The first thing he noticed after getting his Titles was that walking was difficult. It wasn't even that he had to mentally direct the parts of him supported by his merged Spirit that was hard, that was easy enough when he was just walking. Instead, it was a challenge because every time he moved he generated more force than he intended to. 25% more. He was adapting quickly, no doubt thanks to his other beyond Title, but it was still strange to try and do things with less Strength than he intended to do them with and get the same result.
He practiced as he walked through the empty catacombs, almost being able to move normally by the time he encountered an undead. It was an [Unknown Lesser Skeleton] but the way it acted was strange. As soon as it saw him turn the corner it ran, disappearing down the winding corridor before Liam even had a chance to process what happened.
That was new. The only real intelligence he had seen from undead had been from named ones, or the glimmer that the bear had shown in how it learned caution from its mistakes. As far as he knew, retreating just wasn't in an undead's nature. He had a bad feeling about what was to come. Still, he proceeded cautiously. A few twists and turns later and the catacombs began to open up, turning from corridors and passageways into a grand hallway. He spotted alcoves along the wall that he looked into, only to find open coffins with scorch marks on the inside.
The smell of sulphur started to fill the air, growing stronger the further he travelled until it became overpowering. He stopped to get used to it and realised that he was sweating. He hadn't really exerted himself and his nerves had gotten used to the constant tension so it wasn't them that was causing it. He looked around and finally noticed the distortions in the air that usually came with a blazingly hot sun. The temperature has been increasing as he walked, but his spinal damage had stopped him from feeling it. A quick glance at his HP showed that it wasn't harmful to him so he pushed the revaluation to the back of his mind and continued on.
He spotted what he thought was the first turn for a while ahead, but as he got closer he saw no openings to either side and he began to make out intricately carved patterns on the wall. Closer still, and he realised it wasn't a wall at all, but instead a gigantic set of stone double doors that were firmly shut.
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The sun had set by now, but a new light source coming from ahead painted the hallway in a blue glow. They began as silhouettes, too far away to make out anything beyond the fact they were humanoid, but as he got closer he saw the signature red bone of the Lich's more powerful undead, along with the crimson metal of their Hearthsteel equipment.
A small battalion of [Unknown Skeletal Guards] awaited him, with multiple of the [Mage] variant backing them up. If it was just them then he would've been confident in wading in and destroying them all, but they were joined by a new type of undead. In front of the army stood 3 flaming figures.
They were tall, towering above Liam at about 8 foot, and broad enough to match. They were wrapped in burning bandages, bound around them in so many layers that not even a patch of skin was showing. The only gaps in the layers of fiery cloth were two holes for the unblinking, bloodshot eyes that were locked onto him. He used [Analyze] but it came up short.
[Unknown Undead, Level 20]
[600/600]
They each had almost double his maximum HP despite Vitality being his most invested in Attribute. He guessed that they must've started with quite a bit compared to him, especially since they were lacking any Titles to boost it like he had.
He stopped and observed the arrayed undead, sizing them up. This was usually the part where they rushed towards him, or at the very least began to attack him, but right now they were eerily still. He moved sideways and their heads followed him, empty eye sockets tracking his every move. He took a few steps forwards and they all raised their weapons, ready to clash the metal with their shields to produce fire like he had seen with the [Unknown Skeletal Guards] before but they lowered them again when he stepped back.
It would be a challenge to get past this group and to the double doors if he couldn't lure them out, especially since there was a new type of creature he had never seen. He knew they were done kind of mummy, but this new reality had proved that films weren't always the most accurate starting with zombies and how they had no weak points. He would have to retreat and come back after forming a more solid plan. So, he turned around and left, going all the way back to his carved sanctuary a few metres above the ground.
He settled in to plan and rest, but as soon as he settled in a wave of fatigue hit him. He had been ignoring how tired he was, running on fear, excitement adrenaline and pain as well as a slight but of mania that had crept in during his time down here in the catacombs. It had been staved off by a combination of those and his 50% fatigue resistance he got from his bound trinket, but now that he had decided to stop pushing forwards for a while it hit him. His injuries and constant activity had taken its toll.
He crooked his arm and rested his head upon it and drifted off to sleep with axe in hand. Ander Phyris could wait until tomorrow, he had time and he was sure he was close to the end after seeing those massive doors. For now he would recover his strength so that he would be ready for whatever tricks the Lich threw at him.