Chương 101: Chapter 100. Carve out a line

The chances of them succeeding grew thinner with every step Rayne and the warband took toward the core room. The first clash with the exploding undead and birds had cost them four lives. Four men burned or torn apart beyond what even potions could mend. More than a dozen others were injured—bruised ribs, fractured bones, scorched armor fused into skin. They had been forced to halt for nearly an hour, forming a defensive ring while the injured were given rest and the dead reduced to ash.

When they resumed their march, they moved slower. But the earlier monotony of the endless hallway was gone. Now, the undead came in waves. Every half an hour, another cluster would shamble around a bend. Sometimes dozens. Sometimes nearly fifty of them. They emerged from side cracks in the walls or simply waited ahead in tightly packed ranks. Fortunately, they knew how to handle them far better now. Casper began attacking as soon as they saw the undead, her spells focused on killing as many as she could.

She used large fireballs, rain of flaming arrows, and everything else to thin their numbers. Rayne helped as well. He used smaller, controlled [Death Strikes] to support Casper's spells before the undead reached the shield line. The archers also focused on hitting any undead that seemed to glow red first. And if any undead still managed to press closer, Varrick's [Force Shield] would stop them.

He constructed layered, broad barriers covering the front of their shield line, and most of the time, the undead would be dead before they could even strike the shield. The shambling undead themselves were no longer the main threat. Most of them exploded among their own ranks once struck, chain reactions tearing apart clusters. The true problem was the rotten, kamikaze birds, as Rayne now called them in his mind. They kept coming.

Shrieking flocks would appear from ahead, from alcoves, even from cracks in the ceiling. They swooped in unpredictable patterns, dodging arrows and twisting past smaller spells with unnatural agility. Even when Varrick's shield covered the front, it wasn't enough. The birds simply slammed into it and detonated. A few explosions were enough to crack the barrier, and the next ones easily punched holes straight through. Through those holes, they slipped in before the breaches could be sealed.

More than a few soldiers were injured because of that. They lost two more men when a bird exploded directly in front of a group repositioning to the rear. The shockwave flung them into the wall. One never stood back up; another lost an arm and died from blood loss before anyone could reach him. Rayne didn't know if it was his mind playing tricks on him, but he felt like the birds were getting faster. And that made them harder to deal with. Despite it all, though, they were advancing.

The mana density also kept rising with every turn of the corridor. He even saw a few soldiers shivering as they felt the mana pressure in the air. Most of it being death-aspected mana didn't help, since it made the air colder. But it also meant that they were close to the core room. Though one thing was painfully obvious. The necromancer's apprentice ahead knew they were coming. The timing of the attacks itself proved it. More than a few times, the kamikaze birds appeared during their short breaks.

Rayne suspected the birds were being used as scouts, and that meant there would be no element of surprise to their attack. It was going to be a straight confrontation. And if the apprentice had half a brain, the chamber ahead would already be layered with traps, alongside all the undead troops he or she might have. Soon, they received the news everyone had been both dreading and waiting for. The scouts returned all at once, led by Bran, who had a serious and grim expression on his face.

The rest of the scouts didn't look any better, some even a bit pale. The hallway grew quiet as they reached Captain Edran. Bran spoke at once.

"The corridor opens up ahead. It leads down stairs. Around twenty steps into a large chamber." He took a pause before saying, "We saw the apprentice necromancer waiting there." The words settled heavily over the warband, but Bran continued before anyone could say anything.

"There were no undead or monsters there. But they have to be hiding." As he finished, the tension in the hallway thickened instantly. Even the air felt colder. Rayne saw even Axel on his right take a sharp breath through his nose. Others tightened their grips on shields and spears without even realizing they were doing it. A few soldiers visibly went pale. Captain Edran didn't react outwardly.

"Describe him," he ordered calmly. Bran nodded.

"Young. Around twenty, if I had to guess. He's wearing a robe, but there's protective armor underneath. I caught the glint of metal when he shifted. Gloves on both hands, but no staff like the master necromancer we passed by."

"He also saw us," another scout from behind added.

"But he didn't move." After hearing everything, Captain Edran turned to face the rest of the warband.

"Rest for ten minutes," he said evenly.

"Then we enter the chamber." He let his gaze sweep over them all.

"Check your gear, check your potions, and make your prayers." No one argued. The soldiers moved to sit along the walls, backs against cold stone. Some closed their eyes. Others began tightening straps, sharpening blades, and adjusting shields. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Bran rejoined Rayne and the others. Nate leaned toward him immediately.

"Does he look scary?" He snorted softly.

"No. He's a kid. As old as you all." That didn't make Nate look relieved. Bran's tone shifted slightly.

"But necromancers don't have to be strong. Their armies need to be." His eyes moved over the group, lingering for a second on Rayne.

"Check your gear and potions," he repeated quietly.

"The next battle will be the last." Everyone obeyed without complaint. There was no grumbling or hesitation. Ten minutes meant ten minutes, and if that was all they had before stepping into the final chamber, they would use it properly. Rayne took a breath and began checking his gear. He tightened the straps on his shield, adjusted the grip on his sword, and made sure the buckles on his armor were secure.

His shoulder still ached faintly and he had a lot of small bruises all over his body that [Lesser Regeneration] was taking too much time to heal, so he uncorked a potion and took a controlled sip, just enough to push himself back to full strength. Warmth spread through his chest immediately and he smiled faintly. But when he looked at his party, he saw all of them were far more nervous than he expected them to be. Nate was staring at the stone floor. Kesh was fidgeting with his shield more than necessary.

Heins had his eyes closed, muttering a long prayer with fear on his face, and John quietly sipped water. Rayne understood why they were acting like this. They had all seen the master necromancer and his army. The apprentice shouldn't be as dangerous, but he would be more dangerous than anything else they had faced until now. They had fought one of the other apprentices before, but she hadn't expected them. She wasn't prepared as this one would be. Rayne exhaled slowly.

He didn't want to step into that chamber without saying something. So he muttered slowly, "I'm proud of you all." Every head turned toward him. He held their gazes and continued, "You've fought as a party that had each other's backs. You treated me right at every turn. I couldn't be more proud that I'm going to be fighting with you all." Nate snorted immediately.

"You're saying it like we're all about to die." A faint smile tugged at Rayne's lips.

"We thought the same before every major battle over the past few months. And we came out alive each time." He looked at each of them one by one.

"And we'll come out alive from this one too." He paused, then added with a grin, "Besides, you all can afford to lose a limb or two. I still have that rare-grade health potion I got from Selene. It should keep you breathing." John blinked in surprise.

"You'd use that on us?" Rayne shrugged lightly.

"Can't be a party leader without a party, right?" For a second, there was silence. Then Kesh huffed a laugh and the others soon joined. Even Bran looked a little more at ease. Nate suddenly stood.

"Yeah. We've fought worse and survived. This won't be any different." He looked down the hallway toward where the chamber waited.

"Let's finish this, get out of this godforsaken place, and hit the best tavern in the nearest city. We'll drink until we pass out." That earned a few chuckles. The heaviness in the air around them eased, and Rayne felt some of the morale returning. When he glanced around, he saw similar scenes playing out among other squads. Squad leaders talked to their squads and made sure they were ready to fight their final battle.

Even Axel and Hobbs moved through the men, clasping shoulders and making sure everyone would give their best. Then Captain Edran clapped his hands once and rose to his feet. The sound paused all conversations.

"We're moving," he said firmly.

"I won't say much. You all know what to do. And you've done it better than my expectations." He gave a small smile.

"Let's make our ancestors proud, men!" At once, cheers rose and a few soldiers let out cries of victory. Edran nodded once, then looked toward Rayne and gestured for him to step forward. Rayne moved forward at once. He stopped at Captain Edran's side and met Casper's gaze first. She gave him a firm nod. Then he looked at Varrick standing on the other side, who seemed more relaxed than he had expected. He focused back on the captain.

"The squad leaders already know what to do," Edran said calmly.

"Varrick and I will lead the charge against the worst of the necromancer's army. Casper will remain at the back, raining down spells." He paused, then looked directly at Rayne.

"While that happens, I need you to do something else." Rayne understood immediately.

"Go after the apprentice," he said. Captain Edran nodded.

"Yes. You have the strength to do so. Necromancers are physically weak. If your party can carve a path to him and kill him, the battle ends faster." Varrick added from the side, "Same strategy as the last apprentice. Break debris down again if you want and simply crush his head." Rayne nodded once, looking straight at the captain.

"I won't disappoint you."

"I know you won't," Edran replied. Then he glanced back at the gathered warband. The men were already rising to their feet.

"Get into position," he ordered.

"We march." Another cheer rose, louder this time. Within a minute, the formation reassembled. Axel and Rancour's sword made up the first rank, with archers and Casper at the rear. Rayne and his party positioned themselves along the flank as they began moving. The ten-minute walk to the stairs felt longer than the previous hours of fighting. As they marched, Rayne leaned toward his party and explained what they needed to do in a low whisper. All of them nodded, and Rayne saw the grips on their weapons grow tighter.

But he knew they could pull it off. Soon, the corridor opened up. The stairs Bran had described appeared before them—twenty wide stone steps descending into a massive, vast chamber. Rayne gazed upon it as they paused. The chamber stood mostly barren, with a stone floor stretching wide and faint cracks running through it. The ceiling arched high above, shadows pooling in the corners. Along the walls stood numerous doors. Some were slightly ajar. Others were shut tight.

One of them, Rayne suspected, led to the dungeon core. But his eyes never lingered there. At the very center of the chamber sat a throne, and on it sat the apprentice necromancer. He was young, barely out of his teens, with a sharp face and sunken eyes. He wore a dark robe, probably an artifact of sorts, and a sword rested to his right. Even with the warband appearing, he didn't seem to react much. But then his eyes gleamed with interest as Captain Edran took a step down, and he stood.

"Good," the apprentice said, his voice echoing lightly in the chamber.

"I was waiting for you all since I saw your scouts earlier." He stretched his arms slightly.

"I was getting bored just sitting here while master had all the fun." Captain Edran growled, stepping forward.

"Shut up, foul necromancer. We will end you and this dungeon today." The apprentice only grinned. He brought his fingers together and clicked them softly.

"Why don't you try?" The next second, the chamber trembled. Several of the doors along the walls shook violently, then burst open. Undead and other foul creatures poured out immediately. Dozens at first, then hundreds. They flooded into the chamber from every direction, filling the empty space with rotting flesh and glowing eyes. The final battle began just like that.

A/N: Reached Chapter 100. Thank you everyone. Also reached Chapter 150 on patreon and will be starting on another book soon since I got a great idea. Hope you all like that one too. Monarch will continue as usual unless I'm sick. Read 50 chapters ahead Join the discord server HERE.