How to Raise Your Skeletons - Chapter 108

Chapter 108: Team Selection

“Lucas…”

“It’s Red-Eyed Lucas!”

The scattered crowd made of the 41 participants who survived Theme 1 began gathering in the center at the chief judge’s reappearance.

—Tap, tap.

At that moment, someone tapped my right shoulder.

“Where were you? You suddenly disappeared.”

It was Olena, her face full of curiosity. Beside her, James and Capu had similar expressions. Even the Spear of Judgment casually made eye contact with me as he tapped his weapon, pretending to be uninterested. They all seemed to expect an answer from me.

What’s this now? Do I really have to explain something like this?

“…Haha, I was just checking out some rewards.”

As I gave a vague excuse, Olena’s eyes sparkled.

“Huh? That staff in your hand! It’s the first time I’ve seen it. Is it a reward you received? That crimson color makes it look really expensive.”

“Ah, well, yes.”

I had thrown away the E-rank staff I was using before. The staff I now wielded was of the terrifyingly high rank of godslayer. No, to be precise, it was an element that had transformed into a staff.

“Wow, then what rank did you select for your reward? 100% or 30%? Don’t tell me you succeeded with 1%?” Olena smiled brightly as she expressed her interest.

“Everyone, attention.”

Lucas’s impactful voice filled the room. His voice was so strong and had such weight that it naturally drew everyone’s gaze.

“…”

The once noisy space fell silent. We, too, stopped our conversation and focused on Lucas.

He seemed pleased by the sight. “It’s nice and quiet.” A faint smile appeared on his lips. “Congratulations to all of you who survived Theme 1. This trial seems to have an unusually high survival rate. Normally, about 40% would have died.”

Hearing Lucas’s cold voice, I nodded.

That’s true.

Recalling the details of Theme 2, that seemed accurate. We would be divided into three teams with a maximum of 10 members selected for each. That meant the creator of this dungeon likely anticipated about 30 survivors. If I hadn’t subdued the poison mist, it would have been the same this time.

“You’re all relatively lucky. Compared to the gruesome previous trials, you reached Theme 2 much more easily. Thanks to an unexpected rookie, that is.”

Was it just my imagination that Lucas’s fiery red eyes briefly looked my way?

No.

It wasn’t my imagination. The emotion in Lucas’s eyes—I could clearly read the raw emotion he was exuding.

It was curiosity.

How could I be so sure of it, someone might ask? My answer to that question is: because I’ve experienced it. Not just with Lucas but from the Five Stars of Seoul to rank 84, the Thundercry. Every ranker I’d met looked at me as if I were a zoo animal.

Really. Living a long life did bring surprises. To think I’d live a life where even rankers took an interest in me.

What a dramatic change.

Well done, Joo Donghoon. Compared to when I was an E-rank Hunter, I’d grown a lot.

“However.”

—Swoosh!

At that moment, Lucas raised his right arm. “The number of people who can move on to Theme 2 is limited to 30. Unfortunately, 11 of you will be eliminated here.”

—Rumble!

The ground began to tremble with a shift in the terrain around me.

—Crack! Crrrack!

The ground around me began splitting in a circular pattern.

“Wh-What is happening?”

“Hoon?”

“There’s a line drawn around Hoon? Move away for now!”

As Olena and Capu stepped back…

—Thud, thud, thud!

The ground beneath me shot into the sky.

Wow.

As gravity pressed down on my body like a ride at an amusement park, I looked around. There were three others besides me floating in the air—two participants and the judge, Lucas.

[Three team leaders will be selected for Theme 2 based on contribution.]

Ah, right, the team leaders. This was another privilege granted to the participants who had contributed greatly in the previous theme.

It’s starting now.

Clenching my fists, I focused on the message.

[Team 1 – Joo Donghoon, the Skeleton King]

[Team 2 – Chris Larsen, the Slaughterer]

[Team 3 – Wolf, the Illusionist]

Chris Larsen and Wolf.

Those were the names of those who ranked second and third in contribution after me.

I looked them up and down, examining them closely.

First, Chris Larsen.

So that’s the second-place guy, huh?

To me, his first impression was terrible. He had golden hair reminiscent of a medieval prince and a gaudy shirt that looked like it belonged to a spoiled rich kid. Despite a month having passed in this dungeon, his slicked-back hair remained impeccably styled.

I hear he’s notorious for picking fights and killing people.

His was the name I heard most frequently after arriving in Theme 2. Even the Spear of Judgment showed an intense reaction to him.

Not to mention…

His alias said it all—The Slaughterer. I was genuinely curious to know how many people one had to kill to earn a title like that.

Next is Wolf.

Truthfully, I couldn’t properly see Wolf’s appearance because he was covered head to toe in a robe with peculiar patterns.

—Ring!

[Team leaders will take turns selecting members.]

“Teams? They’re selecting teams?”

“Those guys up there? What, is this a team match now?”

Participants who hadn’t yet received the information murmured below.

“Huh? Wait! So Joo Donghoon is in first place?”

Another person noticed the message and began talking about me.

[Team 1 – Joo Donghoon, the Skeleton King]

“Who’s Joo Donghoon the Skeleton King?”

“That’s a Korean name, isn’t it? Wow, as expected of the hunter powerhouse known for hermit masters!”

“Ah, so it was thanks to Joo Donghoon that the poison mist was subdued! He’s probably guaranteed to be a ranker.”

“The Skeleton King… Does that mean he’s a necromancer? Necromancers are so overpowered!”

Some simply acknowledged it. Others looked at me with envy. Various emotions mixed and flowed in my direction.

“…Hoon, you’re ranked first?”

Even Olena and her group seemed dazed by the unexpected result.

“Impressive. I didn’t expect Hoon to be so strong. Though, his skeletons did seem overwhelmingly powerful.”

While the participants were chattering about me, a new message appeared.

[Each team leader may select up to 10 members.]

[Participants who are not chosen will be eliminated.]

[Eliminated participants will not die and may return under a vow of confidentiality.]

“What? Eliminated?”

“Immediate elimination?”

“That’s absurd! How is kkthis fair? You don’t even know how hard we tried to get here!”

“Do they expect us to leave it to those three to decide our fate? Hah, so they’re telling us to prove ourselves with results if we don’t like these rules, huh.”

“No way.”

Those who risked their lives and pursued their dreams of becoming rankers couldn’t possibly give up, so they were even more desperate.

“Pick me, pick me!”

“No, me! Don’t choose that guy. Choose me! I’ll give you 1 billion if I return!”

“You idiot! You’re only offering 1 billion for a spot in the rankings? Team leaders! Let me be clear! I’ll prioritize the team’s success over money!”

Each person began appealing to the team leaders floating above. Naturally, the one who drew the most attention was me.

“Skeleton King! I’m a mage! You know every party needs a mage…!”

“Mr. Joo Donghoon! If you pick me, I’ll not only cook and do dishes, but I’ll also give you massages every night…”

It was so noisy—too noisy to hear properly. The desperation in their actions was evident.

“…”

Would I have been like that if I didn’t make it into the top three? I didn’t know.

“Joo Donghoon.” Lucas the Arcane Swordsman, looked at me and spoke, “You’re the first one to choose. Pick someone from down below.”

“…Okay.”

I didn’t look at those pleading desperately. I didn’t even glance at Olena, James, or Capu.

We have a connection, but that’s all.

Surviving in a dungeon was a matter of reality. To achieve my goals, I would take the most practical and realistic approach.

First of all, Theme 2 seemed to emphasize cooperation, unlike Theme 1. Cooperation meant that compatibility mattered more than individual skills. In other words, personality was important.

So I set a standard.

I’ll exclude anyone who has murdered for personal gain.

Such individuals were ticking time bombs who could betray the team at any moment if tempted. Avoiding such bombs was already half the battle.

“I choose…”

As I opened my mouth, everyone fell silent.

—Gulp.

Each swallowed nervously, waiting for my decision.

I looked down. There, an individual looked up at me with an expressionless face.

That’s right. You have to be my first choice; I’m sure you know this too. Because only you can distinguish the individuals to avoid.

“I choose Zhang Wei, the Spear of Judgment.”

[‘Zhang Wei, the Spear of Judgment’ has been selected for Team 1.]

—Rumble!

The ground around the Spear of Judgment cracked just as it had for me. Simultaneously, he soared up and landed next to me.

“As I expected, you were first place.”

Those were the first words he uttered upon arrival—no thanks for choosing him or asking why, as if being chosen was a given. Really, he was quite the character.

“You knew? You seemed to have an idea earlier.”

“I merely speculated. Still, seeing the results surprised me. But it makes sense; anyone who can defeat me must be exceptional.”

I smirked bitterly.

So that’s why?

The Spear of Judgment seemed pleased. It must have been because I, who defeated him, turned out to be even stronger than expected.

“Anyway, I chose you for one reason.”

“What is it?” The Spear of Judgment’s ears perked up.

I smiled and pointed below. “Sort those people into those who should and shouldn’t be punished, using your ability.”

“…Sort them?”

“Theme 2 emphasizes cooperation. Also, only one team can advance to Theme 3, meaning only ten people. I want those who face the trials with me to not be villains at least.”

That wasn’t all. Like the Five Stars of Seoul, the team I was about to build could end up being lifelong peers. And there was no way I’d want infamous murderers as peers. I, too, wanted respectable teammates like Gi Soyul or Jang Daewoong.

“Haha, you—!”

“…”

“I knew you were truly a good person! A wicked person could never have such upright and noble thoughts.” The Spear of Judgment looked at me with a resolute expression. Then he nodded. “Leave it to me. I’ll judge them with all my heart.”

“…”

It felt like his thought process was a bit simple.

But whatever…

As long as the results were good, I’d be fine with it. In a way, it made him easier to deal with.

Thus began the team member selection!

[‘Olena Zelenska’ has been selected for Team 1.]

[‘Francis Fred’ has been selected for Team 2.]

[‘Clara Zoomy’ has been selected for Team 3.]

[‘Myoi Hana’ has been selected for Team 1.]

[‘Melissa Stone’ has been selected for Team 2.]

[‘Julia Blanchet’ has been selected for Team 3.]

…

I made my selections first, followed by Chris Larsen and Wolf. And accordingly, messages appeared one by one for everyone.

I referenced the energy of the Great Blue Heart Technique and the Spear of Judgment’s ability to choose my teammates carefully. And before long…

[Total: 10 members]

[Team member selection is complete.]

Next to me stood 10 participants—those who would face the trials of Theme 2 together with me.

“…”

I made eye contact with them. They, too, looked at me. A long silence ensued.

[Theme 2 begins.]