The heavy stone door slid shut behind Drake with a soft grinding sound, plunging him into the near silence of the Decrepit Archive. He stood at the top of a steep flight of dusty stone stairs descending into darkness. The air was thick with the smell of aged parchment, mildew, and a faint, cloying scent of stagnant magic. He toggled [Relic Hunter] on; the skill's subtle highlighting effect immediately illuminated faint energy trails along the walls – likely decaying power conduits – and made the thick layers of dust seem less uniform, revealing faint scuff marks and the path most recently disturbed, possibly by whatever lurked below.
"Okay. Let's see what kind of 'archive' needs hiding this well."
He descended the stairs cautiously, torchlight cutting through the gloom. The initial corridor opened into a series of interconnected small chambers lined with collapsed bookshelves, shattered display cases, and mounds of decayed scrolls.
Movement flickered in the shadows. Skeletal figures, clad in the tattered remnants of scholar's robes, rose unsteadily from piles of debris. Their empty sockets glowed with faint malevolent energy. << Skeletal Scribe (Level 11) detected. >> << Dust Wraith (Level 12) detected. >>
These were the first occupants. Drake engaged without hesitation. A Skeletal Scribe shambled forward, raising a bony claw. Drake met it with [Basic Slash]. << Skill Success! SCR 100%! PERFECT EXECUTION! >> << Effect Applied: Flawless Strike (+10% Effectiveness)! >> << Relentless Assault: +21 Stacks! >> << Damage Dealt: 55! >>
After a short fight the skeleton exploded into a shower of bone fragments and dust under the perfectly executed, critically amplified blow. "Okay, Level 11 mobs are no threat at all with max stacks building."
A Dust Wraith – a swirling vortex of dust and spectral energy – drifted towards him, launching a weak bolt of necrotic energy. Drake raised his shield. << Skill Success! SCR 100%! PERFECT DEFEND! >> << Damage Taken: 0! >> << STATUS EFFECT APPLIED: [Dust Wraith] Off-Balance! >> << Relentless Assault: +21 Stacks! >>
He closed the distance instantly, his sword blurring as [Relentless Assault] rapidly climbed towards its cap. The Dust Wraith dissipated under a flurry of perfect hits before it could launch another spell. He cleared the initial chambers quickly, his perfected skills and powerful passive making short work of these minor Level 11-12 undead guardians. [Relic Hunter] occasionally highlighted loose pages with fragmented lore or minor crafting ingredients amidst the debris, which he collected.
Following the clearest energy trails deeper into the archive complex, he passed through halls lined with empty pedestals and alcoves filled with irreparable data crystals. The sense of decay was profound. Eventually, he entered a large, circular central chamber that must have once been a primary reading room or repository. Tall, empty shelves lined the curved walls, reaching up into the darkness. In the center of the room, hovering silently a foot above the floor, was the archive's apparent guardian.
It was an ethereal, translucent figure, vaguely humanoid in shape, clad in shimmering, spectral robes. It held a spectral quill in one hand and an open, glowing book in the other, its unseen eyes seemingly scanning the empty shelves. Faint lines of Alvari script drifted around it like dust motes. << Spectral Librarian (Level 14) [MINI-BOSS] >>
Drake approached cautiously. The Spectral Librarian turned its indistinct head towards him, raising its quill like a weapon. It launched a bolt of pure arcane energy. Drake reacted instantly with [Defend]. << Skill Success! SCR 100%! PERFECT DEFEND! >> << Damage Taken: 0! >> << STATUS EFFECT APPLIED: [Spectral Librarian] Off-Balance! >> << Relentless Assault: +21 Stacks! >>
He charged forward during the brief Off-Balance window, swinging his sword in a perfect 100% SCR [Basic Slash]. << Skill Success! SCR 100%! PERFECT EXECUTION! Effect Applied: Flawless Strike! >> Clink! The sound was wrong. Not the satisfying impact of steel on bone or hide, but a dull, high-pitched chime, as if hitting solid energy. << Target Highly Resistant to Physical Damage! Damage Dealt: 3! >> << Relentless Assault: +21 Stacks! (Total: 42) >>
Drake frowned. "Three damage? Even with a perfect crit-boosted hit and stacks building? Physical resistance is massive."
The Librarian retaliated, floating back slightly and conjuring a shimmering arcane shield around itself while launching a volley of smaller magic missiles. Drake perfectly defended against the missiles (<< Damage Taken: 0! >>), his [Relentless Assault] stacks climbing rapidly due to the defensive successes, but he couldn't damage the shield with his physical attacks. After a few seconds, the shield dropped, and the Librarian cast another spell – a pool of chilling energy that spread across the floor where Drake stood.
He quickly dodged out of the AoE, feeling a slight slowing debuff linger for a second. He charged back in, unleashing another flurry of perfect [Basic Slash] attacks. << Target Highly Resistant! Damage Dealt: 3! >> << Target Highly Resistant! Damage Dealt: 4! (Critical!) >> << Target Highly Resistant! Damage Dealt: 3! >> His stacks were maxed, his attack speed was immense, his execution flawless, but the damage output was utterly negligible against the spectral form. The system confirmed his suspicion with an alert.
<< Target possesses High Physical Damage Resistance! >>
"Okay, confirmed. Physical damage is useless here. My entire offensive kit is physical. I have no magic attacks, no elemental damage options."
The Librarian floated serenely, launching targeted bolts and AoE spells. Drake could negate the single-target spells perfectly with [Defend] and dodge the AoEs, but he couldn't hurt the Librarian in any meaningful way. It was like trying to punch a ghost. He couldn't win a war of attrition; he eventually would make a mistake dodging an AoE or the Librarian might use a more powerful ability. leading to death.
"This is pointless. Perfect execution means nothing if the enemy negates the damage type. Can't beat it like this. Need magic, or maybe extreme armor penetration... neither of which I have."
The decision was frustrating but clear. Continuing the fight was a waste of time and potentially dangerous if the Librarian had stronger attacks up its spectral sleeve. He needed to withdraw and return only if or when he had a way to overcome high physical resistance.
Disengaging carefully, Drake parried one last incoming spell bolt with a perfect [Defend] and retreated back through the archive corridors. He quickly dispatched the few minor undead that had respawned, his physical attacks working perfectly fine against them, which only highlighted the Librarian's specific resistance.
He reached the hidden entrance, pushed the stone mechanism open, and stepped back out into the relative brightness of the Oakhaven Woods outskirts, the door grinding shut behind him. He immediately opened his map interface and placed a custom marker on the location of the hidden entrance. Marker Set: Decrepit Archive (Spectral Boss - Phys Resist).
"Valuable lesson learned. Perfection isn't everything if you bring the wrong tool to the job. Need to consider resistances and damage types going forward. Maybe that Enchanting skill will be more useful than I thought for adding elemental damage later..."
Frustrated by the dead end but wiser for the experience, Drake put the Decrepit Archive aside for now. He had other goals – reaching Silverhaven, finding Elder Jian, understanding the Hilt. This archive and its resistant guardian would wait. He turned away from the ruins, refocusing on the long journey ahead.