by Zhuang Bifan
"Let's pack and get ready to escape!" Lin Li clenched his teeth and retrieved the Warlock's Eyes.
Mason was stupefied after hearing it. "Where do we run to ?"
"Inside." Lin Li stood at the cave's entrance and pointed at the depths of Shadowglen, the place filled with a dark fog.
"F*ck…" Mason almost fainted from fear. Shadowglen was a place that got more dangerous the deeper you ventured. At the entrance, they might encounter just a few Skeletal Warriors. However, as you ventured deeper, the levels of the undead creatures got higher. In this area, there were already Hell Ghouls appearing. They had no idea what they would encounter as they go in deeper. It could be Vengeful Spirits, Enchantresses, high-level Vampires, or even Death Knights. If they were provoked, it would be much more troublesome compared to the tens of thousands of Skeletal Warriors of the undead army.
"Isn't it too dangerous inside?" Mason looked slightly disturbed.
"Its fine, we are only taking a detour around those Skeletal Warriors. Once they disperse, we will return. We will be fine if we are more careful." Lin Li consoled Mason, but the smile on his face looked helpless as they had no other choice. Just by looking at those Hell Ghouls, they could tell how terrifying those tens of thousands Skeletal Warriors were. A level-10 undead creature could not even cast a spell before being torn to shreds. It was like a walk in the park.
While those two were conversing, Larry and the rest had already packed their belongings. They rolled up their blankets and sleeping bags, stuffing them into their bags while they held firmly onto their magic staffs. The magic staffs in the hands of those three were trembling as they were holding them too tightly due to their anxiety. This was too tough a job for them, a team that wanted to hide for a few days. To suddenly have them enter the depths of the Shadowglen was equivalent to sending them to their own deaths…
Just when they left the cave, the battle took a turn.
"F*ck!" That horrifying image left them rooted to the ground at that point, and they did not even dare to breathe heavily…
At the depths of the Shadowglen, where there was immense black fog, they saw countless undead creatures appear suddenly. There was a huge flying flock of bats, blocking out the sky. Dim eyes with blood-red fangs, a sight that sent chills down the spine of anyone that saw it. This was the legendary Vampire. Although it was not the blood-red body of a high-leveled Vampire, they had the strength of at least level-13 or 14. Having said that, it meant that every single bat was not weaker than the strongest one of the group, Lin Li.
In the shadows of the Vampires were the skeleton staff-wielding Hell Ghouls. From afar, there were at least a few hundred of them. The group went pale in terror at the sight of hundreds of Hell Ghouls summoned simultaneously.
"Dang, dang, dang, dang, dang…" These sounds penetrated their ears just like a rain, dampening their spirits. While listening to this terrifying noise, Lin Li's heart was held in suspense as if he thought of an idea.
"Death Knights…" Larry's voice was as if he was sleep-talking. He was already in a state of total fear.
The legendary level-15 undead creatures appeared on the battlefield with an earth-shaking manner. They rode skeletal warhorses, their black capes waving in the wind, and their full-bodied black armor radiating a dim light.
The Death Knights' numbers were not many—there were only about a hundred riders. However, their appearance was like an arrow shot at the heart of the Skeletal Warriors. The black scent of death started to scatter, and the neighs of the Skeletal Warhorses rang throughout. A black lance spattered white bone within the skeletal warriors.
The two similarly powerful undead armies immediately had an even battle.
On one end, there was an overwhelming advantage in terms of levels. Death Knights, Hell Ghouls, and low-level Vampires. With such a strong composition, fighting Skeletal Warriors that were not higher than level-5 should be a one-sided massacre.
On the other hand, there was an advantage in terms of endless numbers. This advantage was too terrifying. There were hundreds and thousands of skeletal warriors that had been shredded, but it did not bother them. There were more Skeletal Warriors that immediately took up new positions. Furthermore. there was a large number of Skeletal Warriors climbing out from the ground at every second. Tens of thousands of Skeletal Warriors were battling, yet their numbers did not decrease. Instead, it seemed like their numbers increased.
This battle was like Mars crashing into Earth. In that moment, there was a blazing flare searing, countless magic runes arising, and metal screeching. The scent of death was so thick that every individual could not breathe.
Lin Li's group hid at the edge of the valley, with their bodies hugging tightly the icy cliffs. At this point, their hearts were at their throats. This battle was beyond their imagination. Nobody could have thought that they would witness such a terrifying battle when they were only at day two of their trial.
Yet, at this time….
Lin Li suddenly saw that black fog had appeared from the mutilated corpses when those undead creatures had fallen. This black fog was similar to that from the night before, and floated towards him, seeping into the crystal that was in his pocket.
Chapter 142 - Petrifying Potion
Lin Li could clearly tell that the weird crystal was getting hotter as the black fog started to seep in. It even started faintly burning…
Unfortunately, there was no time to investigate.
The battle between the two undead forces had already reached its climax.
There were more and more Skeletal Warriors. They were like the rising tides, constantly barraging the dam. On the other hand, the high-level undead creatures were defending against the constant barrage with their immense strength. It was as if there were countless Skeletal Warriors falling every second, yet at the same time, there were countless more crawling out from the ground.
Under the protection of the Death Knights, hundreds of Hell Ghouls released a powerful Scent of Death. The magic crystals on the skeletal staffs were constantly flashing, and Necromagic was bombarding the Skeletal Warriors like hail. A horde of low-level Vampires swooped down from the sky, letting their sharp claws and fangs loose on the Skeletal Warriors.
Lin Li was almost driven mad by them. If this battle were to continue, even hiding properly might not prevent them from getting involved.
But…
There were undead creatures everywhere—there was nowhere to run. It was impossible to follow their original plan and move around the depths of the Shadowglen, much less escape from the Shadowglen. With the undead creatures surrounding them, and a horde of low-level Vampires observing in the skies, who dared to rush out at this moment? It would be considered a victory if they could run for ten steps, much less escape!
After pondering about it, Lin Li finally clenched his teeth, and took out six bottles of yellow-colored potions.
"One bottle per person"
Mason and Orrin knew very well what was happening. When they saw Lin Li took out the bottles, they knew what he was up to. They did not question further after taking the bottles, and gulped the potion down their throat. Contrarily, Larry, who was on the side, was hesitant. "What… What is this?"
"Petrifying Potion, it is something good that can turn you into stone." Lin Li painstakingly explained with these two sentences. It was a life-saving item. Back in Jarrosus City, he had quietly made only a few bottles because did not have enough Stone Conifers, and even Lin Li could not bear to use them. Who knew that he would have to take six bottles out today…
He wished that he had gathered more netherblooms and made more Stealth Potions, then they would be able to brazenly walk past these undead creatures. There would be no need for such a thrill that he even had to take out the Petrifying Potions.
…
Upon hearing "Petrifying Potion", the look on Mason's face froze…
"Is… Is this a joke…" Mason was stuttering. "If… If we drink this Petrifying Potion, will we really tu
rn into stone?"
"Of course, I never use fake potions!" Lin Li laughed with a straight face.
"…" Mason wanted to smash his head; he was hoping that Lin Li took out fake potions. What was this Petrifying Potion that would turn you into stone? It could not be something good. Why was he so unlucky… he had not questioned anything before drinking it. It was all over, there was nothing left…
"Stop fidgeting… It is nothing scary. It was a Petrifying Potion, not a Fossilizing Potion. After drinking it, you would only look like a stone. Mason would still be Mason…"
"Oooh…" After hearing Lin Li's explanation, Mason finally calmed down.
Larry also nodded at the side, and opened the bottle, gulping it down.
"This time, we can only rely on luck…" Lin Li drank the Petrifying Potion, and glanced at the battle far away. "If we are lucky, we can last till the battle ends. If we are unlucky… we can only teleport back."
…
After drinking the Petrifying Potion, everybody simultaneously felt a layer spread over their body; it was getting thicker before it had solidified into a thick layer of stone. It felt like they were wearing a suit of heavy armor. When this armor finally covered every part of their body, even their sensory organs felt dull. The sounds from the battlefield went softer before finally becoming silent. They could clearly see things that were in front of them, but it was limited to the area near the battle. Anything further than that could not be seen; it was like there was something blocking it…
The thick rotting smell disappeared. Everyone felt that they were not breathing, only hiding at the bottom of the cliff like a rock…
In reality, with the exception of the last bit of their consciousness, they were just like rocks.
Even a human, much less an undead creature, walking past would only feel surprised. "Hey, why do these rocks look like humans…"
After their sensory organs went dull, time seemed to have flown past. They drank the Petrifying Potion in the morning, but it did not feel long when the night started to set in.
The battle between the two undead forces had approached the end. The endless Skeletal Warriors, using their immense numbers, had driven back the high-level undead creatures. They marched towards the vicinity of the depths of the Shadowglen.
The black fog emitted from the countless fallen undead was seeping towards Lin Li through a route that could be seen with the n.a.k.e.d eye. The crystal in his pocket was scorching hot. Lin Li felt that if he had not drunk the Petrifying Potion, he might have been scalded by this crystal.
When it was completely dark, the last Death Knight, accompanied by the neighs of a Skeletal Warhorse, was drowned in the sea of Skeletal Warriors.
The battle had ended…
The infinite Skeletal Warriors seemed to be driven by an unknown force. They stepped on the carcasses of the high-level undead creatures, and slowly moved towards the depths of the Shadowglen.
After witnessing the disappearance of the last Death Knight, the petrified bodies finally felt relieved. They were saved!
Lin Li took the lead in dispelling the state of Petrification. He moved his limbs that were numb due to the petrification for a while before hurriedly taking out the crystal in his pocket.
"Sss…" The crystal was indeed scorching. Lin Li had just taken it out, and he had to toss it away due to the heat. That temperature was like red-hot iron; Lin Li felt that he had been burnt.
"This piece of sh*t…" Lin Li swore before blowing at his hand furiously. That short moment of contact indeed burnt his skin seriously, but when he looked at his hand, Lin Li felt something was off. His hand did not have any signs of swelling, so how was it anything like being scalded by soldering iron or something like that?
The crystal was still the same—it seemed as though nothing had changed. It lay quietly on the ground, and continued to absorb the black fog.
"Was it just a hallucination?" Lin Li did not believe in heresy, and bent down again, trying to put the crystal back into his pocket. Just as he reached his hand out, he was burnt, and withdrew. Instantly, he became furious. "Hallucination your f*cking a*s…"
Just as he was about to use the Ring of Endless Storm to keep the crystal after he spewed those vulgarities, there was a sudden cackle from the sky.
"F*ck!" Before Lin Li raised his head, Mason screamed at the back.
It was not only Mason—everyone stood still at that moment…
A huge vampire was flapping its wings and releasing a horrifying scent in the air. With blood-red fangs and body under a full moon, it was like the legendary devil.
"Vampire…" It was as though Mason squeezed those words out from this throat. That type of dry and terrified voice had even surprised himself.
Lin Li subconsciously swallowed his saliva, and added on to Mason's sentence. "And it's a high-leveled one…"
…
Looking at that blood-red silhouette, everybody felt like asking: what sort of day was it today? Mason even thought that could it be that Larry, the unlucky moron, had infected them…
If not, why was it that the trial mission that was going smoothly had turned for the worse after meeting these three unlucky guys? It was already incongruent enough to witness that battle of the undead—there was even a high-level Vampire now. Wasn't this pushing them into a dead end??
"Good evening, humans…" The giant bat greeted in a polite manner. Its voice was abnormally hoarse, likely due to the fact that it had not been using the local language. It was like glass grinding glass sending chills down one's spine after hearing it.
"…" After hearing this polite greeting, Lin Li started to panic. When he was at Sunset Mountains, Andoine once told him a few stories about Vampires. According to the old man, Vampires level-15 and above would turn into blood-red bats, while level-18 and above could speak a few languages, including the local human language. Once they reached level-20, they could even become human-like. They would not be terrified of the sun or relics other than the purest powerful godly relics. There were not many things that could counter them. This type of Vampires was frequently mentioned in the legends of Anril, the Bloodlines…
With the ability of speaking the local language, it meant that the level of this Vampire was at least 18.
Chapter 143 - Shapeshifter
The giant bat slowly descended from the sky, gently flapping its blood-red wings. Once the dust on the ground was raised, it had quickly transformed into a tall and thin middle-aged man. He wore a black suit with a white shirt, and had a pale yet handsome face. If it were not for those blood-red eyes, nobody would have thought that this charming middle-aged man was actually an infamous undead creature, a high-level vampire…
During the polite greeting of the vampire, everybody had simultaneously held onto the Teleportation Scrolls. This was not a joke. The strength of level-18 could kill any one of them instantaneously. The gap between both sides was too wide, and was not something a few mages could stand up against.
Facing this terrifying reality, their only choice was to escape. As for this mission, they could only blame it on their luck…
"Let me think, how many years has it been since I last saw a human? A hundred years or a thousand years…" After the vampire landed, his pale face had a grin. His gaze towards them was as if he had been starved for a hundred years and suddenly saw a sumptuous dinner. That gaze was as if he was salivating, causing them to feel a chill down their spines.
Lin Li did not speak, only staring at the Vampire. He held his teleportation scroll in one hand, while the other inched towards his back, making gestures to signal an escape towards his companions that had just recovered from Petrification.
One party was staring intently at his dinner, while the others were trembling with fear and trying to escape. At that tense moment, nobody noticed that the last remnants of the black fog had seeped into crystal. After the last remnants of black fog had seeped in, the crystal that was abnormal since the day it had been dug up started to undergo some
changes…
The crystal that had been glittering and translucent now became completely crimson in color. From afar, it looked like a piece of solidified blood, yet that crimson was not like an immutable solid. It was as if there was life force struggling within the crystal, using all its might to be free of a leash of some sorts. From the looks of it, it was about to succeed…
"No matter what, I have to thank you all. Humans, thank you for delivering me dinner!"
Once the hoarse voice had fell, the black suit was waving in the wind and flapped ferociously. Under the crescent moon, the vampire let off an incomparable aura. Even Lin Li felt suffocated under this strong aura filled with bloodl.u.s.t.
He frowned, and was about to open the teleportation scroll in his pocket…
Yet, at this moment, the crystal on the floor had suddenly radiated a blinding flash of red.
Everyone heard a roar, which was followed by an explosion of an equally strong aura. Before they could understand what was happening, a crimson shadow shot out like an arrow with the "ta, ta, ta, ta" sound of trotting hoofs, forming a crimson shade in the air.
"Shape… Shapeshifter…" The others did not know what was happening, but Lin Li understood clearly. This was the treacherous Shapeshifter from the Nightmare Mountains. Gazing at that crimson shadow, Lin Li was panic-stricken at that moment. He was in a daze with his mouth open for a while before uttering out two words. "Oh, f*ck…"
This time, they were in deep waters.
The companions behind Lin Li were stunned; it was as though somebody shoved an egg down their throats. They were about to be driven crazy from the fright. First a vampire, and now a shapeshifter. They were mentally prepared not to be shocked even if a Fire Dragon was to appear right now…
"Felic…" Mason looked straight with a voice that was like he was sleep-talking. "What, what, what… What is that…"
