The zombie that sat atop the throne might have looked domineering or even handsome back in his days but for Arthur, every undead looked very much like the one before and after it. They had the same sunken skin, dried body and bony frame.

Arthur studied the silent zombie from a safe distance. The young man made sure to not wander too close lest he was caught in an ambush. He stood just far enough to retreat if the zombie came alive but close enough for the light from the lamp to shine on it.

Upon first glance, this zombie looked different, at least outfit-wise, from the ones that he had encountered so far in the crypt. This person was of a higher status compared to the rest based on the place he was entombed and the outfit that he got buried in.

While the other members of the undead were in rotten rags, this zombie was wearing a fitted armor complete with a general's helmet.

"There are some signs of rust on the armor but beyond that, it looks quite intact," Arthur observed. He wondered if he could salvage the armor somehow or would it be taboo to wear something that was previously worn by the undead.

Arthur's eyes moved downwards and something else caught his attention. The zombie was in a seated position and a weapon was laid across his lap.

It was about 2 to 3 metres long and it looked to be a staff or a spear. From the appearance, it looked to be made from metal and the pole body was exquisitely decorated with carvings. It repeated the motifs that Arthur had seen from the mural earlier. Perhaps the person who came up with the mural was similar to the one who designed this staff.

At one end of the staff hung a shapely bell about the size of Arthur's palm. "Could this be the thing that was responsible for the silvery tingle of the bell that I heard before the cave in happened?" was the first thought that came into Arthur's mind.

Arthur's eyes lit up with interest because the young man could sense the pool of power that resided within this weapon. On top of that, since there was a musical instrument attached to it, there was a fine chance of this being a musical artifact of mythical quality that he was looking for.

He could have traded it for more power from his patroness, Aoide. In other words, if Arthur was unable to use the weapon himself, he could always trade it with the goddess.

This was a treasure that the young man would not mind keeping for himself. However, instead of reaching directly for it, Arthur eyed its current owner cautiously.

Arthur scratched his chin as he thought about how to handle the situation.

After some time, he had a decision made. Arthur channeled his voice and launched a vocal materialization in the shape of a blade at the zombie's neck. The zombie might have been fully passive but the young man was not one to take any chances. Better deal with the potential threat before they had the chance to become one.

The vocal blade saw towards the sleeping zombie. However, just as it was about to reach its target, Arthur heard an ominous sound echoing through the room. It was the silvery tingle of a bell.

Arthur instantly turned to look and he saw the bell attached to the staff wiggle on its own volition.

Following the bell, a force field appeared around the zombie and it neutralized the attack that Arthur launched.

At the same time, Arthur's guard went up immediately. The young man slid several inches away from the zombie.

The bell continued to ring and Arthur could sense intense magic within its tingle. It made the young man feel very uneasy.

Arthur's eyes darted between the staff and the zombie, the former kept gathering magic while the latter remained relatively impassive. However, Arthur had a feeling this rocky peace would not be maintained any longer if he was unable to stop the bell from ringing.

In that split second, Arthur made a decision. He moved back towards the zombie and reached out to grab the staff. If he grabbed hold of the staff, perhaps he might be able to stop it from ringing.

Unfortunately, before Arthur's fingers had the chance to reach their target, the zombie's eyes flew open and Arthur felt its vengeful gaze boring into his soul. The monster was probably in a fit of fury from being disturbed from its restful slumber.

Arthur quickly pulled back his hand and as he did so, the zombie climbed up from his throne. The armor made a grinding sound as the grimes and rust that had settled from probably decades started to fall off.

The monster moved its limbs about and the skeletal frame underneath the rotten flesh creaked audibly. It must have required quite some elbow grease to move the body that had been stasis for who knows how many years already.

The monster opened its lips and a loud roar echoed around the room. Arthur could literally feel the floor shake as the echoes of the roar travelled throughout the room. There was nothing like a loud roar to announce one's return to the world of the living.

However, if they were only comparing decibels, the zombie general might not have the actual upper hand in a shouting match. He was facing against Arthur, who was blessed by Aoide, the patroness of Song and Voice.

In terms of shouts, the young man was not going to lose. Arthur launched a shout in return at the zombie general. The monster's roar might have been loud but Arthur's roar had magical force behind it.

The voice made scouring marks on the ground as it headed towards the monster, swallowing up the monster's roar in the process.

The zombie general, as Arthur expected, was not so easily brought down. As Arthur's shout came at him, the general jumped upwards into impossible height.

Arthur's head tilted upwards following its movement but all Arthur could see was the enveloping darkness.