Desperation clawed at Myron's chest. There was only one thing left to do.
"O Darkness that fills the air, O Undead that thirst for blood, I call upon you in the name of the Demons! Arise, children of the Shadows!"
He thrust his Obsidian Staff into the ground, summoning forth the monsters that inhabited the Fourth Level of the Black Rock Spire. It was a crude spell compared to his ritual, one that drained his strength severely, and it would take him over a year to recover from the loss of energy.
But what choice did he have? There was no other way.
Why was his luck so damn miserable today? To fall here, to die to this insignificant Knight; it was unthinkable.
He was Myron, the Dark Sorcerer, the one whose name struck fear into kingdoms. To perish here, at the hands of a no-name adventurer, would be a disgrace beyond words. Even in death, even cast into the sacred abyss, his spirit would never find peace.
It was already too late. Just as Marcus raised his sword to strike, the Dark Sorcerer completed his incantation. A thin black mist spread across the Fourth Level of the Black Rock Spire, coiling and thickening until two figures emerged from the haze.
The first creature looked somewhat like a pig; an ugly, distorted version of one. It had a bloated body, a short, twitching tail, and a snout that snorted steam. But what stood out most were the jagged Bone Spikes running down its spine, gleaming pale under the faint light.
Trailing behind the creature was another figure, tall and motionless, wrapped head to toe in black armor. The faint glow at its feet gave it an eerie, ghostly presence. In its skeletal hand, a longsword shimmered sharply, far too refined to be a mere decoration.
'What the hell are these things?' Marcus activated Insight.
Bone Boar: Level ??? Attribute ??? Skill ???
Skeleton Marshal: Level ??? Attribute ??? Skill ???
'You have got to be kidding me.' His heart sank. The information was hidden; these monsters were more than ten levels above him, well beyond the range of his Insight skill.
Fight, or flee? For a heartbeat, his mind froze.
But the monsters gave him no time to decide. The Bone Boar planted its hooves, lowered its head, and its back arched sharply. Two of its bony spikes shot off like arrows, cutting through the air toward Marcus.
-280, -310.
'Are you serious?'. The damage numbers flared before his eyes, and his stomach tightened. Both monsters were clearly on a completely different level. He fumbled for a Large Health Potion, gulping it down as he turned to run.
He knew that four legs would always be faster than two, but he had underestimated just how fast this beast could move. The moment the Bone Boar fired its spikes, it dug its hooves into the ground and lunged forward, a blur of motion that shattered the distance in an instant.
-370, -380.
The boar's tusks drove deep into his side, the force lifting him off his feet. Marcus felt his body spin through the air before he hit the ground hard. The creature snorted, tossing its head with a guttural roar as it pawed the stone floor, readying for another charge.
'Damn it, this thing's way too strong.' He staggered back, blood running down his armor. There was no chance of fighting this head-on. And behind it, that silent figure in black armor; the Skeleton Marshal, sword gleaming faintly and its eyes burning with cold fire, stood watching. Definitely not a creature he could afford to provoke.
'Forget it. Time to get out of here.' Marcus wasn't afraid of dying, but throwing his life away in a fight he couldn't win was plain stupidity.
He cast one last glance at the Dark Sorcerer. The man's face was gray and lifeless, his breath shallow and ragged. Marcus couldn't help feeling a pang of regret. If he'd been just a bit faster, he might've finished him off before things went south.
'Wait a second... what was that?'
When the Bone Boar had thrown him aside, Marcus had staggered backward several steps and slammed into something solid. A jolt of pain shot through his back. He turned and saw that he'd stumbled into the stone pillar, the one faintly glowing with a Violet Light. The thing that had jabbed into him was the Violet Shard embedded within it.
'Oh, so you're getting in on the action too?' he muttered under his breath. Without thinking, he reached out and ripped the Violet Shard free from the pillar.
"No!"
The Dark Sorcerer, seeing the crystal snatched from its place, let out a sudden, guttural scream. The ground shook violently, and the entire Black Rock Spire began to tremble as though enraged.
'Seriously?' Marcus blinked. The Sorcerer's reaction was over the top. Whatever this thing was, it had to be priceless. Instinctively, he clenched the shard tighter in his hand.
-310.
Pain flared across his body. The Bone Boar, enraged beyond reason, had fired another spike straight into him and was already charging again. At the same time, the Skeleton Marshal launched itself forward, its glowing feet leaving streaks of light as it leapt high into the air, sword raised for the killing blow.
It's over. His Health was down to a sliver, barely three hundred left. Another hit would finish him. The Bone Boar's spike had already nearly gutted him, and the Skeleton Marshal's strike was sure to do the rest.
But then—
'Wait… no way.' For once, fate seemed to have a sense of humor.
The Skeleton Marshal's sword, meant to end him, instead triggered his escape. Before the undead warrior could swing again, a soft light enveloped Marcus's body. The Bone Boar's spike and the Marshal's sword both cut through empty air as his figure dissolved completely.
"No!"
The Dark Sorcerer's scream tore through the spire again, this time even more desperate, echoing with fury and despair. Later, it was said that players within ten miles of the Black Rock Spire heard that haunting wail.
'Hah! That rabbit mask saved my ass…' Marcus couldn't help but laugh as he reappeared safely outside. He tore off the Fluffy Rabbit's Mask, gave it an exaggerated kiss, and grinned. The Run for Your Life skill was cheat like.
Normally, when a player was locked in combat; whether attacking or being attacked, they couldn't use a Town Portal Scroll until they'd fully disengaged. But with Run for Your Life, as long as nothing could kill him in a single hit, Marcus was practically immortal.
"Ding! Congratulations, Player Stonehaven. You have successfully thwarted the resurrection of the Lord of the Undead. Reputation increased by 300. Level increased by 1. Reward: 1,000 gold coins and one random Pet Egg."
"Ding! Congratulations, Player Stonehaven. You are now Level 23. Health increased by 10. Mana increased by 10. You have 5 attribute points to allocate."
Marcus stared blankly at the notifications for a second before bursting into laughter. He'd stumbled into the Fourth Level of the Black Rock Spire, nearly died, and somehow ended up completing a major quest by accident. The rewards said it all; three hundred Reputation and a Pet Egg. It was the kind of payout that marked a legendary event.
"Ding! Stonehaven, you have successfully prevented the resurrection of the Lord of the Undead, averting a great catastrophe for humanity. You now have the opportunity to gain worldwide fame. Stonehaven, do you wish to be famous?" the system prompted.
Worldwide fame? It sounded like a great way to have every guild and their mother hunting him down for the rest of his playtime. No, thanks.
"Decline," he said flatly.
"Ding! Player XXX has successfully prevented the resurrection of the Lord of the Undead in the Black Rock Spire. However, the seal of the Black Rock Spire has been compromised. Monsters within are awakening. The Black Rock Spire is now open. Players are urged to prevent the dark creatures from escaping and endangering humanity."