After a flurry of crowd control and attacks.
The Blood-Burning Demon Skeleton was blasted to pieces by Zong Shen and the others.
Zong Shen also began to appreciate the fun of luring monsters into traps and keeping them controlled.
[Killed a Lv. 16 Blood-Burning Demon Skeleton] [Obtained 880 experience points] [Obtained 1 Tattered Blood-Burning Light Armor] [Obtained 1 Complete Green Soul] [Obtained 2 Hardened Demon Tibias] [Obtained 2 Hardened Demon Humeri] [Obtained 1 Heavy Cleave Skill Book (Green)]
A flash of white light appeared, and Zong Shen reached Lv. 6.
Unfortunately, Tie Zhu and the Wolf Cavalry hadn't leveled up.
There were a few gray and white rewards, as well as a green skill book.
The other rewards could wait, but the equipment and skill book couldn't.
Thinking of this, Zong Shen took out another green-grade item he'd obtained earlier: the [Swift Leather Boots].
He took everything out of his Storage Grid and laid it out in front of him, ready to sort through it.
[Tattered Blood-Burning Light Armor] [Quality: Damaged] [Body Protection: 30] [Durability: 50] [Strength Required: 16] (After enduring fierce battles and the ravages of ten thousand years, this Blood-Burning Light Armor is severely damaged, but still offers good protection.)
Damaged gray-grade equipment.
Its defensive capabilities were decent, though, and it could add 30 points to his upper-body armor.
Colby's Leather Armor was nearly worn out, so this could serve as a replacement for now.
Zong Shen immediately knew what to do with it.
He beckoned Colby over.
Taking out the damaged light armor, he handed it to him.
"Colby, replace that nearly worn-out Leather Armor of yours. Wear this light armor for now."
At his words, Colby dismounted and obediently took off his Leather Armor, which had only a few points of durability left, revealing his sturdy, powerful muscles.
He put on the [Tattered Blood-Burning Light Armor] Zong Shen had given him.
Then he bowed to Zong Shen.
[For your care and generosity] [Wolf Cavalry Colby's Loyalty toward you increased by 3 points. Current Loyalty: 93]
Zong Shen nodded and waved Colby back into position. Then he started examining the other two green-grade items and the skill book.
[Swift Leather Boots (Green)] [Quality: Fine] [Leg Protection: 17] [Durability: 150] [Skill: Passive Skill, Swiftness Lv. 1 (Increases movement speed by 5%)] [Agility Required: 6]
A great piece of equipment. It even came with a passive skill.
It also added 17 points of leg protection.
They were much better than the [Tattered Leather Boots] he had on.
Zong Shen equipped them immediately.
His leg protection and movement speed both improved.
He had replaced almost all the "tattered" gear he'd been wearing.
He'd gone from rags to riches.
Fantastic!
Zong Shen shifted his gaze to the skill book.
[Heavy Cleave Skill Book] [Learn to master the skill: Heavy Cleave Lv. 1] [Heavy Cleave Lv. 1 (Swing a blade with all your strength, dealing 1.3 times your normal slashing damage. Has a 10% chance to destroy the target's equipment, reducing its durability to zero. Cooldown: 10h)] [Strength Required: 30] [(Can be learned once the requirements are met)]
"Damn it, I can't learn it yet!"
Zong Shen grumbled as he put the Heavy Cleave Skill Book away.
Heavy Cleave required 30 Strength to learn.
Even the burly Wolf Cavalry couldn't meet that requirement.
He'd have to stash it away for now.
As for the rest of the loot, he'd put it away and sort through it after finishing the quest and returning to the surface.
The huge monster blocking their way had been eliminated.
Now they just had to search the Execution Room for the parts of Altland Whisperwind's body that had been scattered around.
Zong Shen led everyone to move aside the iron railing they'd used to block the Corridor.
They quickly entered the Execution Room.
"Tasia, have your two Skeleton Archers come in and light the place up before they disappear."
Zong Shen waved Tasia over.
The Execution Room was pitch-black.
He couldn't see a thing.
The two Skeleton Archers were nearly out of time anyway.
He might as well put them to work as makeshift lamps.
As the two Skeleton Archers entered, the red soul flames flickering in their eye sockets lit up the Execution Room.
Dim red light fell across the walls, stretching everyone's shadows into eerie shapes.
The Execution Room was filled with all sorts of torture devices.
A thick layer of dark red patina covered the iron implements.
One of the iron shackles held two powerful arms.
Dark red patterns covered them.
They were also studded with steel spikes.
This was a desecration ritual much like the one performed on the torso.
It seemed the Blood-Burning Demons hated Altland Whisperwind, the Demon Hunter, with a vengeance.
Even after he was dead, they hadn't passed up the chance to desecrate his body.
This was a ritual performed by demons from a Different Dimension. Zong Shen didn't understand its deeper meaning—whether it was simply to vent their spite or whether they had some other purpose.
But as long as the quest was legitimate and recognized by the Lord System, he could confidently complete it.
He strode forward and examined them closely.
[Altland Whisperwind's Left Arm] [The left arm has undergone the Blood Burn Demon Profanation Ritual. One of the quest items.] [Altland Whisperwind's Right Arm] [The right arm has undergone the Blood Burn Demon Profanation Ritual. One of the quest items.]
He gave a slight wave of his hand and stored both body parts in his Storage Grid.
He'd now recovered three of the six body parts.
All that remained were the left and right legs and the head. Once he collected them all, the quest would be complete.
The Execution Room was the end of this passage.
There didn't seem to be anywhere else worth exploring.
"Let's go back to the Corridor junction and check out the dungeon on the left."
As soon as he finished speaking,
the two Skeleton Archers ran out of time.
They collapsed into two piles of bones, and the Execution Room plunged back into darkness.
With that, Zong Shen led the way out of the Execution Room.
They followed the passage back to the T-junction, then headed straight into the dungeon on the left.
The dungeons on either side had similar layouts. The only difference was that Zong Shen saw another passage branching off to the left at the far end of the left-hand dungeon. Clearly, there was more to explore inside.
No wonder the Strategy Guide had recommended exploring the right side first.
The right side was a dead end. After exploring it, they could go straight to the left without having to backtrack and waste time.
Since coming down through the entrance beneath the sarcophagus in the Temple, they'd traveled a long way underground along the passage. They had no idea what lay above this dungeon now.
Whatever it was, it had to be a fair distance from the Temple.
Zong Shen advanced at a measured pace.
The passage on the left still had rows of cells on either side.
He didn't let his guard down.
There were plenty of Undead monsters in the dungeon.
Who knew what kind of strange creature might appear?
He took a few more steps, then sensed that something was off.
"Boom!"
Suddenly, a loud explosion rang out at the end of the passage on the left.
Faint flames flickered at the same time.
"Stop."
Zong Shen raised his hand, bringing the soldiers to a halt.
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