Chapter 703: Marked for Death (1/2)
There wasn’t anything else of interest within the small cave, and the group soon turned back after Catheya split the meager loot. As expected, there wasn’t anything worthwhile in Cosmos Sack, except some random wealth. The guardian plant was ultimately more valuable than the trove itself since those coconuts apparently contained a liquid that could be used in some spirit-related concoctions.
“Alright, let’s keep going,” Catheya said as they emerged from the trove. “We should reach the pulse within six days. Prepare yourself, our first real battle might take place there.”
The other nodded and they spread out again, and they once more resumed their individual hunt for treasures. Things were a bit monotone on the ocean bed, but Zac actually stumbled upon what might be a trove on the third day. It was hidden within a colony of giant clams that lived in a gully he passed.
He gave it some thought, but he eventually decided to go at it solo. He sent a short message to Catheya though, telling her to go ahead before he ripped open the shell of the suspicious clam. Inside was a hidden pathway, something which Zac had only noticed because of his special Draugr-sense.
The clam had looked like all the others around it, but it was completely dead. However, small bubbles still emerged from its mouth, which was definitely suspicious. Zac had expected a treasure to hide within the shell rather than a pathway, but he didn’t care as he made his way down. He soon found himself in a hidden cultivation cave covered in moss and small seaweed.
The only thing remaining apart from the plant life was a skeleton sitting on a prayer mat. It had a decent-looking sword in its lap, but Zac was more interested in the Spatial Ring on the skeleton’s finger. Spatial rings weren’t anything special in a flourishing place like the Twilight Harbor, but it also wasn’t something that common cultivators would own because of their price.
There should be a decent harvest waiting within.
[Rakan’s Roar] appeared in Zac’s hand as he inched closer, his eyes peering back and forth for any hint of what kind of danger this place could hold. However, he was surprised to see that the danger was the skeleton itself as it started to emit a powerful aura that made Zac think of the unfathomable depths of the ocean.
The skeleton rose to its feet before it swung its sword in a sharp arc that didn’t seem impeded by the water at all. In fact, it was almost like the ocean was pushing the sword forward, increasing its speed rather than acting as an impediment.
Zac countered with a swing of his own, and the waters started to churn from corrosion as Zac activated [Blighted Cut], causing highly corrosive droplets to drip from his axe. The two weapons clashed, and a swirl of water clashed with an outburst of corruption. Zac was actually pushed back a few steps from the sheer power contained in the skeleton’s swing, but he countered by lashing out with the chains of [Love’s Bond]. The strike launched the skeleton across the cave, and it slammed into a wall with a heavy thud.
He had expected to rip the skeleton apart with the coffin-infused iron links, but neither the corrosive elements of his skill or the impacts themselves left as much as a mark on the glistening bones. Just how sturdy was this thing? Thankfully, its combat technique was crude. It contained hints of some water-related Dao along with a brutish force, but the attacks themselves were without any finesse. Zac shot forward again, and he launched another barrage of strikes.
The basic path of war slowly merged with his fighting style again as Zac unleashed an unrelenting barrage of strikes. The skeleton was strong, but it was ultimately just a naïve recruit while he was a veteran seasoned through multiple campaigns. How couldn’t there be openings to take advantage of? One strike after another targeted joints, vertebrae, or other weaknesses, but a frown spread across Zac's face when the thing seemed completely impervious to his attacks.
A sudden scream of danger made Zac quickly drag himself out of the way with the help of one of his chains, just in time to see a spear of something pierce the waters where his head was just a moment ago. A tentacle.
Zac looked at the appendage return to hiding inside the ribcage of the skeleton, and realization dawned on him. Only then did he notice weak hints of energy and life-force along its arms and legs, more tentacles which were almost perfectly blended in with the waters.
He was fighting with an octopus rather than a skeleton?
He had planned on simply dismantling the thing and pray that it didn’t possess the ability to reassemble its bones, but it looked like the skeleton itself was just a puppet. It simply moved its body out of the way when Zac swung his axe, letting the supremely sturdy bones take the hit. It looked like he needed to adjust his tactic a bit. Four chains shot forward, all of them drenched in black tar that profaned the surroundings.
Each chain swung around the skeleton’s limbs, but a storm of cutting water blades shot out from the skeleton the moment they tried to latch on. The blades were powerful, but thankfully not powerful enough to harm either Zac or the chains of [Love’s Bond]. However, they formed a storm around the skeleton itself, preventing Zac from latching on to activate the finishing blow of [Blighted Cut].
It looked like the octopus had learned to be wary of the chains from the first lashing.
Still, the chains were not only useful for binding while [Blighted Cut] was active, and they kept spewing out more and more corrosive liquid into the cave. He hadn’t managed to make much progress with the skill over the past years, but it had at least reached Middle Mastery. The upgrade increased the corrosive properties by a tier while also increasing the cost of keeping the skill active. Obviously, that was a worthy exchange for someone with a massive Miasma pool like him.
Still, the skeleton seemed mostly impervious to his attempt to corrode the beast within since the octopus managed to move away all the tainted water with its ability to manipulate water. Its control of waters in the small cave was too great, and not a drop of it reached its almost intangible body. Zac gave it a thought and figured he’d try something else. Something new.
His body suddenly started to release a black cloud that spread through the waters with rapid speed. It just took a few seconds before it had filled the whole cave. The illumination from the seagrass and moss was drowned out, replaced by pervasive darkness and the chill of death. Not only that, but a sizzling sound echoed through the small cave.
It almost sounded like he stood in an enormous swarm of cicadas, but he knew that the sound was all the moss and even the cave wall being rapidly dissolved. The darkness was filled with decay, which was why Zac summoned it. He figured it would be hard for the octopus to keep away tainted water if everything became tainted.
Zac could see just fine in the shroud of darkness, and he saw how the skeleton had been covered from head to toe in water armor in an effort to block out the corrosive storm Zac had unleashed. It looked like it no longer felt as confident, and it immediately swam toward the exit. However, a chain lashed at the skeleton as Zac moved to block.
The skeleton still wore the Spatial Ring, and the sword was a treasure as well. How could he let the octopus simply leave?
Getting trapped had clearly enraged the beast as it unleashed a furious barrage at Zac, using both its sword and the skeleton’s limbs as weaponry. The pure force in its strikes was nothing to scoff at, and Zac felt himself somewhat on the defensive from the onslaught. It wouldn’t have been as bad if he activated [Vanguard of Undeath], but the cave was simply too small to freely fight in that state.
Still, there was no such thing as passively defending for his Fetters of Desolation Class.
The darkness suddenly congealed as Zac felt a drain on his Miasma. Out from it, a wraith wielding a nasty war axe appeared. Its features were obscured by a tattered robe, and its arms were in a state of advanced decay. The axe seemed to be wrought from black metal, and its head was covered in runes that shone in a sinister green radiance that spoke of putrefaction.