Chapter Thirty Five: A new enemy

Apparently, the girl came to clean my room but ended up dozing in my bed. What's more, she wanted to ask me for a favour in lending Duddul to her for the day. For her to be able to mount Duddul, I would have to give the rein to her in front of him. I took care of that matter when i went to see Leila at her place of work. Taking a short break, the two of us went on a shopping date with the money we earned. I think we are now among the richest duo in this town and the capital all together. I spent the day lazing around preparing myself for the next day. It had been a while since I last went to the nightmare forest. The next day, I woke up early for a new adventure. 
Hmm… this forest feels different.
After I arrived at the mountains, I climbed the ladder with the shopping bag I brought. I stored the bag in my room, making sure to keep the Dauka safe inside, then climbed back down.
At first, I wanted to leave Duddul tied to a tree and head outside the barrier alone. But this time, he refused.
“Wait here for me. I’ll be back soon.”
“Gnnn!” he cried, shaking his head violently.
No matter how I tried, he wouldn’t let me tie him up. In the end, I gave in and decided to take him into the forest with me. But before that, I fed him grasses he liked from the woods—the red ones were his favorite.
After feeding him, I went back into my room, grabbed some bread, stuffed it into a paper bag, and filled a jug with water. With those supplies ready, I set out.
I didn’t know if I’d be trapped in some strange situation like with the eagles, but I wanted to be prepared.
Climbing down the ladder, I mounted Duddul and headed for the barrier. As always, the change in atmosphere hit the instant we stepped out of the capital—the air grew heavy, stagnant, almost suffocating.
I scanned the trees. They looked different, warped somehow. But I ignored it. My plan was simple: fight a few lower-level monsters and head back before dark.
Duddul moved carefully, his senses sharp. But as we went deeper, I noticed something disturbing.
The area that once belonged to the weakest monsters—the scorpions—was completely transformed. No signs of life remained. Instead, an empty graveyard stretched across the field, much like the desolate eagle territory.
Behind me, there were trees. Ahead, more trees. But between them lay the graveyard—an enormous square about 500 meters wide, bordered by forest on all sides.
“What’s going on here?” I whispered, tightening my grip on Duddul’s reins as we moved closer.
Should I turn back? If stronger monsters lurked here—stronger than the eagle—this could be suicide.
But even as Duddul tensed beneath me, every instinct screaming danger, I ignored my better judgment and pressed forward.
We rode into the graveyard.
Badump. Badump.
My heartbeat quickened. Something was about to happen—I could feel it. Graveyards always unsettled me. I half-expected a skeletal hand to shoot out at any moment.
“Hmm…!!?” My fears came true as I saw sand sinking into a grave.
Don’t scare me like that!
I urged Duddul forward, but then—
CRACK!
The ground split beneath us. Bone-white hands erupted, grabbing at my leg—no, several hands!
“No!!!” I screamed.
They were skeletal hands, stripped of flesh, clutching like the dead come to drag me under. Duddul’s legs were caught too.
Panic jolted through me, but Duddul reacted instantly. He bent low, coiled his muscles, and kicked off the ground with explosive force. We soared upward for a moment, his wings snapping open—before crashing back down. The jump had torn several arms clean off, but dozens more were reaching.
Then it truly began.
The graves all around us stirred like something from a nightmare. Soil shifted, cracked, and dozens of skeletal arms thrust skyward. One after another, skeletons rose in a ghastly circle, surrounding us.
“Gulp…”
For the first time in a long while, I froze. These weren’t beasts. They weren’t monsters with claws or scales. These were the dead, standing tall with empty sockets where their eyes should be.
Once their bones locked into place, they raised their hands as though awaiting judgment.
And then it came.
An ash-gray magic circle shimmered above them. From it descended weapons—rusted, thin swords that looked fit only for novices. But in the hands of the dead, they felt far more sinister.
With one motion, they grasped the blades and pointed them at me from every direction.
Badump. Badump.
I tightened my grip on my sword, heart pounding. They looked too human—like townsfolk stripped of flesh. But I had no time to hesitate.
“I’ve always wanted sparring partners,” I muttered, forcing a grin. “Guess I found some.”
I drew my sword, holding Duddul’s reins with my left hand. I looked like a knight about to charge into a battlefield.
The wind whispered—Shoo!
It was time.
The skeletons lunged.
Before I could move, Duddul reacted. His jaws opened, glowing with crimson light.
“What are you doing…?” I thought, startled.
Then—BOOM! A searing red sphere shot forth like a cannonball.
The nearest skeleton raised its sword to strike, but the orb touched it first. POP! It burst apart, bones scattering like shattered glass.
My jaw dropped.
“Weak…” I muttered.
One after another, Duddul turned his head, spitting fiery orbs. Each shot shredded another skeleton. He spun in a circle, blasting them down like a turret in a war game.
“That was too easy!!”
I clung to his neck, laughing in disbelief. “You can use magic!!??”
“Gn~nn!” he cried proudly, face flushing.
I hugged him, cheering. But the celebration didn’t last.
The ground trembled again. More graves split open. A second wave rose—twice as many skeletons as before. Twenty-four this time.
Duddul fired before they could even draw their swords. He obliterated them all.
But it didn’t stop.
Third wave: forty-eight skeletons.Then ninety-six.Each time, their numbers doubled.
Duddul fought fiercely, red orbs blasting like artillery. I leapt down to cover his flank, my sword flashing. Skeletons crumbled beneath my strikes—but then…
They reassembled.
“What!? They’re putting themselves back together!?” I shouted.
Only Duddul’s blasts kept them down for good. My sword alone wasn’t enough.
Desperation filled me. Then it hit me.
If physical attacks can’t kill them… then maybe I need something else.
I opened my mouth, inhaled deeply, and let loose a scream—
“KAAAA!!”
A massive wave of force erupted, tearing across the graveyard like a storm. Skeletons shattered, graves crumbled, the very earth split open. Dust and debris clouded the air, and when it settled, nothing remained in my path.
Side by side, Duddul and I unleashed destruction. Waves and blasts echoed until the graveyard was littered with shattered bones.
But just when I thought we had cleared it, the trees in the distance warped closer—the graveyard shrinking, closing in. And then, a new enemy rose.
This time, they didn’t need the ground to lift them. Blades pierced the surface first, followed by armored hands.
Twelve skeletons emerged—stronger, clad in helmets, iron boots, and green chest armor. Their swords gleamed sharper, their movements quicker.
“This is it…” I muttered. “Each wave is stronger than the last.”
Duddul roared and fired, but it now took two blasts to bring each one down. I struggled too, my waves destroying them only after I endured their relentless strikes. Their swords couldn’t cut deep into me, but the blows left bruises and pain.
We fought, dodged, struck, again and again. Finally, the last of them fell.
The graveyard shrank once more—to a mere 300 meters across.
Seeing the danger escalate, I waved Duddul over. “Let’s go!”
Before the next wave could spawn, I mounted him, and we shot toward the barrier. Unlike with the eagle, this time we broke free. Bursting from the forest’s cursed grip, I saw the shimmering barrier of the capital and dove inside.
By then, night had already fallen.
“How is it that the forest never grows dark… even at night?” I whispered.
Despite the danger, excitement surged through me. My blood burned with the thrill of battle.
“I had fun today,” I said, almost laughing. “Tomorrow, I’ll return. I wonder what kind of skeletons will appear next? They’ll be stronger… I can’t wait!”