Chapter Six Hundred And Twenty Three – 623
Felix joined his team just as they reached the base of a huge set of stairs. The others were a little singed, but basically fine, and had already downed at least one Health Potion. Beef started talking as soon as Felix came to a stop.
God, Felix, Im sorry! I shouldnt have said your name.
Stop. Its fine. With a flash of light, Pit emerged from Felixs Spirit in tenku form. Pit, buddy. You okay?
The tenku limped a little and his tail was smoking, but his Health was barely below ninety percent. Could be better. You?
Ill live, Felix said. Already Sovereign of Flesh was stitching his Body and Health back together, and all it cost him was a bit of stolen Essence. He still had plenty. Guards are following, folks. Are these the stairs up, Tzfell?
Yes. The Serpents Coil. They wind from the base of the Undermount to the very top.
Felix gazed up the long, serpentine set of stairs, noting that they were made from a pearlescent stone and inlaid with what looked like copper and iron. Talk as we walk. What can we expect?
Everyone began to ascend, taking steps two or three at a time.
Beyond the pleasure palace are the Lesser Mausoleums. They are the final resting place for the great heroes of my people, and are guarded.
Guarded by what?
Shades.
Harn spat. Nasty things, Shades. Range from Tier II to Tier V on the worst end. But they wont tangle with us if we dont interfere with their territory.
A true statement, and yet functionally useless. The Shades arent bound to singular mausoleums, but to the entire Necropolis, which encompasses the first two landings on the Serpents Coil.
What if we stay on the Coil? Felix asked.
Tzfell shook her head. Those that are near will come for us, and it could be hundreds. We must be prepared.
I am very fast, Evie pointed out. ButIve never fought a ghost before. Curious how itd be
Harn waved his hand, cutting her off. You dont wanna, kid. Theyre immune to physical attacks and most types of Mana. Light and life Mana put a dent in, but its less than youd expect.
We dont have any of that, Beef pointed out. Well, save for Felix and Pitand Yin. Right? Youve light and water attuned Skills?
Indeed. Once I would destroy entire armadas across these tempestuous skies. The Wyrmling hesitated. In my current state, I could handleconsiderably less.
The Coil is not safe unless youve acquired a pass from one of the Hinterlords. Since weve no way to get those, nor the time, we are playing it loose with the rules, Laur said. I will break down the wards on each landing as we reach them, but it may take time. I will need you to defend me while I unlock our way forward.
Well handle it, Felix promised.
Potion! Yintarion shouted.
In the breach, Felix lifted his hands and unleashed his own Skill. Spikes of gold condensed out of the omnipresent light all around them, stabbing through enormous skulls and pinning thick tentacles all at once. A dense field, four feet long and sharp as razors, they sizzled where they touched the shadow-stuff of Shade flesh.
Chthonic Tribute!
All six Shades resisted for only an instant before they burst into dark smoke and were devoured.
Weak. Delicious.
Itll do for now, Felix told his Hunger. The lesser Shades went a good way toward replenishing the Essence hed spent on healing himself. There will be plenty more to come.
Good.
Abyssal Skein. Like a bubble bursting, the barrier between Felixs Skill and the world vanished. The cold oil sensation flowed outward, fading his presence from the world and his partys Perceptionuntil he spread it across their connections as well. They gasped, taken aback.
This will help a lot, Evie said with some relief. Shades wont see whats comin.
Vess hefted her partisan and grinned. Let us put it to the test, yes?
The team moved on.
Abyssal Skein is level 84!
Abyssal Skein is level 88!
The Serpents Coil slithered further, winding through barren cliffs and forested hills, navigating the ever-growing necropolis around them. His stealth held up, and with Evie, Harn, and Pit each contributing their own Skills on top of it, their party remained unnoticed eighty percent of the time. Those that could notice them, however, were strong.
Tier IV Shades became more and more common, crowding the pathway as the small crypts became larger and larger, until even Tier V creatures swarmed the edges as well. Those were the true threats so far, the equivalent of a Master Tier, and more than most of his team could handle.
Felix changed tactics. Stealth was the watchword but where that failed they went into immediate and full offense. Blades of light and orbs of destruction rained upon the Shades, obliterating the weaker ones while the stronger were at the very least stunned. Before the Tier V monsters could retaliate, Felix unleashed his Hunger. Again and again, their Essence funneled into his core space, until nothing stopped their ascent up the mountain.
The ground shook.
The Shades had just begun to thin out and the mausoleums had transitioned into truly huge structures, fronted by old growth forests that obscured their view of the distant peak. Those branches swayed with more than the wind as pebbles and ill-kept tombs tumbled down the slopes.
What the hell is that? Beef asked.
Felix looked back down. They were far away from Havenhold and much of the Undermount itself was in the way, but in the hazy distance beyond the strange forests he thought he saw something flicker.
Flames.
