The worst was avoided. Although the illustrious old men remained on the sidelines, there were not too many troops waiting for us. There were only three enemies that we had to face. Not to mention that these guys, as a sign of their confidence or something, did not shoot at us at point-blank range, even when we went through the portal and took up formation.

[Abed Necrapeto used [Puppet]].

However, this does not mean that the situation is positive. Although we could now fight on an equal footing with them, a protracted fight was no longer profitable for us. Necromancers were like that.

"Gryuhhhhh!"

It was a massive battle in which the death toll was rapidly rising in real time. The corpses of our comrades, whose skin has been torn and their heads cut off by the hands of the army of corpses, rise up and attack us.

*Crunch!*

Even at this point, we were diligently crushing the heads of corpses, but if things continue like this, we will end up being outnumbered.

Ha, what a combination.

I couldn't help but groan. Even though there were only three of them, their synergy was too good: the Corpse Gatherer's reserves, Blue Mane's PvP battles, and the Scientist of Destruction's extensive skills and overwhelming ability to create variables. If these veterans were just great fighters, our chances of winning would be much higher.

Rather, it was because of this synergy that all but these three had risen to the top.

I brushed aside the regret that swept over me. Just as no one is without flaws, not all aspects are necessarily disadvantageous to us. On the contrary, since the opponent was the Corpse Collector, some moments were beneficial to me as well.

[You used the Rogue of the Wildlands].

I didn't think I'd use the item I got from the Forest of Doubles in this place.

'Behellaaa

On the front lines, I was again doing what I had done countless times that day – clearing the way.

*Crack! Kwaaaang!*

Every time I swung my mace, corpses in various gears swept away like fallen leaves.

The reason was simple.

Wildlands Rogue was an extreme counter-item against the Necromancer.

[Your Melee Physical Damage is temporarily increased, in proportion to the number of humanoid monsters].

Melee damage increase is proportional to the number of troops. I was sure that I had already reached the maximum indicator.

So, the maximum is...

[Current Growth: 1000%]

… 10x gain.

*Crunch!*

Was this how Lü Bu* from the Three Kingdoms felt? I didn't even need to use [Sweep] as they exploded with every blow of the mace. Well, using the skill would help a little more, but saving my limited MP and investing it in [Gigantonization] was the right decision.

Lü Bu was the commander-in-chief and general of the Chinese Three Kingdoms era.

"Ha, he's definitely a rank 5 researcher...?"

"A great warrior!"

"Follow me!"

As soon as I began my thoughtless attacks, the explorers naturally followed me and formed a breakthrough formation.

Okay, they'll take care of those who attack me from behind.

"It's a suicide bomber!"

At the very beginning, [Corpse Explosion] did a lot of damage, but it was gradually dealt with. After all, they were experienced explorers, and raids were a daily affair for them. Even without my instructions, they have learned to cope with it.

"A mage!"

— [Dertu Teiran]!

It was a rank 8 auxiliary magic, [Gust of Wind].

*Bach!*

Once a suicide bomber's body swelled, it was thrown back or pushed away with magic or skills. Of course, even so, there were explosions in the ranks from time to time, and the main blow fell on me.

*Chhhhhhhhhh!*

The poison of the suicide bombers bit into my body. However, it didn't sting that much. And it's not that I've greatly increased my Resistance to Poisons: after all, Dungeon & Stone is a team game.

[Arua Raven cast a 7th tier spell [Neutralize]].

It was a buff spell that reduced poison damage by half.

[Rebecca Heysel used [Separation]].

The active skill [Separation] took a third of the damage from the target.

[Han Algon used [Herd Immunity]].

It is an aura-type skill that shares half of the user's resistance stats with anyone within a 15 meter radius, regardless of whether it is a friend or an enemy.

[Folton Cassel cast [Fountain of Blood].

[When you take damage, a Regeneration Orb is created].

Even when I take damage, my comrades have healing counters filled with their own blood jump out of their bodies, which I can collect and "consume". When hundreds of rank 5 average researchers gathered in one place, there is literally no skill that doesn't exist.

*Ears!*

At this moment, dozens of light spheres that filled the sky above the Goblin Forest disappeared, plunging the surroundings into darkness. I intuitively felt it.

"[Careful, he'll make a move soon]," Kyle said.

Yes, the Scientist of Destruction will not sit and watch forever.

*Ears!*

The sky darkened, as if in a solar eclipse. In addition to this, a red sphere appeared, which quickly increased in size.

"[This is the [Orb of Destruction]].

It was an offensive spell that I had never heard of in the game, and deservedly so. Summoning Magic was the signature spell of the Scholar of Destruction, completely created by him from scratch.

Is it a 2nd tier spell?

My heart sank. I knew how unreal the power of top-level attack magic was. Of course, it didn't mean much. Even if I didn't know it, I would have a rough idea of how dangerous this magic is.

"You're a crazy old man!" You're going to kill me too!

The wolf cub flinched when he saw the sphere in the sky and tried to run away. Even the Clown was no different. He was shouting something in panic. I did not hear what he said, but it was not difficult to guess its contents: the army of corpses, which was on the outskirts, was retreating.

Bloody hell.

As comrades of the Scholar of Destruction, they reasoned that if this spell fell here, friend or foe, then everything would disappear without a trace.

But so what?

"[I'll stop him, and you go on!]

I overcame my excitement and focused on clearing the road.

"What are you doing?!" Don't stand still and keep moving!

"But if he falls...!"

"And where are you going to run?" Fight!

Now, without needing my words, the researchers cheered each other on and regained their fighting spirit.

"It's coming...!"

I raised my head when I heard someone's murmuring. The ominous orb, which had grown to a size that filled the entire sky, was already falling vertically to the ground.

[Kyle Pevrosk cast a rank 3 spell [Piercing Steel]].

At this point, Kyle completed the spell to counter the Learned Destruction spell.

*Shaaaa!*

He must have drawn a magic circle in advance to prepare for this, as an intense gray light blossomed behind him.

*Flash!*

As the instantly flashing light faded, a huge arrow pierced through the massive meteorite.

*KABOOM!*

There was an ear-rending sound of a blow.

*Shaaaa!*

A strong gust swept across the ground.

"Y-dodge!!

Hundreds of large and small fragments of rocks, engulfed in flames, fell down like rain. The explorers fled in despair, but only a few of the fragments touched the ground. This is also Kyle's merit.

*Bang! BOOM! Bang, bang, bang!*

Hundreds of falling fragments were blocked by a translucent barrier, after which they exploded and disappeared into thin air. Even a rank 3 Magus couldn't create a shield in such a large area.

… Did he really control each one separately?

Determining the trajectories of movement of all the shards, he successfully blocked each of them, spending a minimum of mana. That would be a reasonable assumption.

Indeed, Raven watched this spectacle with her mouth open.

"Is it... It's possible...?

Being a mage herself, she felt more intensely how difficult this trick was. But unfortunately, the Magus opposing him was not ordinary either. No, rather, the Scholar of Destruction was an archmage considered even more powerful than Kyle.

"[Damned old man].

Falling meteorites changed their orbit as if in a curve, bypassed the barrier and hit the ground.

*Boom!*

Meteorites did not distinguish between friend and foe. They fell in the middle of the corpse army unleashed by Clown, or behind and to the side of me, crushing my comrades, and then took the form of golems and stood up.

Rank 5 Summoning Magic, [Fire Giant].

Raven exclaimed incredulously.

"Mr. Pevrosk!" How did it happen? There was definitely no summoning formula here...!

[He used the remaining mana to create a new formula to imbue with the remaining fragments].

"A rank 5 spell, in such a short instant..." and there are dozens of them...? Raven muttered with a mixture of surprise and admiration.

However, Kyle didn't seem to have the time to respond kindly to her.

"[Yandel! I need to prepare for the next attack, so take care of that!]

The transmission was abruptly interrupted.

Phew, he said he'd take care of the Scientist of Destruction, but it looks like I'll have to clean it up.

Well, even this person wouldn't be able to deal with such a monster alone.

Not to mention, Kyle was using [Mass Teleportation] on the 1st floor, and he was short of mana. I began to realize that we were still at a disadvantage.

Melter Fend was in charge of Bluemane, Kyle volunteered to fight the Scientist of Destruction, and I led hundreds of researchers to attack the Corpse Gatherer. As soon as one of the parties lost, the game was over. The precarious balance will collapse, and everything will be destroyed in an instant. But, in fact, it was the same with the opponents.

*Jerk*

Before I knew it, I rushed at the Fire Giant, who was already fully standing up and looking down at me, holding a giant mace in his hand.

*Whoosh*

I jumped high and, using even more MP, brought my mace down. A single blow was enough to destroy the core of a summoned rank 5 Fire Giant.

*Kwaaa

The Fire Giant turned into mana particles and dissolved.

I shifted my gaze to what was ahead. A clown could be seen in the distance.

That bastard is still laughing.

If only I could kill him, we'd have the advantage.

***

Step by step, I slowly moved forward, crushing, trampling, and sometimes pushing the corpses away with my shield.

*Crunch!*

I was paving the way for survival.

*Shaaaa!*

A rain of fire was falling from the sky non-stop, released by the Scholar of Destruction.

*Kwang-kwang-kwang!*

Kyle diligently applied defensive magic and fought back furiously, but it wasn't enough to block all the blows.

"Ahh!"

Screams were heard from everywhere. Their bodies, which had reached this place in a desperate search for life, fell to the damp ground, black and burned.

[Abed Necrapeto used [Puppet]].

And then, in this form, they stood up and swung their weapons at us.

Seeing this, I couldn't help but think that if there was hell on earth, it might be here.

*Bach!*

In the distance, a pile of corpses flew like a cannonball, tearing the formation apart. It was a change that had taken place a few minutes ago.

The Corpse Collector began to extract more and more corpses from subspace.

, I thought we were almost there.

How many of them does he have in reserve?

Curses rained down incessantly, but despite this, my legs did not stop moving.

Although I was already far away from the main team and surrounded by an army of corpses, I continued to move forward. I didn't know how many were left. Many are probably dead.

But, despite this...

'Behellaaa

When Ainar cut the corpse and screamed, a choir rang out from behind and on the sides.

'Yes, Behellaaa

He was not a barbarian. Humans, dwarves, and even beastmen screamed along with him.

Yes, it was really addictive.

*Rumble!*

A pile of five fused corpses flew by and stood on my feet in front of me. Frowning for a moment at the grotesque look, I quickly noticed a familiar face in the pile.

Hansen Colders.

I met this man while wandering through the aisles on the 1st day. That was before I met Clown, when I didn't understand what had happened. Then he suggested that I join forces, but I refused because I could not trust him.

"Cautious people live longer. I hope we will see each other again in the future."

Despite the refusal, the man smiled and left.

And...

"Gryuhhhh...

That's how we met again.

... It means that he was really on our side.

Li Han Su just looking at this sight would vomit everything in his stomach. Waving the mace in his direction, I thought:

What if I had believed him then?

What if we traveled together...

Would he fight on our side instead of the enemy's?

*Crunch!*

Well, quite possibly. But only one thing can be said for sure. I was wrong. The solution was not even the best of all possible options. I didn't make an effort, justifying himself by saying that he was a stranger. If I had done more, I might have found solid evidence.

"I'm sorry.

Stepping on the pile of corpses, I rushed forward. A thought flashed through my head:

I wonder what kind of person he was?

What could he do if he were alive?

—…

It was no longer possible to know. Perhaps he had extraordinary potential that could help me a lot.

Even the first impression of Dvalka was so-so. At first, I thought he was just a weirdo. But in reality, he was the sweetest of all of us and the greatest mage I've ever seen.

"[Yandel, how long?]

Kyle's voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Not for long.

It really wasn't long. A little more and I'll get to the Clown, although he was a nimble poisonous necromancer, so close combat won't be so easy. However, the necromancer's weakness was obvious. Summoning troops of this size, his MP consumption would be serious. As long as Kyle held back the Scientist of Destruction and Fend held off that wolf bastard, nothing unexpected would happen.

"Please move a little faster.]

And?

"[Something's wrong].

Something's wrong? Is this also a magician's intuition?

Thinking so, I was about to swing my mace once more.

"Gruhhhhh...!"

A group of researchers appeared among the stinking corpses that I had never seen before.

One, two, three teams...

Their number was too large to count.

"We've come to see what the fuss is, but what's that...?"

"We'll help you too!"

"The remnants of Raphdonia!" Kill them!

"Aaa!!!

They were explorers from Noark who were hunting on the 2nd floor.