No sooner had Zane stepped out of the cursed forest than the ground trembled beneath his boots.
From the shadows between gnarled trees, an army of undead lumbered forward, their hollow eyes fixed on him. The skeletal captain barked out a command: "The marked one. The tattoo calls us."
Zane cracked his knuckles and smirked. "Well, undead fan club, I was hoping for a quiet stroll, but hey—party's starting."
As the horde lunged, Zane sprang into action.
His Dagger of Endblade shimmered with Void energy as it sliced through decayed bone and rotten flesh, bypassing their defenses like a hot knife through butter. The first strike landed—and exactly one second later, the Tattoo of Echoing Wrath unleashed its shadowy copy, striking twice with deadly precision.
Claws swiped, arrows rained, and Zane's reflexes kicked in.
He activated the Ring of Auric Dominion, and time slowed dramatically around the undead. Their movements became sluggish, like watching a glitchy animation, while Zane danced between attacks with ease, untouchable.
Not wasting a beat, he released Phantom Chain. Shadowy copies of himself appeared—four mirror images darting around the battlefield, swapping places instantly to confuse the enemies and attack from every angle.
An undead archer loosed a volley of arrows; Zane dodged, but one grazed his arm.
Without hesitation, he slammed his Abyssal Glove into his palm and replicated the last spell he saw—the undead captain had tried a shadowy binding spell moments ago. A tendril of shadow whipped out, wrapping and crushing a group of skeletons, leaving them to shatter and crumble.
Zane growled, energized by the chaos. "You wanted a fight? I'm giving you an echo party."
His blades flashed, each strike followed by the tattoo's second attack—a ghostly shadow that seemed to fight on its own. The undead fell in waves.
The skeletal captain charged, roaring, his blade crackling with necrotic energy.
Zane's phantom copies surrounded him, distracting and slicing.
With time still slowed, Zane dashed forward and plunged the Endblade deep into the captain's chest. The dagger pulsed violently, bypassing magic and armor alike.
One second later, the tattoo's echo attack rippled through the captain's form, shattering bones and extinguishing the dark aura.
The remaining undead hesitated, then fled back into the forest.
Zane wiped blood from his lip, breathing hard but grinning.
"Not bad for a stroll, huh?"
Nyx's voice teased in his mind. The tattoo suits you. Let's see what else you've got.
Zane sheathed his blades, feeling the thrill of battle coursing through him.
Only a few artifacts left.
"Bring it on."