The moment Alex's group stepped on the thirtieth floor, clapping sounds could be heard.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
Sitting in a throne made of countless bones was the Elder Lich. It was unknown how can a being made only of bones could make clapping sounds.
Standing on the left and right of the monster were two skeletons wearing black armors; their levels weren't low; they were both Levels 86, the one on the left held a ghastly black scythe, while the one on the right a great sword.
''I shall say congratulations for making this far. Hyahahaha~ However, do you think you will pass here?" The Elder Lich sat comfortably inside his bone throne and asked after clapping to congratulate Alex's group effort.
''For bones, you sure talk big. You must have been the talkative type when you were alive. Maybe it was your mouth who killed you.'' Alex responded sarcastically.
The two skeleton generals on the Elder Lich side-eyes glowed dangerously; they wanted to rush forward and hack Alex's body to pieces; however, they got stopped by the Elder Lich.
''Hyahahaha~ You sure talk lot for a weakling. I shall not get angry for your offense. This is not the place for you to talk.'' The Elder Lich said while emitting powerful pressure trying to crush Alex, make him bend on his knees.
However, Alex stubbornly refused to let the monster have his way. He gritted his teeth to endure the pressure. Glaring at the Elder Lich with his blue eye, the pressure lessened considerably.
''Hyahahaha! You are not bad, boy.'' the Elder Lich praised.
''Cut the crap and make your move. I will make you pay for your previous offense.''
Artemia finally spoke for the first time since she came in; she started to slowly walk forward while emitting a powerful aura that didn't lose against the Elder Lich's pressure.
The Elder Lich started laughing before flicking his bone fingers, ordering his subordinates to attack Alex's group; numerous bone soldiers emerged from the ground and surrounded Alex's group.
''Isabella, I will let you handle the weak skeletons; as for the two generals, I will take care of them. Artemia, can I let you handle that Lich for now?"
Alex said while looking at his companions; Isabella nodded her head and dashed at the skeleton soldiers. Meanwhile, Artemia started walking toward the Elder Lich.
''Time to take care of you two."
Alex said before dashing toward the nearest skeleton general thrusting his knife forward.
Clangs!
The skeleton general blocked the knife before switching to offense by aiming the butt of his scythe at Alex's crotch.
The latter jumped back before launching knives at the second skeleton general coming from his back.
BANG BANG BANG!!
Bullets tore through the air aiming straight at the monster behind him; unexpectedly, the skeleton general brought out a black shield to defend against the bullets.
Swoosh!
''Shadow Shift!"
Alex switched place with the skeleton general at his back when the other skeleton general brought down his black scythe.
Clangs! Crack!
The shield held by the second skeleton general got broken by the black scythe.
'Phantom Bullet.'
Bang! Crack!
Unexpectedly a black transparent shield appeared right before the Phantom bullet could strike the two monsters.
It was Alex's turn to be surprised as he had not expected that the monsters could still have the time to cast magic when his earlier move caught them off guard.
'They must be powerful when they were alive. Their instincts are pretty sharp, as well as their reaction speed; no wonder they are his generals.'
Alex remarked before dodging the second skeleton general greatsword.
Putting some distance between him and the two skeletons. Alex observed the battlefield; Isabella was fighting against the bone soldiers while Artemia and the Elder Lich were doing a staring contest; neither of them made a move yet.
''Gotta take care of these two before going to help Artemia,'' Alex mumbled before jumping back to dodge another attack aimed at him.
''Envisage!"
Alex used his eye power to predict where the attacks would be coming from; he couldn't keep dodging all time.
Alex's blue eye glowed; he was able to see where the two skeletons' attacks would come from.
The two skeleton generals enhanced their weapons to make it faster when it was about to come into contact with Alex's body; if he hadn't used Envisage, he would be seriously injured.
The two skeleton generals were surprised when Alex was able to dodge their attacks perfectly.
Alex immediately used Xerox.
Bang! Bang!!!
The two skeleton generals put their shields in front of them to block the incoming bullets; unfortunately for them, these bullets weren't normal, as if they have minds on their own; the bullets dodged the shields and struck them, pushing back.
Alex accel-ed to reappear behind the monsters wanting to attack; however, he hastily retreated before looking at his hand that shivered in an instant when he appeared behind them.
''What a dangerous domain. If I stayed more than few seconds, I would have become an old man.''
Alex mumbled as he looked at his hand that regenerates instantly.
〖That's a decay domain; most high-ranked undead creatures have this ability.〗Silveria explained to the clueless Alex.
'I see.' Alex said before looking at the two skeleton generals charging toward him; their speed was incredible, the green light flickering inside their eye sockets changed color, it became red, red aura covered their bodies, increasing their speed.
''Hellsing!" Alex shouted.
Boom! Boom!
Three domains clashed against each other, instantly offsetting each.
Suddenly, Alex felt a chill running his spine, a ghostly claw crept behind him, wanting to catch him; Alex knew it would be the end if he let himself caught.
'Ice bullet.'
An ice bullet was fired at the incoming hand at the last moment, instantly freezing it.
After freezing that claw, Alex's shadow shifted, with one of the normal skeletons trying to attack Isabella.
'Erase!'
Before the two skeleton generals could attack, a white bullet was shot at them, unlike previously when Alex's bullet got blocked; this one broke their shields before striking the closest skeleton general. Like a broken puppet, that skeleton general became momentarily frozen.
For the first time, the second skeleton general showed a trace of fear; his glowering green eyes flickered before he jumped back.
Alex appeared before the still frozen skeleton general; his right hand struck the head-crushing; Alex knew that the monster couldn't die even having its head crushed; to completely kill it, he needs to strike its core; however, the said core was protected by heavy armor.
Just as his right hand covering in green light was crushing the monster's head, with Silveria in his left hand, Alex fired an ice bullet at point-blank range at the skeleton; frost instantly covered the skeleton body. Alex opens his right hand, still covered in a green light, and used it like a knife to bisect the frozen skeleton.
Everything happened in an instant. By the time the second skeleton general could attack after fleeing, his comrade had been killed. He had his head crushed first before being transformed into ice status before getting bisected.
''Raarrrhhh!"
The last skeleton general bellowed; his whole body glowed red as if it was on fire. Alex astonished eyes, that skeleton general appeared right before him, his scythe descending toward him.
Just as Alex was about to step aside to let the scythe pass by air breath of his face, he was surprised to find out that somehow a black chain coming from the ground got wrapped around his feet, making it impossible for him to maneuver his body as he wishes.
Time seemed to freeze, Alex was able to see the scythe coming toward his head, even though he didn't know how he activated this state again, Alex immediately sprung into action, first by bending his body, so much that his head almost touched the ground, while at the same time firing a bullet at the incoming scythe, making the weapon deviate from its original path.
BANG!
Shooting another bullet, this time at the ground, to create an explosion that pushed his upper body forward, reading on the momentum, Alex head-butted the skeleton general. The latter staggered a couple of steps back.
Swoosh!
Having been released of that black chain, Alex immediately attacked by sending a kick at the skeleton general; the latter used the shaft of his scythe to block Alex's kick.
〖No good, Master. Artemia is in danger.〗
Just as Alex was about to continue attacking the skeleton general before he could regain his momentum, he heard Silveria's unexpected warning.
Using his Divine Sense, Alex got a clear picture of what was happening; he immediately used Shadow shift.
The first time to switch place with Artemia before using it again to switch place with the skeleton general, everything happened too fast, even the Elder Lich did not see this coming, so he inadvertently crushed his subordinate by releasing all his power, the whole floor trembled, all other normal skeletons got crushed leaving only Alex's group and the Elder Lich.
The fight was about to become serious.