novelraw Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Chapter 6: Huh? Something's Poking Me!
The Fifth Floor of the Dripping Cavern was also known as the "Undead Graveyard." It was an anomalous pocket dimension that had formed within the dungeon, and the entire floor was composed of a labyrinthine network of burial passages — like one enormous maze. Because the burial passages were relatively narrow, a party's full combat strength could not be properly deployed. Add to that the numerous traps, mechanisms, and branching paths, and being caught front and back was a common occurrence.
Adventurers' Guild Dungeon Administration Bureau Rating: C.
Note: Parties of D-rank adventurers or below are advised against entry.
At this moment inside the Undead Graveyard, a tiny Elf Race girl was casting Purification Arts on a horde of ferocious Undead, reducing them to ash within the sacred radiance as their long-imprisoned souls ascended to the afterlife with blissful expressions. In a pitch-black chamber, a wicked Lich Lord was watching the scene through a Crystal Ball.
Thud! It slammed its fist down hard against the marble table. The Headless Knight beside it watched the corner of the table break off and fall, and proceeded to look as though it had seen absolutely nothing. The Lich Lord's body trembled continuously, the blue-green flames burning across its bones flickering erratically. The Ghoul Messenger prostrated on the floor quivered in terror, its rotting brain instinctively concluding that the Great King was furious. But only the Lich Lord itself knew the truth — it was in pain! That's right — the punch it had just thrown had cracked its own bones wide open!
"My Lord," the Headless Knight seized the moment to speak up, "this girl seems rather strange. She is clearly just a small fry, yet the power of her Purification Arts rivals that of a Level 10 Holy-type Cleric! This subordinate believes we should dispatch a Shadow Demon to finish her off!"
"A sound argument," the Lich Lord stroked its jawbone. "Dispatch the Shadow Demons!"
Shadow Demons — in appearance they were slender skeletons wielding twin daggers, with only an upper half to their bodies, their lower halves dissolving into a mass of dark mist, perpetually cloaking themselves within Shadow Cloaks. They were assassin-type Undead that even B-rank adventurers could kill without much effort. Three Shadow Demons were dispatched under orders to carry out the assassination. The Lich Lord and the Headless Knight leaned in slightly closer to the Crystal Ball, fully prepared to watch the little girl's head roll. But the moment the three Shadow Demons approached their target, they were engulfed by the radiance of the Mercury Lamps — and then the Shadow Demons were instantly gone.
That's right — gone in the literal, physical sense. Otherwise known as reduced to nothing but ash and smoke.
Thud!
Another corner broke off the marble table. The Lich Lord's body shook, the deathly chill radiating from it surging out of control, and a layer of white frost instantly coated the dim burial chamber. The Ghoul Messenger prostrated on the floor began shaking along with it, screaming internally: The Great King is furious!But only the Lich itself knew just how exquisitely agonizing the pain of cracking both its bone hands felt.
"Headless Knight," it commanded in a low voice, "deploy the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse."
"As you command."
A moment later.
♪ Aunty press it dooown~~~♪
A background music drenched in philosophical gravitas suddenly echoed through the dim burial passage, and three Death Knights strode forward in JoJo poses, marching with the gait of men who acknowledged no kin and no kind. Behind them followed the fourth Death Knight — though its primary duty appeared to be using ghostfire to create lighting effects for the other three.
Sensing the overwhelming aura emanating from these Death Knights, Aernis — serving as vanguard — tightened her grip on her sword. She used her knotted, powerful frame to shield Lilu behind her. Fred, playing rear guard, stared at the mass of skeletons and zombies closing in from behind, his expression equally grave.
"Fair maiden," the lead Death Knight stepped forward two paces, "our Great King wishes to make you his castle consort — come with us, won't you?"
A string of muttered cursing seemed to drift in from the void. Lilu's pointed long ears twitched. She looked at the overwhelmingly powerful enemies before her, and her mind strangely settled into calm. As the fear gradually faded, she felt a wave of exhaustion — she seemed to have expended far too much Holy Power earlier, and Holy Power could not be replenished with potions. This was precisely why most priests and Holy-type Clerics chose to don Plate Armor and carry War Hammers, sending enemies straight to meet the Goddess with brute force — physical transcendence had never let anyone down. But looking at Lilu's slender little arms and slight frame, there was simply no way she looked capable of physically transcending anyone.
And so the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse had absolutely nothing to fear!
"You rotten lot!" Aernis immediately stepped up to meet them. "Don't you dare set your sights on Lilu!"
The Death Knight drew its sword at once — a longsword that could be wielded with both hands or paired with a shield. It raised the blade high and took the high-guard stance Ochs. The frost-coated blade pointed forward, aimed directly at the charging Aernis. In an instant, the two blades clashed together, sending sparks flying through the pitch-black burial passage.
"Not bad, barbarian," the Death Knight traced a flourish with its sword, "your blade is excellent — steady, swift, filled with a wild ferocity! But against the Imperial orthodox swordsmanship, it is still lacking."
"Purification Arts!"
"Huh?"
Sacred radiance enveloped the Death Knight in an instant. Lilu, sheltered behind Aernis, had struck decisively. The Elf girl's eyes brimmed with tears, yet her little hand held the Tin Staff aloft with stubborn resolve as she unleashed her sacred blow. The Death Knight, bathed in Holy Light, let out a strange cry of "Ahh♂ ahh, I'm melt♂ing" — and vanished without leaving so much as a speck behind.
"You have no honor……"
Before the Holy Light faded, a voice full of bitter grievance drifted down from above. Lilu seemed to see a handsome Golden-haired, Blue-eyed gentleman in the clouds above leveling accusations at her — before being knocked out cold with a single club by a smiling Goddess and dragged into her private chamber. Then all manner of indecent sounds began emanating from within, and Lilu covered her face with both hands, refusing to look.
"Big brother!" ×3
The Death Knights let out a furious roar. The fourth Knight, previously assigned to lighting duty, immediately filled the third slot in the JoJo pose formation — the whole ethos being: "A man may be reduced to ash and smoke, but the formation must never break."
"Area Purification!"
"What?!" ×3
Lilu closed her eyes and cast Area Purification — the advanced version of Purification Arts — at the Death Knights in the center. A column of Holy Light descended straight from above, and the three Death Knights ascended to the afterlife maintaining their JoJo poses. Their bodies crumbled to dust and their souls were purified. Watching three impressively handsome gentlemen fly off toward heaven, Lilu felt a pang of anxiety on their behalf. Sure enough, the moment the three handsome gentlemen arrived up above, the Goddess knocked them out with her club and dragged them into her private chamber, and the indescribable sounds that followed became even more intense.
Lilu: The Goddess doesn't watch over anyone — all she does is fool around!
The sounds of fierce combat erupted from behind her. Lilu spun around urgently to find Fred, holding the rear guard position, locked in battle with several dozen Undead. Because the passage was so narrow, the Undead could not make use of their numerical advantage, but they pressed forward like a bulldozer step by relentless step, and it looked as though Fred was about to be pushed back into her.
"Area Purification!"
Holy Light flooded over the Undead. Several dozen of them ascended to the afterlife in an instant. Lilu gasped for breath in great heaving gulps, her chest burning with sharp pain — the side effect of Holy Power running completely dry. She leaned against the Tin Staff and slowly slid down to the ground, her cheeks and the tips of her ears flushed a vivid red, her whole body drained of all strength.
"This is bad — Lilu's Holy Power is exhausted," Fred scooped her up into his arms. "Aernis, let's find somewhere to rest."
"Sure, no problem." Aernis pulled out a map. "There happens to be a Spring of Life nearby."
"Let's go, quickly."
Half-conscious, Lilu nestled against Fred's chest in a princess carry — but then something hot and firm suddenly pressed against her bottom. Lilu jolted awake at once. She stared at Fred's face in shock, only to find his eyes set with the resolute gaze of a man marching into battle — yet the tips of his ears had already gone completely red.
"Lilu, I want to……"
"No! You do not!"