.
A three man cell formation was rather effective for small-scale engagements. Meltor Kingdom had long established tactics for teams involving two magicians and a warrior, or two warriors and a magician. Theodore’s trio were able to easily adapt those tactics to their battle.
Shaaack!
Randolph’s twin swords flashed as he acted as the vanguard. Aura coated his blades as they slashed through five orc ghouls. As his opponents tried to attack in the brief instant after his attack, they were stopped cold. Literally.
“Resist Cold.”
“Frost Wave.”
Theo’s resistance spell protected Randolph from Sylvia’s wave of cold air. Everything in the path of the Frost Wave froze, but Randolph soon shattered the frozen undead with quick swipes. The intermediate ranked undead ghouls were washed away like garbage.
Randolph clicked his tongue in admiration as he straightened.
Wow. They may be kids, but they’re linking their magic to coordinate with my movements. Looks like they aren’t just talk.?
They might be excellent magicians, but Randolph had been concerned about their ability to work with him. He wasn’t afraid of dying to an errant spell, but a mistake at a key moment might endanger everyone. As they battled through the undead, Randolph started to appreciate his magician comrades more.
“Randolph, jump!”
Randolph didn’t hesitate as he jumped lightly, drawing his knees to his chest.
“Wind Cutter!”
A wind blade passed beneath Randolph at ankle height, moving faster than normal Wind Cutters. But it was just as sharp, cutting through a ghoul’s feet. Randolph’s sword flashed as the ghoul stumbled, beheading it in an instant.
The trio killed their way smoothly deeper into the cave.
“Hoooo… Let’s take a break for a second.” Theodore raised a hand as he caught his breath after the third battle.
When he glanced at Randolph, he was surprised to notice that the latter’s breathing still seemed normal, despite having fought the undead without rest since they had entered the cave. He clearly had more energy to spare.
It’s reassuring to have someone as powerful as him with us.?
Just as Randolph admired Theo’s skills, Theo was also amazed at Randolph’s abilities. Randolph’s polished and honed swordsmanship seemed to have no weaknesses. Even the orc ghouls had fallen in short order when they were confronted by his twin falchions.
Theo was relieved that he was an ally, but he also felt like he needed to improve at close combat. If Theo had to fight Randolph now, he would only last ten seconds. He knew that there were several combat styles and martial arts that integrated magic power, like the ones Blundell used. Once Theo was done with the warlock, he fully intended on studying one.
Theo glanced at Sylvia. “Sylvia, how is your magic power?”
Sylvia’s eyes unfocused for a second. “Around 80%? I still have a lot.”
Theo asked, “Randolph?”
Randolph nodded. “I’m the same. I can keep fighting at this pace.”
Theodore looked down the path covered in darkness again. After three waves of undead and around a hundred ghouls, the silence was unnerving. Was he imagining it? If he didn’t hurry, it seemed like they would be facing an unexpected situation soon. ｂ𝚍ｎｏ𝚟ｌ.
“Then let’s keep moving.”
As the two light orbs lit the way, the trio descended into the darkness.
***
Theodore felt a sense of incongruity as they walked through the darkness for what seemed like forever. He had read in the report that the cave was only a few hundred meters, so they should’ve reached the end. However, the path had yet to come to an end.
A strange possibility occurred to Theo.
“Randolph.”
“Yeah?”
“Carve into the cave wall with your sword. If you can afford it, please use aura.”
“… Sure.” Randolph was confused but saw no issue with Theo’s request.
He knew enough about Theo that the latter wouldn’t ask for something without a reason. Randolph sheathed one falchion and held the other with two hands. He concentrated for a moment and struck down on the wall.
A deep scar appeared on the wall.
However, Randolph’s eyes widened. “What the-”
The scar was closing up again right before his eyes!
Randolph didn’t know what was going on, but Theodore’s and Sylvia’s faces grew serious as they understood the situation. They could sense the dense dark mana leaking out from the wall like the intestines of a wounded animal. They were both reminded of a powerful spell.
The two magicians muttered almost simultaneously, “Dungeon…”
It was a powerful 6th Circle spell that turned a certain radius around the user into their domain. It consumed a lot of time and resources to set up, but it allowed the user to multiply their strength on a prepared field. The fact that either the warlock or grimoire had managed to cast it was bad news. The warlock could now freely shape this cave’s structure.
An eerie screech started to rise up around them.
Kieeeeeeek-!
Chills ran down Theo’s spine. The echoes bouncing off the walls of the cave made it even creepier. The trio raised their guard as translucent shapes started to float out of the walls around them.
Sylvia frowned. “Specters?”
Randolph cursed, “I don’t have any holy water!”
Specters were a collection of grudges forced into a single incorporeal entity. They usually attacked their victims by draining vitality from living bodies. Since they existed as spiritual bodies, physical attacks were ineffective, and divine magic was essential. Swordsmen usually dealt with them by dipping their blades in holy water, but Randolph hadn’t brought any along.
The specters lunged forward when they sensed the trio’s bright vitality.
“It can’t be helped, let’s try it first!”
Although Randolph was at a distinct disadvantage, he still had to protect the two magicians behind him. The duty of a vanguard was to block the enemy’s attack. He activated his aura and let it run down his swords. He was determined to stop the specters even if it meant overusing his aura. But then, he received an order from behind him.
“Randolph, fall back!”
He was stunned. “What?”
Theo snapped, “Quickly!”
“… Damn it, understood!”
It was confusing, but Theo had yet to disappoint him. Randolph fell back as Theo fearlessly stepped forward.
Kkieeeek!Kikikiiiik! Kikikiiiik!Kihihihik!
Theo had no fear of the specters, who were cackling as they flew toward him. It was clear they intended on sucking out every last drop of vitality he had.
Sylvia and Randolph readied themselves to jump in at the slightest sign of something going wrong as the specters converged on Theo.
– Devour everything…
It wasn’t Theo who had spoken, but the instinctive grumbling of the sleeping Gluttony in his left hand. Theo had nearly started laughing when the appearance of the specters had piqued the grimoire’s hunger.
He raised his left hand as he felt Gluttony’s tongue emerging. He wasn’t afraid. Specters were formed through black magic, and were made of dark mana, so they qualified to become Gluttony’s food. And at the end of the day, which predator was afraid of its food?
Gluttony began to feast.
Kiaaaaaaack!
The specters quailed in the face of the original predator. They turned to flee, but Gluttony was not about to let its meal escape. Horrifying cries of pain, horror, and fear echoed in the cave as the specters were sucked into Theo’s left palm.
[The ghost of the goblin shaman has been consumed.]
[The ghost of the orc warrior has been consumed.]
[The ghost of a foolish troll has been consumed.]
[……]
[The user has not unlocked the feature.]
Theo felt full after all the specters either were eaten or escaped. It was different from eating artifacts or magic books. Theo opened his eyes as he enjoyed the sense of satiety.
“Hey, Employer?”
“… Theo?”
However, his companions were rather amazed.
“What happened just now? You raised your left hand, and the specters were sucked into it…”
“Theo, teach me that! What did you do? Is it from one of the Drain systems? Or a modified version of sealing magic?”
Fortunately, Sylvia and Randolph had been behind him. They had not seen the hole in his palm or the tongue that had emerged. Theo had enough leeway to evade their questions and potentially explain it away as an artifact ability.
However, the cave around them began to shudder before he could make any excuses.
Randolph dropped into a fighting crouch. “Woah! What is going on?”
Theo’s eyes widened. “This…!”
Sylvia kept her guard up. “It’s getting wider…?”
Theo realized that this was the phenomenon known as Dimension Expansion! The cave passage widened to form a large dome with an ornately decorated door at the end. Theo quickly regained his composure, since only the warlock could do something like this.
Kkiiik-
The doorknob turned, and a figure in black robes floated into the room. The same creepy voice came from the black robes.
[Well… You broke my creations.]
The figure didn’t seem to have a formidable physique, but all three of them could feel the eerie and enormous flow of magic power enveloping him. The voice dropped into a dark sing-song tone as darkness flooded out from beneath the robes.
[You can kill my creatures, but you can’t kill me. If you were here a day, or even half a day earlier, you would have stopped me from completing it. But now, your only destiny is death!]
The dark mana swelled as the voice grew louder. The black robes burst as the pressure of the magic power grew too unruly. The two magicians paled at the nightmare which was revealed underneath the torn cloth.
[Look upon the image of death itself! Bask in the greatness of the one who is beyond the bounds of a lowly mortal!]
A skeleton floated in the air, as blue flames lit up in the hollow eye sockets. The density of the dark mana had reached a level that even non-magicians would be able to see a fog wrapped around the skeleton. Rotting bodies struggled out of the decaying soil beneath the skeleton as the dark mana started to radiate from the skeleton.
This was a corrupted magician’s finest spell. A top-level undead that would even stun the magic towers. Theo, Sylvia, and Randolph were standing in front of an Elder Lich. Unlike a regular lich which evaded death by sealing its soul in its body, an Elder Lich was a magician who extracted their own soul and sealed it in a Life Vessel. This was a monster the magic towers had rated as a level 3 difficulty. The Elder Lich could never be destroyed unless its Life Vessel was destroyed.
The skeleton rose higher into the air.
[At first, I wanted to kill you and turn your bodies into my servants, but…]
The Elder Lich raised a bony index finger and pointed at Theo.
[Your body will be an interesting experiment. I’ll take you alive.]