THUD, THUD, THUD.
The vast darkness amplified the party’s cautious footsteps infinitely. Every step felt like a direct strike to the heart, sending ominous echoes rippling through the dead silence.
An indescribable odor permeated the air—a mixture of ancient rot, the dampness of the stone walls, and a faint, rusty sweetness of blood.
After passing through the corridor behind the stone doors, they stepped into this rather expansive area. It was about half the size of the Unyielding Hall, yet it felt exceptionally empty. As far as the eye could see, there were no mountains of piled bones, only endless, dead silence. A thick layer of dust covered the ground like a blanket of ancient, gray snow.
Raine crouched down, his fingertips gently brushing the dust aside. Beneath it lay the outline of a slightly sunken stone slab, just large enough for a single person to lie on. Identical stone slabs surrounded it. Arranged neatly and densely packed, these slabs extended deep into the darkness. Clearly, they were the beds once used by the soldiers of the Fenglang Clan.
Five hundred years ago, this place might have been filled with soldiers sleeping in their armor, ready for battle. The air would have been thick with the scent of sweat, leather, and metal, echoing with heavy breathing and sleep talk. However, under the corruption of the Black Tide and the erosion of countless years, all the bedding, personal belongings, and any traces of life that once existed had completely vanished into nothingness. Only these cold, empty stone pits remained, like wordless tombstones silently telling the tale of that final annihilation.
What brought a sliver of reassurance was the lack of any signs of Undead activity here. It seemed the tragic battle back then was mainly concentrated in the Unyielding Hall and the Heart of the Watcher outside, rather than in this spacious residential area.
"Maintain formation and stay alert," Raine reminded his teammates in a low voice while sinking his mind into his sea of consciousness.
The pages of the Exploration Chapter flipped silently, clearly revealing a map labeled "Rock Camp." At the end of this area, connected by a relatively narrow passage, was another sizable space. Judging by its dimensions, the area ahead could be another barracks or perhaps a warehouse.
Confirming that this area had been fully explored, the party continued along the relatively narrow passage, advancing toward the next zone.
At the end of the passage stood another ancient stone door. It was also pushed open inward, leaving a gap just wide enough for a person to slip through. Pitch darkness lay beyond.
As the vanguard, Sodden lowered his short, sturdy frame and held up his Giant Shield. He squeezed through the gap without hesitation. The very moment he stepped into the new darkness—
WHOOSH!
An enormous Bone Claw lunged out from the Shadow beside the door, swiping fiercely at him with a piercing shriek that tore through the air!
"Enemy attack!"
Sodden’s roar and the sound of a collision rang out almost simultaneously. The instant his Perception picked up the wind pressure, he reflexively hoisted the heavy Giant Shield in his hands upward.
CLANG!
A muffled crash exploded in the darkness, and blinding sparks scattered where the Sen Bai Bone Claw struck the metal Shield face.
"I’ll shave your beard!" the Dwarf bellowed furiously, his entire body’s Power erupting all at once as he fiercely shoved his Giant Shield forward!
Caught off guard, the owner of the Bone Claw was knocked back two staggering steps by the Dwarf’s mighty Power, finally revealing its full appearance.
Under the halo of Magic, the party couldn’t help but shudder when they got a clear look at their opponent.
It was a colossal humanoid skeleton over two meters tall, its bones terrifyingly thick and robust. It possessed a beastly skull with a protruding snout full of crisscrossing fangs. Its hands were shaped like sharp claws, completely different from the anatomy of the Human Race. Eerie blue Flames danced violently in its hollow eye sockets. Even though only a skeleton remained, its ferocious posture still exuded an overwhelming sense of oppression.
A Bear Goblin skeleton!
Raine’s gaze sharpened, instantly recognizing the familiar silhouette. Almost at the exact moment of confirmation, his Arrow left the bowstring like a shooting star, flying with pinpoint accuracy toward the center of the skeleton’s brow bone.
THUD!
Carrying a fierce gale, the sharp steel Arrowhead successfully nailed itself into the hard skull, causing the Skeleton Beast’s head to jerk backward as the eerie blue Flames in its eye sockets flickered uncontrollably.
Kaelin’s reaction was equally swift. She lowered her stance, slid out from the flank of Sodden’s Shield, and slashed her Longsword in a cold silver arc, viciously striking the ribs of the Bear Goblin skeleton.
CRACK!
A thick rib snapped on impact! However, the severe blow inflicted in a split second failed to completely dismantle the Undead creature. Its movements only paused for a moment before it swung its other intact Bone Claw, sweeping toward Sodden once again with even greater ferocity.
Just as Sodden raised his Shield to block and Arcane Energy began gathering at Winnie’s fingertips, another sudden change occurred.
Another massive, shadowy figure lunged silently like a ghost from the Shadow behind the other side of the door, aiming straight for Winnie, who was focused on Casting.
A second Bear Goblin skeleton!
"Don’t even think about it!"
Raine moved almost in sync with the new opponent, firing another Arrow that precisely targeted the wrist of the Bone Claw reaching toward Winnie.
THWACK!
The Arrow expertly pierced through the bone joint. Its formidable impact instantly blasted the skeletal hand into pieces, sending bone fragments flying everywhere.
The second Bear Goblin skeleton whipped its head around, turning its hollow eye sockets entirely toward Raine. Driven by an enraged Frenzy, it brought its remaining Bone Claw crashing down upon his head!
Remaining completely calm in the face of danger, Raine instantly slung his Longbow over his back and backhandedly drew the Dwarven Short Sword from his waist.
"Eagle Vision!"
The world immediately slowed down in his eyes. The trajectory of the swinging Bone Claw became as clear and sluggish as a crawling snail. With just a nimble sidestep, the wind-wrapped Bone Claw scraped past his Leather Armor, swinging through the air in vain.
Through his recent sparring sessions with Sodden, as well as his own Enlightenment and reflection, he had grown increasingly proficient at using Eagle Vision in close combat. He also minimized the duration of the Skill’s activation to maximize the number of times he could use it. Even if his current training results were highly limited, as long as he could activate the Skill one more time during a critical moment in battle, gaining even a tenth of a second, it could make all the difference.
Following this, Raine didn’t pause for even a moment; a sharp gleam flashed in his eyes.
"Rival’s Perspective!"
Since this Specialty could perceive old physical injuries, this Undead, composed entirely of bones, was undoubtedly the perfect target to observe.
The moment the Specialty was triggered, several areas on the massive skeletal frame of the Bear Goblin suddenly "lit up," just as he expected, clearly marking the vulnerabilities that bore the brunt of past traumas. The brightest glimmer among them was located right at the joint between his opponent’s right arm and shoulder blade.
When Raine focused his mind on that faint light, the imagery in his brain shifted with a roar.
It was as if he had traveled through five hundred years of time, returning to that exact moment intertwined with blood and fire. Everything around him was no longer a dead, ancient graveyard, but a massive furnace where flesh and blood were blown to bits!