BXBX NOVEL Chapter 544 543: In Depth Scouting (4)
Considering that - in terms of troop quality - the Undead outranked the Monsters with ease but lost in numbers, we were thinking that this Bone Fortress would be \'smaller\' than the Monster Den but laden with danger, since a Spartoi outclassed a Serpent nine out of ten times.
Which meant that we needed to be in and out without much combat, since we could easily get bogged down by the Undead if they swarmed us with a large amount of elite enemies - let alone if the Undead boss enemy took to the field as well, which would be a bit disastrous.
However, we were more than equipped and prepared for a situation like that, so while it was a worry in the back of our minds, it wasn\'t so pressing that we were second guessing our every move from here till we returned to the safety of the beach.
So as I stood up and weaved together a sequence of runes to bring a blizzard into existence again, the others rushed forwards and took the existing skeletons by surprise, crashing against them and carving a path towards the gates.
Leone was a step behind everyone else, her spells hurtling up towards the ramparts where the skeletons with staffs stood, knocking them down and killing them before they could begin to take command of the other undead and get them into fighting formation.
My Domain went up a few moments later, the winds and snow landing on the bone and stone laden walls of the Bone Fortress and allowing me to move forwards and aid my lovers as we rushed towards the gates.
As I did so, an idea popped into my mind - an idea that I really wanted to try, and one that would be beneficial to us all - which made me swerve off to the side, rushing through the weaker skeletons and finding me beside the wall.
Jahi narrowed her eyes as she glanced towards me, before continuing forwards as she saw me begin to climb the wall using platforms of ice, which sprouted from the bones as the snow thickened.
After I reached a certain height, the skeletons and other undead below me couldn\'t reach me anymore, only being able to attack me by throwing their weapons at me, but even that did nothing as a personal sphere of wind knocked everything away.
While they pushed open the gates and entered from the front, I jumped onto the wall and stared out over the interior of the Bone Fortress, which made me smile wryly as I crouched along the edge, observing everything first.
From where they entered at the front, there were dozens of low level skeletons and some Beastkin Skeletons roaming around confusedly, hidden behind barricades and piles of bone that provided them some cover from those below.
Further in, the piles of bones were stacked higher and laden with heavier, thicker bones that were being pulled out by spindly, thin skeletons and assembled on tables into the undead that we saw around us.
Those tables were arrayed around a large pit filled with bones as well, which the base skeletons rose out of on occasion, while further back was another large hall made of bones and stone.
Ringing the top of the fortress\' walls were a myriad of skeletons with staffs, Earth and Fire Mana coiling around the wood and bone focuses as they aimed them at me or at the others, reacting far quicker than the other undead down below.
Right before they could fire their spells at me, I caught a glimpse of the doors leading into the hall opening, revealing a mass of bones and mana inside that radiated power, but I couldn\'t get a detailed look as I dove to the side, dodging a sharpened rock that threatened to crush my ribcage.
While Jahi and the others down below got to work cutting down the various undead as they pushed further in, I traced out some runes before firing back at the arcane skeletons, killing them as I began to run towards the other side of the Bone Fortress from atop the walls, Shatter in my off hand and coated in a thick slab of serrated ice.
Icicles burst from the Ritual Circle hovering in front of my palm, shattering the skulls of the arcane skeletons that I rushed towards as I made my way over the walls and towards the hall, which had a few windows and openings on its roof for me to slip into for a better look.
Spartoi and Beastkin Skeletons down below bellowed and screeched in anger as they watched the weaker undead get butchered, raising their weapons and lumbering forwards to meet the intruders.
Some of them saw me and tried to scale the walls to help the mages, only to slide back down and chitter in irritation as the snow coating the bones made it nearly impossible for them to do so, resulting in them turning to focus on Jahi and the others instead.
With a Water Cloak draped over my armor and a gale of wind shrouding my immediate area, I swiftly rushed through everything up top and took out the mages before they could cause trouble for those below, allowing them to push forwards relatively unimpeded while allowing me to take a peek before they reached the gate, which...
Well, I had to groan softly at the sight that lay before me, my mind split between anticipation and dread.
What lay inside the Bone Fortress\' heart was a rather peculiar creature assembled from bones and held together by powerful mana.
Hunkered down at the back of the hall, the roughly humanoid undead was around eight feet tall when it was sitting down, meaning it was likely around ten to twelve when it was standing up; the height wasn\'t the most frightening part of the undead though.
Four thick, powerful arms sprouted from its armored torso, and three of them were wrapped around a giant metal sarcophagus engraved with intricate runes and symbols, it\'s bronzed surface gleaming under the light cast by the silvery mana wafting off of the undead.
It\'s legs ended in avian feet, with three long talons stretching out front while a fourth poked out of the back, doubling as lethal weapons should the need arise.
As for its skull, the undead had an elongated snout with dozens of fangs as well as a myriad of small horns and studs, giving it a mixed canine and reptile like skull structure.
Two silver orbs of mana floated in its eye sockets, and the undead rose to its feet unhurriedly, hefting the sarcophagus over its shoulder and grabbing a pair of large sabers that were sitting beside it; one upper hand securing the sarcophagus, while both lower hands wielded the blades, leaving the other upper hand free for anything.
When the gates did open, I watched as the undead reached back and grabbed a chunk of stone that it had been resting on, hurling it towards the gate to start the encounter with us.