Little misunderstandings can break up long-term relationships, let alone a short-term relationship between strangers.

  But that’s where a smooth talker comes into play.

  Kwan Minhwoo stepped up once more to play the middleman.

  “Now, now, everybody, let’s calm down and talk. There’s no need to hurt the harmony of the group over a little loot. Besides, haven’t you all noticed the traces in the ruins?”

  Kim Sungho saw the olive branch and smoothly played along. “Ohoho, Mr. Kwan, what do you mean by that?”

  A sharp glint flashed across Kwan Minhwoo’s glasses. “If I’m not wrong, this desert temple might’ve already been raided.”

  “What?! Impossible!”

  “Madaraka! You’re making things up, aren’t you?!”

  Seeing the two muscleheads weren’t convinced, Kwan Minhwoo called for support. “I believe I’m not the only one who noticed this, right, Mr. Han?”

  “Hur?!” Park Insu glared at his partner. “Duri, is what he said true?!”

  Han Duri didn’t want to get involved, but now that he got dragged into the water, he can only nod.

  “Mada—How come you said nothing?!”

  Han Duri shrugged. “Thought it was obvious.”

  “Che. Obvious my ass.” Baldie Tae grumbled, but getting the eye signal from his other brain, he didn’t make a fuss.

  Park Insu didn’t look happy, but he was now a lone sailboat and can only go with the flow.

  “Madaraka! Who is it?! Which bee-atch got the jump on us?”

  Everybody else was wondering the same.

  It definitely can’t be the flower vase or the timid loser at base. Nor can it be the greedy fisher or his team that went to the southern ruins. That left...

  Kwan Minhwoo casually reminded, “I remember there was still that one young man that woke up last… Now that I think about, I haven’t seen him for days…”

  “Madaraka! That brat that looks like he’s still stuck in upper secondary education?!”

  “It can’t be, right?”

  “Che! He didn’t look like much. I bet he went missing after roaming where he shouldn’t at night!”

  “Now, now, we can’t judge a book by its cover.” Kwan Minhwoo sneered. “Who knows what powerful talent he has awakened.”

  That convinced the others for the most part.

  But Kwan Minhwoo understood some won’t settle for a scapegoat without proof. So he hammered the nail into the coffin.

  “I know some of you still might not be convinced. But we’ll know the truth once we check the other ruins. I don’t believe he can hit all four quicker than us!”

  The logic was sound and the smart won’t point out any inconsistencies even if they noticed them.

  Put the blame on an outsider—this was the easiest way to resolve internal conflicts.

  “Now that we’ve cleared that up, we should discuss how we’ll go from here.” Kwan Minhwoo took over the lead role. “I won’t suggest anything that’s not conductive to group harmony.”

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  “Everybody should understand—only united we stand. But as they say, the more the merrier. Perhaps we should vote on whether we should bring more along. What say everybody?”

  Everybody almost rolled their eyes. What a nice way to put it! Isn’t it just bringing cannon fodder?

  But nobody disagreed. Instead, the smart, like Han Duri, focused on the crucial point.

  “I’m more interested in knowing how to deal with those walking bones.”

  Park Insu showed his support. “Yuh, if we can’t find a way to solve those, don’t expect me to whack them like a mole next time!”

  “Indeed. I’m sure everybody wants to know that.” Kwan Minhwoo smiled and turned to the slippery-faced, pot-bellied middle-aged man. “Mr. Kim?”

  “Ohoho, looks like it’s finally time for my Monsterpedia to shine.”

  A mystical tome mysteriously reappeared in Kim Sungho’s hand.

  “Let’s see… let’s see…”

  He licked his finger and flipped flipped past the index to the first page, where there was an RPG-like status screen for a skeleton archer character model, complete with entity id amongst other details.

  “Hoho, undead class monster… comes with the full set of basic immortality, life detection, and fear of sunlight…”

  “Fear of sunlight?! Let me see that!” Baldie Tae snatched the book from his old buddy’s hand and when he read nothing different, he cursed. “Bullshit! I kicked those skulls into the sun and it ain’t do jack shit!”

  “Ohoho, Brother Tae, going by game logic, ambient sunlight won’t work. To burn monsters, it requires direct sunlight with no roof overhead.”

  Kwan Minhwoo nodded. “I see… no wonder those skelee didn’t chase us out. If that’s the case, then if we can throw them out or lure them there to the center…”

  Everybody looked at each other but nobody was stupid enough to volunteer themselves.

  The only direct beam of sunlight meeting the requirement was at the center of the pyramid, where there’s no cover for arrows.

  Only an idiot will jump out to play the hero.

  Nobody wants to takes risk, and even if anybody takes that role, they’ll definitely demand more…

  Since there was already a better suggestion earlier, nobody bothered wasting time to argue about a redistribution of benefits.

  “Now that’s settled, let’s head back to welcome our new… member and make plans to explore the next ruin more… efficiently.”

  Back in the Southern Desert Temple.

  “Aight, ready, little missy?”

  “Aye, aye, Capitan Jack!”

  “Like I said, my name isn’t—forget it. Stick close to me. When I say run, you run towards the stairs with me, got it?”

  “Eih! Got it~”

  Jack nodded seriously, tightened his grip on his ax, and crept towards the stair exit with the little torch bearer in tow.

  The echoes of marching skeletons on patrols made them both tense up.

  “Plan A. Go!”

  At that signal, young and old sprinted up the stairs! As soon as they jumped out from underground, they took cover behind a pillar back-to-back.

  Clak! Clak! Clak!

  The skeletons on patrols detected them and it was like a hornet’s nest awakened!

  A skeleton came from the right, but an ax chopped its skull off! “Hah!”

  The skelee on the left got tripped by a boot then a little kick sent its skull rolling. “Eih! Goodnight Mr. Skelee!”

  Obviously, those attacks couldn’t permanently take down the undead.

  Seeing the skulls finding their way back to their bony bodies and more skeletons coming out from both tower’s stairwell, Jack cursed under his breath and yelled, “Little missy, we’re moving! Watch out for arrows!”

  Xiao Shuling didn’t need to be ordered twice and quickly darted after Captain Jack.

  They sailed from pillar to pillar… one smashing open a path, the other covering his six.

  Thuum! Thum! Thruum! Arrows fired over, but they all strangely missed them like they were protagonists!

  But both young and old didn’t bother to care about that under the thrill of it all!

  Escape! Otherwise, they’ll get mobbed to death by the undead!

  Even the invincibility barrier won’t save em’ when surrounded on all sides!

  Seeing the stairwell ahead blockaded by a skeleton squad, Jack yelled, “Stick close! We’re breaking out! Run on 1, 2… 3!”

  The barrier of light bloomed and covered them both like an eggshell!

  Capitalizing on that invincibility, Jack rammed his way through the blockade like a bulldozer!

  Thrum! Tink! Tink! Tink! Arrows and sand scimitars bounced off the shell while everything else got knocked aside!

  Into the dark stairwell they went and the duo hastily rushed up the stairs, but by this time, the barrier was already flickering out of existence!

  Tap! Tap! Clak! Clak!

  Behind, the skeletons regrouped. An archer nocked an arrow and the glinting tip aimed at the back of the man bravely covering the flank…

  One shot, one ki—

  Suddenly, something tripped the skeleton and the arrow misfired into another skeleton’s skull!

  The skeleton that face-planted to the floor tried to get up, only to find that its bony foot was entangled by some strange thorny vines!

  Stomp! A skeleton foot crushed a weird flower bulb nearby into pulp and the vine withered away rapidly, freeing up the archer.

  But by the time that archer got up, it was already too late.

  Hollow eyes filled with vicissitude stared at the tomb raiders that were far gone.

  A thought later, the skeletons all turned around and marched back to their resting spots.

  Below, in the now dark chamber, a consciousness sunk back into the coffin and a sigh echoed in the dark. “It’s not time yet.”

  The temple then fell silent.