Left Behind

Li Shaolin had somehow leveled up again, which felt strange even to him. Seeing everyone resting on their own, he took out the Book of the Dead. Opening it gently, he found that the character inside had indeed reached level 6, with 2 skill points remaining. Beneath the pristine white skeleton icon, the number 2/2 stood out clearly. It seemed those two Skeleton Warriors had been fighting Kobolds inside. What he could not understand was how two level 1 Skeleton Warriors, each barely as strong as a Forest Wolf, had lasted so long. They had actually killed enough Kobolds to level him up?

"Eh, what's this?" On the first page of his Book of the Dead, alongside the Summon Skeleton and Fangs skills in his character description, there was unexpectedly another skill: Detection (can determine a target's level and type). It looked like some kind of perception spell. Forget it, he should spend his skill points first.

He turned to the second page and saw that the level 6 spells had lit up, changing from blood-red to gray. It seemed they could now be learned. After some hesitation, Li Shaolin selected Clay Golem. After all, that thing had been incredibly tough in Diablo II. He put the other point into Skeleton Mastery. Though he could not see what was happening in the mine, those two skeletons had held on for so long without being shattered. Strengthening them seemed promising.

By the time night had fallen, everyone felt they had rested enough and rose to pack up. Biter, the dwarven warrior, slightly rearranged the party. He and Jack would hold the front, the spellcasters would stay in the middle, while the female warrior and Li Shaolin would bring up the rear as before. After all, Li Shaolin had behaved nothing like a mage in the previous battle. He had actually fought in melee, so naturally he was assigned the role of a warrior-mage hybrid. Li Shaolin silently looked down on the big fellow, but he did not refuse. At least he had a warrior with him. He was only there to support them, and would only have to hold the line if there was truly no other choice.

The group moved forward slowly. This time, their party was strong. Any lone Kobolds were often wiped out by their powerful ranged firepower before they even had time to cry out. They easily passed through the tunnel outside the mine and reached the spot where they had been surrounded earlier. There were no Kobolds here now, only corpses scattered across the ground. Apparently, the Kobolds had not returned after fleeing. Biter gave Jack a cautionary gesture, and they continued onward.

After walking a little farther, the space before them suddenly opened up. A vast Mine Hall appeared before them. Several battered mine carts stood in the middle, and a number of wooden supports lined the walls. Above the center of the hall was a passage leading downward, apparently once used to lower ore. Li Shaolin could not help marveling to himself. This civilization was pretty advanced. They had actually figured out the principle of elevators. Several passages stretched out from all around the hall into the distance. Just then, a series of clanging sounds rang out, echoing throughout the mine.

Listening closely, they found that the sound came from a side tunnel nearby. Jack made a scouting gesture toward Mogaban the Rogue. Mogaban nodded and slipped over in Stealth. He returned shortly afterward and whispered, "There are more than twenty Kobold Miners digging at the vein in there. Should we?" He made a chopping gesture as he spoke.

"How big is it in there?" Biter asked.

Mogaban thought for a moment. "The entrance is wide enough for around three people to pass through. It's a little roomier inside."

"Mm. Then Jack and I will hold the entrance. Everyone else attacks from range and traps them to death inside," Biter said slowly.

You little bastard, that's vicious. Li Shaolin could not help looking down on him again.

Jack and Biter raised their shields, leaving only a gap at the entrance just large enough for spells to pass through. Then came the sizzling sound of Fireball scorching the air, while the warlock began chanting Shadow Bolt. Naturally, Li Shaolin also prepared Fangs, holding it in his hand. Two sharp fangs circled and danced around his fingers, ready to launch at any moment. Finally, Moni finished preparing her Fireball. With a boom, it whistled into the mine tunnel. Immediately afterward, a skull wrapped in dark power followed it in—this was the warlock's Shadow Bolt. The faintly visible skull opened its jaw and let out a shrill, wraithlike howl, sending chills down their spines. With two whooshes, Li Shaolin's Fangs flew in after it, while the dwarven hunter raised his musket and began firing with two bangs.

That round of bombardment immediately threw the tunnel into chaos. Under the flickering firelight, the Kobold Miners surged madly toward the exit. But just as Biter had expected, the narrow entrance allowed only two Kobolds through at once, and the two gatekeepers blocked them completely. How could they possibly get out? After their earlier rest, the mana of the ranged fighters had mostly recovered to full, enough to cast more than ten spells. Moni's Fireball was undoubtedly the most destructive. After striking, it burned and splashed outward, setting the wooden tools inside ablaze. For a time, cries of pain and desperate howls filled the air. Li Shaolin could not help feeling disheartened. After all, he had transmigrated here from another world. In his previous life, he had been a law-abiding citizen. When had he ever done something like murder and arson? Watching it all made him feel somewhat sickened. Still, although Kobolds had "people" in their name, they were vastly different from humans. That made him feel a little better.

In less than ten minutes, more than half the Kobolds in the side tunnel had been killed or injured. The rest groaned miserably, severely wounded and without even the strength to stand. Jack and Biter entered first, with everyone else following close behind.

Inside was a side tunnel of roughly sixty square meters. The small mine carts on the ground were filled with copper ore. Most had been burned, with lingering flames still licking at them. Thick smoke swirled through the air, carrying waves of roasted meat smell with it. Li Shaolin's stomach churned violently. With a retch, he bent over and vomited. Jack frowned and said, "Let's head out and rest first. We can come back for the loot once the smoke clears." The others nodded. The smell here truly was unbearable.

The group slowly retreated. The moment they emerged, a Fireball suddenly came flying straight at Jack, who was in the lead, with a boom! Jack hurriedly raised his shield to block it, sending sparks flying everywhere. Looking up, they saw a dense swarm of Kobolds rushing toward them from afar. They carried miner's picks, clubs, and other weapons. Among them were several Kobolds holding wooden staffs, clearly the owners of that Fireball. Jack shouted, "Not good! Everyone, retreat now!" They immediately fled toward the exit. Fortunately, Kobolds were short, and naturally could not run as fast as humans. After a frantic escape, they finally made it out of the mine. Jack turned around and asked, "Eh? Where's Li Shaolin?"

At the time, Li Shaolin had been busy vomiting. Since he had been bent over and squatting, he had not noticed Jack and the others fleeing the mine. When he finally followed them out, he saw a huge group of Kobolds madly chasing after them. At a glance, there seemed to be several hundred. Startled, he quickly hid back inside the side tunnel. Not long afterward, several Kobolds could faintly be heard howling outside. It seemed they intended to investigate this side tunnel.

"God, don't do this to me. How am I supposed to handle this alone?" Li Shaolin cried miserably. He might be able to kill two or three Kobolds with Fangs, but once there were more than four, all he could do was run. Judging from the sounds outside, there were probably seven or eight of them. "I heard Kobolds even eat corpses. Even if I die, I won't leave a whole body behind. Poor me, I've only been in this world for two days and haven't even experienced any special services!" the shameless bastard thought mournfully.

He sorted through his skills. Eh, he had forgotten that he was already level 6. Li Shaolin hurriedly cast Summon Clay Golem on the soft earth. As the dirt churned, a golem about the size of a dwarf slowly rose from the soil. Bracing itself with hands made of earth, it stood up. It was over a meter tall, with a thick, solid chest that looked capable of taking a beating. "Sigh, I can only count on you now. Don't let me down! Wait, no!" As Li Shaolin stared at it, a row of red text appeared above its head: Level 6 Clay Golem. "What? Aren't summoned creatures supposed to start at level 1? Could it have become like pets in World of Warcraft, where the pet is the same level as its owner? I wonder how strong it is?" At that moment, a faint soul connection reached him. It was not from the golem, but another familiar feeling—the two Skeleton Warriors!

"Ahh!" Two Kobolds staggered into the tunnel. The Clay Golem swung its huge fist, smashing it into the first one's chest with a bang. Two crisp cracks of breaking bones sounded out. The Kobold's eyes widened as it spat out a mouthful of green blood and collapsed limply. The other Kobold had already driven its miner's pick into the Clay Golem! With a squelch, the sharp tip sank halfway in. The Clay Golem seemed not to feel a thing. It swung its right fist and smashed the Kobold's head violently, splattering brain matter all over itself. It casually pulled out the miner's pick. Mud slowly flowed over the wound, and it was soon restored!

"That's insane!" Li Shaolin was stunned as well. He had not expected the Clay Golem to dispose of two Kobolds so casually. With the golem in hand, it felt like the world was his. His back straightened and his head rose, but he still did not dare charge outside to slaughter everything in sight. He had no idea how many Kobolds were out there. If the golem could not hold them off, his little life would be over. Just then, sounds of fighting came from outside. Could Jack and the others have come back for him? Li Shaolin quickly went around to look, only to see green blood spraying through the air. Two gray, battered Skeleton Warriors stood there, their soul flames especially striking in the dark mine like messengers from hell. Their Bone Blades, already stained green, rose and fell in a furious flurry!