Fighting undead is rare, unless one is inside a dungeon that raises the dead. Those are also rare and almost completely unprofitable due to the lack of useful monster parts. The only profits to be had from a dungeon that produces undead are from the crystal enhanced elites and the rare dungeon created metals like Mithril and Adamantium, which can be found in many dungeons. So, not to put too fine a point on it, hardly anybody actually gets to fight the undead.

“Enemy sighted. Form up.”

Hence, the Flame Spitters form up and approach with extreme caution when they meet their first undead. Quasi rolls his eyes. The ugly, bony, shabby, pitiful zombie in question looks like the magic holding it together could fail at the slightest breeze.

Shina takes the center while Brando and Thresh take point. Dorris and Aiden flank Shina and Elly stands at the back.

Shina raises her hands and moves them apart. “[Sigil of Flames],” she intones. Quasi feels the skill activate and Aura spread out from the [Flame Sorceress].

You are under the effect of [Sigil of Flames] [Rare]

All fire-based skills and attacks will be strengthened to a higher leveled version while the effect persists.

The cost of fire-based skills is reduced by up to 20% while under the effect.

Seriously? Man, sometimes the system really gets on my nerves. First off, it’s not reducing the skill cost but making the caster cast the spell or skill more efficiently and waste fewer resources as a result. Considering the control over my mana, I’d probably get maybe a 1% reduction.

Behind Shina, Elly strings her bow. She draws the string, causing an ethereal flaming arrow to appear.

Quasi, curious, focuses his vision on the girl’s bow.

[Warbow of Flaming Needles] [Very Rare]

Created by an elven [Bowyer] and enchanted by a [Flame Enchanter], this bow is capable of firing a [Flame Needle] in the form of an arrow.

-[18/20] Arrows

-Regenerate 1 arrow every 5 seconds.

Due to the effect of [Sigil of Flames], [Flame Needle] is upgraded to [Flame Spike].

That's a… dangerous, but effective synergy. A [Flame Spike] compressed to such a small size is going to have a lot of explosive energy. One mistake and she could get very hurt.

“[Fire Ball]!” Aiden and Dorris yell in sync, manifesting two [Greater Fireballs] above their palms.

“[Flaming Brand],” the Sloth-kin whispers softly, igniting his dadao with a potent blue flame.

“[Fire Resist], [Blazing Armor],” Thresh activates his skills. His armor, shield, and surprisingly, his mace light up as they are superheated. The vegetation near him starts to smoke and smolder.

“It’s coming,” Ella warns, aiming her arrow at the shambling corpse. “Want me to make it explode?”

“No,” Shina says quickly, “magic is too loud. We’ll wait for it to come to us and have Thresh and Brando deal with it.”

The team waits as the undead stumbles towards them, its rusty longsword carving a trail into the ground behind it. The ghostly light in its half-decayed eyes focus with deadly malice on the Fire Spitters. At ten meters, Thresh lowers his stance and raises his shield while Brando prepares to strike.

Then the undead trips over a vine and cracks its head on a tree with enough force to shatter the skull.

You could hear a pin drop if not for Quasi’s clapping

“Wow, impressive. You guys looked so very menacing that the undead just committed suicide.”

“Don’t mock them,” Jess scolds him.

“Ha! Not even the dead can face me. They’re all weaklings!” Aiden calls out with a confident smile and a thumbs up to Quasi.

Quasi raises his own thumbs up as well.

Shina blushes but retains her cool. “Nobody on our team has ever fought an undead before. I’m just being careful.”

“Careful is good. It keeps you alive, but just know that you will level slower when overprepared.”

Shina raises an eyebrow and crosses her arms. “You can’t level if you’re dead.” she counters.

Bone twirls his cane in his hand. “Technically, that’s not exactly true, but we call talk about leveling later.” He stops twirling his cane and points deeper into the darkening forest. “You have company.”

Shina looks where he is pointing and quickly uncrosses her arms. Over fifty undead are shambling towards them, their empty skulls glowing a dark, dirty green.

“Shit,” she curses.

________________________________________________________________________

I have to admit, Shina’s team is very well trained and organized. Everybody stays and moves together so that they are constantly within her aura. They keep Thresh up in front to serve as a meat-shield while the [Fire Mages] bombard him and everything around him. It’s not the most effective strategy since skeletal undead are resistant to fire, but they aren’t immune. A [Grand Fireball] releases a lot of kinetic energy on impact, useful against brittle bones.

Still.

I watch an arrow as it is fired from Elly’s bow. It speeds through the air and impacts an undead’s skull. The spike explodes, instantly killing the undead and destroying several others near it.

It’s like she’s shooting grenades.

“Quasi,” Jessica whispers next to me while we sit on a log, “are you sure we shouldn’t help them?”

I shake my head. “Nah. They need the experience, especially since we have a lot more coming our way.”

“More undead?”

I nod. “Yup. Someone’s controlling the undead right now.”

“The [Necromancer]?”

I shrug. “Probably. I can’t actually tell. I just know someone is directing them.”

Jessica yawns, watching the light-show of fire as it continues. She scoots closer to me and leans on my arm. She yawns again and then uses me as a pillow.

Really? We have a battle happening right now and I sense several thousand undead converging on our position, and you feel now is a perfect time for a nap? Didn’t you just want me to help them?

I yawn.

Huh, now she’s got me feeling sleepy… Hmm...

____________________________________________________

“Damnit, where are they coming from?” Shina curses, waving her hands and suppressing errant fires as they grow out of hand.

“[Fireball],” she hears Aiden shout, followed by an explosion that knocks down a pack of a dozen undead swarming Thresh’s position.

“We can’t keep this up, Shina. There’s too many,” Elly yells, releasing an arrow that destroys a bunch of the undead. “We need a plan, and a quick one too. It’s been an hour and everyone is getting tired.”

Shina frowns and looks at her team. Aiden is sweating but he seems to be hanging in there. Dorris looks exhausted and is waiting for her mana to come back. Thresh is holding on and Brondo looks like he is doing completely fine. His blade is still on fire and he is destroying several undead with every swing. He probably has the most kills out of her whole team.

“Where's Jess and Bone? Are they alright?”

“I haven’t seen them. I think they might have abandoned us.”

“Damnit,” she growls. Her eyes roam the forest, seeing if she can do anything.

“Should we go back to the village?” Elly asks and Shina shakes her head.

“We can’t risk leading this horde to civilians.”

Elly releases another arrow, destroying another dozen. “Well, the clock is ticking. We need a plan, and we need it fast.”

Shina grunts and continues looking around, attempting to find something…

“The [Necromancer].”

“What?” Elly asks.

“We need to kill the [Necromancer]. He’s deeper into the forest, and we should be able to outrun them.”

Shina extends her arms quickly. “[Revitalizing Flame]” she roars. From her position, a wave of energy washes over her team reenergizing them.

“We’re heading deeper into the forest! Brando, lead the way. Make a trail.”

The [Pyroblade] nods and opens his mouth. “[Flaming Rampage].”

His blade burns brighter and blue sparks begin to arc off his body.

He rushes forward in a blaze. His hands blur and waves of blue flames burst out, smashing and incinerating dozens of undead a swing. In his wake he leaves burning bones and red hot footprints.

Her team uses the opportunity to disengage and follow Brando deeper into the forest.

_____________________________________________________________

Garashist’s eyes glow as he observes the group running deeper into the forest. He’s not sure whether they’re guided by [Skill] or blind luck, but they are moving directly towards the crypt. The undead above ground are too weak to give chase and not powerful enough to deter the mercenaries.

And… the other two have disappeared. He scans through the gazes of the undead, but their presence has completely disappeared. He hopes that they have retreated from the forest, but it is more likely they are moving in stealth somehow.

“Master,” he looks at the [Necromancer] hunched over the remains of [Archdemon Dragonlord] Lotan. His hands are aglow, in the process of resurrecting the deceased beast. The process is longer due to the difference in level, but time is all he needs to succeed.

“I am busy,” his master answers.

“Enemies are coming from above. The undead above are too weak.” He turns to the hundreds of arrayed [Death Knights]. ”If we cou-”

“-No. The [Death Knights] stay under my control. If an enemy comes, go deal with them yourself.”

Garashist glares at his master's back. He boils with anger, but the demon suppresses the urge to immediately end the man's life. It’s not like he could anyways with the pact binding them.

“As you wish,” Garashist seethes. Maybe he’ll end the [Necromancer]’s life when the contract is completed after all.

He spreads his wings and with a mighty flap, takes flight towards the crypt’s entrance. He swiftly navigates the long hallways and arrives outside. With another mighty flap, he ascends into the night sky, his body shadowing the ground from the moonlight.

He looks down at the six individuals heading towards the entrance. Garashist smiles and raises his hand.

“[Hellfire Torrent]”

Above him, hundreds of bright red balls of fire flicker into existence as the demon powers the spell. A crimson glow falls over the area from the dancing flames and Garashist’s face contorts into a malevolent grin. With the spell’s completion, he swings down his arm and unleashes the swarm of eldritch plasma.

The baleful stars of hellfire plunge down, each sinister orb exploding in a bright burst of fire as they hit the forest below. Garashist laughs maniacally as the infernal downpour continues, setting the forest ablaze.

He grins malevolently down at the weak humans. Watch them run, hear them scream, smell them burn.

___________________________________________________________________

Jessica yawns awake as distant sounds enter her ears. Like popping noises, or explosions. She isn't sure. She kinda wants to find out, but that would involve getting out of bed.

It's cozy, she thinks while rubbing her face against the fluffy pillow.

She tries to go back to sleep, but the annoying popping sound continues. She yawns again and tries to move to a different position. She hits something hard. Frowning, she opens her eyes and finds Quasi’s sleeping face inches from her own.

She blushes in shock. Her eyes widen awake as she quickly moves the sheets and touches her body. Which, to her confusion, is fully dressed with clothes and robe.

In bed.

She frowns, trying to make sense of things. “Shit,” she mumbles, memories returning to her. She sits up and is about to lean over the bed, but she stops and screams in fright. She looks down over the edge of the cot to see the forest floor ten meters below. The bed is precariously perched upon a pine tree.

She looks around quickly, her eyes darting to and fro before stopping at the mesmerizing scene in the distance. Bright red meteors rain from the sky, exploding destructively, the source of the popping sound she is still hearing.

She turns to Quasi, then blushes. He’s sleeping, which normally wouldn’t bother her. But… the [Hero] likes to sleep naked. And she had thrown away the covers.

What's worse, he’s on his back.. with a full mast.