"Here goes nothing," Klaus muttered and the Eye of Despair snapped open above him. A beam of red light shot out from it, targeting the Zombie Lady atop the pillar. The light was powerful, and Klaus hoped it would break through the force field.
BOOM
The red beam struck the barrier, and the ground trembled violently. The pillars shook, and for a moment, Klaus thought he had succeeded. But then, as he feared, the force field held strong, blocking the attack entirely.
"Fuck," Klaus cursed, feeling his strength drop to dangerously low levels. He had put everything into that attack, but somehow, the force field had repelled it. His Lotus flower was draining the last of his energy reserves, and his fire dragon's light was dimming.
"Brat, what are you cursing about? Look around you," the senior's voice echoed in his mind.
Klaus, struggling to keep his eyes open, looked up. What he saw stunned him. Over 90% of the Zombies were on the ground, growling, screaming, or writhing in pain. Whatever they were doing, it was clear that they were suffering.
Klaus's eyes widened. "What?"
"Your attack failed to pass through the force field, but it didn't fail completely," the senior explained. "The force field seems to have repelled the soul attack, but instead of bouncing back harmlessly, it spread out and hit the Zombies. That's what you're seeing."
A smile crept onto Klaus's face. He hadn't expected this outcome, but it was a welcome surprise. Without wasting another second, he hurled the Ice Lotus flower forward, aiming for the center of the mass of Zombies.
Though the flower contained little to no star qi, it was still stronger regardless. It moved with cold energy and exploded silently, however its icy force froze everything in its path.
"This is my chance," Klaus thought as he saw hundreds of Zombies immobilized by the explosion. Many were instantly killed by the ice, while others were still hanging on, barely moving.
"My chance to get the upper hand," he muttered to himself, forcing his body to move. He surged forward, using every last bit of his strength to finish off as many Zombies as he could.
The battlefield was in chaos. Some of the Zombies lay dead, while others struggled to stay alive. Klaus gritted his teeth, knowing that if he managed to kill this last group, he would have reduced their numbers to just 50. The thought of getting the upper hand gave him a burst of adrenaline.
"Five more minutes," Klaus muttered, keeping track of the time before the ritual would be completed. The pressure was mounting, and his body was already beyond its limits.
"Just a few more kills for the EXP," he added, swinging his sword with whatever strength he had left. Each slash came with a cost—his muscles screamed, and blood splattered from his mouth as the Zombies pummeled him. He could feel the heavy toll on his body, but he couldn't afford to stop.
"I can use it again," Klaus muttered after catching his breath for just a few seconds. He wasn't using his Star Qi to channel the Moon Slash because he needed it for something more strategic—the Ten Thousand Soul Needles.
Ten more red needles materialized in the air, and he sent them toward ten of the remaining Zombies. The attack worked, giving him a brief opening, but his exhaustion held him back. Klaus managed to kill only three of them before the others surrounded him again.
"Come on!" Klaus gritted his teeth as he summoned the Void Piercing Needle once more. The needles shot through the remaining Zombies, punching holes in them. He barely managed to kill the ten Zombies, but before he could regain his balance, one of the last Zombie Kings sent him flying with a brutal strike.
"Fuck!" Klaus cursed as he crashed into the ground, his body aching and his Star Qi nearly depleted. His vision blurred for a moment, but he forced himself back up. There were still ten more Zombie Kings left, and the clock was ticking. He couldn't afford to stop now.
"Three more minutes," Klaus muttered under his breath, narrowing his gaze and tightening his grip on his sword. His body was battered and broken, but his mind was sharp. He focused on defense, waiting for the right moment to strike with the Void Piercing Needles again. Every second was precious.
"Two minutes," he repeated, gritting his teeth as the Zombie Kings pressed their assault. It wasn't easy—every attack came dangerously close to finishing him. But suddenly, the Void Piercing Needle flashed out, punching holes in five of the Zombie Kings he had baited into coming closer.
Klaus had deliberately let them get near, using his own body as a shield to draw their attention to the sneak attack.
He was trading injury for kills, and it worked. The needle pierced through their heads, killing them instantly. But the cost was high. His left arm hung limp, broken. His ribs were shattered, and his body was bruised and bloodied from the brutal strikes he had endured.
"Die!" Klaus roared, channeling the last bits of his Star Qi into his sword. He swung it with all his remaining strength, slicing through the neck of a Zombie that charged at him from the side.
Before he could catch his breath, something unexpected happened. "What the fuck?" Klaus gasped, leaping backward just as a dark arrow shot through the air. He wasn't fast enough—it pierced his left shoulder, the force of the blow sending him flying.
"An assassin?" Klaus hissed through clenched teeth his gaze cold,
"The Dark Order"