Chapter 31: The Sorcerer’s Fall

Skeleton Warrior: Level 28. HP: 1800. Skill: Charge (Can knock down the opponent). The evolved form of the Skeleton Fighter, these are the bones of the dead that have absorbed more dark energy, making them far stronger.

’So it’s the upgraded version of the Skeleton Fighter. Much stronger than the ones I fought before.’

He shifted his gaze.

Zombie Sorcerer: Level 28, Intermediate. HP: 3800. Skills: Bloodlust, Dark Great Fireball, Black Flame (includes burn effect). A new monster type created by the Demon Doctor Tarno, a subordinate of the Demons, through experiments combining Zombies and Dark Sorcerers. It was ultimately discarded as a failed experiment due to its unstable abilities.

’No way…’ Marcus’s eyes narrowed as he studied the creature, a rotting figure wrapped in a black cloak, clutching a short wooden staff. Its movements were sluggish, but its aura radiated dark power.

’This thing is an experiment?’

The connection to the Demons made his pulse quicken. ’So the Demon faction has already reached this place… Does that mean the outbreak here is tied to the Demons breaking the seal?’

He frowned, contemplating the implications.

Marcus decided to ignore the nagging thought. He had a quest to complete, and besides, the Zombie Sorcerer was a necessary kill. The Black Rock Spire was a sealed-off area, meaning no other players had been here yet. Every un-slain monster on each floor was essentially his for the taking, and the thought alone filled him with pure bliss.

He activated Shield Guard to boost his defenses, then used Taunt to draw the attention of a few monsters lingering in the small hall. As they lumbered toward him, Marcus swung his Skeleton Blade and began the slaughter.

Thanks to his high Agility, Marcus had a much clearer line of sight than the Zombies and Dark Sorcerers. From his position, he could observe the creatures in the hall without entering their detection range, which meant they couldn’t see him. Monsters with aggressive AI only attacked players within sight, while passive ones stayed put unless provoked. Knowing that, he kept his distance, striking only when he chose to.

After clearing out the initial wave of Zombies and Dark Sorcerers, the Skeleton Warriors finally came into view. ’Perfect,’ Marcus thought, time for a test run.

He targeted one of the Skeleton Warriors with Taunt, expecting to pull a single enemy. To his surprise, four of the eight warriors reacted at once and charged in his direction, their bone armor clattering with each step.

When they were only a yard away, their bodies suddenly stiffened, and the longswords in their hands drew back slightly.

Oh, crap.’ A sharp warning flashed through Marcus’s mind. They were about to use a skill.

Damage numbers popped up in quick succession: -80, -90, -80.

’Dammit.’

The four Skeleton Warriors had launched Charge Strike in perfect unison. Three heavy blows landed almost simultaneously, dealing a brutal series of hits and cutting away two hundred and fifty points of his Health.

Before he could recover, the knock-down effect triggered, sending him sprawling across the stone floor.

-50, -60. The Skeleton Warriors showed no mercy, hacking at him while he was down, their swords slamming into his armor. Another hundred and ten health vanished in an instant.

’You have got to be kidding me.’ Watching his health plummet by three hundred and sixty points without even a chance to fight back was infuriating.

If not for his high defense, deep health pool, and quick reflexes, which let him dodge a few strikes, he’d have been finished. For an average player, facing such a brutal assault, completing this quest would be nearly impossible even at level twenty or thirty.

They truly lived up to the name Skeleton Warriors. They fought with the discipline of trained soldiers, their movements synchronized and formation tight. Marcus quickly rolled back to his feet, gulped down a Medium Health Potion, and steadied himself as his health recovered.

He counterattacked, slashing through their defenses. -350, -360. His damage output wasn’t bad. Enduring the incoming strikes, he fought back while chugging potions, and after several exhausting minutes, the four Skeleton Warriors finally collapsed into heaps of bones.

Though it had been a struggle, Marcus could feel his confidence returning. He knew he had the situation under control now. He knelt down and used Gathering on their remains.

“Ding! Congratulations, player Stonehaven. You have gathered Bone Ash. Mining skill proficiency increased.”

Bone Ash: Bones infused with dark magic. Useful for refining poisonous potions.

It was the same worthless material dropped by the Skeleton Fighters on the first floor.

Marcus sighed and used Taunt again, aiming to lure out a single Skeleton Warrior from the remaining group.

’Seriously?’ He had clearly targeted only one, yet the remaining four moved as one, forming up and charging straight at him again.

It seemed these Skeleton Warriors operated in groups of four, sharing their aggro and acting as a unit. Marcus couldn’t help but feel a little relieved they didn’t group in eights. If all eight had hit him with a synchronized Charge Strike earlier, he would have been sent back to the city for free.

This time, though, he was ready. He watched their approach carefully. When the Skeleton Warriors drew within a yard and began to tense for another Charge Strike, Marcus sidestepped just in time, causing their attack to whiff harmlessly past him. He retaliated immediately, unleashing a flurry of strikes into their exposed backs.

The fight was grueling, but with one more Medium Health Potion, he brought them all down again. At last, only the lone Zombie Sorcerer remained in the hall.

Marcus refreshed all his buffs, tightened his grip on the Skeleton Blade, and charged forward. His blade cut through the air and slashed at the creature’s head.

-80, -100. As expected of a sorcerer, it specialized in ranged combat. Before Marcus could close the distance, the Zombie Sorcerer had already spotted him and begun casting. A barrage of Dark Great Fireballs struck him in succession, each one draining his health at an alarming rate.

“Ding! Player Stonehaven, you have been poisoned.”

Misfortune never came alone. Just as he was about to reach the Zombie Sorcerer, the system chimed again, warning him that he’d been poisoned. His character’s skin turned sickly green, and his health began to drop even faster.

Fortunately, Marcus had come prepared. He quickly downed an Antidote Potion to cleanse the poison from his system, then followed it with a Medium Health Potion to recover his health. Relief washed over him. Without that antidote, this Zombie Sorcerer would have been far more troublesome.

He closed the distance at last, his Skeleton Blade flashing as he unleashed a relentless assault.

-260, -430, -250. Watching the numbers float up, Marcus frowned. The creature was tougher than expected; a hybrid of a Zombie’s endurance and a Sorcerer’s destructive power. Its defense blunted his strikes, cutting his usual damage nearly in half.

The fight soon turned into a grind. Marcus cycled through his three attack skills; Slash, Heavy Strike, and Double Strike, in steady rhythm, chaining them one after another. Each blow landed cleanly, but there was little flair in the exchange, only the sound of steel against rotten flesh.

That was the life of a Knight: trading blow for blow, blood for blood, life for life. Victory belonged to whoever had the thicker armor and the deeper health pool. Sometimes, Marcus couldn’t help but envy Archers and Assassins; their agility, their dynamic combat styles, the thrill of fast, fluid fights.

The Zombie Sorcerer’s health bar ticked down bit by bit. When it finally dropped to around ten percent, the creature abruptly retreated, its movements growing sharp and erratic. It began firing spells while backing away, trying to kite him from range.

For most Knights, this would have been a nightmare. Speed wasn’t their strong suit, and once an enemy began a hit-and-run strategy, all a Knight could do was take the damage and hope to survive long enough to close the gap.

But Marcus wasn’t like most Knights. His build favored Agility, and his speed rivaled that of an Assassin. He sprinted forward, catching the Sorcerer mid-cast, and slashed three quick times in succession. The Zombie Sorcerer’s eyes widened in disbelief at this unorthodox Knight before its body collapsed in defeat, dropping two shimmering items to the floor.

“Ding! Congratulations, Stonehaven, your level has increased. You are now Level 21. HP increased by 10, Focus increased by 10. You have 5 attribute points to allocate.”

“Ding! Congratulations, player Stonehaven, you have slain the Zombie Sorcerer. Reputation increased by 30.”

Marcus grinned. The experience reward for killing a higher-level boss was tremendous. That single fight had propelled him straight to Level 21, saving him hours of grinding.

He knelt beside the corpse and activated Gathering.

“Ding! Congratulations, player Stonehaven, you have gathered Low-Grade Fusion Stone. Your Gathering skill proficiency has increased.”

Fusion Stone: A miraculous gem accidentally created by the Goddess of Dreams. It can fuse two different pets into a new type of creature. Extremely rare and valuable, though the success rate is low. Handle with care.

Marcus’s eyes lit up. ’A Fusion Stone! No way’

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