"What just happened?" Bones asked, turning to Hugo for an explanation. Rising from his seat, Hugo thanked the Reaper for his assistance and then explained that in this place, the undead respected a hierarchy, with their escort holding the highest position. As for the distant shriek, Hugo revealed that the ruins housed a reclusive third-tier Necromancer, specializing in raising zombies. Bones, momentarily taken aback, questioned the feasibility of raising such a massive horde. There were hundreds, if not a thousand zombies. Hugo, twirling his mustache, chuckled and shook his head, responding with a firm 'of course not.' Only the hulking zombies were the Necromancer's creations, yet his unparalleled presence allowed him to exert a certain level of control over the rest of the undead.
Lastly, Hugo inquired about Bones' golem core capacity and his progress with Golem Mastery. The golems were nearly depleted, with Harmony retaining only a tenth of her maximum core capacity, while Skully and Murdok still had a bit over two thousand left. The initial first round, as Hugo termed it, yielded substantial experience, bringing Bones' Golem Mastery close to advancing a tier. Not just mastery, but Bones was also on the brink of leveling up in race and class. After storing his golems, Bones inquired about the next steps. Hugo's response was straightforward, "What else but wait for your golems to recover their core capacity and start round two."
As the recovery time for the golems stretched longer than expected, Bones couldn't help but voice his concern about the potential delays. Hugo, however, reassured him, explaining that he had factored in all variables when estimating the duration of their journey. With his trust in Hugo's meticulous planning reaffirmed, Bones allowed himself to relax, uncorking his mana flask and indulging in a well-deserved drink.
Before embarking on the second round of training, Bones raised the topic of the reclusive Necromancer lurking deep within the ruins. It struck him as odd to simply ignore such a formidable figure. In response, Hugo offered his perspective, explaining that eliminating a potential ally would be counterproductive. Despite the Necromancer's ominous presence, he effectively kept the zombie horde contained within the ruins and possessed valuable summoning abilities. While it wasn't the opportune moment to confront the sorcerer, Hugo hinted at future plans involving the Necromancer.
For the upcoming training session, Hugo suggested focusing on defeating the three hulking zombies as primary objectives. He cautioned against attempting more ambitious tasks, as it might provoke the Necromancer into action, posing a threat that neither his golems nor they were prepared to face. With the objectives of the second round agreed upon, Bones pledged to withdraw his golems promptly once their tasks were completed. Ensuring that his constructs had fully replenished their core capacity, he sent them back into the fray to confront the formidable hulking zombies.
As the second round progressed, Bones received the eagerly awaited level required to advance a tier in Golem Mastery. Hugo's anticipation peaked, hoping that the golems' unique circumstances would influence the upgrade. However, his hopes were dashed when Bones revealed that the upgrade was a standard one, devoid of any special enhancements. Although disappointed, they both acknowledged that the impact on soulbound golems remained to be seen. The advanced tier primarily enhanced efficiency in creating golems, reduced mana consumption, and improved other golem-related skills, without introducing any new abilities.
Despite the lack of groundbreaking upgrades, the progress in the second round closely mirrored the first. The golems efficiently dispatched a horde of zombies before focusing on their three designated targets. Bones observed subtle shifts in their combat tactics, with Skully displaying enhanced agility to evade unnecessary engagements, Murdok relying on sheer strength to bulldoze through obstacles, and Harmony lagging behind in skill development, requiring more time to adapt to her capabilities.
However, the tide of battle changed when Bones sensed a significant transformation in Skully and Murdok. Upon inspecting their status screens, he discovered that their skills had indeed advanced, much to his and Hugo's satisfaction. Skully's basic tier skills had upgraded to advanced tier, granting him a considerable boost in stats, while Murdok's Reinforced Body and Two-Handed Weapon Mastery had progressed, enabling smoother attacks and improved resilience against zombie assaults.
Empowered by their newfound strength, Skully and Murdok unleashed devastating attacks that outmatched the hulking zombies' ability to regenerate from the surrounding undead. As the hulking zombies neared defeat, they resorted to desperate tactics, hurling nearby zombies at the golems in a futile attempt to prolong their demise.
Three hours into the second round, all three objectives were successfully accomplished, triggering a response from the Necromancer. Sensing the impending danger, Bones swiftly recalled his golems to the safety of the camp. However, their retreat was met with unexpected obstacles. Rotting hands emerged from the ground, reaching out to hinder their escape, while a horde of additional zombies emerged to join the pursuit, creating a chaotic and perilous situation.
As Hugo watched Bones nervously pacing back and forth, observing the daring escape through his golems' eyes, he understood the helplessness of the situation. Approaching Bones, Hugo offered reassurance that nothing would harm his golems. Grateful for the comforting words, Bones couldn't help but inquire about the source of Hugo's confidence.
Hugo's response was silent yet profound. Instead of offering a direct explanation, he simply gestured toward the vacant spot where their escort had stood moments before, now conspicuously absent. Bones caught the subtle cue and felt a surge of relief flood through him. The absence of the Reaper spoke volumes, conveying an unspoken assurance that their golems were out of immediate danger. As the Reaper made his presence known deeper within the city's ruins, the pursuing zombies seemed to lose interest, halting their relentless chase and allowing Skully, Murdok, and Harmony a fleeting window of opportunity to safely flee from the ruins of the city.
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Rushing to inspect the condition of his golems, Bones was left speechless and visibly dismayed by the state of their gear. The once pristine equipment now resembled something salvaged from a dubious street merchant, torn and partially destroyed. Before Bones could voice his frustration, Hugo discreetly retreated to his chair, pouring himself another drink, leaving Bones to deal with the aftermath of the training in peace.
As the hours slipped away, Hugo gently reminded Bones that they needed to press on with their journey. Bones had dedicated himself tirelessly to repairing the damages inflicted upon his golems during their intense training session. Though he managed to mend most of the injuries to their skeletal frames, some repairs would require time and patience to fully restore. Additionally, the equipment suffered significant damage and would need ongoing attention.
With the golems safely stowed away in inventory, the trio mounted their horses and resumed their journey. Bones couldn't help but inquire about their next training destination, wondering if there was another session planned before they reached their final destination. To his relief, Hugo confirmed that there was indeed one more training stop planned along their route. Despite the repair work that lay ahead, Bones found solace in the tangible results of their training efforts.
Far to the east, two days later, the three riders halted before a barren field that stretched all the way to the jagged mountains in the distance. Bones surveyed the landscape ahead and then inquired if their destination lay beyond the mountains. However, Hugo reassured him, informing him that the final destination and the end of their journey was at the mountains, and the Haunted Flats ahead would serve as the training grounds.
Despite the dreary atmosphere, Bones found nothing particularly remarkable about the field. In fact, there wasn't anything there at all, but then again, he thought the same about the ruins last time.
"Are we setting up camp again?" Bones inquired. Hugo scanned their surroundings briefly before replying that there was no need this time, as they wouldn’t be staying in one place.
"I feel like this will be another one of those surprises where my golems get ambushed out of nowhere," Bones remarked, eyeing the desolation.
Hugo coughed and nodded gravely. "There's a reason this area is called the Haunting Flats," he emphasized the word ‘haunting’. "We'll slowly make our way towards our destination, safely with the Reaper by our side, while your golems will accompany us from a distance."
Bones nodded, dismounted his horse, and followed Hugo's lead in preparing to proceed on foot. The three golems materialized by his side before darting off ahead. Bones inquired about his level of involvement in the upcoming training exercise, and Hugo informed him that he was free to instruct as he saw fit.
Their footsteps left footprints in the damp ground as they walked. Bones noticed the unusual soft texture of the soil beneath his feet, and sensed something in the air—floating particles of something unfamiliar yet pervasive all around him.
“That’s strange. There’s something in the air, and the ground…” Bones trailed off, turning to Hugo for answers.
“The whole region used to be swampland. Now, the area is tainted with dark affinity and spatial anomalies. That’s what you’re sensing,” Hugo explained, urging Bones to focus on his golems and be prepared for the unexpected.
The two continued their journey in silence, Bones relying on his golems to sense the surroundings while remaining vigilant for any unexpected threats. Meanwhile, Hugo kept a close eye on the Reaper, observing his reactions with keen interest. Whenever the enigmatic guardian showed signs of agitation or directed his attention in a specific direction, Hugo promptly alerted Bones to be ready for whatever might come their way.
A subtle shift in the atmosphere enveloped his golems, signaling an impending change. Suddenly, a humanoid figure materialized seemingly out of thin air. Cloaked in darkness, it lacked recognizable facial features and wielded sharp talons. It lunged towards the nearest target, Harmony. With lightning-fast reflexes, Harmony evaded the attack, aided by lightning and wind manipulation. Just as swiftly as it appeared, the assailant vanished without a trace. Moments later, the shadowy figure reappeared, this time setting its sights on Murdok.
The bulky warrior wasn't as quick to react and suffered sharp claw marks across the metal alloy covering his chest. Bones swiftly switched between his golems, searching for any explanation for the sudden attacks, but found nothing. Determined to eliminate any blind spots, Bones grouped his golems back to back, ready for the next assault.
The shadowy figure reappeared, slashing with its long talons before vanishing once more. This time, Bones caught a clear glimpse of the assailant. Turning to Hugo, he inquired, "Is this the spatial anomaly you were referring to?"
"Not quite," Hugo replied, elaborating that the Voidstalkers he encountered were the result of the anomaly, not the anomaly itself. Recognizing his assailants as Voidstalkers, Bones instructed his golems on what to watch out for and how to deal with the threat, emphasizing the small ripples in space that formed right before the Voidstalkers attacked.
The next time it appeared, the golems counterattacked, properly and in a timely fashion, intending to trade blow for blow. However, contrary to Bones’ expectation, his golems' attacks passed through the echo of the body left behind in this realm by the Voidstalker while its real self hid in the void, the space behind the veil of worlds.
The skirmish between Bones’ golems and the vanishing Voidstalkers persisted for hours, yielding no progress. Despite the golems' improved proficiency, they struck nothing but air, while the elusive foes sharpened their talons, inflicting gashes on the freshly repaired armor. Bones, estimating they were halfway to the mountains, felt frustrated by the lack of accomplishment and the time wasted.
"This is pointless," He remarked, his voice tinged with sarcasm and frustration. "The Voidstalkers are immune to physical damage. If the plan was to learn how to dodge, I think we've successfully accomplished our objective."
Hugo, ever perceptive, offered clues to alleviate Bones’ hardships. "Your connection with your golems has blinded you," he observed. "You failed to realize the answer was right in front of you. You should experience what your golems are experiencing, but it’s important you don’t forgo your own experiences. Think about what I said; we have plenty of time until our destination."
"Will do. Thank you for the input," Bones replied, acknowledging Hugo's wisdom.