The fifty Shadow Skeletons marched in perfect unison, creating a protective phalanx around Kael and his human companions. As they ventured deeper into the Ash Wastes, the air grew incredibly cold, and the ash fall turned into a blinding grey blizzard.
They encountered three more patrols of enemy skeletons. Each time, Kael didn't even lift a finger. He simply ordered his shadows to crush them, and then used Shadow Extraction on the remains.
His army had grown from fifty to two hundred in the span of two hours.
Suddenly, the grey blizzard parted. Standing in the middle of their path was a massive, skeletal horse with flaming blue hooves. Riding the horse was a towering figure in heavy, spiked black armor, wielding a massive greatsword that leaked dark miasma.
[Mini-Boss: Death Knight Vanguard (Level 30)]
The Death Knight leveled its greatsword at Kael. It didn't speak, but its killing intent was so dense it actually made the air hard to breathe. The two hundred Shadow Skeletons clattered their weapons nervously.
"The Lich King's right hand," Kael observed. "Level 30. That's a huge jump from Level 10 skeletons."
"Kael, your skeletons won't scratch his armor," Elara warned, stepping forward and preparing a spell.
"I know," Kael said. He unbuttoned his jacket and let it drop to the ashen ground. "Tell the recruits to stay back. I'm taking this one personally."
Before Elara could argue, Kael willed his mana into his back.
FWOOSH!
Two massive wings made of jagged, obsidian glass—the Wings of the Eclipse he got from Azrael—erupted from his shoulder blades. The sheer force of their deployment blew away the ash blizzard in a fifty-foot radius.
The Death Knight spurred its skeletal horse, charging at Kael like a freight train of dark iron.
Kael beat his wings once, launching himself into the air with terrifying speed. He bypassed the horse entirely, dropping from the sky like a meteor directly onto the Death Knight.
CLANG!
The Monarch's Dagger met the Death Knight's greatsword in a shower of blue sparks. The force of Kael's strike, boosted by his wings, crushed the skeletal horse beneath the rider, turning it to dust.
The Death Knight rolled to its feet instantly, swinging its heavy blade in a brutal upward arc.
Kael didn't dodge. He used Shadow Step, sinking into the shadow of the greatsword itself, and reappeared standing on the flat of the moving blade.
"Too slow," Kael whispered right into the visor of the black armor.
Kael's eyes flashed with Death Lines. He drove his dagger straight through the tiny slit in the visor, piercing the blue soul-fire burning within the helmet.
[Critical Hit!]
The Death Knight froze, dropping its greatsword. Kael ripped the dagger out, spun, and delivered a devastating roundhouse kick that decapitated the armored boss. The helmet flew into the ash, and the heavy armor collapsed into a pile of scrap.
[You have slain the Death Knight Vanguard (Level 30).]
[Level Up!]
Kael landed softly, folding his glass wings away. He didn't even pause to check the loot. He walked straight over to the decapitated armor and held out his hand.
"Arise."
Black lightning struck the armor. The metal twisted and reformed, turning pitch black. The Death Knight stood up, a foot taller than before, its blue soul-fire replaced by Kael's golden glow. It dropped to one knee, offering its shadowy greatsword to Kael.
[Extraction Successful.]
[Name: Shadow Knight]
[Grade: Commander]
"A Commander grade," Kael smiled, patting the massive knight's spiked shoulder. "You'll do nicely."