A sudden shockwave blasted outward from the warlord's body, knocking us back.
Nearby orcs collapsed instantly. Their bodies hit the ground, unmoving, as if the very life had been drained from them.
And then, his skin began to change. From sickly green—to deep, blood-red.
His muscles bulged, his entire body doubling in size. Veins pulsed violently under his skin, glowing with the same cursed red light as the shattered crystal.
The air grew thick. Suffocating.
The warlord tilted his head back, and let out a thunderous roar that shook the entire dungeon.
The warlord's roar sent cracks splintering across the stone walls, his blood-red aura raging like a violent storm. The sheer pressure pushed us back, our bodies screaming in protest against the overwhelming force.
"What the hell is this?!" Dane gritted his teeth, barely staying on his feet. His massive frame, once unshakable, now trembled under the sheer weight of the warlord's presence.
Vance cursed, his fingers tightening around his sword. "His power..it's completely different! That crystal must've been feeding him… and now—"
The warlord moved. A red blur surged forward, and in the next instant—
BOOM!
Vance was sent flying across the chamber, his body slamming into the stone wall. He coughed violently, blood spraying from his lips.
"Vance!" I yelled, my heart pounding.
Dane roared and swung his warhammer, aiming to crush the warlord's head—
But the monster caught it with one hand.
Dane's eyes widened. "What—?!"
The warlord grinned.
And then, with a single jerk of his arm, Dane's massive body was ripped off the ground and hurled across the room. He crashed into the floor with a sickening thud, his weapon torn from his grasp.
I took a step back, my breath caught in my throat. The warlord turned his gaze toward me.
His crimson eyes burned with raw, unfiltered rage.
And in that moment, I knew, If I didn't act now, we were going to die.
I clenched my fists.
"System," I whispered.
A screen flashed before my eyes.
***
[Skill Acquired: Eclipse Legion]
You have gained control over the lingering essence of the fallen. Summon warriors forged from the shadows of the dead.
***
"I had one shot at this." I took a deep breath, lifted my hand, and summoned the legion.
A surge of cold energy rushed through my veins as I extended my hand toward the fallen bodies of the elite orcs.
"Eclipse Legion."
Dark mist swirled around the corpses, their lingering essence pulling together, shaping into warriors of shadow.
The process was draining—I felt the strain immediately. My mind burned, my vision swayed, and my breath came in ragged gasps.
Not enough Intelligence.
I gritted my teeth "I only had 15 stat points on my intillegence. I lacked the mana reserves to summon an entire army. I had to work within my limits."
Four elite orcs rose from the ground, their once green skin now black as night, their bodies wrapped in shifting darkness. Fifteen points. That's all I could afford right now.
The warlord snapped his gaze toward them, his red eyes narrowing.
A moment of silence hung in the air.
Then, He laughed. "You think… these worthless rats can stop me?!" His voice was deeper now, guttural—inhuman. His newform towered over us, muscles pulsing with raw energy.
He stomped forward. The ground shattered beneath his weight.
I clenched my fists. "We'll see about that."
With a single thought, I gave my first command.
Attack.
The four shadow warriors lunged at the warlord, their weapons slicing through the air in perfect sync. Their movements were unnaturally fluid, faster than they had been in life.
But even in his berserk state, the warlord was still a monster.
BOOM!
His fist collided with the first orc's chest, the sheer impact obliterating its body into wisps of dark mist. One down.
Another orc swung its axe, aiming for his exposed ribs, But the warlord caught it mid-air, twisting the weapon free and decapitating the shadow warrior in a single motion.
Two down.
"Damn it—he's too strong!" Vance cursed, gripping his sword tighter. His body was on the verge of collapse, exhaustion clear in his heavy breaths.
Dane panted beside him. "We can't keep up…!"
I clenched my jaw. I had to think.
I had to think fast. Brute force wasn't going to work. The warlord was cutting through my summons too quickly.
Even if I could keep resummoning them, my mana and stamina would eventually run dry.
Vance and Dane were already pushed to their limits.
If we didn't turn this fight around soon—we were dead.
Then, an idea struck me. "Dane! Vance!" I barked, urgency sharpening my voice. "We can't beat him in a direct fight—but we don't have to!"
Vance's eyes flickered to me. "What's the plan, kid?"
I took a deep breath. "His body's still enhanced by the remnants of the crystal's power. But I doubt it's infinite. We just have to burn it out."
Dane frowned. "And how the hell do we do that?"
I glanced at my remaining shadow orcs. I had to use them differently this time.
If I couldn't overpower him, then I'd make him waste his own strength.
I gritted my teeth and focused. "Shadow warriors—keep him moving."
The three remaining summoned orcs split apart, dashing in different directions.
One struck at his left leg.
Another went for his side.
The last one leapt high, aiming for his neck.
The warlord roared in frustration, swinging wildly. His blows were still devastating, but he was forced to react rather than attack freely.
Every missed strike meant more energy burned.
"Vance, Dane—keep the pressure on!"
Dane didn't hesitate. With a guttural shout, he swung his warhammer down onto the warlord's shoulder.
CRACK!
The force sent the warlord staggering. Vance followed up, his sword slicing across the monster's back.
The warlord growled, muscles bulging even further. His skin was burning red, veins pulsing like they were about to burst.
Then, a flicker of instability flashed in his eyes.
With one massive swing, he crushed an entire shadow warrior in a single blow.
The other two barely managed to retreat, but it was clear that He was going all-in.