Battle at the Quarry (Part 2)

"RUMBLE---!"

The azure sword aura spread like a soaring eagle, sweeping everything in its path into a violent storm. The Skeleton Soldiers hadn't even time to raise their blades before the cyan eagle flew over their heads, the ensuing gale howling as it caught them, tossing them like driftwood backward, where they crashed against the stalactite walls and shattered into pieces.

"Let's go!"

"Yes..."

Watching the confident and spirited Stone before him, Fang Zheng sighed helplessly and followed him deeper into the tunnel. To be honest, he envied Stone's swordsmanship. This Grand Knight's skill was truly impressive, especially his AOE techniques, which were nothing short of masterful. Though Fang Zheng himself had inherited Arthas's Royal Cross Swordsmanship, its power not far behind Stone's Storm Sword, he always felt something was off. For some reason, this sensation had grown stronger after he passed through the brutal training of the Dark Souls Dungeon. Initially, Fang Zheng thought his discomfort with the sword art stemmed from unfamiliarity with the blade itself, but after enduring the hellish, life-and-death trials of Dark Souls, he found the feeling hadn't faded—it had only intensified.

Watching Stone fight now made it even clearer. Storm Swordsmanship flowed through him like water, as graceful and pleasing as a dance. But when Fang Zheng himself wielded Royal Cross Swordsmanship, it always felt... awkward. He couldn't pinpoint why, but it was there. Especially in comparison, the contrast was stark. If Stone's swordsmanship was like a well-oiled gear spinning smoothly, then Fang Zheng's was like one without oil—it could turn, sure, but how well it turned was another question entirely.

After this battle, he needed to talk to Stone about this.

Fang Zheng knew this wasn't the time to bring it up, so he said nothing, simply following close behind Stone. Miss M hadn't come down with them; for both Stone and Fang Zheng, it was safer for her to stay above, and Connie needed looking after. Fang Zheng had no goodwill toward that crazy woman, so he left her to the soft-spoken girl.

What troubled Fang Zheng more now was Stone himself. This Grand Knight's methods were exactly as Fang Zheng had imagined—simple and crude: charge in, then hack at anything that moved. Before Fang Zheng could even act, the skeleton soldiers that had rushed over at the commotion were already reduced to bone fragments by Stone.

Fang Zheng could only shrug helplessly, saying little. Having lived two lives, he wasn't stupid; he could see Stone was venting. Clearly, he knew that Malte and the others were likely not coming back. Fang Zheng didn't know the exact relationship between Stone and Malte, but he could tell they were close, or Stone wouldn't have come looking for them. Now, forced to watch his comrades march to their deaths, Stone was undoubtedly bitter.

But as a mature Grand Knight, Stone wouldn't act like some greenhorn shouting "we die together." He could only use this method to release his pent-up frustration and anger.

That was why Fang Zheng wisely chose not to bring up his swordsmanship issues now. Even if Stone had a good temper, he wouldn't be in the mood to solve Fang Zheng's doubts. And after spending so much time with Stone, Fang Zheng knew this Grand Knight's temper wasn't exactly great either.

The undead's resistance was futile against Stone. The hastily arriving undead soldiers didn't even get a chance to show their strength before Stone smashed them to pieces. After a few such rounds, they stopped appearing—either scared off by Stone, or the Lich had lost interest in these uninvited guests.

If it was the latter, that wasn't good news.

Stone and Fang Zheng quickened their pace. Though this quarry was abandoned, the tunnels seemed sturdy enough, so they didn't have to worry about a sudden collapse overhead. But the deeper they went, the darker their expressions grew. Not just because the aura of death thickened, but because the Lich still hadn't made a move.

Clearly, this plan wasn't going smoothly.

"There!"

As they rounded a bend in the tunnel, they immediately spotted a large cavern ahead. The moment they saw what lay inside, Stone's face darkened. Even Fang Zheng frowned.

In the center of the cavern lay over a dozen corpses, clad in Holy Knight armor, but their appearances were horrifying—their muscles seemed to have melted away, leaving only skin stretched over bone, a ghastly sight. Beneath them, blood flowed slowly, stark and almost blinding.

Fang Zheng didn't know what they had endured, but from the expressions frozen on their faces, it must have been agonizing.

"You bastard!!"

Roaring at the Lich floating in the cavern's center, Stone raised his Greatsword and slashed forward. With his motion, the eagle reappeared, but this time it was nearly twice as large. With a sharp cry, the massive bird formed from condensed air flapped its wings, charging at the Lich with a trailing afterimage. Facing Stone's full-powered strike, the floating figure merely tilted its head, raised a staff that looked like a withered branch, and tapped it lightly in their direction.

The next moment, Fang Zheng saw a black beam shoot from the staff, striking the Storm Eagle. Then, something unimaginable happened—the eagle, formed entirely from Star Spirit Energy and wind elements, began to struggle and scream as if it were truly alive. It flapped its wings weakly twice, then crashed to the ground, silently dissolving into dust. Stone himself fared poorly; the moment the beam hit the eagle, his expression shifted sharply. In that instant, he felt an icy hand reach into his body and grip his heart.

Fortunately, his strong physique withstood the blow; otherwise, it wouldn't have been just his eagle that fell. Even so, Stone's face changed several times as he gritted his teeth, resisting the Death Force that had invaded his body, holding on.

But for Stone, something else was more terrifying. The enemy had grasped his Storm Swordsmanship and killed it outright. This could only happen in one scenario: the opponent's power level far exceeded his own. In such a clash, the higher-level force would show overwhelming dominance, manifesting the laws of its power. And for a Lich to "kill" his sword art's power—only one person in Stone's memory could do that!

"This is the power of the Death Domain... You're Duke Frank the Bone of the Undying Council? It's you?!"

Holy shit!

Hearing Stone's question, Fang Zheng's heart jolted. During his time with Stone at the temple, he hadn't only trained in swordsmanship; he'd also learned about the Order Holy Temple's enemies. The temple faced three major foes: one was the Church of the Day of Destruction, to which Fang Zheng's original body belonged; the other two were the Undying Council and the Twilight Legion. The Twilight Legion operated on the borders of civilization, aiming to shatter all symbols of order and civilization. The Undying Council's goal was more "lofty"—they believed all life's meaning lay in death, making death the eternal theme of the world, where both chaos and order would return to the silence of death.

To be honest, if the Twilight Legion and the Church of the Day of Destruction could occasionally ally for a common goal, the Undying Council was the enemy of everyone, both chaos and order. After all, they didn't care if you were order or chaos; they only wanted to drag you into experiencing "the truth of death." Neither Paladins nor Cultists wanted any part of that.

What's more, the Undying Council's doctrine was deeply hated. They preached "the Goddess of Order will fall" while also saying "the twilight of chaos is coming"... offending both sides completely.

Worse still, the organization was entirely composed of Undead creatures. All the undead on the continent were gathered here—not just Liches, but things like Bone Dragons and even Deathbringers. That was why both order and chaos in this world hated the Undying Council to the bone but dared not strike easily—their strength was too great, and one misstep could mean annihilation.

Moreover, what terrified everyone most was the Council's skill at "persuasion through education." History recorded many famed heroes who tried to eliminate these undead fanatics lurking in the shadows, but their endings were all the same—they set out boldly, then vanished without a trace. When they reappeared, they had become undead servants.

Duke Frank the Bone was one of the five Undying Councilors of the Undying Council, governing the Death Domain, second only to the Undying Council Chair. Though Stone had guessed this Lich would be tough, he hadn't expected such a troublesome opponent.

This was bad!

Looking at the floating Lich's figure, Fang Zheng frowned.

He was certain that Stone's original plan was now useless.