Chapter 133: Withered Abominations and the Death Knight

  Medrosh gazed at the unknown beings surging from all dires, gradually surrounding them.

  He reized these monsters, havihem on the diary of a neancer.

  "Withered abominations, they're withered abominations!"

  "They are a pgue that spreads the iion of darkness. Drawing sustenance from the earth, they spread with the malevolent will of a evils."

  "In a forest ied by withered abominations, trees and pnts grow at an unnatural speed. Vines and undergrowth quickly overrun buildings and roads. Ohe withered abominations kill or drive away all the inhabitants, aire vilge vanish within days."

  Medrosh sshed a vine lunging from the darkness, cursing loudly:

  "Damn it, it's said that the first withered abominations were nurtured by the blood of a vampire, that old vampire had long been preparing for this!"

  Alger gripped his Ever-Burning Greatsword, thrusting it directly into the twisted limbs of one of the withered vine creatures.

  Fmes erupted along the bde, setting the creature abze in an instant. The monster shrieked, crumbling to ashes.

  Alger shouted a warning: "They're easily set on fire!"

  As these monsters, hidden in the darkness and lurking within the dense forest, revealed their true form, the pyers unleashed their full powers.

  Mantou stared at the vine creature that had attacked earlier, as information refreshed on his panel.

  [Withered Vine Monster]

  Challenge Level: 1 (200 XP)

  Mantou let out a deep breath, immediately filled with anger.

  "I thought it was something nasty, but it turns out to be just a small fry! How dare you scare yrandpa Mantou—die!"

  He rushed forward, sword in hand.

  The twisted monstrosity shook its vines, its voice trembling with fear: "It has caught me, don't leave me."

  "Help me!"

  The Withered Vine Monster is the only type of withered abomination capable of speech, able to utter fragmented sylbles in the voice of its deceased master, mog its victims.

  Seeing the monster's health bar, Mantou wasn't scared—instead, he felt deceived and his fury intensified.

  "Still trying to scare me?"

  "Die!"

  His longsword sshed through the brittle vines.

  The [Ring of Burning] on Mantou's hand glowed faintly, and searing fmes traveled down the bde, setting the dry, withered form alight.

  Mantou pulled the sword out, smirking:

  "Not even a challenge."

  Singo fired a fming arrow, taunting from the side: "Who was it just now, trembling in fear?"

  Summer Night Autumn Rain's golden eyes glinted with anger, and she parted her lips slightly.

  [Agannazar's Scorcher]

  "Boom!"

  A line of bzing fire surged forth, iing over ten withered abominations in its path.

  But this wasn't even the greatest damage dealer among the pyers.

  The leader of the Eternal Brilliance Guild, the Light Priest css pyer "Dawn Cherishes Dance," rushed into the dark forest, raising her maul high.

  [el Divinity: Dawn's Radiance]

  A boundless radiance emanated from the priest, tered around her.

  The surrounding darkness was pletely dispelled.

  Hundreds of withered abominations charging towards her were purified in the holy light, uo even scream before disiing into ashes.

  Iron Frenzy uffing on a cigar, iionally dramatic, as he tossed rune grenades.

  "Art—is explosion!"

  With each deafening bst, the creeping fmes spread, turning every withered abomination in his way to ash.

  The withered abominations hidden in darkness might be able to cim the lives of unsuspeg civilians or solitary adventurers, but against these pyers—den with strange abilities, and particurly fond of fire and explosions—they were helpless.

  After all, the a malevolent power never warhem how to deal with the Fourth Camity.

  The pyers carved a path through the rowth, soon emerging from the forest of death to face La Castle.

  The Dusklight Garden behind them was now filled with rolling smoke and dang fmes, scattered with the burnt remains of the withered abominations.

  A thin veil of blood seemed to hang over the sky.

  La Castle stood dipidated and decayed, seemingly ravaged by endless years. Built of bck stohe castle walls were riddled with cracks and covered in moss, stained with faded blood.

  The spires were enveloped in heavy clouds, radiating an aura of ess. Windows were barred with iron grates and sharp spikes, veying an oppressive sense of fi and threat.

  Shadows from the castle shrouded the surrounding nd in darkness, evoking fear and oppression.

  Medrosh looked up at the castle, mogly speaking to Alger beside him: "Did you really live in a pce like this?"

  "No wonder you ended up so twisted."

  Alger shook his head slightly: "No, it wasn't like this when I left."

  He looked at the castle's heavy gate, a grave expression on his face: "Maybe it's something the vampire duke did again, turning it into this state."

  A pierg screech came from the sky.

  Alger immediately became alert, shouting: "Watch out!"

  "This isn't just the wind!"

  Years of battle experieold him that the oning enemy would be anything but simple.

  The group sed their surroundings but saw no sign of an enemy.

  "The enemy is in the sky!"

  "Damn it!"

  In the gloomy sky, a massive skeletal eagle spread its wings.

  It had hers, only yellowed, forked wing borailing a ghostly green fme.

  Wind whistled through the gaps in the skeletal frame, creating an eerie wailing sound, like the m of spirits.

  And on the skeletal eagle's back was a skeletal knight in formidable armor. Beh the helmet, the eye sockets of the skull bzed with a vicious light, filled with boundless hatred for the living—a Death Knight!

  "Intruders!"

  "I will—kill you all!"

  The knight's raspy voice rang out as he dived towards the ground.

  Alger fixed his gaze on the skeletal eagle rider, muttering: "Old Ward..."

  Old Ward was Alger's instructor during his time as an Northwind Eagle Guard, the man who taught him everything.

  Ward Chris had once fought across the nds for La Duchy, achieving great feats on the back of his eagle. In the end, he only asked to serve as an instructor for the geion of Eagle Guards.

  Now, however, loyal Old Ward had taken Alger's pce, transformed into a Death Knight by the duke, cursed to ride the skeletal eagle and guard La Castle eternally, without sciousness, loyally serving the duke he once honored.

  "I will let you rest in peace."

  "Annoying old man."

  Alger couldn't help but grip his greatsword tightly, silently swearing to himself.

  FAL

  FAL