I WAS Humanity's HOPE-Chapter 20: Zombie Goliath

"With the courage to begin and the discipline to endure, victory becomes a matter of time," Richard recited in a low voice as each of his classmates filed through the Dungeon's portal.

They may have the courage to come, but will they endure?

Richard knew all too well that courage was often the easier step.

"What are you muttering about?" Meredith asked him with a sidelong glance.

She was wearing her hunting gear today—probably for those extra stat boosts. You can never be too careful in a Dungeon, especially when you're responsible for a class full of novices.

Finally, the day to tackle their first Dungeon had arrived, and Richard found himself assigned to the first group.

Lucky me. No chance I'm sitting on the sidelines while three F-Rank parties clear a Dungeon without me.

He gave his sister a half-shrug. "Just an old saying."

Once the last member of the ten-person party stepped through the portal, Meredith raised her hand, conjuring a small flame that threw dancing shadows across the cavern walls.

The Dungeon looked almost identical to the one they had visited previously.

"Remember your training," Meredith said, her gaze sweeping across the group. "Form a line, keep your weapons ready. If anyone wanders off, don't bother showing up to class tomorrow. You need to dispatch your first monster with a weapon to prove you can handle yourselves."

A chorus of subdued acknowledgements followed.

Anne, the timid redhead, clutched a sword that seemed out of place in her hands. Meanwhile, James exuded bravado as he surveyed the corridor—though Richard knew most of that was pure bluff.

Angel Buckler wasn't present; she'd been assigned to a different group. Given how good she is with a sword, her team should do just fine.

The group moved at a cautious pace. Footsteps echoed off the damp stone, and every so often, a distant groan hinted at undead further ahead. Thankfully, no one wandered off despite their obvious nerves.

Eventually, the corridor opened into a small chamber with ragged walls. Four zombies—like the ones they had faced before—stood waiting, slack-jawed and moaning softly. Their eyes glowed dully, an unfocused orange, as they dragged their feet forward.

"Positions!" Meredith commanded, her voice ringing across the chamber. "Two on the right, two on the left. Anne and James, flank from behind while Richard and Trevor move in from the front."

Richard suppressed an amused smile. Thank you, sister.

He stepped forward alongside Trevor, a wiry blond who seemed perpetually on edge, daggers at the ready.

Within attacking range, Richard lunged with practised precision. His daggers sank into a zombie's decaying flesh, dark ichor oozing from the wounds as it died on the spot. Before its weight could trap his blades, he jerked them free.

Surprisingly satisfying, even for an F-Rank, he mused, turning to the remaining zombies.

The rest of his classmates had engaged with varying levels of competence. Trevor, trembling slightly, landed a shaky blow; Anne's sword quivered in her grip. Over near the entrance, Meredith watched them intently, prepared to intervene if necessary.

James, to Richard's mild surprise, managed to behead his zombie with a clumsy but effective slash. Then he froze, eyes distant—the telltale sign of a system notification. Is he really summoning his status window in the middle of combat?

Worse still, the zombie Anne had been fighting veered around her and lunged toward the unwitting James. Richard dashed behind Trevor—barely resisting the urge to dispatch Trevor's zombie on the way—and thrust his left dagger clean through the back of Anne's creature's skull. Dark fluid sprayed across James's face as the undead collapsed with a wet thud, limbs jerking before going still.

Richard yanked his blade free, fixing James with a stern glare. "Never—and I mean never—take your eyes off the fight until every monster is down."

A quick look behind him showed Trevor had at last subdued his zombie, though he looked pale and unsteady. All in all, it could've gone smoother.

Meredith's hand hovered near her hilt, but Richard signalled that everything was under control.

They continued deeper into the Dungeon, and Richard killed two more zombies—this time using E-Rank fireballs instead of his daggers.

"Everyone gather up," Meredith called, scanning their faces. "We're moving to the boss room. Is everyone at least level three now?"

Nods and murmured confirmations passed around the group.

"That means each of you has killed at least two zombies—good," she said. "But the boss room will be a different challenge. Stay focused and don't repeat earlier mistakes."

With that, Meredith led them past a stone arch eerily reminiscent of their last Dungeon boss's chamber.

"All right," she announced, her voice echoing off the walls. "We're facing an E-Rank boss, and there are ten of us. We'll tackle it in waves of three—each trio goes in, inflicts whatever damage they can, then backs off. Richard and I will finish it. Understood?"

A clipped chorus of "Yes, Ma'am" followed in the cramped entrance.

James, Anne, and a girl named Nadia formed the first wave; Trevor, Harper, and Oren—the second. The last group was Boyle with Lisa and Maya, two girls who'd mostly hovered at the back until now.

Richard kept his features carefully neutral—Sister's orders, he reminded himself, however frustrating it was to stand aside.

"Stay sharp," Meredith said, allowing the first trio to pass into the boss chamber.

Inside, James, Anne, and Nadia spread out around a towering undead. On cue, James slashed at its flank while Nadia hurled a sputtering fireball that mostly singed the air. Anne crept behind, visibly anxious.

The boss whirled with unexpected speed, its decaying gauntlet clamping around James's blade. A metallic clang echoed, and James reeled backward, nearly losing his grip.

"Focus on weak spots!" Meredith urged, voice calm and clear.

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Nadia gulped and threw another fireball, this time catching the creature's head. Distracted by the flash, it pivoted, giving Anne a small opening. She struck, her sword biting into the zombie's side.

With a roar, the undead lashed out in a broad arc. James barely ducked in time, and Anne dove aside, her weapon clattering to the floor.

"Time's up!" Meredith shouted. "Pull back!"

They withdrew, breathing hard. The boss lurched forward with a harsh snarl, only to meet the second wave—Trevor, Harper, and Oren—charging in. They fared somewhat better, and the last group, with Meredith's quick intervention, managed to avoid injuries.

"Pull back!" Meredith repeated, dashing to the front. Richard joined her immediately.

"Let's finish this," he muttered, daggers in hand.

Meredith knocked away the zombie's gnarled arm just as it swung for Boyle, and Richard seized the moment. He launched a fireball—one all the trainees would recognise by now—straight into the undead's exposed core. It staggered, howling as its desiccated flesh caught fire. Without missing a beat, Richard darted in, driving a dagger up through a gap in its armour. Thick, dark fluid and glowing embers oozed from the wound.

With one last tortured bellow, the boss collapsed.

You have slain a Zombie Goliath (E-Rank). You are granted [Necrotic Aura] (D-Rank), Richard heard a voice resonate in his mind.

Well, what do you know... my first hard-earned tome.