In Another World with Absolute Awareness

Upon reporting the incoming number of foes, the members of Very Sighed watched as Aventine vanished into hiding.

They could no longer sense his presence.

”Ah...”

Suddenly, they understood what the adventurer meant when he said that he usually avoided fighting the Undead in the crypt.

It was a fruitless effort, especially since they would eventually reassemble themselves. Taking their bones away would also be inconvenient.

Even if you were to grind their bones to dust, they would eventually reform because of the Skeleton King’s Necromancy.

Having a lethal, moving hand in your bag was a threat that many adventurers had died to in the past.

The only way to lift the curse of undeath was Divine Power. In essence, paladins who could coat their blades in Divine Power and priests capable of Holy Magic.

Obviously, the adventurer Aventine did not wield such abilities.

”Prepare for battle! A Lesser Skeleton Assassin is only a D-Rank Undead. However, its attacks are even more lethal than normal. Do not get blighted by its blade!” Pulvir unslung the tower shield off his back and stomped forward.

He took the lead, advancing the wall of defense with each step.

The minutes passed swiftly until.

”It’s here!”

Aventine’s voice whispered at their side, bolstering the idea that he hadn’t abandoned them.

Every member of Very Sighed tensed.

—Clang!

A metal impact forced Pulvir’s shield an inch back. Sparks flew as a great rush of robes surged from the darkness.

”Hah!”

With a roar, Pulvir absorbed the Lesser Skeleton Assassin’s and knocked it back.

—Swish.

Still, the assassin was swift. Clad in a decrepit, jet-black robe, it moved like a blur.

With a step, it circled around Pulvir’s line of defense, brandishing its short sword at Ghush, who was standing just a few steps behind.

”Heh,”

Ghush saw this and threw out a gauntlet-clad fist.

Unfortunately for him.

”It’s a feint!”

Aventine’s voice arrived from the side.

”I know,” Quince scoffed.

[Stone Shackles].

A surge of earth erupted from the floor, the ceiling, and the walls. Rock chains predicted the Lesser Skeleton Assassin’s true intentions and bound its limbs.

Then, in the split second it was immobile—

—Crack!

A steel bolt shattered its skull.

Shima had ended the fight despite saying that blunt force was more effective.

Then...

[Ignite].

Quince began burning the skeleton to delay its reformation for as long as possible.

”The Lesser Skeleton Warriors will be here in half a minute. They’re each using a spear and a round shield. No armor.”

Aventine’s information arrived in a timely manner.

Thus, when the Lesser Skeleton Warriors arrived—

”HRAAAAAAH!”

Grush cleaved through the E-Rank Undead with a single slash.

Before the undead could even fall to the floor...

[Ignite].

Quince was already cleaning up.

”...Let’s proceed through the middle path. Only seven Undead are reforming due to our presence. The left and right paths need to be blocked off before we proceed, or we’ll be surrounded in a few minutes.”

Li’lsuo heard this and began a chant:

—[O’ great earth, heed my call. Shatter and reform. Bar any movement from flowing through.]

The stones around them responded, rolling around as if they had minds of their own.

Suddenly, the Skeleton King’s crypt had been remodeled by an intruder.

Unbeknownst to the group, Aventine’s eyes flashed. He raised his brow and tilted his head as if listening to something.

’It seems like His Highness Kirivan is a little grumpy...’

The Skeleton King was rapidly absorbing the surrounding mana and dyeing it with darkness.

His Necromancy ebbed and flowed throughout the crypt, stirring his subjects into awakening.

Aventine thus spoke:

”We’ve stirred the Skeleton King with our presence. The number of skeletons awakening has drastically increased.”

The members of Very Sighed looked at each other.

That was exactly what they needed.

”Lead us straight to the Skeleton King’s chamber,” Pulvir said.

Aventine appeared beside him and beckoned. ”Very well. We’ll take the shortest path there.”

—Whoosh!

Rushing through the crypt, Very Sighed smashed through the weaker skeletons in their way. With every notification from the hired adventurer, they prepared for every encounter and dealt with their targets perfectly each time.

As time went on, they realized how a great scout could greatly streamline their exploration.

They moved through every room and hallway without hesitation, already alerted by Aventine beforehand.

Nothing surprised them.

Even the traps on the ground, the walls, and floating in midair—

Their hired help had it all under control.

Suddenly.

”Behind this door is a C-Rank Quadridine Skeleton.”

The skeleton of a race with four arms and four legs, looking like a multi-armed centaur. Only that their upper and lower bodies were homogeneously reptilian.

To face such a rare race, the members of Very Sighed glanced at each other.

”In each of its arms is an enchanted sword. I cannot discern their effects. Proceed with caution.”

Aventine glanced behind him and used his eyes as a warning.

Understanding the implications of this look, Ghush was the one who stepped up first. Laughing, he unslung his greatsword and poured mana into its blade. ”Vir, let’s handle this with just ourselves.”

Pulvir just grunted in assent and slung his tower shield onto his back. This time, he put on a pair of razor-sharp gauntlet shields.

—Clank! Clang!

Slamming the two together in a battle ritual, Pulvir huffed and once again led the charge.

”Stay close, Ghush. No rampaging out of control.”

—Bang!

”After you, leader.”

Ghush slammed the door open and beckoned.

”Hah!”

So, Pulvir charged forward as the gleam of the soul flame in the Undead’s eyes lit up the darkness.

—KIEEEKIKIKIKIK!

A laugh that resembled steel grinding against teeth sent shivers down everyone’s spines.

Aventine had it worse given his heightened hearing.

”...I should’ve known,” He muttered, feeling the blood in his ears. ”Note to self: locate defensive and healing .”

—BANG!

—Crack!

”HAAAAAHP!”

Ghush leapt to the ceiling and used it as a springboard to create a meteoric slash. His usually hulking Half-Orc body had been dwarfed by the Undead Quadridine, forcing him to get creative.

The 13-foot-tall skeleton wielded swords of four different colors. Two of them gleamed crimson and golden, slashing towards Pulvir, while the other two shone in blue and green, swiftly intercepting Ghush’s wild slash.

—BOOM!

Steel and bone collided all at once. From the Quadridine Skeleton’s swords, four elements bloomed into existence, combining in an instant.

A storm engulfed Ghush, catching him by surprise.

A pool of magma formed beneath Pulvir’s feet, forcing him to escape with hideous burns.

”Leader!” Li’lsuo exclaimed.