Volume 8 Chapter 7 Tomb Exploration Part I
Malachi explained the entire structure of the Tempest tomb to Al, and he stepped out from the door in the room with the guardian golem. This was his first time entering the corridor. It took about 5 minutes to open and close this door, and it was designed so that it couldn't be opened at the same time as the door leading to the Tempest tomb. This was to prevent anyone from ignoring the guardian golem and rushing through.
Beyond that door, there was a long corridor that twisted and turned, going up and down repeatedly. Malachi had told him that it would mess with his sense of direction and height, but he didn't really understand it. Al thought it was just confusing because of all the turns, but it seemed like there was more to it. Glee explained some points along the way.
'Look, this stone wall is tilted on purpose. So, even though it's going down, it looks like it's going up.'
'This corner looks like a right angle, but it's not actually a right angle.'
Every time Glee pointed something out, Al was impressed. He had already admired her memory when they worked on the spellbook, but now he noticed her excellent spatial awareness as well.
After climbing up and down for over 30 minutes, they finally arrived in a large area. Al was confused about his direction and how deep they were. Suddenly, he spotted three shadowy figures moving nearby
Fearing they might be grave robbers, he quickly hid around a corner. The area was very dark, but thanks to a skill called 'Sensory Boost,' Al could see a little, while a normal person would struggle. The three figures approached slowly, their hands outstretched. They had sunken cheeks and blank faces, clearly not human. Al realized they were likely zombies. Behind them, he noticed a faint, white, smoky figure that resembled a ghost.
It was said that people who die with strong desires or grudges can become undead, like zombies or ghosts. The figures approaching Al were likely grave robbers who died while trying to steal from graves. Since this was a burial site, it was not surprising to see undead here. However, their presence would feel disrespectful to Tempest and Malachi. Undead should be defeated and put to rest.
Al had never faced zombies or ghosts before. He knew that physical attacks could defeat zombies, especially by destroying their heads. Ghosts, on the other hand, could be defeated with holy water and special weapons. Al could use 'Magic Missile' against the zombies, but he was worried about the ghost. He had a dagger for tasks like cutting plants, but he hadn't used it in combat for years. He also had one bottle of holy water, but if he missed, he would be left defenseless.
So, Al started to back away cautiously, keeping an eye on the 3 zombies and one ghost he had encountered. The undead seemed to sense his presence and were slowly moving closer. There were 4 of them, and they were all new opponents. He wanted to avoid any risks if possible. He was here out of curiosity, wanting to see the ancient ruins, not because he had any mission. There was no need to force a fight.
Deciding to create some distance from the undead, Al began to move quickly. The zombies picked up their pace, but thankfully, they weren't too fast. However, the ghost, which was just a white shadow, was much quicker than Al could run.
'Slow'
The ghost slowed down a bit but was still faster than Al. In a panic, Al took off his backpack to find the bottle of holy water. He realized he wouldn't have time to use it against the ghost.
Frozen with fear, he scratched his head, regretting not keeping the holy water in an easy spot since they were in a graveyard. He desperately thought about how to use the holy water on the ghost.
Suddenly, a white shadow came closer. Al tried to swat it away, but when his left hand touched it, he felt a cold sensation, and the feeling in his wrist and hand disappeared.
So lonely...
A sense of loneliness, like that of the ghost, suddenly surged in his heart. A feeling of giving up hit him, and his will to live quickly faded away.
'No, Ally...! Stay calm!'
He heard Glee's voice right next to him. That's right! Al suddenly thought of a way. Holy water is, of course, a liquid. There must be a way to spray it out.
(Not from the usual ink bottle, but from the holy water bottle)
'Spray!'
With a hissing sound, the ghost's body, like white smoke, dissolved into the air. After being sprayed with the holy water, the ghost vanished.
"I'm saved..."
Al let out a sigh of relief. He almost sat down right there.
'Ally, not yet. The zombies are coming.'
That's right. Even though they were slow, the zombies were chasing after the ghost. Remembering Glee's warning, Al looked at the approaching zombies. They were still about 50m (≈ 164 feet) away. They were walking slowly, occasionally bobbing their heads, but it shouldn't be too hard to aim. Al extended his moving right hand forward, took a deep breath, and aimed for the head of the zombie walking in the middle.
"Magic Missile!"──Focused Power: Distance Extension
The head of the first zombie exploded. That zombie fell to the floor like a ragdoll.
"Magic Missile"──Focused Power: Distance Extension
The head of the second zombie also exploded. That zombie fell down too. There was one left, and it was about 20m (≈ 65.6 ft) away.
"Magic Missile"──Focused Power.
The last zombie fell to the floor.
"This time, I'm saved... Thank you, Glee."
Al said this and let out a big sigh of relief.
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