Chapter 12 The Mausoleum

The sound of rattling metal faded into the distance as she ventured deeper into the cemetery. The once lush forest from her last visit was no more. In its place were dead trees and cracked, barely legible grave stones. Most of which had holes where the grave should have been.

Goosebumps covered her skin as she scanned her surroundings, head on a swivel. Why did I think hiding in a cemetery in a damn zombie apocalypse would be a good idea? Though so far it’s strangely zombie free. It’s the one place zombies should be. There no way it’s empty.

Despite her suspicions, Elysia continued down the cracked path, running through the cemetery, finding nothing but dead trees and forgotten graves. Soon she reached her former grave, staring down into the crater. I can’t believe I really died. Why did I resurrect while everyone else in the cemetery turned undead?

Her eyes landed on her mother’s grave. Sighing in relief upon noticing the undisturbed grave, only for confusion to set in. Why did the changes spare my mom? That doesn’t make sense. Every grave I’ve seen has a hole, though I’m grateful.

A tear escaped her amethyst eyes as she stood before her mother’s grave. I hope wherever you are, mom, you are happy. I’ll try my best to find Sereia and dad. I don’t know why the world changed or how I’m still alive, but I’ll keep pushing forward.

After paying her respects, she moved on, striding away from her mother’s grave with her head held high.

She reconnected with the road while training her senses on her surroundings for any sign of undead. Not even the sound of wind reached her ears as she neared the center of the cemetery. At the intersection of the four roads, running the cardinal directions, stood a gothic mausoleum dedicated to the founder of the town and original owner of the mayor’s mansion. As if erased from history, the inscription above the entrance was unreadable, worn away by the magically induced passage of time.

As zombie free as the cemetery is, there is no way I’m going into a creepy mausoleum. Should I take my chances out in town? Is the key to escaping killing all the zombies? There doesn’t seem to be any here, so if that’s the case, I’m better off hunting zombies in town. But what if the wandering zombies aren’t the way out? Is it worth risking my life on an uncertainty? Really, the only danger they pose is their numbers. I can kill a single zombie and even two without much risk, but a horde is terrifying.

Elysia turned away from the mausoleum to venture down the west road away from her original entrance. The moment she left the stone ring encircling the mausoleum, a rumbling shook the ground under her feet, causing her to jump. She spun toward the mausoleum but found nothing.

Not taking any chances, she sprinted down the road heading west, reaching the fence a minute later, but the closed gate wouldn’t budge. Refusing to give up, she laid her spear against the fence before grasping onto the vertical bars to climb. At the top, she balanced over the spikes at the top of the fence, careful to avoid impaling herself. However, like the barrier blocking her escape from town, she bounced off an invisible wall, sending her sprawling off the two-and-a-half meter high fence. With a thud, she landed on her back, staring up at the gray sky in a daze.

A skeletal hand stuck up from the ground, grabbing her ankle. She yanked her leg free before springing to her feet. A skeleton ascended from the ground, sending her diving for her spear. She swung her spear in a wide arc, impacting the skeleton in the rib cage, breaking it in half. Another skeletal hand reached through the ground, but this time she saw it. She stomped on the hand, shattering it only for another hand to take its place.

Upon turning to run, she found several eyeless sockets staring at her while standing deathly still as if waiting for her to make a move. She obliged, swinging her spear toward the lined up skeletons shattering all three before taking off in a sprint.

The rattling of bones filled the air as she dashed down the road, swinging her spear at every skeleton blocking her way. She reached the mausoleum within a minute, but the sudden silence caused her to stop and turn. Terror struck her heart as her eyes landed on the wall of skeletons standing still in a ring around the mausoleum. She took a step to the right, only to find every skull turning her direction.

Left with no choice, she turned back to the mausoleum to find the once sealed doors now gaping open as if beckoning her in.

Elysia took a step back, only for the rattling of bones to force her forward. The moment she stepped inside, the doors sealed shut. Fire lit up along the walls, illuminating the stone steps leading down. She paused at the top, staring down the seemingly never-ending steps. I really don’t want to go down there. It screams trap, and I fell right into it. Why did I think it was a good idea to take sanctuary in a cemetery?

After several seconds of hesitation, she descended while scanning the walls and steps for any traps. She took each step, one at a time. The fires continued to light up only a dozen steps ahead. Shrouding the bottom in darkness.

Despite her worries, nothing jumped out to attack her after over five minutes. I doubt this was original. No way would they make a kilometer of steps for the founder of a small town. I’m guessing the magic involved with the changes outside caused this.

Her legs complained as she continued downward for another ten minutes before finally spotting the bottom. She picked up the pace, clearing the last dozen steps in a few seconds, finding herself in an open arched stone room with columns along the walls. At the center was a marble coffin pegging her danger meter. She approached the coffin, instincts screaming for her to run.

An aura of death descended on Elysia, causing her to stumble back before collapsing to her knees. “Fascinating, death touched, but alive. Tell me girl, how did you survive death unscathed.”

Death resistance gained.

Unable to form words under the pressure sapping her energy, Elysia stared at the coffin with terrified eyes. “Death touched, but still susceptible.”

The coffin lid slid open as a skeletal figure rose. It wore a tattered black robe fluttering to reveal a skeletal rib cage. Its green eyes, hidden under a dark hood, gazed at Elysia’s trembling form. The creature stepped out of the coffin, towering over two meters.

Elysia willed her body into action, stumbling to her feet with unsteady legs. Still, despite her compromised state, she stood tall, making eye contact with the figure.

An eerie chuckle echoed through the chamber. “How amusing, to think such a lowly girl would stand before me.”

Elysia glanced back at the stairs, prompting the creature to speak again. “No one leaves my domain unless I will it. Especially a fascinating subject such as yourself.”

To drive the point home, a stone slab fell from the ceiling, sealing off the exit.

Her legs trembled, but she held her ground, knowing running would be futile. Her right hand tightened around her makeshift spear as she grasped a thread from her core.

A wave of death blew past her, knocking her back a step. She gritted her teeth as she forced her sluggish body forward. With a burst of strength, she lunged forward, spear thrusted as it crackled with electricity.

The figure stood still, letting the spear pierce its lower chest. A sizzling sound filled the air, but unlike the zombies, the figure showed little reaction.

-10 charge.

Elysia pulled the spear free as she leaped back. “Lightning touched too? How unusual. Or is it just lightning touched? Further investigation is needed.”

The towering figure raised its arm, revealing a skeletal hand summoning six skeletons out of thin air. In unison, the skeletons surrounded Elysia as she raised her trembling spear. She swung the spear in a wide arc, chopping through three of the skeletons before retreating several steps, pressing her back against the stone slab, blocking the exit.

The figure shook its head in disappointment as it commented. “Pitiful.”

Elysia ignored the taunt as she focused on the three skeletons approaching while the other three rebuilt themselves. She gritted her teeth as she grasped another thread, vision blurring.

Her crackling spear swung through the intact skeletons, pulverizing their rib cage and spine.

Killed level 8 skeleton.

Killed level 9 skeleton.

Killed level 8 skeleton.

Level up! Level 9 Channeler.

A pulsating warmth cleared her vision and recharged her energy. She dashed forward, electrifying her spear, swinging it across the still downed skeletons, scoring another triple kill.

She leveled her spear at the figure still standing next to its coffin. It raised its arm once again, summoning another group of skeletons, this time a dozen. Elysia jumped back, giving herself space as she electrified her spear.

Like with the previous group of skeletons, she cut through them with ease, filling her vision with kill notifications but no level up.

A smile graced her face as she turned her spear back to the figure energized from her killing spree. Instead of responding verbally, another skeleton appeared in front of her, also wielding a spear though with a wooden shaft and rusted steel tip.

It thrusted the spear forward with surprising fluidity, forcing Elysia to jump back only to impact the wall. She rolled to the right, dodging the thrust, but before she could stand, another thrust shot toward her. Stuck on her knees, she brought her spear shaft up in desperation. The rusted tip glanced off her copper spear shaft, leaving a deep gouge.

Elysia jumped to her feet, backpedaling away from the wall and spear wielding skeleton while keeping her spear raised. Her eyes followed the skeleton’s movements as it approached her with cautious steps unbecoming of a skeleton.

Taking the initiative, Elysia electrified her staff before swiping sideways. The skeleton parried the slash, leaving a scorch mark and a notch on the wood shaft before following up with the thrust. Caught off guard, Elysia jumped back, but not far enough as the rusted tip sliced through the leather jacket, grazing her stomach, leaving a line of blood.

While trying her best to ignore the burning from the cut, Elysia once again attacked, thrusting forward before shifting into an upward slash as the skeleton moved to intercept. The strike struck home, shattering the skeleton’s left arm. Undeterred, the skeleton thrusted the spear with one arm. Elysia hopped back while bringing her spear shaft up, but missed the rusted tip.

She doubled over as the spear embedded itself in her stomach. Blood pooled on the floor as her legs gave out. In a last-ditch effort she grasped at her core, sending a surge of electricity through her spear, out the tip into the skeleton.

-40 Charge.

The skeleton sizzled before collapsing into a pile of bones, followed by Elysia dropping to her side, blood leaking from her lips.

Killed Level 11 Spear Skeleton.

Level up! Level 10 Channeler.

Novice Spear proficiency level 3.

Novice Spear proficiency level 4.

Novice Spear proficiency level 5.

As usual, a warmth spread through her body, healing her wounds. She gritted her teeth as her stomach wound stitched itself together without leaving a scar. Her hand grasped her spear, planting it onto the stone floor to support herself as she climbed to her feet.

Fed up with the waves of skeletons, Elysia leveled her fiery gaze on the figure, forgetting her previous fear. “Will you quit playing with me!? If you won’t fight me, let me go.”

The figure stood still in silence for almost a minute, as if contemplating her request, while Elysia calmed her breathing, readying herself for another fight.

“Very well. If you survive the next wave, I will grant your request.” Said the figure as it raised its right arm once again.

Expecting a massive wave of skeletons, Elysia backed up several steps while electrifying her spear. First, a dozen regular skeletons materialized out of thin air, followed by another spear wielder. Elysia began formulating a game plan only for another zombie with a shield to appear. She dashed toward the group of regular skeletons, hoping to take them all quick. Her spear slashed left-to-right, meeting a solid kite shield, parrying her spear with a shower of sparks. The spear wielding skeleton followed up with a thrust, forcing Elysia to jump back while slashing down on the spear shaft, slicing clean through it.

Before she could celebrate her victory, a shield slammed into her chest, sending her flying backward. Her back collided with the stone wall, stunning her. She stumbled forward a couple of steps before shaking her head and readying her spear.

Her eyes zeroed in on the shield wielding skeleton standing like an immovable wall between her and the unarmed skeletons. She scanned the shield protecting the skeleton’s entire chest and its legs down to its knees.

Elysia approached with cautious steps, waiting for the skeletons to attack, but they remained still, waiting for her. She sent an annoyed glance at the figure observing her conflict before thrusting forward, aiming for the middle portion of the shield. Her spear tip glanced off the steel frame of the wooden shield, delivering a potent pulse of electricity. The electricity arced off the shield, grounding itself harmlessly on the stone floor.

She clicked her tongue as she followed up with a right to left slash. The shield skeleton raised its shield to meet the attack only for Elysia to thrust forward, delivering a payload of electricity into its right shoulder, dislodging its right arm. The skeleton stumbled back, allowing Elysia to slash to the right, shattering its ribs and spine.

Killed Shield Skeleton level 12.

Elysia ignored the notification as she dashed forward with her electrified spear, slashing through three unarmed skeletons before spinning her spear into another. Unlike the armed skeletons, they stood no chance against her onslaught, dropping like flies one by one until only the spear wielding skeleton remained with its half spear.

Contrary to her expectations, the skeleton picked up the other half of it, spear wielding them both as it approached. Unsure of how to handle the new development, Elysia sent a quick thrust, which the skeleton knocked aside with the non-tipped shaft. It thrusted the spear tip toward her stomach, forcing her to take a step back.

They stood, weapons raised, waiting for the other to attack for several seconds before Elysia took the initiative, electrifying her spear as she slashed sideways to the right. The skeleton brought up both shafts to block, but Elysia’s spear sliced through them both. Now armed only with stubs, Elysia spun the blade of her spear and slashed to the left through the skeleton.

Killed Spear Skeleton level 11.

Elysia immediately turned to the figure with an expectant expression, only for its next words to send a chill down her spine.

“Very well, you have proven yourself worthy to join my collection.”