Taking a few steps towards the exit, I attempted to clean my gambeson of the dirt, disease-causing slime, and remnants of dead bodies using a household spell I learned from Edi. Sadly, to say that I was unsuccessful would be a gross understatement. Fortunately, I remembered to take off my cotta before entering the dungeon, or I would have ruined such a beauty.
Then, I picked up the arrows released by Katasakh and headed towards the exit of the crypt. Just before the corridor, only a couple of steps away, I was met by Aklak. The mage entered the room, surrounding himself with an air bubble first. He gestured for me to stop and cover my face with my hands, and as soon as I did so, I immediately felt my body enveloped in hot, even scalding air. The mage repeated this procedure three times, which I took as a form of sterilization. Well, at least my gambeson did indeed become much cleaner, getting rid of the slime stains and other nastiness. After examining me carefully, the mage circled around me, then twice applied his magic from behind me. Only after that, nodding in satisfaction, he allowed me to step into the corridor.
Following the mage, I noticed that the gazes the tunnellers were throwing at me had significantly changed. Patrick, Sigerik, and Burn looked at me admiringly, while the others were deep in thought, as if still digesting what they had seen me do. Only in Katasakh's gaze did I discern something like a wary puzzlement.
After accepting congratulations and explaining some aspects of the fight to the young sheriff, I sat down, leaning against the wall, for a short rest. Katasakh quickly shooed away Patrick and Sigerik, who were pestering me with their questions, telling them not to disturb me while I was recovering. After clearing the first crypt and watching the work of the local tunnellers, I was confident that I could Reset the entire Tomb alone. But practice showed that this impression was false. While I could probably handle the regular crypts solo, the three large mausoleums, where the usual enemies would be joined by the servants of the Plague God with their magic, would likely have been too much for me. After shooing the rest of the tunnellers away, Katasakh sat down next to me and silently began rummaging through his bag of potions. It seemed to me that he was less searching for something and more wanting to ask me something, but he hesitated to do so.
"Esteemed Katasakh," I addressed him, "thank you for your help with the archers."
At these words, the tunneller, looking older than his years, just waved his hand dismissively, which was understandable since he was simply doing his job. After a brief silence, Katasakh, without looking at me, quietly said:
"Om Raven, why didn't you mention that you are a member of the Paladin Order?"
"Maybe because I'm not a member?" I replied with a question of my own.
"But I clearly saw you use the Manifestation of Light." Apparently, he was referring to my version of the "Flashlight" spell.
"This magic is not exclusively the prerogative of Order members," I said, spreading my hands. "This gift can be received by anyone marked by Antares."
On the one hand, I understand him. When you go dungeon clearing with someone, it's better to know all the capabilities of the person fighting alongside you. On the other hand, no one is obliged to reveal all their secrets, as there are clan, familial, and other unique techniques and abilities that are not customarily disclosed to outsiders.
"Om Raven," Katasakh addressed me with a hint of sadness in his voice, "considering your Achievement 'Pure Palm of Five Empty Fingers' and the way you fought, you probably could have cleared this Tomb alone... Why do you need us?"
"I don't think so..." I shrugged. "Even in this fight, I gave it my all, and still, it wasn't without your help. And there are many more crypts and three large halls ahead. So, no. I couldn't handle such an expedition alone. Perhaps, after two or better three ventures into this dungeon, when I would have learned all the habits of the local monsters, the time it takes for each of them to rise from their graves, then maybe... But no, even then, I wouldn't take such a risk."
More precisely, if I were really pressed, like with the quester's task that made me go through the Gnur Island dungeon, I might have risked going through this dungeon alone. But that would still have been quite a risky endeavor, and whether I would succeed or not would be like flipping a coin, fifty-fifty. Yes, clearing it alone would have earned me a much more significant Achievement. But even that wouldn't be enough to accumulate the growth energy of the Core needed to advance to the next Coil of Spiral of Elevation. So, in my answer, I was quite honest.
I wasn't sure if my words satisfied Katasakh, but after that, he stopped asking questions and suggested joining the rest of the group. For that, we only needed to walk a few dozen steps and reach the main corridor of the dungeon.
Once we were all together, we discussed in detail how clearing the second crypt went and ended up making some minor adjustments to my strategy. The change involved Aklak setting up the first "Air Wall" not deep in the corridor, but across the entrance to the crypt, as his group was accustomed to doing. Then I would burst in, followed immediately by Dragan's group. Their task was to quickly lay to rest the undead rising from the nearest graves to the entrance. Once they did that, and the bulk of the zombies rose from their graves, the tunnellers would retreat to the corridor, leading as many zombies as they could with them. This was necessary to give me more room to maneuver and to reduce the risk of being cornered and overwhelmed. While the fighters were busy with this, Katasakh would take care of a couple of skeleton archers rising in the far left corner of the crypt. Once these two tasks were accomplished, Aklak would move the magical barrier deeper into the corridor, allowing the tunnellers to retreat a bit, thus giving me more freedom to act. This adjustment significantly eased my task, as the most dangerous moment in clearing the second crypt was my breakthrough to the second pair of archers. Since Katasakh would handle that pair, I wouldn't have to risk rushing to reach them. Therefore, after dealing with the first two archers, I could focus on the Dark Soul. By the time I found and destroyed it, Dragan's group would ideally have already retreated to the corridor, and I could dispatch the zombies without fear of hitting any explosive growth filled with disease-causing spores, and without the risk of infecting any of the tunnellers.
After discussing these general details, Katasakh sketched a diagram of the crypt on the stone floor with chalk, and then drew arrows to indicate what each member of the group needed to do. As far as I understood, such a detailed plan was necessary for his nephew to understand his role clearly and not get in over his head. Overall, on this expedition, I got the impression that if my proposal hadn't suited Katasakh's team and I had come to Silver Meadow eight days later, I wouldn't have met Patrick in the village. Katasakh, under any pretense, would have dispatched his nephew far away, for instance, by sending him to the count with a message, or he would have thought of something else. Despite what the old tunneller told me in the tavern, he loved his nephew and cared about his safety as best as he understood it.
During the discussions, I drank a stamina potion and managed to replenish my energy, which I had depleted by nearly two-thirds during the clearing of the second crypt. I had slightly miscalculated my capabilities, and at one point, I had to operate at my limit and even slightly exceed it. It was fortunate that the disparity in my development showed itself under such circumstances, where, in case of an error, a group of experienced tunnellers could cover for me. This battle in the second crypt clearly demonstrated that I needed to transition to the Precious Coil of the Spiral as soon as possible, as my body's capabilities currently surpass my sensory perception of reality. Achieving the Opal rank should rectify this imbalance. Until then, as I am still Wootz, I should, if possible, avoid extreme accelerations to not experience "brain overload" again. Or, if the situation demands, not stay in such acceleration for too long.
By criteria only clear to himself, Katasakh accurately determined the time of my recovery and quickly finished his somewhat prolonged briefing. After double-checking our equipment, we moved towards the third crypt.
The beginning of its clearing from my side was completely identical to what happened last time. Bursting into the room, I slid across the smooth floor to the far right corner of the crypt, then, using the acceleration I had gained, ran up the wall and hovered in the air above the farthest tomb just as the first skeleton archer managed to rise waist-high from its burial. A precise calculation of the strike, and the blade of Striking Whisper entered right between the neck vertebrae of the archer. Minus one. And then, strengthening the blow not only with magic but also with the inertia of the fall, the blunt end of the spear's shaft crashed onto the head of the second archer, who had almost completely risen from the grave on a tier below the first skeleton. The unpleasant crack of dry bone, and my opponents were reduced by one more. Minus two. At that same moment, an arrow skillfully shot by Katasakh, who peeked out from the corridor for a second, hit right into the eye socket of the third skeleton archer, who had risen to its feet in the far corner of the crypt from me.
No sooner had my feet touched the floor than the nearest warrior zombie, still not fully emerged from its stone coffin, attempted to reach me with a slicing blow from its rusted but heavy and quite long two-handed sword. Easily evading the attack with a half-step forward, I counterattacked the monster. I aimed for its neck but noticed in time a huge, slimy, infectious growth in that area. Since Dragan's group was still in the room, I decided not to take the risk and raised the tip of my spear slightly higher. My thrust hit the zombie's head, slicing off the dead flesh from the left side of its skull and severing the dangling ear, but it didn't penetrate the bone. The wound, which would have caused a living being to go into shock, seemed to go unnoticed by the undead warrior; at least, it had no apparent effect on its movements.
For about twenty seconds, I stood my ground, parrying the blows of the risen zombies, retreating into a tight defense. This gave the tunnellers time to aggro the zombies risen closer to the entrance, and then retreat into the corridor. Also, tapping into the Shadow Affinity, I tried to pinpoint the location of the Dark Soul. At first, the shadows remained silent until I felt the familiar weight induced by someone else's dark magic on my shoulders. As soon as I sensed it, I immediately used "Manifestation of Light," enveloping my head in a blessed glow. The Dark Soul, invisible to the naked eye, immediately revealed itself in my shadow perception. It was very close, just behind a column from me. Using the shaft of the Striking Whisper as a vaulting pole, I leaped over the line of zombies blocking my path. Then, in one jump, I landed in the right position and, infusing the spear's blade with Light, delivered a slashing blow to what my shadow sense perceived as a dense cluster of Darkness. This thrust with the Light-saturated weapon was something the Dark Soul did not survive. If one can say so about something that had been alive a very long time ago. It became clear immediately that I had done everything correctly, as the alien weight lifted, and the Clasp of Pure Mind stopped ringing in my ears, warning me of the external mental influence.
Within half a minute after destroying the Dark Soul, Katasakh finished off the last archer. Although it took him three arrows, he managed to shatter the skeleton's skull before it could hit me. The rest of the tunnellers had already retreated to the corridor, freeing me to act. Now unrestrained, I launched into the attack, utilizing all my skills except the Dance and "Discharge." Unfortunately, Lightning magic proved ineffective against the undead; even a direct hit with "Discharge" didn't seem to cause significant damage or even slow them down. However, the rune of Des once again proved its effectiveness. And Striking Whisper, its tip imbued with Light and my muscles enhanced with "Bull's Strength," could even sever the bones of the undead warriors - the very bones that the regular, albeit heavy, weapons of other tunnellers could barely scratch. This made sense in the logic of Ain: the undead, being spawn of Darkness, were more susceptible to weapons infused with Light than to plain steel or weapons strengthened by Elemental magic.
Since Katasakh had eliminated the distant archers this time, and Dragan's group had lured twice as many zombies into the corridor compared to the clearing of the second crypt, I didn't need to push myself to my limits. I managed even without activating the Dance. Methodically, I cut down zombies with my spear's blade, shattered their bones with the rune of Des, and escaped dangerous encirclements using my gymnast's arsenal, greatly enhanced by my Wootz capabilities. Within a minute after the tunnellers disappeared into the corridor, a quarter of my enemies were eliminated. With each undead laid to rest, it became increasingly difficult for them to surround and overwhelm me with numbers. Yes, these risen dead retained their combat experience, which meant I couldn't simply hack them down as if chopping wood, as they easily parried straightforward and obvious attacks. However, because their brains had long turned to mush or slime, they repeatedly fell for my feints and deceptive strikes, reducing their numbers by one every ten to fifteen seconds.
If clearing the previous crypt was somewhat challenging for me, this time, it was just routine work. I methodically reduced the number of undead, preventing them from inflicting any harm on me. Although the battle lasted a bit longer than my first solo clearing, I used about three times less energy. Most importantly, I never found myself in a life-threatening situation.
After dispatching the last of my adversaries, I rushed to the corridor and managed to decapitate a zombie that the tunnellers hadn't completely finished off. With that, the clearing of the third crypt was completed, and after picking up Katasakh's arrows, I headed toward the exit. There, as before, Aklak stopped me and treated my gambeson and other clothing, as well as any exposed skin, with hot streams of dry air.
Then, I helped the tunnellers throw the subdued zombie bodies back into the crypt. After the last clearing, since there were fewer bodies in the corridor, Dragan's group managed without my help. When we finished, cursing and invoking Da'Nnan, Aklak again treated my armor and hands with hot air. The other tunnellers underwent the same procedure before the Air mage finally let us pass through the last of the protective walls he maintained. It turned out that due to the narrowness of the corridor, thus significantly reducing the area of the Air Barrier, he could maintain three magical walls. The weakest one was placed at the entrance; it only repelled large disease-causing spores. The second, behind the first group of tunnellers, was denser and completely blocked air from the crypt side. And the third closed off the passage to the main corridor, which I understood was done as a precaution.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
After our group emerged into the main corridor of the Tomb and settled down for a short break, Katasakh conducted a brief analysis of the clearing. In general, all the tunnellers were satisfied with the outcome, and only one issue had come to light during the battle. The problem was that the tunnellers had brought long and heavy weapons for this expedition to make it easier to cut through the undead bodies. However, due to the change in tactics, they now fought not in the crypt, where they could swing widely, but in a narrow corridor, making the length and weight of their weapons more of a disadvantage. Katasakh resolved this issue by rearranging the alternating pairs of tunnellers so that their weapons better complemented each other. Despite this unplanned difficulty, it can be said the tunnellers liked the new clearing tactic. No surprise there, since I did most of the work, leaving them with no more than a third of the undead warriors risen from the graves, significantly easing their task. Moreover, major threats like the Dark Soul and skeleton archers were no longer their main concern. In addition, the narrowness of the corridor, while hindering their weaponry, also prevented the zombies from swarming in large numbers. Often, the undead in the confined space obstructed their "brethren," eager to reach the living, causing them to push against each other and create a pile-up before even getting to their targets.
It's a bit strange: zombies are considered mindless because their brains have rotted away. But the skeleton archers, with nothing but emptiness in their skulls, adequately choose positions, shift around, and accurately identify priority targets. Even when disarmed, they don't mindlessly engage in close combat but try to throw their arrows or anything they can grab with their bony hands at their opponents. Why this is so remains a mystery to me. However, it's one of those questions I never intend to seek answers to.
The best demonstration that the clearing of the third crypt went well was the light smiles on the tunnellers' faces. Even the perpetually grim Dragan allowed himself a couple of jokes.
After resting for about ten minutes, we moved to the next crypt and cleared it of its undead inhabitants without much effort. By now, I knew all the timings, meaning how long it took for each type of enemy to rise from their sarcophagi after the battle began. This allowed me to not only deal with the two right-hand archers in the first attack but also to lay to rest the nearest zombie to them. Also, the undead warriors that had previously attacked not me but the retreating tunnellers after the initial charge repeated their actions as if following the same algorithm instilled in them by someone, or perhaps they just attacked the nearest targets. Who can understand their decayed minds? In this respect, of course, the undead are much simpler opponents than, say, orcs, who often act spontaneously. Therefore, after clearing one hall in a dungeon inhabited by orcs, you can never be sure that the situation in the next identical hall will be exactly the same. So, despite the fact that zombies were hard to kill for good and seemed to ignore even the most severe wounds that would be fatal to the living, their predictability made our expedition progressively easier.
By the fifth crypt, we were operating like a well-oiled machine, turning the undead into piles of motionless bodies. Our work fell into a rhythm: a short rest, clearing the next crypt, cleaning up the small corridors of corpses, and then a brief break to recuperate strength and energy. We could have done without these stops, replacing rest with various alchemical potions. But no one wanted unnecessary expenses, even though they were not very significant for Wootz tunnellers, so we used no more potions than the bare minimum required. Yes, this extended the duration of the expedition a bit, but still, in less than four hours from entering the dungeon, all the smaller crypts in the Tomb were cleared. During this time, none of us contracted any infections, and the minor hand wounds that Patrick managed to get due to his eagerness were not dangerous and healed easily after applying a medium healing potion.
Now, we were faced with the most challenging task: clearing the large crypts. These rooms were twice the size of those we had already passed through, and they contained not only more zombie warriors and skeleton archers but also, in addition to the Dark Soul, one of the servants of the Plague God. This meant we had to confront not only steel, diseases, and dark auras but also a Wootz-step mage specializing in some form of elemental magic. Furthermore, it was impossible to predict which Element the servant wielded until they cast their spells. This uncertainty could completely overturn our initial plan. According to Katasakh, the worst scenario was when a servant of Nulgle wielded Air magic, as Aklak then had to maintain his Air Walls while also countering the undead spellcaster's attempts to destroy them. As I understood, there were instances when Aklak lost this battle, leading to the group being infected with various diseases.
To clear these mausoleums, we had to develop a different plan from the one used in the smaller crypts. We discussed various options for more than a quarter of an hour before arriving at a solution that seemed reasonable to everyone. Again, I was at the center of this plan, as, unlike the other tunnellers, I didn't need to fight while holding my breath. Additionally, my gymnast training made me significantly more mobile than the local fighters, a fact already proven in practice during the clearing of the smaller crypts. These two factors were expected to play a key role.
Usually, the tunnellers cleared the large mausoleums almost the same way as the small crypts, with the only difference being that they periodically had to retreat to the corridor. However, this tactic was risky because a fireball or other mass-damage magic could fly into the passage, and it wasn't always possible to deflect these spells. If Katasakh quickly eliminated both the servant of the Plague and the Dark Soul with his enchanted arrows, the clearing caused no problems. But if Katasakh missed, or if the undead servant had protective spells in their arsenal capable of repelling enchanted arrows, the tunnellers faced significant difficulties. Sometimes, clearing even one such mausoleum took a long time, and it often resulted in injuries and infections.
Since clearing such a large crypt, just like the smaller ones before, was challenging, we developed a new plan. It was based on the old and tested tactics of the tunnellers but took into account my combat-proven abilities. After brief contemplation and discussion, we settled on a strategy that suited everyone. As before, I was to be the first to enter the crypt, but this time, the tunnellers wouldn't stay in the corridor; they would follow me, forming a line at the entrance as they normally would without me. Katasakh and Aklak would be positioned behind them. The task distribution was as follows: Dragan's group would tackle the main horde of zombie warriors, and I was assigned to take care of the archers, the Dark Soul, and to distract the undead Plague Servant. Katasakh, shooting from the entrance, and possibly Aklak, were to support me in this task. To prevent my actions from infecting the tunnellers, I was not to engage with the zombies directly but rather focus on the other targets. Crafting a more detailed plan was difficult, as the tactics for real combat depended on the element the Plague Servant would use and whether it would target me or the other tunnellers, details impossible to predict in advance.
Having finished all preparations and double-checking our gear, our small squad slowly entered the side corridor leading to the nearest large crypt. Halfway there, Aklak set up the first of the air barriers, behind which we were to retreat if things went really bad. Just before the entrance, a couple of steps away, the mage erected the main air barrier, behind which the tunnellers were to retreat to breathe clean air.
As soon as the Air Wall was set up, without wasting any time and fearing that Aklak's magic might trigger the awakening of the dead, we attacked. First, as agreed, I burst into the crypt, which indeed turned out to be significantly larger than those we had cleared earlier. Knowing from Katasakh where the skeleton archers would rise from, I immediately headed in their direction, choosing the right side of the tomb. However, since this crypt was more than twice the size of the ones I was familiar with, I miscalculated the timing. Vaulting in a high jump and running a few steps along the wall, I was ready to strike, but the skeleton had already fully risen from its stone sarcophagus, and I had to dodge an arrow shot almost point-blank at my face. Due to the short distance between us, I saw the moment when the skeleton's fingers began to unclench, and I managed to sway my body, making the enemy's projectile fly a couple of centimeters from my temple. This skeleton couldn't make a second shot, as its rib cage couldn't withstand the blow of my hand, enhanced by the rune Des. With my spear, I fended off the second archer, failing to reach it but splitting its bow in two. Then, without wasting time to finish it off, I rushed to the next pair of skeletons.
Not engaging in combat with the zombies that blocked my path, I simply jumped over them and was ready to strike another archer with a long thrust of the Striking Whisper upon landing. But there, where my feet were supposed to land after the jump, ripples went through the tomb's floor, and the stone surface cracked, forming sharp spikes. So, instead of the planned strike, I had to use the spear as a pole to bypass the suddenly emerged trap. Once I passed the spikes, I immediately dashed to the side at maximum acceleration, and a large stone block crashed down from the ceiling to the spot where I had been a fraction of a second ago.
Of course, neither the spikes nor the falling block were coincidences. At the far end of the wall, behind one of the dimly glowing hearths, stood the undead servant of Plague, resembling a mummy without its wrappings. In its dry hands, it held a heavy and long staff. Its location meant that I couldn't reach it without first eliminating the archers, otherwise risking arrows in my back.
"Earth Element!" I heard Aklak shout.
That warning was probably for the other tunnelers, as I had already guessed the servant's element from the magic it used. Using the fallen block as cover, I waited out a volley of arrows. Afterward, I knocked down a couple of zombies blocking my path and took advantage of their disarray to emerge from behind the block. Leaping three meters up, I assessed the situation. Opting not to risk approaching the servant without first taking out the archers, I performed a front flip in mid-air and headed toward my next target. My acrobatic maneuver seemed to throw off the undead mage's aim, and a large brick hurled from the wall missed me, shattering against a column.
Had I been facing living opponents, the archers might have tried to break distance and hide behind the melee fighters. But the dead, unconcerned with self-preservation, chose to shoot again instead of saving themselves. This was their undoing. Katasakh accurately took down one with an arrow, while I reached the other with a long thrust of Striking Whisper. The right side of the tomb was now clear of archers, greatly simplifying my task. Yet, consolidating this initial success proved challenging.
As soon as I had dispatched the fourth skeleton archer, the Dark Soul awakened. A familiar heaviness descended on my shoulders, and my arms felt leaden. Turning to my Affinity with the Shadow, I tried to locate the Dark Soul. However, my concentration was disrupted by a wave that swept across the stone floor. I had to jump again, temporarily forgetting about the phantom enemy.
The undead mage was truly beginning to irritate me, and I attempted to reach it. But zombies blocked my path, and the restless quartet of archers from the left side of the crypt coordinated a volley, cutting me off from my target. Moreover, stones began falling from the ceiling again, forcing me to wind like a hare, evading both the rocks and incoming arrows, all while being encircled by a couple of dozen zombies. The situation was complicated by the fact that I couldn't slash these zombies apart or tear them with the Des rune, for fear of hitting the disease-bearing growths on their bodies. If that happened, the tunnellers, who were engaging the bulk of the zombies at the entrance, would have been in serious trouble.
For almost two minutes, I had to jump, hop, and spin, like a snake on a hot pan, without even thinking of attacking myself. My vision, blurred by the magic induced by the Dark Soul, lost its sharpness, preventing me from noticing another stone flying out of the wall in time. At the last moment, I managed to twist away, and the blow from the bull's head-sized stone block grazed me. The impact was softened by the layers of my gambeson; my bones held up, but the resulting bruise was quite painful. A flash of pain momentarily cleared the fog in my head, induced by the Dark Soul, and I precisely located the specter.
"Katasakh! Third column on the left!" I shouted, unable to quickly reach the target myself.
The experienced tunneller didn't disappoint. Swiftly changing arrows, he made a snap shot, and the light-enchanted tip pierced the clump of darkness. Following the first, Katasakh released another arrow, but it was no longer needed, as with a quiet, inaudible, but mentally perceptible wail, the Dark Soul dissolved, clearing my vision and restoring lightness to my body.
My two-minute dance of evasion was not in vain. During that time, I had not only assessed the magical arsenal of the undead Plague Servant, which consisted of only three spells, but also calculated the approximate cooldown intervals of these spells. Constantly shifting and moving in chaotic bursts, I drew the main zombie horde to the right side of the hall, then suddenly darted to the opposite side. Due to their relative slowness, the undead warriors couldn't keep up with me, leaving no barriers between me and the remaining four archers for a good ten seconds. This time was enough to get rid of the annoying skeletons. While I was busy with that, Katasakh tried to strike the undead mage with arrows, but each of his shots was absorbed by one of the stones hovering around the body of the Nulgle's Servant.
Repeating the trick that worked once, I led the zombie horde to a corner of the hall. Then, dodging a falling block from the ceiling, I sprinted toward the unprotected undead warriors of the Plague Servant. The latter tried to hinder me by knocking me down with a wave of stone sent across the floor. Anticipating such a move, I was prepared and, taking to the air, pushing off one of the columns with my feet, I hurled myself like a living projectile towards the enemy that resembled a skeleton wrapped in skin.
The Light-imbued tip of the Striking Whisper, tracing an arc, rushed towards the target. But I celebrated too soon. Like an experienced warrior, the servant positioned its heavy staff and timely blocked the thrust. My second attack also met the sturdy staff of the mage. I didn't have time for a third strike, as a wave of zombies surged from behind, forcing me to jump back to avoid being surrounded. Dodging a direct clash with the undead warriors, I described an arc around the hall, again leading the zombie horde away from the Plague Servant, after which I repeated my attempt to reach the mage. This time, learning from past experience, I didn't try to destroy the enemy with a single blow, but executed an attacking combination consisting of a couple of feints and a disguised final thrust. But even this attack was repelled by the undead mage, who timely dropped another stone block between us, preventing me from completing the combination.
Once again, I had to retreat, leading the zombies on another round. Living opponents would never have fallen for the same trick a third time, but the zombies, like a flock of sheep, obediently dashed after me. This time, in my flanking maneuver, I moved closer to the crypt entrance, causing some zombies to forget about me and switch to fighting Dragan's group. Having led the remaining pursuers to the far corner, I again leaped high, using my spear like a pole to vault over their heads. Then, sprinting and dodging stone spikes rising from the floor here and there, I ran towards the alcove where the Plague Servant was hiding.
This time, I had more time than in the first two attempts and made full use of every second. First, I provoked the mage into using a spell, which I dodged. Then, entangling the enemy's staff with my spear and taking a hit on my right shoulder from the stones circling the servant of Nulgle, I spun my body like a top, reaching out my hand to the forehead of the undead mage.
"Des!"
To my surprise, the servant's skull did not shatter into many fragments but remained intact. Undoubtedly, my strike hit its target, and the rune worked as it should. However, the effect was much weaker than I had anticipated. The Plague Servant did not die nor crumble into a pile of bones on the cold floor of the tomb; its dried-up skull just swayed heavily backward instead of exploding from within.
However, although my attack did not lay the undead to rest, it did stun it considerably. And my body, acting on autopilot, finished the job. My hands, without any guidance from my head, spun the spear and drove the Light-glowing tip of Striking Whisper right into the right eye socket of the skull, wrapped in pale, dry skin. The stones floating in the air, protecting the undead mage until then, crumbled to the floor with a dry clatter upon this blow.
With the most challenging opponents in the hall dealt with, only the zombies were left to be finished, which I set about doing after ordering the tunnelers to retreat into the corridor behind the Air Barrier.