Chapter 8 - Corrupted Humans (3/3)
[ You've contributed to the knowledge of the soldiers and improved their survival rate, EXP +28 ]
[ Level up! ]
[ Level 0 ----> Level 1 ]
[ First level up achieved, +23 EXP ]
Following the series of level up messages, Alister was greeted with a comforting sensation of his overall strength increasing.
The sensation was difficult to explain in simple terms, he simply felt more powerful.
As though to test his new level, one of the corrupted humans formerly attacked a group of soldiers latched on to him with its sharp claws.
The corrupted human was moving at the same speed his previous opponents were moving out.
However, this time, due to his new found strength from leveling up, the movement felt a little bit sluggish.
Alister easily moved out of the way, causing the corrupted human to almost last balance as it had placed all its strength behind its attack.
Seizing the opportunity, Alister lifted his sword and swung down at its neck, decapitating it easily.
[ You've slayed X1 Corrupted human, EXP +12 ]
"I feel so different, so strong."
He was clearly thrilled by this new feeling of inhuman strength, and he did not waste time to impose his superior strength on the annoying corrupt humans.
"Fuck! Somebody please help."
One soldier cried out for help, drawing Alister's attention as he was nearby.
The soldier was currently on the ground, frantically blocking the claws of three corrupted humans. He swung his sword with all his strength as his life depended on it at this moment, any mistake and he would be just another meal for the corrupted humans.
Alister made a move right away to save the helpless soldier.
He got closer without drawing the attention of the three busy corrupted humans, and quickly positioned himself properly behind them.
Then with the boost of his swordmaster skill and the newfound strength from his level up, he swung his sword with a move to take out the three at once.
SWOOSH!
The sound of the blade speeding the arching resounded.
THUD! THUD!!
In the next seconds, three headless corrupted humans collapsed.
[ You've slayed X3 Corrupted humans, +36 EXP ]
[ Triple Kill Bonus, +30 EXP ]
'Whoa, there is even a triple kill bonus, that is great!' thought Alister.
He turned to the soldier on the ground and assisted him back on his feet.
"Thank you very much, great hero! If it weren't for you, I would've died just now! I owe you my life!"
The soldier displayed sincere gratitude with tears steaming down his eyes.
Alister only gave him a nod and warned him to be very careful before moving on to defend another soldier in trouble.
The soldier he had just rescued stared at his back with a look of gratitude for a few seconds.
Half an hour drove by chaotically since the beginning of the brawl between humans and corrupted humans.
The tension of the battle had reduced drastically thanks to the effort of the hero.
At the moment, the population of the corrupted humans have fallen from almost a hundred to less than a dozen.
The population of the soldiers now overpowered that of their undead foe.
Even without the assistance of the hero, ending the battle without another death became extremely possible.
Almost two minutes after, the last enemy was decapitated and the battle ended.
[ Urgent Quest Completed Successfully, +250 EXP ]
[ Level up! ]
[ Level 1 ----> Level 2 ]
[ Level up! ]
[ Level 2 ----> Level 3 ]
The feeling of going up two levels at once was even more exhilarating.
With this amount of strength, Alister believes he could easily stand on par with the strongest man back on earth!
'This is fucking awesome! Who would dare bully me with this level of power?'
Alister bathed in the unique feeling of superiority and power.
"We won!"
"We really won!"
"Yeah!!"
On the other hand.
The soldiers began celebrating their victory, hugging each other and dancing around with joy.
They began dancing in circles around Alister while chanting his name out loud with gratitude and reverence.
"All hail the great hero!"
"All hail!"
King Julian and Osborne, who had witnessed Alister's gallant display of heroism from the safety of their tents, stepped out to join in the celebration.
King Julian was all smiles as he watched the celebration.
Seeing how Alister fought and how his warning saved most of his soldiers from dying, he became even more assured that he would be able to bring down the Gravemind Order.
The celebration lasted for about ten minutes before gradually dying down.
While the celebration died down, an atmosphere of grief began enveloping the encampment as the soldiers proceeded to perform the funeral of their colleagues.
They collected sturdy logs and dry branches from the woods, stacking them into a rough pyramid at the edge of the clearing.
When the pile stood ready, they placed the fallen bodies atop the wood, arranging them with care and respect.
A hush fell over the group as King Julian stepped forward with a torch. He had a grim expression on his face as he observed the corpse of his gallant soldiers one last time.
"May your souls find light beyond this dark night."
King Julian spoke audibly with a tone of sadness.
The soldiers repeated his chant three times and then a grim silence fell over the place once again.
King Julian let out a loud sigh and placed the torch on the wood.
It ignited right away, gradually, the bodies were consumed in flames. A soft wind appeared, carrying the dark smoke towards the moonlit sky.
The sound of the fire cackling was the only sound that could be heard at the moment.
Including Alister, everyone remained silent to pay their last respect to the deceased soldiers.
Alister slowly moved his gaze around, he could see tears sliding down the faces of the soldiers as the flames reflected in their solemn eyes. A few had solemn smiles, as they seemed to be recalling the past with their deceased comrades.
Alister suddenly felt the urge to tear up as well — On earth, this kind of scene naturally brought sadness to the audience. But it was a different and stronger kind of sad feeling experiencing it first hand.
Even though he had only met them for a very short time, this scene was still very emotional.
Alister even swore to himself to prevent death in the future. He did not want this sadness to repeat itself.