Chapter 644: The Bend That Changed Everything

Deep in the darkness, six eyes watched the figure moving through the trench ahead. None of them spoke for a while, and their gazes remained fixed on the lone awakener walking through the passage with an unusually relaxed posture.

There was something unsettling about how calmly he moved through such a dangerous place.

"We follow the plan," one of them muttered, his voice barely audible above the faint sound of the wind moving through the trench. "After the first bend, we take him down."

The other two nodded without saying anything.

They had done this before, and none of them considered the task particularly difficult.

If they acted quickly and avoided making unnecessary noise, they could finish the job before anyone discovered what had happened.

One of the figures adjusted the position of his dagger while another checked the arrow resting against his bowstring. The third remained silent, studying the surroundings with a cautious gaze.

After confirming that everything was ready, they gradually blended into the darkness, moving forward without producing any noticeable sound as they followed their unsuspecting prey.

Ahead of them, Thoren continued walking with a calm and composed expression.

His eyes occasionally moved toward the surrounding walls, but most of his attention was focused on the information provided by his Perception.

Although his Perception was restricted on the third floor, it remained far more useful than relying solely on his physical eyes.

His vision could only reveal what the available light allowed him to see, but his Perception enabled him to notice details that might otherwise escape his attention.

As long as something fell within the range of his Perception, he could gather information about it while continuing to move.

This made exploring the trenches considerably easier.

Even so, he did not become careless simply because he possessed an advantage.

The trenches was still unfamiliar territory, and there was no guarantee that his current abilities would be sufficient to deal with every possible threat.

Just then, he noticed the trench ahead beginning to veer toward the left.

The passage also seemed to become slightly wider after the bend, providing more room to move compared with the narrower section he had just crossed.

Scattered across the muddy ground were several bones, some partially buried beneath the soil while others lay exposed near the walls.

Thoren briefly registered their presence through his Perception but He did not bother stopping to examine them.

Bones scattered throughout the trenches were hardly unusual, especially in places where dangerous beasts hunted.

Without changing his pace, he continued forward and turned left at the bend. The moment he crossed the corner, however, his actions changed.

A faint fluctuation of mana spread through the surrounding passage as Thoren activated his Undead Space.

In the next instant, the enormous figure of the undead Skybreaker Roc emerged from his undead space.

Its massive body appeared within the available space before it immediately spread its wings. The undead rose into the air with a powerful flap.

A violent gust swept through the trench, stirring the loose dirt and sending small particles of dust into the surrounding darkness.

At the same time, Thoren summoned two more undead.

The undead Horn Lizard King appeared on his right, its powerful body occupying a large portion of the passage.

On Thoren’s left, the undead Scorpion Men King emerged from the Undead Space.

Its imposing figure carried a different kind of threat.

Within seconds, the previously quiet passage had become crowded with three powerful undead creatures.

The atmosphere changed almost immediately.

The cold wind continued to move through the trench, but the surroundings no longer felt like an empty passage waiting to be explored.

The presence of the three undead introduced an oppressive pressure that seemed to weigh upon everything.

The undead Skybreaker Roc remained above them, its enormous wings partially spread as it watched the surrounding area.

With the two undead kings accompanying him and the Skybreaker Roc watching from above, the trenches seemed to have lost much of their previous danger.

Thoren continued walking at the same steady pace, with the undead moving alongside him.

Behind them, the three hidden figures finally emerged from their hiding place.

For a moment, they remained motionless as they stared at the scene ahead, their expressions difficult to distinguish in the darkness. Their target was still walking calmly through the passage, apparently unaware that anyone had been following him.

However, something about the situation felt different.

The atmosphere had become heavier, and the air carried a strange pressure that had not been present before.

One of the figures narrowed his eyes as he tried to understand what had changed, but he could not identify the source of his unease.

Nevertheless, he did not abandon the plan.

He licked his lips and slowly unsheathed his dagger, allowing the faint light to glimmer across its sharp edge.

Beside him, the archer raised his bow.

He reached for an arrow, placed it against the bowstring, and drew it back while carefully aligning the point with the figure ahead.

His movements were smooth and controlled, and his breathing remained steady as he prepared to release the shot.

The third figure stayed behind them.

Unlike his companions, he did not immediately prepare to attack. Instead, he scanned the surrounding trench. His role was to watch for unexpected dangers.

Their movements revealed that this was not their first time carrying out such an operation.

Unfortunately for them, they had made one important mistake. They had assumed that the lone awakener ahead was truly alone.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, they heard a movement around them.

The air seemed to tremble, and an intense sense of danger descended upon them before any of them could understand what was happening.

The archer’s fingers tightened around the bowstring.

The dagger wielder stopped moving, his eyes widening slightly as he tried to determine where the threat was coming from.

As for the third figure, his reaction was even more immediate.

What is happening?!

The thought erupted in his mind as he hurriedly searched the surroundings, looking for the source of the sudden danger.

His instincts were screaming at him to move. Yet he could not identify where he should go.

The next moment, a massive shadow descended from above.

Before the archer could release his arrow, a long, deadly talon appeared directly above him.

Its enormous shape blocked his view, and the sudden movement left him with almost no time to react.

His eyes widened in terror.

"Nooooo!"

The scream escaped his mouth just as the talon swept through him in one devastating strike.

Blood splattered across the muddy ground as the archer’s body was torn apart by the talon. His bow fell from his hands, and the arrow he had prepared dropped uselessly beside him.