Chapter 236 Against The Wall

"...Ah, thanks," Xiaodan said, gulping after seeing the bone spikes on the ground.

He got up, helping Xiaodan up, "Yeah, well–don't count on that again!"

Again, the lich invoked another command: "Suffer."

This word was pointed solely at Xiaodan, who immediately screamed out the moment the word met his ears.

"Gaaagh…!" Xiaodan screamed in agony, clutching his body.

"Xiaodan!"

He grabbed him by the shoulders, but Xiaodan didn't even look at him, only biting down on his own lip and clutching his own body before keeling over in pain.

Xiaodan continued screaming, "It…It feels like–it's tearing me up from the inside! Fire…it burns!"

Though they were yelling out as if their flesh was being melted from their skeleton, there was no tangible damage actually being done; Xiaodan's body was absent of injuries, yet he laid in a fetal position, screaming out.

"Xiaodan…! Get it together! It's just an illusion!" He yelled.

After shaking the silver-haired boy enough, it seemed to finally snap him out of the trance of agony as Xiaodan finally stopped yelling, having strained his throat enough as he looked up with bloodshot, teary eyes.

"...What was that?" Xiaodan questioned in a weak, trembling voice.

"I don't know, but…I'm starting to feel like we're up against something way out of our league here," he gulped.

There was little hope in the face of a being of unknown power; the strength in its words alone made one lament their own ability to hear.

"Rumble."

–Another word sounded from the colossus of decrepit ivory; this time, the ground began to contort and shake violently beneath the two's feet.

Xiaodan quickly lost his balance, dropping to a knee as any sense of balance was dragged away. Thinking quickly, Sol jabbed his spear into the wavy ground, gaining an anchor point for himself, "Grab on…!"

It was as if the soil had shifted into a solid liquid; it bounced and rippled, rumbling intensely as it was impossible to take a single step.

"Sink."

Another word, another alteration to reality itself as the wilted grass folded in; acting like loose sand that began to swallow the legs of the two who had enough trouble standing.

Is there a limit to this?...Every word it says, reality changes to it! He thought.

As he thought about it, with Xiaodan clutching into his coat as a last pillar of support, an idea came to his mind–though it was far-fetched, to say the least.

I have to try it–what other way is there? He decided.

As he plucked his spear from the uneasy ground that sank in around his knees by now, continuing to drag him in, he flipped the weapon around before tossing it with all of his might.

"--What're you–?" Xiaodan said.

Though attacking seemed futile, it was proven clear as to why a seemingly last ditch effort was taken as the molten-tipped javelin propelled directly towards the lich.

"Wall."

The lich's word caused the air in front of the skeletal being to solidify, forming an invisible shield that prevented the spear from reaching its body.

It was the moment that the next command came that the floor returned to its normal form, causing the two to bounce back to their feet on the dead grass.

"...It stopped?" Xiaodan questioned in surprise.

He naturally called his spear back to his hand, exhaling as sweat dripped down his cheek, "I figured it out. It's not much of a weakness, but…it seems like only one of its 'commands' can exist at once."

"It's not much, but it's something, I guess–no, that's perfect! I think you figured something else out just now," Xiaodan smiled, wiping sweat from his chin.

"What?"

"If it's overwriting its other command in order to protect itself from a half-asses spear-throw like that, I'm willing to bet the big guy over there isn't very sturdy," Xiaodan said.

"Oh!" He said, realizing this as well, "--I think you're right. Hah! He's no different than the other undead, then! Just a bag-of-overpowered bones!"

"Yeah, that's putting it lightly.." Xiaodan wryly smiled, holding his fists up, "Let's do this!"

"Yeah!"

Though such optimism was quickly tested as the lich unleashed a brutal command next, raising its blade even from the dozen of meters of distance between them:

"Rend."

"--!"

SQUELCH.

Instantly, a slash etched itself across the chest of Xiaodan, cutting in deep as crimson fluids splashed out.

"Xiaodan–!" He yelled out, looking over.

There was no time to worry about the state of his comrade as another word fell from the fleshless lips of the entity again, without remorse: "Twist."

CRACK.

"Agh–!" He screamed out.

The fingers of his right hand began to contort, twisting around as the bones snapped and cried out. It was a pain unlike any other; the twisted bones shattered, digging into his flesh as he fell to his knees, clutching his hand.

"...Sol!" Xiaodan called out weakly to him.

He was helpless to stop it as his fingers continued twisting, turning to a deep purple.

I was stupid. Something like this–how can we beat it?! He questioned.

Out of desperation to stop the twisting of his fingers, and stopping whatever was coming next to Xiaodan, he scrambled to his feet, amplifying his strength with whatever meager focus he had before tossing his spear towards the lich.

"Stagnate."

The word caused the velocity of the thrown spear to completely crawl to a still. It was left completely frozen amidst the air, just a couple meters from the lich itself.

"Gh-!"

He extended his hand, attempting to recall his weapon as it was left still in the space between him and the harrowing entity.

"Crush–"

As such a command came, his spear was finally freed, but a feeling of dread washed over his body in anticipation of whatever lethal force was closing in on him; unseen and deadly.

Though what instead came was a flash of light; focused and condensed, sparkling like the glitter of a star.

Light…? That's…He began to realize.

It was a beam of light that trailed behind the thrust of thin steel; a rapier stabbing through the abyssal smoke.

"Shield."

Just as the unseen, crushing force neared him and Xiaodan, the lich had to give up the command to protect itself.

As the light thrust clashed against the shield that was mystically formed of solidified smoke, he finally saw who it was that had swooped in.

That black hair, flowing proudly alongside her cape; those focused, icy-blue eyes, honed on their target–there was no mistaking it.

[Player Recognized.]

[Ma-Ri | Level 38]

"Ma-Ri…!" He called out in disbelief.

The pain immediately faded from his fingers as his heart thumped with excitement at this shift, but it wasn't just due to that.

"Cast: Recovery."

He almost didn't notice it beforehand, but another figure had arrived, already tending to him and Xiaodan, who clutched the wound on his chest that had torn through his shirt, but began closing.

[Eunji | Level 24]

"Eunji!" He said.

Xiaodan coughed out, "...Great timing."

The glasses-wearing girl focused on healing both of them at once, which seemed to be a new development from her heightened level, "We saw the smoke and came in–well, we heard screaming and, well…"

Xiaodan looked over at Sol as soon as that was said, to which he couldn't even argue against what was suggested.

"I'm just…glad you guys are here–and that you're safe," he said with a small smile.

Even in the face of utmost despair, the presence of Ma-Ri helped quell that; but it wasn't that alone–being reunited with his comrades filled him with hope as well.

Eunji smiled and nodded, "Of course. Same to you. But…what is that thing?"

He stood up, picking his spear from the ground, "...I don't really know all that much, but it's insane. It's able to shape reality with a single word."

"Huh? Something like that…?" Eunji said.

He shook his head, "Ma-Ri will be fine, though."

Xiaodan smiled as well, "...I hope that's true."

After unleashing an array of flashing pierces towards the lich, who suffered a few scathing inflictions, though shielded most, Ma-Ri landed in front of him.

"You both did well to hold out," Ma-Ri said, glancing back at them with a focused expression, "Leave it to me now."

"Aye aye, boss," Sol smiled.

Just like that, the leader of Gangcheori flashed back into battle, contesting the lich by herself with uncontested speed on the battlefield.

–

CLANG. CLANG. CLANG.

In a high-speed battle, the eccentric man with dazzling, pink eyes and cosmic jewelry possessed utmost focus as he clashed blades against the swift doppelgangers that constantly flashed by him with slashes.

Left, he thought.

Predicting the incoming slash towards the back of his knee, he used his ice-forged sword to deflect the incoming dagger strike.

Right, he predicted.

The slash towards his right bicep was countered as he summoned a wall of ice utilizing the true nature of "Neptune."

There wasn't a moment where those deep, amethyst eyes devoid of emotion weren't looking at him; from every angle, Ash watched him.

"Cutting Smoke."

"Scathing Billow."

"Mist Pulverization."

Three skills were invoked at once, coming from three of the variations of the Winged General that faced off against him; by this point, he'd long since lost track of which was the original Ash.

Three skills? Hah! No mercy! He thought.