173 Sword Vow
The large statue was launching sword after sword at the skeletons, keeping them at a distance for the most part.
More and more swords floated off a nearby weapon rack to replace the ones it lost, but they were quickly sent flying at Blue’s head as well as the other skeletons.
The skull was a smaller target so it was harder to hit. Blue only tilted its skull to the side to evade, but its necrotic helmet still took a graze.
Jay was too far away to analyse the large statue, but he already understood the danger of the upper floor: Get pinned down, and the truth guards will make you poisoned and bleed to death.
Thankfully the truth guards were already slain by now.
Other adventurers would have probably taken their time in dealing with them carefully and tactfully to not take poison or bleed damage, and would end up just giving time for the sword-levitating statue to attack, but this wasn’t true for the undead.
The statue continued to blend the air around its body with its flying swords. The sword attacks were not as damaging as the truth guards, but it would still be hard to kill this boss as its crowd control skills were advanced.
*Shhhh~Boom!*
A skeleton got close, but not close enough. The statue narrowly avoided taking a hammer strike as it swept another skeleton away with one sword before pinning it to the ground with the other.
Its tactic was quite simple: It would spin two swords around its body to keep the skeletons at bay before launching one when it found an opening.
Jay quickly resummoned his minions whenever they were getting pinned down or dying.
Multiple skeleton remains decorated the walls, ground and weapon racks of the room, pinned to them by the stone swords. Slowly they began accumulating in the room, making it seem like an ancient grand battle had happened here.
Jay grinned as he thought of a solution, realising the weakness of this boss..
“The statue will definitely shit itself…” he smiled like a devil.
Lamp was summoned again and Jay quickly put his plan into action.
“Here.” Jay handed his own hammer to the skeleton before sending it off with its own special orders.
It wasn’t long before Lamp was hard at work.
*Clank~* *Clank~* *Clank~*
The other skeletons were busy distracting the statue, but after a short pause the statue suddenly released two swords, sending them rocketing towards Lamp.
*Ka-Boom!~*
Lamp evaded easily and ignored it as it continued its special mission.
*Clank~*
It was destroying the stone hammers on the weapon racks.
Needless to say, the statue went crazy.
*Bo-Boom!~ Bo-Boom! Bo-Boom!*
It began launching as many floating swords as it could at Lamp, completely giving up on defence.
In the meantime it took massive damage but it had to save its precious swords – without them, it wouldn’t be able to launch any more. The annoying skeleton was smashing up its ammunition.
Suddenly, it stopped taking any damage from the other skeletons and it seemed like its worst fears came to life – all of the skeletons suddenly ignored it and began smashing up the stone swords in the room.
Jay almost laughed and gave away his position as he watched this happening; these weren’t actually his orders, but it was Blue who was commanding the other skeletons. It basically copied Jay’s idea.
Jay could only shake his head with a smile as the skeletons each dashed off in different directions in the room and got to work.
The statue was frantically marching around now, launching whatever swords it could find in the direction of any skeletons it could see. It was practically shitting itself.
Jay even began to pity it, but he was still smirking, feeling quite superior.
So far, all he did was summon his skeletons while he and Anya quietly watched, and because the skeletons charged at the enemy from different directions his location was never found.
The statue probably didn’t even know it was dealing with a necromancer, and was probably thinking it was in some sort of nightmare.
*Bonk~ Clank~ Clank~ Bonk~ Clank~*
All around the room, the stone weapons were being destroyed; the skeletons were as proficient at destruction as they were at killing.
At some point, the statue stopped launching the swords – it had to maintain two to defend itself efficiently.
The sounds of stone swords being broken slowly quieted down, and it was this point in the fight where Jay and Anya began to move closer. Most of them were destroyed.
Like ghosts of death, the skeletons reappeared from the shadows, surrounding the statue from every side.
The statue had its two stone swords left, floating just above its shoulders; they were ready to stab and slash at any moment.
Jay was finally close enough to analyse the enemy.
<[Dual Sword Whisperer – level 8]>
HP 431/525
Armour 0
<[Skills]>
[Quint counter]
– Pay the enemies back, five times over
– 100% melee damage nullified
– 500% damage returned
[Swords Essence] (Passive)
– Whenever you swing, 4 ethereal swords strike after yours.
– 5% damage for the first sword, add 5% for every other ether sword which strikes. The last sword does 30% damage.
– Ignore armour; can be blocked by manashield.
[Blade dash]
– Sword swings you; Instant repositioning
– 8 Second cooldown
[Vow of the Chosen Blade]
– Recipient of a sacred vow
– Soul-bonded with your sword(s)
– Allows sword telekinesis
– Can never touch another weapon, otherwise all swords will flee from you
[Brittle Armour]
– 40% damage reduction to slashing, stabbing damage.
– 20% more damage taken from crushing damage.
[Helvetia’s Revenge]
– Magic damage immune
– Any wielded weapons become cursed.
<[Description]>
[A dishonoured servant of the Helvetian King, its title and name removed, it body turned to stone. A once legendary quintblade, now cursed to never lift its swords again. At one time, it was one with its swords – but time passes, and the blades remain eternally out of reach. It longs to be one with its swords again, but they are no more, turned to stone like everything else. It will never betray its lost companions by lifting another, and no other weapon will satisfy its soul.]
“Wow, good thing it was loyal to its weapons, otherwise this wouldn’t end well…” Jay though, reading through its supreme sword abilities.
“I wonder if that’s why it was dishonoured? Being more loyal to its swords than its king…?” Jay scratched his chin.
“This one is like a complete opposite to Hessven the blacksmith. It throws swords away like trash, while Hessven held onto them until his bitter end. It doesn’t end enemies in one hit, but locks them down and kills them slowly.”
*Swoosh!~ Crack!*
The levitating swords span around its body like a fan, the skeletons couldn’t even get close. Of course, they would keep trying and were slowly taking damage as they became more aggressive.
“Looks like it’s our turn.” Jay whispered to Anya.
Anya nodded back with a smile as she mounted her crossbow onto a weapon rack and took aim.