Chapter 241: The Penitents’ Lament
Staring at the creature, everyone held their breath for a long moment.
Thick tension hung heavy in the stale air.
It was a humanoid creature fused with sand and stone, crawling sideways across the walls and broken pillars.
Their mouths moved constantly, whispering ancient prayers that did not match their jerky movements.
[Siltbound Penitent]
[Level: 25]
[Attributes: Strength 64, Constitution 72, Agility 26, Spirit 10, Defense 62]
[Traits:]
– Burden of Silt: Its body is weighed down by cursed sediment, greatly reducing movement speed but granting twenty five percent damage resistance and high stability against knockback.
– Penitent’s Laments: Emits a low, constant wail that weakens nearby enemies, reducing their spirit and focus over time.
– Gravebound Regeneration: Slowly restores health when standing on sand, mud, or silk terrain.
[Skills:]
– Silt Grasp: Summons thick, muddy hands from the ground to restrain and drag enemies, reducing their movement drastically.
– Wailing Curse: Releases a surge of sorrowful energy that causes confusion and reduces enemy attack accuracy.
– Quicksand Collapse: Turns the ground beneath enemies into sinking silt, trapping and steadily damaging them.
– Penitent’s End: A slow, powerful strike infused with cursed energy that deals massive damage to a single target.
Looking at the creature’s stats, everyone sucked in a cold breath of fear. But the miserable scream from below woke them up from their stunned stupor.
Ahhh! Ahhh!
Below them, the Tank was struggling frantically, trying to stop himself from sinking deep into the crimson sand.
"Help," the captain tried to call out, but before he could complete his statement, more Siltbound Penitents appeared from the walls.
Wail!
Instantly, all the Siltbound Penitent beasts let out sorrowful, soul piercing wails. The sound shook everyone to their very core, forcing them to cover their ears in agony.
However, Thoren was not affected by the wails at all.
To him, it was nothing more than a normal beast’s cry, barely worth noticing.
"They are coming," Thoren warned lightly, his voice calm and steady.
The number of the Siltbound Penitents had increased to more than one hundred, and there seemed to be no chance of stopping their endless spawning.
With Thoren’s timely warning, the group managed to escape from the full effect of the Penitent’s Lament.
"That is terrifying," one of them exclaimed in a low, shaky voice.
Just from listening to the voice of the Siltbound Penitents, they had lost their focus for a critical moment.
If Thoren had not woken them up in time, they would have all been at the mercy of the savage beasts.
"Kill them all," the captain shouted, his muscles bulging and his voice filled with burning anger.
Bang! Bang!
He rushed forward and unsheathed his broadsword in one smooth motion. Swiftly, he attacked the first Siltbound Penitent that crossed his path.
Sparks flew everywhere as steel met hardened sand.
With their captain taking the lead, the others did not dare to dilly dally any longer.
Neville also unsheathed his longsword with practiced ease.
He was a Swordmaster.
Whoosh!
He dashed forward, swinging his sword and creating a blinding arc of light. Cressida took out her staff and began to chant spells..
A Spellcaster.
Quickly, a powerful flame appeared out of thin air and flew toward the Siltbound Penitents at breathtaking speed.
Bang! Bang!
Many Siltbound Penitents were pushed back, and their bodies were scorched black by the flames. But the creatures did not stop their advance.
Instead, their wails increased in volume along with their growing numbers.
"Help," the Tank cried from below, but everyone was too busy fighting to care about his desperate pleas.
The hunter moved between the battles, attacking the beasts and then retreating to safety. Sometimes, he would quickly set up a trap that pushed the creatures down the slanted hall.
The only person who was not actively fighting was their healer.
She held her staff tightly, her eyes darting back and forth across the battlefield as she tried to cast her healing spells as quickly as possible.
"We cannot continue like this," the hunter shouted, barely evading a deadly mud slam from one of the creatures. "Their numbers are not decreasing at all."
He did not need to tell the others about their dire situation. Everyone could feel the massive pressure weighing down on their shoulders.
Cressida gritted her teeth, increasing her spell casting speed despite the growing strain. From the corner of her eyes, she turned and looked at Thoren.
Hmm?
Her eyes widened slightly at what she saw.
Unknown to her, she was not the only one who was looking at the mysterious figure in the black robe.
The captain creased his brow and thought deeply. He could not understand Thoren’s profession or fighting style at all.
However, with their current precarious situation, he did not think about it too much. Survival was all that mattered now.
Hmm!
Just as he prepared to cleave another Siltbound Penitent into two pieces, a muddy hand gripped his legs, slowing down his movement drastically.
Before he could realize what was happening, one of the Siltbound Penitents slammed its claw into his chest with tremendous force.
Ahh!
A sharp cry of pain escaped from his lips. Thanks to his sturdy armor, he was only slightly injured by the blow.
"Be careful of their mud traps," he warned the others, wiping off the traces of blood from the corner of his lips.
As for Thoren, he stood calmly at the back of the group while one of his elite undead servants fought the Siltbound Penitents.
With a High Bronze Grade weapon in its hands, each strike from the undead cleaved the creatures apart with terrifying ease.
The Siltbound Penitents tried to use their wailing curse on Thoren’s undead, but it was completely futile. The undead had nothing to fear and no spirit to weaken.
Bang! Bang!
One after another, the penitent fell gradually under the relentless assault. To stop them from regenerating their health, Thoren commanded his undead to target their heads specifically.
Whether mud or stone, each skull was shattered to pieces by the powerful strike. Against the undead servant, all the creature’s traits and skills were completely useless.
Fully armed with High Bronze Grade, the Siltbound Penitent stood absolutely no chance against Thoren’s minion.
While Thoren and his undead servant were having an easier time, the others were struggling greatly.
Many of them were covered in fresh bruises and shallow wounds. Thanks to their healer’s constant efforts, they had not lost anyone to the creatures.
Yet...
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