Curse-Spreading Wheel (1)

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Your Race level has increased. You acquired 1 SP.

Your Job level has increased. You acquired 1 SP.

Your tamed monster's Race level has increased.

Your tamed monster's Job level has increased.

【Talisman Arts】 level has increased.

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It has been about ten days since that battle. We have received follow-up news about the event, leveled up, and even heard from Usuba and the others that they really wanted to meet us. Our companions have undergone various changes, but we have continued fighting in good health.

Since then, we have changed the purpose of our exploration to searching for and felling Mist-Spewing Ash Oaks. The Mist-Spewing Ash Oaks were not clustered together, but grew at regular intervals around the Black Wall. There were twelve of them, arranged as neatly as the numbers on a clock face.

Given their blatant regularity, it was reasonable to assume they had been planted deliberately. Besides, according to the description of the Mist-Spewing Ash Oak, the original species grows wild on the Luxresia Continent. Someone must have brought them here from there.

Knowing that they had been planted by someone's design, we have been cutting down every one of them and collecting the materials. It is only natural, since doing so is necessary to clear the area. Every time we tried to cut one down, we had to fight a swarm of Mist Balls, but after repeating it so many times, everyone had developed their own ways of dealing with them. Before long, we could dispatch them quickly without even needing my 【Black Hole】.

With each tree felled, the mist grew thinner, and now the Black Wall is faintly visible from Shiratsuki. At long last, we can devote ourselves to conquering the Black Wall. For that purpose, we decided to gather everyone together and tackle it today.

"It bothers me that the mist hasn't disappeared despite cutting down this many trees, all because of that thing."

"Heehee, it won't just fall over because you complain, you know?"

"I know that."

Now that the mist had thinned, we could finally see inside the Black Wall, where a magnificent tree towered toward the heavens. Its leafless silhouette made it obvious, but that was definitely a Mist-Spewing Ash Oak. We would not be able to clear this bothersome mist completely until we cut it down.

The decrease in the mist was undoubtedly related to this, but as the mist diminished, the number of Mist Balls appearing also fell. In their place, more Failed Homunculi and Undead monsters began to appear. On the first day of exploration, one of our parties encountered a Mad Banshee, but there were many other Undead as well.

There were many different kinds, including Demon Spirit types and Skeleton Warrior types. Moreover, their levels were all well over 60, so they were genuinely strong. We obtained a large amount of cursed equipment and bone materials in return, but... it seemed we would be fighting Undead here too. I myself am Undead, so I suppose I have a real connection with them. Honestly, it isn't something that makes me particularly happy.

"Evening!"

"We're here!"

With Shishu and Wool, who had apparently been taking their final exams until just yesterday, everyone was finally assembled. Sei, Ruby, and Shio were students as well, so they had apparently been having a difficult time with their exams. I had not asked about their results, but if they had somehow done poorly and had to attend remedial classes, I figured I could at least listen to their complaints.

Setting that aside, we formed whatever parties we wanted as usual and combined them into a Union before advancing. Those skilled at detection, such as Ruby and Moc-san, kept watch over our surroundings at all times, while those with high defense, including Eiji, guarded the front, rear, left, and right in case we were attacked. Karu and Shio also kept a sharp eye on the skies above. It was the finest formation we could currently manage.

"It's been a long time since we've all walked around together like this. I guess the noise we're making is so loud that small fry like Ashen Dirty Slimes apparently stay away from us."

"Yeah, but a whole group won't, right? Look, here they come!"

Even those without Ruby and the others' keen detection could hear the ground rumbling as something approached with an enormous racket. Just as Nanakou had said, a group of enemies was coming from the front.

Most of them were Failed Homunculi, but for some reason, Undead monsters were mixed in among them. Since when had these guys started working together? No, it was astonishing enough that either group even possessed the intelligence to think of such a thing in the first place.

"Their levels aren't much to worry about, but there are a lot of them. Front line, hold them back! Anyone who can use 【Holy Magic】, attack the Undead! Everyone else in the back line, focus on the Failed Homunculi!"

A fierce melee followed, but with everyone currently above level 60, we were able to steadily reduce the enemy's numbers without any dangerous moments in which someone nearly died.

However, it seemed things would not proceed so easily. Ruby was the first to notice something unusual.

"Be careful! Something fast is coming!"

Immediately after her warning, I could hear the sound of hooves amid the noises of battle. At first, I thought it was Raga, but the hoofbeats were clearly heavier than his. On top of that, I could hear the rattling of wheels separate from the hoofbeats.

"Cavalry and... a carriage?"

"No, Shishu-dono! That is a Chariot!"

When Nenashi saw the figures emerging from the mist, he let out an emotional cheer that made him tremble with excitement. What approached was a carriage-like vehicle flanked by two cavalrymen. It was a Chariot, a combat vehicle that had been used in various civilizations since ancient times. Soldiers rode in a sturdy wagon pulled by horses, making it a weapon that combined defense and mobility.

As for the wagon itself, it was extremely ominous. Its two-wheeled, handcart-like shape was not particularly strange, but every part of it was made from bone. Sharply honed bone spikes sprouted from its entire body, while the bones extending from the axles on either side were exceptionally thick. If I were run over, I might be torn apart in a single blow.

The Chariot's horses had glowing red eyes and semi-transparent bodies, clearly making them ghost horses. They were quite large, and two of them powerfully pulled the wagon that would normally require four horses. There was no driver for some reason. Instead, two spearmen and four archers were riding in the wagon.

The beings accompanying it on either side were no ordinary creatures either. They looked like horses only in silhouette; they were actually Failed Homunculi. Human faces sat atop hairless horse bodies, making them unbelievably grotesque. Their arms had properly been replaced with legs, however, and their horse armor and metal shoes had apparently been making the clattering sound of hooves.

Mounted on them were heavily armored cavalrymen clad in pitch-black full-body armor and wielding shields and lances. They were covered so completely that not even a glimpse of what lay inside was visible, but a single red light shone through the gap in each helmet. These were clearly not normal either.

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Race: Deathbone Chariot Lv73

Job: Skilled Rider Lv3

Skill: 【Super Vitality Enhancement】

【Strength Enhancement】

【Super Defense Enhancement】

【Charge】

【Flexible Bone】

【Cursed Bone】

【Status Ailment Immunity】

【Blunt Weakness】

【Light Attribute Weakness】

Race: Ghost Warhorse Lv61

Job: Gallant Steed Lv1

Skill: 【Vitality Enhancement】

【Super Strength Enhancement】

【Mental Enhancement】

【Charge】

【Vengeful Cry】

【Aura of Fear】

【Physical Attack Intangibility】

【Magic Weakness】

【Status Ailment Immunity】

【Light Attribute Weakness】

Race: Living Heavy Armor Lv67

Job: Heavy Cavalry Lv7

Skill: 【Vitality Enhancement】

【Strength Enhancement】

【Super Defense Enhancement】

【Dexterity Enhancement】

【Spear Arts】

【Shield Arts】

【Heavy Armor Arts】

【Horsemanship】

【Status Ailment Immunity】

【Piercing Resistance】

【No Natural Recovery】

【Lightning Attribute Weakness】

【Light Attribute Weakness】

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I see. The Chariot itself was apparently a monster. That explained why there was no driver. As its Job suggested, its main body was probably driving the Ghost Warhorses with considerable skill. Without a doubt, that Chariot itself was the leader of the group.

And the one controlling those disgusting Failed Homunculi was the Living Heavy Armor—in other words, animated armor. If the armor itself was its main body, was physically destroying it the only way to defeat it? However, its resistances revealed plenty of weaknesses we could exploit.

"We'll take those two cavalrymen."

"As users of horse avatars, we can't accept the existence of something like that."

Kanna and Raga were eager to fight them as cavalry fighter and mount, respectively. I had been planning to leave them to it anyway, since letting the cavalry run wild would cause problems for us. However, I had to tell them the results of my 【Appraisal】 first.

"The horse-like creatures are Failed Homunculi. The riders are Undead, and their armor is their main body. They resist piercing, but are weak to Light and Lightning."

"If piercing doesn't work, then should we attack with slashing and blunt force? Come on, dear."

"Lightning? Then they're easy prey. Shall I send them flying?"

The two charged forward and engaged the two cavalrymen in a furious battle. Kanna deftly used a fangtian halberd to deflect their lance charges while striking at places where the armor was thin, such as the elbows and shoulders. Raga kept the horse-like creature at bay with body checks, kicks from his hooves, and thrusts of his horns, while piercing the Living Heavy Armor with 【Lightning Magic】. Its 【Lightning Attribute Weakness】 was no mere label; the armor convulsed from the electrical shock.

Raga had become a Race called the Thunder-Summoning Hornscale Horse, with beautiful yellow-tinged, vivid green scales and a golden, spiral-shaped horn extending from between his brows. The lightning Raga wielded was extremely powerful. In terms of lightning alone, even my fully boosted 【Lightning Magic】 could not match it.

Kanna's Race did not change even when Kanna leveled up, so there was no visible change in appearance. However, Kanna's stats were progressing smoothly, and Kanna had honed those skills through repeated mock battles with Jigoro and Genjurou. Those two were terrifyingly in sync despite already being strong, allowing them to fight on equal footing or better against two cavalry units. As expected of the winners of the martial arts tournament.

"Karu, Nanakou, Mikero, and I will hold off the Chariot. Toji, take command of the front line. Iris, take command of the rear line."

"Leave it to... me!"

"I'll do my best!"

Toji replied while cutting down Failed Homunculi with a flaming sword, while Iris answered as she repeatedly threw items and bound enemies with her tentacles. There were people stronger than either of them as individual combatants, but they were the right choices for command. They might even be more capable than I was, but... I would be handling overall command myself.

"Uahahaha! Enemies everywhere I look! This is fun!"

"There is merit in swinging one's sword without thought."

"Why are you two enjoying yourselves!?"

"Sometimes I don't understand Grandpa and the others..."

Setting aside matters of command, we had to destroy—or rather, defeat—that Chariot as quickly as possible. At the very least, we needed to hold it back. Two people in particular seemed not merely at ease but positively delighted, yet the front line was in a difficult situation. The power of numbers was pure violence handed down since ancient times.

So who should handle it? Given the enemy's size, Karu was essential, so I should go too. In that case...

"Nanakou, Mikero, come with me!"

"Sure thing!"

"Leave it to me."

We would somehow manage with these four. With that determination in our hearts, we went to intercept the enemy.