Chapter 163: The Minions
This 'boss zombie' was draped in tattered clothes of what once might have been noble garments, now reduced to mere rags that hung from its girth. Its flesh, a sickly hue of greenish-gray, was pulled and stretched over bulging muscles that rippled with each subtle movement. This Zombie appeared both unnatural and terrifying.
Nonetheless, seeing that they were about to clash, Shane activated one of his Survivor Skills. It was the Aura of Protection. This skill requires Spirit Points to be used, so he was only using it now…
To be exact, he had to use 50 Spirit Points per minute when using this since he was emitting an aura. It wasn't a very large number, but if he had to use other Survivor Skills or his Item's Skills, then he would really have to be careful.
Well, this was the reason why he brought the Elves and the others with him. It was to save his Spirit Points for this critical junction!
With the Aura of Protection active, he would be able to protect himself and the small area around him!
"Mhmm?" Eldrin and the other elves noticed something different from their young lord.
"It's an Aura quite similar to the one that the monk uses…" Thalion commented as he felt curious about their young lord.
"Amazing, Sir Shane…" Chaloem commented as he looked at the spherical aura around Shane. The elves may not see it but they could feel this sphere around Shane. However, the monk could literally see this protection because of his mastery over Ki.
"Don't get too far from me if you want to benefit from my protection skill." Shane said as he looked at the Crypt Crawlers who seemed to be waiting for signal.
This was very different from the previous Crypt Crawlers that he had seen. They were supposedly creatures who only acted on their instincts. The moment they entered the cavern, they should've pounced on them based on his experience.
'That boss zombie is controlling them for sure… We have to be careful.' Shane said as he tightly held his Electric Shock Blade.
After hearing Shane's words, the group formed a tight circle, their backs to one another.
As if on cue, the Zombies finally made their moves!
The Crypt Crawlers descended, their movements weren't silent as various rocks dropped with them…
However, with the Aura of Protection, Shane didn't worry about those small rocks dropping at them.
Eldrin nocked an arrow, Thalion and Aranion readied their swords, Faelar and Cirdan prepared to lend support, and Chaloem stood serene, his inner peace a stark contrast to the chaos around them.
"Fight!" Shane commanded, his voice echoing off the cavern walls as he tightly held his sword. With his Weapon Master Skill, he was confident that he would be able to fight against these Zombies quite easily.
Boom!
The battle erupted into a frenzy. Eldrin's arrows found their marks, piercing the Crypt Crawlers' flesh. Thalion and Aranion's blades hummed through the air, severing limbs with each swing.
Faelar and Cirdan moved quickly as they opted to use their short blades instead of bows… Nonetheless, their strikes were still precise and deadly.
On the other hand, Chaloem's staff whirled, moving incredibly fast as he deflected attacks and countered them with lethal force.
Boom!
Shane didn't remain idle as he carefully observed the battlefield. Soon, Shane's keen eyes caught a glimpse of a Crypt Crawler Zombie stealthily creeping up behind Aranion…
'Not on my watch…'
With a swift and decisive movement, Shane activated his Electric Shock Blade's Surge of Power skill, one of the weapon's skills, channeling a surge of electricity that coursed through his veins, empowering his every strike.
[ Surge of Power: The Electric Shock Blade channels a surge of electricity into the wielder, boosting attack speed and damage output for a short duration. It has a +100% chance of increasing attack speed and damage.
Cost: 110 Spirit Points ]
A surge of energy enveloped Shane as he lunged towards the unsuspecting Crypt Crawler Zombie, his movements enhanced by the electrifying power of his blade.
"Haa!"
With a resounding clash, the Thunderous Strike skill was unleashed as the blade made contact with the creature, releasing a deafening shockwave that reverberated through the cavern, stunning the undead foe in its tracks. It was the other skill of the blade.
[ Thunderous Strike: The blade releases a thunderous shockwave upon impact, stunning enemies in its vicinity and disrupting their movements. It has a +120% chance of causing electric damage.
Cost: 100 Spirit Points ]
With these two weapon skills, with the addition of the 35% Critical Chance and 20% Attack Speed, the Crypt Crawler Zombie was nothing in front of him!
Boom!
The Zombie recoiled from the impact, its movements momentarily disrupted by the overwhelming force of the electric shockwave.
Seizing the opportunity, Shane pressed his advantage, his blade crackling with potent electric energy as he delivered a series of lightning-fast strikes against the creature.
All four of his strikes hit perfectly, the electrifying energy coursed through the Crypt Crawler Zombie's decaying form, sapping its strength and making it unable to even counter!
Aranion, momentarily spared from the sneak attack, turned to witness Shane's display of sword mastery!
Seeing that the Zombie was no longer able to move, his own blade flashed in tandem with his leader's, decapitating the Zombie's head.
Well, they were told by Mr. Wadsworth that the Zombies could still live even with so many injuries if their brains were still connected to their bodies.
Because of that, he still decided to "finish off" the Zombie that Shane had attacked, not knowing that its brain was already fried because of Shane's weapon.
"Thank you!" Aranion said as he glanced at Shane.
Shane, on the other hand, realized that the cavern had become silent.
"Hmm?"
In the aftermath of the intense battle, as the lingering echoes of combat gradually faded, his gaze swept across the cavern, taking in the scene of their victory.
Then, his eyes fell upon Chaloem, who stood amidst a circle of fallen Crypt Crawler Zombies, his staff raised in a defensive stance, while a serene expression of focus etched upon his features.