Chapter 49: The Twisted Mage
Chapter 49: The Twisted Mage
Luna's Frost Touch had a decent effect; as long as it made contact, it would have some impact regardless of the target's level.
Gu Xi was waiting for this opportunity. As Luna froze the shadow, Gu Xi raised his hand and shot a bone spike.
The shadow was briefly frozen, causing his movement to halt, allowing the bone spike to easily penetrate his body.
As the bone spike hit him, the nearby skeleton soldiers immediately swarmed, stabbing and slashing at the figure with spears and swords.
Despite his power, continually emitting red light that could shatter a skeleton soldier with each strike, he was overwhelmed by the sheer number of skeletons.
In just a few moments, this twisted figure was hacked to death by the relentless skeleton soldiers.
[Skeleton Soldier (Summoned Creature) killed Twisted Mage (Youth, Level 3), you gain 18 experience points, Battle Squad gains 1 experience point, Contracted Undead gains 22 experience points, participating summoned creatures gain 4 experience points.]
Twisted Mage? What kind of existence was this?
Before Gu Xi could ponder the implications, he heard the sound of rapid movement behind him.
Turning around, he saw another black-robed man, similarly dressed as the Twisted Mage, appear in the courtyard of the apartment building.
However, this man appeared older, with long white hair spilling from his black hood, greasy and unkempt.
Standing in the courtyard, his face contorted upon seeing the dead shadow.
"Hari, you killed my son. I will kill you all!" he screamed.
The black-robed man pointed forward, and a red beam shot towards Gu Xi.
A skeleton soldier quickly stepped up, shielding Gu Xi from the blast.
However, Gu Xi noticed that this time the skeleton's body was shattered into finer pieces.
"Block him."
As Gu Xi ordered, he hurled another bone spike at the enemy. At the same time, he considered learning a new tracking spell for distant attacks; relying solely on bone spikes might not be sufficient to defeat future foes.
The skeleton soldiers advanced quickly but were unable to keep up with the black-robed man's shadowy movements.
Gu Xi wanted to use the same strategy as before, having Luna freeze the enemy. However, this opponent was faster than Luna, dodging attacks even when he paused momentarily.
Facing such a fast-moving enemy, Gu Xi knew the skeleton soldiers alone wouldn't suffice. He decisively shouted, "Luna, Wail!"
Luna understood immediately. As the man turned into a shadow, she let out a piercing scream in his path.
Banshee Wail activated!
Luna's scream echoed, and the shadow was forced out of his form.
Gu Xi didn't hesitate. Pointing towards the figure, he anticipated the enemy's roll to avoid his bone spike.
Instead, Gu Xi casually gestured, and as the enemy rolled, three daggers flew from Gu Xi's left hand.
The daggers were faster than the bone spikes and hit their mark precisely, one embedding in the figure's body.
Instead of pulling out the dagger, the man stood up and pointed at Gu Xi.
With no shield-bearing skeletons left, a spear-wielding skeleton stepped forward, taking the hit for Gu Xi.
Seizing the opportunity, Gu Xi hurled another dagger at the enemy.
It seemed Gu Xi was signaling he was out of mana, inviting the enemy to attack.
The black-robed man took the bait, charging towards Gu Xi.
Just as he prepared to move, Gu Xi pulled out the Staff of Shattering and pointed it at the man.
The sight of the new weapon startled the black-robed man, causing him to falter.
Gu Xi noticed the man stepped on a skeleton corpse and immediately cast Corpse Explosion.
Boom!
The power of the Lesser Corpse Explosion is proportional to the life force of the corpse.
A small explosion blew off the man's left leg.
Seeing this, nearby skeleton soldiers pounced, aiming to finish him off.
What happened next stunned Gu Xi. The man raised his right hand, putting a ring with a large stone in his mouth.
Without any apparent action, a scream from inside the building echoed, more dreadful than Luna's Banshee Wail.
Gu Xi watched as a stream of blood flew from the building, landing on the black-robed man.
The man absorbed the blood instantly, and Gu Xi was shocked to see his leg regenerate.
The man's white hair turned black, brimming with vitality.
Was this rebirth or resurrection?
Though confused, Gu Xi realized the ring's stone absorbed blood, restoring the man's peak power.
All Gu Xi's previous efforts were wasted.
Facing this situation, Gu Xi acted decisively. "Don't let him escape."
Luna appeared behind the man, Frost Touch striking him again.
Yet, the man, now at his peak, shrugged off the ice instantly.
Ignoring everything else, Gu Xi shot five bone spikes at the man while charging forward, intent on engaging in close combat.
Seeing Gu Xi approach, the man extended his hands, sending two red beams at Gu Xi.
Gu Xi didn't dodge. Two skeleton soldiers leaped in front, taking the hits and exploding.
Using the explosion as cover, Gu Xi reached the man, smashing the Staff of Shattering down on his head.