"Fusing monsters together?"
"Precisely, making them form a pair. You could call it a battle buddy system, but it’s making two different individuals into one."
Pale Riders.
At Shaitan’s explanation that combining 3-star skeletons with 3-star undead horses couldn’t make 4-star but could produce about 3.5-star performance, I was dumbfounded.
"Then we can do it too?"
"Yes. ...But if one side dies, the other dies not long after."
Shaitan, who’d briefly co down to basent level 1, pointed at the four Pale Riders fallen on the ground. When the riders whose spines I and Hases had ripped out died, the undead horses below vanished leaving only bones not long after.
Two as one. Not a thod of completely mixing the two together, but simply binding them as one entity like magic.
"If we operate on our side, we’d have to raise a dedicated unit to ride Worwolves and unicorns."
"Once you set it, you can never separate them. If... they get even 200 ters apart, both lose power overwhelmingly."
"That’s a bit much."
No matter how much of a battle buddy system, being stuck together 24 hours was problematic. Since our legion’s troop composition involved varying combinations and flexible response based on situation, operating a completely fixed unit was sothing to think about.
"Power always cos with a price. It doesn’t seem like it’ll be greatly useful in this imdiate battle, so let’s think about it gradually. Are you all seriously hurt anywhere?"
"Master took all the attacks up front."
Lune looked tearfully at the red scratch on my side. No blood ca out—just a long mark on my waist like being scratched hard by fingernails. It was a trace where a Pale Rider’s scythe had grazed, and thanks to my belly fat as the strongest shield, I could endure it safely.
"For this isn’t even a wound. ...Though Hases is a bit much."
Hases, wearing a Pale Rider’s black, worn robe over himself, not only had the hood covering his head but had currently switched from his original helt to another helt.
’Now I understand how cruel that bastard is.’
The cleanly visible cross-section was quite disgusting. I covered Hases’s lid in double and triple layers for the adventurer subordinates (to-be). Fortunately, Hases fully understood covering his head.
"Attacks powerful enough to cut a ghoul knight’s helt and head. Fortunately there aren’t many, but the attack power is trendous. That’s why I need to stand at the front."
The number of Pale Riders I saw was 13. Having crushed four, only 9 remained. And among them was an individual that looked like the leader.
"Lune, rember? That one wearing the pointed helt."
"The one who yelled to retreat?"
"...Huh?"
I montarily didn’t understand what Lune said. The Pale Riders just charged in once, four got smashed, then imdiately turned around. I didn’t hear any shouts or commands.
"Did you by chance?"
"Yes. I can hear it well. Even now."
Lune perked up her ears and wiggled them. Apparently Lune could now hear not just our dungeon’s monsters, but even enemy monster conversations I couldn’t hear.
"High elf hearing is quite good. Is it thanks to the ears?"
"Ungh, if you touch them now."
I’d touched them so much that just pressing lightly made peach fragrance leak out. Lune’s ears had essentially beco a switch, and I was the one who made them that way.
"Lune, can you hear more?"
"Yes. It echoes so I can hear... but if you keep touching I can’t concentrate and won’t hear."
I quickly withdrew my hand. Eila, the adventurers, and I all killed even our breathing and stayed silent so Lune could concentrate.
"...I can hear. Um, they’re saying to look for an alternate route and if there isn’t one, attack again in 30 minutes. If they still can’t break through, they’ll charge with a follow-up team in six hours. The enemy commander’s na is... Fulgas?"
"It’s probably Furcas. Master of the 50th dungeon."
Shaitan corrected the auditory information Lune heard. And I was newly appalled at what disaster would’ve happened if I hadn’t blocked the front.
"Fuck, we’re about to get pushed back even buying ti. What’s with this when the rank difference with Gremory is only 6? Didn’t Furcas’s unit lose so strength after entering under Halphas’s legion?"
"Even with Gremory, excluding Master’s performance, essentially..."
"Right. We won by luck."
Though Gremory beca our ally thanks to winning the 2nd battle in bed, I had absolutely zero intention of having a 2nd bed battle with Halphas, who was clearly confird male and a crow. Nor did I plan to throw Andras at him.
"First let’s block the ones coming in 30 minutes. Shaitan, how far has magic stone procurent progressed?"
"...I apologize. We’ve now cleared the skeleton dungeon twice, sli dungeon once. The Andras dungeon is in full swing."
"It’ll still take ti. Then there’s no choice."
I decided to use the last resort.
"Scrape together all those bastards on level 1!"
Operation na: Hail Mary.
"We’ll finish all work before 30 minutes!"
Following my orders, all subordinates began moving mont by mont.
To buy ti.
***
[Grimshek’s dungeon basent level 1, near portal entrance.]
"Establish a temporary position within 10 minutes. After securing position, we’ll advance toward enemy lines."
The ambitious plan to find an alternate route ended in vain. Furcas clearly grasped the dungeon’s structure and clearly realized he couldn’t advance to the next floor without breaking through the adventurer force.
’I need to take out insurance. Sothing’s strange.’
The dungeon structure was slightly different from rumors but not greatly so. A maze twisted round and round to make invaders waste ti, and the corridor finally stretching straight in one line was definitely Andras dungeon’s structure.
But the enemies greeting them weren’t Andras’s subordinates. Nor were they Andras species whose heads had changed to resemble Halphas’s head from Halphas’s curse.
"Could they be a legion?"
Furcas’s heart sank at the possibility. Perhaps Andras’s forces had entered under so legion.
’Not that they allied with Gremory, but if Gremory and they rged into one legion?’
The enemy was likely not limited to just Andras.
63rd-ranked Andras, 56th-ranked Gremory. And perhaps one or more other dungeon masters had joined forces. Lower ones might’ve gathered in threes and fives, or like Halphas did, a high-ranking being might’ve pulled two forces into their legion.
’Could it be Phenex?’
Perhaps 37th-ranked Phenex, who was grinding his teeth to kill Halphas, had pulled sothing. Furcas’s mind began spinning fiercely, and preparation for future events had to be thorough.
’I can only hope Amy’s side finishes quickly.’
Unlike this side pressing from above, 58th-ranked Amy staged an uprising against Gremory. Halphas didn’t spare support for Amy to the point of giving his executive.
While Furcas’s thoughts deepened, the Pale Riders diligently established a position in Andras dungeon while mounted on horses.
"My lord, position establishnt is fin—"
Smack.
The adjutant got hit in the chest with the back of a blade. Furcas pointed the scythe at the adjutant’s neck and threatened.
"Your lord is Halphas. My lord is also Halphas. What did you say?"
"...I apologize. Commander."
"Right."
Furcas withdrew the scythe and turned his mount. Exit the maze, pass through the long corridor, and the adventurers would be there.
"This ti I’ll lead. I’ll take the orc, you take that ghoul’s head. The rest slaughter the humans. After catching them all... you may feast on their life force."
"""Uoooooh!!"""
The exhausted Pale Riders began cheering at Furcas’s permission. After entering the legion, they’d barely eaten any living being’s energy, only getting a taste while eating low-grade life force from goblins or slis.
Excluding those already dead and sent to the Bond Summon registry, they could easily eat five per person and fill their bellies for dessert, and moreover, humans were the finest delicacy for Pale Riders.
"Advance."
Furcas first kicked the undead horse’s belly and charged out. Running through the straight corridor spreading death energy widely, a massive black scythe over 2 ters ford in his hands.
Clop, clop!
The eight Pale Riders following Furcas made horse hoof sounds noisily while following Furcas. They all held massive scythes, smaller than Furcas’s but capable of cutting a ghoul knight’s head like slicing an apple.
Whoooosh—!!
Furcas took a charging stance while spreading death energy forward for psychological domination. Though lacking penetration compared to cavalry lances, if he used the undead horse’s running force to swing the scythe, the cutting power would be extraordinary.
Kiaaaah!!
The undead horses that swiftly traversed the straight route smoothly turned right around the corner. Quickly passing the clearing full of battle traces, at the opposite side of the likewise erged clearing, a blonde lady knight and one high elf were guarding the exit passage.
’Pathetic things.’
They put out two won and ran away. Furcas kicked the undead horse’s belly and increased speed further. Rather than cutting heads with the scythe, he planned to make them die trampled by the horse.
"Try shooting!"
The high elf raised her bow as soon as Furcas barked. Furcas montarily felt thick death energy but didn’t take seriously the high elf who looked too weak. Even if he died, Halphas could revive him so there was nothing to fear.
Boom!!
The sound of the bow shooting echoed through the cavity like sothing exploding. Furcas set the scythe at an angle and swung toward the trajectory of the invisible wind arrow.
Slice!
The high elf’s wind arrow split in two and lost power. The high elf’s face twisted fiercely when her attack didn’t work at all, and Furcas quickly recovered the scythe and took stance.
’Should I cut the bow and all.’
I’ll cut at the sa angle as I split the arrow. Furcas gripped the scythe tightly. Just a bit more running and he could reach the high elf.
And the mont he slightly lifted his foot to increase the undead horse’s speed.
"Chaaaarge—!!"
With the lady knight’s mighty cry, sothing poured down from the ceiling. Furcas instinctively swung the scythe at whatever was pouring toward him.
Splash!
With a water-splashing sound, Furcas cut sothing slippery. Sothing slippery.
"Sli?"
Precisely, sli mucus. Mucus began pouring from the ceiling like a downpour, and the Pale Riders thought the mucus falling from the ceiling was enemy attack and pulled the reins.
Neeeeigh!!
The undead horses raised their upper bodies and stood on hind legs. It was quite flustering that the surprise from the ceiling was rely sli mucus, but the strange sensation felt from the ground made the undead horses panic.
"Wh-what?!"
"This."
Why was it? The high elf’s words drove right into the ears of Pale Riders no different from dead wraiths. Though a clear, bright voice, underneath lay mockery toward Furcas. The high elf slightly lifted her skirt and pointed at the black clothing beneath.
"This is called stockings, and it’s specially made, you know?"
The high elf pointed at the ground. In an instant, red flas shot up from the ceiling. When Furcas lifted his head to the ceiling, slis slightly bigger than average peeked their heads from holes everywhere in the ceiling.
"It’s tough so it’s hard against blades but since it’s clothing it burns well in fire, and there’s also a serious weakness."
Sizzle. The high elf slightly got sli mucus splattered on the ground onto the stocking. Rubbing with her thumb, the black part soon lted away revealing white skin.
"Like this, holes form when touching sli mucus. ...That’s right."
The blonde lady knight raised her head with a triumphant face. Furcas couldn’t understand what she ant, but looking at his surroundings, he understood the lady knight’s words.
"How’s it feel running over stockings? Hehe."
Sizzle! Sizzzzle!
With the high elf’s mocking laughter, the bodies of Furcas and the Pale Riders began sinking like falling into a mire.
"You should’ve kept running."
The black stockings hiding the pits began lting in sli mucus and burning.
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