Chương 25: The Forgotten King

Alex nodded after he finished modifying his Bone Golems using a combination of all his profession skills. He had successfully learned how to apply Bone Synthesis to bones that were not his own. This greatly reinforced the golems' skeletal structure by fusing their bone vessels with iron, wyvern scales, and golem stone. The result was far stronger armor that formed an integral part of their main frame rather than something merely attached to it.

Lastly, he used the fresh bone cores to enhance their "Soul Circulation," as he called it. He placed two additional cores within their bodies, increasing their flexibility and speed as their souls constantly expanded throughout their forms. As for Meat, the Undead creature had leveled up considerably from the recent fights. It constantly supported Alex by boosting his physical strength and flexibility, and it had already reached Level 4 from the experience gained in the last battle.

Aside from that, Alex had finally forged a new Nether Core for Meat after putting it off for far too long. The System handled most of the process easily, though it still demanded some of Meat's focus and energy. Once the Nether Core was obtained, Meat grew significantly stronger and more energetic. It could now crawl on its own with much greater ease and stretch and extend its fleshy, boneless body more effectively. Of course, his Bone Golems and Meat were not the only ones receiving a boost.

Alex had also made several modifications to his own body in preparation for the challenges ahead. After flying long enough with his wings, he had learned a new skill.

[Flight – Tier 1] A skill that can only be learned by winged creatures or those who have flown using other methods for a prolonged period of time, long enough to view flying not merely as a spell but as a natural extension of their own body. It enhances flying speed, movement, agility, and precision while in the air or soaring through the skies. With enough mastery, all sorts of incredible flying techniques can be reproduced. Ultimately, even the winds themselves might answer your call.

"I see. It grants a minor wind affinity?" Alex wondered, feeling his existing wind affinity strengthen. He opened his palm and willed wind magic into existence. A powerful mini-tornado of spiraling emerald winds formed, which he hurled at the wall. It tore out large chunks before exploding into a gust of cutting blades.

"That's not bad," said Gryg.

"Are you getting the knack for the other elements now that you merged with that crystal?"

"I think so," Alex replied. His jeweled eyes gleamed brightly within his skull.

"But the skill still isn't fully manifesting, so I suppose I need to devote more time to it."

"You learned Fire and Darkness Magic so quickly. Why is this one taking you so long?" Gryg asked.

"It's because I spent two whole nights practicing magic before," Alex explained.

"I can't do that right now, but I'll work on it later. Rest assured."

"Huh, I see. Well, I'm always here if you want someone to teach you how to wield the wind element with precision and mastery," Gryg offered.

"Anyway, are we good to go now?"

"Yes," Alex nodded.

"I'm ready." After collecting the golem cores, the duo walked toward the door and kicked it open. What greeted them was a vast throne room faintly illuminated by dozens of torches lining the walls. As the entire hall brightened, a clear path emerged toward a massive throne. Seated upon it was a giant golem of enormous stature, over five meters tall. This one wore heavy metallic armor rather than stone and held a massive broadsword in one hand.

His armor was gold and black, beautifully decorated with clouds, feathered wings, and coiling serpents. The sword itself looked plain at first glance, yet it was carefully inscribed with runes that granted it enhanced physical and magical power. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. His helmet was shaped like the face of an ancient king. Empty eye sockets glowed with bright ghostly green light from the true eyes beneath.

Long white hair spilled from underneath the helmet as the giant slowly rose to his feet, personally greeting Alex and Gryg. There were no guards, only him.

"Congratulations on making it this far." He spoke in the monster language, which both of them could understand.

"Now you stand before your king… or rather, merely a husk of what was once a great man. My kingdom has fallen. All that remains is myself, a remnant of my frustrations and my inability to change fate. You face the revenant born from my suffering and resentment. This entire dungeon, the enslaved souls of my men turned into golems, they are all my punishment for failing them." His monologue was long, yet far deeper than the two had imagined. They listened in respectful silence.

"But forgive me for speaking too much. You… are not humans. A troll and… a skeleton? How bizarre. Still, you are Players. By the rules of this dungeon and the System, I must slay you. The System promised me I could revive my kingdom and bring back my people, as long as I kill enough humans—or in your case, Players." He brandished his sword. Black flames surged along the blade, coiling like roaring dragons. His eyes gleamed with bright gold and green light.

His aura erupted with immense pressure, shattering the paved floor beneath him.

"Now come! Let us see whose ideals are stronger! Let us see whose path is the correct one! Because at the end of the road, the only thing that decides who is right and who is wrong is the sword and the blood that is spilled!" RUMBLE! [Fallen King of the Forgotten Kingdom, Eustace III – Level 40] Alex and Gryg exchanged a glance. There was no time for conversation or jokes. This opponent was completely serious. Though his words were lengthy, they carried genuine emotion and the weight of his tormented soul.

He was a being who had lingered in this dungeon for who knows how long, watching everything he once loved crumble. The System had fed him a cruel promise: that he could regain everything if he killed enough humans. Now the once-proud king stood before these two bizarre "Players," wielding his blade not purely by his own will, but carrying the dreams and hopes of all those he had failed to save.

"Bone Golems, go. Blade, Hammer, attack him. Arachne, spiderwebs. Wing, you know what to do." Alex issued his orders. At the same time, Gryg chose not to engage in close combat. She raised her scepter and began a long incantation, gathering mana and forging dozens of runes into a potent spell. The strategy was simple: keep the king distracted until she could unleash her full power.

"Fool! You insult me! You bring me the twisted souls of my men and show me these aberrations! Do you truly believe you can accomplish anything with such feeble imitations?!" With a furious roar, Eustace swung his sword and unleashed a catastrophic attack. BOOOM! A massive vertical slash plunged everything into darkness. The bone golems Blade and Hammer were sliced apart, their pieces sent flying across the room.

They crashed into two pillars, causing them to collapse and bury the golems under hundreds of tons of stone. CRASH! Part of the ceiling crumbled as giant boulders rained down. Alex watched with cold eyes while Arachne's spiderwebs quickly restrained the king for a brief moment. But then—"Pathetic." He grabbed the spiderwebs with his bare hands. Even as the flames within them burned his soul, he tore them apart with a single swing.

"Are you done playi—" Before he could kill Arachne, a rain of phantasmal flames descended upon him, burning his entire body once more. Yet the king remained unfazed. Burning, he stared sharply at Wing and manifested a blade of shadow and black flames.

"Die." The sword shot toward Wing, piercing the giant wyvern-shaped golem's chest and exploding. BOOOM! Thick smoke filled the surroundings. Eustace calmly brushed dust from his armor. At that moment, a shadowy figure emerged behind him. Alex struck with a small sword enhanced by nether energy, hitting the king's neck and shoulder in an explosion of nether flames and shadows. And yet…

"Not bad. But not enough." The King turned to face Alex and swung a powerful punch. Alex barely dodged. The strike sent shockwaves into the wall, leaving a deep fist-shaped crater. Alex knew this was not a boss he should be fighting at his current level. But for the sake of growth, research, and survival, he had to face this challenge and overcome it.

"You dodged. Impressive."

"..." Alex said nothing. He suddenly summoned a giant broadsword from his Bone Storage, enhanced it with Alchemical Nether, and swung it at the King's face while charging it with enough Nether Aura that the blade threatened to explode at any moment.

"Phantom Blade." This was not an attack aimed at the king's armor. His sword turned ghostly. Before Eustace could comprehend the technique, the strike pierced directly into his soul, completely bypassing the heavy, indestructible armor. CRAAASH!

"Ngh?!"