Your Martial Weapon is a Bit Hellish

Question: What should you do when the BOSS suddenly starts charging up and unleashes a super powerful Ultimate Skill right in front of you?

A: There's no time to answer, I need to run over and chop!

The moment people saw all the Deep Bishop begin to gather their magic, they realized something was terribly wrong. If they couldn't interrupt them, they would be in big trouble!

As if sensing their thoughts, the Deep Bishop Zane Dungeon formed a circle around the Aldrich's Carrion, and dark purple magic, symbolizing the Darkness, rose up, creating a protective shield around them to block the attack.

The objective of the next battle is quite obvious. The adventurers only need to focus on breaking through the shield and killing the archbishop to interrupt the magic, but Sain has much more to consider.

For example, increasing the difficulty for those who skip class.

"Pfft! Pfft!"

The enormous coffin erupted like a volcano, with large clumps of black, rotting flesh falling from the sky. As they fell, they changed shape until they completely transformed into alien forms upon landing.

Maggot- Living Dead, wandering soldiers, Church Knight, Maggot Man —all the monsters the adventurers had encountered before appeared, their numbers matching those of the Deepwater Bishop Congregation. They pounced on the adventurers even before they landed.

The monster formed from rotten flesh has the same stats as the original, but it gains a berserk state and specifically targets and attacks the weakest among them.

This is the last mechanism: adventurers judged as truants will encounter enhanced monsters formed from rotting flesh during battle, and the Deepwater Bishop Congregation's charging speed will also increase.

Regarding how to determine truancy, if an adventurer has not lowered the two gates through normal exploration methods in the past or present before challenging the Deepwater Bishop Congregation, then it can be considered truancy. If an adventurer has lowered the gates in a previous exploration, then even if they truancy in a future exploration, the truancy penalty will be reduced, such as the monsters not being enhanced versions, the amount of rotten flesh being halved, etc.

Additionally, if Fingel and his companions hadn't killed the two giant slaves before challenging the Deepwater Bishop Congregation, they would have appeared in this battle as well, which could be considered one of the punishments for skipping class.

Despite the long list of penalties, in practice, the punishments don't seem too severe. Only the maximum penalty plus two giant slaves would be considered difficult.

The main reason is that the Deepwater Bishop Congregation possess instant-kill skills that are difficult to use in normal combat. With the added benefit of the truancy penalty, the release speed of these instant-kill skills is greatly accelerated. Therefore, further increasing the difficulty of the truancy penalty would be redundant, and it would be better to save some Spirit Power.

"How are we supposed to fight so many?!" Tus was on the verge of collapse because he realized that the Church Knight seemed to have their eyes on the Guzha Squad. What was this called, picking on the weak?

Although running away is shameful, it is very useful. At this moment, the Guzha Squad has no other choice but to run. Even Maggot Man would be enough to give them a hard time.

Seeing the surging monsters, Fingel sighed, looked at Matilda, and said:

"We'll just have to let them see it, Matilda."

Aleya jumped up and down, and the Straw Man's expression changed several times, as if to say:

"There's always a way. Can't we just not let Matilda make a move yet?"

Fingel shook his head. What was the point of hiding things now? What if they could win by taking a gamble? They had already discovered the secret of the red light, and maybe they could win on their first challenge.

Matilda remained silent, only kneeling on the ground and pressing her hands to the ground.

Aleya closed her eyes in anguish, recalling the exclamation she had uttered when she first met Matilda and she was serious.

"It's actually a weapon!?"

"Flash" Fingel earned this nickname because of his insidious Flash Spell.

Matilda's title, "Hell March," comes from the effects of her weapon.

One red halo after another lit up the ground, spreading like ripples across the entire venue, causing everyone to momentarily lose their senses.

"I'm going to comfort the younger generation. Remember to replenish Matilda's strength."

As Fingel spoke, he went to help Tus and the others out of the crisis. The latter looked at the strange phenomenon caused by Matilda and asked, "What's going on?"

Suddenly remembering something, he exclaimed in shock, "Could it be that the legend of the weapons is true?"

"Yes, we didn't mean to hide it, it's just that we really can't use it normally." Fingel nodded and said:

"Matilda's weapon, the Hell March, is the armor she wears. Its effect is to summon those who have 'wounded' her and died to fight alongside her."

As he was explaining, more than a dozen red phantoms appeared around Matilda, including men, women, and children. They all rushed towards the monster. Some were slapped away by the Maggot Man, while others were able to fight the Church Knight to a standstill. It seemed that the phantoms had varying levels of strength.

"The dead will retain their strength from before they died. The weak may improve, but the strong cannot exceed Matilda's own strength."

"Oh"

Tus nodded blankly. The last time he saw weapons was with another group of Gold-Rank Adventurer.

He suddenly had another question—

Rumors say that Matilda was kicked out of the party because of her weapon, but the effect of [Hell March] doesn't seem that outrageous. If we're talking about evil, even the Undead's magic is more evil than this weapon, so why was she kicked out?

Fingel saw through his thoughts and said with a smile, "I suggest you all close your eyes and don't look at what's coming next."

Why?

"Because Matilda doesn't have complete control over the weapon, she encounters some minor problems when using it."

As he spoke, red phantoms appeared around all the adventurers who were enveloped in the red aura.

Fingel shrugged and said, "Just like that, the effects of the Hell March will also apply to you."

"It doesn't feel like much," Tuss thought. "Although it's a bit embarrassing to summon the dead who once injured me to fight, it doesn't warrant kicking Matilda out of the team, does it?" Tus was even more puzzled.

Fingel smiled silently, turning his head to look at the hundreds of figures gradually taking shape in front of him, a nostalgic expression on his face.

"But it seems like none of the people who injured me are dead," Tus muttered to himself, looking at the phantom forming in front of him with a puzzled expression.

"Whom can I summon, Grandma!?"

When Tus saw the kind-looking old woman in front of him, Tus mind went blank. The woman in front of him was his grandmother, who loved him the most when he was a child, but who had died unexpectedly due to a serious illness!

The moment he saw his loved ones, his heart was pierced with pain.

"Mom!?" "Sister?" "Wife!"

Exclamations of amazement rose and fell among the adventurers, who had all seen the deceased hidden deep within their hearts!

The summoning condition for [Hell March] is a dead person who "injures himself". This injury includes both physical injury and mental injury, such as death of the heart and grief.

Meeting the deceased is touted as a miracle in some religions, and the living may feel happiness upon seeing their deceased relatives.

But don't forget that the hard requirement for Hell March is "being injured". If the summoned dead cannot injure the summoner, then it's not hell at all.

On the other side, some of the adventurers who saw the dead were already crying, sobbing uncontrollably.

Tus was trying to hold back his emotions, but for a moment, the kind grandmother in front of him flickered and suddenly transformed into the painful image of someone dying from illness. That was the image that would most provoke Tus!

At that moment, he could no longer hold back, and tears welled up in his eyes.

"Sigh," Fingel thought to himself, looking at the Guzha Squad's reaction: I'm sorry, I'll make it up to you when we get back.

Hell March has the ability to evoke grief in others. Each time this ability is used, it is equivalent to making those around it relive the pain of losing a loved one. The deeper this pain, the stronger the phantom becomes.

The wounds that were originally hidden in her heart were repeatedly ripped open, which was unbearable for anyone, which is why Matilda couldn't stay in her old team.

Fortunately, she encountered Fingel and Aleya, the latter without a single shadowy figure by her side, while the former...

Hundreds of illusory figures surrounded Fingel, including old people, adults, and children, all with smiles on their faces. Their clothes were similar, and their appearances were somewhat alike. These were the villagers from the village where Fingel was born.

"Mr. Fingel, why didn't you..." Tus tried his best not to look at his grandmother fighting the monster, so he had to divert his attention to ask Fingel.

"I've gotten used to it."

Fingel blinked, and the villagers in front of him suddenly changed. The simple villagers' figures instantly twisted, and various demonic features appeared on their bodies. They all transformed into evil demons, opening their bloody mouths and howling to the sky!

Tus was startled, breaking out in a cold sweat. "What, what's going on!"

Fingel patted him on the shoulder and said:

"I once got my brain cursed while protecting my comrades, which made it basically impossible for me to take risks anymore. So the captain kicked me out. I was heartbroken for a long time and wanted to go back to my hometown to farm because the people there were very kind to me. Even if I went back empty-handed, they would accept me."

"When I got home, the village was gone, and monsters were everywhere. I almost got killed."

"Fortunately, some mercenaries who happened to be patrolling nearby came to my rescue, and I killed the monster with them."

"Later, the mercenary leader told me that these monsters were all local villagers who had been turned into monsters by an evil sorcerer."

Hundreds of villagers, transformed into beast-like forms, rushed towards the rotting flesh monsters, while many more attacked the protective shield of the Deepwater Bishop Congregation, filling the ground with eerie roars.

Tus understood what Fingel meant; it was best for him to remain silent at this moment.

Fingel personally killed everyone in his own village.

"Alright, let's not make the atmosphere so heavy. That's all in the past." Fingel patted Tus hard on the Tus, his usual bright smile on his face. "I feel really lucky to be able to see everyone thanks to Matilda's abilities."

Tus remained silent. He had become depressed just from seeing his grandmother, so what about Fingel, who had seen the entire village in one go?

"Mr. Fingel, who was the mercenary who saved you?"

"Why are you interested in this? They weren't that famous back then."

He made a gesture with his hands as if wings were fluttering up and down.

"It was the Light Eagle Legion. Back then, they were called the White Eagle Regiment."

"The fact that the monsters are all transformed villagers and that their weakness is their heads was told to me by their leader Iliphis, during the battle."

Fingel looked up at the ceiling and sighed, "Back then, I never imagined he would become such a big shot in the kingdom. It's a pity I still haven't found the magician who destroyed the village."

"And then what?" Tus asked, then immediately realized he'd uttered a pointless question.

Fingel hesitated for a moment, then said, "How about feeding it to Aldrich?"

"No, no, we should still let Overlord Wolnir bite him to death, shouldn't we?"

"Wait, sending the Farron Undead Legion is also a good option."

He couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

On the other side, Matilda gradually became exhausted, Aleya took out a seed and threw it at her, and she immediately became full of energy again.

"Vitality Vine" Aleya insists on using various plants she has researched to assist her teammates in battle. Her signature plant is the Vitality Vine, which she has researched and cultivated. Eating it can instantly restore one's vitality, allowing one to run for three days and three nights without feeling tired.

However, most people would die from the bursting energy shortly after consuming it, while Matilda's weapons require a lot of physical strength, which complements Aleya perfectly.

Fingel can summon hundreds of phantoms, the most of the three. The mutated villagers are also quite powerful, and he is happy to see them.

Thus, the three formed a team, creating a wonderful chemical reaction, and climbed all the way to the Gold level.

When Hell March is used, it means that Hasawi Squad is getting serious.

What followed could be described as a race against time.

The phantom and the monster engaged in a small-scale war, with howls filling the air as they clashed, making it impossible to tell which side was the monster.

Thanks to the phantom's help, Fingel was able to get close to the Deep Bishop's protective shield, which was perfect for him to stand still and attack. He stood still and started hacking wildly at the shield, causing it to flicker wildly.

Matilda was unable to exert too much power while maintaining the Hellish Warriors—no, the Hell March —and could only take on the task of clearing out the minions.

Just as the situation was developing in a positive direction, the dark cloud released by the Deepwater Bishop Congregation had completely enveloped everyone, and an unsettling feeling was building up in people's hearts.

When this sense of unease reaches its peak, that will be their death!

Fingel took the Vitality Vine from Aleya and swallowed it. His whole body turned crimson instantly, and the speed at which he wielded his twin swords became imperceptible to the naked eye.

The frequency of the Dark Shield's flashing increased rapidly, and it was about to reach the critical point. Due to the Vitality Vine, Fingel suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Aldrich's coffin spewed out rotting flesh again, this time even including dark magic. He did not flinch, knowing that if he stopped, the power he had built up for Gravity Slash would vanish.

Even though he was gathering his magic, the Deep Bishop inside the protective shield was still being pulled towards Fingel by gravity. The Archbishop, in particular, was almost being sucked from the center of the crowd to the edge of the shield!

Fingel wanted the opponent to stick close to the shield so he could quickly Execute him.

But at that moment, the dark clouds in the sky suddenly contracted and then expanded again, and all the adventurers felt a tremor in their bodies and vomited blood from their seven orifices!

This means that the Deepwater Bishop Congregation have accumulated half of their ultimate skills, and the adventurers are about to be instantly killed!

Others joined in trying to break the shield, but the shield, like the bracelet of Overlord Wolnir's Bracelet, was about to be destroyed, yet it stubbornly held on until it broke.

At this moment, everyone except Fingel and Aleya was determined to destroy the shield, because...

We've already had our inner wounds reopened in order to eliminate the enemy, so it really wouldn't be right not to take down the Deepwater Bishop Congregation!

Right now, they're unleashing their Blood-Boiling Combination Skill!

"Break!"

Fingel roared, his body bursting with blood from the Vitality Vine, as he unleashed a full-force attack!

The phantom images of villagers behind them also roared at the same time.

A crisp shattering sound rang out, and the Dark Shield vanished in an instant, finally exposing the Deepwater Bishop Congregation to everyone.

Fingel abruptly stopped his attack, then swiftly pierced the archbishop's chest. Matilda also thrust out most of her armor as a spear, aiming for the archbishop's head!

Head shot!

Seeing the archbishop severely injured, the Guzha Squad cheered. With such serious injuries, the archbishop definitely wouldn't survive!

Everyone looked expectant, but Fingel sighed.

Because he understood that the monsters in the Zane Dungeon could not be judged by the severity of their injuries, and that the Deep Bishop was tainted with evil.

This time, they were still a step too late.

The archbishop's head had exploded, and the remaining lower half of his face grinned as he raised his scepter upwards.

The dark clouds that had been hanging over the site fell down.

"This is so hard for me."

Fingel sighed softly before the field turned completely dark.

Meanwhile, still in the Cathedral of the Deep of the Zane Dungeon, the protagonist has switched to a different team.

"It's pretty easy."

Leon and his Strategy Team watched the Deep Bishop slowly turn to ashes and vanish, lost in thought, muttering to themselves:

"Could there be a second form?"

They explored step by step, so naturally there was no punishment for skipping classes.

Suddenly, a strangely crafted object appeared in his hand.

[Small Doll]

[Small Doll symbolizing a young apprentice knight. In the ancient phantom city of Irithyll of the Boreal Valley, Pope Sulyvahn bestows the Doll upon those he cherishes, so that they may return as a key to cross the barrier.]

Listen carefully and you will hear a faint sound: Wherever you go, Irithyll will always be by the moon; wherever you are, Irithyll will always be your home.

Leon was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening.

"We can enter Irithyll now?"