The number of zombies had increased to six.
“Krek!”
The Subterraneans enthusiastically welcomed the Undead.
The result was overwhelming.
“Uuuurgh.”
Thanks to their modifications, each zombie’s abilities were comparable to those of a Subterranean.
The stiff movements unique to corpses were a disadvantage.
However, the Heavenly Martial Physique’s bonus made that irrelevant.
If anything.
They did not stagger even when injured.
They could hold their own even in contests of strength.
【They can use tools and even perform swordsmanship. Of course they would overwhelm their enemies.】
There were times when more than ten Subterraneans rushed at us.
They were monsters capable of three-dimensional movement, clinging to walls and ceilings.
Sometimes, they even leaped over the zombies.
【They are putting their own heads into a tiger’s jaws without realizing it.】
Although smaller than the Subterraneans.
Sir Isra was tougher because of its 50% stat bonus.
Moving more nimbly than the zombies, it cleanly severed a Subterranean’s torso.
【Oh dear. I must not ruin my clothes.】
“You have enough leisure to worry about your clothes while fighting?”
【A knight must possess dignity. The flower of the battlefield must not be soiled anywhere.】
I was beginning to find Sir Isra’s talk of chivalry persuasive.
Were all knights on the Erasia Continent such clean freaks?
Tch.
Whether it was a personal characteristic or not did not matter.
Sir Isra’s combat ability was undeniable.
Undeniable enough that I could pretend not to notice its strange obsession with cleanliness on a battlefield.
[Accumulated Experience has increased.]
[Your level has increased.]
[You have reached the level cap. You have gained 1 bonus stat point.]
Tch.
What a waste.
Once someone reached Level 50, the level limit for their rank, their growth rate slowed.
The experience required remained fixed at the amount needed for Level 50.
Instead, the number of stats gained decreased dramatically.
The reason my growth had stagnated for years was because I had failed to advance in rank.
Just wait two more days.
I would advance soon and make up for the lost stats!
【How long do you intend to keep hunting?】
“Until my bag is full.”
【You are overexerting yourself.】
Leading the zombies did not mean I was simply lounging around.
After each fight, I repaired damaged parts of the Undead.
I also retrieved the Magic Stones embedded in the Subterraneans’ bodies and packed them into my bag.
The bag gradually grew heavier.
By the time I had killed more than a hundred Subterraneans since entering the Gate, my shoulders were aching.
“Still, this is fun.”
Since Awakening into a Necromancer-derived profession.
I had never once fought like a true Necromancer.
I had to teach myself how to create Undead.
After every battle, I had been too busy repairing zombies and Skeletons, calculating whether I had even broken even.
Now, things were different.
Zombies made without additional catalysts were overwhelming the original Subterraneans one-on-one.
It was the power of my improved athletic coordination and Imperial Swordsmanship.
“Ugh.”
The weight on my shoulders made them feel as though they would fall off.
It was time to head back.
The light leaking from the bone was gradually weakening.
Its duration was around six hours.
It seemed that more than five hours had passed since entering the Gate.
“It will be troublesome if my vision grows dark.”
【It does not matter to me.】
“Is that another knightly virtue?”
【This body cannot see through darkness.】
What?
Really?
【It is a racial trait of Undead. You truly did not know.】
“Good heavens.”
To be looked down upon by my own vassal.
Was this the world where master and servant were reversed?
That aside, getting back was a problem.
Since I had not been keeping track of the path as I moved, I had to expect getting a little lost.
【Do not worry. I remember everything.】
“Oh. You have a good memory?”
【Remembering a marching route is a knightly virtue.】
Knights in its world were remarkably capable.
As we returned under Sir Isra’s guidance.
CLANG!
A clear metallic sound rang out from the opposite corridor.
【Someone is being pursued.】
“You can tell that from the sound alone?”
【It is a knightly virtue.】
I was becoming increasingly curious about what knights in that other world actually were.
Urgent footsteps drew closer.
At a corner.
I placed the zombies in front and waited.
“Huff, huff. Run awa—Undead?!”
“What is this?!”
By coincidence.
The Hunters I encountered around the corner were familiar faces.
The man and woman wearing Hwarang Guild badges on their chests.
Why were they here?
***
“Huff, hack, cough.”
The Hwarang Guild member who looked like a Mage seemed too out of breath even to steady his breathing.
I asked the huge man, who was at least relatively unharmed.
“Are you being chased by the boss?”
“You, no, sir. You are a Necromancer?”
“Do not answer a question with a question.”
“It is a Variant. The boss.”
“Stop using awkward honorifics, too.”
Every word they spoke got on my nerves.
I had grasped the situation.
The two Hwarang newcomers and three members of the last-minute raid party had targeted the boss.
They could not handle it, so they were retreating.
Normally, a boss monster did not stray far from its territory.
The fact that it had come this far meant the Hwarang idiots had properly drawn its aggro.
“Even causing trouble should have limits.”
Boss monsters were stronger than monsters one rank above them.
In an E-rank Gate, that meant they had combat strength around D+.
If it was a Variant, there would be more on top of that.
They had driven a monster they could not handle toward other people.
“I will collect compensation.”
The huge man’s face had turned red.
He merely caught his breath and could not answer.
“Kreleleleek!!!”
A roar several times larger than that of an ordinary Subterranean resounded through the cave.
“Well, Sir Isra. It is finally time for you to step in.”
【Did you not say that you would handle the hunting yourself?】
“Boss monsters are an exception.”
【To think my lord would be so fickle as to speak twice with one mouth.】
“Could it be that you are afraid of a boss monster?”
Blue light flashed in Sir Isra’s pupils.
【I will not tolerate an insult to chivalry.】
“Ah. Right.”
“You! Do you have time to act relaxed in front of a Variant boss?”
Look at the nerve returning to them after they caused trouble.
Just as I was about to snap back.
Sir Isra stepped right in front of the huge man’s nose.
【Weakling. Do not wag your tongue so lightly.】
“Y-You are just a summoned creature.”
【A knight grants mercy to the weak only once.】
Facing Sir Isra’s presence, the huge man collapsed onto the ground where he stood.
“Sir, do not waste your strength in the wrong place.”
Our opponent was over there.
A red Subterranean poked its face around the corner.
[Hungry Subterranean Chieftain] entered the range of the Luminous Grass.
“Good grief.”
It was twice the size of an ordinary Subterranean.
Even while crawling on all fours, it seemed enormous.
The Variant trait had to be “Hungry.”
BOING! BOING! BOING!
The sound of feet striking the ground echoed throughout the cave.
It rang out every time the Hungry Subterranean Chieftain leaped.
Its elastic movements resembled those of a super ball.
It moved at high speed across walls and ceilings alike.
“I-I could barely follow it with my eyes.”
The huge man stammered.
He said they had been beaten one-sidedly before barely escaping.
“Even though it is that fast?”
“One of us fell.”
“So you used your companion as bait and ran.”
You were worse than I thought.
The huge man tried to argue, but his lips only moved soundlessly.
It was a Variant that had one-sidedly overwhelmed a last-minute raid party that included two Hwarang newcomers.
That was fine.
The Variant’s movements were perfectly visible to my “eyes.”
It had to be the effect of the Heavenly Martial Physique.
Then Sir Isra would be able to react as well.
“Krelek!”
After kicking off the walls dozens of times, the Variant boss leaped straight at us.
I could clearly see the red blood clinging to its forty-centimeter claws.
How fascinating.
The moment it leaped.
Everything seemed slow, as though I were watching a slow-motion video.
This was not my first experience with it, so the surprise had faded.
Even so, it remained a mysterious sensation.
【You defile my eyes with such disorderly movements.】
SCREEECH!
Sparks flew through the air.
The heat of friction created fire as the claws collided with the bone sword.
Unable to withstand the force, Sir Isra’s arm bent backward.
The Variant lost its center of balance and tumbled across the floor.
It landed where the zombies stood in formation.
“Crush it!”
The order burst from me without passing through my mind.
The moment the command was given, the zombies wildly swung their bone swords.
Orderly sword strikes carved the Variant’s body apart.
“Krelelek!”
Its arms flailed.
The body of a zombie caught in the path of its claws was torn apart.
Even if rigor mortis had hardened them.
They could not withstand the strength of a Variant boss.
“Uuuurgh.”
Even with its upper and lower body separated.
The zombie groaned and grabbed the Variant boss.
Whether their bodies broke or not, the zombies swung their swords at the Variant as ordered.
When they could not use their hands, they bit it.
【You understood my intent immediately.】
“You delivered it directly in front of the zombies. Only an idiot would fail to understand.”
Sir Isra stared at me.
“Is there something on my face?”
【It seems you possess at least the minimum qualifications.】
“What qualifications are you talking about?”
【I mean that your judgment is excellent.】
After saying that, Sir Isra leaped high.
Ah.
I could see it a little now.
The flow of Spiritual Energy running from its thighs to the soles of its feet.
It released that energy all at once, almost as though it were making it burst, and leaped high.
This must have been the Spiritual Energy application Sir Isra mentioned.
The bone sword aimed for the Variant’s crown.
The Variant Subterranean swung its long arm.
SCREEECH!
The bone sword and claws collided once more.
Part of the blade chipped away.
【It cannot be helped. This is not a proper weapon.】
The weapons held by the zombies had already become so damaged that they were barely recognizable as swords.
The fact that Sir Isra had not been pushed back after directly meeting the Variant’s attack was remarkable enough.
【Can you coordinate with me?】
“Of course I can.”
With Sir Isra at the lead.
The group of zombies pressed the Variant Subterranean Chieftain even more fiercely.
“Krelelek!”
The flailing Variant boss suddenly stood upright.
Blood poured from its body.
Its claws were broken.
Yet the hunger and killing intent filling its eyes had only deepened.
【We must bind its feet.】
One Subterranean Zombie ran forward with both arms spread wide.
It embraced the Variant violently, like an aggressive celebrity stalker.
The Variant Subterranean was about to leap.
It stopped awkwardly and swung its arm.
[The Subterranean Zombie has been destroyed.]
The zombie lost its strength and fell after a single blow.
The Variant Subterranean angrily pushed away the stacked corpse.
【Excellent.】
Sir Isra’s bone sword did not miss that brief opening and left a wound on the Variant’s shoulder.
“Kek!”
What made the Variant dangerous was its unique mobility.
It bounced across ceilings and walls, making it difficult to land attacks while exposing every opening on our side.
We had blocked that movement with the first attack.
We could not give it the chance to start rampaging again.
[The Subterranean Zombie has been destroyed.]
[The Subterranean Zombie has been destroyed.]
With every zombie that was destroyed.
Fatal injuries were carved into the Variant Subterranean’s body as well.
“We will help...”
“Do not think you can take a share of a meal that someone else has already prepared.”
I spoke without even looking at the Hwarang newcomers.
If they joined in, the scene would only become more awkward.
Taking credit was one thing.
More importantly.
The Hwarang newcomers did not have the instinct needed to fight a Variant Subterranean.
“I am not a Necromancer who enjoys cleaning up corpses.”
I focused on the battle again.
The Variant Subterranean now had exposed ribs.
Green blood steadily flowed from the cuts on its arms and legs.
“Krelelek!”
“Sir Isra. Let us end this.”
I could see it gathering strength for one last desperate struggle.
Waiting for a transformation or finishing move was the virtue of a fine villain.
I was a good person, so let us finish this before then.
I sent the two intact zombies charging, attaching them to the Variant as it prepared its final blow.
【A good judgment.】
SLASH!
The bone sword swept past its Adam’s apple.
The Variant Subterranean gasped a few times before collapsing.