Chereads / Across the Ages: The Mercenary's Dance with Destiny / Chapter 23 - Chapter 23: The Dungeon's Third Altar

Chapter 23 - Chapter 23: The Dungeon's Third Altar

The entrance led to a descending staircase.

Beyond the staircase, the scene transformed abruptly. The once-pitch-black cavern became orderly, flanked by towering red walls. Every 10 meters, a red light hung at a height of two people, resembling a grand underground fortress.

The vast dungeon could only be described as magnificent. The path was several meters wide, illuminated by flickering lights. High on the walls, large murals depicted the Hamis hunting and battling.

As they proceeded, each intersection was adorned with grand ornate lighting. If it weren't for the bloodshed in the upper two levels, this place could easily be mistaken for a royal garden.

The old dwarf cautiously moved forward, guided by instinct. As they advanced, Nuo cast several beneficial holy spells on Locke.

First, he used a Blessing Spell, praying to the Earth God to enhance the recipient's combat strength and protection.

"In the holy name of Kaiya, the Earth God, bestow blessings upon the deity's followers."

A blue light gently rose from the ground, enveloping Locke in a shimmering glow.

Next was the Strength Spell, invaluable for combat-oriented dwarves or warriors. This minor enhancement not only increased their load capacity but also bolstered their strength in battle. Nuo raised his hands high: "God of War, imbue your warrior with your divine power."

Unexpectedly, a novice cleric like Nuo could cast "Heroism," a high-level spell rumored to be used only by advanced sages. Clearly, Nuo possessed power beyond his level. "Oh sacred spirit, grant your warrior the courage of a hero." A sudden bolt of lightning struck Locke, amplifying his aura with divine force, elevating his spirit to fight wholeheartedly for justice. This spell, which focuses the recipient's mind, can instantly unleash their potential and cause unimaginable destruction.

Blue, red, and gold magical auras surrounded Locke. Under the blessing's glow, ordinary evil attacks were hindered, and even old Locke was surprised by the protective spells, which greatly quickened their pace.

The group continued slowly, the winding path nearing its end. Suddenly, mystical music echoed through the dungeon, loud and grand. At that moment, the scenery changed dramatically once more. As they rounded a massive stone screen, a giant atrium appeared, with a grand altar at its center. A platform rose in the middle of the altar, where fierce flames burned.

In front of the flames, rows of people knelt, dressed uniformly in white, wearing white cloaks, as if engaged in some altar ritual.

Below them lay a large black hexagonal barrier diagram.

The explorers cast puzzled glances.

A Feng and Locke exchanged a look, and A Feng ascended the altar steps, his gentle voice resonating from its center: "Hello everyone, we are explorers from afar."

Before A Feng could finish, all the kneeling figures on the altar stood up. The person at the highest point turned suddenly—a cloaked skeleton with a white skull under the hood, hollow black eye sockets, and a massive bone structure.

"Complete the master's task," the skeleton's jaw clacked, emitting a harsh sound.

Everyone turned around—every single one of them was a skeleton, without exception. Several skeletons drew bows and arrows from their backs, and with a hiss, arrows rained down on the adventurers.

The sudden attack caught everyone off guard, eliciting screams from the adventurers. Several fell from their mounts. Just as they prepared to retaliate, the arrow rain ceased mysteriously. To their surprise, all those struck were Snow Wolf Knights—Land took arrows to the shoulders and head; Hessla and As were riddled with arrows.

A bizarre howl echoed among the altar's skeletons. Three Snow Wolves hesitated momentarily before leaping onto the grand altar. Three skeletons approached, one hand pressing on a Snow Wolf's head, the other suddenly plunging into its skull, lifting the entire cranium. The Snow Wolf whimpered twice before collapsing. The skeletons scooped out the steaming brain matter, jubilantly leaping to the center of the massive barrier. A black whirlwind flashed, and the skeletons vanished within the barrier.

As the group stared in wonder at the barrier's structure, old Locke shouted, "Land—," charging onto the altar with his massive battle axe.

A Feng drew the great sword from his back, a flash of white lightning streaking across the altar—"Attack!" The adventurers surged forward, wielding swords, axes, bows, spears, lightning, and flames, charging into the skeleton horde.

Another volley of arrows erupted from the skeletons, striking several adventurers. One mage fell, and before a second volley could be released, a massive earth dragon crashed into the skeletons, its 4-meter-long knight's battle axe sweeping away two skeleton archers in an instant. Emi, A Feng, Daqingshan, and Qianlixue, along with a few other swordsmen, followed closely behind, rushing into the skeletons, joined by several berserkers.

Though soulless like zombies, skeletons moved much faster, rivaling even swordsmen in speed. Discarding their bows, they drew white Hamis warrior blades, their tips flickering in the firelight, slashing at the adventurers like lightning.

A Feng's sword met no resistance, knocking aside an incoming blade and driving straight into a skeleton's chest. To prevent further action, he vibrated the sword at high speed within a small range, unleashing immense destructive power, reducing the skeleton to powder that scattered in the air. With one skeleton down, A Feng stepped forward, swiftly dismantling another.

Qianlixue's sword, while deflecting a blade, suddenly burst with silver lightning, paralyzing the sword-wielding skeleton. The sword then unleashed countless lights, striking the skeleton and toppling it. Before he could finish, a berserker's battle axe crashed onto the skeleton, smashing its chest into bone dust.

"Ice Blade!" Emi shouted, unleashing a torrent of ice shards that not only shredded the skeleton's cloak but also impaled a nearby skeleton. Daqingshan, with a heavy battle shield, rammed into the skeleton, his sword etching a cross mark on its body as it fell.

The adventurers outnumbered the skeletons, and with mages consistently casting immobilizing spells, the skeletons were quickly destroyed. When the last skeleton was reduced to powder by old Locke's axe, the battle ended.

However, trouble arose. Four arrows from the first volley had struck two berserkers, who had gone berserk in the previous battle. Their bodies expanded by 30%, and the arrows embedded in them had broken during combat, leaving gaping wounds that gushed blood. The war's fury was vividly displayed on the berserkers, who continued to hack at the skeleton remains and churn the flames with their axes.

Even other berserkers struggled to calm the berserk state—Dru, atop the earth dragon, wrung his hands anxiously. "Brother, brother, the battle's over, stop fighting."

All the adventurers sought to avoid their axes. After a frenzied rampage, the two berserkers rushed onto the black hexagonal barrier, vanishing in a black storm.

Everyone's expressions turned grave—what lay beyond the barrier was unknown to anyone.

In a rush, Dru and his other brother exchanged a quick word with A Feng and also stepped onto the hexagonal barrier, disappearing in a flash.

The remaining adventurers gathered, the toll of battle painfully apparent: all three Snow Wolf Knights were dead, a mage named Keke fell in the arrow storm, a swordsman lost his life in the earlier skirmish, and two berserkers had gone berserk. Nuo, having been of little use during the battle, busied himself healing the wounded. To expedite recovery, he cast a large-scale life restoration spell—murmuring softly, "Goddess of Mercy, Dainia, bathe your followers in your loving moonlight," as gentle silvery-white light from the sky enveloped everything in a snowy glow. Minor wounds on the adventurers healed swiftly.

How much farther the path would stretch remained unknown—half of the warriors had already fallen. A Feng and old Locke conferred briefly, dispatching a Purple Heart Swordsman to report their progress to the Mercenary Guild at the Treehouse Tavern, armed with some protective magic scrolls. The rest, one by one, stepped onto the hexagonal magical barrier.