Chapter 10: Into The Depths
The chances of encountering a rare monster, especially a Wraith, were incredibly low. The most likely reason they had come across it was the commotion Winston had caused.
Leonard, having researched the Haunted Catacombs before entering the Grade 1 dungeon, was well informed about the monsters residing inside.
The Wraith was considered a rare Mini-Boss, which was why the system had generously announced its name and level.
Although killing it promised rewards, they weren’t exactly fortunate. Once a Wraith had chosen its prey, it never abandoned the hunt until the very end.
The idea of hastily retreating from the dungeon flashed through Leonard’s mind... Only to be shattered when he glanced behind him and saw a wave of zombies already rising.
"Killing them doesn’t give experience anymore!" Winston yelled out of breath. "Unless we slay the Wraith that summons them, there will be no end to this!"
Leonard nodded, his expression turning grim. Knowing that the longer they lingered, the worse things could get, he dashed straight in.
Getting closer, he got a better look at the Wraith.
The creature had a sinister appearance, hidden beneath a dark robe. Its semi-transparent body made it hard to discern, except for its two glowing crimson eyes that burned with frenzy.
Dodging the clumsy attacks of two zombies standing in his path, Leonard reached the Mini-Boss.
Sadly, unlike the time he had faced the Rebellious Mist and gained Joker as a summon, the Wraith bore no mana core or other easily targetable features.
His strike passed through the Wraith’s body without encountering any resistance.
"Normal attacks don’t work... I guess that leaves elemental ones." He murmured.
Letting out a piercing scream, the Wraith’s body shifted and twisted, forming a massive claw that slashed in retaliation.
The attack passed through Leonard’s body, leaving him feeling drained and partially exhausted.
[Drain Life detected! Your vitality has been temporarily reduced by 5 points!]
"Get behind me!" Winston shouted, raising his circular shield. With zombies closing in on them from all sides, the only viable option was to push forward.
Letting out another shriek, the Wraith thrust its claw forward. The attack passed straight through the shield and drained a portion of his vitality.
"I’m fine!" Winston shouted with a forced smile. "All that fat can take quite the beating!"
The Wraith’s eyes shifted, realizing that Leonard had used the distraction to flank it.
"Let’s try this again." Leonard said, lightning coursing along his double-headed axe.
[Lightning Strike activated!]
The Rare skill, now upgraded to Level 2, struck mercilessly. The force behind the blow was inconsequential. What inflicted the real damage was the lightning element infused with it.
Realizing that the humans it was facing could actually damage it, the Wraith recoiled in fright, still suffering under the devastating damage. The creature intended to bury them beneath the zombies under its command.
"No!" Winston shouted, seeing that the Mini-Boss was making a tactical retreat.
The monster was formless. If it chose to keep its distance, catching it, let alone slaying it, would become nearly impossible!
Just then, the fog that had covered the small cemetery flickered, moving of its own accord. The mist condensed and materialized into a tall figure, mimicking Leonard’s appearance, right in front of the creature!
Since both were technically made of similar substances, Leonard believed that Joker could physically interact with the Wraith they were facing.
Without an ounce of hesitation, Joker struck, his fist colliding with the creature’s body and pushing it backward.
Puzzled that it could be physically forced away, the Wraith shrieked as Leonard followed up by unleashing Lightning Strike once more.
Struck from behind, the damage was far more impactful than before, yet it still wasn’t enough.
Leonard knew that time wasn’t on their side. Ever since summoning Joker and keeping him in a dormant state to provide cover, his mana hasn’t been able to properly recover after the usage of the Rare Skill.
Now, with Joker joining the fight, his precious mana wasn’t just stagnant but started to drain at an alarming rate. Making him wish he had been more mindful of his mana pool.
"T—Two Leonards?!" Winston turned ghostly pale. With Joker in action, for a moment he thought a second Wraith had appeared.
However, he regained his composure a second later. Seeing that his teammate had things under control, he turned toward the zombies about to overrun them, eager to fulfill his role as tank.
"Hey! You’re all attracted to flesh, right? Look how much I have right here! Focus on me!" Winston taunted, striking his shield with the hammer.
The Wraith, confused by Joker’s existence and robbed of the zombies’ support, was out of options. Desperation overrode its fear, forcing it into an enraged state.
"Joker!" Leonard called out, and his summon complied.
With an expression of utter indifference, Joker lunged forward in a graceful leap and trapped the creature in his embrace.
Using the very last drop of mana he had, Leonard closed the distance and activated his skill from point-blank range, ensuring that every flicker of lightning coursed through the Wraith’s silhouette.
The Mini-Boss let out a deafening scream of agony, its luminous eyes rapidly fading.
At long last, the accumulated damage proved enough. The Wraith withered and disintegrated, and Joker followed suit as Leonard’s mana failed to sustain him.
[You have defeated a Level 5 Wraith, a Rare Mini-Boss exclusive to the Golden Hour!]
[You have gained 70 Experience!]
[In recognition of your exceptional achievement, you have been granted 100 Evolution Points!]
The experience was a nice bonus, yet it paled in comparison to the addition of the evolution points. Acquiring them outside of leveling up was notoriously difficult. They were one of the main reasons awakeners treasured the Golden Hour and the rare monsters it spawned so highly.
With the Wraith’s defeat, the zombies collapsed like puppets with their strings cut. Winston sat heavily on the ground, and Leonard took the opportunity to catch his breath.
After upgrading Lightning Strike to Level 2, the cost of further improvements had risen to 20 evolution points. He could afford to raise it several more levels, but Leonard believed that, in the long term, investing in one of his traits would be far more beneficial than further improving the skill.
[Upgrade Accelerated Manaflow to the next level: 100 Evolution Points]
[Accelerated Manaflow - Level 1 → 2]
[Increases the absorption rate of your mana pathways, passively restores 1 mana every 9 seconds.]
With Accelerated Manaflow raised to Level 2, not only would his mana pool recover faster, but he could also keep Joker in a dormant state without stagnating his energy restoration!
For reference, skills had levels that could be upgraded and eventually evolved into higher ranks once a threshold was reached. Traits, on the other hand, only had levels, as their inherent rank was tied to his Primordial Bloodline.
This also meant that any further improvements would reach astronomical prices depending on their usefulness.
[Upgrade Accelerated Manaflow to the next Level: 1,000 Evolution Points]
[Upgrade Hardened Physique to the next Level: 5,000 Evolution Points]
[Upgrade Devoted Summons to the next Level: 10,000 Evolution Points]
Meanwhile, summons were the polar opposite, inherently tied to his level. The only way to improve them was to evolve them outright to the next rank.
[Evolve Joker to the next Rank: 2,000 Evolution Points]
Albeit steep, the cost was undoubtedly worth it considering how extraordinary each improvement was bound to be. Leonard found it to be a solid goal to work toward.
After collecting the zombies’ old jewelry and the Wraith’s robe, which could be sold for profit, Leonard began examining the small cemetery in detail.
"What are you doing?" Winston asked.
"Encountering a Wraith is an indication that we’re near the entrance to the catacombs." Leonard replied, finding an opening leading underground.
Up until now, they had remained above ground, which was considered the starting phase.
From this point onward, they were about to enter the main stage of the Haunted Catacombs dungeon, where the true rewards and dangers awaited.
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