"So I have to do it alone." Though the phrase "have to" often implies a tone of helplessness or reluctance, Norton actually seemed eager as he said it. He wanted to test his abilities.
Having been in this world for six years, while his body had become a bit frail, his greatest asset—his psychic energy, or "magic" as it was called here—had not diminished; it had increased. Norton felt stronger and more confident than ever.
"Based on the old league's classification, I should be considered an Ayudra-level psychic now... Enjoying special privileges and benefits, such people just had to move a finger to earn loads of money without having to stay on the dangerous front lines like us. Lucky them," Norton mused briefly. Suspended in mid-air, he halted. Around him, manipulated undead soldiers turned and retreated, stopping after advancing nearly 300 meters. The sixteen undead formed a loose arc around Norton, aiming to maximize his safety. On the opposite side was the cliff where Norton had discovered the tomb entrance.
As the undead guards took their positions, Norton nodded slightly, then focused his attention on sensing the trajectory of the rapidly flowing violent magic winds around him. His body rose again, halting about two meters above the ground, the maximum elevation his levitation spell could achieve.
He extended his right hand, bringing his index and middle fingers together, pointing straight skyward. Instantly, the surrounding magic wind surged wildly toward his fingertips, compressed repeatedly within two inches of his hand, forming a blindingly bright, sunlike white blade!
The power of the red Morell above enhanced Norton's control over the magic wind, exponentially increasing its potency.
"Let's see how powerful I really am in this moment!" Feeling the immense force converged at his fingertips, barely containable, Norton exclaimed excitedly. He then swung his arm at the barrier, unleashing the supreme blade formed by the overwhelming magic wind straight toward it!
In an instant, the light blade swept across with unparalleled force, slicing through tangible trees, stones, ground, and the intangible barrier. It cleaved from the inclined rock layer at the tomb entrance, striking the barrier on the opposite side.
Subsequently, the seemingly indestructible barrier vibrated violently and disintegrated into nothingness in a silent explosion. If any sorcerer had passed through the area, they would have been astonished—for within a radius of fifteen kilometers, there was not a trace of magic wind to be sensed!
"That was a bit loud... damn it... Luckily, at this time of year, most people don’t venture out at night, and the chaotic magic wind makes it difficult even for archmages to detect any disturbances here quickly." After casting such a potent spell, Norton felt as if his body were falling apart, overwhelmed by the fatigue. Maintaining even a simple levitation spell was impossible, causing him to plummet from nearly two meters in the air. Fortunately, the bones of a child are light, and the vampire constitution is robust, so he wasn't injured, only experiencing a slight pain in his back.
"Still, the power was quite impressive..." Having handled more magic wind than his body could bear, Norton suffered some harm to both mind and body. Additionally, failing to control the force entirely, the remaining energy impacted the tomb itself after breaking the barrier, potentially destroying some funerary goods and reducing his gains.
Nonetheless, Norton's spirits remained high, as the full-force strike was even stronger than he anticipated. Considering that the grand wizards in this world probably wielded similar levels of power, realizing his capabilities were greater than expected lifted Norton's mood immensely.
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However, despite his happiness, there was work to be done. After a brief rest to regain his strength and a bit of his magic, Norton stood up, brushed the dust off his cloak, and ordered the undead guards to regroup around him. He then approached the cliff edge.
At this moment, Norton's magic reserves were critically low, requiring him to calculate every spell with precision. After some hesitation, he opted not to use levitation again, choosing instead to cast a simpler spell to generate an updraft—a practical magic used to help armies swiftly traverse mountains and cliffs, speeding up marches and enabling surprise attacks.
With a slight wave of his right hand, pale yellow magic wind gathered, creating an updraft at the cliff's edge to slow descent. The line of undead guards jumped into the vortex one by one.
The descent speed was greatly reduced, allowing the undead ample time to react and land at the tomb entrance halfway down the cliff, leaping into the tomb. Such maneuvering was no issue for the agile crypt guards, let alone the lithe skeletal wolves and the corpse wights, who could naturally manipulate such magics. Norton followed as the last one.
—Yet in that instant, as the undying soldiers stepped forward into the tomb, mechanisms on both sides of the entrance were triggered. Though dormant for millennia, the quality of the ancient empire’s engineering remained admirable. Two streams of intensely hot, violet flames erupted, sweeping toward the undead soldiers!
"Defend," Norton uttered calmly, and the sixteen undead guards quickly shifted formation, faster than the flames. Four shield-bearing crypt guards raised enchanted black iron shields, glowing dark red, to block the flames, protecting the twelve undead behind. However, under the intense heat, the glow rapidly dimmed!
In this scenario, the six halberdiers and two archers were helpless. The skeletal wolves could do nothing, but the two corpse wights raised their staffs, casting a thin, transparent barrier over the sixteen undead. The flames spread across the entire barrier.
The previously dim passage burst into dazzling flames. For ordinary humans, their eyes would be overwhelmed, risking temporary blindness. However, Norton was unaffected. Being a vampire, he could see clearly without any light source.
In certain environments or during battles, Norton could activate his racial trait, Warding Sight, to negate visual or auditory interference. This ability allowed him to perceive the world's true nature and make better decisions.
Norton had enabled his Warding Sight before entering the passage. Through his blood-red glowing eyes, perceiving the world via magical fluctuations, his vision differed entirely from normal—waves, strange halos, and shifting points, lines, and surfaces formed exaggerated, distorted patterns, painting a phantasmagorical world.
For a novice, seeing such a world might induce disorientation and confusion, but Norton was accustomed to it. The twisted patterns translated seamlessly into a comprehensive understanding of the external situation.
The undead guards were still holding, but their efforts were failing. The wights’ ghostly flames dimmed, and their once pristine, ivory bones darkened with blotches and blemishes. Their staves, once gleaming, turned dull, akin to rotting wood.
"Humph..." Norton grunted softly, swiftly devising a solution. With a flick of his sleeves, two dining knives, pilfered from the dining hall, appeared in his hands. With synchronized flicks, the knives embedded into the tomb passage walls on either side.
A seasoned warrior witnessing such a feat would be astounded. The knives were silver, a soft and malleable material, lacking in hardness. The walls, made of solid bluestone, should resist penetration. Hurling silver knives to pierce stone slabs was beyond the skill of most elite knights!
In reality, Norton's move was impressive but not miraculous. As the blades sunk into the walls, a muffled explosion resounded from both sides. Energy stones within the hollow wall layers—powering the flame mechanisms—were detonated by Norton’s action. Deprived of magical support, the flames naturally receded.
—The walls weren't solid but hollow, allowing Norton to pierce them with silver knives easily.
"Passable, seventy-five percent," Norton rated himself mentally.