Chapter 189 Lift the Curse

The task before Alan appeared deceptively simple on the surface: cross the narrow rootlike bridge and place the legendary Excalibur upon the shrine that rested atop the isolated island.

However, Alan’s instincts and years of experience cautioned him against underestimating the quest’s true complexity. The cavern exuded a sinister aura that seemed to seep from the very walls, creating an unsettling atmosphere. The ancient tree on the small island ahead, with its gnarled branches and ghostly appearance, cast ominous shadows that danced eerily in the dim light. The oppressive silence that engulfed the cavern only added to the sense of foreboding.

Despite wielding the legendary Excalibur, had no intention of recklessly rushing into the quest. The task’s high rank and the eerie environment gave him pause.

The quest objectives were clear: a B-rank challenge to [Kill the evil spirit] and a C-rank task to [Lift the curse].

With a 90% confidence in his assessment, Alan reasoned that the killing of the evil spirit was likely an optional aspect of the quest. Fulfilling the primary objective—lifting the curse—should theoretically resolve the issue and complete the quest, albeit with a lower-ranking reward C -rank. However, Alan was not one to pass up an opportunity without giving it a try. The allure of the B-rank reward was too tempting to ignore, even if it meant facing additional challenges and uncertainties.

As Alan mentally prepared himself for the challenges that lay ahead, he couldn’t help but glance back at the group of Fey villagers who had accompanied him. A sense of frustration welled up within him, and he voiced his concern,

“Aren’t any of you going to help with this quest?”

The old chief replied, “No, we cannot assist in this endeavor. The curse can only be cleansed by you, the bearer of the sword.”

Alan’s frustration grew as he absorbed this information. These Fey had been trapped for so long, and one would think they’d be eager to break the curse themselves rather than entrust it to a stranger like him. He cursed the Alien for creating such a forced and burdensome quest.

In the end, he realized that he could only rely on himself in this situation. With a resigned expression, Alan turned his attention to the three-meter-wide and 100-meter-long root bridge that stretched before him. He took a deep breath, letting out a sigh, and muttered to himself,

“Alright, let’s give it a try.”

Alan swiftly pulled the chainsaw lever, and as the machine roared to life, he tightly gripped Excalibur in his other hand. With determination, he advanced toward the root bridge. However, as soon as he set foot on the bridge, bubbles and mist erupted from the underground lake, giving birth to a dozen skeleton warriors that emerged onto the bridge, effectively blocking his path.

Alan wasted no time and muttered to himself, “Good, you shall help me test how strong this sword is.” Without further hesitation, he lunged onto the bridge and began his fierce assault on the approaching skeleton warriors, the legendary Excalibur gleaming brilliantly as it cleaved through the undead foes. The clash of steel against bone echoed through the cavern, and Alan’s heart pounded with the thrill of battle.

With his E+ strength, Excalibur granted Alan an average base damage of 178. His mastery of the sword added a 75% bonus, and the guidance of his sword instructor contributed another 10%. However, his dual-wielding penalty reduced the overall damage boost to 65%, resulting in a calculated damage output of about 293.

[Stabbing: Inflicts 275 damage]

Against the skeleton warriors, this translated to a base damage of 275 with his stabbing attack. However, the skeleton warriors had at least 400 HP, meaning that Alan needed to land two strikes to defeat them. Lethal attacks seemed to have no effect on the skeletons.

To complement his sword strikes, Alan made use of his chainsaw, which inflicted an additional 95 damage with each hit. Combining his sword strikes and chainsaw attacks, he strategically aimed to take down the skeleton warriors efficiently.

Despite his best efforts, two strikes were still not enough to destroy the skeletons, prompting Alan to use his [minor blessing] to boost his damage and ensure they could be taken down with two strikes each. He continued stepping forward, facing more of these skeletal foes.

[You have received 400 XP and 200 Survival points]

With each successful defeat, Alan received experience points and survival points, which motivated him to press on. However, as he moved closer to the island at the center of the cavern, the number of skeletons he had to face increased significantly. Dozens of them charged at him from both the front and back, making the narrow bridge a challenging battleground.

Alan’s enhanced agility helped him evade some attacks, but he still took damage from their strikes, which began to accumulate.

[Stabbing: received 21 damage]

[Stabbing: received 23 damage]

[Stabbing: received 22 damage]

Alan needed to find a way to overcome this overwhelming onslaught of skeletons and reach the island to complete his quest.

With his HP gradually dwindling due to the relentless attacks of the skeletons, Alan became acutely aware of the limitations of his health regeneration, which only provided 34 HP per minute. The Excalibur’s high defensive rating helped mitigate some of the damage, but it wasn’t sufficient to keep him unscathed.

[HP: 242/340]

Feeling the mounting pressure, Alan swiftly employed his [swift blade] skill, allowing him to strike down an incoming skeleton and move closer to the island. He knew that he had to reach the island to complete his quest.

As he approached the final 10 meters of the root bridge, Alan spotted a group of skeletons that differed from the ones he had encountered earlier.

[Skeleton Archer]

[Type: Inhuman]

[Rank D]

Alan found himself facing a new threat in the form of Skeleton Archers. These inhuman adversaries unleashed a barrage of arrows at him, and despite his best efforts to parry them, a couple of arrows found their mark.

[Piercing: received 22 damage]

[Piercing: received 23 damage]

His Health Points continued to dwindle, [HP: 162/340].

Ten minutes into the grueling battle, Alan found himself in dire straits. His health points had been reduced by half, and the relentless onslaught of skeleton archers had made it difficult for him to maintain his position on the root bridge.

With his health declining rapidly, Alan had to come up with a strategy to survive this perilous encounter.

Thinking on his feet, he quickly chanted the incantation for the [Force] spell, which sent a shockwave through the area, tossing several skeletons aside and creating a brief respite. Seizing the opportunity, he invoked [Levitate] to lift himself above the bridge and out of the immediate line of fire.

However, this change in altitude drew the attention of the archers, who continued to shoot arrows in his direction. Alan deftly maneuvered back toward the beginning of the bridge, using a nearby skeleton warrior as a shield to block incoming projectiles.

While the barrier at the entrance prevented him from leaving the area, Alan had anticipated this challenge. He had observed the patterns and behavior of his skeletal foes, and now he was ready to formulate a new strategy.

With determination in his eyes, Alan detached the chainsaw blade from his steel arm and summoned the [Shield of White Knight], gripping it tightly on his steel arm.

As the chainsaw no longer penalized his damage output and the shield offered superior defense, Alan decided to adopt a more deliberate approach to the battle. He was determined to make the most of the legendary sword Excalibur, while it was still a loan for this quest.

With a precise plan in mind, he allocated his precious attribute points to enhance his Strenght. The glowing feedback from the interface indicated the successful upgrade:

[Strenght: E+] +1 [E+ > D-]

With a higher base damage, plus the [Minor Blessing], he struck down a skeleton warrior in a single blow.

[Stabbing: Inflicts 401 damage]

[You have received 400 XP and 200 Survival points]

The newfound efficiency of his attacks invigorated him, and he took a moment to reach into his bag and retrieve something an item given to him by Luis before the round began.

[Cheese Burger]

[Type: Foods]

[Rarity: Common]

[Attributes: 20% Stamina regeneration within two hours]

The added stamina regeneration would be crucial in this battle, the energy boost it provided was exactly what he needed to continue the fight with renewed vigor.

“Time for a second round!”