Meanwhile, Gray’s fighting style was far less savage.

When a Skeleton Soldier charged him, swinging its Bone Blade, Gray chose not to meet it head-on. Instead, he deftly sidestepped, evading the attack.

In the instant they passed each other, Gray flicked his wrist, and his Longsword slashed precisely at the Skeleton Soldier’s spinal column.

The sharp blade slipped into the seam between its vertebrae. A slight exertion of force was all it took to sever it completely!

CRACK!

Gray had severed the Skeleton Soldier at the waist!

But even then, it could still move. Propping itself up with its arms, the Skeleton Soldier crawled unyieldingly toward Gray.

"Such a pain..."

Gray cursed under his breath. He brought his foot down hard, crushing the creature’s skull, then shattered it with a final swing of his sword before turning to face the next Skeleton Soldier.

As Marcus and Gray held the line up front, covering fire from the rear joined the fray!

Valles drew Longbow Moonlight, nocking an Arrow.

Against Demons of this Level, ordinary Arrows were ineffective. However, using a Thunder Arrow—which required a large amount of Fighting Qi—seemed like a waste.

So Valles chose a middle ground, infusing the Arrow with only a small amount of Fighting Qi.

The resulting arrow possessed destructive power a cut above a normal one. Moreover, it carried his signature lightning trait, which could also produce an explosive effect.

WHOOSH!

The arrowhead tore through the air, its feathered tail crackling with faint sparks of electricity. The arrow’s trajectory resembled a silver thread under the moonlight.

A direct hit.

The Fighting Qi-empowered arrowhead was unstoppable, shooting directly into the Skeleton Soldier’s hard skull and piercing clean through.

Then, the lightning-infused Fighting Qi erupted.

BANG!

With a loud bang, the entire skullcap exploded, scattering bone fragments everywhere. The Skeleton Soldier died instantly.

Zelir was also brandishing his Magic Wand, beginning to channel a spell.

Wind Blade Technique!

An invisible blade slashed out, striking the Skeleton Soldier’s skull.

The blow knocked the Skeleton Soldier’s head to one side, leaving a deep gash in its skull.

Normally, a regular Demon would have been killed instantly, but for an Undead Creature like a Skeleton Soldier, it wasn’t enough.

It merely twisted its neck and continued on its way.

Zelir narrowed his eyes at the sight.

’These bones are harder than I thought... The Wind Blade Technique, which relies on cutting, isn’t ideal for this kind of Demon. It’s hard to get a one-hit kill.’

’Time for a new approach, then.’

Zelir quickly formulated a different Spell Structure in his mind.

Water vapor from the surrounding air began to condense on the tip of his wand, and the already chilly air grew colder.

Soon, an Ice Cone shimmering with a cold light materialized.

Ice Cone Skill!

WHOOSH!

The sharp Ice Cone shot forward, drilling through the Skeleton Soldier’s skull and lodging within it.

Then, with a muffled BANG, the Ice Cone triggered a small explosion inside the Skeleton Soldier’s head.

Ice Burst!

The Skeleton Soldier’s skull instantly shattered from within, bursting into countless fragments.

With its skull destroyed, the Skeleton Soldier’s body immediately went inert, collapsing into a heap on the ground.

’As expected. That worked.’

Zelir smiled, just as he’d expected.

’The Ice Cone Skill, an Elemental Magic spell with both piercing and explosive properties, is much better for dealing with Skeleton Soldiers than the Wind Blade Technique.’

He raised his hand, and another Ice Cone Skill shot out, taking down yet another Skeleton Soldier.

Under the moonlit sky, Zelir and Valles alternated, picking off the Skeleton Soldiers with remarkable efficiency.

The Skeleton Soldiers weren’t intelligent or fast, making them little more than moving targets for ranged fighters.

In the center of the graveyard, Marcus let out a loud roar.

His roar echoed with exceptional clarity in the silent night as he simultaneously banged his Battle Saber against his Shield.

The Skeleton Soldiers actually turned to look at Marcus. Many that had been about to swarm Gray now involuntarily changed course, heading toward Marcus instead.

Zelir watched this unfold, his interest piqued.

"Is that... a taunt skill?"

"A Vanguard’s Fighting Qi inherently possesses that taunting quality," Valles said, narrowing one eye as he nocked and aimed another arrow. "They can use roars and shouts to draw enemy aggro or intimidate them. However, this effect is beyond what a Junior Warrior can typically do... I imagine it won’t be long before Marcus advances, will it?"

"That’d be great," Zelir said with an easy smile.

’Another Middle Level Warrior on the team—and a Vanguard, at that—would give them, the backliners, a greater sense of security. They’d be able to unleash their full power without holding back.’

Like a magnet, Marcus instantly drew the attacks of most of the Skeleton Soldiers.

Pale Bone Blades rained down, striking his Shield—CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!—and sending a shower of sparks into the air.

Although the blows couldn’t break through Marcus’s defense, the sheer intensity of the assault left him unable to counter-attack. He was forced into a passive defense, blocking and retreating.

"Marcus!"

Zelir’s shout came from behind.

Marcus spared a glance over his shoulder.

Zelir had his White Wax Wood Magic Wand aimed level. At its tip, threads of light coalesced into a diamond-shaped crystal, surging with imminent power.

Seeing this, Marcus instantly understood Zelir’s plan. The tacit understanding they’d built over many missions guided his next move.

He stopped holding his ground and began to retreat toward Zelir.

The mindless Skeleton Soldiers, completely unaware that death was upon them, simply continued to follow Marcus, their formation clumping together even more tightly.

’Now’s the time!’

"Zelir, fire!"

As he shouted, Marcus dove to the side, evading the Skeleton Soldiers’ slashes.

In almost the same instant he dove clear, a brilliant blue light arrived.

Arcane Missile!

A sphere of highly compressed energy swept in, its Magic Power erupting in an instant!

BOOM!!!

The Arcane Missile tore straight through the Skeleton Soldier in the lead, blasting it to powder.

But it didn’t end there. The missile continued onward, its momentum undiminished. Its violent wake of Magic Power shattered five more Skeleton Soldiers in a row!

A cloud of bone dust drifted down as blue Magic Energy spread through the area. The once-crowded spot was now completely empty.

Marcus watched the scene unfold, once again marveling inwardly.

’Zelir’s Magic is monstrous. No wonder even Drake, a Middle Level Class, couldn’t handle it. A single Arcane Missile had shattered his Shield and the arm holding it.’

The cleanup operation proceeded methodically. Soon, more than half of the Skeleton Soldiers had been eliminated.

At the same time, Zelir’s Experience Points were steadily increasing.

But these minor Skeleton Soldiers offered very few Experience Points. Zelir was still a long way from leveling up.

As Zelir cast his spells, his eyes constantly scanned the area.

’The request mentioned a possible Evil Remains... Where is it?’

’Don’t tell me it’s not here.’