The Blackguard unleashed a [Divine Smite] teeming with malevolent energy. Its power was not inferior to a [Divine Smite] wreathed in holy light.
Although the [Quicksilver Effigy] possessed formidable magic resistance, it had taken so many hits from [Divine Smite] earlier that each strike inflicted serious damage.
However, having learned from those previous strikes, the [Quicksilver Effigy] was no longer foolish enough to tank this even more terrifying crimson [Divine Smite] head-on.
The blurred humanoid form rapidly undulated and transformed, shifting into a diamond-shaped shield. The blade of the crimson [Divine Smite] struck the shield at a glancing angle.
This was a shield made of Mithril, a metallic property inherited from devouring the Paladin's equipment earlier.
Adamantine could enhance a weapon's sharpness, while Mithril was indestructible, making it perfect for crafting defensive shields.
The [Quicksilver Effigy] could replicate the properties of both metals. Blocking the [Divine Smite] with a Mithril shield was the optimal solution it had devised.
Most of the crimson blade's power was deflected by the shield, but a small amount of crimson energy still penetrated the defense, entering the [Quicksilver Effigy]'s body.
A violent spasm seized the creature. The [Quicksilver Effigy] let out a piercing shriek, sounding like countless steel needles scratching against glass.
Loviatar's divine power subjected the [Quicksilver Effigy] to the most terrifying pain it had experienced since its birth. The poor little thing couldn't even maintain its form, its body twitching and warping uncontrollably.
However, the female knight's movements were also interrupted by the ear-splitting scream, preventing her from following up with another strike in time.
At that moment, the other [Quicksilver Effigy] rushed in. While in humanoid form, its hands suddenly morphed into something resembling an octopus—silvery-white tentacles that slammed viciously onto the warhorse's legs.
In its well-fed state, the [Quicksilver Effigy] possessed considerable strength. A cluster of tentacles whipped out, snapping the tall warhorse's front legs instantly. The beast let out a tragic cry and stumbled, about to fall.
Yet, a crimson light flared from the female knight, enveloping the warhorse.
The broken legs straightened again. The injury hadn't healed; rather, the pain had been converted into power.
Bone shards pierced through the horse's skin, yet it stood firmly. Entering a berserk state, the horse twisted its body and kicked at the [Quicksilver Effigy] with its hind legs.
The force of the kick stamped two hoof prints into the [Quicksilver Effigy].
But this only allowed the [Quicksilver Effigy] to latch on completely. Amidst shrieks of agony, enduring pain akin to death by a thousand cuts, the [Quicksilver Effigy] wrapped itself entirely around the warhorse. If the female knight hadn't seen the danger and vaulted off the horse's back, she likely would have been enveloped as well.
The massive blob of quicksilver churned continuously. The warhorse struggled to escape, but eventually collapsed to the sound of blades piercing flesh. The [Quicksilver Effigy] released the now-dead horse, incidentally devouring all the barding and horseshoes.
The remaining carcass was riddled with dozens of puncture wounds; the neck was attached by only a strip of skin. No matter how immune to pain it might have been, it was useless now.
Ambrose wanted to applaud the little guy. Seeing its companion suffer intense pain upon contact with the crimson light, the second [Quicksilver Effigy] had prepared itself, allowing it to complete the attack while enduring the agony.
By this time, the first [Quicksilver Effigy] had recovered. The two silver blobs began shifting into various forms, pincer-attacking the female knight.
This Thorn Knight was indeed powerful—stronger even than Alan had been back in the day—but facing the siege of two [Quicksilver Effigies], she was left scrambling, looking quite beleaguered.
She had discovered the [Quicksilver Effigy]'s strong corrosive effect on metal, so she dared not let the two masses of mercury get close. She unleashed a succession of vicious spells like [Aura of Fear] and [Contagion].
But the [Quicksilver Effigies] perfectly demonstrated their magic resistance. These spells were all resisted, having no effect whatsoever.
Under these circumstances, she could only rely on her spiked whip for self-defense. The weapon was indeed formidable; the evil energy attached to it was tyrannical, causing excruciating pain upon the slightest contact.
Even though the [Quicksilver Effigies] tried their best to endure, every hit caused their bodies to spasm, plunging them into brief paralysis.
This was power derived from a deity; magic resistance could not mitigate it.
However, the spiked whip only served as a deterrent and didn't deal much true damage. It was now a battle of attrition—whoever faltered first would lose. If the [Quicksilver Effigies] couldn't hold on, they could choose to flee. But if the female knight faltered, her fate would be to have her armor eaten and her body riddled with bloody holes.
As the battle reached this stage, the female knight was at a complete disadvantage. She was forced to shout orders, gathering the scattered blood slaves to use their lives to drain the [Quicksilver Effigies]' strength.
These spell-controlled slaves couldn't distinguish victory from defeat. Upon hearing the order, they charged fearlessly at the [Quicksilver Effigies], using their bodies to block the creatures' shapeshifting attacks.
Taking this opportunity, the female knight swung her spiked whip incessantly, disregarding whether she hit her own men. She attacked the two [Quicksilver Effigies] at all costs.
With this, the scales of battle tipped once again toward the female knight.
Ambrose estimated that the result would be the [Quicksilver Effigies] exhausting most of their strength and being forced to break out, unable to kill the knight.
The test was sufficient. The combat capability of the [Quicksilver Effigies] had clearly improved. If they encountered Alan again, they wouldn't need Ambrose's help to fight the Paladin to a draw.
Of course, that was assuming Alan didn't wear the high-level gear of the Ryan Empire—those top-tier enchanted sets were troublesome even for Ambrose.
Overall, he was satisfied. The performance of these two little guys justified the recent cultivation, and they still had plenty of room for growth. He would consider equipping them with suitable magic items later to further enhance their combat power.
As for the other elemental undead, their combat power felt average, though their intelligence had increased significantly. This suited Ambrose's needs; he had created them primarily to harvest faith and help with prayer "top-ups." Higher intelligence was all that was required.
"It's about time to wrap this up."
Ambrose canceled his [Greater Invisibility] and waved his hand, summoning several teleportation circles. A pile of Xenomorph Skeletons and a Husky draped in a black cloak appeared beside him.
Ambrose patted Husky on the shoulder. "It's your turn. Let's see if the new gear works well."
Husky nodded and commanded the Xenomorph Skeletons to throw themselves into the fray. These short, mantis-like skeletons began a highly efficient slaughter under Husky's control.
Knowing these blood slaves felt no pain, the skeletons targeted their joints, severing hamstrings before climbing up to tear out throats or pierce hearts. They also prioritized destroying eyes, sending the slaves into a blind frenzy where they attacked friend and foe alike.
Of course, the Xenomorph Skeletons were not without losses. When the slaves went mad, they managed to dismantle quite a few skeletons.
It was a war of attrition, with constant death on both sides. But on Husky's side, there was a Lich.
Ambrose had spent a lot of effort modifying and strengthening Husky's undead body; he was now a qualified helper. Husky simply raised a hand, and the fallen corpses stood up again, lunging at their former comrades.
Fighting against the undead meant the enemy only grew in number.
After summoning zombies to assist, Husky lifted his black cloak, revealing the bleached white skeleton beneath and a peculiarly shaped weapon—a Magitech Rifle.
Husky had found this in Ambrose's collection; it was an early prototype left over from previous research. Husky, who had played with bows and arrows all his life, touched a gun for the first time and fell completely in love.
No need to draw a bowstring, no need to hold steady under tension, no need to account for the arrow's wobble and spin. Just raise the gun, aim, and pull the trigger.
He used to think Magitech Cannons were impressive, but he hadn't expected a scaled-down Magitech Gun to be this fun.
Seeing Husky's inability to put it down, Ambrose had spent some time modifying the rifle. He reinforced the barrel's durability and altered the magic circle's charging mechanism, allowing Husky to use his own mana to recharge the wind pressure array inside the barrel.
This modification cost Ambrose quite a few gold coins. In terms of cost-effectiveness, Ambrose looked down on this Magitech Rifle, but the object seemed to stimulate Husky's soul, bringing him closer to a true high-ranking undead.
And now, Husky raised the Magitech Rifle, aiming at the female knight in heavy thorn armor.
The trigger was pulled. Massive wind pressure propelled the bullet across fifty meters, accurately striking the knight's head.
The bone bullet shattered upon impact with the heavy helmet, merely knocking her head slightly to the side.
The female knight had been wary of this uniquely shaped skeleton—he didn't look like a standard undead—but the weak power of that shot instantly reassured her. It was just for show.
Unfortunately, that reassurance didn't last long.
The pulverized bone powder drifted down, and mid-fall, it rapidly proliferated, growing into large patches of bone coral.
These bone corals formed a massive bone cage, trapping the female knight inside.
The bone seemed fragile, breakable with a little force, but before the knight could break free, the next bone bullet arrived, adding another layer to the cage.
Husky's marksmanship was godlike, likely related to his elven heritage from when he was alive. He retained this talent after becoming undead. Previously, using a bow, he could precisely shoot weapons out of the hands of Twilight Guards. Now, using a higher-precision Magitech Rifle, he was an absolute sharpshooter.
Each bone bullet carried little force, but they struck at the perfect moment to interrupt her movements, weaving a thicker bone cage.
After emptying a magazine of thirty bone bullets, the female knight was firmly sealed within the bone prison. The cramped space left her no room to even swing her arm or generate force, effectively acting like a [Hold Person] spell.
Turning the muzzle, Husky began popping the heads of the blood slaves one by one.
Without armor protection, the power of the Magitech Rifle was revealed. A hit meant the bullet embedded deeply into flesh, where the Osteo-Colony Virus would turn into bone coral, tearing the body apart from the inside.
Husky was having the time of his life shooting when Ambrose grabbed the barrel of his rifle.
Ambrose said angrily, "Testing it out is one thing, but why are you using Osteo-Colony Virus bullets on minions? Do you think money grows on trees?"
Although spending money freely was satisfying, Ambrose was far from financially free and still had to budget carefully.
He stopped Husky's wasteful behavior, but the battle was effectively over. The blood slaves were nearly all dead. The two [Quicksilver Effigies], holding a grudge, circled the bone cage, seemingly wanting to squeeze inside and finish off the knight.
Ambrose waved his hand, ordering his subordinates to back away.
A Blackguard favored by a deity was certainly valuable. Even if he didn't demand a ransom from the Flayed Family, the Ryan Empire would surely buy her at a high price; such an evil entity was a premium "sacrifice" they couldn't refuse.
Ambrose dismantled the bone cage and dragged the female knight out, preparing to extract some intelligence—such as where the Flayed Duke's treasury was and how much gold it held.
However, this woman worshiped the Goddess of Pain. Ordinary torture would likely be a pleasure for her, and mental spells might not work on a God's Favored.
Ambrose was pondering how to conduct the interrogation when, unexpectedly, before he could speak, the knight removed her helmet, revealing a hideous face covered in scars.
Then, she knelt before Ambrose, raising her spiked whip high with both hands, and spoke with utmost reverence: "Praise be to Pain. Great God's Favored, I did not know these were your undead subordinates. My earlier offense was due to ignorance; please punish me."
Ambrose: "..."
God's Favored?
Had the God of Wealth finally been moved by him?