He had encountered a few beings in the past who were immune to his Perception skill. These individuals were either the followers of Chaos or too powerful to be inspected. However, the grey-skinned zombie standing before him did not fit either of those descriptions.
Since the zombie was not stronger than him, it couldn't be on the same level as a grandmaster. Additionally, it didn't emit chaotic energy, which meant it couldn't possibly be a servant of Chaos. This left Roy with only one possible conclusion.
He realized that there was something at play that was more dangerous than anything he had ever faced before. This entity had the power to prevent others from discovering what it didn't want to reveal. Roy deduced that this being had likely prevented him from seeing the truth based on the evidence at hand.
"Maybe it's the being the zombie has been talking about." Roy thought.
The system issued a notification.
『The condition to activate a quest has been met!』
『Sudden quest [Find the Truth] has been generated!』
『QUEST』
『Find the Truth』
You have encountered a strange situation. A strange kill that can't be killed with Physical Attacks has blocked your way, and for some reason, you are unable to inspect it. Find a way to kill it.
Task: Kill the Grey-Skinned Zombie (INCOMPLETE)
Quest level: Easy
LIMIT: 10 minute
Reward: If you succeed, you will gain its [Character screen] and [background information].
In case of failure, the host will lose the opportunity to impress ??? and gain the interest of ??? who can be a major help to you.
The sudden activation of an easy-level quest did not startle him as much as its details did. The quest's description highlighted the essential element for success in the ongoing fight, and Roy grasped it without any difficulty. The description explicitly stated that his failure to defeat the enemy in the previous attempts was due to his reliance on physical attacks.
He had a feeling that the system started this quest to convey a message to him, urging him to use magical attacks instead. This realization dawned upon him as he read the description, which emphasized the significance of employing a different strategy to defeat the enemy without explicitly stating it.
"Maybe with powerful magic attacks, I will be able to break its immortality and bring out an end to this battle," Roy said, lacking confidence in his voice. He doubted that he would break the immortality of the zombie using powerful magic attacks. It's because he had previously struck the zombie with black lightning, but it did not result in its death or injury.
Despite his doubts, Roy knew that the only way to proceed was to explore the possibility of nullifying the zombie's immortality with magic. He had no other option but to try.
"Magic Fire that can render immortal speechless! Bloom!"
Roy's eyes blazed with the intensity of the sun as he felt the power of the level-9 magic fire course through his veins and take shape. His fire magic was unleashed when flames erupted from his hands like a wildfire. It swallowed everything in its path and streamed out toward the zombie.
The zombie obviously felt threatened as it morphed into a gust of wind and escaped out of the alley.
Seeing its reaction, Roy's eyes lit up, "It didn't bother dodging when I was using my fist, but now that I am using fire magic, its first response is to escape. My guess is correct. It can't be killed using physical attacks, but it will die if fire magic is used!"
With urgency fueling his movements, Roy transformed into a mist, swiftly passing through every small window and crack in the walls, all in an attempt to catch up to his target.
Finally, he intercepted it, but the zombie was quick to react.
It leaped back, dodging Roy's fireball, and a wicked grin spread across its face.
"Try to dodge this!" Its claws crackled with energy, and it swept them upwards, unleashing dozens of wind blades.
However, there was something peculiar about the trajectory of the attack. Roy noticed that the wind blades curved upwards before reaching him and instead headed towards the building on his right.
Panic set in as he realized Delilah was standing on the roof of that building, completely vulnerable to the zombie's attack.
The zombie was ridiculously intelligent. It had saved its trump card for the moment most beneficial to it. Not to mention, It had spent the previous minutes determining her location and had concluded that, despite being an entire stage above Roy, she was weaker and more accessible. It then made a plan to catch her off guard—hook, line, and sinker.
"Delilah, look out!" he shouted, but she remained unmoving as if she hadn't heard him.
"Don't bother. I have used the Power of the Sun and Moon to suppress her consciousness. Although the effects are only temporary, it will buy enough time for the wind blades to shred her body into pieces!"
The zombie hadn't even finished speaking when Roy let out a roar that shook the ground beneath him and launched a powerful punch upwards. A deep and wide crater formed as a surge of intense heat emanated from Roy's hands, and a torrent of flames erupted like a wildfire from his knuckles, illuminating the dark surroundings.
The flames soared upwards, dancing and swirling around each other, growing larger and more powerful with each passing moment. As they fused together, they formed the shape of a fearsome dragon that shattered the wind blades and illuminated the gloomy realm with its blazing fury.
After Delilah was saved, Roy fixed his eyes on the zombie like a predator stalking its prey. He spoke one word at a time, each syllable dripping with murderous intent, "You are overestimating yourself."
The zombie trembled as it met Roy's gaze, feeling a chill run down its spine.
In a flash of movement, Roy appeared in front of the zombie, moving with such extreme speed that the zombie was caught off guard. With a powerful punch, Roy struck the zombie with a force that caused an explosion to erupt on impact.
