Chapter 24: Tombs and Trials

Chapter 24: Tombs and Trials

Checking his current Exp, Silas found he was Level 6 with (160/320) experience. Surprisingly, he not only got the experience from the scornyx he killed but also from the ones his friends killed too. With this, he might be able to level up a few more times before they got to the bottom.

Curious, Silas searched one of the beasts for a mana core. He was pleasantly surprised to find one.

The system informed him when it drained the remaining mana from the core. He watched as the yellow light in the core faded away.

If he could drain the mana from these cores, he might be able to extract their essence as well. He activated his essence extraction skill and watched as a dull yellow liquid drained from the core.

Something was strange about this. Wasn't this a simulation? How could he interact with a simulation like this? Unless it wasn't a simulation.

"Hey, I don't think this is a simulation. I think it's real somehow," Silas said. "I was able to drain mana from this core. I wouldn't be able to do that if it was a simulation."

"Ok, but what does that mean?" Jace asked.

"It means we can interact with everything. So if you see anything good, pick it up." Silas said. "Speaking of, let's collect these cores." He gestured at the scornyx's laying on the ground.

They all worked together to collect the mana cores. When they were done, they put them in Lyra's pocket dimension.

"Lyra, do you have any armor in your pocket dimension?" Silas said.

"Actually, I do!" Lyra said. "I was holding on to some training sets for us to train in, but I forgot."

Lyra opened her pocket dimension, pulling out sets of armor - helmets, chestplates, gauntlets, greaves, etc. They were simple in design, crafted from sturdy leather and reinforced with metal plates, but in their current situation, any protection was welcome.

Jace, Rowan, Lyra, and Nadia eagerly donned the armor, adjusting the straps and buckles to ensure a snug fit. While they were gearing up, Silas drank the small amount of essence he had extracted from the scornyx.

As the essence slid down his throat, Silas felt a familiar tingling sensation spread through his body. His muscles twitched and spasmed as the foreign substance integrated with his physiology. A thin coat of black fur, sprouted along his arms and legs.

"I don't like that," Silas said.

"Eh, it's not that bad," Nadia said.

"I think its kind of cute. Makes you look like a cat," Lyra said.

"Thanks, I guess?" Silas said. "I'll try to shave it off when we get back."

Silas checked his stats to see that his strength and agility had both gone up 2 points, with his strength at 20 and his agility at 22 without his armor.

[New skill gained: Pounce]

[Pounce: Increases the users horizontal leap by 100%]

Silas was happy with all the new skills he was gaining, but the cost to his human appearance was bothersome. As they finished gearing up, Silas got an idea.

"Lyra, can you put one of the scornyx in your pocket dimension? It could be useful later if we need to make camp."

Silas led the group down a long, dimly lit hallway. The walls were lined with large glass tubes, each containing a creature suspended in green liquid.

As they neared the end of the hall, a figure emerged from around the corner. At first glance, it appeared to be a person, but as it got closer, they could see the rotting flesh. It was a zombie.

Without hesitating, Silas stepped forward, swinging his war hammer down. The blow crushed the zombie's head. He expected it to crumple lifelessly to the ground, but instead, a green slimed oozed from the crushed skull, slowly making its way down the handle of Silas's hammer.

Instinctively, Silas dropped the hammer. He tried to squash the slime with his foot, but it attached itself to his boot, undeterred by his actions.

The slime continued its ascent, creeping up Silas's body with alarming speed. Within moments, the slime had enveloped his head, obscuring his vision and starting to suffocate him.

Thinking quickly, Lyra shouted, "Take off your helmet!"

Silas frantically removed his helmet, and the slime came with it, freeing him from its grasp. Jace seized the opportunity to throw a flurry of duplicated knives at the writhing mass.

The knives found their mark, and the slime stopped moving. As Silas caught his breath, he considered collecting the mana core from the slime, but the thought of potentially transforming into part slime convinced him not to.

As Silas picked up his hammer, more zombies shuffled around the corner. Silas attached the hammer to his back and released the claws on his gauntlets. The zombie slimes seemed to be immune to bludgeoning damage, but not stabbing and likely not slashing.

Silas lunged forward, stabbing one of the zombies in the head with the claws of his gauntlet. Lifeless green slime oozed out of it's ears.

Jace and Rowan followed suit, their blades slicing through skulls and piercing eye sockets. Five zombies hit the ground, slime coming out of their heads.

Nadia and Lyra stood back-to-back, their weapons ready. Nadia's bow sang as she loosed arrow after arrow, each one a head shot. Lyra's rapier darted in and out, piercing the zombies heads.

Despite their efforts, the horde of zombies seemed endless. For every one they cut down, two more took its place. The narrow hallway worked to their advantage, funneling the creatures into a manageable stream, but Silas knew they couldn't keep this up forever.

"We need to find a way out of here!" Silas shouted over the noise of battle.

"There's a door at the end of the hall!" Lyra called back, her rapier flashing as she dispatched another zombie.

Silas nodded, his mind racing. They needed to clear a path. He activated berserker rage skill. Silas felt a surge of primal energy course through his veins. His muscles bulged beneath his armor, and a guttural roar tore from his throat.

Silas became a whirlwind of claws and fury, his berserker rage propelling him through the horde of zombies. He slashed and tore at the undead creatures, their putrid flesh giving way to his relentless onslaught.

Green slime splattered across his armor as he carved a path through the sea of rotting bodies.

"Follow me!" Silas roared, his voice barely audible over the groans of the zombies and the clash of weapons.

Nadia, Rowan, Lyra, and Jace fell in behind him, fending off the zombies that threatened to flank them. They moved as a unit, their backs to each other, trusting in their companions to guard their blind spots.

Step by step, they fought their way towards the door at the end of the hall. Silas reached it first, his claws making short work of the zombies that barred their path.

He wrenched the door open, ushering his friends through before slamming it shut behind them, cutting off the horde's advance.

"Please. I need your help," said a voice behind them.