Without a second thought, Adam said, “Terrence, I’ll chase after the lynxes. Stay as far away from the ravine as possible, but still keep watch at what will happen,” he instructed. “It will be for our own good to know what unfolds here. If things go bad, summon Goo and escape as fast as you can. Don’t worry, I can still find you wherever you are because of our tethered thoughts,” Adam reassured, pointing at his skull.
It was one of the few and useful “hidden” benefits of the ‘Life Share’ ability. Adam discovered this perk during their bold escape at the Den of Relief; It was when they needed to relay information continuously while focusing on the retreat. ‘The Will That Emanates’ worked as a vague, third-party “thought-connection” when outright verbal communication wasn't all that possible.
Terrence gave a hurried nod and ran far from the ravine.
Adam shifted his attention to the escaping pack of Jade Lynxes.
“It would be a waste to just let them go, no? They’re free experience points,” he argued.
Adam gave chase to the pack as they fled the scene. He then prepped his only pieces of good equipment so far; a pair of dull swords from the den guards and the strange amulet from the deceased tall man who was presumably a washed-up minister. As for Adam's tattered robes, the system didn’t consider them as anything other than simple clothing. The nimble undead, bare with any armor, strode the necrotic forest with great ease.
* * *
The limbless ice dragon snarled at the fleeing lynxes but didn’t pursue further. It would seem the wyrm was the reason the felines weren’t using their mana; It was an unwanted visitor that had compromised their haven and had put the safety of their cubs in jeopardy. Dormant, however, the Frost Wyrm wasn't an immediate threat to the mana beasts. It was... until the riotous mob of squires and adventurers disrupted the brittle peace.
The Frost Wyrm snorted cold air as it looked down at the baffled crowd.
“You insects dare make noise here? I’ll squash you all like the bugs you are!”
Like a giant loaded spring, the wyrm coiled its limbless body and struck the solid ground with its tail. The momentum pushed its body out of the crevasse and into the direction of the petrified recruits. With its mouth wide open, the wyrm bit down at those slow to get out of the way. Those who reacted fast enough and were able to take a few steps to the sides were merely swept away by the impact. The more unfortunate ones were either impaled by the spikes or were flattened to the ground.
Neither fate looked pleasant.
“Ack!” Bartimore let out a pitiful cry. He spat a mouthful of blood as he looked at his severed arms in horror. The icicle-like spikes were terribly sharp; they cut his limbs like slabs of butter against hot knives. “Run!” It was all the old veteran could mutter before the wyrm tried devouring him whole. His metal armor was nothing against the gaping jaw lined with a set of dagger-like teeth. Bartimore flailed frantically, but his struggle was to no avail.
“It’s eating them?” David wondered. It was unusual for a dragon to consume human meat. Although humans were fairly easy to hunt, mana beasts and superior creatures, such as a dragon, would only consume the mana cores and not their flesh. Humans lacked meat and were too boney.
“It’s starving,” Kalen responded as she pointed at the neck of the wyrm. In its throat, a subtle glow incessantly flickered. “It’s swallowing them whole to ingest the mana cores a lot quicker,” she explained briefly. “Although, I find it strange that a titanic beast is acting in such a hasty manner. It's rather atypical... Well, that doesn’t really matter. It’s a threat to the plans of the church so we should get rid of it immediately.” Kalen didn't hesitate in attacking the wyrm. She shot a dozen spheres of light straight at the limbless dragon.
Boom!... Boom!... Boom! A series of explosions echoed loudly.
Kalen then beckoned the squires to attack. A volley of explosive spells rained from the meadow. The concentration of divine magic engulfed not only the dragon but the entire ravine. Inevitably, this tactless move killed several recruits who were caught in the crossfire. The number of adventurers dwindled from eighty to a mere twenty. “What’s going on?! Why are they attacking us?! We're still alive, damn it!” the survivors cursed, but their muffled protest fell on deaf ears.
The clouds of dust soon settled, revealing the aftermath of the attack.
“That’s impossible...” Kalen gasped. The Frost Wyrm was completely unscathed!
The ice dragon shook the debris off its lustrous body. It then checked for wounds.
“This is... divine magic?” the wyrm muttered as it felt the effects course through its body.
It acted gleefully as it searched for the source of the attacks.
The bishop scrambled her thoughts trying to make sense of what was happening.
She then had a hunch, ‘It’s a corrupted beast?’ In hindsight, this guess made sense. Not all mana beasts were immune to the necrotic curse, especially not a dragon that could barely cycle the immense amount of mana in its body. Unlike the Jade Lynxes, it couldn’t filter the corruption by consuming mana cores. The Frost Wyrm could have been slowly turning into an undying creature all this time, but because of its strong fortitude and innately bigger mana core, it wasn't completely swallowed by the corruption... at least not immediately.
“Let’s retreat for now. It’s not something we can handle,” Kalen commanded.
Her instructions, however, came a moment too late.
“Found you!” the wyrm exclaimed in an ecstatic tone. The ice dragon didn't waste a second and quickly flew off the ground, rushing towards the dry meadow where the squires and the bishop rested. The barrage of attacks from earlier somewhat eased its suffering; It could now use its abilities with little to no consequence. The bombardment of divine magic partly healed the curse. Albeit ‘Flight’ required a great deal of mana; the Frost Wyrm didn't care as long as it could reach the “trove” waiting for him atop the ravine.
If it could get rid of the curse by consuming mana cores filled with divine essences, then using all its remaining strength would be worth it. “I guess the gods of the Frost Alps are still smiling upon me...” said the wyrm in great reverie. ‘And that cursed bird... I can finally exact my revenge!' it thought angrily.
The wyrm reached the edge of the steep gorge and looked at the many people fleeing.
‘Yes... This is more than enough!’
Chapter XX
Trump Card
“They’ve abandoned us...” an adventurer whispered as he let go of his sword and knelt in complete defeat. The other survivors were crestfallen as well. They looked at each other, dejected. Although they were able to slip through the fingers of Death by a sliver, their hope for survival was still far out of reach. The aftermath left the landscape hostile...
The explosions from earlier had made the ravine walls unstable. It would be impossible to climb back up without endangering themselves. “It’s too risky for us to scale the walls here, but let's not lose hope just yet and find another way out,” said another adventurer.
Even though their morale was at an all-time low, the survivors didn’t blame each other for their misfortune and were clear-headed still. They knew the situation they were in wasn’t their fault. If there was anyone to blame, it would be the Frost Wyrm and the Divine City.
“Let’s recuperate first and plan our next move. We’re not going down like this!” they rebuked in a sonorous war cry.
...
The Frost Wyrm didn’t have those majestic leather-like wings other species of dragons had; those same grandiose flaps that seemingly covered the entire heavens every time they took flight. It had, however, the sheer body size that could blanket the skies and turn the ground a shade darker.
The cold air whistled as the wyrm swooped down on the fleeing people. Fear struck the hearts of the squires as they fled without looking back. They saw with their own two eyes what the dragon could do even without using its magic; Its physical strength alone was nightmarish to those who would
dare oppose its might.
“Stop with your futile struggles and become a feast to my core!” the wyrm roared.
“That’s as far as you can go,” Kalen whispered as she eyed the beast.
‘If I can’t kill it with divine magic, then I’ll just have to use another method,’ the lone bishop thought.
As someone who had served the church for many years as a lowly acolyte, Kalen knew the inner workings of the ministry and the cunningness of the people that run it like the back of her hand. Albeit her faith was unshakable, she couldn't bring herself to leave the safety of her interest to chance. She needed to safeguard it somehow. As a result, her prudence grew as the years went by to the point of being unreasonable.
Kalen knew some higher-ups were resistant, nigh-invulnerable, to the effects of divine magic due to their affinity; This matter never sat well with her, and so she had to improvise in case of an “emergency”. For years, Kalen had gathered many resources to counter this issue, including relics and spell scrolls that could nullify magical immunity and render some passive abilities ineffective. However, a few of these resources were sacrilegious in nature. Kalen knew of this, but that didn't discourage her from acquiring them. If they were to be of great use to her, then it wouldn't matter at all.
Kalen ran her pointer finger through her storage ring as she infused it with mana.
[Wand of the Banished Snake God] — ‘Equip!’
A black staff with a bizarre gem at its tip took shape in her hand.
Without delay, Kalen hummed an indiscernible incantation and shot a fiery ray of red light at the dragon. The attack was rushing thick and fast as it covered the distance in a matter of seconds, converging towards the direction of the wyrm in a blink of an eye.
The moment the Frost Wyrm realized that the incoming attack wasn’t of divine magic, it was too late. The crimson light struck the wyrm and it dispersed like a gush of pressurized water hitting a solid wall. The impact caused an ear-splitting boom. Fragments from the collision strayed wide afar and wreaked a series of small-scale explosions all over the forest.
“Kraaa!” the Frost Wyrm let out a sharp cry. It survived but was definitely not unscathed.
Half of its face was peeled open, revealing the insides that didn’t seem to bleed anymore. The monstrous bellowing instead of its usual human-like speech meant the corruption was starting to take over its mind as well. Its “intelligence” would soon be comparable to that of a common beast. The wyrm retreated in a heartbeat and left for the ravine. Whatever was sustaining it there and preventing the curse from taking over, it needed it now more than ever. Or it will turn into a mindless undead mob of the necrotic forest.
The squires rejoiced as they looked at the disappearing figure of the Frost Wyrm.
Kalen heaved a sigh of relief as she fell on her bottom. [Mana - 70/920]
The staff on her hand crumbled into fine dust and was blown off by the passing winds. ‘It wasn’t a one-time use relic, but feeding it with that much mana would definitely destroy it. Tsk, it’s a shame. Even that wasn’t enough to kill the dragon,’ she thought regrettably. ‘But it was my limit. I couldn’t expend more or else I’ll suffer,’ she remembered the harsh and painful backlash of mana depletion. It was an unpleasant experience.
“The beast isn't dead yet. We must hurry and get out of here before it comes back,” Kalen instructed as she stood up and dusted off her dress. The squires nearest to her relayed the command to the rest of the group. Unbeknownst to everyone, Reynaulde had a plan of his own. He saw with his own two eyes that the wyrm was severely injured when it escaped.
‘If I can’t use magic to kill it off, then I can just…’ the young squire caressed the hilt of his sword as he daydreamed of an epic tale starring himself. ‘... And then I’ll be able to claim the glory for my own!’ he proclaimed inwardly.
The youthful squire then snuck out of the group and left for the ravine.
…
The survivors scoured through the remaining rations to look for whatever provision they could still consume. They needed to eat in order to have enough strength to get out of the forest alive. “Let’s split the tasks to make this a lot faster and easier,” someone suggested.
The survivors split themselves into three search parties; one for weapons, one for food, and one for a map and a way out of the ravine. If they could at least gather enough to be able to reach their previous campsite, then they would be set to survive longer and leave the forest alive.
As the adventurers scavenged through what was left of their fallen comrades, the serene atmosphere gave them a sense of peace and a glimmer of hope. It was the case... until a sudden piercing screech broke the stillness.
Chapter XXI
Mysterious Stones
The lynxes slowed their pace after a while. The injured adults were dull to move and needed to pause now and then to not bleed out. And so the rest of the pack had to pick up the slack and adjust accordingly; The strongest adolescent lynx—the one with the highest level—substituted as the pack leader. It shook its craggy, rock-like mane and let out a soft yet resounding growl as it beckoned the group to follow its lead.
‘They’re still not using their mana… Was the wyrm that much of a threat to them they’d even be reluctant to heal themselves?’ Adam wondered as he kept a close watch at the pack from a safe distance, hiding behind dense thickets and towering trees.
Mana beasts usually could convert some of their excess mana to regenerate health. It was the same innate ability that sustained the Frost Wyrm long enough to not get corrupted. It was plausible the lynxes weren’t using their mana back then to not awaken the dormant beast. But to think they wouldn’t even use a bit of their mana, albeit being in a safe distance away from the ravine. ‘Well… I couldn’t blame them for being this cautious,’ he thought
Adam didn’t engage immediately and had been observing for half an hour. Like a proper predator to its prey; He had to bide his time stalking the lynxes with great patience, waiting for the perfect moment to pounce and strike. It wouldn’t be wise to take on a pack of riled up beasts, Adam knew this. He had to at least wait for them to lower their guard.
‘I must target the weakened adults first,’ Adam figured.
---
Adam Murdock
Class - Undead
Level 11 - (60/100)
[Health - 320] Charges - 3
[Mana - 62]
---
Adam checked his status sheet and noted the number of experience points needed to reach Level 12.
Leveling up at the right time would be vital for his plan to work. Adam had noticed that right after leveling up, his health pool would then suddenly gain an extra boost of regeneration to fill itself up to full. This “quick buff” of sorts would then fill the additional twenty health points from leveling up. Although, Adam was unsure if this was all true. He had only experienced it once, and it was during a time when his senses were too focused on something else to notice such a subtle and faint detail.
‘I’m certain that it happened when I killed the caster and archer from that crazy monk’s party…’ Adam pondered. He vaguely remembered running away like a frightened hare from three hungry foxes and was getting damaged from the volley of attacks that were thrown his way. Perhaps the quick buff was the only reason he survived for so long without expending another Life Charge. Besides the fact that Life Charges would fill up his health pool every time he spends one, the hastened regeneration from leveling up would certainly be useful for the more crucial scenarios.
Adam braced himself. He needed to time his first strike perfectly.
‘I’ll attack when their guard is at its lowest, which should be right before a full stop. So, any minute now...’ As of the moment, the lynxes were still wary of their surroundings. The slackened pace meant they would soon halt their march and give the injured adults time to recuperate. Adam couldn’t attack much earlier, as the adolescents were still on full alert. He couldn’t also strike lat
er because by then, the adults would have recovered and the one-sided battle he was hoping for would be impossible (or the one-sided battle would be reversed completely and Adam would be on the receiving end of it instead).
The tight marching line soon relaxed as the pack moved further and further away from the ravine.
‘Now!’ Adam snuck from behind and attacked the slowest Jade Lynx that was left at the tail end of the march. Adam clung on to the back of the feline, his boney limbs gripping tightly at its clumpy coat, and wedged one of his blades at the loose edge of the gemstone on the narrow forehead of the beast. With the sword acting as a lever, Adam forcefully pried the stone out of its housing. It was quite the bold assumption; Adam had guessed that the gemstone itself was the mana core of the beast. And like any other vital organs, the mana beast couldn't possibly live without it.
“There’s no way this isn’t your weakness!” Adam said as he pulled harder.
A loud crack resounded as the stone detached fully.
---
Adult Jade Lynx
Class - Feline
Level - 28
[Health - 40/640]
[Mana - 130]
---
“Consume ‘Mana Stone (Green)’ for one of three effects?”
...
[Effect 1: Acquire skill, ‘Purify’.] (1% chance)
[+] 'Purify' - Applies 'Dispel' on the target.
-Dispel removes debuffs and purges impurities.
-Dispel works on Consumables.
-Mana Cost: 80. Cooldown: 300 seconds.
(Multiple instances of 'Purify' improves its cooldown and mana cost)
...
[Effect 2: Acquire ability, ‘Craggy Coat’.] (9% chance)
[+] 'Craggy Coat' - Passively reduces all incoming physical damage.
-Damage Reduction: 10%
-Damage Reduction does not apply to damage taken from Critical Hits.
(Multiple instances of 'Craggy Coat' improves its total damage reduction percentage)
Undone- Resurrection of Murdock Page 10