Lee-junghwan approached them, while twirling his hand axes.

“Well, it’ll be a bit difficult. Wouldn’t it be too slow if he is catching them one by one? It would a bit better if I participated.”

Ha-taegyong felt a little bit of displeasure, but he didn’t flatly reject the idea.

“Mr. Lee-junghwan is part of the rear group. If we aren’t able to eliminate all of them, then they might attack us from the back.”

“Let Shin-soyool be in charge of that. Originally, she was also part of the rear group. Moreover, we lost one person. Wouldn’t it be obvious to change our formation?”

Lee-junghwan spoke while looking at a certain direction. Ha-taegyong followed his gaze, and he briefly looked towards that direction. He quickly turned his body, while he continued to have a dissatisfied expression.

“…we’ll do it your way. Mr. Noguduk.”

He was bored, so he was about to yawn with his mouth open. Noguduk was surprised when his name was suddenly called.

“Uh, uh! I’m here!”

“Please take the rear with Ms. Shin-soyool. Also, please use Mr. Park-junghwan’s cloth to soak up the spilled oil. We might need to make a torch later.”

“O, ok! If it’s that much I can do it!”

He was told to take care of the rear. These words meant that Noguduk was accepted into the group. He interpreted it that way, so he got up and dusted himself off, while smiling. He started to cheerfully take off Park-junghwan’s outer cloth. Several people looked on with dumbfounded gazes.  He didn’t care if he was given the chore of taking off a corpse’s clothes and wiping the floor with it. Anyways, it was important for him to be accepted as an official ‘member’. At the very least, he earned a safeguard. (TLN: meaning he won’t be abandoned)

‘That bastard, Ha-taegyong, has a good eye. He probably won’t leave behind a comrade. Ah, why won’t it come off?’

Noguduk was trying his best to push down the laughter that was about to come out automatically, and he busily moved his hands.

In the end, the plan devised by Ha-taegyong was a big success. They had passed the skeletons before without noticing them, but now they were aware that the skeletons were hidden. They strained their eyes and they searched various locations. They were able to find slight bumps protruding from the wall’s surface, and their eyes picked up the details.

Some parts of the wall were sloppily made. Between the roughly painted lime stones, one could faintly see the outline of kneecaps or skulls. If the corpse were entirely buried then the skeletons would instead be mummies. (TLN: completely sealed in wall == mummy)

The party swept through the second floor then they rapidly headed toward the 3rd floor. The 3rd floor was similarly structured. Kim-jungin and Lee-junghwan were skilled at their repetitive job, and they punctured holes into the wall at a frightening pace. They looked like farmers cutting down dry sorghums with scythes.

The two people’s harvest continued to increase, and this allowed the group to explore the floor a little more closely. If they had noticed the existence of skeletons on the first floor, then they would have come up with a better way to deal with them. Therefore, everyone concentrated so they wouldn’t even miss a strand of hay. This resulted in them getting similar result to what they got in the second floor.

The rewards was one sturdy looking large tower shield, and couple mysterious recorded pages written in the official language of the Square. They were only able to pick weapons in the ready room, so they were short on defensive gears. The tower shield, which could cover the entire body, was like precious rain coming down in a drought. However, this sentiment wasn’t shared by one person.

‘Shit. This is basically like marching in the army, while carrying the army gear… Damn asshole.”

Noguduk was carrying the tower shield like a turtle carrying its shell, and he continuously complained. It was great that they were able to get the tower shield, but there were limited amount of people who could use it. By a process of elimination, people who lacked physical strength or those who relied on their speed could not use this item. The wand users needed to conserve their stamina, and others were eliminated for various reasons. So only Kim-gyushik and Noguduk was left. Kim-gyushik was also excluded since he carried a heavy mace. This was the explanation on why Noguduk was carrying the tower shield on his back. Moreover, Kim-gyushik piled on by saying he should think of it as carrying military gear. He said it to comfort him, but it made him angrier when he realized the muscle brained bastard really meant what he said.

He was really tired and he couldn’t just throw the shield away since Noguduk’s position in the group was too low. No one really cared whether he was there or not, so no one considered his suffering. At least, he had some closeness to Shinsoyool so she had asked if he was ok. However, it didn’t lessen the tower shield’s weight.

Also, the others were occupied in reading the unidentified records.

[…..this was how Galruhen chased after the followers. He personally led the army to the Amutar wasteland…..]

[….several hundred followers were taken prisoner, and all their hearts were ripped out…. Galruhen wanted to set an example of them. This lead to several hundred corpse being sealed in the middle of the wasteland, where a Skeleton Tower was raised… Galruhen became a symbol of terror through this cruel and heartless event.]

[….after losing his precious followers, Malaypilgor visited the Skeleton Tower by himself, while he shed blood and tears. His hands held the 419 hearts of the Galruhen’s soldiers. It was the same number as the number of corpse supporting the Skeleton tower. …the beating hearts were given as sacrifice, and he used the hate-filled cry to cast a spell. He was finally able to call the departed to the surface. ….Malraypigor didn’t stop there and he ushered in more dreadful creatures….]

“A Skeleton Tower. This records is about the origin of this tower. The author isn’t named.”

“I think so. I’m a little worried about the last words.”

“Me too. He said there were more dreadful creature here, so I wonder which monster will come out…..”

“Maybe, it is waiting for the man called Malraypigor. Anyways, we should be careful.”

Ha-taegyong and Yoon-hweeji exchanged their opinions for awhile, and they tried to glean any information from the records. However, the record didn’t contain many useful information so they weren’t able to gain anything. They were able to confirm an obvious truth. It was the fact that the next floor contained a more dangerous creature.

…and the danger came faster than expected.

The 4th floor was different from the other 3 floors they had explored. There weren’t a single partition or a pillar present. It was a large joint space. There was a perfect calm inside the room, and there weren’t even a sliver of light coming in from outside. It was obvious that only darkness was surrounding this space and the party greeted an unknown danger that was hidden within the depth. One or two people climbed the stairway, and they broke the enormous silence wrapping around the room. After they all entered the room, everyone frowned at the same time as if they had promised to do it beforehand.

The place smelled like a milk carton past its expiration date by couple weeks. The rotten smell assaulted their noses and the pungent smell made one almost faint. The weak-stomached people retched one after another, because the smell was so bad.

“Fuck. It smells like shit. ….hup?”

“What is it?”

Kim-gyushik was walking in the front when his breath leaked out. Accompanying the sound, he suddenly came to a stop. Shinsoyool was walking by his side with her fingers pinching her nose. She also stopped, and she spoke in a nasally tone. However, Kimgyushik didn’t reply back. He continued to look forward, while his body was frozen stiff like a piece of wood.

Foot. There was a massive foot there. Couple dozens of bones that might be from the arms or legs were entwined together. It deformed to form a shape of a large foot. Above the foot, there was a a thick tree-like calf made out of the numerous bones. The lamps diml illumination only allowed one to see this, but it wasn’t difficult to guess the size of the monster. They were fortunate that the enormous monster was asleep like the other skeletons.

“Why, why is it so big…..”

“My god……”

The party members belatedly realized the size of the monster, so they simultaneously let out a soundless cry. Ha-taegyong ordered a tactical retreat. They didn’t have any plans on how to deal with it. The monster wasn’t awake right now, but they wanted to prevent a disaster if the monster awoke by mistake.

“That might be the monster mentioned in the records.”

“At the very least, it seems to be 4, 5 meters tall. How are we suppose to defeat that?”

No one had anything else to say. Even Ha-taegyong and Yoon-hweeji, who was considered to be the brains of this group, didn’t have any suggestions. What could they do to a skeleton that was 5 meters tall? It was questionable whether they would even be able to withstand one kick. The simple minded Kim-gyushik wanted to pour magic at it while it was asleep, but Ha-taegyon rejected that idea immediately. Kim-gyushik had a hard time accepting this decision, so Ha-taegyong spoke in a calm voice.

“I don’t think we should think of it as facing a single monster. Please think about it. We encountered it as soon as we ascended the stairs. The fourth floor is different from the other floors as it only has the outer walls. This location allows the large skeleton to move around freely. In this large space, do you really think there will be only one large skeleton? If so, I think you are being too optimistic.”

“To be specific, the record said there are 419 skeletons buried here. If we counted the skeletons we have already disposed, it is less than 200. So where are the remaining skeletons?”

“Ughh.”

Kim-gyushik totally bought his explanation, so he feebly caved in an instant.

Kim-jungin, who was listening, quietly opened his mouth.

“There might be a way.”

“Huh? Hey, are you for real?”

“…please continue speaking.”

Many meaningful gazes turned toward Kim-jungin. Some gazes were filled with curiosity, and others were filled with anticipation. There was even a gaze filled with admiration, and someone couldn’t erase wariness from their gaze.

If one considered Ha-taegyong to be the visible leader that leads the group, then Kim-jung in was the mental pillar the party leaned on. He was the one who took care of the grunt work, and he supported the group from the background. Even if one put aside the trust he had built up from the others, he was someone who lead with his action. So when this man spoke, there was always a good reason behind it.

“This world seems illogical at first, but it must have their own set of rules. Miss Yoo-hweeji.”

“Yes, yes!”

Yoon-hweeji was surprised, so she immediately answered while raising her hand. No one noticed her cute ears had turned particularly red.

“The skeletons have slept for a very long time, and they attacked the intruders by reacting to sounds. According to the records, this was done with a spell. Since Ms. Yoon-hweeji has the most knowledge regarding magic, I’ll ask you a question. From a common sense standpoint, is it possible to maintain a summon for a long period of time?”

The moment she heard the question, Yoon-hweeji unconsciously let out a sigh and her slim body shook. She suddenly felt the white fog that was clouding her mind refresh into a window of clarity. Kim-jungin was talking about the source of magic. He was talking about Power.

Yoon-hweeji put a hand on her chest, and she tried to slow her breathing down. She had felt her heart beat faster before he even spoke. Is it because she received attention from the person she admired? (TLN: notice me senpai~)

‘What is wrong with me…..’

Her large and beautiful eyes looked toward Kim-jungin with complicated emotions. Unfortunately, Kim-jungin wasn’t an emotional man, and he couldn’t understand Yoon-hweeji’s delicate heart. The only thing he returned was a gaze urging her for an explanation. Kim-jungin gave an honest response, but from Yoon-hweeji’s perspective, her pride had taken a big hit.

As one of the best actress, she was on the road to success. There were many men who had eyed her and they had used all sorts of method to woo her. However, she had never shown any interest towards them. She had thought her work was more important. Even though she didn’t have much experience, her female nature hadn’t disappeared.

‘Ha!’

Her high self-esteem was wounded. Suddenly, a cold frost descended on Yoon-hweeji’s beautiful white face. Her eyes, which used to have a bit of amorous light, now showed small signs of anger.

“I don’t know all the detail either. I want to say Mr Kim.Jung.In’s(TLN:speaking his name in a clipped tone) question is impossible to answer. Energy or magical energy has to be continuously provided in a summon. Also, to be more exact, it is difficult to call the skeletons as being summoned. They are forcefully controlled by a spell, and the spell can’t maintain itself. The spell needs a source of magic to be sustained. It needs a power source. For example…. The sacrifice.”

“It is the 419 hearts.”

Ha-taegyon built on Yoon-hweeji’s words, and Kim-jungin started to slowly knead his head again.

“The sacrifice is probably being used as a power source. The evidence is in the change within the 4th floor isn’t just the interior structure.”

“Yes. It’s the rotten smell… If the hearts are being handled by magic then the decomposition may be slowed down in this environment. The sacrifice will have no value if it becomes completely decomposed.”

“So the hearts being used as sacrifice is located somewhere on the 4th floor. If we destroy that then the skeletons will no longer be able to move. Is that correct?”

“Yes.”

Her cold attitude was still the same, but Yoon-hweeji replied with an energetic voice.

The role assignments were easy once they had determined their target. Truthfully, it couldn’t even be called assigning. Two people were temporarily transferred to the exploration group. Shin-sooyool and Lee-junghwan, who had fast foot speed, decided to take on these roles. Lastly, they decided to use the lamp light to communicate via signals then they climbed towards the 4th floor.

“Miss Yoon-hweeji?”

“Yes. What is it? Mr Kim.Jung.In?”

“Did I do something wrong?”

“No~pe. You did nothing wrong. I was just irritated at my own delusion.”

“What? Delusion?”

“You don’t need to pay any~ attention to it, Mr Kim.Jung.In. Let’s go.”

Her pretty lips were making a gentle smile, but her words seemed to have sharp thorns within it. Moreover, her attitude towards him was very cold. It was on the same level as the time she had the war of words with Ha-taegyong. Kim-jungin’s expression indicated he had no idea what was going on. He could only blankly look at her, whose back was emitting an icy air.

‘Fuckers. They are making a fuss. Why are they rubbing it in like that at this time?’

Noguduk had watched their antics from start to finish with narrowed eyes. He grabbed his suddenly aching chest, and he shuffled up the stairs. Was it because it suddenly reminded him of his wife, who had left him? (TLN: I guess he is divorced)

The tower was large, but it took around 20 minutes to circle around it. If one considered the fast foot speed of Shin-soyool and Lee-junghwan, they could reconnaissance it in 10 minutes. 10 minutes. It was a very short amount of time, but the time seemed to stretch out with the frightening large skeleton next to the group.

Soon, the figures of Shin-soyool and Lee-junghwan carrying the lamp was seen at the opposite side of the starting point.

“It’s hard to see without a window. We’ve circled around the edge, but we weren’t able to find the sacrifices. Moreover, there is one more big bastard like that one over there. It is located on the other end of this place.”

“This is an educated guess, but wouldn’t it be in the middle of the hall? This would allow it to spread its energy more easily.”

“That is highly probable. There really aren’t many places to hide it.”

Ha-taegyong also thought Shin-soyool’s view was correct. Normally, that was the standard procedure.(TLN: it is standard procedure to put the energy source in the middle) Anyways, they’ll find out once they get there.

“Please be careful not to make any noises.”

The thread of suspense was taught once again and the group slowly made their way towards the center of the hall. They looked around closely just in case, but the only thing they saw was the moss growing between the stone floor. There weren’t anything that caught their eyes.

They continued to walk for 10 minutes. It was too dark to know their exact location, but they guessed that they were close to the center.

“…there is nothing here. Can anyone detect magic?”

“…….”

No one stepped forward. Of course, Ha-taegyong didn’t ask the question expecting an answer. From the beginning, they were beginners with only rudimentary knowledge, so it wasn’t possible for them to use such techniques. He let out a groan of frustration. They had no choice but to divide into groups. They had to search the hall with the center as the starting point.

It was at that moment.