Not only were the trio stunned, but Isla Ning was also dumbfounded. Her eyes wide and her small mouth agape, she couldn't believe it. The expression was rather cute.
She had seen Morintis's Skeleton Warrior today. A mere Level 10 Skeleton Warrior, covered in cracks, with a rusty, worn-out weapon in hand. It looked utterly fragile.
How could it be this strong? A Level 20 Mage's spell couldn't harm it. The Archer's Triple Shot and the Knight's Charge failed to damage it. Was this really a Level 10 summon? It was unreasonably overpowered.
And the numbers... Clusters of pale light ignited in the darkness as Skeleton Warriors materialized silently one after another, completely surrounding the trio.
Morintis, a man of few words, walked back to Isla Ning's side, a killing intent in his eyes.
"Kill them."
With that single thought, the Skeleton Warriors sprang into action.
The Mage's face changed dramatically. He shook his staff, and a protective barrier instantly enveloped him.
Energy Shield.
A signature Mage skill. The higher the Mage's level and skill, the sturdier the Energy Shield. It was said that god-tier Mages could withstand forbidden spells unscathed under their shields.
Mages had low Agility and couldn't move as nimbly as Archers. Now, trapped within the Skeleton Warrior encirclement, he had no room to dodge.
A Skeleton Warrior raised its blade and struck.
The Energy Shield distorted violently.
The Mage's face paled further; just one slash nearly broke his shield! What were these skeletons' stats? How was their attack power so terrifying?
He had no time to ponder. A second Skeleton Warrior's blade descended. The Energy Shield shattered with a sound, dispersing into countless points of starlight.
Ring of Fire!
The Mage cast another spell.
A giant ring of fire erupted, pushing several nearby Skeleton Warriors over ten meters away.
But before he could feel a moment of relief, darkness fell over him as two Skeleton Warriors leaped overhead.
They gave him no chance to cast another spell. Blades flashed, and the Mage's head flew into the air.
From start to finish, barely two seconds had passed. The Mage was dead.
The Archer was also being pursued by Skeleton Warriors, looking utterly wretched. Witnessing the Mage's death, his eyes filled with terror.
He was more agile than the Mage, but still far inferior to the Skeleton Warriors with their staggering 3000 Agility.
He kept using Evasion skills, trying to break free from the Skeleton Warriors' encirclement.
Unfortunately, attempt after attempt ended in failure.
As the Skeleton Warriors pressed closer, his maneuvering space shrank rapidly.
Compared to the dead Mage and the soon-to-be-dead Archer, the Knight was in a slightly better situation.
Light emanated from the Knight, making him glow like a lightbulb, as he repeatedly used his Charge skill to rush into the distance.
This layer of light was even sturdier than the Mage's Energy Shield, firmly protecting him. Even the Skeleton Warriors' blades striking him couldn't cause damage.
"It's Absolute Defense! I didn't expect this Knight to have mastered that skill," Morintis recalled the knowledge about this skill.
It was one of the Knight's core skills.
Once activated, it drastically increased defense for a short period.
How strong exactly was unknown, but someone had tested it—a Level 20 Knight using Absolute Defense could withstand an attack from a Level 40 Mage.
Although it could only take one hit, it showed how powerful the skill was.
A Knight who mastered Absolute Defense was like a different class compared to one who hadn't.
However, Absolute Defense wasn't an easy skill to learn.
Without the corresponding skill book, one could only rely on skill scrolls, which involved significant randomness.
The Knight, protected by Absolute Defense, fled madly.
A miserable scream came from behind; he knew the Archer was dead too.
With the Mage and Archer dead one after another, he was utterly terrified.
How were these Skeleton Warriors so horrifying? If he had known earlier, he wouldn't have come. Losing his life over an Intermediate Skill Scroll wasn't worth it.
"Use skills!" "Block him. Don't let him escape," Morintis commanded. He couldn't let the Knight escape. Since he had started killing, he would finish it cleanly.
The Skeleton Warriors' blades simultaneously glowed red.
Furious Strike!
Deals 200% of the user's Strength as damage to the target.
With their Strength at a high 3000, the Skeleton Warriors' damage output instantly doubled upon using the skill.
"They can use skills too?!" The Knight was scared out of his wits. The Skeleton Warriors were terrifying enough, but they could also use skills? This was defying the heavens!
Blades shimmering with red light struck the Knight. The white light protecting the Knight dimmed considerably.
Then came the second strike, the third... Absolute Defense lasted for one minute—under the condition of not receiving attacks.
The more intense the attacks sustained, the shorter the Absolute Defense duration.
Skeleton Warriors frantically rushed forward to use their skills.
The duration of Absolute Defense was rapidly shortening.
Furthermore, more Skeleton Warriors had surrounded him, cutting off his retreat.
It was hopeless.
After a dozen or so seconds, the Knight, filled with resentment, was dismembered by the Skeleton Warriors.
Either don't do it, or if you do, don't hold back.
That was what Morana had told Morintis, and that was how Morintis acted.
"They're... all dead?" Isla Ning still hadn't fully processed it.
From the start to the end of the fight, only about twenty seconds had passed. All three were dead. And the mastermind behind it hadn't moved a muscle, merely standing there.
Morintis nodded. Isla was right; they were indeed all dead.
The Skeleton Warriors returned, carrying various items. When a class holder died, the contents of their storage space would drop. The Skeleton Warriors had collected them all.
[Bronze Kamen Staff. Spirit +20. Increases power of Mage-type skills by 5%. Usable after Level 18.]
[Bronze Kamen War Bow. Agility +20. Increases power of Archery skills by 5%. Usable after Level 18.]
[Bronze Kamen Sword. Strength +10, Constitution +10. Increases power of offensive skills by 5%. Usable after Level 18.]
[Bronze Kamen Shield. Constitution +20. Increases effect of defensive skills by 5%. Usable after Level 18.]