Chereads / Monster Monarch Evolution / Chapter 19 - looks can be deceiving

Chapter 19 - looks can be deceiving

Coming up to the skeleton, Legion gets a full view of it. It's little more than bones held together, covered in weak armor with dull weapons like swords, spears, and bows. They should be able to take it down easily, or so he thinks. 

But as Legion steps forward, he suddenly pauses, pulling back and letting the first boy behind him rush forward. The boy shoots him a cocky smirk, clearly ready to prove himself, and slashes his sword down at the skeleton. The blade connects, but instead of slicing through, it simply bounces off the creature's bony frame with a clank.

Then again looks can be deceiving. 

Next to him, a girl raises her hand, releasing a spell that streaks through the air. The magic passes effortlessly through the skeleton's armor, hitting its target. The skeleton crumbles, and Legion notices with a glimmer of understanding.

Magic is its weakness. 

Without hesitation, he releases his grip on his sword, and it vanishes before it can even hit the floor.His eyes gleam with renewed focus as a sword appears in each hand, formed purely from his own magic.

Just as the skeleton lunges toward the boy, its bony arms raised for an attack, Legion surges forward. In one swift motion, he slices off its arm and decapitates it with a single, fluid strike using only one hand.

Still not a good slash. And as expected since my swords are made out of magic it should work, but it was reckless of me to throw myself in without testing it off first. Old habits. 

He squeezes his finger around the hilt. 

It's been a while since I've wielded a steel sword, and not a wooden one. 

"That was awesome!" Cinder flies up to him. 

"Yeah," Legion replies between breaths, regaining his composure.

[Skeleton killed: 1] 

"Here." Legion drops one of his swords for the boy. Without waiting for thanks, he dashes forward, calling out, "Let's keep moving!"

Everyone joins the fight, using all the unique spells to finish off the skeletons. "Why did you help that boy?" 

"Because it's the right thing to do." he blocks an upcoming hit from a random skeleton with his sword. "Shit!" he grunts as it begins to overpower him. The weight pressing down is intense, and as he glances around, he searches for any advantage in his surroundings.

Oh right, my mana is up, I can use it without worrying, well until my core acts up again. 

Quickly shifting tactics, he places his free hand on his sword, and it disperses into magic particles. In a split second, the sword duplicates and reforms, and he spins, slamming the blade into the skeleton's chest. With a forceful push, he drives it upward, cleaving the creature in half.

It's like the armor is an illusion it cuts through so easily. 

[Skeleton kill: 2] 

Another kill. 

"Duck!" Cinder's urgent voice cuts through his thoughts, and Legion drops to the ground just as a golden sphere of energy accumulates in Cinder's mouth and blasts through the skeleton advancing on them, taking off its head in one clean shot. 

[Skeleton kills: 3] 

"So even if you kill it, I would get those kills as well." He says as he gets back up. 

[level up!] 

[Level 2→3]

A level up, good. 

"Come on, we have no time to waste." he spins around, and goes back to fighting. 

Skeleton after skeleton falls, and his kill count ticks upward, though fatigue is beginning to gnaw at him. More than that, he starts noticing the weaker fighters faltering, several of them falling to the ground, either wounded or worse.

Dead.

This isn't a place for the weak, even Legion knows that, fighting monsters takes understanding, not just will, because even that can change with one look of those things. 

"I don't plan on dying." He says softly, Dropping into a crouch as a skeleton wielding a long spear lunges toward him.

With the spear they tend to be much slower. 

Adjusting his stance, Legion angles his sword and drives it into the skeleton's torso, slicing it apart from its legs with precision.

[Skeleton killed: 7] 

As he stands, his sword begins to crack, the shimmering surface fracturing under the strain. Finally, it reaches its limit and shatters. Breathing hard, he drops the remains and snatches up a fallen spear nearby. But as he straightens up, a wave of pain ripples through his head, momentarily staggering him.

"My head."

I should really take a break. No not now. 

Just as he steadies himself, he notices a skeleton creeping up on a girl a few feet away. Without a second thought, he breaks his weapon in half, pulling back the portion without the blade and launching it toward the skeleton, making it hit it's head as he draws to a halt. 

I can't…

The other half vanishes from his grip as he charges forward, leaping into the air. Mid-flight, the weapon reforms in his hands, and he slams it down on the skeleton's head, shattering the creature in a single strike.

I can't rest now! 

[Skeleton killed: 8]

As he lands, an arrow slams into his calf, and he grits his teeth as pain flares up his leg. ut before the skeleton can attack again, Cinder surrounds him with a golden shield, deflecting another strike.

"How dare you!" Summoning his strength, he ends the attack with a concentrated energy blast, obliterating the skeleton in one hit. "Hurt my master!" he roars. 

[Skeleton killed: 9] 

[Hp: 25] 

Biting his lower lip, he tries to contain the pain. "It's been a while since I felt this kind of pain," he mutters, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth despite the throbbing ache. Ripping it out of his leg, he takes off his coat and rips a piece of his shirt, wrapping it around his wound. "It never gets old." 

"You should probably rest, I'll keep the shield for as long as I can." Cinder says looking concerned. 

"Rest? While everyone else is fighting? I don't think so." He grunts as he lifts himself up and off the floor, holding the split spear closely to him. "You take care of protecting me from arrows." 

"Then, don't try to protect others!" Cinder urges.

"That's a no to."

System distributes all my stats points to agility and defence. 

[Agility: 10] 

[Defence: 11]

I need you to protect me Cinder, I'm placing that job onto you. 

"Ok!" Cinder says, determined. 

Slashing through the horde of monsters, Cinder sticks closely, putting up shields wherever skeletons are to attack, while Legion focuses on the ones in front of him. Some of the by stands the ones struggling to fight look at him atonshied, while most focus on their battles. 

[First section of the dungeon clear!] 

After a few minutes, he can finally stop while the skeleton remains laying at everyone's feet. 

[Next dungeon stage in: 15 mins] 

He sinks to his knees, leaning against the wall as his leg throbs with pain.

First one cleared.