Chapter #28: Unwanted Partnerships pt2

Going deeper into the tunnels, we find stronger undead, zombies and skeletons mainly with ranging Threat Levels between 3 and 5. This battle I can tell is going to be fierce. Elektra shoots one Fire Bolt after the other, leading more zombies and skeletons to their permanent deaths. To my surprise, Alexander and his team cast Firebals and use the bombs, blasting away several zombies like it's nothing, and decrease the undead horde's HP considerably, making them easy prey for my sword and my vampire aide.

The undead horde is hard to destroy or even penetrate with our current arsenal. More and more undead approach me, but I keep my composure and Ambrosia does the same. We have to keep the line intact, otherwise, everything will be lost. I strengthen my grip on my sword and when the zombie-shufflers charge me, I swing it fast, hitting several of them. When I have the opportunity, I blast them away using Fire Bolt. Ambrosia on the other hand jumps left and right and wreaks havoc to their ranks while Elektra stays back providing support.

The wizard support team with Alexander and Zoe continue raining down Fire Bolts deeper into the sea of rotten flesh and more adventurers, warriors in class come to support us and protect our flanks. I think of using some of my Tier-1 spells, yet something tells me I'll definitely need them later. Ambrosia snaps undead heads left and right as she strikes with her claws. The force of her blows shatters the undead creatures, reducing them to piles of rotting flesh and bone. The vampiress is a force to be reckoned with.

Honestly, after we move down, about three levels through several stone staircases, I begin to wonder if the undead horde has an end. Where could they be coming from? How are there so many? Why am I gaining such little experience?

After a while, we find ourselves back in another open chamber. The undead horde seems to come from above us on a larger ledge. With my superior hearing, I know there is something bigger coming our way. Stomping the ground, moving itself over the smaller undead, plowing through them like a bull. Bones grind, crunch, and swivel in the darkness as a large groan cries out. From the shadows emerges a giant skeleton. Its massive arms look like they are tethered together with thin pieces of rope and metal wire. I can still make out and smell small pieces of rotting flesh stuck at random across its corpse. I'm not sure if the flesh belongs to the creature or to adventurers, but I don't plan on getting close enough to find out. It throws its arms open wide as it jumps down from the ledge, tossing several undeads to the side. Several of them lose their heads in the process.

Faced against the Threat Level 6 Giant Skeleton, I force myself to scramble backward, reflecting attacks with my vampiric sword. To my surprise, a second, normal-sized Threat Level 3 skeleton appears almost directly in front of me. With my right hand extended and my sword in guard position, I parry the giant skeleton's attack and at the same time unleash a Fire Bolt on the second skeleton. The Fire Bolt rocks the skeleton back a step but fails to turn him into dust.

"Watch the floor!" Ambrosia shouts. I look down and see one of the severed heads chomping away at the ground, trying its best to swivel itself towards me. I pull back and kick it hard into a wall, watching it splatter. A part of me wants to laugh, but there is no time. Alexander's team is throwing bombs again, causing the chamber to fill with smoke. I yell for them to stop, but it's already too late.

The giant skeleton emerges in front of me from the cloud of smoke and dust. I step backward grabbing the bomb Zoe had given me earlier, and toss it into the creature's gaping maw. A moment later it explodes, the bottom of the giant is all that's left as it tumbles towards the ground. I look over at Ambrosia who is smiling at me, three undead laying at her feet.

From the corner of my eyes, I see another giant skeleton charging at me and I'm forced to exchange a deadly series of blows with it. It's stronger than the last one. Threat Level 6. Alexander and his wizard team rain Fire Bolts from behind us, forcing it to backpedal several steps away. This gives me some time to give my undivided attention to the second skeleton, the Threat Level 3. With two bashing movements of my sword, I reduce it into a pile of bones. For my good luck, the wizard support team manages to slay the giant skeleton. Although they killed my quarry, I'm relieved.

Ambrosia is nowhere to be found. She has disappeared into this perfect pandemonium of death and decay. I imagine her shadow melting inside the formless mass of the battle. She left at the worst moment as a duo of powerful undead in robes appears out of nowhere. My neural control interface informs me that they are undead assassins and have a Threat Level of 7.

Fuck! It will be impossible for me to defeat both.

I look around me, hoping I'll find other warriors that could help me in the coming battle. Unfortunately, everyone is engaged.

The duo engages in a ferocious battle with me and compared to the sluggish attacks I've faced before, these two are faster and deadlier than anything I've encountered so far. Fighting them is the opposite of battling the giant. They perform consecutive slashes with their daggers, each contemplating the other, leaving me no time to rest or counterattack. All I can do is parry and dodge. Despite being undead, their attacks are precise, practically surgical. Somehow, I manage to hold my ground, neither of us backing down. No matter how many times they try to attack me, I'm efficient enough to block their attacks. If I was fighting one on one with them, then I could penetrate their defenses, and end their miserable existence for good, but for now, all I can do is endure their lightning-speed strikes. Distancing myself momentarily, I hear our leader, Cadmus, shouting that we should retreat.

"More undead inbound!" The artificer yells as he tries to hold the line with a few other adventurers.