NOVEL NEXT Chapter 27: Necromantic Battle
When the horde was in range, I quickly performed Flame Pillars.
Pillars made of flames bursted from the ground and bodies flew everywhere.
I jumped and performed Swift Slash, slicing and dicing every single entity in my range.
Landing on the ground, another wave approached me. I amassed energy into my hands and threw three rounds of Volatile Orbs. Explosions followed right after.
KA-BOOM!
I sheathed my sword and looked around. Though I keep taking them out, more just seem to come.
After a while, I just knew I was just wasting my time fighting her minions so I decided to end it quickly. It's time for the main show.
I placed my palm on the ground and waited till the horde neared me. And when that happened, I used Flame Pillars and countless eruptions occurred, sending every single entity in a 15-meter radius on fire.
[Leveled up!(31)]
[Flame Pillars Leveled up!]
[Class Routes Unlocked!]
[Class upgrades will be available once the host is unconscious]
I smiled. Looks like I'm definitely gonna have to get out of this one. I don't wanna unlock something and then never be able to use it.
I clapped my hands and faced the witch.
"Well, how about it? I think we've played around enough."
The witch gulped as her hands glowed.
A dozen skeletons appeared by her side and they were a bit intriguing.
They weren't humanoid skeletons, but almost beastly ones. So humans are not the only ones buried in a cemetery like this huh?
They had spiky long tails which probably measured about 8 feet in total but I'm just assuming. However, they do look a bit intimidating. One looked like a skeleton of a lion and the other looked like a wolf. Well, let's just say that I'm dealing with a bunch of dead pups and kittens.
Using Analysis, I quickly inspected their levels and their levels were near 250. Then when I looked over at the witch, I just knew this was going to get harder and harder.
[Level 369; Class: Necromancer]
{Abilities}
Passive Skills: Darkness Manipulation, Reaper's Evil Eyes, Reaper's Favor, West God Martial Arts, Undead Domination, Necromancy, Pain Negation, Curse Resistance, Bloodlust
Active Skills: Bane Mist
Skills: Reanimation(Lvl.Max), Boneyard(Lvl.Max), Shadow Harvest(Lvl.9), Shadow Puppet(Lvl.8), Necrosis(Lvl.4), Dark Armor(Lvl.5), Shadow Fist(Lvl.7), Shadow Shift(Lvl.6), Tartarean Shackles(Lvl.5)
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Her level was higher than mine. She had two skills maxed out and a lot of dark skills. Reaper's Evil Eyes, Reaper's Favor, Undead Domination, etc. Should I also mention she has Pain Negation? I think that is a bit overpowered. And she also has West God Martial Arts, a type of martial arts practiced in, well, the west. Since Paragon is in the west of the continent, people here practice West God Martial Arts. Ninjutsu, which is similar to Ninjutsu in our world, is a minor martial art that is only practiced by some so it's not counted towards the four main styles. I'm looking forward to seeing what that can do.
It seems she also has Darkness Manipulation, but that wasn't much of a surprise. However, I think she's more proficient in that than me so I'll have to stay away from the dark.
But that is the problem. We are underground and there is no light except the fire. But that isn't enough to cover the entire room.
It seems I'll have to stop playing around.
"Get him!" The witch yelled and the skeleton creatures pounced towards me with their jaws wide open.
I turned around and right when I could hear their growls, I spun around and sent them flying away using Fallen Descent and Soaring Dragon Fist. A superpowered punch that strikes the ground and causes a shockwave which is extremely potent for anyone in a 1-meter radius.
But despite being such a powerful move, there was just one problem. My body may be able to perform a spell but sometimes it's unable to withstand the power created by two skills combined.
The last time I tried this combo, my left arm which I use to perform heavy punches by the way would always snap and/or break sometimes. But today was my lucky day.
When I struck the ground and the skeleton creatures flew away, the feeling in my left arm was still intact. I wonder why?
[Notice: The effects of Extreme Might is the cause]
Is that so? Well it's a good thing I unlocked that. Though I wished I could've gotten that days ago but whatever.
Anyway, back to the witch.
[Leveled up!(24)]
Now that I had defeated her skeleton creatures, she had no more tricks left.
"It's only me and you now. Don't worry, I'll take it slow with you," I taunted with a grim smile on my face.
"I'll end you!" She retorted sharply. Then what happened next really caught me off guard.
The energy in my body suddenly vanished and I fell on my knees.
"Wh-what the-?"
[Status: Exhausted]
I was actually stunned! How did she just do that!? I was so energetic a second ago but it was as if my energy just vanished in a snap!
I attempted to lift myself up but I just fell back onto the ground. After a few more attempts, I still couldn't get my face off the ground.
"Sh-shit…" I whispered to myself as I continued to struggle.
What skill is this? Now that I remember, I think I saw a skill like Shadow Harvest…
I looked around and noticed there was a black line from the witch's shadow connected to my shadow. Is she draining my energy from my shadow?
"All talk? You really are a fool."
"You may have drained my energy… but not my mana…"
"Are you sure about that?"
Sure enough, I was proven wrong when I saw my mana decreasing at a plunging rate.
[Mana: 84,853,912/100,000,000]
[Mana: 83,419,053/100,000,000]
Every second that passed, a million of my mana would fade away. I need to react quickly before I lose all my mana.
Quickly I activated my Aura Barrier and the line was immediately disconnected. I quickly bit myself and drank my own blood.
"Yukie, switch my title to Sin of Gluttony!"
[Affirmative…]
[Title Equipped: Sin of Gluttony]
Yes, I can drink my own blood to restore my energy as long as I have the title Sin of Gluttony equipped. Though it shouldn't be able to do that, it works.
[Status: Normal]
When I felt my energy running through my veins again, I healed myself and got up on my feet.
"What?! How are you still able to stand even though I just drained your energy?! You shouldn't even be able to move!"
"You think you've won just by draining my energy?"
I charged up three rounds of Volatile Orbs in each of my hands and threw them at her.
She placed her hands on the ground and suddenly, multiple skeletons jumped out from the ground and they were within range of the Volatile Orbs, causing them to ignite and explode.
BOOM!!
When the smoke disappeared, I was suddenly hit in the back and fell forward but I managed to catch myself.
Crap, I can't sense her. My perception must be too low.
I quickly bit my arm once more and drank my own blood. I continued to do that while encasing myself in an Aura Barrier.
[Status: Full]
Once that message appeared on my screen, my senses went haywire for a second. After that, my sense became sharper and I could eventually feel her presence.
She was coming from behind and I quickly used Fallen Descent, sending a shockwave through the room.
However, when I turned around, there was no one there. How strange, I swore I felt her presence.
"Behind you."
I quickly turned and swung my dagger. Once again, she was nowhere to be seen. Even though I sensed her presence, she wasn't there. Just where was she?!
Suddenly, I was met with a chain around my neck.
That wasn't all. When I tried to get the chains off my neck, more and more chains came from the ground, walls, and even the ceiling.
I was trapped and encased in chains made of dark energy. No matter how much I struggled, I couldn't move. Even when I activated Aura Barrier, the chains didn't go away. I couldn't use Flash Step either because I was pinned down.
Rattle~
I re-diverted my attention at the witch and behind her was an army of skeletons; both beastly and humanoids with weapons in their hands.
Hmm, maybe I was a bit unprepared for this, but there is no time for regret.
Using the power of Fire Manipulation, I used Inferno and I could feel heat venting from every part of my body. The chains that had trapped me gradually melted and I was free.
"What?! Why won't you just give up?!" The witch yelled as she ordered the skeletons to attack me. As they ran towards me, I noticed she was summoning a horde of zombies as well.
"I won't be able to help you guys unless he is out of the way! Get him!" She yelled at the zombies and they obeyed.
Help them? What does she mean by that? Help them with revenge?
I didn't have much time to think about it since there was a horde coming after me. I threw countless rounds of Volatile Orbs at them, each and everyone taking out dozens. I also used Flame Pillars, causing those affected by it to become ashes.
Although I had taken out a majority of them, more just seem to come. I kept on destroying them and more just kept on appearing. This eventually ticked me off, and I just resorted to using Inferno, drowning the entire cave in flames.
[Leveled up!(32)]
[Level: 382]
After there was nothing but bones and corpses on the ground, I looked around for the witch but she was nowhere to be seen.
"H-how are you able to use such a variety of moves?! From different classes?!"
I glanced up and she was hanging down from the ceiling while holding onto a black chain.
"Jack of All Trades. That's all I'll tell you. Now come on down, unless you want to run then that's up to you."
The witch clenched her teeth and a fire lit in her eyes.
"I can't lose to you. Not to anyone! If I do, then all I've been doing would be for nothing!"
Her hands began to glow once again and the ground began to shake. Don't tell me she is going to summon another army of skeletons again.
But that wasn't it. Instead what arose from the ground was not a mere skeleton or a zombie, but a large wing made of bones and tattered flesh.
It hovered above me and plunged towards me. I quickly stepped out of the way and the wing smashed into the ground, making the cave shake.
Once it had fully emerged from the ground, there was a large skeletal dragon standing in the middle of the cave.
After inspecting its level with Analysis, I was getting anxious.
"You gotta be kidding me. Level 400… and it's a dragon."
The dragon bellowed and I noticed that its center which was clad in darkness dimmed a purple color.
Interesting...
But first, I'm gonna have to focus on trying not to get crushed by this thing.
The dragon gaped its mouth and a piercing cry echoed through the cave.
RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING~
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