Chapter Seventy-Four: The Core of the Grand Tomb

The terrain of the Underworld mirrors that of the living world, the only difference being that most souls are able to ignore the barriers of rivers and mountains, moving freely wherever they wish. Obstacles that would normally require detours can now be traversed directly, and the speed at which one travels here far surpasses that of the living realm.

Thus, players attuned to the shadow element must reach the core necropolis as swiftly as possible; otherwise, they would be forced to follow the main force, advancing slowly and fighting their way through, which could take ten days or even half a month to arrive. Even by traveling through the Underworld, it took them nearly three days. During those three days, they pressed onward without pause.

Even when encountering enemies along the way, they simply fought through in a single breath, never stopping for those who fell in battle. Night brought no respite; they did not make camp, but continued onward. By the time they arrived near the core necropolis, the number of shadow-aligned players had reached one hundred and nine. Fortunately, most of the Level 1 trainees possessed decent combat prowess and survival skills, and with sufficient undead retainers at their side, their overall fighting strength remained intact.

As they approached the core necropolis, the shadow players were divided into three groups: two groups of around forty, and the last, a force of twenty composed exclusively of Level 1 trainees—the vanguard of the attack. After organizing the teams, one of the forty-strong groups began patrolling the area, dealing with nearby spirits and undead, while the rest took their first break.

After about an hour, the second forty-person group began preparing food, the twenty-person group took over patrol and cleansing of local spirits, and the first group rested. Another hour passed, and everyone received a portion of food, making final preparations for battle.

[Combat Meal—Feast of Decayed Flesh: Restores 100% health and 100% mana in 30 seconds. If consumed thoroughly over 45 seconds, grants +1 to all attributes for 15 minutes.]

This was a signature blue combat meal for shadow players, notorious for its foul taste; were it not for its excellent attributes, no one would willingly eat such fare.

After eating, the trainees checked their equipment, inspected the health of their undead retainers, and finally began to deploy for the assault.

This battle would be led by the twenty Level 1 players, positioned in the center, flanked by the two forty-person groups, with the remaining nine bringing up the rear. Within each group, those attuned to physical prowess stood at the front, accompanied by the undead retainers of the magic-attuned players, followed by the magic-attuned players themselves.

As for Liu Zong, he was currently counted among the physically attuned, accompanied by his demon-loli, who had now set down the giant bear she carried. The bear, having absorbed too much blood and life, seemed changed; its once toy-like eyes now moved of their own accord, and when dropped by the demon-loli, its claws swung aimlessly in all directions. Yet she paid no mind to what her bear had become, simply dragging its chain behind Liu Zong.

The operation’s commander was someone Liu Zong had met before—a physically attuned player named Li Shi, already Level 1. Liu Chun had mentioned him previously, saying he had intended to apply for an assistant instructor position in the shadow department upon reaching Level 1, to remain at the school. However, due to these events, he was forced to fight as a trainee, though he approached the battle with enthusiasm, clearly hoping to earn merit and secure a favorable post at the school.

Li Shi was undeniably capable, following the traditional death knight path, yet gaining the respect of all Level 1 physically attuned players and forming a temporary knight order. Liu Zong suspected that among the two squads for which Teacher Zhang had obtained designations, the physically attuned would likely be called the Death Knight Order, with Li Shi as its main force.

This spoke to his standing among the shadow trainees; he now stood at the battle’s forefront, having provided the recipe for the combat meal. Once preparations were complete, Li Shi raised his longsword, pointed it toward the core necropolis, and called out in a loud voice, “Death Knight Order, charge!”

With that, Li Shi rode his undead warhorse, sword held high, toward the core necropolis. Behind him followed nineteen Level 1 shadow players, both physically and magically attuned. Regardless of their chosen class, they attacked as if well-practiced, focusing all their assaults on a single point at the heart of the necropolis.

That strike dispersed the gray mist shrouding the core necropolis, revealing its interior to all. Unlike ordinary graveyards, which span only fifty meters in diameter, the core necropolis was vastly larger, covering an area equal to two football fields. At its center stood a towering white banner, thirty meters high.

Beneath the banner clustered about forty spirits and undead, few of them with the locust heads seen before; most were horned, reverse-hooved monsters. Among them, four or five undead stood out—taller and more robust than the rest.

As the shadow trainees charged into the core necropolis, the surrounding gray mist stirred, releasing a horde of undead who surged forth, seemingly seeking to cut off the trainees’ retreat.

Liu Zong and the others had anticipated this, but paid it no mind; they knew this was only the beginning. If they failed to seize the core necropolis, the local undead would only increase in number.

Thus, the twenty Level 1 trainees, upon colliding with the forty spirits and undead, made every effort to draw them away from the white banner, rather than battling in place.

Meanwhile, the other Level 0 physically attuned players quickly formed a ring around the white banner, allowing the magic-attuned players to begin their work on it. The attacking undead were held at bay by the physically attuned players.

Liu Zong stood among those holding the line, weapon in hand and undead retainers at his side, facing the oncoming spirits and undead. In their ears, only one voice echoed:

"Transformation has begun. Fifteen minutes remain."