Lucas invoked the skill, activating the mysterious magic that dwelled within him. As the skill's name escaped his lips, a surge of energy coursed through his body.

It had been a while since he acquired these skills from his class, King Authority, yet he had never utilized them. Of course, he could use the skill to summon a kingdom knight, but so far, Lucas hadn't knighted anyone, so he didn't possess any knights. Royal Blood, however, would summon a guardian spirit to defend him.

At first, Lucas wasn't certain of the nature of the spirit he had summoned. He had assumed it might be a guardian spirit of some kind. However, as the magic materialized before him, it became apparent that he had unknowingly summoned a fiery entity.

From the depths of the supernatural realm emerged a blazing figure, a salamander, a being composed entirely of fire. It stood tall and imposing, its form consisting of dancing flames that emitted an intense, scorching heat.

“Whoa,” Lucas exclaimed in a mixture of awe and trepidation as the salamander took shape. Its fiery eyes fixated on him with an intensity that sent shivers down his spine. He realized that this spirit wasn't here to play defense; it was an elemental force of destruction.

“Hello?” Lucas attempted to communicate with the spirit, his body wracked with pain as he was taken by surprise by the emergence of the fire spirit.

The horde of zombies that had encircled Lucas hesitated for a moment. Their decaying faces contorted in fear as they sensed the overwhelming heat radiating from the salamander. However, their insatiable hunger for human flesh drove them forward, and they soon resumed their relentless advance, seemingly indifferent to the spirit before them.

The salamander wasted no time. With a burst of flames, it surged forward, its fiery body consuming the nearest zombies. The undead creatures shrieked and howled as they were incinerated by the searing heat, reduced to nothing more than piles of ash.

Lucas watched in amazement as the salamander tore through the horde with ease. Its movements were graceful, almost dance-like, as it weaved between the zombies, leaving trails of fire in its wake. The creatures that came into contact with it were reduced to smoldering ruins.

It was a breathtaking sight, the dance of fire and destruction, and Lucas couldn't help but feel a sense of relief and gratitude toward the unexpected ally that had come to his aid.

‘Thank goodness for this help,’ Lucas thought to himself, ‘or else, I would have been seriously injured by now.’

As the salamander continued to lay waste to the horde, Lucas seized the opportunity to catch his breath. He knew that this was only a temporary respite. More zombies would come, and the level ten zombies, the most formidable of them all, still lurked nearby.

‘I need to escape,’ Lucas determined.

He scanned his surroundings, searching for an escape route or any sign of the level-ten zombie. Escaping this dire situation couldn't rely solely on the salamander's protection.

However, for the time being, he watched in awe as the fiery spirit he had inadvertently summoned unleashed havoc upon the undead horde—a guardian born of fire and magic, conscious of the blood trickling down the side of his chest.

‘It's getting worse,’ Lucas acknowledged.

As if in response to his inner despair, the fiery salamander abruptly halted its onslaught. It formed a giant shield around him and began launching fire at the approaching zombies. Lucas felt as if his body were floating, his vision dimming and starting to blur. He could sense himself blacking out at random intervals.

“Ah...” Lucas muttered faintly, his condition deteriorating rapidly.

Each time he blinked back to consciousness, he found himself in a different part of the chaotic battlefield. It was as if his body was moving on its own, driven by sheer survival instincts.

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“Where am I?” Lucas mumbled; his voice was barely audible over the chaos. He clutched his side, where the wound from the earlier skirmish still seeped blood. The pain was excruciating, and he struggled to stay upright. He knew that if he lost consciousness completely, he would become easy prey for the remaining zombies.

‘I need to get back to Lucy,’ he reminded himself.

The guardian spirit, the fiery salamander, continued its relentless assault on the undead. It seemed impervious to the encroaching darkness that threatened to overtake Lucas. The spirit's fiery form flickered and danced as it tore through the zombies, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

Unaware of Lucas's ongoing battle with unconsciousness, the spirit continued to shield him. Lucas fought to maintain his focus, needing to stay alert to find a way to survive this ordeal. He couldn't afford to let himself slip into unconsciousness, not when the level ten zombie, the most formidable threat, could strike at any moment.

‘I have to stay strong; Lucy is waiting,’ Lucas thought, summoning all his willpower.

He pushed through the pain and exhaustion, stumbling forward and using his jian for support. He followed in the wake of the guardian spirit, drawing strength from the comforting and searing heat it radiated—a reminder of the volatile power that raged within it.

With no skills or item abilities left, Lucas fought on with his raw strength. Every movement felt like he was carrying the weight of a sandbag on his shoulders. Blood continued to stain his clothes, a result of his own actions that had led to this dire situation. Lucas blamed himself entirely.

As the battle raged on, Lucas's world became a blur of fire and chaos. He fought for his survival, desperately clinging to consciousness, while the fiery guardian spirit blazed a path of destruction through the relentless horde of zombies. It was a battle of willpower and endurance, with the outcome hanging in the balance.

“I don't know how much longer I can hold on,” Lucas admitted to himself. Sometimes, no matter how strong one will be, there comes a point where it simply cannot hold any longer.

His face grew as pale as snow, his lips as white as the petals of a white rose. His body staggered around, a mere leaf about to be blown away by the wind. His steps were unsteady, and he moved as if possessed by the ghosts of the past.

Amidst the chaos and flames, Lucas stumbled backward, clutching his side where the wound from his earlier encounter still seeped blood. His vision swirled, and he could feel himself growing weaker by the second. The guardian of the fiery spirit, the salamander, continued to fight valiantly, but Lucas was on the brink of collapse.

“It hurts,” he whispered weakly.

“Whoosh!”

With a final burst of determination, Lucas summoned all his remaining energy to release a powerful fireball that obliterated a group of zombies. The explosion sent a shockwave through the battlefield, knocking back the remaining undead and buying him a brief moment of respite.

“I can't give up,” Lucas muttered softly, his voice barely audible even to himself. Deep within his unconsciousness, he clung to a flicker of resolve.

Nevertheless, it remained a fleeting desire. His strength ultimately deserted him, and his world plunged into darkness. Unconscious, his body collapsed to the ground amid the blazing chaos.

As Lucas lay unconscious on the scorched battlefield, the guardian salamander continued its fiery rampage. Its blazing form blazed even brighter as it repelled the undead attackers. The zombie horde, still reeling from the earlier explosion, struggled to advance through the wall of searing flames and scorching heat.

The guardian spirit seemed to understand the direness of the situation. Its fiery eyes blazed with intensity as it unleashed its elemental fury upon the relentless undead. With each fiery breath, it turned zombies into smoldering husks, reducing them to piles of ash and charred bones.

Despite the chaos and destruction surrounding him, Lucas's mind drifted into a sea of darkness. Unconsciousness claimed him fully, offering a respite from the pain and exhaustion that had threatened to overwhelm him.

In the distance, the level ten zombie observed the fiery chaos unfolding. It had patiently bided its time, awaiting the perfect moment to strike. With Lucas unconscious and the guardian spirit preoccupied with the remaining undead, it perceived an opportunity to conclude this battle once and for all.

With deliberate steps, the level ten zombie advanced through the fire and destruction, its rotting limbs unaffected by the flames. Its gaze locked onto the unconscious Lucas, and a malevolent grin twisted its decaying features. This was the moment it had been waiting for.

The guardian salamander sensed the approaching threat, but was too occupied with fending off the other undead to react in time. The level ten zombie closed the distance rapidly, its movements deliberate and unstoppable.

As the zombie's decaying hand reached out for Lucas, the flames surrounding the guardian spirit intensified, creating a wall of fire between them. But the level ten zombie was undeterred, its determination matched only by its insatiable hunger for human flesh.