Chapter 19: The Harpies at the Gas Station
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"Get your gear ready. We’re going to check it out."
Gu Su fell silent for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the Skeleton Squad at his side. Finally, he gave the order in a low voice.
The Skeletons immediately sprang into action, quickly beginning to modify and organize their gear.
A Skeleton with a ceiling fan blade squatted down and repeatedly ground it against a stone, honing one side into a chillingly sharp edge.
It then found a sturdy wooden stick and firmly attached it to the end of the blade as a handle, thus fashioning a simple but deadly cleaver.
Another Skeleton, which had taken a piece of Angle Iron from a shelf, carefully wrapped the middle section with strips of old cloth to create a non-slip grip. It then ground the other end to a sharp point, quickly fashioning a serviceable Long Spear.
Compared to their previous sorry state of clutching rocks and swinging crude Wolf-toothed Sticks, the combat effectiveness of the newly upgraded Skeleton Squad had increased by a huge margin.
Gu Su nodded in satisfaction. Wasting no more time, he raised his hand to signal their departure and led the entire Skeleton Squad swiftly out of the Graveyard Demon’s domain.
The moment he turned to leave, the Deceitful Tree in a corner of the graveyard suddenly rustled its canopy of new leaves. Countless seeds shaped like Paper Money fluttered out, drifting on the breeze in the direction the squad was heading, as if giving them a silent send-off.
With the Skeleton that had previously scouted the area leading the way, the squad advanced at a rapid pace and without hesitation.
Gu Su observed his surroundings as they advanced.
Little did he know, at the same time he was leaving, on the other side of the Graveyard Demon’s domain, several shopping carts completely encased in white Corroding Mycelium suddenly burst from the ground. Propelled by a powerful inertia, they hurtled into the distance.
The ground the shopping carts rolled over was left with a faint trail of white mycelium.
In just a moment, the mycelium silently vanished. But the soil it had tainted slowly grew fouler, faintly exuding a thick, corrupting aura.
No one was there to see what the shopping carts would eventually hit or where they would stop.
In any case, this bizarre method had successfully spread the Corroding Mycelium far beyond the Graveyard Demon’s current territory.
With the Graveyard Demon currently unable to move on its own, this was its best method for expanding its domain and corrupting the surrounding land—silent, yet incredibly pervasive.
After advancing with the Skeleton Squad for about a thousand meters, Gu Su spotted the abandoned gas station in the distance through a gap in the sparse woods.
He hadn’t even gotten close when a strange sense of unease crept over him. The surrounding atmosphere felt indescribably eerie and grim.
The tree trunks on both sides of the road were densely hung with the corpses of small animals, mostly small creatures like rabbits, squirrels, and mice.
All the corpses were hanging upside down. Some had long since air-dried and shriveled, turning into stiff jerky.
Others had rotted away completely, leaving only incomplete skeletons, a grim and terrifying sight.
Anyone in the know would understand this was food the Harpies had hoarded for winter.
Those who didn’t would likely assume some bizarre and terrifying sacrificial Ceremony was taking place.
Just then, the scout Skeleton stopped and raised its hand, pointing toward a spot ahead where the tree shadows intertwined, indicating to Gu Su that the Harpies were over there.
Gu Su followed the Skeleton’s gesture and, sure enough, saw a Harpy perched on a thick branch in the distance.
It had a human torso and eagle wings. Its crimson eyes scanned the surroundings vigilantly, its sharp talons gripping the branch tightly.
Farther on lay the abandoned gas station. A massive nest of tangled weeds and feathers sat upon its roof. Faint movements could be seen within, clearly marking it as the Harpies’ roost.
Gu Su glanced at the Harpy’s position, then turned to the Skeleton beside him. A flicker of curiosity arose within him, and he asked, "How did you manage to kill one of them?"
Without a word, the Skeleton stepped forward to demonstrate.
It raised its weapon and slammed it hard against a nearby tree.
A dull THUD instantly alerted the Harpy on the branch.
The Harpy whipped its head around. Upon spotting the Skeleton, it let out a piercing shriek, flapped its broad wings, and dove aggressively, its sharp talons aimed straight for the Skeleton’s skull.
Just as the Harpy’s talons were about to connect with bone, the Skeleton shot a hand up, clamping its Bone Claw tightly around the Harpy’s legs. It refused to let go, no matter how the creature struggled and shrieked.
Seeing this, another Skeleton hidden behind a tree rushed forward, its Cleaver held high. Seizing the opportunity while the Harpy was trapped, it swung the blade viciously at its neck. A cold light flashed, and blood sprayed into the air.
The two Skeletons coordinated perfectly—one to restrain, the other for the killing blow. In just a few seconds, they had easily dispatched the agile, flying creature. The Harpy’s corpse slammed to the ground, twitched a couple of times, and then fell still.
[Skeleton (Summoned Creature) has slain Harpy (Level 1). You have gained 2 Experience. Your Summoned Creature has gained 4 Experience.]
Watching the demonstration, a glint appeared in Gu Su’s eyes. He gave his orders decisively. "Good. Do it just like that!
Pair up, spread out, and approach stealthily. Kill as many of the stragglers as you can. Try not to alert the main group in the nest on the roof!"
The Skeleton Squad immediately split into pairs and fanned out. Using the forest for cover, they silently stalked the Harpies perched in the surrounding trees.
Gu Su didn’t remain idle, either. He beckoned to a nearby Magic Skeleton, and the two of them followed the others, joining the hunt.
However, it was always the Magic Skeleton that acted as the lure for the Harpies, not Gu Su, who wielded the Plague Cutter.
In just a few moments, a series of piercing shrieks from the Harpies echoed through the woods.
Over a dozen isolated Harpies fell at the hands of Gu Su and his Skeletons. Their bodies littered the area, their blood staining the fallen leaves and earth crimson.
The Skeleton Squad grew more adept with each kill. After some initial clumsiness, their hunting process became methodical. They were not only faster but also much quieter.
But just then, a flurry of sharp, piercing shrieks erupted from the giant nest on the gas station roof.
Clearly, the Harpies in the nest had finally realized something was amiss.
The disappearance of their kin, along with the shrieks and the scent of blood from the woods, could no longer be concealed.
The next second, the WHOOSH of countless beating wings filled the air as the Harpies flew out of the nest in unison.
Roughly thirteen Harpies, filled with towering rage, swooped directly toward the forest.
Their sharp talons glinted coldly in the sunlight, and their piercing shrieks made the leaves on the trees RUSTLE.
Gu Su tensed, freezing in place. His gaze locked onto the approaching flock of Harpies.
He quickly noticed that the one at the head of the flock was significantly larger than the other Harpies.
The feathers on its wings had a faint bluish-black sheen, and its body was wreathed in fine, pale Blue currents of electricity. The electricity CRACKLED, occasionally flashing with an arc of light.
It was obvious at a glance that this was no ordinary Harpy, but a Magic Series Harpy that specialized in Thunder Magic, its strength far surpassing that of its kin.