Chapter 54 – The Frost Mage (Seeking Favorites)

The last remaining skeleton warrior charged ahead, its bone sword raised high as it approached the human line. With a single swing, it could send any warrior flying.

Liu Hao, standing at the forefront, reacted instantly. He yanked the warrior in the skeleton’s path aside and raised his shield to meet the attack head-on.

*Boom!* The impact reverberated painfully in everyone’s ears.

Though Liu Hao had braced himself fully, the skeleton’s strength was nearly double his own. Only his shield’s damage-negating properties saved him from being sent flying.

The skeleton, surprised by Liu Hao’s resilience, quickly adjusted its stance. Its bone sword darted towards Liu Hao’s abdomen at an awkward angle. Despite being a skeleton, its speed surpassed Liu Hao’s. There was no time to dodge.

Just as the sword was about to strike, two magic missiles slammed into the skeleton. Its life force drained instantly, reducing it to a pile of bones.

“Good job, Hao!” Cheng Yang called out, having fired one of the missiles himself. His praise was well-deserved – had that initial warrior been knocked back, their entire formation could have collapsed into chaos.

Liu Hao grinned, “Thanks for saving me, boss.”

The battle raged on. Though the human warriors were strong and their shields effective, they couldn’t block multiple skeletons at once. Gradually, the frontline fighters began to show signs of wear.

Summoners were equally busy, their shadow wolves fighting alongside the warriors. While the situation wasn’t as dire as before, casualties were inevitable. Only Niu Bing’s shadow wolf lasted more than a minute; the others fell quickly, leaving their summoners with little to do.

As skeleton numbers dwindled, human resources grew thin – both in potions and stamina.

Suddenly, a warrior took a blow to the leg. Though not severed, the force knocked him off balance. Cheng Yang reacted instantly, pulling the man to safety while taking several bone club strikes to his back.

Despite wearing a black iron magic robe, Cheng Yang’s physical defense was minimal due to his current skill usage. The four skeleton attacks drained 12 health points from his 80+ pool. He quickly downed a health potion, though its full effect was interrupted by continuous attacks.

After a grueling battle, the last skeleton fell. Though no one died, the frontline warriors looked worse than beggars – bloodied and torn. Their equipment would need repairs, but for now, basic health potions would suffice.

With the battle over, Cheng Yang began looting. The high frequency of skeleton waves had prevented earlier collection. Among the spoils were six black iron items and a scroll.

Disappointed by the lack of mage off-hand equipment, Cheng Yang turned his attention to the scroll:

**Damage Absorption (Level 1):**
– Absorbs 100 damage
– Duration: 3 minutes
– Cooldown: 5 minutes
– Learning Requirement: Novice Warrior

Though useful, the skill was warrior-exclusive. Cheng Yang decided to give it to Liu Hao, the most combat-oriented warrior among their leadership.

After distributing the loot fairly, Cheng Yang ventured deeper into the canyon alone. Two hundred meters in, he found a raised platform holding a translucent, blue-glowing orb that radiated cold.

“So it’s really here!” Cheng Yang’s heart raced.

In his past life, this dungeon’s first clear hadn’t gone to Xiang City’s forces. The Russian team that claimed it had spread word of this prize, which Cheng Yang now held:

**Frost Spirit:**
– Integrate with Mage Statue
– Grants one special class slot: Frost Mage

The description was simple, but the term “Frost Mage” stood out. Special classes were always more powerful than standard ones. While mages typically branched into earth, fire, water, or wind at the Journeyman level, special classes like Frost Mage offered unique advantages.

Cheng Yang knew the Frost Mage was essentially an advanced water mage. For Journeyman mages, only water mages could transition to Frost Mage. But for novices, there were no such restrictions.

This Frost Spirit was the only special class item Cheng Yang knew of in the Xiang City area – the very reason he’d chosen to become a mage from the start.

PS: Yesterday’s Black Wednesday saw slow collection growth. Can today bring better results? Let’s pick up the pace!