Chương 26: Don't Die, Zeph!

Ch 26 - Don't Die, Zeph!

Zeph stepped into the open clearing just as someone else walked over and stopped beside him. A girl with shoulder-length blonde hair. A few moments later, two more people followed, taking their places alongside them. The ground where they stood was slightly elevated, a rocky plateau that overlooked the forest stretching out before them. From there, they had a clear view of the woods ahead, including a distant section of the area beyond the trees.

Directly behind them was the entrance to a cave, which connected to a sloping path that descended through the hillside before leading back into another part of the forest. If the undead really charged toward this place, the narrow terrain would never be able to hold them in large numbers. That also meant if they chose to fight, they could use the landscape to their advantage, forcing or throwing the undead over the rocky slope below. Zeph could still choose to run.

But running away would not solve the problem they were facing. More importantly, Madou was already in a condition where he could no longer move at all. Their choices were painfully simple. Leave Madou behind and escape, or stand their ground and fight. Besides, running was almost a joke at this point. They were trapped inside this rift with no way out. In the end, their only choices were to die fighting... or die after being devoured by the rift itself. [Epic Grade Transformation Sigil: Night Cavalry Activated!] A dark mask materialized over Zeph's face. A heartbeat later, an oversized sword appeared before him. He wrapped his hand around its hilt while the tip of the massive blade rested against the ground.

"I hate this, Zeph. You lied to me. You said those undead would end up fighting each other, but now you're telling me they're hunting us instead. Damn it... this whole thing has been a disaster from the very beginning." The voice belonged to another member of their group. A man who looked to be in his late twenties. His head was completely shaved, and his thin frame made his battle gear look comically oversized, as though he had been swallowed by his own outfit.

"Well, Brann, do you have a better idea?" Zeph replied. Brann spat onto the ground.

"This is so damn ridiculous! Is it really too much to ask for a poor guy who just wants to make enough money, retire peacefully, and live a quiet life? Why do I have to keep dealing with monsters? This is complete bullshit!" He cursed as he walked forward.

"Sorry, Alicia... Looks like I'll have to see this hero's duty you were so proud of through to the end." He clenched his fists.

"I'll carry it to my grave." The back of his right hand suddenly glowed. A green sigil made of interlocking claw marks appeared. A moment later, it disappeared beneath the thick black fur that quickly spread over his arm and across the rest of his body. Within seconds, the man standing there was no longer fully human. His body swelled with muscle beneath the coarse black fur. His jaw stretched forward into a powerful muzzle lined with razor-sharp fangs. Both of his arms became massive, ending in long, hooked claws.

The oversized armor that had looked ridiculous on his human body now fit perfectly around his monstrous form, as though it had always been made for it.

"Well... at least I won't die running like a coward." The beast grinned, exposing rows of sharp teeth.

"Now... let's fight to the death."

"I don't think I have any other choice, do I?" another voice said, trembling with fear. It came from another member of their team. Koka, an oversized man whose body looked so heavy that even the smallest movement seemed like a struggle. A silver light burst from his body. A massive war hammer materialized beside him, its head nearly as large as his round belly before crashing heavily onto the ground.

"I never wanted to join this expedition in the first place. I didn't want to come. They kept telling me it'd be easy." His voice shook as though he was on the verge of tears.

"And the people who convinced me to come? They all died first and left me behind. Now I have to fight on my own."

"Killing undead will curse us. But if we don't kill them, they'll eat us instead. No... I don't want all this fat to end up as undead food." Zeph gave a small nod before turning to his right. Lena was already gripping her sword with her left hand.

"I'll fight too, Zeph," she said. Her voice was surprisingly firm, especially compared to the two men beside her. Zeph nodded. Then he turned back toward the forest. The trees ahead had already begun to shake. The undead were coming. Meanwhile, the Giant Undead Knight had slowed down considerably. Its enormous body was constantly caught between the trees, forcing it to push through the dense forest one step at a time. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

Everyone took their positions, standing exactly where they had planned. The sound of rapid footsteps grew louder as they rushed toward them. Branches shook violently, and leaves rustled across the forest. Everyone knew the battle had arrived. What kind of battle was this, anyway? A suicide mission? They had never trained to fight as a four-person team under conditions like these. In fact, this was the first time Zeph had fought alongside the other two men. Still, they had one advantage.

The cave entrance was narrow enough that, as long as they held their ground, the undead would be forced to funnel toward them. The ones in front would crash into those behind, making it easier for them to lose their footing and tumble down the rocky slope. The first wave of undead burst out of the trees. They moved far faster than the undead Zeph had encountered before, their bodies remaining unnaturally steady as they charged forward. Koka was the first to move.

He launched himself straight ahead, surprising even Zeph. Despite his massive body, the man literally shot forward, leaping almost as high as an average person. His hammer swung overhead before slamming into the ground. The impact sent a violent shockwave racing across the rocky ground just as the leading undead closed the distance. Brann charged in a heartbeat later, crashing into the undead from the left flank. Zeph did not hesitate either.

His oversized sword surged forward as though it had a will of its own, moving without the slightest hint of weight. Lena followed several steps behind him on his left, carefully keeping her distance to avoid being caught in the swings of the others' weapons.

"Go all out!" Zeph dashed forward and swung his sword in a wide horizontal slash. The impact was so heavy it felt as if his arms were about to break. Too many undead had collided with the blade at once. He gritted his teeth. A burst of dark energy flowed into his arms and legs, reinforcing his body. With a roar, he forced the sword forward, sending several undead flying backward and crashing into the ones behind them. Koka slammed his hammer into the ground again and again.

Each impact unleashed another shockwave that staggered the undead and slowed their advance. Brann immediately took advantage of the opening. His massive claws ripped through the nearest undead, crushing its skull before tearing into the next one.

"Destroy their heads!" Brann shouted.

"That's the fastest way to put them down!" They divided the battlefield between them, relentlessly attacking any undead that reached the cave entrance. Their goal was simple. Destroy each one before their numbers become too overwhelming to contain. Individually, the undead were not particularly powerful. Physically, they were only around the level of a normal Rank 1 Awakener. Their bodies were even more fragile, with bones that broke apart more easily than a living person's.

The real problem was what happened afterward. As long as their bones remained mostly intact, they could pull themselves back together and stand up again. Hammer strikes. Claws. Sword slashes. The battle continued without pause. As time passed, Zeph noticed Koka's hammer swings growing weaker. The shockwaves were losing their power, and each strike looked heavier than the last. Brann was no different. His attacks had become slower, and the force behind his claws was steadily fading. As for Zeph...

His fighting style was far too aggressive. He had cut down countless undead, but his body had paid the price. Fresh wounds and torn flesh covered him from head to toe. Blood streamed from dozens of cuts, enough that he could already feel himself losing too much of it. And this... This was not even the true boss of the rift. The Giant Undead Knight. Fuck it. He would deal with that monster when it reached them. If they could even survive that long.

The battle dragged on, and as time passed, the number of undead closing in only grew larger than before. There was no way they could outlast these endless waves of undead. There were simply too many of them. And Zeph... His heartbeat slammed violently against his chest the moment another heavy blow struck him, the pain spreading through every part of his body. A sword pierced his stomach. A spear sliced across his cheek. A club crashed into his shoulder.

Within seconds, his body reached its limit, and he suddenly found himself unable to move. A powerful shockwave erupted a second later from one of Koka's hammer strikes nearby. Zeph and every undead surrounding him were thrown away together by the overwhelming force of the impact. Zeph suddenly realized he had completely lost control of his body. He was sent flying helplessly through the air, unable to brace himself or even move a finger, until his stiff, lifeless body slammed hard against the ground moments later.

"Get Zeph inside! I'll hold them off. Heal him!"

"Fuck! Fuck! Why did you have to be the first one to die, Zeph? I hate you!" Zeph's vision became blurry again, everything fading out of focus. What was happening to him? Why couldn't he feel anything anymore?

"Zeph! Zeph, you're going to be okay!" He could clearly see Lena's face as she grabbed hold of him. And... What was this...? Everything felt so cold... Then something warm landed on his stiff cheek. A tear. He could no longer feel anything inside his body. Everything felt numb, as if it had already died.

"Your whole body is rotting. You're going to bleed out," Lena said, her voice trembling as she dragged him into the cave. By the time they made it back inside the cave, Lena had already lit a crystal lamp. Its soft glow pushed back the darkness, though all Zeph could feel was his consciousness slowly slipping away. He had gone through this countless times before. It would be fine. He would die... then come back to life. Everything would return to normal.

"Your body, Zeph..." Lena said. She choked back a sob before speaking again.

"Y-your whole body is rotting... I-I can't stop it... It keeps spreading... W-what do I do...?" His whole body was rotting? No way. But it would all heal the moment he died. That was the better option. Just let him go back outside. He could get himself killed easily. If he hadn't dodged earlier, his head would have already been rolling across the ground. Then another source of light appeared inside the cave. What was that? Something was glowing from Lena's face.

A golden pattern spread across her forehead like the branches of a sacred tree, stretching down along her temples before tracing delicate lines across both cheeks. It was Lena's sigil. She slowly brought both hands toward Zeph's chest. The golden light only grew brighter.... What was it again? He remembered something Madou had once told him about Lena's ability.

"Lena's sigil could be called a healing ability," Madou had said back then.

"Its real name is Lifeline. But in reality, it works by consuming her own resources to heal others. Most of the time, it uses mana. But if the cost becomes too great, it doesn't stop there."

"Isn't that normal? Healing abilities use mana, don't they?" Zeph had asked.

"Using mana is normal," Madou said, shaking his head.

"But that's not how Lena's ability works. Normally, mana is something your Mana Core naturally regenerates over time. Lena's Core Ability follows a completely different principle. It can convert almost any resource the user possesses into mana. Her life force. Her stamina. Her vitality. In the worst-case scenario... even her own lifespan."

"... That sounds really dangerous."

"Yeah." Madou let out a quiet sigh.

"It's a double-edged sword. The stronger the healing, the greater the price. If she's careless with it, she could save someone else's life at the cost of her own."

"Her Core Ability," Madou continued, "is called Tribute Core."