The Forgotten (Arifureta x original character)

Chapter 18: Deeps of Nallism Ruins

After descending for a long time, the platform that Zane is standing on finally comes to a stop. When it does, Zane looks around to see that he is in a room that is full of skeletons, zombies, bats, and gargoyles. Zane is not sure how many of the monsters there are, but he is sure there are more than he can handle himself.

Thinking quickly, Zane begins to chant as the monsters start to approach him. He has to kill three bats that come at him during his chant, but he is luckily able to finish it before the skeletons and zombies reach him. This spell summons a gate to one of Zane's bound monsters.

As the gate forms, out of it comes the stone golem that Zane just recently made a pact with. Using telepathy Zane alerts the golem of what is going on. Then he watches as it swings its stone hand at a group of skeletons that are nearing Zane. These skeletons are obliterated by the attack from the stone golem.

Now that the stone golem is there to help him, Zane feels somewhat better about his chances of surviving this encounter with so many monsters. He however would like to summon his phoenix as well to aid him. This is because he would like to be able to have it near him to help fight and heal him as he fights these monsters.

Before Zane is able to start a second incantation to form a gate that will allow his phoenix to come to him, Zane is attacked by a skeleton warrior. Zane uses his sword to parry the attack from this skeleton. He then quickly punches it in the chest, which knocks the skeleton back.

At this point, Zane begins his second incantation. While saying it, he battles against three skeletons and a zombie that have now reached him. As he fights these four monsters, Zane is cut on his right arm by a rusted ax that is being wielded by a skeleton, he is also bitten by a bat that swoops down while he is not paying attention.

Despite all of this, Zane manages to finish the incantation. As soon as he does, his phoenix comes flying out of the gate he formed and lights itself, as well as the nearby zombie on fire. This fire burns the zombie to death.

The phoenix next goes after some bats that are coming at Zane. It is able to kill each of them with ease as well. This removes some of the pressure that Zane was feeling from being surrounded by monsters. He does however find himself still having to deal with the three skeletons.

Zane manages to break the rib cage of one of these skeletons as it nears him with a punch. He then quickly thrusts his hand into the chest of this skeleton and pulls the magic stone that is in it out. With this in hand Zane then throws it under the foot of the stone golem as it crushes a skeleton by stomping on it. This destroys the magic stone as well.

Now that this skeleton is dealt with, Zane turns his attention to the other two skeletons that are nearby. He manages to dispatch each of them using a similar tactic of pulling out the magic stone and having the stone golem break it.

Before Zane has a chance to catch his breath from this first wave, he is forced to battle more skeletons that come at him. Using his knowledge of fencing from before he came to Tortus, Zane is able to fight off and kill each of these skeletons as it comes at him. He does suffer several injuries in the process though.

Fighting side by side with the phoenix and stone golem, Zane kills one skeleton and zombie after the next. He also kills a number of bats, while the rest are burned to death by the fire of the phoenix. He luckily does not have to deal with any gargoyles though as they are crushed to death by the stone golem with relative ease.

After an hour of continuous fighting, the hoards of the undead finally stop coming. This gives Zane a break from all of the fighting. He uses this break to have his phoenix heal the injuries that he suffered while fighting all of the monsters.