Kim Jin-soo, party leader and tank of the raiding party, swallowed hard as he looked at the swarming skeleton army.
"That's a lot of them."
"Chief, do we distribute potions?"
"Distribute as much as we can...."
Unlike the private hunter guilds that invested lavishly in gate capture, the Association's raiding party had limited resources and budget.
They didn't have enough of the short-term buff potions that a hunter guild would have invested in, or the lifesaving recovery potions that a hunter guild would have.
After all, the Hunter's Association was part of the government, and as a national organization, it was difficult to spend more than the set budget.
"It's a good thing they're a bunch of bones."
"Still, don't let your guard down. Even a blind sword could cut you."
Skeletons are the easiest of the undead to deal with since their strength comes from their muscles and hunters who have awakened their powers could tip the scales, but as long as they're alive, the basics remain the same.
Skeletons don't have a single muscle since they are animated by the power of thought or magic. Their basic power also varies, so beware of the skeleton archer who shoots blind arrows or the occasional skeleton mage.
Chief Kim called out to his men.
"Deputy Sa, Deputy Park, the two tanks, fall back, and join Deputy Han and Dealer Han in the reserve!"
They were the youngest and most talented members of the party. With them in reserve, Jin-soo searched for any possible Skeleton Mages.
"Man-sik, how many archers and mages do they have?"
"Thirty archers and two mages right now!"
"The ones with long range skills will take care of them first, and the ones with shields will stop them from coming in, I trust you, assholes!"
Before he could finish, the skeleton army charged, and as the mass of bones clashed, Kim felt the heaviness of his shield.
'It's heavier than I thought, I guess the Scarlet Gate is different after all.'
But it's not something he, a B-rank tanker, can't handle. With his remaining hand, he blocked the skeleton warrior in front of him, and with the other, he crushed its skull with his war hammer.
-Wham!
An arrow flew between the skeleton's ribs but as his shield was a little too long it almost hit his knee.
'What the hell, a skeleton archer can snipe?'
Chief Kim was momentarily stunned, but then he shouted as he hit a new skeleton.
"Archers, wizards, hurry up and shoot those bastards!"
"Sorry!"
In retaliation, the Association Hunters sniped the Skeleton Archers one after another. As the Skeleton Archers fell one after another with their skulls pierced, they smiled in conviction.
-Goooow!
A magic circle was drawn to the front and the Skeleton Mages had used magic.
'Damn, there's not a single mage on this side, but those skeletons over there have mages!'
Skeleton mages usually command a high ransom. Chief Kim swallowed the woes of his impoverished organization and shouted.
"I'm here!"
His voice was enchanted and the threat rate instantly rose as the eyes of the Skeleton Mages turned towards him.
The spell that was about to land in the middle of the party was twisted and directed at Chief Kim.
-Kwalung!
"Boom!"
Thunder crashed from the magic circle and struck Chief Kim directly but he held on.
"Chief!"
"It's okay… It's just a sting. This armor is expensive──"
At that moment, a shadow fell over him and he was met with a gaze.
A head resting on the waist, a headless knight and a huge warhorse, all of them were staring at him.
"Dulahan…!"
The moment his paralyzed body failed to react the headless knight, along with his giant warhorse, rushed forward and slammed into Chief Kim.
'Huh?!'
Chief Kim was thrown back with a bang as voices could be heard calling out to him, but they were quickly replaced by screams.
Dulahan, the Headless Knight and boss of this dungeon had gone on a rampage with his giant sword.
"Kwak…!"
"What, what, what greatsword…!"
"What the hell are you doing, block the opening!"
A gap opened up behind the devastating cavalry charge and skeletons tumbled through the gap.
Skeletons are nothing to be afraid of since a properly organized party of D-rank hunters can handle them. On the contrary, the moment they become most deadly is when they get into a scuffle.
Unless you crush their skulls, the skeletons, which can only move with their knuckles, will tangle with your allies.
"Chief Kim!"
Han Ha-ri and the party, who were standing by in reserve, looked anxiously at the collapsing front.
"What can we do? We have to go save him, Deputy Han!"
They had to save them but Han Ha-ri naturally sent her gaze to Leon, who was waiting behind her. If…if this self-proclaimed Lionheart King who had slain even that Archdemon....
"Your Majesty, please support us!"
Everyone's gaze naturally turned to Leon. However, even with those gazes, Leon only stared coldly.
"A king doesn't take the lead in a small fight like this."
"What? What do you mean…?"
"You should find a way to bring honor to me, not make me move my jade body for a bunch of insignificant bones."
The Knight King did not draw his sword, genuinely disgusted with the group.
"It's a disgrace to the Goddess that my sword should touch such undead rags. It disgusts me to even look at them."
What the hell, really!
But Ha-ri recognized that this man has no intention of acting as his gaze remains fixed on the headless knight with interest.
"Deputy Han, what are we going to do?!"
"Ah, damn it! Reserves move!"
Ha-ri drew her sword. The allies tangled with the skeletons are in danger, but the most dangerous is Dulahan, rampaging in the middle of the formation.
"I'll take care of the boss, you guys support Chief Kim and our allies!"
Using the skeleton as a stepping stone, she leaps into the air and reaches Dulahan in a flash.
But Dulahan had eyes on the back of his head, and his greatsword moved behind his back, blocking Ha-ri's blade.
"This, you blocked this?"
The ambush was foiled in an instant. It was a lost cause, but there was always next time.
Ha-ri spun around and slashed at Dulahan's chest but his armor blocked the blow, leaving only a scratch.
'Alas…I should have bought a more expensive sword!'
It was the best weapon she could get on a limited budget but the dungeon boss's armor was heavier and harder than she thought.
For now, Ha-ri was satisfied that she had drawn Dulahan's attention to herself and Dulahan was pulling on the reins of his horse, minding his own business, unlike when he had been cutting through the formation.
"Come on!"
The reins are yanked in response to the taunt, and the slight distance between them is enough for Dulahan to launch his most daring cavalry charge yet.
With a thud, Dulahan slams into Ha-ri and it was a charge that would blow away even the B-rank tanker, Kim Jin-soo.
The dizzying impact is transmitted to her──
-Bang!
But flames erupted at the moment of collision and cushioned the impact of the charge. Ha-ri smirks at Dulhan, who realizes that this is no ordinary flame.
"I'm sorry, but my skill range is too big."
As if she had been waiting for this moment, flames erupted from her sword.
The flames, generated by her magic, quickly grew into a great fire that engulfed Dulahan.
-GAAAAAAAA──!
A scream rang out from the burning Dulahan but without stopping, Ha-ri pierced the flaming Dulahan head.
-BANG!
"Huh?"
Ha-ri was confident that the blow would bring her victory, but it only made a very light sound as if the attack had hit steel.
'You blocked it with the side of your greatsword in that situation?'
-Ho-ho.
Someone exclaims and a fist flies through the flames.
Rolling on the ground from the blow, Ha-ri didn't understand how her attack didn't have any effect.
"Ha-ri!"
Just then, the hunters rushed to her aid but their attacks were no match for Dulahan swordsmanship.
"Kkkk?!"
He lightly swings his man-sized greatsword, blocking the blows and using the momentum to strike back.
It's a necessary choice to protect his head, which is his fatal weakness, but Dulahan's ability to overwhelm the hunters with such a small penalty is awe-inspiring.
Using his pure swordplay he dominated the hunters.
"Excellent!"
It was then that a raspy voice echoed throughout the dungeon and all eyes turned to the blond man behind them.
* * * *
He was called the Headless Knight and despised by Leon as an undead.
Leon had always despised them. From bony soldiers, to ghouls, to corpse golems, to death knights there is no honor or glory in raising the dead and using them as meat shields.
Those that have lost the skill of the living, and are driven by strength and magic alone, are no match for a Holy Knight.
'I was mistaken. That's not just any undead.'
Leon had faced countless undead, but none of them were as skilled with a sword as that one.
Those moves were impossible for an undead. How could a creature perform such a sophisticated swordplay?
"Excellent!"
And so he decided to fight.
When you see a great knight, how honorable is it to defeat him?
His raspy voice drew everyone's attention, even the skeletons.
"First, let me apologize for my shallow eyes that mistook such a fine knight as yourself for an undead."
-....
Dulahan stopped swinging his sword at Ha-ri and listened to his voice.
"Your swordsmanship is excellent, despite being one-handed. Your use of strategy and tactics is also superb so you must have been a renowned knight in your day."
As he was talking to a dungeon boss and the hunters paused at the absurdity of the situation.
"Very well, I, Leon Dragonia Lionheart, King of the Lionheart, authorize you to speak your name. Speak your name!"
-....
Dulahan didn't answer because Dulahans have no vocal cords and Leon had no means to communicate with him.
Understanding that, Leon nodded.
"Hmm… I see. You are excused. I regret that I do not know your name, but let us leave that to the tragedies of the battlefield."
"...No, Your Majesty."
What if you're talking to the real boss…Ha-ri wanted to say but couldn't get the words out so Leon continued to speak in his way, much to the amusement of the Hunters.
"Nameless Knight, I grant you the right to challenge this Lionheart King to a duel!"
A duel? No, not even a duel, but the right to apply for one? To a monster?
It was unprecedented in the history of the Gate but he didn't stop there.
"There is no need to hurt the soldiers of both sides. Let's end this fight with an honorable duel between two knights!"
Everyone swallowed hard when he said that.
-Nod
It worked?!
For the first time ever a dungeon boss accepted Hunter's challenge to a duel. No, the hunters hadn't even requested a one-on-one duel in the first place!
But that wasn't the end of the story.
"Hmm… However, it appears that the King does not have the steed necessary to fight as a knight. Due to circumstances, I am unable to obtain a horse at this time. That is clearly this King's fault, but...."
So what should he do....
"Knight, for the sake of your honor, why don't you get off your horse and fight me fair and square."
The boss isn't an idiot, why would he get off his horse──
-Dismount!
He was getting off!
Ha-ri and the Hunters' jaws dropped as the headless rider, charging on his horse and wielding a greatsword larger than a man, dismounted of his own accord for a showdown between righteous knights!
The Hunters were dazed as they watched him approach Leon.