Witch Troupe and the Undead

The shopkeeper shook his head. "Seven gold coins?" "Unless you bring that many copper coins, I'll only charge you 60 silver coins if you use large silver coins."

"..." In the end, Roach obediently took out 60 Alchemy Society silver coins to pay. To be honest, he didn't even know whether he made a profit or a loss. The individual prices were understandable, but when they were added together, he was completely confused.

Besides canned goods, Leslie also had Roach buy a lot of nuts and sugar. The former wasn't expensive; a small bag of nuts cost less than two silver coins. The latter, however, cost more.

"When food is scarce, nuts and sugar can help us last longer." The former is rich in oil, while the latter is simply a food-grade energy booster.

"We still need fuel. If we're going to a forest or a regular ruin, we won't need it, but places like tombs don't have much fuel." Regular ruins are full of various miscellaneous items left behind by adventurers in the past, as well as rotten furniture and equipment, and the surrounding areas are mostly remote forests, so there's no shortage of fuel.

But the Black Abyss Cemetery is different. Unless you dig up coal, it's unlikely you'll find any proper fuel there. And the skeletons that are already bones obviously can't be burned. This is unlike those ruins filled with normal monsters, where at least you can use monster fat to make oil or torches.

So they bought 12 torches and a large bundle of processed, oily firewood, which they had to carry on the back of their black horse.

When other adventurers undertake adventures of this "dangerous" level, they also need to bring mounts or pack animals. Therefore, although adventurers charge in gold coins, the cost of renting pack animals can actually drain a large portion of their income.

"Sleeping bag, backpack... and most importantly, a waterproof blanket." A blanket can be used as bedding to avoid the effects of ground moisture, prevent snake and insect bites, keep you warm in critical moments, and can be torn into simple bandages and tinder. It is one of the essential items for adventurers.

Based on the principle that he had already spent a lot of money and didn't mind spending a little more, Roach bought the most expensive item in the general store, a blanket that was said to be made of monster fur. Except for the little witch's blanket, which was placed on her horse, everyone else carried their own blankets.

As for backpacks, everyone uses backpacks made by Livia. They aren't exactly space-saving backpacks, but they can still reduce the weight of items by up to 2/3, greatly improving everyone's carrying capacity.

After purchasing miscellaneous items, it was time to get equipment. Roach carried the Storm Crossbow on his back and the Thorn Sword hung at his waist. Livia, with her small stature and weak physique, like Titania, didn't need to buy any equipment at all. Her cloak itself was a magical defense piece of equipment, providing protection equivalent to hard leather armor and extremely high magic resistance.

After all, it was a relic passed down from her teacher, Niel Riley. On the contrary, Roach needed to buy a lightweight suit of armor, just as he had reminded Ray and the others. If possible, even wearing a light leather armor under their clothes could effectively improve their survival rate.

Then Vivi needs to buy a full set of equipment, as does Leslie. The Black Horse also theoretically needs protective gear, such as leg armor and belly armor to protect its legs. These lightweight coverings are used to prevent the beasts from being injured by various spike traps or sharp objects in the dungeon.

However, considering that this thing is a horse-shaped demon, we'll omit that; those spiked traps are probably no more lethal to it than a back scratcher.

"Master Roach, do you need to purchase equipment?" Karius greeted Roach, who had come to visit. Iron Gauntlets rubbed together, finding the request a bit strange. Generally speaking, alchemists had their own sources of equipment, and some were even excellent equipment forgers themselves.

"On the commercial street..." The general was about to speak when he stopped. "Alright, I'll provide some equipment for your companions, as long as there aren't too many people." So, Roach and his men successfully obtained a batch of spare equipment for the knights from the Knights' armory, such as the inner lining armor worn by the Beast Knights under their heavy armor.

"These soft armors are made from the fur of the northern wolf, which has excellent insulation properties, and each piece costs no less than 20 gold coins."

Of course, the quartermaster's figure of 20 gold coins is misleading. If he meant purchasing all the materials from the market, then it would definitely cost no less than 20 gold coins. If the knights hunted the [Threat] level monster [Earth Wolf] themselves, then the labor cost would only be one or two gold coins.

The Earth Wolf is a monster that falls between the [Threat Level] and [Disaster Level]. Although it is called a [Wolf], it is actually a reptile. However, its living habits are similar to those of wolves. It usually hunts in packs, is cunning and dangerous, and becomes a disaster level when it gathers in a group. It is one of the biggest natural disasters in the Northern Province.

Their scales are incredibly soft yet tough; most sharp weapons will slip off or have their power absorbed by the smooth scales. Only the heavy weapons of the Beast Knights can break the bones of these earth wolves to destroy them.

The Earth Wolf Armor is very warm and breathable, but it is heavier than ordinary leather armor.

In addition to the two pieces of earth wolf armor, I also bought three protective short swords. One was for Leslie, one was for Vivi, and the other was to be placed on horseback for Livia to use. They were all made of black steel smelted by the black dwarves of the North. Like flint, they could be struck and rubbed against the sword to start a fire. In other words, it was a fire striker shaped like a short sword.

Then Leslie replenished four quiver full of heavy arrows, which were also supplies for the Knights. These supplies were recorded as "losses" at Karius's instruction, but Commander Gavins wouldn't care anyway. Compared to the friendship of a high-ranking alchemist, these things that could be bought with money were still quite worthwhile.

"If I had known you could get equipment from the Knights, I wouldn't have wasted that money." Leslie also took two jars of lamp oil from the military supply depot. There were also military-grade lanterns there, which were more sturdy than those from the general store, though of course, they were also much cruder.

The eastern gate of the fortress was still under repair. The street in front of the fence was lined with makeshift barricades, and dozens of soldiers were stationed there. When they saw Roach and his companions, dressed as adventurers and leading a black horse, coming over, the soldiers were about to stop them and extort some money. However, when they saw the knightly soft armor on Roach and his companions, the officers hurriedly waved their whips and drove the soldiers away.

"My lord, the area ahead is blocked off. No one is allowed to pass through until the gate is repaired." Currently, adventurers are clearing out the scattered undead creatures and other monsters spawned by the undead's spread around the fortress. Adventure permits for the Black Abyss Cemetery have not yet been opened.

However, after Roach presented the special pass signed by General Karius, the officer had no choice but to order the roadblock to be opened and let Roach and his men pass.

On the city gate tower, hundreds of slaves and a small number of craftsmen were repairing parts damaged in the previous war. The clanging of iron hammers echoed in the workshops on the side as metal parts were lifted onto the top of the wall by elevators installed inside the wall, to repair the crossbows and defensive structures.

"Open the door!" The four slaves pushed the winch with all their might, and the temporary gate, made of a mixture of wood and metal, slowly rose, revealing the original iron gate behind it, which had been corroded and destroyed beyond recognition by necromancy.

The doorway was filled with traces of bloodshed from the previous breach of the city; the rough stone bricks and reinforced iron bars were littered with marks of swords and knives.

Inside the former guardhouse, several craftsmen were resting by the fire. The doorway was filled with repair materials such as planks and rough stones. When they saw Roach and his group enter, the craftsmen immediately stopped talking. They only relaxed after realizing that they seemed to be just passing by.

Inside the gate, wooden scaffolding for repairs was everywhere. The outer city gate was still damaged, with only the huge holes sealed up with iron bars, forcing Roach and his men to expend considerable effort to pass through. The drawbridge had broken across the moat, and the new one was not yet installed; thick iron chains hung down the walls like dying pythons.

"Come~" Faced with something unfamiliar, Livia had no choice but to use her voice to give the order. With the little witch's command, a large number of broken pieces of wood flew up from the abyss and automatically pieced together the missing parts of the suspension bridge to form a temporary bridge.

Black Horse quickly crossed the temporary suspension bridge with large bags of supplies, followed by Roach and Vivi, with Livia and Leslie bringing up the rear.

After everyone had passed, the slightly out-of-breath little witch dispelled the magic, and the wooden block fell into the abyss again, cutting off both ends of the trench.

The passage leading to the Black Abyss Cemetery is a narrow, rough stone staircase. A row of iron chains is nailed to the rock wall on the right as a safety device when descending. As you continue down the slippery staircase, several skeletons block your way from time to time, but the black horse at the front kicks them one by one into the abyss.

After descending about 30 meters, you can see the location of the first level of the cemetery. It used to be a normal cemetery, but it has been split in two by cracks. The ancient burial chambers have been torn apart into corridors on both sides of the rock wall. Following these burial chambers and passages, you can enter the second level.

Under normal circumstances, the first level is safe. In the past, there were even rest camps, simple shops and supply points here, and the crowds were beyond description.

However, now all that remains here are bloodstains, broken bones, damaged weapons, and rotting supplies.

The stone coffin inside the tomb was deliberately moved to the entrance of the next level to block the passage, but judging from the huge cracks in the tomb walls, this process only delayed the inevitable death of the adventurers.

"Let's take a break." Due to the little witch's limited stamina, Roach and the others had to stop and rest every now and then. However, for Livia, it was already remarkable that she was able to keep walking.

However, to continue, we need to bear considerable risks. Therefore, it would be best to let the little witch rest for a while and let everyone's eyes adjust to the dark environment, so as to save on the consumption of lamp oil and other lighting supplies.

Chapter Fifty-Seven: The First Level of the Cemetery

"Snap!" A lit match was brought close to the black iron oil lamp, and a new star rose in the dark tomb. Roach shook the lamp post, and the adventure lamp was firmly fixed to the back of the black horse, illuminating the tomb. The mottled murals were covered with damp moss, and water slid down the grooves in the walls, making it impossible to see what was painted on them.

"Crash!" Vivi shook the crack in the wall, and large chunks of stone mixed with mud and sand rolled down. "No, the structure here is severely damaged. We can only take the normal path. If we try to squeeze through this crack, it might collapse halfway there." "Where are we going?" The little fairy landed on Livia's shoulder, affectionately nuzzling the little witch's smooth face.

Livia pulled out a map and unfolded it. The map was clearly a hand-drawn chibi version of her drawing. The lines were a bit messy, and Roach couldn't quite understand it. However, he could tell the location of their group from the clustered portraits.

“Here,” Livia pointed to a corner of the map, which, judging from the layered map, should be the lowest part of the Black Abyss Cemetery.

"By the way, Master Livia, how did you know that?" Vivi was very curious about how Livia obtained such a detailed map and target information.

“Hmm…” Leslie stared at Vivi for a moment with her emerald eyes, saying nothing, seemingly concluding that Vivi's intelligence and comprehension were insufficient to understand the process. “Then we’ll have to break through the first three levels of the tomb, I think it should be on the fourth level?” Leslie was relatively better at reading maps.

"However, due to the destruction by the undead, the routes in the first three levels have also been severely damaged, right?" The original walkable paths may have collapsed or changed, and the distribution of monsters inside may also have changed.

“I can’t offer you much protection unless you want the difficulty to increase abnormally,” Black Horse sneezed. “The boundary between here and Hell is too thin. If I intervene, it might cause things from over there to come over. In that case, apart from Miss, I can’t guarantee the safety of the rest of you.”

"Moreover, the previous turmoil was definitely not normal. The Kingdom of Gulushe has been extinct for over a thousand years. These ancient people should have stopped causing trouble long ago, but they chose to cause trouble now." Vivi also felt that something was wrong. Moreover, these souls were slumbering in the Soul-Binding Crystal. Without external force to release them, it was absolutely impossible for them to break free from the Soul-Binding Crystal and escape on their own.

"Perhaps the adventurers accidentally broke some seal or were possessed by something; these things are quite common." Roach wasn't surprised at all. He plunged his Thorn Sword into the gaps between the piled-up stone coffins. "Thorns!" Golden thorns emerged from the blade and quickly entangled the stone coffins. "Explode!"

"Boom!" The continuous series of tiny explosions caused by the exploding thorns sliced ​​the stone coffin into several pieces like a hot knife through butter. Then the main body of the thorns exploded, blasting fragments of the stone coffin inward.

"Alright, the road is open." Roach drew his Thorn Sword. For him, the greatest use of this sword was as a demolition charge.

Behind the door was a passageway constructed of large stone slabs, the ground covered with white skeletons, which creaked underfoot. A black horse carrying luggage and a lantern walked at the back, followed by Rocchi holding a thorn sword, then Leslie, Vivi, and the little witch. As for the fairy, due to her size, she sat on the little witch's head, making the little girl want to reach out and grab her from time to time.

The passageway is not long, only about 10 meters long. On the other side is a rectangular tomb chamber. In the center of the tomb chamber is a stone mausoleum, with a black metal fence surrounding the broken stone coffin in the center.

The four corners are lit by extinguished candles, and two rusted iron lampstands stand on the side of the altar. The valuables here have long been taken by adventurers. Judging from the traces of the campfire in front of the mausoleum, this place has also been used as a rest area for adventurers.

Exiting through the collapsed wall opening on one side of this tomb leads to the first level of the true Black Abyss Cemetery, a massive underground void. Ancient pyramid-shaped structures are scattered throughout the void, with eternally burning eerie green magical flames atop them, illuminating rows of indistinct holy statues and ancient inscriptions on the stone towers.

"In the beliefs of ancient peoples, these stone tablets were used as guides to lead lost souls back to their resting place. Such stone tablets were built on the way to their tombs."

"Why didn't they just build the tomb here and place the stele on the surface? Why did they continue digging deeper into the tomb beneath such a natural cave?"

"Who knows? That's something for historians to discuss." Leslie checked the direction; the stone tablets served as natural landmarks, guiding them into the real Black Abyss Cemetery.

"Crack~" Perhaps it was the sound of Roach and his companions talking that disturbed the monsters sleeping in the darkness. Accompanied by the sound of bones grinding, several pale skeletons appeared under a stone tablet, wielding rusty weapons, and slowly approached the adventurers.

“The first level of the Black Abyss Cemetery isn’t dangerous. Even ordinary adventurers can easily deal with these skeletons. Not every perilous place is treated this way.” Leslie didn’t use a bow and arrow. Instead, she pulled a wooden stick from her horse and knocked the skull away with a single blow.

"That fortress up there..."

"Because the undead will climb up from the abyss..." The jagged cliffs are impossible for any human or living creature to climb, and even if they did, they would have no strength left.

However, this is not a problem for the undead. Their sharp and hard bone claws can traverse these rocks as if they were flat ground, and they never get tired, climbing upwards day after day like foam overflowing from a container.

The ditch under the suspension bridge was paved with asphalt, which made it harder for the undead to climb back up. Even so, it was necessary to replenish the asphalt from time to time and ignite the ditch below to burn the skeletons and zombies to ashes and clean them up.

"Leslie, watch out!" A dark shadow darted out from the crack in the cave. "Hey!" Titania waved her small hand quickly in the air, creating sparkling light. "Dust Curtain!" Countless glittering dust particles enveloped Leslie. As if disturbed by the dust, the shadow merely brushed past her, leaving a deep scar on her arm.

"Hiss~" The dark shadow landed on the ground, its outline vaguely revealed by the waist lamp on Leslie's waist. It was a purplish-black creature the size of a hunting dog, shaped like a kangaroo. Its strong hind legs gave it powerful jumping ability, and its short forelimbs grew forward with two blood-red arcs. The chitinous claws were like two scarlet barbed scimitars, with sharp edges and barbs of varying lengths on the back.

"It's a Kamaitachi! Watch out for its fangs!" Vivi gripped her short sword tightly, took a small smoke ball from her bag with her left hand, and threw it toward Leslie. The incense ball filled with smoke lit the moment it was thrown, and the scent of the exorcising incense made the Kamaitachi shake its head violently, seemingly unable to accept the faint smell of smoke, and warily hid itself back in the shadows.

The mermaid girl ran quickly towards her teammates, and almost the instant she was about to escape the smoke, a dark shadow swept across the ground. "Bang!" The Kamaitachi slammed its head into a rock that suddenly grew out, making a crisp sound of its skull cracking.

"Why is the Kamaitachi here?" This is a common monster that lives underground and in caves. It uses its bladed limbs to climb and move on rock walls, allowing it to suspend itself in mid-air to ambush various adventurers or prey passing by.

However, this is the Black Abyss Graveyard, and creatures like the Kamaitachi shouldn't appear here. This place is full of necromancy or shadow-type creatures, which are all inedible to it.

"It seems something has happened in the labyrinth within these ruins." Otherwise, there wouldn't be such a significant change in the monster population. The presence of the Kamaitachi means that there are other monsters that it hunts.

Monster levels are classified as danger levels, representing their destructive power and threat to the surrounding environment and human settlements, not their combat strength. Some monsters are incredibly powerful, even like living mountains, but because they haven't moved an inch for hundreds of years, they are actually classified as harmless.

Some monsters, although individually weak, are classified as "Disaster-level" because they live in groups and are difficult to eliminate. Examples include the burrowing worm and the plague locust. The latter, in particular, is something that a farmer could wipe out in large numbers with a torch, whether it is a group or a single one. However, it is actually a "Disaster-level" monster.

Spreading plagues and destroying crops, wherever they go, famine, plague, death, and war inevitably follow. Even the discovery of just one plague can keep the local lord up at night.

The Kamaitachi is a standard [Ferocious] monster because it only hunts prey that enters its territory. Compared to its favorite [Black-nosed Mole] and [Acid Worm], prey that is too large, such as humans, is not its first choice. However, when it really comes to fighting, especially in a dark cave environment, its combat power is extremely strong.

Roach, who was least afraid of such lacerations, grabbed the creature by the tail and lifted it up. The shattered skull caused brain matter to drip from its ears and eye sockets. Once it was in a bright place, it didn't look so ferocious anymore.

The head of a weasel even looks a little cute. Its jet-black fur reflects a pearly luster under the light, indicating that it is a fine coat. Its wide, flat tail is an important tool for gliding and pouncing in the cave to maintain balance. The only thing on its body that is frightening is its two blood-red, curved limbs.

"Ugh~" Livia touched the little thing's corpse, shook her head, its soul already scattered and beyond saving.

"Are you alright?" Roach tossed the weasel's corpse onto the black horse's back, planning to deal with it at the next rest stop, and turned to look at Leslie.

"It's nothing... just a superficial wound." The wounds caused by the weasel were quite gruesome; those barbs weren't just for show. However, with the healing ointment made by Livia, these superficial wounds could stop bleeding and heal quickly.

"Be careful next time. The environment here is different from before. What we thought was safe may not be safe. Luckily, weasels don't live in groups, otherwise we might not be able to take care of you."

"Okay," the mermaid girl said, grimacing as she wrapped bandages around her arm. Although the witch's ointment was very effective, it would still take some time to heal.

After Leslie's lesson on how to avoid a disaster, everyone except the dark horse, including the little witch, became serious and tense on the road ahead. The little witch, in particular, gripped her cane tightly in front of her chest, her emerald eyes shining brightly, as if she was continuously using some kind of special ability.

"Right side!" The fairy's senses were the most acute. She threw a ball of soft light behind the guide stone on the right. Before Luo Qi could point his sword there, the entire cave shook. "Crack!" The stalagmites broke off one after another, turning into countless stone cones that poured down like a torrential rain.

Just as a skeleton hound stood up, it was smashed to pieces by a stone spike larger than itself. By the time Livia stopped, the unfortunate skeleton hound was reduced to bone dust, and even the sturdy guidepost had been smashed into a pile of rubble.

"..."

"..."

"Livia, don't be so nervous. We can handle the monsters here normally."

"Mmm!" The little guy nodded vigorously, but his eyes clearly showed that he was not really at ease; he was just a little more relaxed than before.

The number of monsters on the first floor was much less than everyone expected. They didn't find another Kamaitachi until they reached the end of the cave. Unfortunately, this time it was facing a prepared team. Just as it pounced, it was frozen in mid-air by a fairy's [Stiffness] spell and lost control, crashing to the ground unconscious.

[Fairy Tricks] are mostly spells with little offensive power and not particularly strong effects, but they are fast to cast and have strong penetrating power. In this world, spell resistance is the same for everyone. Simply put, the higher the spell resistance, the less damage you will take when you are subjected to offensive spells, but the less effective you will be when you receive healing or buff spells.

The Stiffness spell can stiffen the muscles of any creature for only one or two seconds. It is a common prank spell used by fairies, which can cause people to fall or embarrass themselves. However, if used well, it can also be extremely lethal.

The second Kamaitachi, which knocked itself dizzy and fell into the witch's hands, is a typical example. Besides [Stiffness], fairies also have all sorts of other random spells like [Confusion], [Dust Veil], and [Flash].

The Confusion spell causes a momentary mental confusion, the kind of confusion where you suddenly can't remember what you're supposed to do; the Dust Veil spell surrounds the target with light dust, making the enemy feel as if they're being blinded by sand, causing them to blink and tear up involuntarily; the Flash spell is quite normal, creating a strong flash of light.

"Hmph, I saved them both times, pretty impressive, huh~" The fairy stood proudly on the witch's head, hands on her hips, but before she could be arrogant for even five seconds, the witch grabbed her wings and pulled her down, flicking her head with her finger in a bit of annoyance.

“Weasels have a very keen sense of smell, Leslie. You have wounds, so they'll target you first,” Vivi said, then looked at the weasel the witch was holding upside down. “What should we do with this one? Kill it?”

"Kill them, we didn't bring any cage balls for capturing small monsters."

"No," Livia shook her head, placing the Kamaitachi on the black horse's back without applying any restraints. If it were a normal adventurer, their expression would be grim by now.

Monsters are difficult to tame. If a monster that has fainted is not dealt with or restrained in a special cage, it will soon wake up and either escape, causing everyone to lose their loot, or launch a new attack.

However, if it were Livia doing this, everyone would just pretend nothing happened. What? Monsters can't be tamed? Are you kidding me? Look at that horse, it's even more unruly than this weasel, and in the end it was just a mount.

If your companion's mount is a high-ranking demon of Hellish sub-lord level, then you have no doubt that she can tame an ordinary threat-level monster.

Before the team had advanced more than 150 meters, the weasel woke up. Just as it was about to jump up and leave, it suddenly stiffened and fell down, caught by the little witch. Just as Roach and the others had thought, even the unruly Nightmare Demon had submitted. After the witch fed it a few pieces of revival treats, the weasel happily stuck out its pink little tongue and licked Livia's palm.

Then it obediently squatted on her shoulder, but this guy was still wary of other humans, and would occasionally rub his bladed limbs together to make noise and threaten Titania not to come closer.

After following the guiding stone for a distance through the cave, the true first gate came into view—a massive stone gate nearly 10 meters high, its doors half-open, carved with images of two enormous skeletal demons. On either side of the gate were obelisks over 3 meters tall, their inscriptions chaotic and without any discernible pattern.

"With this grave sin of rebellion, I question the will of God," a childish and clear voice rang out. As the witch spoke, the words on the obelisk lit up one by one, the strokes forming a huge butterfly symbol, and pink flames replaced the original green flames.

The skeletal demons on the gate seemed to come alive, moving their bodies amidst a roar, forming six enormous skeletal wings that spread out to both sides of the gate.

The question, “What are you?”, is posed on the wings of each skeleton.

"I am all," Livia said firmly, taking a step forward. The stone door slowly opened to both sides, no longer the half-open state that the adventurers had forcibly broken open, but a fully open one.

Two flames burned forward on either side of the wide sacred path behind the gate, outlining the path leading to the end, which was the first level of the Black Abyss Cemetery's main hall. The first level of the Black Abyss Cemetery's main hall connected four groups of tombs on the left and right, scattered at varying heights on the rock walls of the abyss. These tombs and mausoleums of various sizes concealed ancient burial objects, and of course, dangerous monsters.

Below the throne at the end of the hall are the stairs leading to the second floor. Compared to the first floor, where ordinary adventurers can move around and collect the burial items in the labyrinth, the second floor is significantly more difficult.

According to Vivi, only four levels are currently known. The fourth level has only been explored near the entrance, the third level has been explored at less than 40%, and the second level has only been explored along the main road, which is about 80% complete. The intricate caves on the rock walls have not been fully explored yet.

Chapter Fifty-Eight: The Sinful Spirit

“Miss Livia, that you just used…” It must be a sin spell, right? It definitely is! “Hmm?” Livia tilted her head, blinked, and pretended not to hear Vivi’s question. Sin spells were very useful to her, but they weren’t very tempting.