Chương 62: The Graveyard

The scene before them made everyone instinctively slow their steps. A long-abandoned graveyard stretched out ahead. Dozens of crooked tombstones stood beneath the night sky like silent sentinels guarding the dead. This was not Blackstone Town's official cemetery. According to rumors, this place had once been a mass grave for an unknown village long ago. Later, it became the resting place of homeless wanderers who had nowhere else to go. As time passed, countless eerie rumors spread.

People claimed they could hear women crying in the dead of night, or see ghostly flames drifting between the graves. Most of those stories were nothing more than nonsense. But reports of Skeleton Soldiers appearing here were a first. It was only the beginning of night. The time when Skeleton Soldiers were likely to emerge had not arrived yet. Marcus looked around and selected a slightly elevated patch of ground beside the cemetery as their temporary hiding spot.

"We'll wait over there." Marcus pointed toward the slope.

"Higher ground gives us a better view and makes observation easier." The four of them concealed themselves in the bushes behind the mound and quietly waited for the right moment. As the night deepened, a pale full moon hung high above. Cold moonlight spilled across the earth, coating every tombstone with a layer of silver. Perhaps it was because they were so close to the graveyard, but Zelier felt tonight was colder than usual. He instinctively pulled his cloak tighter.

From the distant forest came the shrill cries of unknown birds. A sudden gust of wind swept through without warning, making the bushes rustle. The sound was like whispers from unseen spirits, sending chills down one's spine. To pass the time, Zelier began reviewing the spell circuits he had learned inside his mind. Marcus polished his battle blade. Grey yawned repeatedly, looking like he was about to fall asleep.

Vaelis sat silently with his eyes closed, but his ears occasionally twitched as he captured every sound around them. However, it wasn't long before Vaelis' furious whisper broke the silence.

"Grey, stop drooling on me!" Finally— Midnight arrived. Vaelis' ears twitched several times. He suddenly opened his eyes and looked toward the center of the graveyard.

"They're here." If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

"Creaaak… creaaak…" A bone-chilling grinding sound echoed from the center of the cemetery. The ground itself seemed to tremble slightly. Then— Whoosh! A hand made of pale, withered bones suddenly burst through the soil. The skeletal fingers dug deeply into the dirt, supporting its weight as the creature slowly dragged its body out from the grave. 《Adventurer's Association Universal Bestiary》 【Sequence 3】: Skeleton Soldier Threat Rating: 【Easy】 Appearance: An undead creature born from a human corpse.

Their appearance consists entirely of bones. Depending on how long they have been buried, their remains may range from yellow-white to dark brown. A Skeleton Soldier's eye sockets usually contain a miserable green flame. This flame serves as the core that allows them to move. Habits: Skeleton Soldiers possess no biological needs. Their sole purpose is to obey the commands of their creator or follow their instinctive hatred.

They commonly appear in ancient battlefields, abandoned graveyards, cursed ruins, and other places filled with dense death energy. Special Abilities: Almost none. If one had to name their only ability, it would probably be their lack of pain. Core Weakness: Skull. Destroying the skull will instantly eliminate their ability to move. However, remember that the skull must be shattered. Piercing it or damaging it is not enough. Association Notes: Just charge straight in.

This monster is even more suitable than goblins as a training dummy, making it especially useful for beginner adventurers. However, if the number of Skeleton Soldiers exceeds ten, mutated Vile Skeletal Amalgams may appear among them. Exercise extreme caution. Additionally: Remember to finish them off properly. Skeleton Soldiers are different from ordinary creatures. Losing limbs will not cause pain, and they will never retreat. Always destroy their skulls. The first Skeleton Soldier slowly twisted its neck.

Its head rotated a full 360 degrees. Within its empty eye sockets, a ghostly green flame ignited. Then another followed. And another.

"Shhkt! Shhkt! Shhkt!" The same scene unfolded throughout the graveyard. Graves were torn open one after another as more than twenty swaying Skeleton Soldiers crawled out from beneath the earth. The once silent cemetery suddenly became chaotic.

"Well, damn." Grey rubbed his eyes.

"So there really are people who refuse to rest even after death." Marcus narrowed his eyes and counted carefully.

"Twenty-six in total. No sign of a Vile Skeletal Amalgam yet." He immediately began assigning positions in a low voice.

"Grey, you and I will hold the front line. These skeletons don't have brains, so they won't use any tactics."

"Zelier, Vaelis, you two fight however you want." Marcus drew his battle blade.

"Move out!" He was the first to rise from the slope. Then he charged straight down!

"Got it!" Grey followed close behind. The moment his sword left its sheath, the cold gleam of steel merged with the moonlight, carrying a sharp chill. Their sudden appearance immediately attracted the attention of the wandering Skeleton Soldiers. Twenty-six pairs of miserable green flames turned toward them at once. The skeletons' empty jaws opened and closed, producing a disturbing click-clack sound. Some Skeleton Soldiers picked up broken pieces of bone from the ground.

Others simply reached into their own rib cages and snapped off their ribs, using them as crude weapons. The undead marched forward with stiff, unnatural movements.

"Come on!" Marcus roared.

"A bunch of walking piles of bones!" He charged forward first. With his shield raised, he slammed directly into a Skeleton Soldier. BOOM! The impact shattered the creature's chest bones, sending fragments flying everywhere. As the skeleton staggered backward, Marcus used the opening. His battle blade swung down. The thick spine of the weapon delivered crushing force, snapping the creature's neck instantly. Crack! The skull rolled onto the ground. But that still wasn't enough.

The miserable green flame inside its eye sockets continued burning. Marcus followed up immediately. He raised his shield and smashed downward, crushing the skull beneath it. Only then did the green flame finally disappear. The remaining headless skeleton stood frozen for a brief moment before collapsing into a pile of useless bones. But before Marcus could recover, two more Skeleton Soldiers approached from the side. They raised their rib-bone blades and swung directly toward his head. Marcus didn't dodge.

He simply raised his shield and drove it upward. Shield Bash! The immense force launched one Skeleton Soldier into the air. The other was knocked backward several steps. Marcus seized the opportunity. His battle blade swept through wide arcs, repeatedly striking the white bones. Bone fragments scattered through the air. At this point, Marcus was no longer trying to instantly destroy their skulls. As long as he could cripple most of a Skeleton Soldier's body, its combat ability would be greatly reduced.