A few moments earlier—
An army of bones was annihilating every monster in its path.There were skeletons of all kinds, with none excluded. Goblins, Orcs, Trolls, Shadow Wolves... every kind of monster had been turned into a skeleton, a walking mass of bones capable only of destruction.
But it wasn't just monsters that had been transformed into bones.The fallen humans, too, had joined this Bone Legion, becoming mindless undead constructs.
The surviving humans stood silent, frozen in place.They didn't dare utter a single word, afraid they might draw the attention of these beings.
After all, they had no idea who was responsible for this horrific spectacle.Only the monsters' screams and the creaking of bones echoed through the air.
Then, suddenly, the clear sound of footsteps resonated throughout the area.Rhythmic, slow, yet steady.
Everyone heard it clearly, despite the surrounding cacophony.Like moths drawn to a flame, all eyes turned toward the approaching figure.Unlike them, the newcomer observed the scene with a glimmer of excitement in his eyes.
His gaze shone brightly, and his smile made no attempt to hide the pure joy he felt at the sight before him.
"It's wonderful!" the boy exclaimed. "Don't you think so too?"
Despite the question being directed at them, none of the humans answered.They were stunned.A human was walking so casually amidst this mass of bones, without the slightest hint of hesitation.
It was almost as if—
"This..."A man stepped forward, trying to suppress the turmoil in his chest. "Is this... your doing?"
"What's with that surprised look?" the young man in front of them said. "Isn't it obvious? They're my little summons. Tell me, do you like them?"
The man was dumbfounded by the sudden question.The answer screaming in his mind was, "Damn, NO."
How could he possibly like these things?They were true engines of destruction, made entirely of bones—a nightmarish sight.
He wanted to shout it out.But seeing the boy's smile and the casualness with which he spoke, the man couldn't summon the courage to say those words aloud.
Trying his best to smile naturally, the man replied,"Of course, it's a... magnificent sight."
The other Awakened watched the scene unfold with strange looks in their eyes, as if inwardly disagreeing with the man's words.But none of them dared step forward to contradict him.
The boy's aura intimidated them deeply.His elegance, his bearing, the way he dressed—everything about him screamed "nobility."
They couldn't imagine anything else, really.Where else could such a strangely dressed young man with such insane power have come from, if not one of the noble houses of the Empire?
"J-Jeremy?"A voice broke through the awkward silence.It belonged to Volter, the right-hand man of Rose Redspine, the Headmistress.
He had recognized the boy—after all, he had seen him with his own eyes when he had emerged from that mysterious Gate.
Jeremy had left a strong impression on everyone present that day, thanks to the strange skeletal constructs he had summoned.But back then, there had only been three.
Now, standing before them, there were tens of thousands.And they looked far stronger than the three from that day.
How much time had passed since then?Two days?Volter couldn't even remember anymore...
"How did you become so powerful?" he added.
Then more voices joined him, as others who had been there that day also recognized Jeremy.
"That's not what's important," Jeremy declared, turning his gaze to the people before him.They looked battered, but none of them were in mortal danger.After all, the human skeletons with healing abilities had worked miracles.
"The thing that matters now," the boy continued, "is the presence of those Rank S monsters above us. Rose is currently fighting against all three of them."
"Oh, wait, it's just two now."
"You mean the Headmistress is winning?" A look of excitement lit up Volter's face.
"Hm… I wouldn't say that," Jeremy replied. "But she might pull through."
Before the others could continue asking questions, Jeremy turned toward his Bone Legion. They had finished slaughtering all the monsters nearby, but more kept pouring out of the Gates.
The only way to handle the situation was to close all the Gates. And so, Jeremy ordered his skeletons to enter the Gates in groups and clear them out completely.
The humans resumed their activities, talking among themselves and trying to help one another. There were still low-ranked Awakened locked inside the safety bunkers, but it wasn't time to bring them out just yet.
After all, Rank S monsters were still roaming around, and more might emerge due to the instability created by the mass closing of all these Gates.
Just as everyone was starting to feel relieved about how things were progressing—
"Well, what can I say…" a voice echoed out. Even though it was faint, everyone heard it clearly. "Looks like Rose didn't make it."
A collective gasp rippled through the crowd. Their one Rank S, the city's hope, had fallen? How could they possibly survive now?
Panic began to spread like wildfire among the people.
"What are you all worrying about?" Jeremy said in a calm voice. "As long as I'm here, none of you will die."
"Maybe..." he added mentally.
The crowd fell silent. After all, it was true—he was still there. He had achieved something not even Rose had managed. He had saved all of them.
The only thing they could do was place their faith in him and hope for the best.
"It's time to bring him out," Jeremy murmured to himself.
Then, with a wave of his hand, a portal clad in bones materialized before him. Inside, a vague scene could be seen. Everyone stared in awe.
The interior of the portal was made entirely of bones as well—it looked like an entirely different world. The sky, the earth, the walls… everything was formed from all kinds of bones.
"SuperCannon, come out."
Everyone was curious about the boy's words. SuperCannon? Such a strange name… Was it another one of his summons?
Then, as if to confirm it, a creature stepped out from the portal.
It was... something beyond their human comprehension. They couldn't find the words to describe the monstrosity reflected in their eyes.
No—monstrosity wasn't the right word.
"Allow me to introduce the magnificent SuperCannon, one of my Aberrations," Jeremy said, pointing at the creature with a proud smile. He looked exactly like a parent showing off their child, claiming they were beautiful and talented—regardless of the truth.
But today, no one dared question his words.
The creature standing before them wasn't made of bones, strangely enough.
It was entirely composed of rotting, putrid flesh with a hideous appearance. Its four eyes seemed to dangle grotesquely, and some of its internal organs were visible along with jade-like bones embedded inside.
Fear gripped the hearts of everyone present.
Jeremy himself was astonished, actually. He hadn't expected something like this—but he was thoroughly pleased with the result.
SuperCannon now looked even more menacing, stronger, and much larger than before. They were on completely different leagues now.
In some places, its decaying flesh was covered in a shabby fur coat. One side was bright red; the other, cerulean blue.
Its wings, once belonging to a ThunderBird, were now ragged and filthy.
Would they still allow it to fly? Technically, yes—it had flown before with wings made of bone...
The wolf-like face combined with raptor talons only added to the absurdity of the entire scene.
It was truly an Aberration.
The word fit it perfectly.
"Hey, SuperCannon, you're magnificent!" Jeremy said, circling around it.
And he meant it. His sense of aesthetics was already long gone.
"Alright, let's not waste any more time," he added after a few seconds. "After all, I've got a lady to save!"
And so, without another moment of hesitation, he mounted his undead creature and soared into the sky.
Destination? Exactly where the Headmistress was falling.