Ascenders Rift

Chapter 118: Fighting Against the Corrupt Skeleton Generals!

Within a deeper area of Tusalon's Dark Palace, Rick was currently fighting a fierce battle against three Corrupt Skeleton Generals. The battle was one in which any mistake could easily end his life, for though Rick was exceedingly fast, when compared to the enemy's physical strength, he was still vastly inferior. Even with the additional power boost from using his Battle Energy, he was a far cry from matching them in direct combat.

Boom! Shocking explosions rang out as Rick's spear danced about leaving a myriad of remnant shades, sending rays upon rays of his Holy Spear Light attack towards his foes. His body moving like flashes of lights that appeared all over the room. Despite Rick's attacks being of a holy nature, the Corrupt Skeleton Generals ward each of them off by raising their shields and conjuring a dark barrier of death energies before them.

Though these Corrupt Skeleton Generals were also of the undead, it didn't mean that their speed was slow either, as the moment they blocked his attack, they each followed up with an onslaught of their own, shifting from side to side like blurry shades as their eyes shone in orange lights.

Shing! With a slash of each of their swords, a dark slash wave of a few meters cut towards Rick from three different angles, seeming to be unavoidable. However, as if Rick didn't need to move, his body remained in place.

Swish-Swish-Swish!

The slash attacks only needed an instant to cut through his body before crashing into the walls and the ground leaving behind deep scars. Though it seemed like it was the end, the figure of Rick soon after faded as it was merely an after image.

Suddenly, Rick had appeared a few meters behind these monsters, as his feet touched the ground he spun his spear before gripping it in combat stance once more as he stared at them with a dark look on his face, his forehead filled with sweat as he cursed in his mind.

'Just my luck, why did I have to get sent to where three of these guys are? To think there would still be so many of them in the castle despite the patrol, 'As Rick thought to here, he couldn't help but grip his fists tightly as it was only now the Corrupt Skeleton Generals turned to look at him with their orange flames glowing in their eye sockets; it seemed that they already knew where he went and was only assessing the situation.

'It doesn't seem as if they lack intellect either, my only advantage against them is my speed. If I can find a way to hit a vital point before they use that Knight's Guard, then I might be able to beat them. But, even that is going to prove difficult as I don't have the power to break their defense,' Rick thought as he stared at the sinister Corrupt Skeleton Generals that had now begun to arrange themselves in a triangular battle formation.

They raised their shields before them and raised their swords above their heads, pointed their edges towards him as they began to glow in black lights. Quickly, the Corrupt Skeleton Generals began to unleash a flurry of Death Slashes towards Rick's location, their released energies forming a net of sword slashes that had covered the entire room.

"Shit, I can't afford to get hit by any of this!" Rick said as his eyes shrunk when he saw this, he prepared to use his second step to dodge.

However, right at this moment, a series of golden arrows appeared crashing into the slash waves as it broke them apart easily. With a screeching sound, these arrows that still had ample power left over bolted towards the three undead in an unstoppable fashion.

Yet, as if these Corrupt Skeleton Generals knew that arrows were far more powerful than each of them separately. They raised shields glowed as a dark barrier formed over each of them; it then expanded merging as one complete barrier.

Bang! A series of booms resounded in this wide palace room, as the pure golden lights had enveloped one section, only for an instant before fading away. As this happened, the Corrupt Skeleton Generals were revealed with slight cracks on the merged barrier, that was growing dimmer by the second.

Rick looked at this in surprise, but as he turned to the side, he noticed that the beautiful blond-haired Emilia had arrived with her golden bow shining brightly. Her face had a tinge of sweat rolling down her cheeks as she looked at the monsters with a solemn look, far from her normal sweet and gentle nature.

Rick narrowed his eyes as he thought, "She's different somehow..."

As Emilia saw Rick was looking at her, she smiled and spoke, "Rick, let's take them down together, we still have to go find my brother and everyone."

Rick, hearing this subconsciously, nodded and replied, "Hmm, right, let's do it. Their speeds are a bit troublesome, so I'll step in to constrain them, you take any chance you can get to find their vitals and fire and arrow there. I'll do my best to hinder them from using that Knight Shield Skill."

"Right," Emilia replied with a determined look on her face.

Rick didn't want to waste any more time; he brandished his spear, preparing to attack the moment the withering Knight's Guard Barrier had faded entirely.

The eyes of the Corrupt Skeleton Generals also shone as their swords once more lit up with Death Energy; it seemed that they knew what was going to happened next.

While Rick awaited the critical moment, it was only now he realized something; he glanced at Emilia through the corner of his eyes as he pondered, 'Did she ever call me Rick before? When did she start to address me so directly? It also seemed to have a kind of dominant tone maybe that was just my hallucination...'

Though Rick was thinking, he didn't dare to take his eyes from the Corrupt Skeleton Generals for too long as he didn't want them to make any sudden changes. The instant the barrier faded, his body flashed as he darted towards them like a blurred ray of white light with his spear pushing forwards at alarming speeds.

"Holy Spear Light!" Rick yelled, not using the offensive aspect of his skill but rather focusing on the attribute; a bright holy light blinded everything in front of him, washing the Corrupt Skeleton Generals with its dazzling radiance.

While the Corrupt Skeleton Generals were not weak undead, they were still somewhat affected by it as chunks of black smoke rose off their bodies. Still, it didn't hinder them from replying with a myriad of endless Death Slashes once again, as they rapidly swung their swords, sending countless black sword rays towards all directions.

Rick's eyes shrunk at this, he quickly used his Second Step talent, boosting his speed as he narrowly dodged the attacks that swept towards him from all angles. While doing this, the Corrupt Skeleton Generals other arms were also channeling energies into their shields, preparing to conjure another Knight's Guard Spell to counter the unexpected.

Yet, as all of this was happening, far behind these white lights. Emilia, who fully knocked her bow, causing her arrows to glow in even more brilliant golden lights, made a strange smile.

It was a look that was far different from the typical innocent Emilia, as her eyes were trained onto Rick's figure as she whispered to herself, "What will be mine is mine... nothing will take it, not even these creatures..."

Following her odd sequence of words, Emilia released the bowstring as the clusters of arrows shot towards the dark slash waves that scattered about the area. These arrows bolted forwards like beams of golden lights that passed through the slash waves once again with even more ease. Their speed was several times faster than the previous volley.

The Corrupt Skeleton Generals had already anticipated this, they quickly activated the Knight's Guard Spell once more, protecting themselves separately from one direction with a dark barrier in the shape of a larger shield. However, before these barriers could merge into one full larger barrier, it was already too late.

Emilia's eyes now glowed as the world darkened showing a shining orange light in each of the Corrupt Skeleton General's chest. Her arrows then did the unthinkable as they swept across the shields lifted before them, and made sharp turns impaling each of them at the central light source.

With a series of explosive sounds, the chests of the Corrupt Skeleton Generals blew open to bits, as the arrows smashed into their cores. As this happened, the lights in their eyes dimmed. Soon, a wave of experience points flowed into the bodies of Emilia and Rick confirming their deaths; a few shining items then appeared on the ground.

Swish! With a flicker, Rick had suddenly appeared on the ground, his face slightly pale as he was panting for breath due to exceeding his limit to dodge their all-out attacks with Death Slashes.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead and turned to Emilia as he spoke, "Are you alright, Em...?"

Rick was about to say something, but his eyes opened wide when he saw Emilia lying down on the ground.

"Emilia!" Rick shouted due to his shock as he flashed and appeared towards her side in a few seconds, he grasped her from the floor gently as he checked her condition, but other than fatigue, he didn't know why she would faint as there were no visible wounds on her body.

"What's going on? Is this because of using too much Spiritual Power?" Rick said as he looked at her innocent and beautiful face, which had slightly knitted brows.

"It can't be helped; I'll have to carry her..." As Rick said this, he lifted her in a princess hold and walked over towards the loot.

While walking, he didn't notice, but Emilia's lips curved into a sneaky smile as she slightly opened her blue eyes and stared at him while thinking, "Sister Breya was right, the first path to ownership was skinship. I must train him to hold me more..."

Unaware of the innocent soul that was veering off on the wrong path, Rick had ventured to his quest for picking loot. However, in a distant section of this palace was a region shrouded by holy purple lights, as an odd scene was currently occurring.