Chapter 67

Before Rain lay the Valley of Bones, exposed like an unrolled map.

The base of the Desolate Great Falls, more than a half-mile below, was the western point of the valley. This is the valley that was once known as an ancient battlefield where bones and remains of warriors and monsters alike lay resting for eternity. It's a place where stories weaved like a spider web, able to create incredible fairytales.

Rain nudged his toe on the dirt, and a few inches below, a bleached white bone can be seen. When he looks around, vines and thick bushes could be seen hanging from the stem and branches-like things. However, they are not trees, as when look closely, they are enormous bones of some kind of a giant, or giant monster, too old and ancient, and was now filled with thick vines, curling around it.

“A place full of stories,”

Rain squatted and pulled something out of the dirt, holding it up in front of his eyes to see clearly. An arrowhead. Rusty and old. Brushing dirt off the arrowhead in his palm with his thumb, he examined it closely.

"…A brass arrow. And they're all around. Amazing."

He glanced about and saw them, sticking out of the earth at intervals like sharks' teeth. He once had come into this place, passing through it during their expedition to defeat the Killer Ants. However, due to Zarda’s condition at that time, he was not able to explore the place as much as he wants.

He had vowed that time that he would come back and see for himself what wonders could be seen in this place. And just what stories would it unfold? He likes this kind of thing. It smells like an adventure.

The desolate river, the large river that split the bowel of the Northern Part of the Desolate Cave into two, wound from the falls toward the off-limit region that Rain had heard from Zarda and the others; the Lion King’s Lair, which is a forbidden place for him.

According to Zarda, that is a place where one of the Monster Kings inhabiting the Desolate Cave is staying. Though Rain didn’t know how strong and monstrous a Monster King is, it was said that it has the same, or at most possesses power beyond Zarda.

Zarda…to his surprise seemed to be known as also a Monster King!

Though Rain wondered why Zarda, a female was still called a King- perhaps, it was just a broad classification among the monster world. If classified completely to ranking, then Zarda is a Lamian Queen.

Nevertheless, what’s most important is that the Monster Kings are monsters considered to be the most powerful among their race. And at the very least, has four to five evolutions. And to a human ranking, is at least possessing the power of a Lv6, which to Rain was beyond what he can even imagine.

As he started exploring the entire valley, suddenly he heard a sound from behind him. Instinctively, he ducked by bending his waist. An unknown object wheezed past his head, missing it by an inch. Only then did he have the time to access the situation. He was shocked beyond comprehension!

Behind him was a skeleton chasing him with an ax.

An undead?

Right, I almost forgot.

His eyes narrowed and his mind immediately turned sharp, conditioning his body for the upcoming fight.

Drova had once told him that because of the dense Magical Power around the Valley of Bones, there were times that an Undead would suddenly appear, being resurrected by Magic Power. It was composed of Bones of humans or Magical Creatures that possess an incredible amount of Magic Power, causing them to be revived. But this time, not human anymore but a Monster.

Apart from Skeletons, there were even Zombies, Ghouls, and the likes. Those who had just recently died, and was then revived would become such Monsters. Of course, not only in this place, the Desolate Cave but also in the other places covered with an incredible amount of Magic Power.

Well, even if he met these kinds of monsters, it was not actually such a problem. Some Monsters are powerful but the living skeletons in this place are not. Especially a Skeleton without a fire soul in their eye sockets. It means they are just low-level Undead. Rain can take care of them no matter how many of them come.

In fact, according to Drova and Stagna, these low-level skeletons are just like pests. A byproduct from careless disposal of corpses. Every monster tribes hated them as they attacked indiscriminately. Thus, they are destroyed completely once they are seen.

Just when the skeleton swung his ax at him once more, Rain acted first and grabbed the neck of the skeleton. It was slow, even weaker than a mere Goblin. He then exerted his strength and pushed the skeleton forward, causing it to lose its balance. Immediately after, he gave it a powerful kick to its hip, his superhuman strength smashing the entire hip of the skeleton to bits!

"Well, this became a scene out of horror movies fast~"

Rain smiled wryly as he watched the skeleton's state.

Despite having only its upper body left, the skeleton was still trying its best to get up and to have a go at him.

Shrugging, he stomped on the skeleton’s skull into smithereens, killing it completely. The best way to kill a skeleton is to crush its skull. That's what Drova had told him once when he had first fought against it. Although Rain doesn't know why, it seems like, since it was the vessel of its brain, even without one, it's still the place where Magical Power converged- the energy that was reviving it. Once it's broken, the magic power trap inside will then be free once again.

"...I don't know whose idea this is, but using a group of skeletons for a battle scene just to move the plot, Genius,"

Rain's lips curved into a bitter smile as he saw the development before him. The moment he had crushed the Skeleton's skull, another skeleton hand came out from the ground. A scene similar to those commonly seen in Horror movies appears in front of him.

The ground started to move and shake, and a large number of skeleton's slowly revealed themselves making a cringy *kata kata kata* noises that is sharp to the ears.

"...This is literally what it means to break bones to do something,"

The moment those lines came out, Rain's body flickered and the nearest skeleton soldier that was about to raise its sword, exploded, with its bones scattering in the air.

... ...

After encountering a Demon Spider, which he had killed the usual way, Rain then tore off its carapace.

A Demon Spider’s carapace is useful because it’s an incredible material for armors, as they were incredibly receptive to magic power. One can even increase its toughness by inputting magic power, on top of being light and strong.

Rain then left the outcropping and started down the trail, grimacing at the descent of the rocky and spiky road. While walking with the dagger in one hand, he harvested everything he could and find along the way.

Grock Flower, a herb used as an ingredient for Healing Potion. And can even able to help recovers a little bit of Vitality if eaten as is. Martaltep Grass, a herb used as an ingredient for Stamina Potion. Moon Heart Flower, a blue flower used as an ingredient for Mana Potion, and more incredible, and precious herbs and materials for both alchemy and blacksmithing.

As it is a place people rarely come by, he was able to pick up a variety of raw materials. He then stored everything in his bag pack that was now a Magical Item that can store many things inside. Around a few hours have passed since he started walking but even with the ragged and rough path, he doesn't feel tired at all. If it was his past self, he would have been already exhausted by traveling on a hard to walk, uneven path like this after a few dozen minutes.

The shrub forest was a bit dim, as the canopy of the trees becoming even thicker as he goes deep, more or less exuding a dangerous aura. As he was nearing the river, a *gasa *gasa noise could be heard from a thicket. And then the shrub on his right shaking, suddenly bursting apart.

Two wild beasts carrying an air of ferocity charged at him. They were over two meters tall, long boars, with tusks like two sharp knives.

[Iron Boars]: Type: Beast Special Skill: [Iron Hide] [Impact Charge] [Flame Thrower]

Description: A type of wild boar that is commonly seen in the mountains. It possesses a violent temperament with an incredible, tough iron hide. It will automatically attack life forms that get close, trample with its horrifying charge, or burn enemies into cinders with its firepower.

A warrior that is only LV1, challenging this kind of monster is nothing but an act of suicide. Not to mention, what Rain is facing is the simultaneous attack of two Iron Boars. Even a full party of peak Lv1 warriors would find it deadly just facing a single one.

The wild boars running speed is very fast-from far away, Rain could already feel a gust of wind rushing at him, like an incoming storm. Still, he did not retreat, however, and instead slightly squinting his eyes, he watched the 2 wild boars approach with a serious expression.

Whoosh!!

Right when the wild boar’s sharp tusks were only centimeters away from his chest, Rain turned his body at an alarming speed. This was not a simple body turn, because if anyone saw the speed that he turned his body, they would all be dumbstruck. Incredibly surprised at his almost unbelievable explosive power.

The sharp tusk practically stuck to him as it slid past, it was also at that moment, Rain had raised his hand following the momentum, and stabbed the blue dagger at its back.

Claang!!

The wild boar’s defense is indeed amazing. Even with Rain’s [Squall’s Silence] penetration power, it only made a shallow wound. At this moment, the second wild beast also charged to his front. He did not retract his dagger that he swung, instead, he moved his body following the small blade moving forward, dodging the wild boar as if a coincidence. Afterward, he immediately made a distance far from the two monsters.

The faster you run, the longer it takes to stop. Even in this world where logic and reason are not reliable anymore, the law of inertia still applies, whether they like it or not. The two Iron Boars couldn’t stop their charge and went straight towards the ancient trees in front of them, ramming at it like a freaking bulldozer.

A chance!

“Bone Spikes!”

Rain slammed his hand on the ground, and in an instant created dozens of meter-long sharp bone spikes from the ground. The hardness of the bone spikes has been enhanced with its increased level, even still, most of the spikes that struck the Boar’s belly broke in contact.

As expected of the Iron Hide though, it really is an incredible defense. Even still, the Bone Spikes dealt much more damage than his dagger, and blood splattered on the ground, along with the agonizing cries of the Iron Boars. But it's not because the Bone Spikes are more powerful and sharper than his dagger, rather, it seems like their bellies are much softer than the rest of their bodies.

Then, without wasting any second, Rain charged directly behind the first wild boar which was violently thrashing around due to pain from its terribly wounded abdomen. His figure blurred, and with his beloved rapier on hand, four consecutive thrusts pierce into its back. Although he wanted to aim for their weakness, still, if he tried he would just be trampled by its terrifying hooves.

When attacked, the two Iron Boars that snap out from the pain turned towards him and roared in anger. However, for some reason, the two Iron Boars didn’t charge the same as the previous and instead run from two different directions, eventually stopping with Rain as a center.

Pincer?

His brows furrowed.

“Ain’t that a fancy move? I guess their brains are as big as their bodies, ey,”

He took a small step backward and then stopped.

Instead of facing the sharp tusks of the boars and charging forward…he charged like a ghostly shadow crossed through the small gap between the two boars, simultaneously cutting the first boar almost simultaneously. He then quickly turned around, another 3 continuous blows stabbing in the iron boar, causing a series of cries from the beasts.

As always, his rapier’s penetration ability was much better than his dagger, especially after its enhancement by Miyabila, using precious materials and engraving runes to its limits. Rain slashed his sword in the air, and three translucent wind blades immediately shot out towards the two iron boars.

Skills are still much better than Magic.

He mused as he jumped back a few steps to stabilize his balance.

“Hate to fight against hardness,” he muttered and with an outstretched arm, shot a lightning bolt.

The two wild boars became furious, one of them after turning around, once landing on the ground, actually jumped up half-a meter high, pouncing towards him, even able to dodge the lightning bolt in time, leaving Rain speechless. They can jump high!

Taking a step back, immediately, in front of him a “thump” sound, the wild board had fallen on the ground, 4 short legs sticking to the ground, not coming up after a while. It seems like its mass and weight had burrowed its legs like nails pounded deeply on wood.

An idiotic move.

“Who told you a pig can fly?”

Rain didn’t hesitate and went forward with a series of attacks, saying while attacking: “If you can’t jump then don’t jump, you’re a boar, not a panther, do you understand self-awareness? No one would call you an idiot if you can’t do it!”

Suffering from a dozen or so of his attacks, in an instant the iron boar, even with its tough defense was now littered with wounds and covered with blood. But it’s still alive. [Iron Hide] is really much stronger than the ordinary [Bark Skin] that he was using. It was to the point that even he was starting to desire such an incredible skill. If he has this skill, he would be able to enhance his defense even stronger.

Roooooooaaar!!

Then, suddenly the boar, angered, has smoke steaming from the top of its head, and it then opened its mouth.

Rain can feel fire elements started accumulating within its open jaws.

It’s coming…

“Flame Weakness!”

Before it could spat out flames from its mouth, Rain immediately put a curse on it. The boar’s body emitted out a thin, black haze.

[Flame Weakness] is a curse-type skill that inflicts a curse to the target and makes them less resistant to that particular element. In this case, Fire.

Although the Iron Boar has incredible resistance to fire, however, with the curse, it should reduce it significantly for a few minutes.

When a horizontal column of fire was released from the boar’s mouth, like that of a classic dragon, Rain immediately disappeared with [Blink].

The trees behind him were burned immediately, and it was so strong enough for him to suddenly get worried about a forest fire. However, what caught his attention was the fact that the moment the Iron Boar release its attack, it suddenly stops immediately after and started coughing, wriggling, and trashing on the ground with its jaw smoking, and burned.

This should be the work of the curse.

And as usual, it’s an incredible sight.

The other Iron Boar saw its companion badly hurt and gave a loud cry, charging at Rain at full force in a furious rage, wanting to smash him into the sky. Naturally, its charge didn’t even scratch the Protagonist's clothes. If there were other people here right now, they would definitely be surprised to the point of speechlessness.

Unlike normal boars, two wild boars whose movements were relatively nimble, their charge fast and fierce, normal warriors, even a Lv2 couldn’t even think of dodging it. [Iron Boars] are capable of decimating a full party of human adventures, and enough to give a small army serious trouble.

They are not listed as C-rank Monsters for show.

They are much stronger than Hobgoblins and comparable to Trolls.

They are dangerous Monsters.

Yet, Rain was single-handedly defeating the two Iron Boars, from beginning to end not being touched by the monsters. And his rapier always in that short time-frame of dodging able to stab or cut accurately on the wild boar’s body. Slowly taking away their lives, causing them to cry out.

This is how strong he had become after arduous training under the tutelage of the Amazon-like Lamians.

3 minutes later, under a dozen or so of Rain’s pinpoint attacks, and most concentrated on their exposed bellies which the poor monsters couldn't protect anymore after being flipped sideways, the first wild boar finally fell to the ground in a cry of anguish.

With only one wild boar left, one that is still suffering the burned effect of the curse, the remaining job was even easier.

... ..

“Say cheese,”

Rain took out a picture of the two boars on his smartphone.

He was planning to post it again on the [Fantasy Delusion Group Thread] whether they believe it or not, is up to them. He was just doing this for fun.

Although he doesn’t like socializing with people in the past, actually he was quite active on the net. It was the only holy place where he could make friends after all. Though not truly friends, still, they are still people with who he can have a chat without minding anything like status or identities.

Sometimes, you will find the wrong people, but there are also times when you also find the right ones. And those people are the ones that he had spent quite a long time with chatting and having fun. In fact, he even has some fixed group he had always been together in online games or just chatting about anything.

[Skill [Impact Charge] have been learned!]

“Eh? Not Iron Hide? Or Flamethrower?”

Rain heard an extremely familiar chime the moment he had finished devouring almost an entire Iron Boar.

With [Improved Digestion] even an entire elephant, he would be able to eat it whole. Though he was not certain on how it truly works but using [Improved Digestion] no matter how he eats, his physique would never get fat or out of balance and the food he eats would slowly be converted into energy including magic power, after digesting it with inhuman speed.

Even still, to think he would just get [Impact Charge], a tackle-type combat skill. It's useless for him who uses agility and speed more than strength. It would have been better if he could obtain [Iron Hide] that strengthens his defense even more, or [Flamethrower] so that he can now use another fire-type skill other than fireball.

[Well, Master, I think [Impact Charge] is also not a bad active skill. It greatly complements Master’s [Shield Charge] and would surely enhance its attacking power when used.]

“But the problem, my dear Sylphy is that I don’t use a shield. My fighting style is not suited for using a shield,” he said while letting out a sigh.

After filling his stomach, he picked up his bag pack and stored the rest of the Iron Boars.

It was his original bag pack, but now has been engraved with runic symbols by Threia and was improved using some precious leather materials to become a lesser magical item with incredible space inside. Aside from food, there were actually many things stored inside, including weapons, clothes, and items.

Holding a grilled boar leg, Rain continued wandering.

… …