Finding a hidden cave, the members of the Hyena Adventurer Party lit a campfire and took out some food.
After eating, half of them went to rest while the other half stood watch.
“Leader, we're going to relieve ourselves!” a Heavy Warrior and a Swordsman called out.
“Just take care of it in your pants. We're in a dungeon. What are you, a bunch of sissies?” Shucodo said casually with a sideways glance.
The two team members were clearly annoyed. This trip into the dungeon had been extremely tedious, searching floor after floor, and they hadn't harvested many materials or magic stones either, which left them highly frustrated. Hearing their leader's reply, they shot right back.
“Leader, we have to take a shit!”
“Me too, I've got diarrhea!”
Shucodo frowned deeply, looking at the two troublemakers in front of him.
The atmosphere grew tense and explosive in an instant.
In the end, Shucodo compromised. After all, as the leader, maintaining team morale was crucial.
“Make it quick.”
The Heavy Warrior and the Swordsman then walked off together, clearly unhappy.
They didn't stop until they were far away, at which point they pulled out a pouch of tobacco and rolling paper.
Carefully rolling the tobacco, they lit it and took a deep drag.
“Whew, that's the stuff!”
“If you ask me, the leader's got a screw loose. We should've just half-assed this whole thing.”
“He just wants to suck up to those noble pigs. He gets all the benefits while we're left to work ourselves to the bone,” the Heavy Warrior spat out a smoke ring and cursed.
Since they were far enough away, he wasn't worried about Shucodo overhearing them.
“Who knows, maybe that skeleton really did sneak down to the twenty-first floor by himself and harvest the Octagonal Fire Crystals.”
“Hahaha!”
“Better watch out. If that skeleton is actually that strong, he might just turn the tables and hunt us instead.”
“Hahaha! That's fucking hilarious!”
“You've really got a knack for jokes.”
“Holy shit, the skeleton's here!” The Swordsman drew his sword with a sharp clank.
“Hahahaha!!! You're killing me!”
“That's a good one. Can you do it again?”
“Fuck, he's really here! Stop laughing!” the Swordsman barked, raising his sword with a dead-serious expression.
“Hahaha—hic! You really should've been an actor in a theater...”
A sharp pain shot through his neck.
Blood gushed out like a geyser. The rolled cigarette slipped from his lips, hitting the ground in a shower of sparks.
He turned his head in disbelief, but he could no longer see the person behind him.
“What were you and your teammate talking about?”
“Would you mind sharing it with a skeleton?”
Li Xiuman pulled out his bone sword and casually deflected the Swordsman's thrust.
“How dare you...” The Swordsman was already thinking of retreating.
“Why wouldn't I dare?” Li Xiuman casually dodged the Swordsman's attacks.
“Sword Qi Slash!” The Swordsman quickly unleashed two waves of sword qi, flying toward Li Xiuman in an X-shape.
Li Xiuman raised his hand. The Rock Shield he had prepared beforehand materialized over his left arm, easily deflecting the sword qi.
However, the Swordsman didn't hesitate for a second, immediately spinning on his heel to flee back toward the rest of the party.
“My word, what's the rush?”
“Quagmire.”
He thrust his staff into the ground. A series of ripples spread across the earth, quickly reaching the Swordsman's feet.
In his panic, the Swordsman fell right into a muddy pit.
There was no escape!
Realizing this, he swung his sword backward horizontally to defend himself.
The staff slammed heavily against his sword. Under the force of Li Xiuman's Great Strength, the blade bent at an exaggerated angle.
Li Xiuman's other hand swept his bone sword in a flash of white, thrusting straight toward the Swordsman's neck.
The Swordsman hurriedly let go of his sword and leaned back. The bone sword, which had been aimed at his throat, ended up slicing off his nose instead.
Just as he was about to let out a bloody shriek, a hand clamped down tightly over his mouth.
“Quiet.”
The skeleton raised the index finger of his other hand to the dark shadow beneath his cloak, making a “shh” gesture.
In the very next instant, the hand covering his mouth spewed flames, surging down his throat and straight into his body.
The agonizing pain made him thrash about wildly, but he couldn't utter a single sound.
Eventually, he was burned to a crisp from the inside out.
[Ding! Slain Level 16 Swordsman. Experience +350]
Looking at his masterpiece, Li Xiuman released his grip in satisfaction.
“Six left.”
Li Xiuman faded back into the darkness.
“What's taking them so long?”
Shucodo looked toward where the Heavy Warrior and the Swordsman had gone, a wave of unease rising in his chest.
But just as the unease began to settle in, the Heavy Warrior walked back.
“Why are you back alone? Where's the other guy?”
The Heavy Warrior offered no response, walking straight toward the other team members.
“I'm talking to you...”
The Heavy Warrior suddenly drew his sword without hesitation, skewering the sleeping Mage.
[Ding! Slain Level 16 Light Mage. Experience +350]
“Enemy attack!!!”
Startled for a split second, Shucodo roared as he drew his staff and began to chant.
Meanwhile, the Heavy Warrior lunged at the Archer, who was just waking up from his sleep, and clamped a hand around his throat.
“Stop casting, or I'll kill him!” he shouted.
How despicable!
Shucodo cursed inwardly. If he continued casting his spell now, he would completely lose the trust and prestige he had worked so hard to build within his party.
“Leader, save me!” the Archer, now fully awake, cried out in panic.
“Brother, let's not take this too far. It won't end well for either of us,” Shucodo said, halting his chant while subtly signaling the other party members.
The remaining Swordsman gripped the hilt of his sword, while the other Heavy Warrior moved to block Shucodo. The Priest stood closely by Shucodo's side.
“It won't end well for you, but I'll be just fine,” Li Xiuman retorted as he chopped off one of the Archer's arms.
“Aaaargh!!!”
The bloodcurdling scream grated on the nerves of every party member.
“Don't blame me. Blame your leader instead. After all, he's the one trying to make sneaky little moves,” Li Xiuman's voice whispered like a demon's murmur, playing with their frayed nerves.
“You skeleton!!!”
Shucodo's eyes practically bulged out of his head.
“I didn't even make a move against you! Do you really have to go this far?!” Shucodo gripped his staff so hard his knuckles turned a deathly white.
“Skeletons are timid. We don't take well to threats.”
“When we feel threatened...”
“If we don't eliminate the threat, we get too scared to sleep at night.”
Li Xiuman hid his body behind the Archer, slowly backing away while using him as a human shield.
“Oh, young Shucodo.”
“Do you care about your teammates that much?”
“...”
“Well then, let's play a game.”
“Now, I want you to cut off one of your own fingers. Otherwise, I will chop off your lovely teammate's last remaining arm.”
“Come on, beg your wise leader,” Li Xiuman said, patting the Archer's face.
“Leader, please save me! I don't want to lose my only arm!”
“How tragic. If he loses his last arm, how is he supposed to survive in the future?”
“Just thinking about it breaks my heart.”
“So, young Shucodo, you have ten seconds left...”
“Boom!”
A Fireball shot from the tip of Shucodo's staff straight toward Li Xiuman.
Li Xiuman quickly dodged. However, the unfortunate Archer was instantly engulfed by the Fireball, letting out a single wail before collapsing to the ground, lifeless.
“Go to hell, you demon!!!”
“Tsk, tsk. Talk about a grudge.”
“Killing your own teammate just because you couldn't bear to lose a single finger.”
Stripping off the heavy armor, Li Xiuman dodged and jumped with extreme agility, evading a barrage of arrows and Fireballs.
“This is your wonderful leader!”
“Why not abandon the dark side and join me instead!” Li Xiuman shouted.
No one paid any attention to him, but Li Xiuman didn't mind.
This way, he could harvest even more experience points.
Rate on N.U.
