Chapter 250 - Eye of the Haze I (1/2)

”And how are we doing here?” asked Li from high above, his floating platform of roots giving him bird's eye vantage point of the developing battle, and developed it had.

”A challenge, aye, but one within realm of reason for my fist!” shouted Old Thane as used his arm to block a hacking slash from a skeletal guardian, an advanced variant of skeletal knight that had a level of near thirty.

The guardian's broadsword dug in an inch into Old Thane's forearm, but no more, finding it hard to cut into [Iron Skin] boosted flesh. He flexed his forearm, causing muscle to contract over the blade and trap it before socking the guardian in its b.r.e.a.s.tplate. A b.r.e.a.s.tplate that was noticeably less rusted and more robust in both shine and strength than that worn by its lesser counterparts.

The old man's fist slammed into the plate, denting it severely, and no doubt the shockwave emitted from his blow had cracked much of the bone behind it, but it was not enough to entirely drop the guardian. Zagan looked up at the guardian's head and casted a [Disintegration Ray] from his eyes. Twin beams of bright red swathed over the helmed skull before disintegrating both helmet and skull into nothingness.

”I thank ye for that one,” said Old Thane as he shoved forwards, sending the guardian's body slamming back into the rock with a metallic impact. He unflexed his arm, and the broadsword dislodged, clattering also on the stone below.

”Looks like things are getting a little harder,” said Li. ”As expected. The thicker one travels into Undeath Haze, the stronger and stronger the undead become. Old man, think it's time to abandon this solo raid?”

”Aye,” said Old Thane with a wistful smile. ”I know better than all others that true might comes from the strength of a party, not some bloodthirsty, charge-addled nitwit. I shall join the rest ahead.”

”A good idea,” said Li. ”I came here to tell you just the same thing. But it seems like you've got the gist of it. Join up with the advance group and keep near to Tia, for I am beginning to sense we are reaching the center of the haze.”

Old Thane nodded before rushing forwards, focusing on movement more than combat now that he had fallen a fair bit behind the advance party of Vilga, Sheela, and Tia. He used skills to stun enemies and shove them aside, using his advanced hearing and other senses to pierce through the blinding haze to navigate and track the sounds of battle ahead.

Li watched, and whatever undead that Old Thane left behind stunned or shoved, he disposed of in quick order with [Moonbeams] from his eyes that reduced the undead into smoking cinders. Honestly, he could have turned on a wide range [Moonbeam] and just strolled forwards, completely annihilating everything, but that would spoil the fun everyone was having.

And he liked all of this. This struggle through undead haze to reach a boss. It recaptured if just a little bit the magic that had kept him and his friends to the game for so many years. He smiled as he began to recall.

The Undeath Haze was a special environmental effect spawned from either a particularly strong undead or an area infused with a massive number of undead energies comprised of such things as the regrets of the dead, suffering, pain, and so on. In this case, an Oculon was the eye of the haze, naturally creating what was essentially a hurricane of charged energies.

In this hurricane, any undead that was not completely disintegrated or destroyed with holy type energy would eventually regenerate and respawn, meaning that it was imperative to push through the haze as soon as possible.

The haze also limited visibility and near the central eye, it also began to afflict status effects such as a potent healing debuff and slowed mana regeneration, though inversely it did hugely buff undead player characters.

Li himself actually had bonuses to much of his dark Druidry in this haze, though obviously he did not need to use it.

Near the eye of the haze, Li estimated that the strength of the undead would rise drastically. The lesser undead from before were around levels 15-20, and that let him judge that this was an incredibly low leveled haze, though of course, relative to the world's standards, it was a disastrous threat.

Here, where Old Thane was, the undead were beginning to reach the twenties, and at the center, there were fewer undead, but they would probably break into the mid thirties. At that point, everyone would have to start working together, and Li was curious to see how that would unfold.

Li watched with some surprise at the scene unfolding before him at the advance party.

Here, the haze was starting to swirl like mad, whipping up purple tinged winds that howled not just because of the wind, but also because of wraiths and other evil spirits occupying it. The spirits were hard to distinguish, being mere flickers of darkness in the raging maelstrom of purple, but Old Thane could pinpoint their howls and whispers.

”There, Sheela!” shouted Old Thane as he pointed in front of him, right above Tia.

Tia herself was in a standoff against an enormous Zombie Drake, sidestepping a breath of liquid rot, and she was entirely focused on the drake before her, eyes narrowed and ears twitching, not at all noticing the malevolent growth of hooded darkness and ethereal limbs willowing above her.