Shadow Whispers, Holy Light Purges Evil

The moment they entered the Tomb, everyone felt a wave of discomfort. A chilling, heart-palpitating shadowy aura swept over them, as if countless damp, cold tentacles were writhing in the darkness, trying to burrow into their bones.

Low, incomprehensible murmurs echoed from deep within the passage, pounding directly against their souls and bringing waves of dizziness and irritation.

Even Rod could faintly hear some hushed whispers.

"Steady your minds! These are Shadow Whispers. Use the Holy Light to protect your souls!" Uther's voice was steady and forceful. Holy Light blazed around him, forming a warm halo that shut out the whispers trying to erode the group.

The paladins and Tyr's Guard behind him followed suit. Golden radiance connected throughout the dark passage, and Rod used Flash of Light to illuminate himself.

At the same time, he combined the heightened mental strength granted by Arcane Intellect with the restorative effect of Blessing of Wisdom, building a solid barrier on the mental plane.

Jaina waved her staff, and a pale blue Arcane Shield enveloped the group, further weakening the effects of the Shadow Whispers.

Fortunately, these were merely the hellish sounds unconsciously emitted by Faceless Ones and shadow creatures. If they had been whispers from the Old Gods...

Rod, as he was now, would not have been able to withstand them. These were whispers capable of corrupting even Guardians.

"Watch your footing. Advance carefully!" a member of Tyr's Guard warned.

The moment he spoke, the shadows ahead in the passage suddenly began to writhe violently!

Dozens of twisted creatures seemingly composed of pure shadow abruptly "grew" out of the walls and floor!

They had no fixed forms, resembling boiling black tar. Shadow energy constantly bubbled from their surfaces, making nauseating gurgling sounds. Malicious purple light flickered from their jagged openings, gathering into the shapes of tentacles and fangs as they silently lunged at the intruders!

These shadow monsters were low-ranking minions formed from the power Zakaz had leaked over tens of thousands of years!

"My Holy Light, purge these vile things!" Uther shouted, pointing his warhammer forward. A pure golden pillar of light shot forth like a spear of Judgment, instantly piercing through the three shadow monsters charging at the front.

The struck monsters released piercing shrieks. Their bodies boiled violently beneath the Holy Light, evaporating and dispersing into wisps of black smoke.

The other paladins, Rod among them, also cast their Holy Light spells, summoning powerful holy energy to clear the shadow monsters from the passage.

These shadow monsters would have been a troublesome foe for other classes, but before Holy Light spells, they were nothing at all.

"For order, long live Tyr! Destroy these minions of the ancient Old Gods!" the leader of Tyr's Guard roared, sweeping out the faintly glowing greatsword in his hand.

Terrifying holy power clung to the blade. Wherever its edge passed, shadow monsters burst apart like drops of water thrown into boiling oil, and even the shadowy aura drawing near was scattered!

Their attacks contained not only Holy Light, but also runes derived from ancient Titan technology—Order Shockwaves aimed at chaotic energy, making them extraordinarily efficient.

Jaina waved her staff, and several Ice Lances precisely nailed themselves into the cores of several shadow monsters. The extreme cold instantly froze them into rigid black ice statues, which the paladins then easily shattered with their warhammers.

Rod did not immediately use the powerful Magic Arrow. These low-level monsters were not worth wasting precious mana on. He raised a hand and shouted, "Divine Storm!"

This was a powerful new paladin spell he had learned from Uther!

Centered on Rod, a golden energy vortex several meters wide abruptly formed! Holy energy became a storm of spinning blades, swirling around Rod.

The shadow monsters trying to bypass the front line and pounce on the sides and rear of the group were instantly swept into it. Amid piercing sizzling sounds, they were like snow cast into a furnace, burned away and purified in an instant!

Wherever the Holy Light storm passed, even the slimy moss on the passage walls and the seeping black ooze were completely purified, leaving behind dry, clean stone.

"Nicely done, Rod!" Jaina's eyes lit up. Once again, Rod's speed and power in mastering Holy Light spells astonished her.

"Maintain formation. Continue forward!" Uther ordered in a low voice. Amid intertwining Holy Light and arcane energy, the group advanced into the darkness like a sharp blade.

The deeper they went into the Tomb, the broader the passage became, eventually merging into a massive underground cavern.

The light here was even dimmer, and the air was filled with shadowy fog too dense to disperse, severely obstructing their vision.

At the center of the cavern stood an ancient altar built from huge, rough stones. The ground surrounding it was covered in intricate, dim sealing runes.

But many of those runes had already shattered, and viscous black matter that seemed alive continuously seeped from the cracks.

And what guarded the altar were no longer low-level shadow monsters, but more powerful beings!

Faceless Ones!

These twisted creatures stood nearly three meters tall. Their skin was dark purple or deep gray, covered in slick mucus and hard chitinous armor.

They had no obvious heads. Their upper bodies consisted only of enormous mouths filled with spiraling fangs and several constantly writhing tentacles ending in suckers or claws. Their lower bodies were thick limbs resembling those of insects or crustaceans.

They stood silently amid the shadowy fog, radiating suffocating pressure and pure malice. They were extensions of Zakaz's power, higher-ranking minions.

"Roar—!" At the sight of the intruders, the three nearest Faceless Ones gave soundless roars—a shriek that struck directly at the soul!

At the same time, the tentacles within their enormous mouths suddenly fired several viscous, foul-smelling Shadow Bolts, fast as lightning!

"Raise shields!" Uther shouted. The paladins and Tyr's Guard in the front immediately lifted their heavy shields, Holy Light gathering on them into walls of light.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The Shadow Bolts crashed against the Holy Light barriers with dull explosions, their viscous dark energy trying to corrode the Holy Light. The shields shook violently, leaving the warriors holding them with numb arms.

"Frost Nova!" Jaina struck her staff against the ground, and a bone-chilling ring of frost instantly spread outward from her! It swept across the lower bodies of the three Faceless Ones, freezing them in place in an instant and making their movements sluggish and stiff.

"Now! Attack!" Seizing the opportunity, the leader of Tyr's Guard led his subordinates forward like tigers.

Greatswords carrying Order Shockwaves and Holy Light hacked viciously into the Faceless Ones' hard armor, producing piercing metallic scraping sounds and leaving deep scorch marks and cracks.

The paladins focused on purification instead. Holy Light and Flash of Light rained down upon the attacked Faceless Ones, burning their flesh with sizzling sounds and releasing foul black smoke.