Within the shadowy depths of the cavern, a concealed extinguishing spirit suddenly emerged from the wall once more. It perched upon the head of a zombie, seemingly signaling something. Witnessing this, Lynn swiftly called out, and without hesitation, Eirich raised his holy symbol and aimed it at the zombie.
"In the name of the Sun!"
This dispelling was markedly different from the previous one. Eirich did not invoke the name of Lothandar, but rather proclaimed the name of the Sun. Lynn was not overly surprised; having witnessed Eirich eliminate a transformed vampire with a single strike the day before, he had anticipated that one of Eirich's domains was indeed that of the Sun.
A wielder of the Sun domain possesses the ability to transform their dispelling power into a potent force once per day, allowing them to convert what would ordinarily be a simple dispel into a devastating destructive effect. Given that vampires often possess considerable combat prowess, it would be quite challenging to fell one without such a powerful dispel. Eirich's previous strike had already revealed critical information about his abilities.
Lynn accurately deduced Eirich's domain, thereby guiding him to deliver this decisive blow.
The might of the Sun God manifested with overwhelming force. The seemingly ordinary zombie, upon hearing Lynn's invocation, attempted to transform into a bat and flee, but the formidable dispelling magic of the Sun struck down upon it. It had barely the time to emit a shriek before meeting its end. This transpired with such swiftness that the surrounding adventurers had yet to comprehend what had occurred before they beheld the zombies scattering in disarray.
Most of these zombies were merely driven by instinct to attack the living, yet a small fraction had been manipulated by the vampire. With the vampire's sudden demise, they lost their control, resulting in pandemonium.
For the adventurers, however, this was indeed fortuitous.
"Well done!" Lynn commended Eirich. "You had already discerned that I was manipulating that extinguishing spirit, hadn't you?"
"Actually, it was merely a guess," Eirich replied, shaking his head. "I am not well-versed in extinguishing spirits, but observing their behavior, it seemed they were not inclined to engage in direct combat. So, when I was injured by one, I surmised there was something amiss."
"Thus, you directed your dispel at the will-o'-the-wisps rather than the extinguishing spirit—not only to assist others but also to avoid disrupting my spell, correct?"
"You asked me to trust you, so I felt compelled to act accordingly. I did not wish to jeopardize your plan… In truth, it was your plan that ultimately saved us all."
Lynn shook his head; had it not been for Eirich's strength, he would have been unable to aid those present.
During the earlier combat, he had discreetly taken control of one of the extinguishing spirits. There were so many spirits present, and their individual strength was so feeble that no one noticed his subtle maneuvering. Afterward, it was the controlled spirit that injured Eirich, allowing for the restoration of his spells. However, Lynn's ambitions extended beyond this; the extinguishing spirits, being incorporeal, could traverse walls and move freely. Upon seizing control of one, Lynn envisioned using it to locate the hidden vampire.
Indeed, extinguishing spirits could accomplish this, as they were sentient undead. Under the command of necromancy, they possessed the capability to seek out an individual. Moreover, as a devotee of Orcus, Lynn was intimately familiar with undead beings, enabling him to easily command the spirit to obey his orders.
As for the daylight flare he had thrown… it was hardly an offensive measure. The flare posed no harm to the extinguishing spirit; it merely repelled it due to its aversion to light.
The vampire, in its attempt to ambush Eirich, had summoned far too many extinguishing spirits. Due to their overwhelming numbers, one had inadvertently attacked, a misstep that the vampire dismissed as insignificant, failing to recognize the potential threat. Underestimating this, the vampire sought to remain concealed among the horde of zombies to ambush the adventurers, unaware that Lynn had already deduced its presence.
After all, the prior day, his companions had demonstrated how to hide among adventurers and even within a bear herd. Given the vampires' proclivity for ambushing from the shadows, Lynn remained ever vigilant.
His calculations proved accurate, as the extinguishing spirit led him to the vampire. Eirich, having surmised Lynn's strategy, executed the killing blow in perfect harmony with him.
It must be said that, setting aside their differing allegiances, Eirich was truly a commendable ally. He possessed formidable strength, a keen intellect, unwavering resolve, and decisiveness—qualities that made him an excellent companion in all respects.
This was precisely why Lynn sought to restore his divine abilities: such a person deserved to be saved and subsequently utilized as a primary force against the vampires.
While he did not oppose the vampires' desire to eliminate Eirich, he preferred that such an outcome occur only in the final stages of their conflict. To slay Eirich at this juncture would be premature.
Thus, he opted to collaborate with Eirich—such cooperation would bolster Eirich's trust in him, a fortuitous development that could be further exploited.
With the vampire's death, all of its intricate schemes crumbled to dust. It was at that moment that the minecart rattled, signaling the arrival of reinforcements. Observing the adventurers engaged in fierce combat with the zombies, the reinforcements did not hesitate to join the fray.
In short order, the disorganized undead were vanquished by the adventurers. By the time the third group arrived, only a smattering of remnants remained, and they were dispatched with minimal effort.
The three groups merged, suffering only minor casualties—occasional adventurers afflicted by the putrid disease or nibbled by the will-o'-the-wisps, resulting in some loss of strength. However, these were trivial issues; having sustained no fatalities while successfully executing their separate advances and slaying a vampire, their success was substantial.
"Four vampires have now perished. According to rumors, there are fewer than ten in total. Does this not imply that we have already slain half of them? Victory seems to be at hand."
The adventurers' spirits lifted at this prospect. Although they recognized that there were significant differences in strength between the vampires that transformed into animals and those that were sixth-tier spellcasters, this did not diminish their current excitement.
After all, they needed a morale boost.
Having swiftly addressed the issues concerning their companions, the party resumed its collective movement. However, no sooner had they ventured forth than a tremendous crash erupted behind them. The stragglers immediately rushed back, pale-faced as they delivered the grim news.
"The minecart has been destroyed; our retreat has been cut off."
This revelation dealt a severe blow to their morale. It meant that if their battle turned unfavorable, they would have no escape route remaining. All present erupted in curses against the vile vampires, yet Lynn's mind raced with a singular thought.
Was this truly the doing of the vampires?