The cemetery was shrouded in an eerie fog, the moonlight barely piercing through as if afraid to touch the corrupted ground. Graves lay desecrated, and the stench of decay filled the air as more undead creatures crawled and staggered toward Leon and Luna. Skeletal soldiers clattered forward, rusted armor clinging to their brittle bones.

    Behind them, grotesque zombies shuffled and groaned, their vacant eyes locked on their prey.

    The next wave of undead charged forward, a mix of armored skeletons wielding chipped swords and rotting zombies with flesh hanging from their bones. Among them were a few new horrors—spitting zombies that hissed as they spewed acidic bile and bursting zombies, bloated with dark energy, that exploded upon impact, releasing a noxious mist that clung to the ground.@@@@

    Leon gritted his teeth, slashing through a spitting zombie with his blessed sword, watching as it disintegrated upon contact with the holy blade. "These exploding ones are a nightmare!" he called out as he narrowly dodged one of the bursting zombies, which detonated with a sickening squelch, releasing a cloud of foul-smelling gas.

    "Tell me about it!" Luna replied, her dagger flashing as she cleaved through a cluster of skeletal warriors. Her quick footwork kept her just out of reach of the acidic bile, her expression fierce as she cut down another zombie. "We have to keep moving forward—if we get surrounded, we''re done for!"

    Leon nodded, rallying his energy as he cut a path through the endless waves of undead. They fought like a storm, relentless and unyielding, each strike pushing them closer to the cemetery''s heart where the undead leader surely awaited. The haunting silence in the distance was almost worse than the sounds of battle.

    It was as if the cemetery itself was watching, waiting for them to make it to their final test.

    After an hour of relentless assault, they had finally taken down all the waves. "Ugh, I''m so done with this!" Luna shouted in frustration, looking at Leon and then down at herself, both of them exhausted and covered in grime.

    "This dagger''s broken too," she muttered, lifting the Holy Blessed Dagger, now dull and missing its holy glow.

    Leon caught his breath, glancing at Luna with a weary grin. "Yeah, that was... intense," he muttered, sheathing his own weapon, which bore signs of wear after the relentless assault. He noticed her broken dagger, its holy glow now completely faded.

    "Looks like the blessing couldn''t withstand all that undead mana," he observed, his voice tinged with disappointment.

    The skeletal figure raised its empty gaze to meet theirs, and a hollow, echoing voice filled the cemetery. "Intruders... your souls are forfeit."

    Luna glanced at Leon, smirking. "Ready for round two?"

    Leon gave her a quick, confident nod, his eyes narrowing with anticipation. "This one''s different—feels like a true gatekeeper. Stay alert."

    As they edged closer, the skeletal warrior let out a chilling wail that reverberated through the noble graveyard, summoning the ground beneath them to tremble. Suddenly, faint blue flames ignited within its empty eye sockets, and the blade it held began to glow with an ominous energy.

    With a sweeping motion, it raised the sword high and brought it crashing down, sending a shockwave of dark energy rushing towards them.

    "Move!" Leon shouted, pushing Luna aside as he dodged the wave. The dark energy struck a nearby tombstone, shattering it instantly.

    Luna quickly recovered, rolling back onto her feet. "He''s no joke. Looks like we''ll have to play smart," she muttered, her eyes fixed on the skeleton.

    Leon circled to the left, attempting to flank the skeletal warrior. "We have to split its focus. I''ll draw its attacks—try to get behind it and aim for the spine or any weak point you can find."

    With a nod, Luna readied her dagger, keeping her stance low. As Leon darted forward, the skeletal warrior''s gaze locked onto him, its eyes flaring even brighter. It swung its sword in a powerful arc, but Leon sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the blade as it sliced through the air with a menacing hum.

    Taking advantage of the distraction, Luna lunged forward, aiming her dagger at the skeleton''s spine. She struck true, the blade finding its mark between its vertebrae. But instead of breaking, the skeleton''s form wavered, its bones shifting like mist before snapping back into place.

    "Persistent, aren''t you?" Luna muttered under her breath, backing up quickly as the skeleton whirled around, now facing her.