Conqueror

While they were talking, suddenly, a scream reverberated. Looking to where the scream come from, they saw a person was being dragged down to the earth, the ground on where that person standing softened, like a swamped area, it was Tier 1 adventurer getting dragged by some unknown creature.

"Retreat, it's a Swamp Serpent." A Tier 1 warrior shouted in horror. The only creature he knows that can soften the earth and can move freely in this area, like a fish on the water, was a Tier 2 Swamp Serpent.

The ones who were about to save their comrade halted, Swamp Serpent was a kind of beast they don't want to fight. This beast usually, only stayed in a swampy area. Swamp Serpent won't venture on hard land, without any reason.

There was a small swamped area northwest of their location, where the territory of this beast. Some beasts would migrate out of the inner area. And find suitable land in the outer area.

The one who didn't stop was Jessica, she chanted a spell and make the land hard again.

"Soil Hardened"

In the next moment, the small swampy area gradually becomes solid again. It didn't take long for it to finished, however...

"BOOM"

A 10-meter serpent comes out from the ground. The Adventurers gaped in horror, upon seeing the Swamp Serpent. The serpent's skin was rotting, it has a bitten chunks in its body. The dead hollow eyes of the Swampy Serpent were like a black hole, gives hair-raising chills to the adventurers.

"Cap-Captain, what happened to the Swamp Serpent?" Karsk asked, with a stuttering voice.

But before Nedes can answer, Jessica spoke with a heavy tone. "That's a zombie! there are only two possibilities... First, the Swamp Serpent must have died in this place and become a zombie, because of the Plague Of Death... The second horrible possibility, there was a Lich controlling this area."

All the adventurers paled, upon hearing that there was a possibility that a Lich was behind all this. In their minds Lich was a mythical being they only heard in stories. Their town was at the end of the world, it was a place where events like this rarely happen. Furthermore, although the forest has a considerable amount of resources, the mainland also won't fall behind, it might even have much more recourse. If the mainland doesn't have many resources, all the Kingdoms would build their capital city near the forest.

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The Swamp Serpent attacked again, by swiping its tail. "Knights and Shield Bearers!! Defense!!" Nedes shouted again, which woke them up.

The Knights and Shield Bearers raise their shield immediately, although they were terrified, they act immediately. At the end of the day, they were still veteran adventurers, fighting large beasts, were their everyday life.

"BOOM"

The tail hit the five Shields, the five gritted their teeth trying to stop the attack. However, they still got pushed two steps back. Nedes eyebrow knitted, seeing the five was pushed backward.

"Nedes, did you see that?! Swamp Serpent, shouldn't be this strong!!." Jessica said in astonishment, she can't help it. She was a mage herself, learning new things was what mages were pursuing.

"Yeah... Although the Swamp Serpent's speed diminished, its strength got boosted greatly... I don't know if this is because it becomes a zombie." Nedes said.

"It should be, when we fought the skeleton beasts earlier, I found something. The skeletons were agile, even the ones that not a speed-type beast, got a huge buff in speed." Jessica said, gloomily. However, in the next moment, she hastily chanted a spell.

"Air Wall"

Jessica chanted a spell towards the Knight who was oblivious of the incoming fireball. The fireball hit the Air Wall and diminished instantly.

"ROAR"

A wild roar was heard at the back of Nedes. He turned around and saw a three-meter tall skeleton beast that looked like a Rocky Bear, charging at him with great speed. He punched it with his hand coated in a brown aura.

The next moment, a skeleton claw that was coming at him, got obliterated by his punch. The three-meter skeleton Rocky Bear got flung into the air, smashing into the tree, then crumbling into pieces. The Rocky Bear's skeleton head rolled down lifelessly.

" 'Clap' 'Clap' Impressive!!..."

Nedes turned his head, his heart skipped a beat. Seeing a being that he doesn't want to see here... It's a Lich.

Jessica also saw the Lich, all of the adventurers were occupied with the two Tier 2 undead, so they didn't saw Zadrum.

However, Nedes expression changes seeing the three skeletons on the Lich side. What really makes his expression ugly were the three skeleton's clothing. Their outfits were familiar to him, he already has ideas of who these three skeletons. However, just thinking about it makes him lose his mind.