A violent aura suddenly burst from his body as he stepped forward angrily.
But this time—
I didn’t flinch.
Not even slightly.
Instead—
I slowly raised my hand.
The undead behind me immediately stirred.
GRRRRR...
Black hollow eyes locked onto the group ahead.
The atmosphere instantly became suffocating.
Suzan’s face turned pale.
Her voice trembled badly now.
"Please..."
"I don’t want to die..."
Tears slowly formed in her eyes.
Even Mirelle tightened her grip on her sword silently.
Only Baldric still forced himself to glare at me.
Though sweat slowly dripped down his face.
Drip... Drip...
Then—
I finally spoke.
"I can leave this dungeon by myself."
My cold gaze swept across all of them.
"So now..."
"It’s your turn to pay the price."
The moment those words fell—
I gave the command.
"Attack."
ROOOAAARRR—!!
My undeads instantly rushed forward.
WHOOSH!!
The undead wolf lunged toward Suzan first.
"NO—WAIT—!!"
CHOMP!!
Its fangs sank deep into her leg.
"AAAAAAHHHHH!!"
Suzan collapsed onto the ground screaming in agony.
Blood splattered across the floor instantly.
Before she could crawl away—
The undead goblins swarmed her from every direction.
SLASH!
RIP!
SCHKK!!
Her screams echoed throughout the corridor.
Then slowly faded away.
Meanwhile—
Baldric roared furiously and charged toward me directly.
"YOU LITTLE SHIT—!!"
BOOM!!
His massive sword swung downward violently.
But before it could reach me—
CLANG!!!
The undead hobgoblin intercepted the attack head-on.
The impact shook the entire corridor.
Baldric’s eyes widened slightly.
Because despite all his strength—
The undead hobgoblin didn’t move even an inch.
"...What the hell?"
Fear finally appeared clearly on his face now.
Then—
The hobgoblin swung its sword.
SLAAASH!!
"GAAAHHH—!!"
Baldric desperately blocked the attack, but the sheer force still sent him crashing backward into the wall.
BOOOOM!!
Cracks spread across the stone behind him.
He coughed blood violently.
"HACK—!!"
Meanwhile Mirelle stood frozen for a brief second while watching the entire scene unfold.
Then her eyes slowly turned toward me.
The undead wolves attacked simultaneously.
WHOOSH!!
Mirelle reacted instantly.
CLANG!
CLANG!
She blocked two attacks skillfully before cutting one wolf apart.
SLASH!!
But she is already exhausted and surrounded.
Soon—
The undead goblins grabbed her arms from behind.
"...Damn it!"
She struggled violently.
Then my hobgoblin appeared directly before her.
For the first time—
Fear finally appeared clearly within Mirelle’s eyes.
"...No..."
SLAAASH!!
The massive blade cut through her body instantly.
Blood splattered across the corridor walls.
THUD.
Silence returned once more.
Only Baldric remained alive now.
He stared blankly at Mirelle’s corpse.
Then slowly looked toward me with hatred and regret.
All mixed together inside his trembling eyes.
"You monster..." he whispered hoarsely.
I looked at him calmly.
Then slowly shook my head.
"No."
My undeads surrounded him completely.
"You created this monster yourselves."
Baldric’s face twisted slightly.
Then—
ROOOAR!!
The undead charged together.
And his final scream echoed throughout the dungeon corridor.
Then my gaze slowly landed on the enormous stone gate standing at the end of the corridor.
The gate is nearly five meters tall and covered in ancient carvings.
"Boss room..."
I muttered quietly.
Then I immediately opened the system interface.
"System."
"Buy twenty F rank cores."
If I wanted to survive whatever is waiting behind that gate—
I needed to make my Hobgoblin stronger first.
"Take these."
I tossed the monster cores toward it.
The goblin caught them effortlessly before immediately beginning to consume them.
Crunch. Crunch.
The sound of crystal shattering echoed throughout the corridor.
I watched closely with interest.
So this is how monsters grow stronger.
Humans absorb mana slowly through meditation and circulation techniques.
But monsters simply devour raw energy directly.
The goblin continued consuming core after core without stopping.
Its expression never changed once.
After several minutes, the final monster core disappeared into its mouth.
Then—
Its body suddenly trembled violently.
Steam erupted from its skin in thick waves.
The goblin’s complexion turned deep red, almost like burning metal inside a furnace.
The temperature in the corridor immediately began rising.
"...Interesting."
I narrowed my eyes while observing carefully.
The goblin’s muscles twitched violently beneath its skin.
Its body seemed unstable, almost as if the energy inside it is trying to tear it apart.
Yet despite everything, the undead remained completely silent.
Only its face twisted slightly while enduring the transformation.
The process continued for several minutes.
After that its body start changing.
Crack.
Crack.
Bones shifted with heavy sounds.
Its muscles expanded visibly beneath the skin.
The goblin’s entire frame slowly grew larger.
From a small four-foot creature...
To nearly five feet tall.
Its arms thickened.
Its chest widened.
Even the pressure surrounding it felt heavier now.
"This..."
I stared silently.
The difference is obvious.
Before, it looked like a weak disposable monster.
Now it resembled an actual warrior.
Its eyes slowly opened again.
Dark crimson light flickered briefly within them before fading away.
Then the goblin knelt before me once more.
As loyal as ever.
A faint excitement flashed through my eyes.
Now I finally had a proper fighter.