Chapter 48: Chapter 48

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Chapter 48: The One Who Opens the Path (3)

[Defeat the "Iron Golem"!]

“What’s with this update crap?! It’s over when you're dead, right?!”

“Oh dear, what on earth is ‘Ah-yeon’ supposed to be now?”

“Not Ah-yeon, Iron! As in, metal!”

The sudden appearance of an iron-clad monster left everyone in shock.

It was abrupt, and yet, there wasn’t even time to be surprised.

BOOM!

A cannon strapped around its waist blasted out bombs.

“Ahhhhhh!”

“What the hell?! Are you freaking kidding me?!”

“Just dodge! Get out of the way!”

There was no time for complaints.

“Yura!! Over here!!”

“Waaaahhhh—!”

If you dodged one, another would come from the side.

And if you dodged that, yet another would shoot from somewhere else.

Bang! Boom!

I threw myself to the ground, and the others fled in all directions with their lives on the line.

But the skeleton soldiers nearby…

Crack!

…crumbled into dust.

[Skeleton Soldier (Lv.1) has been destroyed!]

[Remaining troops: 1,472]

"Damn it!"

Explosions erupted all around the street.

The ground was pitted with craters so mangled they were unrecognizable.

Only fragments of white skeletons remained within the holes.

“Everyone, get out of the way!”

I shouted as I rolled on the ground to avoid the incoming projectiles.

BOOM! Crack!

Yet again, they were breaking apart.

[Skeleton Soldier (Lv.1) has been destroyed!]

[Remaining troops: 1,458]

Precious rewards…

[Skeleton Soldier (Lv.1) has been destroyed!]

[Remaining troops: 1,441]

Clatter!

Watching fragments of the skeleton soldiers scatter everywhere made my teeth clench in frustration.

I had to figure it out.

Some way to turn this miserable situation around.

“Eunho! What if Yura uses her skill to hide?!”

Jieun shouted breathlessly as she ran toward me.

“It won’t help. Bombs are coming from every direction.”

In this chaotic melee, hiding wouldn’t solve anything.

Hearing my reply, Jieun chewed on her nails and muttered to herself.

“If only that cannon weren’t there…”

She was right.

The priority was to disable the cannon.

But rushing in recklessly would just get me stomped to death…

Ah!

A sudden thought flashed through my mind.

I snapped my finger bones and shouted to Jieun.

“Jieun! Gather the rubble from the buildings!”

“What? Oh, okay!”

Without any explanation, I threw out the command, and Jieun flinched in surprise.

But after a moment of hesitation, she nodded, closed her eyes, and focused intently.

“Hmm…!”

I felt a surge of gratitude as she followed my instructions without question.

Thrum—!

Chunks of black asphalt and concrete debris began to float into the air.

Crack!

They fused together.

Until they formed a sphere as wide as a person’s height.

“It’s done! Put it inside the cannon!”

“Oh… okay! Got it!”

Jieun’s eyes widened in realization, and she gave a determined nod.

She then picked one of the cannons strapped to the golem’s waist.

Creak!

And jammed the massive rock sphere into the opening.

Boom! Clatter! Bang!

The iron cannon, filled with a bomb, let out a tremendous noise.

Screeeech!

The cannon swelled like it was about to burst—like a bone packed with explosives.

BOOOOOM!

It detonated.

The bomb it had been aiming at us went off inside its own chamber.

“!!”

“It worked! Eunho, it worked!”

It worked!

— Groooarrrrr! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The golem was clearly in pain.

Well, of course.

A bomb had just exploded inside it.

But too bad for it—I wasn’t planning to stop here.

“Jieun! How many can you control at once?”

“Um… I can make two? If I push it, maybe three. But inserting them into the cannon is tricky…”

So she could form up to three spheres at once, but could only manage precise control for one at a time.

If that’s the case…

“Keep making them! I’ll handle the rest!”

“Huh? How will you—”

“Accelerate!”

“Whaaaaat do youuuu meaaaaan—!”

Leap!

I dashed to where Jieun had formed the sphere.

The coarse, jagged surface of the stone pressed against my ten finger bones.

Without hesitation, I pushed with all my strength.

Swoosh!

The massive boulder floated effortlessly, unaffected by gravity.

It stayed suspended in the air, just as Jieun had controlled it.

Thanks to that…

Thump! Tap! Thud! Clatter!

…I ran like mad.

It wasn’t so much “carrying” as it was “pushing” the rock.

Like some mythic figure bearing the weight of the world on their shoulders.

Finally, I reached the golem’s cannon, shoved the rock into the barrel, and turned just in time—

Tick!

The silent moment ended.

“...Huh?”

“Next!”

“What? I just finished making it…”

“Come on, move! There’s no time to dawdle!”

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The golem’s cannons fired one after another.

Now, only six remained.

Boom!

No, make that five.

As the number of cannons dwindled, so did the golem’s body, breaking down bit by bit.

The problem was—

“Huff… How much… is left?”

“Five cannons remaining! Just a bit more, hang in there!”

As the cannons decreased, so did Jieun's stamina.

It was becoming visibly apparent.

“Jieun, are you okay?”

“Yes…! I can keep going until the end!”

Though her cheerful response was admirable and appreciated…

Her pale face.

Her lips, drained of color and parched.

Sweat dripping down her forehead.

And, most of all, her noticeably heavy legs!

She was already nearing her limit.

To make matters worse—

“Ahhhhhh!”

“?!”

Thud!

The golem’s massive, enraged fist came down on Jieun.

“Jieun! Look out—!”

“Huff…!”

Barely dodging, Jieun had no time to catch her breath before—

“Ahhhhhh!”

“Are you alright?!”

“I-I’m sorry! I just can’t focus anymore!”

The golem had finally realized it wasn’t just me it needed to target.

Judging by the way it tried to deny Jieun any chance to use her Teleknesis skill.

‘We’re so close…’

Grit!

I ground my teeth, but it was no use.

Jieun’s skill required absolute concentration.

‘What if I do it alone?’

What if I made and loaded the cannonballs by myself…?

‘Not enough time.’

My acceleration skill lasted only 20 seconds.

Even earlier, it took the entire 20 seconds just to load the cannonballs Jieun had already prepared.

And above all—

Rattle—

With these hands, making proper cannonballs wasn’t even feasible.

‘What do I do? How do I—?’

[The skeleton soldiers, attuned to the commander’s emotions, grow anxious.]

Before we could figure out a way to pierce that stone-hard body, even approaching it was impossible.

Screech!

And now, on top of everything, the armor near the first destroyed cannon seemed to move.

No way.

Was it…?

“U-Uh, Eunho! Over there—!”

“It’s repairing itself?!”

At this rate, it would just turn into a war of attrition.

No, the longer this went on, the worse it got for us.

[The skeleton soldiers, attuned to the commander’s emotions, grow even more anxious!]

Five cannons remaining.

This was the only chance.

“A solution…”

At that moment—

[Loyal soldiers are stirred by the commander’s peril!]

“I can… take care of this…!”

[PR/N: A loyal soldier. I respect you.]

Clatter!

Skeleton Soldier #1 raised its remaining four finger bones high and suddenly dashed forward.

[Skeleton Soldier (No. 1) supports the commander in peril!]

“You’re kidding…!”

By the time I grasped the meaning behind its sudden, impulsive action, the soldier had already leapt forward.

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[Skeleton Soldier (No. 1) activates the ‘Bone Bomb’ skill!]

[Skill’s area of effect expands to the entire body.]

Its frame, now glowing red-hot, clambered toward the cannon muzzle.

[Special condition fulfilled!]

[The ‘Bone Bomb’ skill evolves into ‘Self-Destruct’!]

…And then, the others followed suit.

“Commander…!”

“We’ll go with you…!”

“No, stop!”

[Skeleton Soldier (No. 2) activates the ‘Self-Destruct’ skill!]

[Skeleton Soldier (No. 3) activates the ‘Self-Destruct’ skill!]

[Skeleton Soldier (No. 4) activates the ‘Self-Destruct’ skill!]

…

Flash!

A blinding light burst forth.

From inside the cannon barrels.

From the muzzle.

From the golem’s legs…

KABOOM!

Explosions erupted from every corner.

Some didn’t even make it into the cannon before detonating prematurely, but they all had one thing in common.

Each one clung to a piece of the stone golem—no, a hunk of rock—and blew apart along with it.

Boom! Kaboom! KABAM!

Caught speechless by the unexpected display of destruction—

Fwoosh!

A brilliant multicolored light poured down from above.

[The trait ‘Rebel’ in subject ‘Lee Eunho’ has detected a risk of systemic collapse!]

A notification boomed within my skull.

[The trait ‘Rebel’ resonates with the title Pathfinder!]

[Title effect can be transformed into a different stat!]

“…!”

Currently, the title effect only enhanced movement speed and defense.

But now I could convert it to a different stat?

[Select the stat to transform into!]

‘Transform into another stat…’

Normally, I’d leave enough speed and defense to escape if needed, then raise my attack power.

…That’s what the usual me would do.

But now.

A Gap Created by Soldiers

To fully exploit the tiny gap...

“Focus entirely on penetration.”

Eliminate the retreat.

[Movement speed increase and defense increase effects are removed!]

[Additional movement speed: 142% → 0%]

[Additional defense: 142 → 0]

The escape route is gone.

And so, all power is concentrated.

[Followers: 1,420]

[Penetration power increased by 142]

“And now...”

Every ounce of strength.

“Even the buff that defies death. Everything.”

[Which buffs would you like to modify?]

[Immunity to fear and disease status effects, immunity to mind control, wound recovery rate increase (+100%), defense inc......]

“All of it.”

[All title effects are removed.]

None of it matters.

[Penetration power increased by 200!]

[You have reached the maximum penetration power your body can endure!]

[Remaining buff effects are converted into attack power!]

What’s needed now is the power to end it all in a single strike.

“Acceleration!”

* * *

Whoosh!

The wind that had been embracing my bones vanished.

My body feels heavy.

Like I’m weighed down with sandbags.

Smack! Crunch!

A piece of shrapnel from an explosion lodged itself between my skull.

A palm-sized chunk of concrete.

If it had been moments ago, surrounded by all my buffs, it would have bounced off upon hitting my bones.

‘Urgh.’

Though my helmet quickly healed the scratches, I can feel the faint sting.

My remaining defense is a mere 10.

It’s a dangerous place to charge into, relying only on a fragile shell for protection.

‘But now’s the time!’

The monster’s body is crumbling apart, unable to hold itself up after the relentless attacks.

Taking advantage of this gap, carved out by the sacrifices of the skeleton soldiers...

“Here I go!”

I erased all thought and lunged forward.

Leap!

I ran up the remnants of a crumbled road, like sliding up a playground slide.

I stepped on the remains of roads, apartment rubble, and signposts.

Crunch!

My knee slammed into an exposed steel bar.

My kneecap shattered, but I kept running.

I stepped on the jagged shards scattered everywhere.

My foot bones were pierced, my toe bones were crushed, but I kept running.

Focusing solely on the “gap” etched into the monster’s body.

Rumble!

The moment the golem noticed me rapidly closing in, it began to lift its tenaciously resilient body.

“Acceleration!”

Timing it perfectly, I activated the skill.

Stab!

I thrust my sword upward with all my strength.

Right into the “crack” created by Skeleton Soldier #1’s sacrifice.

Crunch!

And once more, with all my weight behind it, I drove the blade deeper.

The sword sank until my wrist nearly touched the monster’s body.

No technique, no finesse—just sheer force driving the blade deeper.

Just as Jaehyuk’s swordsmanship always had been.

Crack! Snap! Crunch!

I heard the unsettling sounds of my bones dislocating from my wrist to my shoulder.

In my original body, I would’ve been writhing in pain.

But now, I am a skeleton.

Crunch! Snap! Crack!

The sounds, loud enough to make me wonder if I would break before the golem did, finally came to an end.

Slice—!

It was severed.

Screeeeech!

From the heart downward, straight through.

The golem split apart like the tentacles of an octopus.

Click!

And as time returned to its normal flow...

Creaaaak—!

The bisected golem succumbed to gravity.

Its left leg tilted further to the left.

Its right leg tilted further to the right.

The body, legs, everything I had cleaved apart, spread wider and wider until—

Boom! Rumble, rumble, rumble!

The entire structure collapsed in on itself.

Silence.

A brief moment of silence flowed like a stream.

And then...

[Congratulations!]

[You have defeated the 'Iron Golem'!]n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

[You have earned 3 mission points and 1,000 welfare points!]

Instead of light, sound rained down upon me.

[You have slain an enemy deemed impossible to defeat!]

[The mastery of your Basic Swordsmanship (Lv.3) skill has greatly increased due to your extraordinary feat!]

“It’s over...”

It’s finally over.

My body feels heavy.

I want to collapse.

I want to lie down...

Dragging my body, on the verge of collapse, I stumbled forward.

Crunch!

Suddenly, I stepped on something.

And then—

Whoosh!

Heat and light surged like a vortex from the bones in my foot.

[You are absorbing the ‘Diamond of the Forsaken Highlands’!]

...What?

[Translator - Night]

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