A skeleton appeared? What is that?
Neither of the parasites had seen anything like it - though they felt a sense of fear coming from the human brain they held captive.
It would have shocked any human at least, but to these parasite-infested knights, it was just an odd enemy.
If it was a human, perhaps they would talk with it - though this weak-looking creature was, in the grand scheme of things, nothing but a strange pest.
The small skeleton was not a threat to them, but possibly a threat to their food source: the humans which they farmed.
The two intelligent knights glanced at each other for a moment before deciding what to do - one walked over to two of the lesser knights, tapping them on the shoulder and sending them after it.
“Only two?” Jay smirked.
A devilish grin grew on his face as he watched from the other side of the forest, knowing those two lesser knights were marching to their deaths; they were now chasing Handy away from the safety of their group, and Handy was successfully running slowly without being obvious about it.
It turned out that a slow-moving skeleton, somehow, seemed quite natural - despite itself being an unnatural abomination, a mockery of both life and death.
Being underestimated was almost as important as the element of surprise.
Handy soon disappeared into the forest, and the two knights following it did too.
The two intelligent knights, which functioned as officers or commanders, went back to analyzing the corpses and seemed completely uninterested, neither of them reckoning the trap that was closing around them.
Handy led the knights past Blue, Sweeper, Lamp who cut them off from behind sealing their fate.
Neither was able to lift their sword in defense or attack as both fell, and it wasn’t long until Jay received some notifications.
[115 Exp][115 Exp]
“Two down…”
The remaining eight knights didn’t move, none of them responding to their fallen comrades, and it gave Jay a clue.
“So their communication isn’t telepathic… or at least it’s very short range?” Jay squinted, remembering how Viladore used to speak into his mind.
“Or it could be something that I can’t comprehend at all.”
The two intelligent knights had finished their investigation, and seeing that they were not under attack, they decided to send the other six knights to begin scouting the nearby surrounding forest.
Unfortunately, they were not sent to scout very far and were still within view distance of at least one other knight, and if the skeletons tried to assassinate one, the others would all know.
“Hmm… what to do…” Jay thought, but he soon realized he didn’t have much time left to think.
It would only be a matter if time before they found the corpse of the intelligent knight, and then there would be no telling what the knights would do after - would they panic and send for help? Call for reinforcements? He could not let that happen.
“I have to act.” Jay nodded resolutely, his hand forced.
(Each of you pick a separate target and get ready to assassinate. Wait for my signal.) Jay ordered, and the skeletons moved.
Red was sent to find an enemy too, as he needed to kill as many as possible before they went on alert.
With Blue, Red, Sweeper and Lamp, Jay believed four knights would soon fall.
Handy was part of the attack too and may prove to be successful, but Jay wasn’t counting on it; it was still level three, and wielding a two-handed sword to assassinate an enemy was no easy task.
Yet if four knights went down, it would be enough; the enemy forces would only have four on their side, with two being of the intelligent variety.
The skeletons took some time to get into position, and it was no easy task to remain hidden, as the knights were all looking into the forest and scouting while this was happening.
However there was a problem - one of the scouting knights were now walking directly to the slain intelligent knight’s corpse.
“Shit…” Jay thought, sensing his skeletons were not ready.
Of the five skeletons at his disposal, only three were in position to assassinate. Handy and Sweeper were still navigating around the forest, trying to remain hidden while doing so.
“Come on…” Jay could only clench his fists.
But it was too late.
A lesser knight had stumbled across the corpse, and already called an intelligent one over - he had to give the signal, or maybe he woudn’t be able to pick any off.
It was a few steps from seeing its fallen comrade - but before that could happen, Jay gave the order.
(Do it, then collapse on them.)
Without warning, three heavy clunks of armor simultaneously hit the ground, making all the others turn to see.
[115 Exp] x 3
Yet for one of them, turning it’s back to the forest was the most foolish thing it could have done.
[115 Exp]
While it didn’t go according to plan, the results were the same.
Only four knights remained as the skeletons swarmed from the forest.
The two intelligent knights realized their mistake - not only had their two scouts died, but there was an enemy with overwhelming force capable of slaying them, and now they didn’t even have numbers on their side.
Yet all hope was not lost.
The knights nodded at each other and ran back to the middle, getting into a defensive formation before anymore could be picked off.
However Jay was pleased with this decision.
“Only a matter of time, then.” Jay smiled - yet his grin soon disappeared.
The four knights looked around, and found that the enemy numbers were, well, not that numerous.
The skeletons surrounded them, five versus four - though there was currently no way to get at the spine of the knights, it would only be a matter of time.
However the knights were not going to let this become a losing battle of attrition.
Suddenly one of the knights pushed the other one in the back, giving it the momentum to instantly send it running.
The intelligent sword-shield wielding knight shot out, bashing away a stray swing with its shield and escaping the skeleton formation.
It was determined - and based on it’s direction it was going back to its nest, or whatever these things had for a home, undoubtedly to warn its brethren.
“Fuck.” Jay pursed his lips.
He had to stop it at all costs yet only sent Handy after it - he could tell that the other knight was looking for an escape too, so having the other skeletons guard them was a necessity.
The problem was that Handy couldn’t catch it by itself, it was fast but could only hinder its movement.
While his bone helminth had an [Ensnare] ability, which would snare it for a second, there was no way it would be able to enter the earth through the tangled web of roots below.
Jay was left with only one option - to chase it himself.
Jumping from cover, Jay stashed his sword and shield in his inventory and began dashing across the root-covered forest, making sure he didn’t trip while nimbly stepping over each root.
Without all the heavy armor, Jay was faster - faster still was Handy who was already wildly swinging its two-handed sword down on the knight’s back, being met with the cling of the heavy armor in return.
(Aim for the back of its knees) Jay ordered to Handy, though it was easier said than done, and the knight was not slowing down.
Jay sprinted, flying across the roots with all the speed his legs could give him.
“I can’t let it escape, I can’t let it fucking escape” he grit his teeth.
If the parasite-infested knights knew of his presence in this dungeon, it would make things immeasurably harder.
What would be a few days would turn into weeks - and in this dungeon with mass starvation and parasites, who knows how long until the food would run out? Jay only had a few days of food in the first place, and the villages would only last so long before everything would be covered in these creeping roots.
Not to mention that two weeks here would result in nearly one and a half days passing in the real world, and there was no telling if the mage hunters would catch up to him by then.
Plus, Heavy was still guarding Asra outside the dungeon - would she even bother to wait for Jay? He still had her blood-fueled compass, so at least that would keep her around for a while, but what of her wrath?
As Jay ran he completely ignored the fight which broke out between the four skeletons and the three knights behind him.
The one intelligent knight was effectively using its two-handed sword and covering the backs of its kin, locking them all into a drawn out struggle, buying as much time as possible for the escapee.
Jay was closing in on the armored knight, but as he neared the back of its hulking armor he wondered how he would stop it.
“Do I try to pull it back and slow it down, or push it, sending it toppling forwards and face-planting?”
A nudge forward would only serve to speed it up, so it would have to be powerful.
Jay dismissed the option of sending his sword into its spine - he did not have the practice that the skeletons did with pushing it through the armor gaps.
From Jay’s perspective it seemed like an unstoppable steel-skin bull; a lot of force would be needed just to either knock it over or slow it down.
When Jay was close enough to try something, he was already out of earshot from the fight he left behind. Despite its heavy armor, it had already covered a lot of ground through the forest.
“Dammit… it won’t be long until we run into more knights.” Jay clenched his jaw, and stuck to its tail.
Thinking through all of his skills and options, he made a quick decision.
“I’ll have to use the boots again… but will it be enough?”
