-Jja-roooooong!  Jja-roooooong! (TLN: rrrrinng rrrrring)

From out of no where, the sound of an alarm pierced through the silence. The members of the group was using all their concentration in trying to stay covert. The sound wasn’t that loud, but it naturally squeezed the hearts of the group members. The group member’s face was stupefied, and they desperately tried to find the source of the the sound.

-Goo-ohhhhhhhhh…..

Koong! Koong! (TLN: boom! boom!)

The bastards had woken up. One was in the front and the other was in the back. They had just woken up, but they knew the exact location of the group. Every time the heavy feet hit the surface, the hearts of the party members shook.

“This… It was a deliberate trap.”

“Ooh ooh. Then we have no choice but to fight.”

“Shit! It eventually turned out this way! Bring it on. I’ll crush their skulls like how I did before!”

While everyone was trying to gather themselves, Ha-tageyong quickly came to a decision.

“We should attack them first instead of facing both those bastards at the same time. Let us take care of the one near the entrance. The one we saw when we first came up. We have to keep the option of a retreat open. Excluding Mr Noguduk and Ms Ahn-haemi, everyone will be inserted into the close combat group. Mr Hwang-gijong and Che-nayun are the reserves. Miss Yoon-hweeji and I will attack first. The rest of you guys move after our attack ends. Let’s go. Miss Ahn-hamei, take the front.”

“Understood.”

Ahn-haemi took the lamp, and she took a deep breath. Then she kicked off the ground. She followed the prearranged procedure of illuminating the surrounding. She was constantly on the move to shine the light, so the other party members can continue on fighting. This allowed her to be the first one to truly see the enemy.

“……!”

Ahn-haemi almost fell when strength left her lower legs. She gritted her teeth, and she continued to run straight at it. As the distance between the bastard contracted, its bizarre appearance became clearer.

When she saw the large skeleton up close, it was giving off an imposing feeling. The foot and leg they saw earlier didn’t need to be described. The thick arm and body was formed from a collection of bones. It had limbs like a human, but the body was short compared to the arms and legs. The general shape was very bizarre. The head that should be attached at the end was placed too high, and the lamp wasn’t able to illuminate it.

“Frozen Spear! Frozen Spear!”

Large icicles formed above Ha-taegyong’s head, and it shot forward, while bluish light glimmered off of it. The target was its left arm. The sharp icicles couldn’t penetrate the sturdy bone, but it rapidly froze the surrounding. From the start, Ha-taegyong wanted to disable the left arm by aiming for the elbow and wrist joints.

“Wind blade! ….magic cannon! Magic cannon!”

On the other hand, the Wind blade shot by Yoon-hweeji only made numerous cuts before passing by. It stopped after making superficial injuries to the external skeleton. The attack basically tickled the bastard. Of course, the smart Yoon-hweeji knew about this. When she saw the large skeleton for the first time, she had postulated that the her Wind Blade was insufficient in facing it. Therefore, she came prepared with something she borrowed from Hwang-gijung. It was the wand charged with the magic, Magic Cannon. She couldn’t disable the entire arm like Ha-taegyong, but she couldn’t at least limit its movement.

Yoon-hweeji paused for a moment to allow the close combat fighters to approach it, then she timed the Magic Cannon.

Boom! Boom!

The Magic Cannon exploded consecutively behind the back of its knee. It couldn’t handle its big body, and it staggered to its knee. Her plan worked perfectly and Yoon-hweeji made a nice pose by making a fist. The only thing left was to finish it before it could join up with the other bastard.

This would be taken care by the people running in.

“Ooryaaaaaaap!”

The first one who ran in was Kim-gyushik. When he saw the bastard’s unguarded knee, his eyes shown like a wild beast, who had found its prey. He raised both his hands above his head and he struck down like he was swing an iron pick.

Kwa-ji-ji-jeek! (TLN: crunch!)

No matter how many layer of bones were stacked together, it couldn’t withstand the full swing of Kim-gyushik’s mace. He partially destroyed the knee with one strike. He growled roughly, then he poured his strength into the muscles in his arms. He wanted to cripple the bastard with the next attack.

However, Kimg-yushik was the only one making an encouraging effort. The others weren’t able to pull off a proper attack. It wasn’t that they were lacking in skills, but their weapons were the main cause. If they had the specialized ‘destructive’ style of Kim-gyushik then it wouldn’t have been a problem. However, Shin-soyool’s small sword, Lee-junghwan’s hand axes and Kim-jungin’s sword were thin weapons and it couldn’t pierce through the bastard’s bones. The only thing they could do was to focus their attack on one location like a woodcutter.

‘This isn’t good.’

If this continued, the opportunity created by Ha-taegyong and Yoon-hweeji would disappear like bursting bubbles. No, as more time passes, it was guaranteed that they would fall without being able to do anything when those bastards meet up with each other.

This won’t do. This was what Kim-jungin thought. He stared hard into the darkness. He couldn’t see it clearly, but he aimed for the bastard’s head.

‘Up until now, the head was the weakness of all the skeletons. This bastard shouldn’t be any different.’

He could see Kim-gyushik diligently attacking it. Above him, its enormous leg was tilted to one side. Its thick arm was draped across its thigh. He could clearly see the distinct shape of the broad shoulders attached at the top. He could see a route being drawn to the top. At this moment, only Kim-jungin could see and feel the route.

Kim-jungin started to run in place. His body was lighter than ever before, and he felt as if he could cut through anything with his sword. Maybe if he jumped, he could reach the sky? This was how he felt at that moment, and his body readied itself to make a large leap.

“Uh?”

He stepped on Kim-gyushik’s shoulder.

“Mr Kim-jungin!”

He stepped on the bastard’s thighs then he jumped again to its forearm.

“My god….!”

He had leapt a distance larger than 3 meters and he had landed on the shoulder in one try. The bastard’s skull was close. If he put a big hole in the middle, then this would end.

However.

“The sacrifices…?”

The bastard’s head wasn’t shaped like a intact skull. The bone was shaped like a bowl, and there were pulpy brown shapes contained within it. 100? 200? He couldn’t count the number of hearts inside the giant bowl. Instead of a beating heart, they looked like rotten chunks of meat.

The foul smell made him want to cut off his nose, but Kim-jungin remained calm. However, his insides were churning.

‘How am I suppose to get rid of that…?’

He couldn’t ladle it out nor could he cut every single one of them.

-Koooooohhhhhh!

The shoulder he was using as a stepping stone tilted, and Kim-jungin couldn’t continue his thoughts. The bastard had started moving again. From beneath, he could hear a scream rip out.

“Kyaaaaaaaahk! They are all here! They are here! Die! Magic Cannon!”

“Calm down! Everyone assemble in one place.”

The situation was going downhill fast. The bastard that was approaching from the other side didn’t show up by itself. There several dozen skeletons in its vicinity. It presented itself like a king with an escort. This one was slightly larger than the one Kim-Jungin was standing on. The giant skeleton raised its arm, and it easily blocked Che-nayun’s attack. Then it let out roar that could burst an eardrum.

-Kwaooooooooooh—-!

“Ooahhhhhk!”

The bastard’s roar contained murderous intent and it was a form of mental attack. The mental attack  was dyed with a horrific murderous intent and it impacted the nerves of the brain. It was like throwing cold water on a shrinking fighting spirit. Hwang-gijong, who was already in a bad state, started vomiting blood. Noguduk’s body started trembling like an aspen leaf, and he shrunk into the shield as if he had turned into a real turtle. Che-nayun had foam coming out of her mouth, and her eyes rolled back. Then she fell onto the floor with a thump. The others avoided showing such a disgraceful figure, but their faces were drained of blood. They must have received a great amount of shock.

“Hey! Kim-jungin! What are you doing there! Don’t just stand there! End it now!”

Kim-gyushik’s husky voice rang out after he took care of a skeleton that had ran in.

“The sacrifices are on top of its head!”

“What….!”

The party members Kim-gyushik, Lee-junghwan, Shin-soyool and Ahn-haemi formed a square formation, and they fought desperately to protect the rest of the party members, who were unable to fight. However, they wouldn’t be able to last long. They were somehow able to get rid of the skeletons, but the large skeletons from both sides started to move. If one of the bastard reach the center of the square formation then the people, who couldn’t keep steady, would be ground into mince meat. No, this wasn’t just a possibility. It was only a matter of time.

The bastards were getting closer, but they had no solution to the problem. Should they aim the Frozen Spear or Wind Cutter at its head? Unfortunately, Ha-Taegyong and Yoon-hweeji’s control over their ability was insufficient and it didn’t allow for complex maneuvers. The party had no way to attack the monster’s head, which was located on the highest point on a monster 4-5 meters tall. Kim-jungin was able to run atop of it, but the others didn’t even dare to try the same maneuver.

“What should we do? What are we suppose to do! Ggoo-ahh-hap!”(TLN: just a sfx of an indecipherable groan)

“Shit. Stop being so noisy.”

Lee-junghwan let out a rare curse word(TLN: meaning he doesn’t usually swear), and he revealed his anxious state of mind. Yoon-hweeji, who was keeping the balance within the square formation, gnawed on her nails as ominous shadows ambushed her from time to time. The giant skeletons foot came down with a “boom!”, and the bone fragments were flung right in front of them. This meant it was right in front of them. She laboriously pushed her body to stand, then she yelled at the top of her voice.

“Mr Kim-Jungin! Use the sword to root out the head! Do something! We’ll all die if this continues!”

Tear and despair were mixed into her voice. From long before, Kim-jungin had already started using his sword as if he making a porridge. The fragments of the hearts were swept all around and fragments flew out, but the movement of the skeleton hadn’t changed. (TLN: his sword acted as a ladle)

“Ahhhhhhk!”

Eventually, the square formation broke. The first victim was Shin-soyool. A skeleton crawled towards her with only its upper body left.  However, the source of her trouble was that she didn’t notice it. The blunt blade sank into her thigh, and blood started fountaining out. The surface of her jean started turning red. Her skill was in stylishly avoiding numerous attacks, yet her talent was useless now since her leg was severely injured. To make matters worse, the skeleton felt her slow down so they redoubled their attacks. Shin-soyool fell backward as she was backpedaling.

“Ah ah…..”

The light in her eyes dimmed as she saw the skeletons crowd her vision. Suddenly, a large shadow came into view, and it(TLN:the shadow) covered her white face.

“Ooh-ahhhhhhhhh—-!”

Boom!

He charged in like a boar, while he covered his entire body with the heavy tower shield. His charge had pushed back the skeletons.  This person was none other than Noguduk. Noguduk squeezed out all his strength to push the skeletons, and he shouted with a red face.

“What are you doing! Hurry up and go inside! Do you want to die!”

“U, uncle….?”

“Ah, jeez! Go in! I’m about to die from exhaustion!”

She was jolted into action after hearing his continuous shouts, then she started to laboriously move her body. However, she didn’t head towards the center of the square formation. She limped toward Noguduk’s back, who was sweating buckets.

‘This is how I die.’

The bastards tirelessly attacked the front of the shield. He gritted his teeth, while blocking them. However, he could feel his body being slowly pushed backwards. His strength eventually hit a limit. If these stupid bastards didn’t insist on attacking only from the front, then he would have already been stabbed with a blade. This was why he was able to put up a good fight even if it was only for a moment.
‘At least, my death won’t be unsightly… huh?’

In his own way, Noguduk was getting ready for an acceptable way to end his life, but he suddenly felt a warm sensation on his back. He hurriedly turned his head to look behind him. A pale faced Shin-soyool was standing there, while she breathed shallowly. He couldn’t believe it when he saw her behind him. He obviously assumed she had retreated to the rear.

“Hey! Insolent girl! Why didn’t you listen to me!”

Shin-soyool put on a tragic smile.

“We are going to die anyways if things continue on this way. Does it matter if I die later or earlier? I don’t like being in debt. Even if I’m going to die, I’ll pay my debts.”

“You….!”

“Ah, uncle! Front! Front! Kyahhhhk!”

Too-kwa-ah-ahng! (TLN: sfx boom mixed in with metallic noise)

For a moment, Noguduk felt his body float in the air. What had happened? The last thing he heard was a sound similar to a bomb going off. He was in a state of weightlessness, and his consciousness became faint. Then he suddenly had a question.

‘I should be holding the shield, so why are my hands so light?’

Then, his consciousness returned. The first thing he felt was an extreme amount of pain. It felt like his body was being ripped apart by a brick.

“Ggahhhhhhhhhhh–!”

Both of his arms were broken. It was bent in an odd angle, and white bone protruded from the break. The shield was terribly crushed, and it had flown away to a distant location. His intestines felt like it had knotted up several times. Every time he tried to breath, the pain made it feel like his guts was about to be severed. He couldn’t sit up, so his back must have been broken. He thought maybe couple of his ribs had also broken. An undertaker would run happily towards him when it saw his half dead body.

Even if it was a sneak attack, how could he become like this from just one blow? Noguduk realized he had picked a fight with an absurd monster, and a false laughter came out.

“Koo-ha, ha… Mother fucker…. It was a sneak attack?”

“U, uncle….”

He heard a whisper from his side. It was Shin-soyool. She must have been tangled up with him, because she had stood behind him. Noguduk tried his best to turn his head, but his stiff body wouldn’t cooperate.

“You… Are you okay….?”

“…I think I can move. How about you, uncle?”

Her voice started to become clearer, so she seemed to be fine. His body probably acted as a cushion. This was the first time he was thankful for his belly fat. He was able to save at least one person, so he didn’t die a dog’s death.

“Uncle? Your a, arm…. They are all broken! What’s wrong? Open your eyes! Please!”

Shin-soyool had finally been able to see Noguduk in detail, and she felt restless. She even tried slapping his face.(TLN: lol) Noguduk tried to open his heavy eyelids, but it felt as if someone had applied glue to his eyelids. There was no way he could open his eyes.

“Hey. I… don’t think I can hang on.”

“What are you saying! You can live! Just open your eyes!”

Drip. Drip. He felt hot liquid fall on his face. He had his eyes closed, but he understood it was Shin-soyool’s tears. Noguduk was content with that.

‘I thought no one would cry for me when I died…. This isn’t too bad.’

“Listen well… to my words. Lamp… You have it?”

“What? Ah, yes… I have it… Why are you saying this…?”

“If I’m… going to die. I would rather… Let’s be bold…. Burn it. In my possession… I have a cloth soaked in oil… Take that… Pour all the oil from the lamp on it… Then start a fire. Those bastards… Maybe… They might be weak to fire.”

“What are…!”

“..don’t argue with me. Hurry.”

His voice was almost gone, but his last words were clear and peaceful. After finishing those words, Noguduk didn’t open his mouth any further. The face with his eyes close hadn’t changed, but the breathing noise coming from his nose was getting weaker.

She dumbly stared down at him, while she was supporting his head. She slowly placed his head on the floor. She was careful not to hurt him. Then she took out Park-junghwan’s outer cloth from his bosom. Originally, he had soaked the cloth with oil to use it as a torch.

Eventually, she carefully hugged it to herself, while grasping it firmly with her fists. She ignored the pain from her leg, then she started running towards an unknown destination.