Except for Anyi, no one noticed something peculiar.

Layton, after exhausting all his mana, hadn’t felt hungry even after waking. In the short time since his revival, his mana hadn’t fully recovered, and no one had fed him. By all logic, the first thing he should have done upon waking was to eat.

Yet he wasn’t hungry.

Which meant…

From the very beginning, the battle hadn’t ended.

The monsters had been watching them, lurking in unseen places, ready to strike at any moment.

“Thump! Thump! Thump!!”

Heavy, ominous footsteps echoed through the hall.

Hearing the distinct rhythm, everyone’s minds leapt to a creature from the Bestiary:

【Creature: Skeleton Executioner

Strength: 30 Agility: 15 Endurance: ∞

Durability: 30 Prana: 3 Intelligence: 2

Technique: 15】

Unlike the Class 3 monsters they had fought so far, this was a Class 4 monster.

Layton frowned as he resumed eating, chewing with purpose. “This thing’s definitely not weaker than a Goblin Centurion.”

“Yes,” Anyi replied, his tone deceptively casual.

Not weaker than a Goblin Centurion?

It was far stronger.

Goblin Centurions were nothing compared to this creature. Their Durability was pitiful, and they needed constant buffs to hold their ground.

But the Skeleton Executioner?

Its Strength and Durability were sky-high. Its Agility and Technique, though lower, were still formidable. It could crush a Goblin Centurion effortlessly.

If you threw both into a fighting arena, the Skeleton Executioner would have ten thousand ways to annihilate its opponent.

In the hierarchy of Class 4 monsters, the Skeleton Executioner was among the most challenging foes.

And worse—

It was an elite.

That meant a boss monster was likely commanding it.

Ah… their next opponent, a Necromancer, would almost certainly be Class 5 or stronger.

“It’s not just the Skeleton Executioner!” Karen’s voice broke through Anyi’s thoughts, alarmed. “More monsters are coming!”

She had recently leveled to 17, allocating 7 of her 17 stat points to Prana, boosting it from 3 to 10.

The increase expanded her vision range from 30–40 meters to nearly 200 meters.

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From their position at the edge of the hall, Karen saw far beyond the others.

She quickly shared her vision with Ariana.

“Whoa…” Ariana gasped in awe, though her face quickly paled.

Within the 200-meter radius, four hallways converged. Each corridor swarmed with skeleton soldiers, led by at least three Class 3 monsters at the forefront.

Ariana suddenly felt like a Goblin Centurion herself, besieged by a team of overpowered heroes.

Did they really need to send this many?

Karen then shared her vision with Anyi and Layton.

Layton swallowed his food hard, his expression grim under the immense pressure.

Anyi, in stark contrast, remained calm. He appeared completely unfazed by the sea of enemies.

Karen noticed his composure and asked hesitantly, “Mr. Carl, do you have a plan?”

Anyi’s reply was blunt: “No.”

Karen blinked. “Then why aren’t you nervous at all?”

Her own nerves felt stretched thin—this was her first real battle against monsters, and her heart was hammering in her chest.

“No, I’m very nervous,” Anyi said in the same calm tone.

No, he wasn’t nervous at all.

He had seen this scenario countless times: halls teeming with skeleton soldiers.

The undead always exaggerated their numbers. It was just a tactic to overwhelm their opponents with sheer volume.

But the true threats were always the leaders.

And among those leaders, very few of these Class 3 monsters were worth worrying about.

Their entire team was now above level 20. Killing Class 3 monsters?

It was child’s play.

It was only the two Class 4 monsters that posed a true challenge.

One was the formidable Skeleton Executioner, and the other was the enigmatic Howling Succubus.

“Wait! There’s another one underground!” Karen suddenly exclaimed, her Mystic Eyes revealing a hidden presence.

An undead creature lurked just ten meters below, concealed yet observing them.

“It’s been watching us… it must have heard everything we’ve said!”

“It doesn’t matter,” Anyi said without missing a beat. “Let’s just head to the center of the hall. There’s no point in running away now.”

“Hahahahahaha—!!” Layton’s laughter boomed as he leapt to his feet, his earlier unease replaced by a wild grin. “Well said! There’s no point in running away now! We’re men! Let’s fight! Let’s fight them to the death!!”

Karen blinked at his sudden fervor, then smiled, her nerves melting into resolve. “That’s right… Fight to the death!”

Even if they somehow broke through the encirclement, where would they go? Could they simply flee the castle and escape into the sunlight?

No. Their enemies would only regroup, crafting an even more devastating trap.

Running was no solution. If the fight had to happen, better to face it head-on.

“Ooh—!!” Ariana, caught up in the moment, thrust her small fist into the air with a cheer of her own.

From her distant vantage point, Miruku observed the group’s growing determination. She remained silent in her damp corner, waiting… and watching.

...

「Let’s just head to the center of the hall. There’s no point in running away now.」

「Hahaha—! Well said! It’s come to this…」

Their words didn’t go unnoticed.

Deep beneath them, the Skeleton Mage listened, using his own dark methods to eavesdrop on their plans.

He didn’t understand concepts like levels or attribute points, nor did the term “skills” mean anything to him. But he grasped the essence of their conversation.

There was a human among them whose attacks dealt devastating holy magic damage, something he had never encountered.

Another human could identify weaknesses through some kind of mystical “magic.”

Then there was one who wielded fire with enough strength to cleave a Blood Demon into three pieces—a power not to be underestimated.

As for the other two—a young girl and a strong man—their roles were less clear.

But without doubt, this was the most formidable group of enemies the undead had faced since they seized control of the castle.

To destroy them…

It would take everything.

The Skeleton Mage’s thoughts churned as he devised a strategy.

「Pass down the order. Change of plans.

Cancel the Executioner’s advance. Instead, all units are to attack simultaneously!

Hold position in the hallway, 100 meters ahead, and await my command. When the signal is given… charge toward the center of the hall together!」

The order spread telepathically to every undead within range.

The Mage’s bony fingers tapped thoughtfully against his staff. If these humans could unleash another attack like the one that obliterated 17 of his strongest soldiers, even the Skeleton Executioner might fall.

A simultaneous attack would overwhelm them. If one monster fell, the others would close in before the humans could recover.

This time, they would not fail.

...

【Sword Hero: Holy Maiden, once the enemies emerge, use your Beam skill with multiple releases. After that… move.

Holy Hero:?】