Chapter 675: The Bone Minstrel ( Ps Bonus - )

Chapter 675: The Bone Minstrel ( Ps Bonus Chapter )

Lian looked at his three companions for a moment.

Each of them had something they wanted to achieve.

Rindo wanted to be someone others could trust; someone who could take responsibility for others in difficult situations.

Alicia wanted to choose her own life and become a knight who had value and ability even without the support of her family name.

And Noah....

Noah wanted to one day serve someone he had apparently spent a large part of his life trying to reach.

Each of them has a reason to keep going.

He looked toward the center of the land.

But at that moment, another thought came to his mind.

And if White Oblivion really can change the will of humans... perhaps these very desires and emotions could be used against their owners.

Roderick’s hatred was a possible example of this.

He slowly breathed out, he felt that his paranoia was becoming too strong, whenever anything happened, his mind suddenly returned to that Calamity.

After resting, the group started moving again.

One moved through a relatively wide passage, while Two walked calmly beside him.

But this time, the sound of the guitar was clearly different.

It was no longer weak and distant like before.

The melody was so clear that even Noah could hear the sound of fingers moving across the instrument’s strings.

The young Frenchman raised his head for a moment.

"Wait."

"What is it?" Rindo looked at him.

"I’ve heard this part of the song before."

Noah listened for several seconds and then tapped his fingers against the handle of his umbrella.

"Three short notes, then a pause... Yeah, that’s it."

"Do you think we’re getting closer?"

"If the sound doesn’t decide to come from behind us again, probably."

Alicia pointed toward the distant stone pillars.

"It’s coming from that direction."

Lian listened for a moment.

She was right.

Unlike the past few hours, the direction of the music was no longer changing, and the sound was coming directly from a group of tall pillars ahead of them.

His instincts were also warning him that a powerful presence was waiting ahead.

"We’ll slow down." He then said quietly.

One slowed his steps.

Two also moved beside him, but his ears were turned toward the music.

A few minutes later, the group reached an area that was less damaged than the previous sections.

Ancient pillars stood on both sides of the path, and between them was a small circular field.

Parts of the ground were covered with golden moss, and pieces of bone were scattered around the pillars.

But what caught everyone’s attention was the music, this time there was no longer any doubt, the sound was coming from inside the field.

Noah looked at the others for a moment.

"I think we finally found it."

Rindo kept his spear ready.

Alicia also placed her right hand near the handle of her sword, but she had not drawn her weapon yet.

Lian activated [ True Sequence ] and examined the mana flows around the field.

He did not notice any clear signs of a trap or an attack being prepared, but that did not mean the area was safe.

So he carefully ordered One and Two to pass between the two pillars ahead.

At that moment, the melody changed.

The calm and sad notes were replaced by a faster and happier song, as if the musician had reached his favorite part of the music.

A few steps later, the entire field appeared before them.

And at the far end of it, a creature was sitting on the edge of one of the broken pillars.

Its body was made almost entirely of bones, its long and thin arms and legs were more stretched than those of a normal skeleton, and several bones along its shoulders and spine had changed shape.

It wore old, damaged clothes with long sleeves, and a piece of faded cloth hung from one of its shoulders.

A weak light could be seen inside its eye sockets, but what caught the group’s attention the most was the instrument in its hands.

A guitar made of bones.

The body of the instrument was made from several connected pieces of bone, and its long neck looked like the spine of an unknown creature.

The musician’s bony fingers moved across the strings with strange skill, playing the same song the group had been hearing for hours.

Noah stared at the scene for several seconds.

"No... Someone was actually playing a guitar?"

Rindo raised his spear slightly.

"Lian, that creature..."

"I see it."

Young Vorhelm narrowed his eyes, and a window had appeared before him.

[ The Bone Minstrel ]

[ Race: The Withered ]

[ Rank: Unholy ]

[ Level: 21 ]

The Bone Minstrel?

Lian paused for a moment.

Level twenty-one. But Unholy rank.

He had recently met another Unholy creature, and yet, this one’s behavior was very different.

It did not attack them or show even the slightest sign of fear or confusion, instead, it moved its bony legs along with the music in a completely relaxed manner.

Beside the pillar, a narrow stone path continued toward the center.

The musician’s footprints could be seen in the dust on it, and from the appearance of the path, it was clear that he had also been traveling in the same direction as the other Withered.

But unlike the creatures Lian had seen before, he apparently had no problem with this journey.

He even seemed to be enjoying it.

"His behavior is strange." Alicia said quietly.

Lian nodded.

"Yeah."

At that moment, the musician played the final part of the song, a few short notes, then a longer chord, and finally, the melody came to an end.

The creature removed its fingers from the strings.

It remained still for several seconds and then slowly turned its bony head toward the four of them.

First, it looked at One, then at the huge wolf, and finally at the humans sitting on their backs.

But contrary to expectations, it showed no sign of hostility, its bony jaw opened wider, as if its smile had grown bigger.

Then it spoke in a cheerful and friendly tone.

"Oh! I finally have an audience! Tell me, did you enjoy my performance?"