Chapter 8: First Time Hunting

I swiftly turned my head to find 20 E rank players, their conversation filling me with dread.

"Hey, kid!"

"Uh! The boss ordered us to take down this F rank summoner."

"Shut up! Kill him, or I'll kill every single one of you," barked a menacing, burly man.

"Okay," they replied fearfully in unison.

"Hey, kid, you're in for some bad luck," sneered a middle-aged man as he charged at me, wielding his sword.

My expression turned icy as I retorted, "You should be the one considering yourself unlucky."

"Attack him at his weak points," I commanded my skeleton through mental communication. 

[Note: Sam can communicate with his skeleton mentally as they are his servants.]

I steeled myself for the fight, rushing towards him with my E grade sword in hand. 

Our swords clashed, and at the right moment, I signaled mentally, "Now." 

I was thrown back towards the second-floor entrance, sustaining some minor injuries.

Silently, the Undead Skeleton advanced towards the man, swiftly wielding his sword at the man's neck. 

The man, caught off guard, managed to react quickly, his mercenary instincts kicking in.

He sneered and slashed his sword towards the skeleton's weapon. 

However, his expression turned to shock as their swords clashed. 

He realized he couldn't match the skeleton's E rank strength; he hadn't exerted all his remaining power due to the unexpected attack and his awkward stance.

He watched in despair as the sword slowly claimed his head.

"Sliced." 

"Nice," Sam grinned as he stood up and crushed that man's head with his right foot.

"Puchi" A sound comes and thumbs up the skeleton before everyone's unexpected eyes.

"Hello, you son of a b*tch," I sneered, showing my middle finger to the rest of them.

"What are you waiting for, you idiots? Go and kill him!" The leader said to the remaining in a ferocious tone.

"Preserve," I whispered as I entered the second-floor entrance.

"Absolute Concealment," I murmured, and just like that, I vanished into thin air upon stepping into the second floor.

Hidden away in a secret spot, I couldn't suppress a wave of nausea.

In times like this, I had to appear strong, showing no vulnerability, for any sign of weakness could spell doom.

"I'm... I vomited," I muttered, feeling queasy.

It was the first time I had taken a human life in both of my existences.

"Should I hide?" I considered it for a moment but quickly shook my head. "No, I need to become the hunter."

I steeled myself, determined to kill and, more importantly, to uncover who had sent them.

I regained my composure and began closely monitoring their movements.

A short while later...

All 19 E-rank players had also made their way to the second floor.

Their leader barked angrily, "Search for that guy. I'll handle him myself."

"Yes," they replied, trembling as they commenced their search.

From my concealed vantage point, I observed every development around me.

"The hunt begins," I whispered, recognizing that this was a golden opportunity to eliminate them while they were exposed in the light, and I remained hidden in the shadows.

I discreetly released all of my E-rank skeletons and instructed them to observe everyone covertly.

I, too, began exploring every nook and cranny of the second floor.

Thirty minutes later...

"Sir, we can't find him," a man nervously reported to their leader.

"You fools can't even locate a rat?" the leader roared in anger, delivering a kick to the man. "Incompetents!"

"Oh! Do you lot want to find me?" Suddenly, a playful voice echoed from a corner.

"Where are you, vermin? Reveal yourself!" the leader shouted, clenching his teeth.

"Alright, if you're so eager to meet me, I can make that happen," I said playfully, deactivating my 'Absolute Concealment' skill.

I materialized before their enraged eyes. 

"You scoundrels!" they all shouted angrily, charging at me with weapons drawn.

Then, out of nowhere, 20 E-rank undead skeletons appeared between me and them, while 20 F+ rank undead skeletons materialized at the entrance to the first floor.

Their advance was halted as they faced this unexpected turn of events.

Their anger towards me surged, and their leader demanded with clenched teeth, "You... you're no ordinary 'Necromancer,' are you?"

"Correct answer, but no prizes," I replied playfully.

Thirty minutes earlier...

I had explored every conceivable corner of the second floor and used the 'Undead Army' skill on every F+ rank undead skeleton I encountered.

Present...

"Kill," I commanded all the undead skeletons.

"You wretch! If I survive this, I'll feast on your flesh!" the leader shouted hatefully.

"What are you waiting for? Kill him, and I'll eliminate all the F+ skeletons," the leader roared, and his followers engaged in battle with the 19 E-rank undead skeletons.

As time passed, their comrades began to fall, and they slowly grasped the futility of attempting to hunt down all these undead skeletons.

"Phew! I can only command 20 F+ skeletons," I muttered as I watched their leader being surrounded by F+ rank undead skeletons.

Five minutes later...

All of their underlings had fallen at the hands of my 15 E-rank skeletons, and their leader was still locked in combat with the F+ rank undead skeletons.

"Maim this leader," I ordered my remaining skeletons calmly.

They advanced toward the leader, and in under a minute, both of his legs were rendered useless.

I approached the leader, and he lay there, seemingly lifeless but with a stubborn glint in his eyes.

"Who sent you?" I asked coldly.

"Even if you kill me, I won't tell you," The leader stubbornly declared.

"I admire your resolve," I smirked, sending shivers down his spine.

I raised my sword and began a gruesome process, extracting chunks of flesh from his hand until only a skeletal joint remained.

"I'll spill everything if you spare me," the leader's face contorted in pain, and he surrendered.