For a cleric, their divine spells and dispelling abilities are their most formidable assets in combating the undead. With Eirich deprived of these vital tools, the situation had grown precarious. However, he did not succumb to panic; though he retreated cautiously among his companions, his expression remained steadfast.
"I may no longer wield divine spells, but the magical augmentations upon me remain intact. Even without spells, I am still a competent warrior."
Eirich's words served to bolster the spirits of his comrades, especially as, upon his retreat, a new horde of rat corpses and will-o'-the-wisps surged forth from the tunnel. The vampires opposite seemed particularly fond of utilizing these reusable undead, deliberately leaving one tunnel open, as if seeking to force the adventurers to flee through it.
The path to safety lay before them, but the adventurers were no fools; they understood that the exit could very well be a trap. Should they escape, they would be cut off from potential reinforcements. With only a single mage and a cleric stripped of divine magic, their endurance would soon wane. Thus, they resolved to find a vantage point near the minecart, standing atop a mound of earth, wielding holy water to fend off the relentless undead.
They awaited reinforcements, believing that once aid arrived, their fortunes would change.
Yet the sheer number of rats proved daunting. Though their offensive capabilities were negligible, the diseases and negative energies they carried remained a grave threat. While the rats found it difficult to breach the adventurers' defenses, causing trouble and potential casualties was all too feasible.
Moreover, lurking in the shadows were the elusive vampires and the enigmatic extinguishing spirits—there were undoubtedly other strategies at play, and lingering could very well lead to further traps.
In this moment, a solution was imperative.
As the sole spellcaster, Lynn found himself the focus of attention. He raised his gaze to assess the distance to the extinguishing spirits, then turned to Eirich beside him.
"Do you trust me?"
Lynn's seemingly casual inquiry caught Eirich off guard, yet he nodded without hesitation. "Of course I do."
"Then I must apologize in advance."
Suddenly, Lynn forcefully shoved Eirich from behind. Standing on the slope, Eirich lost his balance and stumbled forward, inadvertently landing right before the extinguishing spirits. Caught off guard, the spirits attempted to evade him, but one of them unaccountably reached out and grasped Eirich.
"Curse you!" It was not Eirich who exclaimed, but the vampire lurking deeper within the mine. As the spirit's grasp made contact, Eirich, though unsteady, raised his holy symbol.
"Lothandar!"
Once more, a surge of sacred power was unleashed, directing his attack against the will-o'-the-wisps. The ghostly rats retreated like a receding tide. In that pivotal moment, Eirich prioritized the safety of his companions over his own, exposing himself to the onslaught of the undead.
Still threatened by the extinguishing spirits, Lynn hastily threw a daylight flare against the cavern wall.
Light cascaded down, illuminating the entire cave. The extinguishing spirits shrank back, retreating into the walls.
Such was the nature of extinguishing spirits: while their abilities were indeed unique, they bore numerous limitations. They could not attack targets that had been severed from their divine connections; initiating an assault would restore the targets' divine magic. Furthermore, they were exceedingly averse to light—even the modest illumination from the daylight spell was sufficient to drive them away.
With the extinguishing spirits dispersed, Eirich was finally freed from their influence. The adventurers continued to hurl holy water at the retreating will-o'-the-wisps, determined to vanquish them entirely. Eirich, however, cast a glance at Lynn.
"You knew daylight would affect these creatures, didn't you? Why not simply use the flare to drive them away?"
"The spirits would flee, but how would your divine magic be restored?" Lynn quickly replied. "Losing a cleric severely diminishes our fighting capacity; your spells and dispelling abilities are invaluable to us."
"That is a valid point." Eirich nodded in agreement, though he added, "Just don't do that again—I'm not so fearless."
The two stood together, calmly conversing. They showed no urgency to attack, for the minecart was approaching, and reinforcements would soon arrive. The vampires opposite grew increasingly agitated, and upon observing the adventurers' inaction, the vampires could not refrain from making their move once more.
The cavern reverberated with the sound of shuffling feet. A throng of zombies emerged from the tunnel, closing in on the small group. These creatures were unlike the previous rat corpses—though weaker, they were significantly more resilient, making their complete dispersal a considerable challenge.
The minecart approached at a commendable speed; the vampires' plan to ambush with extinguishing spirits had failed, and it was unlikely they could prevent the two groups from converging. In a fit of desperation, the vampire resorted to the most straightforward approach: sheer brute force.
This tactic could prove effective; if the adventurers were unwilling to pay the price, they would struggle to endure. Especially after the earlier depletion of resources from the rat swarm, their options were limited.
"We're running low on holy water; it seems we can only fight our way through." Eirich assessed their dwindling supplies and hefted his mace. "Reinforcements are nearly here; we just need to hold on a little longer!"
With that, the cleric charged forward, swinging his mace to smash the skull of the foremost zombie. Encouraged by his bravery, the other adventurers followed suit, and the zombies fell in droves, seemingly unable to mount a defense.
Meanwhile, Lynn remained at the rear, unconvinced that the vampires would resort solely to zombies to resolve their predicament. Relying purely on numbers would hardly be sufficient to overcome the adventurers. Indeed, as the zombies closed in, a foul stench wafted through the air. This odor was more than mere decay; Lynn quickly recognized the source of the problem.
"There's a putrid zombie among them—they're spreading disease!"
Putrid zombies were another form of undead, notorious for their reeking corruption. Approaching them risked exposure to their noxious fumes, and their attacks could propagate disease.
Moreover, the emergence of putrid zombies indicated that their adversaries possessed more than just a penchant for rats. The world of the undead harbored a multitude of aberrations, and it was impossible to ascertain what other peculiarities their foes might possess.
"There are hidden undead among the zombies; we must exercise caution!" Lynn shouted, prompting several adventurers to slightly tighten their formation. Uncertainty breeds fear, and they were all too aware that the zombies could harbor unknown threats.
From the shadows, a sinister chuckle escaped the lips of the vampires, and at that moment, Lynn's eyes suddenly glimmered with determination.
"I've found you!"