Chapter 24 - Shield Formation? Are You Kidding Me?!

Chapter 24 - Shield Formation? Are You Kidding Me?!

As I charged forward, two gnolls rushed at me side by side, one wielding a mining axe, the other gripping a rusted sword. They came at me in perfect sync.

The gnoll on the left swung his axe in a powerful overhead arc, from upper left to lower right, as if trying to split a boulder. Meanwhile, the gnoll on the right slashed horizontally, aiming straight for my torso.

In the split second before their attacks landed, I abruptly stopped right in front of them. Turning slightly to my left, toward the axe-wielding gnoll. my left hand gripped the hilt of the sword still sheathed at my waist.

With a smooth and rapid motion, I drew the blade in a rising diagonal arc-from lower left to upper right, just as the axe came crashing down.-CLANG!-
A sharp clash of metal echoed out as my slash deflected the heavy weapon to the side.

As the gnoll’s pickaxe was deflected upward and to the right, it collided with the rusty sword of the second gnoll-clang!-a burst of sparks flying as their weapons clashed unintentionally.

Not wasting the moment, I stepped in fluidly-Closing the gap between us with a single stride.

My right hand, already holding the sword angled upward from the earlier draw, shifted. With a swift, clean motion, I slashed downward from the top right toward the front-my blade slicing through the air with deadly intent. -Slash!.-

The arc of steel cut cleanly across the gnoll’s neck. 1 died

The gnoll whose head had just been severed still had its body locked in place—its pickaxe arm still tangled with the other gnoll's sword.

I am paused for a breath, then with a short, powerful motion, i lifted my leg and kicked the decapitated gnoll’s torso.

Thud!

The force of the kick sent the corpse flying to the right, crashing into the other gnoll. Both of them were knocked off balance and thrown several meters away.

At that moment, the last remaining gnoll caught sight of his fallen companion’s blood soaking the ground.

With a guttural snarl, his eyes went wide, veins bulging as he entered a berserk state—roaring wildly.

Without hesitation, he raised his rusty sword high and slashed downward with full force, aiming to cleave my body in two from head to toe.

I raised my sword just in time, bracing it diagonally across his body—hilt low to the right, tip angled up to the left—catching the berserk gnoll’s heavy downward slash with a clang of metal on metal.

The force pushed me back slightly, but i kept my footing. At the same time, a subtle glow lit beneath my left foot as I am activated the rune spell—[Rock].

Thunk!

With a forward kick, I am launched a magic stone straight at the gnoll’s left leg. The monster howled as its knee buckled, throwing it off balance.

I didn’t waste this opportunity.

i stepped slightly back, letting the gnoll stumble and fall. my body spun left in a smooth, well-trained motion.

In one swift move, i swung my sword from the lower left to the right -Slash!- an aggressive horizontal slash.

My blade sliced clean through the gnoll’s neck as it fell. Blood sprayed as the creature collapsed. dead before it even hit the ground.

That was the second one.

Without even a moment’s pause, my eyes locked onto the last gnoll. my foot pushed off the ground, and I am charged straight toward it, my sword gleaming with momentum.

The last gnoll, still pinned beneath his fallen comrade, stared up at the death that had just occurred above him.
His eyes widened, burning with rage. His body tensed, muscles bulging, chest swelling as if ready to burst.
He raised his head, jaws wide open, about to let out a roar of fury.

But it was useless. Too late.

I was already there, still sprinting at full speed, eyes locked on him.
Without hesitation, I thrust my sword straight forward.-Stab!-

The tip of my blade pierced straight through his open mouth, silencing the roar before it ever escaped.
Blood gushed from his throat. His body twitched once...

Then stilled.
Dead beside the comrade who had fallen atop him just moments before.

I pulled my sword free with a swift motion and flicked the blood off the blade. With calm precision, I am slid it back into its scabbard.

From behind him, Greta clapped slowly once with a smirk and said,
“Why didn’t you just shoot it like the spider earlier? Ciu ciu ciu…”
She held her hand up, mimicking my finger-gun pose, pretending to fire like a child playing war.

As I am continued walking forward, the drone on my back shifted into work mode again, its six legs clicking into action with mechanical grace. Without breaking stride, I am answered Greta’s earlier question with a thoughtful hum,
“Hmmm… practice,”
i said, stroking my chin as if in deep thought.

Not long after, they rounded a bend and entered a short straight corridor.

There—four gnolls. Charging.

I am didn’t hesitate.
“Let me do it again…”
i muttered casually, stepping forward with confidence. Moments later, the battle was over—four bodies down.

But the pattern continued. Five more gnolls. Defeated.
Another wave. Then another. The encounters were relentless, as if the dungeon itself was testing him.

Finally, after dispatching yet another group, I am exhaled and said,
“It seems like there are already a lot of them, huh?”

Suddenly—shff!

A chill tingled through my spine. my instincts screamed. i raised my hand to face level, fingers curled as if holding something invisible—snap!

Clink!

An arrow was caught mid-flight, inches from my cheek. my sharp gaze locked onto the shadows. From within the dim corridor, three gnolls were revealed—bows drawn for another round.

Without hesitation, I am called out,
“Greta. Do it.”

Snap. Snap. Snap.

In the blink of an eye, three arrows flew past him with the sound of slicing wind—one after another in perfect rhythm.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Each shot hit its mark—three clean hits to three gnoll skulls. They collapsed without a sound.

After confirming the area was safe, the group resumed their march in steady silence. The scattered gnoll corpses faded into the background as they pressed forward through the dim, musty dungeon corridors.

Greta finally answered my earlier question, stretching her arms behind her head.
"Well, of course..." she said lazily, resting her head on her interlocked hands.
"This is a mid-level dungeon… and we’re already on the seventh floor," she added in a laid-back tone.

Just as she finished her sentence, the group stumbled upon a spiral staircase leading down—its age-worn stone steps disappearing into the shadows below.

Without hesitation, they began their descent.

As their boots tapped down the stairs in rhythmic echoes, I am asked casually,
"So, how many monsters do you think are on the 8th floor?"

Greta let out a tired breath, voice dragging as she replied in a lazy tone,
"I don’t know... there’s definitely more."

I sighed lightly. More monsters. Of course.

8th Floor of the Dungeon

As usual, when we reached the 8th floor, we were greeted by a dimly lit chamber with several branching paths ahead. I glanced at Greta for direction. She sighed, visibly bored, and muttered lazily,
"Second left."

Without another word, we turned and followed the indicated path. The stone hallway curved slightly, the air heavier with each step.

Then, in the distance, I saw movement.

Five Kobold Dragonshields stood ahead—each one slightly larger than the average kobold, their scales thicker, armor rough but functional. The moment they spotted us, they snapped into formation with trained discipline.

Their heavy round shields locked together tightly in front, forming a defensive wall. From behind the shields, five spears angled outward and upward, ready to thrust at anything approaching. Their stances were tight, deliberate—like a practiced infantry unit preparing for battle.

Seeing the kobold unit tighten their formation, I raised my head slightly, exhaling as I muttered to the ceiling of the dungeon,
"Oh... looks like this’ll be tiring. Guess it’s time to get serious."

Without wasting a second, I dashed forward, my boots thudding against the stone floor. The kobolds immediately responded, their line holding firm, shields braced, and spears angled toward me with precision.

As I entered the range of their spears, five of them charged at once—an attack clearly in sync with formal military training.

In a split second, I leapt to the left, twisting my body forward and crouching low. After dodging the second thrust, I pivoted sharply and activated [Fast].

My left leg swung wide—perfectly timed. Positioned at the far left of the formation, I slammed my leg into the back of the leftmost Kobold, who hadn’t had time to fully turn his shield. At that moment, I activated [Weight].

BAM!

My foot slammed into the side of the leftmost Dragonshield Kobold with explosive force. The creature's right shield cracked on impact, and its body was launched sideways like a battering ram.

The kobold crashed into the others, breaking their tight formation like scattered dominos. The organized shield line crumbled as they were thrown to the dungeon floor in a heap.

Without pause, I dashed forward—my blade already drawn.

Slash.

Slash.

Slash.

Slash.

Slash.

One by one, the Kobolds' necks were severed cleanly before they could recover. The air stilled again, their bodies collapsing behind me as I rose slowly and sheathed my sword with a practiced motion.

After finishing the last of the five kobolds, i slid my sword back into its scabbard with a metallic shhk, then muttered with a tired look on my face,
“Huh... troublesome.”

my eyes lingered on one of the discarded shields, still lying on the floor before it flickered and vanished—dissolving into motes of fading light. my mind replayed the formation they had used. Too structured. Too defensive. Too annoying.

Seeing his expression, Renya stepped beside him, smiling teasingly,
“Why, Prince? I thought this was practice too.”
Greta and Kruger, casually behind them, nodded in agreement—each carrying that “yeah, she's got a point” expression.

i exhaled sharply through my nose and replied,
“At least give me an opponent without a shield...”
my shoulders sagged slightly in exasperation as he turned and began walking again, my boots echoing softly against the dungeon stone floor.

They rounded a corner...
And of course.

There they were.
Eight Dragonshield Kobolds.

Shields raised. Spears gleaming.
Formation locked.
Again.

I am stopped in my tracks. Blinked once.
Then muttered in a dry voice,
“...You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

From behind, Greta tried to hold in her laugh. Renya just sighed, “Your wish got reversed, huh.”

When I saw the kobolds forming two tight circular formations—an inner and an outer ring—with their shields locked and spears pointed outward like the bristling quills of a porcupine, he immediately stopped in his tracks and let out an annoyed growl:

“Aaaa... even do that!!” I am shouted, gripping my head with both hands as if trying to squeeze out the irritation. My voice echoed sharply through the cold, stone corridor, bouncing back with a mocking emptiness that only deep dungeons could give.

Everyone behind him tried (and failed) to stifle their laughter. Even Kruger let out a soft chuckle.
Renya, still smiling calmly, pulled out her dagger with a faint shiiing and said teasingly,
“Want me to help you, Prince?”
Her tone was playful, though her eyes were sharp as always.

I am waved a hand behind him while stepping forward, my tone determined:
“No, I’ll finish it soon... Looks like this will be my mana training too.”

Then—he dashed forward.

Halfway there, spotting a momentary gap in the kobolds' coordination, I instantly activated:
[Fast]... [Fast]...

Boom—
A sudden burst of speed blurred my silhouette.
In a flash, he appeared right in front of the kobolds’ circle.

Without a moment’s delay, he activated [Weight] on my own shield and rammed forward with the full force of momentum and mana-enhanced mass.

BAM!!

The impact hit like a runaway carriage.
The shield wall cracked—kobolds flew backward like bowling pins.
Weapons scattered. Formation broken.

Before the monsters could even groan or get up—

Slash! Slash! Slash!

One by one, i struck them down with clean, precise cuts.

After it was all over, I slid my sword smoothly back into its scabbard with a click, letting out a quiet exhale.

“Come on, let's continue,” I am said calmly, my tone back to normal as if the intense fight moments earlier was just part of the routine.

Without waiting for a reply, i took the lead again—walking steadily at the very front, my back straight and eyes forward, the soft clink of my boots echoing through the stone hallway.

Renya, walking just behind, gave a small smile and whispered to herself,
“Never stops moving forward, huh...”

The group followed in silence, deeper into the dungeon's shadows.