The Second Life of Adam Cosmos

One of the rooms that Adam had originally avoided is a spacious chamber filled with enemies. Although his perception level is high for someone who isn’t specialized in scouting, it still wasn’t sufficient to fully gauge the situation inside the room without the risk of being detected.

Consequently, Adam had to rely on the sounds emanating from the room and his knowledge of the typical enemy formations in this particular section of the catacombs. He sharpened his senses, mentally cataloging the echoes of movement and guttural noises.

By his best estimate, there are at least twelve Skeleton Soldiers, between sixteen to twenty Zombies, and no fewer than four Ghouls. He knows, however, that the number of Ghouls could be higher, as they tend to remain silent when idle, only making noise when actively engaged.

At the very least, Adam can hear the unmistakable sound of four Ghouls noisily feasting—undoubtedly on the remains of the Zombies. The grisly sound was unsettling, but it also confirmed that they were preoccupied.

While this number of enemies is daunting for any solo player, it’s the presence of another, far more dangerous foe in the room that concerns Adam the most: Necromancers. In fact, based on the number of enemies, it’s likely that several Necromancers are controlling the horde.

The reason Adam arrived at this conclusion is simple. As he scouted the areas adjacent to the room, he encountered numerous small groups of skeletons and zombies, each seemingly positioned with purpose. If someone were to map out the area—and Adam had done so mentally—it would be clear that these undead groups formed a perimeter around this room, acting as sentinels.

The total number of skeletons Adam has already dispatched is too high for a single Necromancer to manage. This suggests that there are likely three high-level Necromancers collaborating in the room, or perhaps even five mid-level ones. Either way, it explains the large concentration of enemies.

Judging by the behavior and composition of the undead, Adam estimates that the minions are around level 12, while the Necromancers themselves are likely level 15.

An open assault is clearly not an option.

From the moment Adam laid eyes on the room, he knew that rushing in would be suicide. The room is nearly as vast as a football stadium, offering enough space for the undead to swarm and overwhelm him in moments.

In most games, a room of this size with massive gates like these signals a boss encounter, and World of Pangea is no exception to this common practice. Adam understood this well. That’s why he made sure to prepare meticulously before even considering entering.

He had already moved all the loot he had gathered throughout his journey into this area. Not just weapons and armor but everything he could find—odd and random items like wooden furniture and coffins, particularly the sturdy metal ones he discovered while clearing the catacombs. Every single item could potentially be used to his advantage in what was sure to be a brutal, solo raid.

After organizing his resources, he performed one final check on his weapon’s durability, ensuring it was back at 100%. One of the key items he found in a hidden room was repair powder, a crucial asset that allowed him to maintain his gear without the assistance of a player with Blacksmithing skills.

This gave him an edge. While others would need to rely on a blacksmith to repair their weapons, Adam could continue grinding and exploring as long as he had enough repair powder in his inventory.

Now, the items he had salvaged were arranged in strategic positions, ready to be deployed at a moment’s notice. Many of these items included oil flasks and other materials from the hidden room, along with a plethora of miscellaneous objects he had gathered from the catacombs.

Everything—low-quality weapons, pieces of armor, shields, and wooden debris from the crypt—was now stacked in front of the boss room’s entrance. There were even several coffins, both wooden and metal. It took Adam considerable time to haul all of this, even with the four bags of holding he had at his disposal. But it was worth the effort.

The items were neatly organized near the hallway, close to the gate leading to the boss's room. Adam had created a makeshift barricade designed to funnel the undead and neutralize their numerical advantage. He strategically placed wooden material on the floor to ensure that it would be useful later.

He used the enemy’s own armor as blockages, spearing swords and lances through them to create a rudimentary phalanx—a wall of salvaged gear that would hinder the enemy's movement. Thanks to his Purify skill, which subtly improved the quality of looted items, each piece of equipment was slightly more durable than before. While the individual enhancements were minor, collectively, they added up to a substantial advantage.

The hallway leading to the boss room now resembled an armory of discarded equipment. While these items wouldn’t pose much of a threat in direct combat against enemies above level 10, the way Adam had stockpiled them would certainly slow down and frustrate any undead attempting to break through.

But how had he assembled this elaborate setup without alerting the enemies in the adjacent room?

Adam’s experience as a survivor of the apocalypse had honed his ability to move stealthily, performing delicate tasks without drawing attention. For those like him, this skill was second nature, as vital as breathing. The real trick was performing these tasks while under the pressure of nearby monsters, but Adam was used to this level of tension.

Stockpiling hundreds of pieces of gear next to a room full of low-intelligence monsters was, for Adam, a taxing yet straightforward task. Though mentally exhausting, it was child's play compared to some of the challenges he had faced before. After completing the setup, he decided to log out briefly and take a much-needed break. Even for someone as experienced as him, this was a tedious and time-consuming effort.

Now, the fruits of his labor were evident.

Where the hallway once allowed five or six people to walk shoulder to shoulder, the barricades now narrowed the passage so that only two people could walk comfortably side by side. The uneven piles of equipment formed a substantial obstacle that would be difficult for even high-strength enemies to clear. Adam had also designed the barricade to form a winding, maze-like structure, forcing enemies to zig-zag through the hallway.

For a nimble human, this wouldn’t be much of a challenge, but for the lumbering undead, it would be a different story altogether. This gave Adam just the advantage he needed.

At this point, everything was in place. There was nothing left to do but initiate the assault. Adam moved through the now-narrowed hallway and positioned himself in front of the massive gates.

Before proceeding, he used three Proximity Mine scrolls. He carefully placed one on either side of the gate and the third just before his obstacle course began, ensuring that it wouldn’t detonate prematurely when the other two mines were triggered.

With the traps set, Adam took a deep breath and drank a potion.

Potion of Haste

Description: Increases the drinker’s movement speed by 30%. Lasts 30 seconds.

Ordinarily, it would take 30 seconds to traverse the hallway to the gate, but with his increased speed, he could reduce that time by several crucial seconds.

“Let’s do this.”

After taking one final, steadying breath, Adam kicked the gate with all his strength.

As soon as Adam opened the gate, a horde of enemies turned their heads toward him, surprise flashing across their decayed faces before being replaced with the hungry, malevolent gaze of the undead. Adam's immediate concern was the ghouls, and he quickly did a headcount.

Relief washed over him as he counted only five ghouls. This number was far more manageable than he feared, making the fight slightly more favorable. Ghouls are among the most agile and dangerous undead in this level range, capable of quick, hit-and-run tactics that could wear down even the most experienced players.

Individually, Adam knew he could handle a ghoul with minimal difficulty. Still, the real danger arose when ghouls had cover from other enemies—whether it be more ghouls or other undead creatures. To counteract this, Adam had carefully designed his obstacle to neutralize the ghouls' swift and agile nature. He knew their tactics well: they would rush their target, land a hit, and retreat to consume a zombie to regain health.

It was an annoying strategy for anyone unfamiliar with their behavior, but Adam had planned meticulously to prevent the ghouls from using their usual tactics. If he could neutralize the ghouls' threat early, the rest of the enemies would pose a far smaller challenge, given their slower movements and lack of agility.

Adam glanced at the rest of the enemies and was glad to see that his earlier estimates had been mostly accurate. There were about a dozen Skeleton Soldiers, armed and marching forward in a disciplined manner. The zombies, sluggish and unarmed, were more of a nuisance than a threat. Initially, Adam estimated there had been around twenty zombies. Still, judging by the number of bodies and the ghouls' feasting, he deduced that the ghouls had devoured at least four, leaving sixteen zombies shambling toward him.

Although these zombies could easily overwhelm him in large numbers, Adam had no intention of engaging them in direct combat. His strategy hinged on using the environment to his advantage.

Then came the necromancers. Adam had originally predicted that there would either be three high-level necromancers or five mid-level ones. Unfortunately, reality was a mix of both scenarios—only worse. There were five necromancers, but all were high-level, with the weakest being level 15 and the strongest reaching level 19.

Without wasting any time, Adam focused on the ghouls first. The necromancers could wait. The ghouls posed the most immediate danger, and Adam knew they had to be dealt with swiftly.

"Firebolt!" he called out.

BANG!

The spell shot forward, striking the nearest ghoul square in the chest. The impact was immense, and the ghoul was hurled backward, its body going limp as it crumpled to the ground. Even without the notification from the system, Adam could tell it was a one-hit kill.

The rest of the enemies began to stir.

The Skeleton Soldiers advanced with weapons raised, moving at a brisk pace. Meanwhile, the zombies sluggishly dragged themselves forward. The remaining ghouls screeched wildly, preparing to charge at their prey.

Behind them, the necromancers began their incantations, clearly aiming to summon additional undead reinforcements. Normally, these summoned skeletons would come from the surrounding areas, but Adam had prepared for this. He had painstakingly hunted down and dismembered every skeleton in the vicinity, ensuring that the necromancers had no fresh corpses to raise outside the room.

Having watched many players attempt and fail this raid in his previous life, Adam knew that the summoning radius of the necromancers was not limited to the room itself. This was a crucial piece of information, as many players had been overwhelmed by waves of reinforcements coming from all directions. Adam had taken careful measures to ensure that he would only be attacked from the boss's room.

As the necromancers continued their spells, Adam fired off another Firebolt. The 10-second cooldown had passed, and the second spell shot straight toward another ghoul. The bolt hit its mark, but this time, the damage wasn’t lethal. The ghoul staggered, clearly wounded but not defeated. Likely, it had a higher HP or a higher level than the first one.

Now, out of time, Adam couldn't afford to wait for another Firebolt. The enemies were closing in fast, and he needed to act. Without hesitation, he turned on his heels and sprinted back down the hallway. The trap had been set, and now was the time to spring it.

Thanks to the Potion of Haste he had consumed earlier, Adam moved swiftly, far faster than usual. As he reached the end of the obstacle course, the remaining ghouls barreled through the gate, hot on his heels.

BOOM! BOOM!

The Proximity Mines exploded rapidly, detonating near the gate just as Adam had planned. His system notifications informed him of the damage dealt, though no confirmation of a kill appeared.

No matter—the mines had weakened them. Then came the final explosion.

BOOM!

The third mine went off as the ghouls continued their relentless pursuit. Even after enduring the blasts, they had chosen to chase Adam instead of pausing to heal by consuming zombies. This fatal mistake sealed their doom.

Adam’s notifications lit up with messages: three ghouls down, plus the one he had taken out with his Firebolt. The Essence from each kill ranged between 400 and 600—a significant gain compared to the Skeleton Soldiers he had been fighting earlier.

Now, only one wounded ghoul remained, along with the mass of Skeleton Soldiers and Zombies.

Adam was unconcerned about the Necromancers. He knew they wouldn’t leave the room. They would remain inside, summoning more skeletons and zombies in a futile effort to bolster their forces. This was precisely what Adam had anticipated.

The third mine's detonation had ignited the wooden debris and oil that Adam had strategically placed throughout the hallway. The flames quickly spread, consuming everything in their path.

Concentrated Oil

Description: When used, the resulting flame is twice as intense. Not recommended for use in regular lamps.

With wooden coffins and debris providing ample fuel, the fire roared to life, creating a blazing inferno. Adam’s timing had been perfect—he had made it out just before the flames surged through the obstacle course.

Through the smoke and fire, Adam could barely see the enemies, but the constant flood of system notifications confirmed that his trap was working.

[You have dealt 23 damage to Skeleton Soldier Lvl. 12.]

[You have dealt 35 damage to Zombie Lvl. 10.]

[You have dealt 41 damage to Ghoul Lvl. 15.]

[You have slain Skeleton Soldier Lvl. 12. You have absorbed 450 Essence.]

[You have slain Zombie Lvl. 10. You have absorbed 200 Essence.]

The notifications continued to roll in as the undead fell one by one, consumed by the flames. The ghouls, Adam’s greatest concern, had been neutralized early on. Now, the rest of the enemies were little more than Essence waiting to be harvested.

Adam’s obstacle course worked better than expected. The narrow passage forced the zombies and skeletons to navigate a winding path, where they were engulfed by fire at every turn. The zombies, slow and clumsy, stood no chance as they were incinerated within seconds.

Even the Skeleton Soldiers, more durable and disciplined, couldn’t withstand the heat for long. They, too, were reduced to ash as the flames continued to rage.

Meanwhile, the necromancers had finished summoning their reinforcements—another wave of skeletons and zombies now stood ready to attack Adam. But to him, this was merely a bonus.

Adam knew two things about the necromancers of the catacombs. First, they couldn’t summon anything stronger than themselves, meaning the new wave of minions would be no more formidable than the ones he had already faced. Second, necromancers below level 20 could only summon skeleton soldiers and zombies. No more ghouls would appear to trouble him.

Each necromancer could summon up to 12 skeletons and 20 zombies three times. Adam quickly did the math in his head: '12 skeletons, each worth 450 Essence… that’s 5,400 Essence per wave. 20 zombies, each worth 200 Essence… that’s 4,000 Essence per wave. Each necromancer can summon three waves… so 28,200 Essence per necromancer. And there are five of them…'

In total, Adam was looking at a potential haul of 140,000 Essence from over 500 enemies. And the best part? They were coming straight to him, funneled into his fiery deathtrap.

Under normal circumstances, this boss fight would have been a grueling war of attrition. It would require a full party of at least ten skilled players to fend off the waves of undead while trying to take down the necromancers. The ghouls would execute hit-and-run tactics, the skeleton soldiers would press the attack, and the zombies would serve as cannon fodder, overwhelming the players through sheer numbers.

But Adam had turned the tide in his favor. By facing this challenge solo, he was poised to reap an enormous amount of Essence, all while the necromancers unknowingly aided him by sending wave after wave of undead into the flames.

[You have dealt 23 damage to Skeleton Soldier Lvl. 10.]

[You have dealt 32 damage to Zombie Lvl. 10.]

[You have slain Skeleton Soldier Lvl. 12. You have absorbed...]

[You have slain Zombie Lvl. 10. You have absorbed...]

[You have dealt…]

[You have dealt…]

[You have dealt…]

[You have slain… you have absorbed…]

[You have slain… you have absorbed…]

[You have slain… you have absorbed…]

[You have slain… you have absorbed…]

[You have slain… you have absorbed…]

[You have slain… you have absorbed…]

The notifications continued to pour in as the undead were incinerated, and Adam's Essence count climbed ever higher.