Chapter 1753 - 1035: Bad Ending

"Is that howl from Shif?"

No one could tell how many times they’d heard that wolf howl by now, but everyone was so familiar with it that any other wolf howl might remind them of it.

Of course, hearing Dal’s wolf howl wouldn’t make anyone think of Shif, since it wasn’t even certain if that could be classified as a wolf howl.

Maru and the others exchanged glances, confusion evident in their eyes.

Shif appeared here? Then what about Artorias? This might prove that Artorias had also come into the Abyss, right?

Could it be just ahead?

This time we didn’t risk it to go after the Silver Necklace, so on Artorias and Shif’s side, our image should still be positive, so...

Maybe during the challenge against Manus, the Master of the Abyss, we could summon Artorias to assist in the battle?

If that were the case, the morale boost from having Artorias as an ally might rival that of Solar!

"Let’s go, let’s check it out right now!"

Tami severed the attacking humanity and commanded everyone to break through to a spot where enemy numbers were relatively fewer.

These beings known as humanity had no limbs, only a head and torso, with legs turned into ghost-like tails, swaying as they moved and appearing non-threatening.

But contrary to appearances, these beings, when they moved, seemed to be sluggish but were unexpectedly fast, able to swoop down on their prey in the blink of an eye.

Once these things clung to your body, it would feel as if your life force and sanity were being drained away. If you died at the hands of these humanity, you might revive in a state of lost sanity, unable to recover for some time.

Thus, the Skyrim Strategy Group quickly devised a strategy against these human-like creatures: simply don’t engage in melee and don’t let them gather and swarm you, leaving no chance for close contact.

This translated into actions: shoot and then relocate, fight and retreat, never face them head-on.

The humanity lurking in the Abyss outnumbered the Abyss Monsters on the surface. Fortunately, these monsters had weak defenses, and under intense, widespread attack magic, they temporarily posed no threat to the adventurers.

With the concentrated efforts of the Magicians, a gap was opened in the encircling humanity, and those who had been waiting surged through.

The haunting humanity pursued relentlessly, refusing to give up even after a hundred meters of distance, unlike usual predators which would have long retreated.

Chaos tossed the Enemy Attraction Skull backward, but this time it suddenly lost its effectiveness, not even drawing a glance from the humanity.

"How could this happen?"

"Try this!"

Maru, acting on a hunch, pulled out a piece of humanity she had picked up and stuffed it into the Enemy Attraction Skull, throwing it out.

It worked! The nearest human-like creatures chased after the lure, creating a brief reprieve for everyone.

"How did you know?" Chaos asked, curious.

"I didn’t, I just guessed," Maru smiled, tapping her head like a meme, proudly saying, "The boss always says my mind is sharp."

"You really like your boss, don’t you?"

Chaos chuckled at her and said, "Someday, introduce me."

"Are you seriously chatting now?"

Tami interrupted their conversation, "More enemies are coming, don’t hold back!"

The group launched another assault against the seemingly endless human-like creatures emerging from the darkness, the glow of various magic briefly lighting up the Abyss.

No one knew how long it had been, but the surrounding human-like creatures were finally wiped out, declaring a temporary safety.

However, everyone knew that venturing into the untraveled darkness would attract a new wave of humanity, and so they hesitated to move.

Luckily, the place from where Shif’s howl had come was not far from here.

Cautiously, they followed the sound, and as they got closer, light shone through the darkness; it was a semi-circular protective shield emitting the glow.

The color and shape of the shield were familiar — it was the glow from the Magic Shield that Artorias’ Big Shield would emanate.

The densely wriggling humanity lingered around the shield, not attacking but exuding a menacing aura. The Magician quickly ended them with Luminous Stone Meteor, allowing everyone to approach and assess the situation.

Lying within the shield was the young Shif.

This time, however, Shif was covered in wounds, looking utterly exhausted, lying feebly next to the Shield, which was Artorias’ Big Shield.

"He seems to be injured, and badly so."

"Isn’t that Big Shield broken?"

Though their focus differed, everyone noticed the unusual circumstances.

"Buzz—"

The shield slowly dissipated, and the instant it disappeared, the surrounding adventurers felt their sense of security vanish.

"Awoo..."

Upon seeing the adventurers, Shif staggered to its feet, still looking unwell.

Maru tried using Healing Magic on it, but, as usual, the healing magic had no effect on the residual shadow character in a severe state.