Chapter 6: The Kill
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Under the stiff yet precise guidance of the Skeletons, Gu Su and his party soon arrived at the site of their previous clash with the goblins.
A single glance at the surroundings was all it took for him to determine that this dilapidated street corner was the goblins’ lair.
This place had once been a street corner. The concrete pavement was now buckled and shattered by tree roots, its cracks stuffed with rotting leaves and soil. It creaked underfoot.
A nearby sewer manhole cover was long gone, leaving only a pitch-black hole.
A putrid stench, a mixture of blood and rot, billowed out ceaselessly, stinging the nostrils.
In a half-meter radius around the sewer entrance, the weeds had been crudely cleared away, exposing the bare concrete.
Closer to the hole, a crude fence had been erected from crooked pieces of wood and tough vines. It could barely pass for a defensive structure.
Beneath a tree outside the fence, a simple, stone-ringed fire pit burned brightly.
Flames licked a roasting spit propped above the fire. Skewered on it was half the corpse of a dog-headed humanoid creature.
Its charred flesh sizzled with grease, releasing a strange, burnt aroma.
It was a Kobold, a notoriously weak race in this Western Fantasy World.
Beside the fire, five goblins sat in a circle, clutching heavily gnawed bones.
When Gu Su appeared at the end of the street with seven armed Skeletons in tow, the goblins froze like startled rats, their faces masks of shock and terror.
This was especially true for the tall goblin the Skeletons had specifically singled out.
It stood a full head taller than its kin, was draped in ragged Beast Skins, and clutched a long, red banner.
Any trace of the Goblin Leader’s previous arrogance had vanished from its beady eyes, replaced by nothing but naked fear.
Its greasy-green pupils shrank to pinpricks, fixed on the orderly ranks of Skeletons behind Gu Su.
The meat on the fire was still sizzling, but the atmosphere had plummeted to a freezing point.
"Take them out!" The moment Gu Su’s low command was given, the seven Skeletons charged.
Four Skeletons wielding Wolf-toothed Sticks led the charge. Their thick, bony arms swung the weapons through the air with a whistle, bringing them crashing down on the nearest goblins.
Dull thuds exploded in unison with the goblins’ shrill, pained shrieks. Two of them were smashed to the ground, where they struggled, unable to rise.
One goblin was killed instantly.
[Skeleton (Summoned Creature) killed goblin (Level 1). You gained 2 Experience. Summoned Creature gained 4 Experience.]
Seeing this, the tall, sturdy Goblin Leader leaped to its feet.
It raised the red banner high in both hands, the fabric snapping in the air. Its body began to twist in a strange, grotesque dance. A faint, fragmented red light began to glow at the banner’s edge—it was clearly trying to activate a revival ability to resurrect its fallen underling.
But Gu Su had anticipated this. The three Skeletons bringing up the rear immediately changed direction and converged on it in a triangular formation, moving with a speed beyond the goblin’s imagination.
Seizing the opportunity, Gu Su locked his gaze on the charred, greasy Kobold corpse. A pale gray Undead Energy instantly condensed at his fingertip as he commanded in a low voice, "Soul Summoning Technique!"
[You have successfully used Soul Summoning Technique. Obtained one Skeleton (Level 0). Soul Summoning Technique experience +1.]
The pale gray energy instantly enveloped the Kobold corpse. Its charred flesh melted away before his eyes, leaving only a set of scorched, dry bones.
The newly born Skeleton had just scrambled up from the fire. Without even time to pull out the spit that still skewered it, it followed Gu Su’s command and staggered toward the beleaguered Goblin Leader.
The Goblin Leader never expected a sneak attack from behind.
The new Skeleton slammed into its back, throwing it off balance. It was sent flying, nearly losing its grip on the red banner as it crashed hard onto the stony ground.
The converging Skeletons seized the fatal opening, raising their clubs, stones, and Wolf-toothed Sticks to brutally smash down on the fallen leader.
In just a few blows, the Goblin Leader’s head was smashed open like a watermelon. Red and white matter splattered across the ground, staining the surrounding stones.
[Skeleton (Summoned Creature) killed Goblin Shaman (Level 1). You gained 3 Experience. Summoned Creature gained 9 Experience.]
The system notification had barely faded when the remaining three goblins completely lost all Morale.
Staring at their leader’s corpse, they let out bloodcurdling shrieks of terror. With no thought of resistance, they turned and fled madly in two directions: one toward the sewer entrance, the others deeper into the ruins.
How could the Skeleton Soldiers possibly let the goblins escape so easily?
Gu Su issued no new command, but the Skeleton Squad moved on its own, forming an encirclement.
Several Skeletons hurried to cut them off from the front while the rest gave chase from behind, giving the fleeing enemy no room to breathe.
It only took a few moments. The Skeletons cornered the three panicking goblins, and after a few short screams, they were all slain.
[Skeleton (Summoned Creature) killed goblin (Level 1). You gained 2 Experience. Summoned Creature gained 5 Experience.]
[Skeleton (Summoned Creature) killed scrawny goblin (Level 1). You gained 1 Experience. Summoned Creature gained 3 Experience.]
[Skeleton (Summoned Creature) killed weak goblin (Level 1). You gained 2 Experience. Summoned Creature gained 3 Experience.]
Once all the goblins lay in pools of their own blood, Gu Su took two slow steps forward. His gaze swept over the five goblin corpses scattered across the ground. He raised a hand, pointed at them, and commanded in a low voice, "Soul Summoning Technique!"
With a series of sickening CRACKS, the five goblin corpses exploded.
Pale gray Undead Energy swirled around the Broken Bones. Three new, sallow-yellow Skeletons slowly climbed out from the pile of remains. Faint spectral flames flickered in their hollow eye sockets as they obediently bowed their heads, awaiting orders.
[You cast Soul Summoning Technique (Level 1) 5 times. 3 successes. Obtained Skeleton (Level 0) x3. Soul Summoning Technique proficiency +5.]
As the three new Skeletons rose, Gu Su’s gaze locked onto one in particular.
It was the Skeleton converted from the Goblin Shaman’s corpse. A shallow, star-shaped mark was etched upon its forehead, a faint light flowing within the grooves—the unique sign of a Magic Skeleton.
[Skeleton (Level 0, Summoned Creature): Experience (0/100), Attack 1, Defense 1, Life 10, Mana 5, Skills: None]
A glint of light flashed in Gu Su’s eyes, and the corners of his mouth curved into a slight smile.
’A Skeleton with magical potential is quite rare. This one is a high-quality find.’
’At the very least, it’ll have no problem developing into a proper Skeleton Mage.’
This harvest was a pleasant surprise. ’Still,’ Gu Su thought, ’the success rate of Battlefield Soul Summoning just can’t compare to using the Soul Summoning Technique in a graveyard.’
’No wonder everyone wants a "Golden Finger" Talent.’
’The difference between having one and not having one is immense.’