“Gruaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
“Hmm?”
Perhaps frustrated by the never-ending battle, Karl roared fiercely and swung his tail. As usual, his attacks were blocked by a wall of bones, but perhaps due to the repeated attacks, the bones were beginning to crack. No matter how high the chariot’s defensive power was, the bones used for defense were still part of its body. And without any means to heal, they would wear down and eventually reach their limit.
In that regard, Karl held the advantage because each time his health decreased, I was there to apply a potion for him to recover. Using [Soul Magic] would have been easier, but it was difficult due to the opponent’s [Cursed Bone] skill. Because status ailments and enhancements both get canceled by dispel. And I had to use dispel to cure the status ailments that appear on Karl’s marker now and then.
Still, it seemed that our strategy of regular healing with potions was working for the time being. Can we keep pushing like this?
“Up until now, I’ve focused on attacking, but perhaps it’s time to get a bit creative. Earth Hole.”
I had tried several times to inflict major damage with the “Purification” spell, and although I managed to hit the enemy directly thanks to Karl blocking its retreat path, the enemy’s high health meant the damage didn’t decrease much. So, I decided to switch tactics and go for a more cunning approach.
First, I would create a pitfall directly beneath the chariot to sink it in. The plan was to derail just the right wheel and immobilize it. If this worked, all that would be left would be for Karl to finish it off with a barrage of attacks.
Clank!
“Oooh?! Spikes came out?!”
But our strategy had failed. The wheel, which was a collection of bones curved like ribs, suddenly sprouted sharp-pointed bones that acted like spikes. These spikes allowed it to quickly escape from the hole I had created.
The presence of death miasma sand caused it to slip slightly, yet it didn’t seem like it would be restrained by a mere pitfall. Wait? Death miasma sand?
“Shall we give it a try? Star Magic Circle Activation, Sand Wind.”
I decided to employ the most basic spell of [Sand Magic], Sand Wind. The sand-laden wind battered the body of the Deathbone Chariot. The damage was minor, just like a mosquito bite, but the effect was clear to see. The chariot creaked and groaned under the onslaught before coming to a halt.
Just like the golems we had fought before, the fine sand particles that penetrated its moving parts rendered it immobile. The exact mechanism was unclear, but for beings without skin to protect their moving parts like a living creature, having those gaps filled would undoubtedly be problematic.
With the Deathbone Chariot reduced to a trembling wreck, Karl and I launched our attack. Seeing this as the critical moment, I enhanced Karl with [Enchantment] and pressed our attack with renewed vigor.
“What’s this…? Karl, back off!”
Karl’s claws and fangs inflicted various wounds on the Deathbone Chariot, but something seemed off. It was shaking differently than before, almost as if it were gathering strength.
Boom!
My intuition proved correct. Surprisingly, the Deathbone Chariot extended bones from its loading platform like a lance and, by forcefully protruding bones from its base, it forcibly charged towards Karl.
The unusual vigor of its charge was likely due to the [Charge] skill at work. The notion of a spike-covered chariot leaping into the air was beyond any normal bounds of reason!
“Guooh?! Gyaoooooon!”
Karl, heeding my advice, quickly made a sharp move and then dodged, but he couldn’t completely avoid the attack and ended up with his wing membrane pierced by the bones. After leaping into the air, the Deathbone Chariot traced a parabola before crashing down and pinning Karl to the ground.
“Karl! Damn it… but it seems it now can’t move either.”
Though it pained me to see Karl in agony, it appeared that this was indeed the end for the Deathbone Chariot. Why? Because, in its forced leap and subsequent crash, it had flipped over.
Although immobilized, it attempted to right itself by randomly sticking bones out of its body and spinning its wheels. Each time, Karl forcefully broke the protruding bones to foil its efforts, but this only resulted in Karl accumulating minor injuries. As this battle of attrition wore on, it became clear that Karl’s lesser health put him at a disadvantage.
Using magic was out of the question in the current situation as it would also involve Karl. Therefore, I decided to use the most convenient method that would harm the Deathbone Chariot without affecting Karl.
“Now is not the time to hold back, humph!”
I took out several potions from my pocket and threw them as hard as I could. Potions were poison to the undead but should be harmless or even beneficial to the living like Karl. There couldn’t be a better option that involved him without any risk.
I spared no expense in using the most potent potions I had. This decision paid off as Karl’s health gradually improved, while the Deathbone Chariot’s health gradually diminished at a rapid pace.
“Hahha! This round is ours!”
“It seems you …won’t be needing any help after all.”
While we were holding off the chariot, it seemed the horde had been dealt with. Looking over, I noticed Seventh Armor and Mikelo, who were supposed to be fighting the Ghost Warhorses, had joined us. It appeared they had fulfilled their role.
From there, the battle was decidedly one-sided. Though we were initially taken aback by the [Cursed Bone] skill that induced status ailments, it only extended the time it took for it to be defeated. Ultimately, the Deathbone Chariot that was pinned down by Karl couldn’t recover and vanished into oblivion.
――――――――――
You have won the battle
Race level increased. Gained 1 SP.
Job level increased. Gained 1 SP.
The level of [Health Recovery Rate Increase] skill has increased.
The level of [Magic Power Recovery Rate Increase] skill has increased.
The level of [Soul Magic] skill has increased.
Newly learned “Grand Soul Heal” and “Slow Heal” spells.
――――――――――
It seemed the battle had truly come to an end. The damage wasn’t severe, but I had used up a considerable amount of items. While I was glad that my level had risen, it might be difficult to push into a black wall like this.
Incidentally, the new spells of “Grand Soul Heal” and “Slow Heal” were quite self-explanatory. The former was a spell that increased healing, while the latter cured the status ailment of slowness. I wonder if there would ever be a need for the latter, though.
“The numbers were huge, but the only strong one was that chariot.”
“Another group might come. What shall we do?”
“The decision is clear. We move forward.”
When faced with the choice to retreat or advance, advancing was naturally the preferred option. We hadn’t even reached our initial goal of the Black Wall, so it was only logical.
After we decided to proceed, we simultaneously began the task of harvesting and restoring our health and magic power. Even if we weren’t aiming for peak efficiency, it made sense to tackle tasks that could be done at the same time.
“Hmm? What’s this?”
“What’s wrong?”
As there were many fallen foes, everyone pitched in with the harvesting work. Shiitake then let out a curious sound. Rumors had it that craftsmen could extract higher quality and rarer materials, so we often left the task of skilling from powerful enemies to her and Iris.
What Shiitake harvested came from the Deathbone Chariot that Karl and I had defeated. I had expected nothing but bones to drop, but her reaction suggested something unusual.
“Among the bone materials, there’s something weird. A ‘Bone-Forged Wheel’… An actual wheel dropped, complete with a spike mechanism. What’s this? It looks interesting~.”
“…Could you show me for a moment?”
――――――――――
- Bone-Forged Wheel – Quality: Fair, Rarity: S (Special)
A wheel formed from various bones combined.
Undead monsters with wheels are rare and their performance depends on the creature’s stats.
There may be some kind of mechanism built into this wheel that can extend hidden spikes.
――――――――――
Indeed, it was unmistakably that chariot’s wheel. The name… perhaps something akin to marquetry? Unfortunately, due to my tactics of trapping it in holes and burdening its axles with sand, the quality was merely deemed “Fair” which was the bare minimum.
However, I couldn’t help but wonder if we could use this to create similar undead creatures. If that were possible, forming an undead chariot unit might not be out of reach. Although it seemed far from feasible at the moment, the idea was filled with potential.
“I’ll hand it over to you. It’s only right since Isam was the one who took it down after all.”
“Ah, my apologies. Thank you.”
After receiving it from Shiitake, we continued our exploration. The closer we got to our destination, the more obvious it became that the trees on the other side of the fog were tall. Due to the distance and the fog blurring our vision, their exact height was unclear, but they seemed to be at least a hundred meters tall.
As we continued without encountering any battles, a black wall finally appeared through the fog. True to the legends, it was a pitch-black wall that seemed to be built by stacking miasma stones, just as we had expected.
However, the wall’s height exceeded our expectations. It appeared to be at least ten meters tall. It was more imposing than I imagined.
The use of natural rocks reminded me of the stone walls found in Japanese castles, though the construction seemed crude with many gaps. The wall appeared thick, but isn’t this wall surprisingly fragile?
“It really feels like it was man-made.”
“Right~~ssu, it feels more natural to think someone built it~~ssu.”
As Ruby and Shio said, the black wall didn’t seem to be a natural formation. Considering its length, it seemed to have been built by a large and well-organized group. If someone told me that a single mage had built it in one night using magic, I would have no choice but to run away barefoot.
However, the reason behind the many gaps in the wall was puzzling. Were they the result of natural wear and tear, or was it simply due to a lack of skilled craftsmen?
Pondering here wouldn’t clarify anything. After all, these were just speculations, and the truth would only be revealed once we crossed the wall. With that decided, the only thing left was to figure out a way to get inside.
“Should we look for an entrance, climb over the wall, or dig underneath? Which option should we choose…”
There were three immediate ideas for infiltration. The first was to enter through an official entrance, assuming one existed. However, not only was it uncertain if there was an entrance, but if there was, it was likely guarded. If there was an effort to maintain an entrance, it would be natural to assume someone was guarding it.
The other two options were outright trespassing: either climbing over the wall or sneaking in from below.
“Um~~, I’m terrible at climbing walls, you know? I’m clumsy, and my avatar’s limbs are short…”
“Don’t worry, Shiitake-san! Just in case something like this happens, I’ve actually prepared an improved version of the mountain climbing set!”
Shiitake refused to climb the wall, but Iris was brimming with excitement as she pulled out the climbing equipment. She had scaled a sheer cliff once to reach Birdy Perch with this equipment, but this time the equipment seemed more complete. It seemed she had personally researched and reproduced the climbing set.
There was no doubt that she wanted everyone to use it. Having crafted something with such effort, she was naturally happy for the chance for it to see the light of day.
“Hee~, doesn’t that sound fun?”
“There’s even one in my size. That’s a relief!”
While those who could fly or climb vertically had no need for such equipment, others who seemed to be in need of it including Shiitake watched with interest. Eiji and others were excited as they began to wrap a large belt-like device similar to the mawashi used by sumo wrestlers.
And if you think about it, it made perfect sense. Iris was in charge of crafting everyone’s gear, so she knew all the sizes, whether it was Eiji’s or even Seventh Armor’s when in his crow form.
With the group warming up to the idea, Shiitake seemed frozen in place. Just how much did she hate athletic actions?
“Um~~, Karl-chan? Mind giving me a lift?”
“Here! This is your piece, Shiitake-san!”
“Ah, yes… Thank you very much.”
As innocent as Iris was, her presence seemed to carry an undeniable pressure that left no room for objection. Perhaps feeling overwhelmed by it, Shiitake reflexively accepted what was handed to her. With no other choice, she reluctantly put on the climbing equipment and slowly made her way to the wall.
After confirming that Shiitake and the others had begun their ascent, those able to fly took the lead to assist the others from above. Our first task was to insert metal fittings into cracks and thread ropes through them. However, when I reached the top of the wall, I was greeted by a notification sound and a message.
――――――――――
Isam has discovered the hidden area known as “The Secret City of the Weeping Mist Princess”.
20 SP is allocated as a reward for this discovery.
The level of [Archeology] skill has increased.
――――――――――
Surprised, I looked over the inner side of the black wall, only to find a city submerged in a sea of mist unfolding before us.
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