When Suho opened his eyes, the hall was silent.
The throne was empty; the King's presence had vanished like mist.
Only the flickering glow of relics and the soft clatter of bones filled the air.
Around him, his skeletons stood in formation—tired, cracked, but still loyal.
Veno waited near the fallen pillars, motionless as ever.
Then the familiar voice of the system echoed in Suho's mind.
> [Congratulations. You have cleared the quest.]
> [Weapon Selection in progress.]
> [The King's Relics possess their own egos. They will choose their masters.]
Suho pushed himself to his feet, blinking in confusion.
Three weapons hovered before the throne—the red blade, the blue blade, and the staff that shimmered with layered enchantments.
He waited. Nothing happened.
> "...Why isn't anything coming toward me?" he muttered.
> He turned to Veno, forcing a weak laugh. "Am I not worthy even now?"
No response.
Then light flared.
The **red sword** pulsed; the **blue sword** crackled; even the **Archmage's staff** began to float from beside the throne.
> [Weapons have chosen their masters. Congratulations, Player.]
Suho's heart leapt.
> "All of them…? Maybe my hidden talent's finally awakened! Maybe I've got royal blood! Maybe—"
> He broke into a delirious laugh. "Hahaha—ah, my throat…"
The skeletons exchanged an awkward glance.
All three relics glided through the air.
Suho spread his arms, smiling broadly as they approached.
> "Come to your new master!"
The weapons soared past him.
The **red sword** landed firmly in **Miho's** grasp.
The **blue sword** embedded itself in **Veno's** hand.
Suho froze mid-pose, mouth open.
Veno stared at the glowing blade, shaking his head frantically—**no, no, no**—while Miho cackled, spinning his new weapon like a child with candy.
Suho's face twitched.
> "You've got to be kidding me…"
But the **Archmage's staff** still hovered in front of him.
Hope returned.
> "Finally," he whispered. "Maybe I was meant to be a great wizard after all!"
He reached out. The staff drifted past his fingertips—
and settled neatly into **Hogwords's** small bony hands.
Suho collapsed to his knees.
> "Why?! After almost dying, not even a participation reward?!"
The others looked away; even the dragons seemed embarrassed.
---
Veno suddenly stepped forward.
He placed his palm on the far wall, gathering aura once more.
Blue light flared, and a hidden pattern revealed itself—a sealed doorway long forgotten.
Stone rumbled open.
Inside was a narrow chamber lined with shelves.
Dust lay thick over dozens of ancient **books**.
> (Book of Aura Techniques — Author: Unknown — Rank: ???)
> (Magic Circle Formation Manual — Classification: Unregistered)
> (Text not recognized by Universal System of ???)
Every notification blinked with corrupted data.
> "Why are all the labels like this?" Suho muttered.
Veno picked up books and handed it to him.
Suho stared down at the worn cover.
> "Is this… what we came here for?"
Veno gave a single, silent nod.
---
> [Time until Third Wave — 4 Hours.]
Suho stepped out to the city plaza.
Mountains of gathered relics and fragments surrounded him—most useless, some promising.
There was no time to study them all.
He began organizing his army for war.
He raised floating metal panels into the air and stationed **Goblin Skeleton Archers** upon them.
At the front line he placed **Skeleton Trolls** and **Minotaurs**; behind them, the **Skeleton Dragons** and every **Stage-1 Boss** he had revived.
The **Mages** lined the rear, chanting newly learned barrier and bombardment spells.
Every fallen **Catalus Knight** and **Soldier** he had defeated was now resurrected—each placed carefully within ritual circles, drawn by Suho's own hand.
He alone could not summon undead with a word like a true necromancer.
Every skeleton required precision, time, and mana.
---
The air trembled.
> [Third Wave — Commencing.]
From beyond the ruins, the earth split open.
Gigantic **Catalus Giants** emerged, followed by endless ranks of soldiers and knights.
At their rear stood four towering figures radiating black aura—**Commanders.**
Arrows notched. Blades gleamed.
The war began.
Both armies charged.
The collision shook the city to its foundations.
Steel met bone. Fire erupted.
The barrier shimmered as thousands of attacks struck simultaneously.
Suho stood at the front line, aura swirling around his body.
He picked up a fallen spear.
> [Name: Suho / Species: Human / Class: None / Talent: None]
He hurled the spear with all his strength.
It tore through the air and impaled a dozen enemies in a single strike.
> [Level 74 → 75]
> [EXP gained x2 — Hidden Stage Bonus.]
He drew his sword, covering his limbs in aura and holy power through **Combine**.
> [Strength temporarily increased.]
He leapt into the fray, slashing through Catalus ranks.
Cuts opened across his body, but he never slowed.
Beside him, **Veno** wielded the blue sword with frightening mastery.
Lightning coursed along his bones, transforming him into a streak of light that cut through dozens of foes in seconds.
**Miho** stood still amid chaos, gripping the red blade with both skeletal hands.
He closed his eyes; red aura gathered around him until the air shook.
When he finally moved, his single slash unleashed a wave of scarlet energy that obliterated everything before him.
**Hogwords**, clutching the Archmage's staff, chanted furiously.
Vines of pure mana burst from the ground, binding enemies where they stood.
Then he released a massive **Fireball**—a sun crashing into the earth.
The explosion tore through the battlefield, vaporizing hundreds of Catalus.
A ripple of air pressure followed, shaking the entire city.
Hogwarts also give buff to suho.
> [You have received Buff — Speed Slight Increase.]
Suho surged forward, charging straight toward the **Commanders**.
Each step echoed like thunder.
He leapt, body glowing red-gold, and swung his sword downward at the **Commander Captain**.
The strike met steel—
and stopped.
The Captain caught Suho's sword with one hand, smiling.
Time seemed to freeze.
Even the undead paused in disbelief.
The Commander's other hand began to glow, swirling with **dark aura**.
> "What—" Suho managed before the blast hit.
The black energy slammed into his chest, burning through armor and skin.
He screamed as the force hurled him skyward.
His body spun helplessly upward, dark light still searing from the wound, rising toward the shimmering barrier that sealed the ruined city.
Below, his army looked up—
Miho reaching out,
Veno silent,
the dragons roaring.
The sky swallowed him.
---
⚡ **End of Chapter 18**
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