Crackle! Crackle!

The number of skeletons grew more and more. If it was not an illusion, the skeletons were intentionally gathering towards this place.

“... Maybe, to capture us?”

Stella's student could fetch a high ransom. Or it could be that they would be forcibly turned into undead to create mage skeletons with high potential.

“Just because I usually diet hard, I don’t want to become a skeleton!”

As Ben shouted and beckoned, a fierce gust of wind blew and swept the skeletons away. Although it didn't kill them instantly, Eisel then shattered their skull by summoning an icicle blast with an explosive power of lightning.

The group of students encountered the skeletons for the first time, and it could be said to be their first real battle, but they were breaking through the challenges brilliantly.

However, there was always one variable.

“Hee, hee!”

Perseok! Kashif Derek, frightened by the skeleton rising from the ground, screamed and fell down.

His position was priest. He cast magic to prepare a big attack.

However, what would happen if it was canceled midway?

“It’s a rebound explosion! Keep your head down!"

“...!”

Hong Bi-Yeon quickly noticed it and shouted, but Eisel and Denmark, who were standing close by, were swept away.

Pew!!

The explosion wasn't much of a big deal at the level of a gunpowder bomb, but the most frightening thing about the rebound phenomenon within the group battle was that the rebound happened in a chain.

“Kyaaak!”

“Keugh!”

The magic of Eisel, who was swept away by Kashif’s explosion, was also canceled and a rebound occurred again, and the magic of the next one that followed her was also canceled.

Pew! Pop! Explosions occurred in succession, and the perfect offensive formation was disrupted in an instant. Edna, who retreated quickly, was not swept away, but several members of Hong Bi-Yeon’s group were knocked out.

Fortunately, they didn't faint, but due to the mana reflux, they wouldn’t be able to use magic for the time being.

'That idiot!'

Hong Bi-Yeon raised the group members who were deadly pale due to the rebound phenomenon.

“Go, Princess, I’m sorry…”

Of course, the girl who was swept away was Arshuang, who had defeated many skeletons with the highest accuracy rate among the group members. She was consuming a lot of mana to appear more active than Hong Bi-Yeon, which made her rebound even bigger.

"No. There’s nothing to be sorry about, so get carried on by Meradin.”

“But Meradin is a knight……”

“Shut up and get up! Are you thinking of getting in the way?!”

Now was not the time to argue. She had no intention of abandoning even a single member of her group, so she had to force herself to take care of them.

".... Yes."

Arshuang bit her lip with a shocked expression on her face and was carried on the back by a boy named Meradin. Since Meradin was the only knight except for Denmark, the situation turned even worse.

That fact kept making Arshuang's heart heavy.

Crackle! Crackle!

A larger number of skeletons were coming. Now their direction was unknown, and the hopeful plans to secure the retreat were shattered.

“Do your best! If you get caught, all of you will become skeletons!”

“Hahaha, this is what it should be! I have never been knocked over in my life!”

"Please stop talking nonsense!"

Fortunately, the second year seniors Ben and Denmark, gave a very reassuring lead. No one expected this occurrence.

Even though Ben’s wind magic and Denmark’s earth magic didn't seem to match at all, they boasted a perfect cooperation, creating a variable that was more effective than the first-year elites.

But.

It was lacking.

No magic, no plan, and no cooperation could get them out of this deadly situation.

The opponent was a Class 5 necromancer who had been thoroughly prepared.

In comparison, their side only had Class 2 and 3 novice mages with no experience in combat.

'This is wrong.'

Edna bit her lip tightly and held Jecky’s hand. Jecky hadn't even been able to properly use magic, and her body trembled nonstop for a long time.

“We… What’s going on…?”

“....”

As usual, she couldn't reassure her by saying, "Don't worry." Because she was also in a situation where she couldn't think anything.

"Haa… Haaa…”

She was already exhausted, so it was difficult to use magic anymore. Given a short amount of time, she should be able to restore her natural mana with her talent, 'Fortune Breath’. There was no time to lose.

Tookung!

“Ugh!”

Not far away, a skeleton rammed towards her with its entire body, but it was blocked by Hae Won-ryang's shield that unfurled just in time. However, the shield did not last long and broke three times. In the first place, the total amount of his mana reserve was very small, so it was already reaching the limit.

However, he put his hand on Edna’s head with a firm expression on his face.

“Edna... I will protect you, so please leave me and escape.”

"What kind of romantic lines are you speaking all of a sudden? I didn’t know that you could speak such cheesy lines.”

“Uh?"

It was said jokingly, but Haewonryang was sincere. But, she couldn’t sacrifice him, since she was the one who brought Hae Won-ryang to this place in the first place.

"Don't step out. I know better that your mana is suppressing the surrounding skeleton.”

“No, I…”

When Haewon-ryang seemed unwilling to agree, Edna deliberately shouted loudly.

“Don't be pretentious! Think of a way to get out of the situation slowly. You are smart, aren’t you?”

“.....”

At those words, Haewon-ryang lowered his head. No strategist could break through this situation. However, Haewonryang's attacks were no longer helpful. Therefore, Edna told Haewonryang to live as much as possible and come up with a plan to boost his self-esteem.

Because he had no choice but to realize the fact that he felt resentful of himself and wanted to die.

He couldn't protect the one he liked, and the feeling of receiving pity on the contrary was really the worst.

Emotions were running high, and his head was turning into a mess as the situation was getting worse and worse.

Deuk! Tadak! Crack!!

“Ugh, too many numbers!”

“No more magic…”

The skeleton corps, which had already grown to the point of filling all sides, could no longer be controlled by the tired students, and even Denmark, who had been a strong support in the front, had no choice but to step backwards.

Suddenly, all skeleton stopped moving.

"..... Uh?"

As if the puppet’s thread had been broken, the skeleton's movements were all stopped in unison.

When they stopped, the boys and girls panicked.

Creepy....

The skeletons slowly raised their heads and looked somewhere.

Suddenly.

Like the miracle of the Red Sea caused by Moses.

In between the skeleton army, someone walked out, slowly paving his way through the undead beings.

That silhouette was so familiar that everyone present was astonished.

“… Baek Yu-Seol?”

He held a skeleton with only a spine and skull left in his right hand.

As long as the skull remained, the skeleton was alive, so it constantly made a clicking sound, but it did not do any damage to him.

Belatedly, everyone seemed to have grasped the situation.

“I can’t believe that…”

“General level... Skeleton?”

At first glance, a necromancer might seem to command an army of hundreds or thousands of skeletons by himself, but in fact he couldn’t rule all armies by himself.

So, he must have a chain of command through a skeleton with command authority and a certain level of intelligence.

Therefore, one of the most effective ways to deal with the necromancer's army was to hunt or subdue the skeleton with command authority!

The Skeleton General was a key element that served as a kind of receiver, control tower, antenna, etc., and became the Necromancer's eyes, ears, and sometimes brains.

However, knowing such a weakness, General Skeleton was particularly strong.

There must be elite skeletons escorting that area........

“You dealt with a general level alone, and even captured it...?"

A sight that was hard to believe.

But thanks to that.

"This… If we can use that, maybe we can get out alive...!"

Students were able to gain hope, albeit very little.