Screams constantly escaped Rorona's mouth. That agonizing wail felt as though it were being torn straight from her soul.
“To think that such a filthy creature could make a contribution to Lord Fantes.”
“Lord Fantes truly is too merciful.”
Tero sighed with emotion.
The surrounding atmosphere grew increasingly tense. Within the lava, bubbles constantly popped as fire crocodiles emerged one after another. It was as if every fire crocodile in the entire labyrinth was converging on this spot.
When Li Xiuman had used the fire lizardman king's magic stone, he had only been able to attract two or three fire crocodiles. Yet, the magic stone Tero had pulled out was actually capable of drawing every fire crocodile on the entire floor.
The sound of flapping wings began to echo. Firewing Beasts were also flying over from the horizon one by one.
“Skeleton, isn't it magnificent?”
“To be sacrificed for Lord Fantes's sake is your honor as well.”
“These fire crocodiles and Firewing Beasts will surge up through the dungeon to aid Lord Fantes in becoming the new Count.”
“Be grateful for my redemption of your soul!”
Tero threw his arms wide and shouted with a fanatical expression.
“Skeleton, run!”
An unfamiliar voice rang out.
It was the voice of the vampire, Rorona.
Li Xiuman could feel that when she said “Skeleton,” she wasn't using a codename. She was referring to his race. Had she known what he was from the very beginning?
Now that he thought about it, the look she had given him when she first discovered him hiding in the shadows was the look one gave a kindred spirit. That was why she hadn't exposed him back then. Did she view him as one of her own?
Next, a massive shadow spread out from beneath her feet, twisting like tentacles as it surged toward the others.
“You bastard, you can actually talk?”
Monkey cursed loudly, severing the dark shadow tentacles beneath his feet.
But immediately after, those tentacles turned blood-red, as if they had been soaked in blood, withstanding everyone's attacks. Rorona's face grew even paler, resembling a corpse.
Should he run?
This was a great opportunity.
Li Xiuman looked at the vampire. Her expression was calm, as if she had finally found release. She had bought this time for him; she wanted her kindred to escape. There was no need to hesitate. He would just have to avenge her later.
“Tch, a favor must be repaid.”
Li Xiuman drew his bone sword and slid toward Tulip like a phantom. After all, this Light Priest posed the greatest threat to him.
“Damn you, how dare you!”
Tulip lost her composure in panic, but with her legs bound, she couldn't move. She could only raise her staff.
“Holy Light Barrier!”
Golden holy light formed a barrier, shielding her.
Li Xiuman gripped his bone sword tightly and thrust it savagely at the barrier. Guided by his Great Strength, the Holy Light Barrier dented deeply inward before popping like a thin membrane.
Jellyfish had already raised her wand and hurled a Fireball at him.
Instead of dodging, Li Xiuman lunged forward, burning his bridges as he thrust his bone sword savagely into Tulip's smooth neck.
[Ding! Killed Light Priest lv19, Experience +500]
Tenderly protective of the fairer sex?
It looked like the runner-up for the biggest joke of the year had been decided.
Next, he hoisted Tulip's corpse to block the unavoidable Fireball. Using her body as a shield, he weathered the blast. Tulip's corpse was instantly scorched black before exploding into fragments.
“Skeleton!!!”
The remaining party members glared with eyes filled with rage, especially Jellyfish, whose spell had just obliterated Tulip's corpse. Her delicate face was warped with fury.
Riding the shockwave of the explosion, Li Xiuman opened up some distance and raised his wand.
“Tier 1 Magic, Stone Shield!”
Rocks coalesced into a shield, forming at the tip of his left arm.
Rorona's binding was also reaching its limit. Li Xiuman could only unleash his strongest single-target attack. A three-colored magic circle of red, yellow, and indigo unfurled at the tip of his wand.
Fire elements compressed, rocks wrapped around them, and a whirlwind propelled them forward. Once the molten stone spike had spun to its limit—
“Tier 1 Magic, Molten Wind Spiral Spike!”
With this tri-elemental fusion spell, the molten spike tore through the air, trailing a straight, glowing red tail as it shot toward Tero.
“Damn it!”
Tero roared, tightening his grip on his longsword.
“Minor Strength Boost!”
“Minor Reflex Boost!”
“Minor Defense Boost!”
“Heavy Slash!”
Tero's muscles bulged one by one, veins popping on the hand gripping his hilt. Various colored lights rippled across the surface of his body. Red sword qi constantly flared from his blade, which he raised high as if gathering strength, ready to bring it crashing down like an eroding mountain at any moment.
At the exact instant the Molten Wind Spiral Spike made impact, the sword light slashed down, striking the tip of the spinning stone spike with pinpoint precision.
A chip instantly broke out of the blade's edge. The webbing between Tero's thumb and index finger ripped open, and his arms went completely numb from the shock. Yet, he still managed to cleave the molten spike in two.
The bifurcated molten spike spun and detonated, showering the area with rock fragments enveloped in lava that burst into a fiery vortex. Tero could no longer hold his ground and was sent flying backward. His equipment was scorched to tatters, and patches of his bare flesh were burned black.
By now, the others had also broken free of Rorona's binding. Standardizing their formation, they rushed toward Li Xiuman.
Rhino took the vanguard, Monkey flanked them, and Jellyfish held the rear, while Tero was recovering from his injuries.
“Mobile Heavy Armor!”
Rhino roared. A layer of golden light plated his heavy armor as he charged at Li Xiuman. Monkey followed close behind, using Rhino as a shield to block Li Xiuman's attacks.
“Tier 1 Magic, Ground Spike!”
Li Xiuman slammed his hand into the ground. On the rocky floor ahead, a vast cluster of spikes thrust upward one after another. Yet Rhino neither dodged nor retreated, relying on his heavy armor to shatter the Ground Spikes as he barreled through.
Li Xiuman had no intention of playing nice with this guy. The Bone Wings burst from his back. Flapping them as he retreated, he avoided Jellyfish's bombardments and soared into the air.
Then, he raised his left hand. His skeletal arm twisted and grew, morphing into a series of circular bone tubes arranged in a ring.
“Tier 1 Magic, Gatling!”
As the barrels on Li Xiuman's left arm spun, bone bullets poured down like rain. The dense suppressing fire kept everyone pinned down, unable to even lift their heads.
“What kind of ghost magic is this?!”
“Is it some kind of magic item?!”
Utilizing the cover of the Gatling sweep, Li Xiuman raised his wand with his other hand.
“Tier 1 Magic, Molten Wind Spiral Spike!”
However, trying the same trick twice yielded no results. This spell required too much charging time, making it incredibly difficult to hit moving targets. Time was running out. The fire crocodiles and Firewing Beasts were drawing closer by the second. He had to go all out.
Li Xiuman glanced at his right arm and gripped his wand tightly. He activated the magic item, the [Fire Lizardman King Armguard].
In an instant, blazing flames surged from the inside out, wrapping Li Xiuman up as a literal man of fire. He raised his hand, conjuring a massive barrage of Fireballs that rained down like a meteor shower.
Following behind the falling Fireballs, he lunged toward Jellyfish, who was being protected at the rear. Taking out their ranged attacker was critical.
“Don't even think about it!”
The Heavy Warrior hastily stepped in front of Jellyfish and raised his greatshield. Monkey also thrust his longsword forward.
Yet Li Xiuman made no attempt to dodge, tanking the slash head-on as the sword pierced straight through where his heart would have been.
Ah, this trick really worked like a charm every single damn time. Truly, an insightful tip from a skeleton's playbook.
The twisting flames burned continuously as he crashed into the Heavy Warrior. Under the combination of Great Strength and intense heat, the Heavy Warrior staggered, exposing Jellyfish behind him.
Then, before everyone's shocked eyes, Li Xiuman closed the distance with a sword still run through his chest, seized Jellyfish by the throat, and hoisted her into the air.
“Sorry. My heart has been on the right side ever since I was a kid.”
Flames raced down his arm, instantly engulfing Jellyfish.
[Ding! Killed Elementalist lv20]
[Experience +600]
Rate on N.U.
