Chapter 418: Immortal Catacomb Skeletons, Heading Deeper
[Catacomb Skeletons]
[Level: 100]
[Exclusive Talent: Undead Revival.]
[Combat Power: 8,000,000]
[Details: These ancient skeletal warriors have been trapped within the catacombs for centuries, the dark energy that permeates this place has grown stronger the longer they have remained, making them far more powerful than any ordinary undead.]
---
"Hot damn," Leon’s eyes flared with intensity as he assessed the creatures before him, taking in their numbers and the raw power radiating from their forms, "Each of these things is insanely strong, way stronger than normal level 100 monsters."
Of course, Leon could defeat each of them with a single one of his attacks, his strength far surpassing their individual power.
But if it was anybody else, he understood why this was an [Abyss] difficulty dungeon that few could hope to clear without an army of their own.
Dozens upon dozens of skeletons had risen after all, their numbers seemingly endless as they clawed their way out of the ground.
Anybody getting too close would be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of enemies pressing in from all sides.
The first person who acted was Celeste, as she unleashed her [Darkness Embers] on all the skeletons present.
The dark flames washed over them in a wave of shadowy fire, aiming to target their souls and destroy them from within.
But to her surprise, nothing happened, except for their bones scorching a little, the flames having no real effect on the soulless constructs.
"Undead don’t have souls, Celeste," Leon smiled, a hint of amusement in his voice at her confusion, "Well, some do, but these skeletons clearly don’t."
"...Damn, that means I’m gonna be useless here..." she sighed, her shoulders slumping with disappointment, "My embers pretty much carry me in most fights."
"Nah, you can still attack them with regular flames, and Pyra can do that as well, just focus on dealing physical damage instead of soul damage."
SLASH!
Leon swung his sword at one of the skeletons who got close, his blade cutting through its body and shattering it apart as it crumbled to the ground in pieces, the bones scattering across the floor.
But right as it did that, a timer appeared above the skeleton’s body, glowing with an eerie light that pulsed steadily.
[4:59... 4:58... 4:57...]
"Can’t kill them," Leon mumbled as he noticed that he also didn’t get any panel for the kill, no experience points or loot notifications, "Be careful, they’ll come back after a few minutes."
Not only were these things terrifyingly strong, each of their attacks able to kill the average level 100 player with a single well-placed blow, but they also couldn’t die permanently, making them a relentless threat that would wear down any unprepared group.
"How do we win this?" Violet swung her [Frost Rapier] at several skeletons, freezing them solid before shattering the ice, reducing them to frozen chunks that scattered across the ground.
Though even then, the countdown still appeared above their remains, indicating the skeletons would come back after a short period of time, their bones reforming.
"We can’t," Leon spoke, his voice grim and matter-of-fact, "But I’m pretty sure that if we head deeper into the catacombs, we might find the answer to stopping them permanently, probably some kind of boss or source of their power."
Leon unleashed the power of his [Vines of Torment] and [Shadow Bullets] on all the skeletons, tearing all of them apart in a devastating display of power that cleared the immediate area.
And once the way was clear, the group rushed forward toward one of the tunnels at the end of the chamber, their footsteps echoing in the darkness as they left the regenerating skeletons behind.
"Do we split up?" Violet asked, her voice filled with concern as she looked at the branching paths, "Me and Emilia, while Celeste stays with you."
Violet and Emilia both had the power to fight these monsters effectively, due to Violet’s powerful skills and attributes, as well as Emilia’s insane spirit output that made her spells devastating even against the undead.
Celeste was pretty much the only one that was defenseless against these soul-less undead, but Leon’s presence would be enough to protect her from any danger.
"Alright," Leon nodded, "If anyone finds anything, send a message over immediately, and be careful not to get overwhelmed."
Just like that, they split into the two groups that each took a different tunnel, hoping to find the boss and the source of the undead’s power before the skeletons caught up to them.
The tunnels were massive, several meters in both height but also size, allowing the group to move freely without feeling cramped.
Over the next few minutes, Leon smashed through every single monster he found on the way, his blade cutting through bone and his spells obliterating anything that stood in his path, leaving a trail of shattered remains behind him.
The catacombs seemed to truly hold an almost endless amount of skeletons, each one rising from the darkness to challenge him, as if the very walls were spawning them.
He even found a variant with two heads and four arms, its grotesque form lurching toward him with surprising speed, but much like its compatriots it died as well, crumbling to dust under his relentless assault.
But then, something changed in the atmosphere around them, a shift in the air that made Leon’s instincts scream.
Rumble!
Leon heard a massive rumble as the skeletons they had killed in the first chambers woke up, their bones reforming and reassembling with an audible cracking sound.
Their bones, which were destroyed, suddenly regenerated fully, putting them back in place, or at least that’s what Leon imagined was happening behind them, the sound of marching bones echoing through the tunnels.
"Should we run?" Celeste cautiously asked, her voice trembling slightly with fear, "I don’t like the sound of that at all..."
"Its the same skeletons from before," Leon grinned, trying to reassure her despite his own concerns, "They won’t cause any problems—"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
But right after the rumble, Leon heard several explosions, or more like, several thunderous steps rushing toward them with incredible speed, each one shaking the ground beneath their feet.
His eyes narrowed, but he still remained confident as he looked at the back of the tunnel to prepare himself for whatever was coming, his weapons raised and ready.
And, while Leon was expecting the horde of skeletons to be back, what he was met with was something far more terrifying and unexpected.
"Holy fucking shit," Leon breathed, his eyes widening at the sight before him.
A massive skeleton construct, made out of hundreds of individual skeletons fused together into a single horrifying entity, was right in front of him, its towering form filling the tunnel and blocking any escape.
Every single part of its body was made of several other skeletons, a crimson light flashing in its hollow eye sockets, pulsing with malevolent energy that seemed to radiate power.
Appraisal!