I found myself alone in a desolated dungeon, it's walls lined with flickering torches on either sides across the stone floor.
To my surprise, I couldn't find the others who had entered the Red Gate with me.
The Red Gate must've transported each candidates to a different starting point, leaving us isolated and vulnerable.
I guess I might cross paths with the other's sooner or later. That is if they survive.
Suddenly, a rattling noise echoed down the corridor. I could hear clatter of metal and heavy footsteps approaching me.
Glancing up, I saw them.
A horde of undead surged towards me bearing rusted swords and spears, their eyes glowing with an eerie red light.
Undead were one of the weakest creatures. I wasn't going to waste my time with them.
My fingers brushed the hilt of the dagger at my belt—The Dragon's Tooth.
I had found it from Gwyneria's hoard of treasures.
It's hilt was carved in the shape of a dragon coiled in a snarl. The blade itself was obsidian-dark, forged with Gwyneria's dragons breath.
It's potent enough to slay demons with just a scratch.
I admired the dagger's sleek sharpness as I unsheathed it and charged at the undead.
They lunged at me and strike but I dodged all of their attacks flawlessly.
I hadn't been wasting time studying grimories alone. I had also refined my combat skills as well.
Gripping the hilt of the dagger tightly in my hand, I aimed for their vulnerable spots, slashing at joints and vital areas.
Each time my dagger touched their rotting flesh, they shattered into ash. This dagger was really something. The undead stood no chance.
As I turned around the corner, I encountered more wave of undead.
There were larger this time. Ten times the former horde. Their moans grew louder as they charged towards me with their weapons raised.
I didn't stop. I moved like a breeze, slashing and cutting them down.
However, I noticed something was wrong.
The undead kept coming. It was as though the more I killed, the more they multipled.
There seemed to be no end to this. The dungeon seemed to spawn them endlessly.
This made me start to wonder how the other mages were faring.
All these while, I haven't used magic. A non-combat mage would have a very hard time handling these many undead on their own.
Their mana would have worn out by the time they were half way through the battle.
That explains why the undead kept multiplying. They are trying to deplete our mana and exhaust us.
Undead always have a summoner. If that summoner wasn't stopped, this battle would never end.
I advanced forward, slashing my way through rotting tide of undead until the corridor opened into a vast courtroom.
Massive bone pillars held up the shadowed ceilings while the marble floor had vein cracks with glowing lava underneath.
"I'M IMPRESSED YOU MADE IT THIS FAR, HUMAN?" An unearthly voice thundered across the courtroom.
I narrowed my vision to a tall symmetric throne built entirely from bones.
Seated upon the throne was an elder lich, cloaked in tattered robes and wielding a blackened scepter.
I could tell at one glance he uses the scepter to summon an army of undead.
From the walls behind him, more undead clawed their way into the courtroom like an endless stream.
"So you the summoner," I said, tightening my grip on the dagger.
"OBVIOUSLY, I AM," The lich responded. "BUT I MUST WARN YOU. IF YOU PROCEED TO FIGHT ME, YOU'LL DIE. YOU CANNOT DEFEAT ME! THE OTHERS HAVE TRIED BUT FAILED!"
I stiffened as I noticed the bodies of candidates laying across the floor. There were fifteen of them.
Some were reduced to ashes, others were impaled with spears and some had their heads decapitated.
It was an awful sight. It appears they had made it to the elder lich first before everyone but was consumed by the overwhelming force of the undead army.
Elysia warned us this exam was going to be dangerous. She wasn't lying about that.
My eyes hardened. "I'm going to destroy you for those lives you took."
The lich slowly rose to it's feet and raised its scepter. "FOOLISH BOY. FACE MY ARMY AND DIE!"
The Lich summoned an army of undead Knights from behind him.
Undead knights were powerful and strong. They are clad in heavy armour, wielding massive swords and bore steel shields.
The undead Knights roared and charged at me, their armour clanking dangerously.
They numbered over a hundred but I wasn't afraid. I parried the first strike but my ten year old arms strength wasn't enough to go toe-to-toe with these monsters.
As far as I knew, I was no match for the undead Knight's strength and swords reach.
Each blows were relentless, forcing me to stagger back. Their combined forces was too much for me to handle alone.
Suddenly, one of the undead Knights stabbed me.
I felt the cold steel driving deep into the side of my guts.
"Damn it... not my guts," I gritted my teeth in pains.
The undead Knights overpowered me, stabbing and slashing at me mercilessly.
I dodged as many of their attacks as I could, but some of them landed, cutting through my defenses.
The lich threw back his head and roared with laughter. "THIS IS THE END FOR YOU. NO ONE CAN TAKE OUT MY UNDEAD KNIGHTS. NOW, DIE YOU PUNY INSECT!"
The undead overwhelmed me with their forces until they decapitated my head and chopped me to pieces.
My blood splattered on the floor.
* * * *
The elder lich leaned back on his throne, his hollow eyes watching in glee.
"THESE HUMANS ARE SO WEAK. NO ONE IS WORTHY ENOUGH TO CHALLENGE ME! I CAN SENSE MORE ARE ON THEIR WAY. HOW DELIGHTFUL. THEY SHALL FACE THE SAME FATE AS THE OTHERS WHO CAME BEFORE THEM!"
"Are you sure about that?" A chuckle echoed through the hall.
The lich frowned, glancing around. "WHAT IS THIS? WHO DARES TO SPEAK BEFORE ME?"
"Just your regular guy. You are strong no doubt but in comparison to me, you're the weakest I've ever faced."
"
This agitated the lich that he stood up and yelled. "COWARD, SHOW YOURSELF!"
"As you wish."
I emerged out from my invisibility, revealing myself before the lich. There was not a single scratch on me.
The lich's eye sockets widened in shock. "IMPOSSIBLE. I COULD HAVE SWORN MY UNDEAD KNIGHTS KILLED YOU."
"What they killed is a clone," I said casually, dusting from my sleeve. "I used my mana to construct a perfect apparition of myself to test your strength."
The lich recoiled. "I NEVER NOTICED. YOU WERE HIDING YOUR MANA FROM ME?!"
"I guess so," I replied, smirking. "You may have a limitless amount of undead knights, but beneath the surface of all that, you are very weak."
"HOW DARE YOU?!" The lich was so mad with rage that he yelled. The air trembled as dark energy surged around him like a storm.
He snarled at me. "I'LL SHOW YOU WHO IS WEAK!"