Read Novel Full Chapter 556: Encounter [1]
Chapter 556: Encounter [1]
Michael’s undead legion could be said to both lack and possess variety.
From goblins came hobgoblins, then orcs, then Goliaths, and finally titans.
Of course, there were no goblins in Michael’s legion.
Then there were the forest wolves, which evolved from forest wolf to verdant wolf, to redthorn wolf, and eventually to Venomthorn Ravager.
But like the goblins, no forest wolves remained.
There were also the monsters Michael had obtained during the demonic supernatural incident in Woodstone City: the black griffin, now Gale—who should have had siblings, if not for Michael’s infamous bad luck interfering with later undead summons; the rock scorpion, whose rare evolution form was the Rock-Steel Scorpion; and the long-armed monkey with pink skin.
Or the flame lions he acquired from the Land of Origin.
There was quite a lot of variation—and yet, in truth, none at all.
This was one of the reasons Michael was hesitant to raise more undead. On one hand, having more was an advantage. But at this stage, Michael did not want to expand his legion just for the sake of numbers.
What he wanted were specialized undead: ones that could fly in the air, swim in the sea, teleport, defend, attack, heal—cover every role if possible.
But that was easier said than done.
Still, what he had now was more than enough to deal with the approaching group of seven.
The seven youths waited, tense, until ten figures emerged from the distance.
Three were Rank 2 Rock-Steel Scorpions.
Seven were Goliaths—one of them a female water shaman.
The seven were shocked. But what truly froze their hearts was when they checked the levels of the undead.
Not a single one was below Level 30.
Without even exchanging words, the seven turned to flee.
But by then—it was already too late.
A mechanic voice rang out from everyone’s badge.
[Detected to be engaged in battle! Flight ability surpassed significantly!]
"Damn!" A succession of curses rang out.
It turned out the robes did more than record things and teleport them out of the examination field.
Unfortunately, what was done was done.
They could only continue.
The class division among the seven was quite balanced.
True to their reputation as a common class, two of the seven were Knights.
One of them was the spear-bearer himself, his aura just a shade heavier than the others. The amour on his robe also looked expensive.
Behind them, a slim figure carried a recurved bow etched with faint runes—an Archer. Beside her stood a wiry young man with twin curved blades strapped to his thighs, his steps light, his gaze sharp—the Hunter.
The last three bore the robes of casters. One—an Earth Mage. Another—a Fire Mage. The last—a Wind Mage.
It was a balanced party: frontline defenders, ranged offense, elemental support.
Then the undead arrived.
At Michael’s will, seven of them surged forward. Three others broke formation wide, circling to the flanks like wolves on the hunt.
The seven candidates stiffened.
"They’re... splitting us in," the monocled girl whispered, eyes darting between the circling shadows.
The spear-bearer’s jaw clenched.
Michael leaned back against the cold battlement of Castle 37, his gaze distant as he sifted through his tether.
A faint smile tugged his lips.
Rarely did he find proper competition.
But now he had seven.
Perfect.
Michael adjusted his telepathic threads, tightening the leash.
"Seven will move," he whispered into the void. "Three will close their escape. Let’s see how you fare."
The Rock-Steel Scorpions hissed, tails scraping against the stone. The Goliaths beat their chests once, low rumbles echoing like war drums. The female Goliath at human size raising her staff, water swirling around her in ribbons.
The seven Awakeners braced themselves.
Steel sang as blades left their scabbards. Mana flared, firelight sparking and wind currents coiling.
Michael, calm in his keep, narrowed his eyes in interest.
The clash erupted with a roar.
The spear-bearing Knight stepped forward first, his weapon leveled. Aura surged down the length of the shaft, hardening it like steel. He thrust in a clean line at the leading Goliath.
The impact rang like a bell, but the undead hardly flinched.
The creature’s gray skin rippled, then its massive hand swept sideways. The Knight was hurled back mid-air, and landed on his feet, coughing blood but not broken.
"Defense!" he barked, and the second Knight lunged in, shield raised high.
Flames ignited behind them. The Fire Mage thrust both palms forward, three blazing spheres streaking toward a Rock-Steel Scorpion. The blasts struck true, detonating against the creature’s armored carapace.
Smoke burst outward—only to clear and reveal the scorpion unharmed, plates shimmering with a faint metallic sheen. Its stinger lashed with terrifying speed.
The Archer loosed an arrow at the joint where tail met body, the runes on her bow flashing. The arrow struck clean—then bounced off as though hitting a wall. The scorpion’s claw snapped forward and clamped on her bow, yanking her violently from the sky.
She screamed, mana bursting instinctively to free her weapon, but another undead had already intercepted her path. One of the other Goliaths barreled in, muscles corded like steel, an axe sweeping up in a brutal arc. The Archer barely twisted aside, feeling the wind of the strike ruffle her hair.
The Hunter dove to cover her. Dual blades gleamed silver as he darted between the Goliath’s legs, carving a cross-slash across its thigh. Black ichor sprayed—but the orc didn’t falter. Its foot lifted and kicked with bone-breaking force, sending the Hunter sprawling. His blades scraped sparks as he skidded against stone.
Above, winds shrieked. The Wind Mage’s eyes glowed pale blue as he drew streams of air around him, blades of compressed current slicing toward the scorpions. The attacks hit, forcing them back half a step, dust exploding beneath their bulk. The mage smirked. "Too heavy, but they can still be pushed—"
The ground heaved. One of the Goliaths stomped, sending a shockwave tearing through the soil. The mage’s spell scattered, his body tumbling mid-air. Before he could stabilize, a clawed hand closed over his shoulder. Another Goliath slammed him into the earth hard enough to crater the ground.
The Earth Mage cried out and retaliated. Stone spikes erupted around the fallen Wind Mage, stabbing upward to force the orc back.