The world turned black.
Suho sank—
deeper, and deeper—
until the light above vanished completely.
Cold water pressed against his chest, dragging him downward like a living weight.
He struggled, thrashing in vain, lungs burning.
> *I can't… move…*
Then, through the darkness, a massive hand reached out.
**Veno.**
The skeleton's glowing eyes appeared beside him, expression unreadable as always.
But instead of saving him, Veno **pulled him deeper**—
farther into the dark.
Suho tried to shout, but only bubbles escaped his mouth.
The pressure grew unbearable.
Then—
**color.**
Red, green, and blue flashes flickered around him like lightning in the abyss.
When Suho turned his head, his eyes widened.
All around, his **skeleton army** and **tamed beasts** were locked in combat.
A full-scale battle was unfolding under the lake.
> *What… is happening?!*
Miho's blade glowed faintly red as he struck down an enormous shadowy creature.
Hogwords, the skeleton mage, chanted rapidly, fire magic igniting even underwater.
Explosions rippled through the depths, sending waves of heat that instantly vanished in the cold.
Hundreds of skeletons shattered.
Bones cracked and scattered through the water like shattered glass.
Suho's heart raced. He wanted to fight—wanted to do something—
but everything happened too fast.
> *I can't… keep up!*
Then, in the midst of the chaos—
a faint glow appeared below.
A **barrier**—a dome of golden light—shimmered in the darkness.
His army began to swim toward it instinctively.
Suho reached out his hand, and Veno dragged him through.
---
The moment they crossed, everything shifted.
Water vanished.
They fell—hard—onto solid ground.
Air rushed back into Suho's lungs as he gasped and coughed violently.
Miho and dozens of other skeletons fell with him, clattering to the floor one after another.
> [You have discovered a Hidden Scenario.]
> [EXP gain doubled for 48 hours.]
> [You have entered: **City of Nikas** — Once the most advanced magic civilization. Now, a fallen ruin.]
> [Clear Condition: Survive 3 Waves of Catalus.]
> [Reward — Based on Performance.]
> [Failure Penalty — Death.]
Suho froze.
> "A… hidden scenario?"
He turned sharply toward Veno, anger burning in his eyes.
> "You—! Why did you throw me in?!"
He grabbed Veno by the chest plate.
Before he could speak again, Miho stepped forward and pointed his sword to the far side of the room—expression grim.
Suho followed his gaze.
The ground trembled.
The walls split open.
From every direction, **millions of crab-like monsters** began crawling out—
their shells jagged, their eyes glowing crimson.
Big, small, endless.
> [First Wave — Begins]
> [Duration: 1 Hour.]
---
Suho's teeth clenched.
> "Fine. You want to fight?"
> "Then let's fight!"
He drew his sword and raised his hand. Aura and fire mana surged together—unstable, volatile.
> *Combine skill — Aura + Fire Magic.*
A blinding flare erupted from his blade, and the battlefield ignited.
Skeleton mages followed his lead, chanting *Fireball* after *Fireball*.
Explosions echoed across the ruins, lighting up the submerged city in flashes of orange.
But the enemies kept coming.
The Catalus monsters were tough, their shells nearly indestructible.
Normal attacks barely scratched them.
Suho slashed again, but his aura slipped—
and his **sword snapped** in half.
> "Tch—!"
He dropped the broken blade and fought barehanded.
With one hand, he **punched** monsters apart using aura-infused strikes.
With the other, he conjured unstable **fireballs**, hurling them into clusters of enemies.
He fought like a cornered beast.
Every breath tasted like blood.
Skeletons fell one after another—crushed, shattered, dismembered.
Even the stronger ones began breaking apart under the endless waves.
But Suho didn't stop.
He kept fighting—until the final monster fell and silence returned.
> [First Wave — Cleared.]
> [Time Elapsed: 1 Hour.]
> [Level Up: 64.]
Suho collapsed to one knee.
His body was drenched in sweat and blood, his bones aching from mana recoil.
Half of his army was gone.
The rest were in pieces—some missing limbs, others barely holding together.
He stared blankly at the devastation.
> "We survived…"
Barely.
---
He used what little **holy power** remained to close his wounds, but his **MP bar** was nearly empty.
So he sat quietly, breathing heavily, and began to **Combine** the broken skeletons—
merging those who had reached Level-4 or fallen apart completely.
Each fusion restored faint light to the remaining soldiers.
> *"Seven hours left until the next wave."*
Suho leaned against a broken pillar, eyes half-open, watching Veno silently standing guard.
His thoughts were heavy.
> *Why… are you doing this?*
No answer came.
Time passed. His mana slowly regenerated.
When he could finally stand again, Suho began preparing.
---
He raised his hand.
> *Skill — Combine (Arrow + Venom Cobra's Poison).*
A faint ripple spread across his inventory window.
> [Item Created — Poison Arrow]
> [Effect: Explodes on impact; covers a 2-meter radius in corrosive poison.]
Rows of **skeleton archers** armed themselves with the newly crafted ammunition.
Behind them, massive **skeleton trolls** stood ready with stone clubs.
Above them, the **Skeleton Dragon** spread its wings of bones couldn't fly but roar.
Suho's eyes narrowed as he gripped his new weapon.
> "Let's finish this."
The ground began to shake again.
> [Second Wave — Begins.]
---
⚡ **End of Chapter 1**
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