He touched his ring and called Boney out.
"You heard the things we discussed, didn't you Boney?"
He nodded his head up and down.
"We're going to kill some zombies."
Boran and Boney proceeded toward the place the old man had described. Following the high stone walls of the chapel and moving behind it, a vast cemetery area hidden in mists appeared. The cemetery, like the rest of the village, bore the marks of time and fate.
The soil was damp and soft; leaving a muddy feeling under their feet with each step. The gravestones were crooked and half-buried, as if some force beneath the ground was pulling them in. Some had completely toppled over, while others were cracked and shattered. The inscriptions on them had faded with time, some becoming completely illegible. Yet, upon careful observation, traces of families, dates, and short epitaphs could still be discerned on some of the gravestones.
The chapel's marble columns were covered with wild vines and moss. Wind passing through the ruins struck the remaining metal pieces of the old organ pipes, producing eerie, moan-like sounds.
A thin layer of mist floated among the graves. Distant groans and growls could be heard through the mist. The sounds of Rotting Walkers...
Boran stood at the iron-barred entrance gate of the cemetery. The gate swung half-open on its rusty hinges. The lock on it had been broken and shattered long ago.
A weak but distinct odor came from inside the cemetery: the smell of rotting flesh, earth, and damp stone. This wasn't the smell of death, but the smell of something that refused to come after death.
Further inside, dark figures could be seen moving between the gravestones. Rotting Walkers wandered aimlessly among the graves, sometimes stopping at a gravestone, as if trying to remember who lay within. Then, with an instinctual movement, they would start walking again.
"Ready?" Boran whispered, not taking his eyes off the Rotting Walkers roaming among the graves.
Boney nodded his head.
Boran walked toward a Rotting Walker.
When the Rotting Walker noticed Boran, it made a growling, hoarse sound. Its body turned toward Boran. There was no expression on its half-rotted face, but a awareness had appeared in the dull gleam of its eyes. While its jaw hung loosely, a dry growl rose from its throat. It began to advance toward Boran with unsteady steps, extending its arms forward.
"First I'll test my newly acquired abilities, Boney. Just watch me," he said as he equipped shields in both hands. "Now... first I'll use my Vigilant Wall feature. I'll need to make 6 perfect blocks with my left shield."
He walked up to the Rotting Walker. When the creature raised its arm, Boran quickly pulled his shield in front and the shield glowed yellow for a moment. But the creature's hand hadn't even made its attack yet.
Being slow, its arm was still behind. Then suddenly it swung its arm along with its shoulder.
[You took 278 damage]
[Thorn dealt 191 damage]
The creature had raised its hand again, but Boran quickly took a step back.
"I didn't expect it to attack so slowly. It's holding its attacks for a long time like bosses in a game I played... my least favorite type of attack! But my Thorn damage has increased to 191. That must be pretty high damage, right Boney?" said Boran, turning around.
Boney pointed at Boran's back with his finger. As if saying, "Behind you!" He immediately took position to throw his arrow.
"Hey, hey. Take it easy Boney," said Boran, taking a step forward. The Rotting Walker's attack from behind had missed. Due to the swing of its own arm, the creature, already barely standing, toppled over because of its own arm.
"Killing these will be child's play. We're much faster than they are. I don't understand how these villagers can't kill them," said Boran, grabbing the fallen Rotting Walker by the back and lifting it into the air.
He tapped the Rotting Walker's shoulder twice, and the creature turned back as fast as it could. But Boran had already taken a step back.
The creature raised its hand and swung it at Boran, but this time Boran knew the attack speed. He pushed his shield a little forward before the creature's attack hit his shield. A "BOOM" sound was heard. A blue bar appeared above the creature. It read "1".
[Perfect Block!]
[Bar: 1/6]
"Come on, come on! 5 more, be quick!"
The Rotting Walker attacked again, Boran swung his shield in time again.
[Perfect Block!]
[Bar: 2/6]
"That's it! The timing is a bit difficult but I'll get used to it."
The creature swung its arm once more, Boran's shield met it at just the right time.
[Perfect Block!]
[Bar: 3/6]
"We're past halfway!"
The zombie growled as it made its fourth attack.
[Perfect Block!]
[Bar: 4/6]
By the time the fifth attack came, Boran had completely mastered the timing.
[Perfect Block!]
[Bar: 5/6]
"Just one more!"
The Rotting Walker raised its arm one last time and swung it toward Boran. Boran raised his shield with perfect timing.
[Perfect Block!]
[Bar: 6/6]
[You can use Vigilant Wall]
"Let's try it out."
[Vigilant Wall activated!]
Boran slammed his left shield hard onto the ground. As the metal part of the shield touched the ground, a golden energy wave spread around him. This energy wave traveled across the soil, forming a bright circle around Boran. From inside the circle, thin columns of light extended toward the sky, as if invisible poles were rising. These columns joined above Boran, forming a semi-transparent, dome-shaped shield.
The shield shone with a light made up of a mixture of gold and silver colors. Patterns resembling symbols of an ancient language had appeared on it. These symbols were constantly moving on the surface of the shield, flowing as if they were alive.
A golden aura also began to emanate from Boran's body, his muscles became more defined and his feet pressed more firmly into the ground. It seemed like nothing could lift his feet off the ground.
The Rotting Walker appeared unaffected by this light show around Boran. Its sole focus was Boran. With hungry rage, it raised its arm and swung it toward Boran with all its might.
When the creature's hand struck the barrier created by Vigilant Wall, golden waves spread outward from the point of impact. For a moment, the surface of Vigilant Wall vibrated like ripples created by a stone falling into water.
The barrier suddenly began to burn with a brighter light. A golden energy protrusion extended from its surface. This energy sharpened like a spear and shot toward the Rotting Walker. When it reached the Rotting Walker, it pierced the creature's chest and penetrated inside.
The expanding energy inside the Walker illuminated the creature's rotting body from within. Beams of golden light burst out from its eye sockets, mouth, and the rotting wounds on its body.
[You dealt 340 damage!]
"Hah! So it really takes all the damage it would normally deal to me. This is awesome."
As a result of the powerful blow, the Rotting Walker was thrown back. As pieces of its rotting body scattered around, the creature growled in pain. But this pain was not enough to stop its attack instinct. As soon as it regained its balance, it attacked Boran again with rage.
The second attack was even more violent. The Walker seemed to have channeled all its strength into one final attack. But the result didn't change. The attack was reflected back the moment it hit Vigilant Wall.
[You dealt 340 damage!]
After two powerful blows, the Rotting Walker's rotting body was completely shattered. Dark mist and pieces of rotting flesh flew around. The remains of the creature fell to the ground and quickly began to decay, merging with the soil.
Boran looked around. Vigilant Wall remained active for 2 more seconds. Boran felt stronger and safer than he ever had before.
"Wow!" he said excitedly. "This ability... it's incredible! Boney, did you see? The Walker killed itself with its own attack!" he said and let out a laugh.
Boney nodded with a smile, but immediately after pointed his finger at the other Rotting Walkers further ahead. The noise Boran had made had awakened the other zombies in the cemetery as well.
"I would have liked to use Crashing Bulwark too, but it seems to work better on single targets. For now, let's just kill these," he said and turned to Boney. "I'll handle it."
Boran lunged toward the Rotting Walkers in the cemetery. Rather than a Tank, he moved like a dancer. His steps were light, and his movements were extremely fluid. As the Walkers headed toward him, he was readying his left shield.
When the first Walker raised its arm, Boran raised his shield just in time.
[Perfect Block!]
[Bar: 1/6]
He felt rather than heard the attack of another Walker approaching from behind. With a turning motion, he swung his shield toward it.
[Perfect Block!]
[Bar: 2/6]
When the third Walker attacked from his side, Boran had almost slowed time. He positioned his shield with such precision that the rotted hand hit right in the center of the shield.
[Perfect Block!]
[Bar: 3/6]
"This shouldn't be so easy!" Boran shouted, with a gleam of victory in his eyes. "I'll take care of each one of you!"
The fourth Walker moved faster than the others. It attacked at a moment Boran hadn't calculated. He tried to raise his shield but the timing was a tenth of a second too late. The Walker's claw grazed Boran's shoulder.
[You took 278 damage]
"Damn it!" Boran hissed. He felt a slight burning sensation on his shoulder. The damage wasn't serious, but it was enough warning to focus his attention. "Not this time."
When he saw the fifth Walker's attack, he met it with complete focus. He raised his shield with such perfection that at the moment of impact, the Walker's hand would almost shatter.
[Perfect Block!]
[Bar: 4/6]
When the sixth Walker approached, Boran didn't wait for it. He lunged forward, meeting the Walker's attack before it was even completed.
[Perfect Block!]
[Bar: 5/6]
The last Walker, unlike the others, seemed to have understood Boran's strategy. It waited to attack, watching Boran's movements. Boran approached it impatiently.
"Come on! What are you waiting for? Attack!" he shouted, using Taunt.
The Walker finally moved. Its attack was stronger and faster than the previous ones. But Boran was ready. He raised his shield once more with perfect timing.
[Perfect Block!]
[Bar: 6/6]
[You can use Vigilant Wall]
Boran's eyes gleamed with victory. "Now the real fun begins."
[Vigilant Wall activated!]
The moment Boran struck his shield to the ground, the golden energy wave spread brightly. This time, the dome-shaped shield had encompassed all the Walkers.
The Walkers, under the effect of Taunt, tried to attack without waiting.
The first Walker, the moment it struck Boran, the barrier trembled as if electrified. Then, with incredible speed, it reflected the same attack back at the Walker. A golden energy spear impaled the Walker's body.
[You dealt 405 damage!]
The Walker's body illuminated from within, golden light bursting out from its eye sockets and mouth.
The second Walker, as if not seeing its friend's fate, shared the same destiny.
[You dealt 405 damage!]
One by one, all the Walkers attacked the Vigilant Wall, and with each attack, they prepared their own demise. Each one, while trying to harm Boran, destroyed themselves.
[You dealt 405 damage!]
[You dealt 405 damage!]
[You dealt 405 damage!]
[You dealt 405 damage!]
When the last Walker shattered, only dark mist remained around Boran from the decayed bodies. The Vigilant Wall, as if having completed its task, slowly faded.
Boran looked at the destruction around him, with both amazement and excitement in his eyes. "Incredible..." he murmured. "This ability... INCREDIBLE!"
Boney came to Boran's side, an expression of admiration in his eyes.
"Did you see that, Boney?" said Boran, still under the effect of adrenaline. "Now I can deal good damage on my own!"
Boney nodded his head, then pointed with his finger at the remains of the Walkers. Among the remains, as the mist slowly dispersed, small glowing objects appeared.
"Loot!" Boran shouted excitedly. "Let's collect them."
While walking among the Walker remains, Boran found small vials filled with a greenish liquid. These were called Lesser Essence of Decay, loot that dropped from Rotting Walkers.
"Here it is!" he said, examining the essence in his hand. "Lesser Essence of Decay. These might be useful to us later."
He collected a total of seven Lesser Essence of Decay. The glowing liquid undulated in the vial, emitting a dark green shimmer.
[+7 Lesser Essence of Decay] [Kill Rotting Walker: 7/100]
"A hundred of them?! I thought it was 10," he said and shrugged. "Well, they die easily anyway. We might finish this today."