Chapter 269 - 152: Killing Four Birds with One Stone
He couldn't just shut the gates and bar all the Demonized Creatures. That would be unwise. Once he did that, not only would his own city lose a large portion of its population, but other cities would also demand an explanation, and might even launch attacks against Komeilan City.
It was far better to let the fleeing Demonized Creatures into the city. They could spread word of the Undead, attracting more people to be sent in waves to wear down the enemy. This was clearly more advantageous. Not only could he eliminate the scourge of the Undead, but he could also cull the populations of other Underground Cities, acquire more resources, and preserve Komeilan City's strength. It was like killing four birds with one stone.
As for the unlucky souls left on the plaza, surrounded by the Undead, that was no concern of White Hair Pulan's. It was their fate. What did it have to do with him? 'So many people made it back. If you didn't, that's your problem, not mine. I opened the gates to let people in, didn't I?'
Because the Undead did not pursue the retreating Demonized Creatures, all who fled made it back safely to Komeilan City. Once everyone was inside, White Hair Pulan immediately ordered the city gates shut.
The battle in the plaza outside didn't last long. The unlucky souls left behind were all annihilated by the Undead, their corpses dragged away. White Hair Pulan and a crowd of onlooking Demonized Creatures watched with great relish. They felt no sense of danger, no fear that the enemy might besiege the city. It was as if they were watching a good show.
'Tsk, tsk. Not bad at all. It seems the Undead have a taste for corpses.'
'We like the Undead's Soul Fire, and the Undead like our corpses. It's a win-win for everyone.'
'A war where everyone wins like this is a true war. A war without profit is worthless.'
'Indeed, I, White Hair Pulan, am the one who truly understands war.'
When the battle in the plaza ended, the Undead carried off the corpses, glanced at the tightly shut gates of Komeilan City, and silently retreated back into the tunnels.
As before, 50,000 Skeleton Undead remained in the main tunnel as a defensive force to prevent the enemy from charging out. The other Skeleton Undead fanned out into the various connecting tunnels to resume hunting Demonized Beasts.
The Alien Undead did not leave; they also remained in the main tunnel. The Elite Heavy Hammer Skeleton Warriors and Skeleton Short Bowmen, however, followed the units transporting the corpses out of the tunnels and back to the Undead Fortress.
...
「Undead Fortress, Main Building.」
Li Ziyu stood up and stretched, his bones letting out a series of CRACKS. The battle was over.
This battle had been much quicker than the last, taking less than half a day, yet the rewards were even greater.
"Boss, how did it go down there?" Zhang Peng asked, immediately approaching as Li Ziyu stood up.
"Great. The haul was pretty good," Li Ziyu said with a grin, revealing a set of pearly white teeth.
He had lost more Skeleton Undead this time than the last, but his gains had also been greater. Of course, if he hadn't dispatched more reinforcements in time, it wouldn't have been a question of gains, but of a potential disaster.
What pleased him most were the Skeleton Short Bowmen. They were far stronger than he had imagined.
Initially, he had assumed that the Short Bowmen should be massed together, firing in ranks to inflict massive damage with a dense and rapid hail of arrows. This battle, however, had given him a new idea.
Instead of massing them for saturation fire, embedding them within the ranks of the other Skeleton Undead to pick off enemies by surprise was also quite effective. In fact, when the enemy was unprepared, it could inflict even greater casualties.
He didn't have many Short Bowmen, only 1,000 in total. Compared to the tens of thousands of other Skeleton Undead, their numbers were almost negligible.
With only 1,000 Short Bowmen, the effect of a massed volley probably wouldn't live up to expectations. It was better to do as he had this time: disperse them among the horde and let them attack freely.
However, he would have to verify which tactic was superior on the battlefield. One or two battles alone couldn't provide a definitive answer.
As the variety of his troops increased, Li Ziyu gained more tactical options, which would only make him a more formidable force in battle.
He stood at the window and looked out. The Undead were hauling out the corpses. Li Ziyu yawned. He hadn't gotten much sleep before the battle in the tunnels started. He had been monitoring the fight the entire time, his mind taut with excitement. Now that it was over, a wave of drowsiness washed over him.
"Boss..." Liu Xingxing began to say something, but Li Ziyu cut him off with a wave of his hand.
"Whatever you have to say can wait until I wake up. I'm tired. You two can head out," Li Ziyu said, yawning again and waving Zhang Peng and Liu Xingxing away.
The two of them nodded and left the main building.
The moment they left, Li Ziyu activated Hibernation Mode. All the Undead Architecture sank back into the ground.
The Minotaurs, who had been on high alert, watched the surrounding structures return to normal and breathed a collective sigh of relief. The buildings had receded underground, the crisis was averted, and they could go back to their duties.
...
「Komeilan City, City Lord's Mansion.」
"The Undead are too brazen! They're trying to force us into an all-out war!"
"We absolutely cannot let them get away with this!"
"Spread the news! Spread it far and wide!"
"We need more allies!"
"Tell the residents not to leave the city for any reason. The Undead are too dangerous! And guard the gates! No one is to open them without my direct command!"
White Hair Pulan paced back and forth, his square face stern, his brow furrowed, and the corners of his mouth turned down. He roared with fury, putting on the perfect performance of a man who would fight the Undead to the bitter end.