The Bone Lord is an extraordinarily aberrant being, even among the colossal monsters classified as Bosses.
Typically, such Boss-class creatures maintain their territory in silence until it's time to emerge as stage bosses and threaten Ark. The Bone Lord, however, is a rare anomaly—it doesn't appear as a stage boss but instead simply wanders its territory.
Of course, it ravenously devours anything foolish enough to step into that territory.
That's why encountering the Bone Lord is in itself an exceedingly rare occurrence, and when it does happen, survival is considered impossible.
Where the Sand Devourer is a living calamity bringing disaster to travelers outside Ark, the Bone Lord is misfortune incarnate—an embodiment of despair.
For the average Ark soldier, chances to face—or even know of—the Bone Lord are minimal.
And yet...
Here we were, walking straight into the Bone Lord's domain of our own accord.
If anyone from Ark saw this, they'd scream it was madness—or maybe even marvel at it as a new form of suicide. But no, we weren't insane, nor were we wishing for death.
This was the Bone Lord Hunt.
A mission so unfeasible that even Ark wouldn't dare attempt it for countless practical reasons—now to be realized by a group of fewer than ten.
Despite that, no one among us believed this hunt to be impossible.
'Hmph.'
The view around us shifted rapidly.
The bone parasite beast commanded by the Turncoat Queen, in all its massive bulk, moved us toward our destination with remarkable speed and stability.
I wouldn't be surprised if it had been cultivated solely as a mount, judging by how unnaturally smooth the ride was.
"We're almost there. From here on, this is Bone Lord territory."
"If we're planning an ambush, wouldn't underground be better? That mount you brought seems perfect for it."
The Turncoat Queen replied with a look that asked if I was serious.
"You want me to drag that fragile child into this battle? Absolutely not. This is a sacred fight—to determine the true King."
To call a Sand Devourer—now strengthened and hardened through bone parasitism—fragile... even Turncoat Rook looked dumbfounded but chose not to comment.
"And an ambush in a sacred battle? This is a fight to decide the true King. Such tricks are meaningless here."
In other words, even if we tried, there was no fooling the Bone Lord's senses—so she wasn't risking her mount needlessly.
And yet, if an ambush had worked, she probably would've done it anyway.
'The Bone Lord…'
Even I had rarely seen the Bone Lord being hunted.
That's because the Bone Lord Hunt event was so exceptionally rare—and as an Ark soldier, having a chance to participate was even rarer.
A convergence of unlikely coincidences had to occur.
So, this could hardly be dismissed as coincidence—it was more like destiny.
'More like inevitability.'
We passed through the wilderness and approached a towering mountain range rising suddenly over the horizon.
A shadow of jagged peaks that looked entirely out of place compared to the bleak wastelands we'd crossed.
But I knew.
This was no ordinary mountain range.
"...The inner domain."
Rook squinted toward the horizon.
Mountains made entirely of bone.
There was no reason a creature like the Bone Lord would leave behind bone, much less shape it like that—unless the mountains themselves were part of its body.
["Kin... danger… ahead…"]
Turncoat Knight, who rarely spoke first, warned us in a trembling voice.
He hadn't spoken even in the Turncoat King's domain—so the fact he spoke now proved how much more wary he was of this place.
"Oh dear, he's still like that. Can't even form proper sentences... Poor thing."
The Turncoat Queen chuckled, almost affectionately.
But her words couldn't be ignored.
"You know Knight?"
"I know all those he calls kin. And he knows them too."
All of them, huh...
Given her range of activity and intelligence network, it wasn't unthinkable.
"He's been through a lot. Please take good care of him."
"That's rich, coming from you."
"To watch over those who've lost their way and wander without purpose—that is one of my duties. Or rather, one of my responsibilities as the King's retainer."
"Don't make me laugh."
I already knew she was mentally unhinged.
But there was no need to comprehend a monster's logic.
"Hmm..."
The conversation didn't last long.
We were getting close.
Something massive was starting to make its presence known.
Uuuuuuuuuuun───
The air trembled violently.
No, not just the air—even the bone parasite beasts we were riding screamed in terror.
[ScreeeEEEE!]
[GyaaAAaaaaaah──!]
Ether reacted the same way.
["I feel like… throwing up."]
Unable to withstand the pressure, Ether burst free from Esther's control, thrashing violently.
[S-scared…]
[Hurts. Hurts. Hurts. Hurts. Hurts. Hurts. Hurts. Hurts. Hurts. Hurts. Hurts. Hurts. Hurts. Hurts. Hurts. Hurts. Hurts. Hurts. Hurts. Hurts. Hurts.]
[Don't do… thaaat────!]
It appeared.
The mountain range of bone began to shift.
The Bone Lord had started to move.
"The false king finally reveals himself."
Even now, the Turncoat Queen remained composed—if not outright thrilled.
Gugugugugugu!
As everything trembled, the Turncoat King, who had watched in silence from his bone throne, finally stood.
Rook started to say something but froze as he watched the Turncoat King launch himself without hesitation.
"Wha—"
Wings spread wide, the Turncoat King shot forward at a speed surpassing even Horus.
Considering Horus moved faster than the speed of sound, this was truly phenomenal.
'It begins.'
I wasn't about to sit back and watch.
If I had come all this way, I intended to contribute.
Clack─
From the [Rift Space], the Zeus-444 Railgun appeared in my hand.
"Hmm... quite the vicious toy you've got there, Pawn."
"You already knew."
"Knowing and seeing are different things."
The Turncoat Queen smiled slyly.
But there was no time left for banter.
[Lv.10]
Energy condensed at the heart of the railgun named after the god of thunder, Zeus, and sparks crackled from the muzzle.
Tch-tch, tchhhhhh—!
The current round: a 120mm Special Alloy Shell.
Explosive rounds like the A-985 or napalm shells like the NA-44 were useless against the Bone Lord—so I opted for pure physical force.
Click—
The trigger pulled.
────────────!
A soundless flash burst in a straight line.
A speed far beyond sound.
A shell near the speed of light struck with overwhelming destructive force—and hit the Bone Lord.
"Wha—"
The Turncoat Queen, always composed, was momentarily speechless.
One of the towering bone mountains—the Bone Lord's extensions—was obliterated in an instant.
If the Bone Lord claimed an entire region as its body, then at level 10 output, the Zeus-444 Railgun had power to destroy terrain.
Kuguguguguuuu───!
The sound arrived late.
A signal flare, heralding a war of a different scale than a Wave.
KWA-AAAAANG!
Thousands of bone tendrils surged from the Turncoat King and raced toward the bone mountains.
The raining tendrils reshaped the scenery, making it seem like the world itself had entered a fifth season.
KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA───!
It looked like a man was fighting nature itself—but everyone here knew better.
This was not a human battle.
This was Turncoat King vs. Bone Lord.
Beings beyond human comprehension, locked in combat.
"...Ah, I shouldn't just be standing here."
Even the Queen, who had been staring in awe, now spread her wings of bone.
So did Turncoat Bishop.
"Pawn, it's time to do your part. You will, won't you?"
"I will."
"Good."
With that, the Turncoat Queen and Bishop soared toward the battlefield.
"...They're gone."
Rook looked around the suddenly quiet area.
"So, what now, Carl Marcus? Personally, I'd rather just sit back and watch this madness."
"We should assist."
"Can't say I agree."
"We never did."
Rook chuckled softly.
Now only the three of us remained.
But I had no intention of sitting this one out.
'Horus.'
At my call, Horus—linked tightly with Janus—appeared in the sky.
Even Rook and Knight looked a bit startled by his sudden arrival.
"Let's go."
I mounted Horus. Knight climbed up immediately. Rook hesitated, then joined us.
"What's the plan?"
"Let the main players fight. No need for me to bleed."
We might be allies, but this was clearly a battle between the Turncoat King and the Bone Lord.
If what I knew was correct, I had no reason to interfere recklessly.
'What matters most is what happens after this battle.'
That said, I wasn't taking the fight lightly.
The Bone Lord was not something to underestimate.
[Keeheheheheh!]
The hunt had begun.
===BREAK===
Like the story and want more chapters?
Join and support me by joining my Patreon!
[email protected]/SiRoasa