Chapter 127

Words : 1064 Updated : Oct 5th, 2025

Chapter 127: Chapter 127 Seeing the look of disbelief on Clayton’s face, the group of ragged men responded with mocking laughter. Without hesitation, they resumed their assault on him. But Clayton didn’t just stand there. He swiftly conjured a Water Dome around himself. Bang! Boom! A series of magical explosions echoed through the area, filling the surroundings with chaos and thick clouds of dust. Believing Clayton had been obliterated by their relentless barrage, the group casually approached the spot where he had last stood. Despite the haze left behind by the spells, they were confident—no one could’ve survived such an attack. "Hahaha! What a fool! Looks like you didn’t even get the chance to use your ’ace weapon’ or ’magic scroll’!" "Haha, this just makes looting your corpse easier!" Brimming with arrogance, they continued forward. But as the dust began to settle, their smug expressions faltered. Their eyes widened in shock when they saw Clayton still standing, completely unharmed, inside his intact Water Dome. A faint smirk curled the corner of Clayton’s lips, making their faces darken. That smile—it felt like a direct insult to their pride. Humiliated, they shouted more jeers his way. "So what? You’re still alone! Your defense might be strong, but it won’t last forever!" "We’ll wear you down eventually!" "If only you had a team, maybe you’d last longer in this dungeon. But you’re too arrogant! Chasing quality and ignoring quantity—what a joke!" "Blame your youth... or maybe your NPD!" With that, they prepared to launch a brutal final assault. But inside the dome, Clayton simply smiled—this time, with meaning. "Who said I was alone?" The group hesitated. From the beginning, they were certain Clayton had entered the dungeon alone. Was he bluffing? Something in his confident tone made them wary. Their eyes darted around, searching for signs of backup. All they saw were a few small, seemingly harmless magical creatures. Feeling relieved, they laughed dismissively. "Hmph! Resorting to psychological tricks now?" "Nice try—but illusions don’t win real battles!" Unconcerned, they resumed their attack. Then suddenly, a group of previously motionless mini skeletons began to move toward them. They sneered. "What’s this? Your little toys? Are you stupid or what?" They casually struck the skeletons aside—but to their surprise, the skeletons absorbed their blows and retaliated with equal force. Their expressions turned serious. They increased the intensity of their attacks, but the results were the same. The skeletons held their ground. Confusion crept in. This wasn’t just an ordinary skirmish. Their instincts screamed at them to run. But before they could flee, the skeletons cast Rain of Needles. Agonized screams rang out as hundreds of magical needles tore into their bodies, turning them into bloodied, perforated husks. Life drained from their eyes. In their final moments, they turned to see Clayton standing calmly, wearing a polite smile. But to them, that warm smile looked like the grin of a devil. "Hahaha... Just one question—who’s the NPD and stupid now? Me... or you?" Their mouths moved as if to respond, but no sound escaped. They collapsed, dead—bodies riddled with holes, faces frozen in disbelief. Clayton let out a relieved sigh. Even though he’d been confident from the start that he could defeat a group of third-star apprentice mages, there was always the risk they might be carrying dangerous artifacts or scrolls. With the battle over, he ordered his skeletons to clean up the area. Then, he retrieved Scroll No. 48 and walked over to the corpse of the man who seemed to be their leader. As soon as he activated the scroll, Clayton’s body tensed. His brow furrowed, and sweat poured down his face. "Ugh... No matter how many times I use this thing, I can never get used to the flood of chaotic memories..." After a while, he calmed down and began to process the man’s memories. From them, he learned that the group had entered and exited this dungeon multiple times. Since they could no longer earn the dungeon’s main rewards, they had begun targeting newcomers—especially solo adventurers like Clayton. Their goal was simple: robbery. Unfortunately for them, this time they picked the wrong target. Although Clayton gained a wealth of information, the memories were fragmented, so he still wasn’t sure what trials lay ahead. But one thing was clear: the gateway to the next test lay to the west. The group had been there before but had backed off after seeing a large crowd. From their experience, crowds meant conflict—and they preferred hunting isolated prey. Clayton nodded. Smart thinking—but still, they had underestimated the wrong opponent. Now that he knew the area was relatively safe, he decided to camp there for the night. He resumed the dinner he had left unfinished. ... The next morning, Clayton woke up early. He assigned tasks to his skeletons while eating and packing his things. While checking the loot, he was surprised to find a large stash of potions and magical materials. No doubt about it—these guys had been robbing people for a long time. That only strengthened Clayton’s belief that killing them was the right decision. No regrets. Once everything was in order, he began exploring the nearby area—but found nothing of value. The silence in this region wasn’t without reason. So Clayton made up his mind to head west, toward the gate. From his magical pouch, he pulled out a flying broomstick. He’d owned it for a while but had never used it, since flying brooms were forbidden in the city. Additionally, only wizards of three-star rank or higher can control a flying broom. Though awkward at first, he quickly adapted. Flying with a magic tool turned out to be quite fun—almost addictive. After some time, he reached the sea that separated the small island from the mainland. Clayton stopped—not to swim, but to observe. In the memories of the ragged group, they had once been attacked by a massive sea monster while crossing these waters. That thought made Clayton uneasy. From their perspective, the monster had been powerful—and terrifying. He examined the water closely, throwing stones, even launching a few attacks to bait a response. Nothing. The sea remained calm. Clayton hesitated. Should he risk crossing... or look for another way? Just as he was deep in thought, a thunderous explosion shook the air. Startled, Clayton instinctively stepped back from the shoreline, his entire body tensing in alarm.

Chapter 127

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