Chapter 11: The Summoning

"Hey, little brother, hand over your +3 level necklace!"

"Why?" Luo Yong instantly retreated, standing far away and pressing his hands tightly against his neck.

"It boosts combat power!" The barbarian priest shouted, lunging forward to snatch it. As she grabbed for the necklace, she cried out, "If you give me the necklace, I can reach level 11! Even if I'm not the main force, I could crush them easily!"

"No way, the necklace is mine!" Luo Yong struggled desperately, refusing to give in.

"Give it to me!" The barbarian priest pressed herself against him, disregarding everything else—survival was all that mattered now. Otherwise, both of them might meet their end here.

"No! Without this necklace, I'd only be level 5. How am I supposed to fight monsters?!"

"Then go fight! If this keeps up, we'll both die here!"

Boom!

A monster had already charged close, battering at the entrance.

"Fine, I'll go!" Luo Yong reluctantly pushed away the beautiful woman clinging to him, then pointed at the entrance. "You support, I'll kill the monsters!"

Roar!

No sooner had he taken two steps than a beast's roar forced him back again.

"Coward!"

The barbarian priest’s face was icy as she stormed over, casting a spell with a raised hand.

Crash!

A skeleton monster shattered to pieces, clearing the entrance. But in an instant, other monsters blocked the way again. Fortunately, they couldn't break through just yet.

"I'm not a coward!" Luo Yong, a little annoyed, came to the barbarian priest’s side, wrapped his arm around her, and kissed her fiercely.

"You—!" She raised her fist high as Luo Yong turned to leave, but seeing him brandish his longsword and stand guard at the entrance, she slowly lowered her hand.

Crack!

A sword cleaved down.

Clatter!

Another skeleton monster scattered across the floor, and a sparkling gem rolled onto the ground.

"Wow!" The barbarian priest instantly drooled.

Slap, slap, slap!

Luo Yong swung his sword with all his might, barricading the entrance like a wall. For a moment, the barbarian priest felt a deep sense of security. She thought of something, quietly pumping her fist.

After a while, Luo Yong began to feel taxed. The enemy seemed like an endless army of monsters, relentless and berserk.

If only it were just him, he could fight monsters, collect gems at leisure, and snack on a drumstick whenever he got tired!

Thinking this, Luo Yong shouted, "Hey sis! Help out, what are you daydreaming about?!"

Whoosh!

No sooner had he spoken than a gentle light enveloped him, restoring his state. The few monsters by the entrance were caught in its effect, and Luo Yong seized the opportunity, slashing several times to clear the way.

Then—

Under the barbarian priest’s watchful gaze, he rolled forward and plunged straight into the monster horde!

"Ah!" The barbarian priest cried out, wanting to rush after him, but the next moment stopped. Before her, the entrance was blocked again by a throng of monsters.

It's over!

The barbarian priest’s heart chilled as she gripped her bone staff tightly.

"Perhaps this is both the luckiest and unluckiest day of my life," she murmured bitterly, tempted to give up. But remembering that rascal, who had kissed her when she wasn't paying attention—

How hateful!

How could she die like this?!

Defiance blazed in her eyes. Her bone staff glowed strange and bright, and the ancient chant of ritual echoed through the chamber.

Truly, leveling up made monster fighting a joy.

Luo Yong remembered how, back when he gamed, he’d painstakingly grind for experience. Occasionally, using an item to temporarily boost his level and slaughter monsters felt entirely different.

At level 8, Luo Yong’s staff transformed into a longsword, a heavy blade without an edge, perfect for smashing things—like walnuts.

Standing amidst the monsters, he moved and struck, each blow dispatching a foe with ease. Efficiency soared. Compared to holding the entrance against frenzied monsters, infiltrating their ranks and striking from behind was far more satisfying.

"Heh! Flanking for sneak attacks is a fundamental skill for any magic swordsman!"

"Seems I’m best off fighting monsters alone—teaming up only brings trouble!"

As he fought, Luo Yong muttered to himself, quickly clearing a patch of monsters.

Suddenly, a surge of energy radiated from the entrance—a dazzling holy light nearly pierced through the entire dungeon!

At that moment, Luo Yong seemed to hear a pained voice.

The barbarian priest?

Did she unleash her ultimate skill?

"So impatient..." Luo Yong realized he’d rushed into the monster horde without warning, causing the priest to misunderstand. Surrounded by the swarm, she must have felt despair...

Damn.

Such a beautiful girl dying here—it was a real shame.

Thinking this, Luo Yong hurried back, swinging his sword faster to open a path.

The holy light wiped out swathes of monsters, and Luo Yong finished off the last few, squeezing back through the entrance.

He didn’t even have time to pick up the scattered gems.

But as he passed, a mechanical spider zipped along his path, snatching every coin and gem without missing a single piece.

A faint shimmer flickered, then vanished, hiding who knows where.

In the not-so-large chamber, cracks riddled the walls, as if they might collapse any moment.

Luo Yong hurried to the barbarian priest’s side.

Her eyes were closed, her body limp and trembling faintly as she lay on the ground. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.

"Could it be internal injuries?" Luo Yong gazed at her intently. At this moment, the barbarian priest possessed a fragile beauty, so different from her usual bold and domineering self.

Perhaps women have many sides.

He checked her briefly—she had merely overexerted herself with magic, anger and exhaustion knocking her out, but she was not in any immediate danger.

The monsters outside were cleared; it was safe here.

After some thought, Luo Yong removed his cloak, reluctantly draping it over her to cover her alluring figure.

This was actually a great chance to hunt monsters alone.

But he couldn’t just leave her here unattended!

Luo Yong was eager to farm monsters and gather gems, but couldn't leave...

A true dilemma.

He took out a drumstick from his storage space, gnawing on it as he waited.

Who knew when she would wake?

He didn’t know any blessing magic...

Ahem.

Ironically, she herself was a blessing mage, but now, there was no one to cast blessings for her.

Tsk tsk.

But—

Luo Yong suddenly remembered he had an undead magic scroll.

Might as well use this time to study it.

With disguise active, could he learn the corresponding magic?

If so, in another place, he could pretend to be an undead mage.

Uh...

The undead path wasn’t exactly popular.

But there was no other choice now.

He’d searched several chests, but found no other magic scrolls.

"Just an experiment!" Luo Yong rubbed his hands together and opened the scroll.

On it was a shining magic circle, detailing some spellcasting methods and incantations.

"This should be how it's used!"

Luo Yong pressed his hand lightly on the scroll. A flash of light, and the magic circle vanished. A new undead spell appeared in his skill list.

His level still low, Luo Yong could only use a summoning spell—

Summon a skeleton monster of his own level.

No time limit.

For every 5 levels gained, he could summon one more.

At his current level, he could summon only one level 8 skeleton monster.

"In my name..."

"Gather your true spirit..."

"Collect your broken bones..."

"Heed my command..."

The incantation finished.

Luo Yong mused that others cast spells instantly—at least, those level 8 experts in the party, including the barbarian priest, did so.

But surely, he ought to wave a staff—ritual, after all.

Where to get a staff?

Luo Yong glanced at the priest. Even unconscious, she clutched her bone staff tightly.

Ahem.

Holy blessings might clash with undead magic—using her staff might backfire.

Thinking it over, Luo Yong looked at his magic longsword.

Unsharpened, it resembled a heavy sword, though not heavy at all—just right in the hand.

"Hold it upside down, blade down, hilt up—it’ll serve as a staff...barely."

He gripped the sword by the blade, mimicking a staff, and gave it a gentle wave.

Crack.

Clatter!

The ground churned, and a skeleton monster emerged, wielding a bone knife.

It looked quite formidable.

Once summoned, it seemed to enter autopilot, patrolling the chamber nonstop.

For a moment, the entire space echoed with its rattling footsteps.

The scroll’s other spells required higher levels. Luo Yong couldn’t learn them yet.

After resting, eating some drumsticks, and drinking water, Luo Yong glanced at the still-unconscious priest, left the entrance, and gently tapped the walls in the adjacent room.

This time, he easily found the wall formed by magical illusions.

"What if the monsters outside are drawn in by someone inside, and go berserk—what then?"