บท 108: The Battle's Secrets Revealed
They took over the fight, with Gu Lengzhai, who had already lost his strength, retreating to the back, gasping for breath. The previous battle had struck them with such severity that both their minds and bodies were reaching the limit. I had kept an eye on these people, and seeing their condition, I finally breathed a sigh of relief. Abandoning my plan to reinforce them, I deftly twisted my twin daggers to knock aside a Scourge Knight's weapon. My five fingers then closed into a single palm strike, piercing his chest with the breath of death hidden in my fingertips. Those slain by this breath have their soul fire absorbed, and their life force transformed into death energy, endlessly replenishing my Dead Warrior's Heart. However, the soul fire of these Scourge Knights was meager, a pale flicker compared to the undead warriors of Skeleton Island—barely a tenth of even the lowest-grade skeleton warriors. But such was expected; after all, this was merely an amusement ground.
After a brief adjustment to my breathing, Wang Zhong swiftly rejoined the fray, now fighting with a more resolute ferocity. With every swing of his twin hammers, he crushed a skeleton warrior's skull, dispatching even the Scourge Knights in just a few swift moves. Compared to his earlier encounter with the Scourge Knight leader, he now displayed even greater strength—a clear indication of the benefits gained from the battle.
In short order, over a dozen Scourge Knights had fallen, their bodies vanquished by our combined assault. The reanimated skeleton warriors, too, were mostly dealt with by Wang Zhong and myself, while the remainder were blasted into fragments by Gu Lengzhai and Wang Lili's magical projectiles. Though Tang Lei and Zhang Bo had transformed into a bear and a werewolf, their achievements were minor; facing such fearsome enemies in close combat requires considerable courage.
Tang Lei, reverting to his human form after the battle, stood drenched in sweat, catching his breath before exclaiming, "We must leave this place at once—it's far too dangerous here!" Huang Shengqiu, who had shown even less resolve than the four women, echoed his words, visibly shaken, "Yes, it's far too dangerous here—I need to leave as soon as possible!"
Luli, Zhang Bo, Sun Yan, and Chen Xiu shared the same sentiment, voicing their desire to depart immediately. Wang Lili, evidently afraid, cast uncertain glances in my direction, clearly unsure of what to do. Gu Lengzhai, however, firmly opposed Tang Lei, saying, "We've just been through a battle, and both Wang Lili and I have exhausted our magic. Leaving the camp now would be highly unwise; it's too easy to run into danger."
Luli, heedless as ever, retorted, "It's even more dangerous here! Skeletons could appear at any moment. There's no way I'm sleeping here; I'm leaving now! If you're not coming, I'll go alone." But after taking a dozen steps, she realized no one followed, leaving her caught in an awkward position. Though she wanted to go, her courage faltered;
without a weapon, she was helpless. She wanted to rally others but couldn't decide who to persuade. Neither Wang Zhong nor I budged, and Tang Lei, though loud in his protests, was wise enough to realize that leaving without us would spell certain doom. Even a single Scourge Knight would be beyond their ability to handle alone.
"Wang Lin, this place is truly dangerous. We have to leave," Tang Lei tried to persuade me. Covering a yawn, I replied, "I'm a bit tired. The battle has left me weary; I'll rest for now. Anyone wishing to leave may do so at their leisure. Wang Zhong, let's return to the stone chamber; I suspect there are secrets there yet to be uncovered.
Wang Zhong paused, a faint, wry smile at his lips, before following me into the chamber. Wang Lili, though reluctant to stay, dared not leave without us. She pleaded with Gu Lengzhai, "Professor Gu, can't you persuade those two? This place is extremely dangerous; now isn't the time for stubbornness."
Sighing, Gu Lengzhai replied, "The real danger is outside. Think about it: the skeleton warriors were reanimated by those fearsome knights, which means no outsiders have been here for a long time. Even if more skeletons revive, we can handle it. But if we encounter those knights again, we may not be as fortunate.
At Gu Lengzhai's earnest persuasion, the others grudgingly moved into the stone chamber. I casually slid down the stone slab from the sarcophagus, using it as a makeshift bed, while Wang Zhong, more straightforward, lay down directly inside the coffin.
Apart from the spirit of the necromancer Cruton, the sarcophagus held only a box of fine bronze; it was, in fact, quite clean, and surprisingly comfortable.
Though I closed my eyes, I didn't sleep. I focused instead on adjusting the Dead Warrior's Heart, attempting to unlock its full potential. I had long thought I understood the nature of this spectral blue flame, but the day's battle had inspired new insights. Now, with a moment's respite, I sought to verify my thoughts.
Plunging my consciousness into the flickering, ghostly blue flame of the Dead Warrior's Heart, I could sense every weapon it contained. The undead I'd slain on Skeleton Island had left me with an impressive arsenal: beyond the seventh-grade weapon, Death's Breath, there were over a dozen sixth-grade relics, and hundreds of items below the fifth grade. Most were now too weak for my use. Choosing a bone hammer, a modest second-grade item with no special powers, I made it my first test subject.
Under the flame's corrosive force, the weapon gradually disintegrated, transforming into a surge of death energy, which the Dead Warrior's Heart absorbed, growing stronger in an instant. I had known of this ability but hadn't fully grasped what strengthening the Dead Warrior's Heart might bring. While useful, the artifacts possessed various powers, and it seemed a waste to dismantle them carelessly.
After dissolving three low-grade relics, I observed the process carefully but remained at a loss. Aside from a slight increase in strength, the Dead Warrior's Heart showed no changes. The ghostly blue flame provided neither power nor speed, nor any extra magic. It appeared to serve only as a repository for death energy and soul fire, leaving me frustrated and perplexed.
"If it's called the Heart of a Warrior, it should surely bolster combat power. Could its function be less than that of Death's Breath or a skeletal war spear? Here, amidst the Scourge, I can rely on nothing but this heart; weapons are no substitute for innate strength.
Yet, no matter how I scrutinized the flame, its secrets eluded me, leaving me deeply unsettled.
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