Liam caught his breath after his mad sprint away. He'd taken off the moment he realised what Ander's words entailed. Thanks to his quick thinking, he at least had a head start over the undead. Right now he was at the point where he had fallen into the catacombs and battled his first [Lesser Skeleton]. He didn't want to go further and encounter potentially unknown enemies whilst his Stamina was at its pitifully low [22/130] so he was taking a couple minutes to recover. His HP had also recovered slightly, sitting at [35/150] after watching the ritual and his mad dash away. It wasn't much but he judged it to be enough to deal with some low level lesser undead and hopefully net him a Level he could use to recover a bit more.

He watched his resources tick up painfully slowly and prepared to venture out again. He was interrupted, however, by a searing pain that emnated from his left shoulder and his HP dropping to [21/150]. He looked to see what had caused it and saw a rapidly dissipating spear of light pierced through it. He spun and saw a shadow, clear in the dying light of the spear, hovering about 15 feet away from him.

[David Bright, Unknown Shade, Level 14

Path of Light (Corrupted)

Lightbearer]

[155/160]

It was the highest Level of his pursuers, and the one that he was dreading fighting the most. He could see that it's HP was only 160 despite having more Levels than the others, which meant that it's stats were elsewhere. That and it's apparent ability to conjure weapons out of thin air to throw at him as it was doing now.

It's HP gradually dropped another 5 as it creates another spear of light that immediately shot towards Liam. He hit the ground and it flew over his head and down the passageway, fading as it travelled until it disappeared. Springing to his feet, he charged towards the creature, watching it for any signs that it would create another spear of light. As he ran he grabbed a hold of the new energy inside of him and pushed it into the skull charm within his internal reservoir. He felt something drain within him and a black mist spilled out of his body to coil around his weapon. The axe took on an ethereal glint as it was reinforced by Liam's Power. Then, he heard a whisper within his head.

"Let us slay this abomination together."

The Spirit he had challenged and triumphed against was now speaking to him as he drew upon it's Power, it's deep voice echoing through his mind. Liam did not have time to reply as he leapt to the side, dodging another light spear from the shade. He felt the heat radiating off it as it passed him and he was very glad that he had reacted in time.

He closed the last few steps between himself and the shade, swinging his axe in a horizontal arc. His blow neared it and almost made contact, but instead it passed right through the creature as it became almost transparent and seemingly intangible. Liam's axe continued through it and struck the stone wall of the passageway, it's axe head lighting up as fire bloomed along the edge. The newly created fire cast light upon the faded figure of the Shade and it hissed as it cringed away in pain becoming solid black once again.

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[Hafted I] showed it's worth as Liam, who had never swung an axe before a few hours ago, somehow managed to regain control over his weapon and reverse his swing to cut back through the undead. The blade cut deep into it's shadowy mass and new flames spawned along it to burn the creature of the night.

[109/160]

That one cut destroyed over a fifth of its remaining HP and sent it on a desperate retreat that Liam attempted to follow. Unfortunately, his attempt was stopped in its tracks by a light spear that manifested only a foot away from him to his side. The close distance made reacting to it impossible and it pierced him through the side and into the passageway wall, pinning him in place. That's when he felt something in the air change. He felt a weight settle on him as an aura washed over the passageway, one that instilled a sense of the steadfastness and endurance it's bearer possessed. The spear that was through him heated up more as it resonated with this aura and a word was imprinted into Liam's mind.

{Lightbearer}

He screamed in pain as he began to be cooked from the inside. The spear that had impaled him wasn't dissipating like it should but instead grew hotter and hotter the longer it remained. His HP hit single digits and began ticking down and he cast his eyes about desperately I'm search of a solution. Seeing none forthcoming,he acted on pure instinct. He pushed himself off the wall, taking the spear out of it and with him as he charged the Shade. It shied away from its own construct as he approached but it was not fast enough as he reached it before it could get away.

His axe bit into it again, annihilating another chunk of its HP, but that was only the beginning of his assault. He barreled into it and tackled it to the ground, able to interact with the shadows making up it's being because of his active Power, and began holding it down as he pressed his axe deeper inside it. It spasmed underneath him, it's body contorting I'm unnatural ways, but it could do nothing to escape whilst bathed in the lights of it's own spear and Liam's axe flames. It became a race to see who's HP would bottom out first, but it was one the Liam was gradually loosing. His stood at [5/150] whilst it's had dropped to [54/160], a ways ahead of him. Still, he had been in one of these before and knew what to do. His head came down in a vicious head butt that smashed what was meant to be it's head against the ground. It burst, shadows pooling along the cold floor before it reformed with a bit less consistency than it had before. Seeing it work, he did it again and again until the shadows did not reform and the rest of it's body scattered away like it hadn't even been there.

He had won, though he was still in danger of being boiled alive by the permanent construct that was impaled within him. Without even checking any of the notifications that had appeared in the corner of his vision, Liam willed any free stats he had into Vitality and immediately felt a rush of life enter and bolster him against death. His HP reached [52/200] and he got to work pulling the spear out of him. It burned another 7 HP getting it out, and when he did he threw it on the ground and [Analysed] it to see what had almost killed him.

[Spear of Light

Tier 1 Polearm Weapon

A light construct made permanent by the Shade David Bright during his final battle. This spear will burn any who touch it, dealing extra damage against undead, shadow, demonic and darkness creatures. It resembles a spear, though it's creator as hasty in its creation and did not take the time to make it too sharp, so it relies on its wielder's Strength and Skill as well as it's ability to burn anything it touches.

Damage: +2-3 piercing

Additional Properties: +1 fire and +1 light damage per 5 seconds of contact (increased the more of the Spear is in contact with target)

Tier I: Does not harm the wielder's hands whilst holding it]

Despite the danger it had posed to him, the weapon did not actually seem too strong, especially since it required the [Polearm] Skill to avoid being burned whilst using it. Still, it had almost done him in so he gave it a respectful distance as he circled around it and put it between the corridor the he and the Shade had come from and him. He leant against the wall to recover his Stamina, which was once again in desperate need of replenishment and settled to open his notifications, careful to keep an eye on where the other 2 undead might come from.