After assessing the capabilities of all the enemies "inhabiting" the dungeon while clearing the first crypt of the Tomb, my proposal to enter the next crypt alone wasn't just empty bravado or boasting. I really could take down all the monsters in each crypt without the group's help. However, considering the other tunnellers, I couldn't forego the placement of a defense line in the side corridor and Aklak's maintenance of the Air Wall. I wasn't sure that all the zombies would attack only me, and none would try to break through to the main corridor of the dungeon.

Having received Katasakh's agreement, before moving on, I entered the cleared crypt to collect the arrows fired by the old archer. Three of them were broken, probably having hit the stone walls, but Katasakh was more concerned with preserving the arrowheads, so he was pleased when I returned them all, even those with damaged shafts. As for inspecting the crypt for treasures, according to our preliminary agreement, I was to do this after the final clearing of the dungeon. As Katasakh said, "to avoid distracting the guys, and in general, business first, then loot."

Before the second crypt, we made a short stop, during which I detailed what everyone else should do. Nothing complex was required of them, but when you do something for the first time, you must consider the possibility of your plans failing. I emphasized this point, explaining that even if I got overwhelmed, it wouldn't be a tragedy for the rest of the group, as they would simply move the Air Wall closer to the entrance and continue the clearing in their usual manner. However, Katasakh made a couple of adjustments to my plan. The first was that the tunnellers would defend the narrow side corridor in pairs, as its tightness didn't allow four fighters to battle at full strength simultaneously. This suggestion was quite sensible and also made the task easier for the tunnellers, as they could switch more often and hold their breath for shorter periods. The second correction was directed at Aklak. The Air Mage was to maintain two Air Walls, one to block the entrance to the crypt, and the other behind the fighters' position. To this, Aklak said that if the clearing lasted no more than five minutes, he could manage, but he couldn't promise to sustain his magic for longer. I assured the mage that I would finish within the allotted time.

Since the roles and tasks of each fighter in the group were defined, I double-checked my equipment, and then, having listened to the wishes of "not getting killed," I waited for the others to take their positions. Waving my hand, I quietly said:

"Let's start!"

And then I dashed down the corridor. Flying into the crypt like a spear thrown by a skilled hand, I, noticing the floor was relatively clean, slid to the nearest column. In contrast to the tactics used by local tunnellers for clearing, I was currently not focused on the burials closest to the entrance, but rather aimed to get to those graves that would spawn the skeleton archers as early as possible.

And I succeeded. The sarcophagi lids had not yet fully opened when I leaped high, pushed off one of the columns, and momentarily hovered above the second tier of burials. My timing was perfect, just as one of the skeleton archers started to rise from the upper sarcophagus. It had only risen to its waist when a wide swing of the blade of Striking Whisper cut through its thin, bony neck, precisely between the third and fourth vertebrae, separating its empty skull from the rest of the body. This blow caused the skeleton, still not fully risen, to crumble into individual bones, collapsing back into its coffin like an unfinished card house accidentally nudged by a hand.

As the last bones of the first skeleton continued to fall to the bottom of the sarcophagus, the butt of my spear struck the skull of the second archer. And since the word "Cleave" had slipped from my lips a fraction of a second earlier, the blow enhanced by Earth magic was enough to split its skull into several pieces, like an overripe watermelon. As a result, the second skeleton archer also crumbled back into its tomb, without ever having the chance to draw its bowstring.

Indeed, for this success, I paid the price of all the other sarcophagi being open, with most of the zombie warriors already out. However, I knew this would happen. So, spinning on the spot and using my spear as a pole for vaulting, I leaped up and, flying over a couple of zombies whose sword swings cut only the empty air where I had stood, I dashed to the opposite wall. Along the way, I didn't forget to treat one of the zombies, the closest to me, with the rune of Des. Since the magic of this Rune isn't selective, it not only broke several of its bones, leaving one of his arms hanging limply, but also affected several rotten growths, which immediately exploded with a soft pop. As a result, I, along with everything within a meter and a half radius of the damaged zombie, was enveloped in a cloud of rot and disease, full of spores resembling miniaturized dandelion parachutes. Had any of the tunnellers from Katasakh's group been near me at that moment, they would have immediately contracted some dark disease. But since all the fighters were in the corridor, shielded by the Air Wall, I wasn't worried that the infection would reach them. The thick, contaminated air only bothered me because the undead regenerated in this cloud much faster than usual.

As soon as my feet touched the ground again, I empowered myself with "Bull's Strength" and performed a low sweep, knocking down three zombies. This didn't harm them much, but it cleared my path forward. Jumping over the pile of zombie warriors trying to rise again, who were more of a hindrance to themselves, I dodged an arrow shot at close range, accurately calculating the moment of the bowstring's release and tilting my torso to the left and down in time, letting the lethal projectile fly over my shoulder.

Striking Whisper immediately lunged forward, targeting the neck vertebrae of a skeleton archer, but at that exact moment, it felt as if an invisible giant had dropped a whole mountain on my shoulders. My hands trembled, and the skeleton managed to dodge the thrust. As I felt the approach of zombie warriors from behind, I realized I wouldn't be able to make a second strike. On the return movement of the spear, I sliced through the bowstring held in the bony palms, depriving the skeleton archer of its weapon and effectively nullifying its value as a combat unit.

As for the heaviness that was illusory, as no one had actually placed any stones on my shoulders, but still felt genuinely real – this was due to the magic employed by the "awakened" Dark Soul that had entangled me.

This black entity belonged to the class of ghosts, and it couldn't be harmed with ordinary weapons, nor could it be seen with normal vision. As Katasakh explained, when he shot, he couldn't see the Dark Soul either. He fired instinctively, guided by the tip of an arrow enchanted at the Temple of the Dawn Glimmer. In other words, his magical weapon led him. I didn't have such specific weaponry in my arsenal, but I had other abilities which, I hoped, would work no worse than the arrow the servants of Antares imbued with power.

The Shadow indicated the direction where the Dark Soul was hiding, as such ghosts are somewhat related to shadow monsters, though they originate from the primordial Darkness. It took just a second of activating "Shadow Player" for me to understand that the Dark Soul was hiding behind the farthest column from me. However, this turn to shadow magic disrupted my perception of reality. To avoid falling under the blows of swords and axes of the zombie warriors, who seemed to sense my temporary weakness and piled on me all at once, cornering me, I resorted to the Dance. I had promised myself to use this skill as infrequently as possible until I filled the Talent stars in the spear completely. But at that moment, I had no choice; otherwise, I would have been literally pinned to the wall and then crushed under their mass.

As soon as I "let go" of myself and surrendered to the battle satori, the heaviness on my shoulders vanished, along with the slowness and lethargy induced by the Dark Soul. The shaft of Striking Whisper, empowered by "Bull's Strength" and "Cleave," struck the knee of the central zombie, breaking bones and knocking the undead warrior onto the dead bodies nearby. Diving like a fish into the gap in the undead ranks, I broke out of the encirclement, not forgetting to "caress" one zombie with the rune Des and slicing the spear blade across the neck of another. Neither was put to rest by this, but both were slowed down further, and their weapons couldn't prevent me from breaking free into an operational space.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

The zombie warriors inhabiting the Tomb were physically not much different from the Wootz fighters; they were a bit slower but stronger, more resilient, and harder to kill. However, they had one critical flaw: they were as dumb as doorknobs. Apparently, their brains had completely rotted away, and their only aim was to reach my body. These undead warriors didn't think about their defense at all. Perhaps their decaying heads couldn't handle that anymore. Besides, they didn't use any magic other than enhancing their bodies. Nevertheless, such single-mindedness, coupled with their numerical superiority, would have posed significant problems for any other fighter less mobile than me. But I was not an ordinary warrior raised in the traditions of Ain's fighters and tunnellers. I had not only the earth's fencing school behind me but also vast experience as a gymnast, enhanced by the physical capabilities of the Wootz Rank of the Spiral of Elevation. Moreover, all these advantages were exponentially amplified by the "Dance." Breaking out of the encirclement, I immediately soared four meters up, performing a front flip. As I flew over the heads of the second row of enemies, with unnatural precision, as if guided by some inhuman instinct, I slashed the neck of one of the zombies, striking precisely between the cervical vertebrae, just like I did with the first skeleton archer. Although this was not luck in the literal sense, but rather one of the manifestations of the "Dance."

A slight, somewhat detached smile played on my lips, and my soul was filled with strange joy at the fact that there were so many enemies, meaning this fight wouldn't end quickly. Twisting around one of the columns like an experienced parkour practitioner, I ran along the wall to the right of the crypt's entrance, ending up just behind the column where the Dark Soul was hiding. At the same moment, above my head, like a saint's halo, the "Manifestation of Light" shone. This flash made the nearest zombies recoil, and the last remaining unrested skeleton archer missed its shot, the arrow from its bone bow missing my side by almost half a meter. However, to make this shot, the skeleton had exposed himself, which Katasakh immediately took advantage of, and his arrow did not miss. Striking the skeleton's right eye socket, enhanced with some explosive magic, it shattered the undead's skull, laying it to rest until the next Dungeon Refresh.

The audacity of someone interfering and destroying one of my targets stirred a strange, irrational anger within me, overwhelming and intense. I was almost swayed towards the exit of the crypt, driven by the urge to thrust the tip of the Striking Whisper into the stomach of the one who dared to steal one of my opponents, thereby shortening the fight. It was only through extreme willpower that I managed to prevent this action, forcibly pulling myself out of the "Dance" state.

Immediately, an otherworldly heaviness descended again. It felt as if lead chains were hung on my arms. Almost simultaneously, a quiet, warning chime of mental interference rang in my ears. I didn't know what kind of magic it was, but my vision altered; everything around seemed to shift, losing clarity, and my enemies began to appear double in my sight. However, my sense of the Dark Soul, just a couple of steps in front of me, was still acute, not through vision but through Shadow Affinity. Thus, the magic cast on me did not protect the shadow-spawned specter from the blow of my light-infused spear. This moment was the most contentious in my plan. I wasn't sure if the light-imbued blade of Striking Whisper would affect the Dark Soul. From the stories I had heard in the "Last Cycle" from earthlings who used Light magic, it should have worked, but I wasn't completely certain of success. However, my fears proved unfounded, and there was no need to resort to my backup plan, which involved forcing the Dark Soul out of hiding with a concentrated beam of "Flashlight" for Katasakh's strike.

The slightly glowing blade in the crypt's dim light drew a line right at the center of what my shadow sense identified as the dark specter. The mental scream that followed this thrust, like a cleansing balm, swept through my soul, freeing me from both the induced heaviness in my arms and the distortion of my visual perception. The fact that the Dark Soul was dealt with was indirectly confirmed by a new Achievement, which I didn't focus on, as the zombies renewed their attack with greater vigor.

Engaging in this solo clearing of the crypt, I had hoped that the zombies lying in their sarcophagi in the two rows nearest the exit would rush into the corridor. But this only worked partially. While the first row indeed rose from their graves and headed towards the exit, those in the second row, once on their feet, unmistakably targeted me. If during the active "Dance," such an increase in enemies only pleased me, now the number of foes, larger than I initially expected, could pose a significant problem. Nonetheless, I was confident I could handle it. Clearing the first crypt, where I observed more than fought, gave me a complete understanding of the undead warriors' behavior and preferred tactics. Like stubborn rams, they tried to surround me or pin me against one of the walls, or even corner me, and then, using their numerical advantage and superior strength, hack me to pieces with their rusted swords and axes. This simple tactic would have eventually led the dead warriors to success against fighters like Katasakh's group, for example, Dragan and Sigerik. But in my case, it didn't work.

I darted between the columns like lightning, spun, ran along the walls, even flew up to the crypt's ceiling a couple of times, only to then plummet like a meteor behind the backs of the zombies, who clearly didn't expect such mobility from their presumed victim. All four basic Auras constantly enveloped me, and the acceleration I achieved would have surprised even an Opal fighter. Utilizing the fact that one of my main spells, namely the Des rune, requires almost no mana, I unhesitatingly burned core energy, effectively bolstering my muscles through the Strengthening and Acceleration Auras. At one point, my movement speed became so high that my perception of reality couldn't keep up with what was happening, causing what I'd call a "brain overload" or "brain overheating." I had only heard about this effect in the "Last Cycle" and personally considered it a myth, having never experienced it before. I even thought such a state was just a tall tale. Surely, a person can't move faster than their eyes can perceive, right? But no, it turned out that if you give it your all, compress the Auras to their maximum, and multiply all this by the fact that an Adamantium body conducts energy far better than even its Mithril counterpart, "brain overheating" was indeed possible.

For a few seconds, I felt as if I had fallen out of reality, with a black wall descending before my eyes. My body, left to its own devices, continued to operate on autopilot, parrying the blows of the last trio of undead, until I figured out to close my eyes and rely on my shadow sense. I was very fortunate that by the time I experienced the "overload," there were only three unrested dead left in the crypt: two zombies and a practically useless skeleton archer who, having lost its bowstring, could only throw arrows at me with its bony hands. These projectiles, even when hitting their mark, didn't even leave a scratch on my gambeson. This relentless skeleton managed to throw about ten arrows at me until a precise shot from Katasakh took off its empty head. I dealt with the last pair of zombies without opening my eyes. I simply launched the Striking Whisper in a fan-like spin, a move known in French fencing as moulinet, and since the undead warriors didn't think about defense, they virtually walked into this meat grinder, resembling a propeller turned to full speed. This spinning move can easily be turned against the one who employs it by timely presenting a solid block, after which the inertia of the spin would play a cruel joke on its initiator. But the zombies, perhaps due to their rotten brains, didn't think of such a simple solution and got fully caught in it. The light-enhanced blade of my spear first chopped off the arms of the right one, severed the legs of the pressing zombie on the left, and only then got stuck in the unyielding undead flesh. Using "Bull's Strength," I freed the Striking Whisper from the dead body's trap, leaped back to create distance, and, guided by the shadows surrounding me, finished the clearing with four powerful overhead slashing strikes.

Then I stood with my eyes closed for about ten seconds, and only after turning off the Aura of Acceleration did I dare to open my eyelids. The world, having spun around twice before my eyes, first swung back like a pendulum and then, albeit reluctantly, came back to normal. I stood right in the center of the crypt, surrounded by a foul, disease-ridden fog so dense that I could barely see my own feet. Nonetheless, the shadows around me were calm, indicating that they were undisturbed by any movement.

I spent almost a minute gathering myself when a sudden gust of wind dispersed the spore-laden fog, and I saw the curious Aklak, who had poked his head out from the corridor and was making clearly magical gestures with his hands. Apparently, the wind that had so suddenly swept in, pressing the noxious fog to the floor, was his doing. Catching the inquisitive gaze of the Air mage, I raised my spear upwards, smiled, and made a sweeping gesture around the crypt, now devoid of any unrested undead.