{Argus's POV}
Argus stood silently, his gaze fixed on the formation as if waiting for something to happen. At first, it seemed like nothing was changing, but his patience paid off. Soon, cracks began to form on the surface of the formation, growing wider as the energy that had been feeding it was now being drawn into the dungeon itself. The Mana that had powered the formation was slipping away, absorbed by the dungeon core.
But Argus remained calm. He noticed that, despite the breaking of the formation, the gate at its center had not disappeared. It lingered in the air, sustained by its own will. Instead of collapsing, the gate fought back, trying to pull the Mana toward itself, attempting to remain open by stealing energy from the dungeon core. Argus could only watch, knowing that there was little he could do to stop it at the moment.
Turning his attention away from the gate, Argus swiftly resumed his battle, cutting through the undead with his Scythe tearing through the waves of enemies.
Meanwhile, the bald man stared at the gate in shock. His mind struggled to process what was happening, and for a moment, he was at a loss. The gate he had summoned seemed to have a mind of its own, a hidden function that even he had not been aware of. Slowly, his confusion turned into a maniacal laugh.
"Zehahaha! You think you can easily destroy my gate! Even I didn't think this would happen."
A minute passed, and the bald man's manic grin widened as a new presence made itself known. The air around the battlefield grew heavier, and from the gate, another undead emerged. Unlike the lumbering Butcher Undead, this one was sleeker, faster, and far more menacing. Its form was that of a warrior, standing at least two meters tall, its bones covered in dark, jagged armor that clung tightly to its skeletal frame. Its aura pulsed with malevolent energy, radiating power that surpassed the Butcher Undead.
This warrior carried twin swords, both of which gleamed with a dull, eerie light. The blades were long, sharp, and well-maintained, a stark contrast to the typical crude weapons of the undead. Each sword was etched with runes, faintly glowing, and exuding a faint bloodlust that seemed to mirror the intent of their wielder. The warrior's movements were silent, almost graceful, as it stepped forward. Its hollow eye sockets burned with an unnatural blue flame, and its armor emitted a low, ominous hum with every step.
Unlike the Butcher Undead, which relied on raw strength, this new undead exuded an aura of precision and speed. Its posture was low, ready to strike like a coiled serpent. Without waiting for the bald man's command, the undead moved. In a flash, it dashed toward Argus, unleashing a blindingly swift twin slash. Each swing of its blades was smooth yet deadly, leaving arcs in the air that shimmered with lethal intent.
Argus caught sight of the incoming attack just in time. The warrior undead's speed was unlike anything he'd faced so far, and its twin swords aimed directly for his midsection and neck, seeking to end the fight in one swift strike.
The bald man laughed with twisted glee, his voice ringing out across the battlefield. "Zehahaha! Even the heavens want you dead! Summoning another Unique Undead right after you tried to destroy the gate. It looks like you're out of luck! Even with your overwhelming stats, facing two of them at once would still be difficult, right?!"
Argus, however, paid him no mind. His attention was locked on the new undead warrior, its swift and precise movements demanding his full focus. This one was undoubtedly more skilled than the previous warrior undead, its twin swords a blur of steel as it prepared to strike again. But despite its speed, Argus felt a deeper sense of unease regarding the Butcher Undead.
His eyes flicked to the hulking butcher in the distance, its oversized knife gleaming ominously as it loomed closer. There was something about that weapon—his instinct told Argus that even with his current power, being struck by that blade would end badly. The weight of the knife, its grotesque size, and the sheer malice it exuded sent a chill through him.
He trusted his intuition. Even if the new warrior was faster and more skilled, the butcher posed a different kind of danger, one that couldn't be underestimated.
Argus knew deep down that he had the power to finish off all the undead in front of him easily with Astrea's skill, but the problem was that he didn't know how to use it. He had never tried it even once, and this battle wasn't the place for experimentation. For the first time, he could feel the flow of Mana inside his body, yet the sensation was foreign. Without proper understanding, he couldn't fully harness it. His lack of experience with Mana control left him at a disadvantage.
He also remembered the Nebula Step skill, which had been engraved into his mind after using the skill book back at the waterfall. It was meant to be a powerful movement technique, but again, he hadn't been able to wield Mana without a core. He could try now, but attempting it without the right control would only waste valuable time.
Then there was Astrea's skill. Powerful, yes, but dangerous. Argus was skeptical about using it—one wrong move, one misstep, and it could cost him his life.
The only thing Argus could rely on now was his raw strength, pushing his stats to their absolute maximum. He had no choice but to engage in pure close combat, a method that was not only familiar to him but something he genuinely enjoyed. His muscles tensed, and his grip tightened on the scythe as he prepared to face the undead head-on, using nothing but his physical power and skill.
He was a close combat fighter at heart, and this was where he thrived. The thrill of battle, the weight of the scythe in his hands, and the sensation of his body moving through the fight—it was what he was best at. He didn't need fancy magic or powerful skills to face his enemies. This was what he liked. It was just him, his weapon, and the enemies in front of him.
The weight of the weapon now familiar in his hands as he prepared for the fight ahead. Facing two Unique Undead at once wasn't something to take lightly, but Argus wasn't intimidated. His gaze flicked between the Undead Warrior with the oversized dark knife and the newly arrived Twin Sword Wielding Undead that emerged from the gate.
The Undead Warrior swung its massive knife with terrifying force, aiming to cleave Argus in half. Argus dodged to the side, the blade missing him by inches as he retaliated with a sweeping strike of his scythe. The dark purple energy around the scythe pulsed as it cut through the air, aiming for the warrior's side. However, the Twin Sword Undead immediately closed the distance, intercepting the strike with one of its blades.
The clash of weapons sent a shockwave through the air. Argus quickly adjusted his stance, using the momentum to twist his scythe and hook the twin sword undead's blade, pulling it off-balance. The twin sword wielder stumbled slightly, but the undead warrior charged in again, swinging its oversized knife with brutal power.
Argus ducked, narrowly avoiding the blow, and spun on his heels. With a swift upward slash, he sent the twin sword undead reeling back. He followed up with a downward strike, aiming to split the undead in two, but the undead warrior was already charging again, its knife raised high.
Argus could handle both of them, but there were still cannon fodder undead surrounding him. He had no time to waste. Pivoting on his foot, he swung his scythe in a wide arc, the force of the strike cleaving through several of the lesser undead, sending their bodies flying like ragdolls and killing them.
The twin sword undead, recovering from its stumble, rushed in with a series of swift slashes, its blades moving like a blur. Argus expertly blocked each strike, his scythe moving fluidly as he deflected the blows. His eyes sharpened as he saw an opening, and with a powerful swing, he knocked the twin sword undead back, crashing it into a nearby pile of undead.
The oversized knife-wielding warrior wasn't far behind, but Argus was ready. Using the scythe like a hook, he caught the edge the knife and twisted, disarming the undead and sending its weapon flying through the air. Without hesitation, Argus followed up with a brutal kick to the undead's chest, sending it skidding back.
But even with the twin sword undead and the oversized knife wielder attacking relentlessly, Argus didn't forget his true goal. He was steadily cutting down the cannon fodder around them, clearing the path toward the cloaked figure. Each swing of his scythe sent more of the lesser undead flying, their bodies torn apart by the sheer force of his attacks.
Though the twin sword undead was faster and more skilled, and the oversized knife-wielder more powerful, Argus fought with a calm focus. His eyes locked on the cloaked figure in the distance, his true target. He wasn't rushing, but his every move edged him closer to the man behind it all.