Chapter 117: Collaboration

The Ancient Gravitas Mummy took a step to the side to avoid taking any further damage. It clutched its right arm with its left, using Mana of the Darkness Element to restore the bandages to their previous length and reform the arm.

The newcomer gave William a chance to catch his breath. He stepped back to gain some distance from the Mummy and pulled out seven more Array Puppets from his Space Ring, then took a peek at his unexpected ally.

The girl was clad in pure white robes, with a mask covering her face and only revealing a pair of bright-blue eyes. Behind the mask, William could see waist-length silvery hair that sparkled in the daylight. Her stance was calm but not arrogant, the epitome of grace and elegance that suggested she had gone through many difficult battles in her lifetime.

The hair and eyes brought sad memories back to William, but he was in the middle of a battle and didn't have time to think about such things.

"Thank you." he said to the girl with gratitude. If it weren't for her, William might have suffered a few injuries before he could escape from the Mummy.

"You're welcome." she launched another attack with her ethereal blade, forcing the Mummy to step back about fifty meters until it was well out of her attack range. The Mummy evaluated the newcomer with sharp eyes as she stepped closer to William. She urged William to come over.

"What do you know about this thing so far?" she asked once he had arrived next to her.

"It seems to be an Ancient Gravitas Mummy. It's very intelligent and can even speak. It is very skilled with the greatsword in its hand and can wield powerful Magic of at least the Fire, Earth, Wind, Darkness, and Lightning Elements. It duplicated one of my most complex spells after only seeing it once." William started explaining every attribute he had discovered since the start of the fight.

"Anything else?" she asked.

"It absorbed the Mana of a few dead Cultivators. I think it's trying to charge the staff in its hand for something big."

The girl nodded. William's description matched what her Sect knew about the creatures of this trial. She readied her sword and took a few steps forward to confront the Ancient Gravitas Mummy.

"Wait." William called out.

"Hm?"

"What's your name?" he asked.

I can't let her take the kill, but I also can't beat it by myself without showing too much strength...

William decided he would use the girl's skills to his advantage. He watched as she fought with the Ancient Gravitas Mummy, controlling his Array Puppets to approach from behind while waiting for an opportunity to strike.

The girl frowned at William's intrusion but said nothing. She collaborated with the Array Puppets, always positioning herself so that the Array Puppets were directly behind the Mummy.

The Ancient Gravitas Mummy was forced to split its attention between the girl and William's Puppets, cursing at their annoying tactics. It raised the staff in its hand, creating a Spirit Aura similar to William's Forcefield that focused all of its defense on the Mummy's backside.

Now it could focus entirely on the girl, since the Array Puppets couldn't possibly break its Enhanced Spirit Aura in a short period of time.

The Mummy rushed forward with its greatsword in hand, clashing with the girl's ethereal sword that adjusted its length based on its distance from the Mummy.

The pair exchanged dozens of strikes in just a few seconds, both parties skillfully parrying lethal attacks and waiting for the other to make a mistake. The small injuries multiplied on both the Mummy and the girl, but the Mummy had the upper hand since it could heal itself with the Darkness Element.

William saw this and activated his Life Element, healing the girl's injuries in an instant and earning a meaningful look in return.

He assumed his role for the remainder of the battle as a support character, using his Array Puppets to pelt the Mummy in the back with weak attacks and healing the girl when necessary.

The Ancient Gravitas Mummy became weaker over time, its Mana reserves plummeting as the duo became more coordinated in their attacks. At this rate, it wouldn't be long before the Mummy was too exhausted to fight back.

It didn't carry a Space Ring full of Mana Regeneration Pills or potions like William and the girl, so the Mummy had to go for its next method of recovery. It scanned the nearby environment while it fought with the pair, then started adjusting its position as it found what it was looking for.

A few minutes passed, the girl becoming more aggressive in her attacks with William as support. The Mummy appeared on its last legs, until the situation suddenly changed.

"Splash!"

A spray of blood flew through the air as the Mummy sliced of the head of a previously well-concealed spectator, its eyes glimmering with malice as it used the Magic Staff to absorb the dead Cultivator's Mana.