Chapter 4: Striking Out
Gu Su whipped his head around, looking in the direction of the sound.
He saw the three Skeletons he had dispatched emerge in unison from the mist, dragging heavy ’spoils of war’ in their Bone Claws.
Two of the Skeletons were in perfect condition, each dragging two goblin corpses. Their dry bones were stained with dark brown blood.
But the first Skeleton he had sent out was missing its left arm, severed at the shoulder. The empty socket glinted coldly in the mist. It was only dragging a single corpse in its Bone Claw, its pace half a step behind its companions. It had clearly suffered a major loss.
’It’s injured?’ Gu Su’s brow furrowed instantly, and his heart sank.
’It seems the goblins deeper in the mist are far from as simple as I thought.’
’Their lair must hide something much stronger.’
Without another word, he vaulted over the Rotten Fence and strode quickly to meet them.
The three Skeletons stopped in unison. Their bony hands released their grip, and the five goblin corpses hit the ground with a THUD, releasing a thick, foul stench.
As Gu Su helped the Skeletons drag the corpses into the graveyard, he began to ask the injured Skeleton about what had happened.
However, ’asking’ wasn’t quite accurate. In reality, Gu Su was using his player ability to read the Skeleton’s combat log. Skeletons, as a type of Undead, were mindless and had short memories. Gu Su had to personally access the information, and even then, what he read wasn’t always complete.
After just a moment, Gu Su pieced together the cause and effect, his expression growing even more grim.
’You found the goblins’ lair, and it turns out there was someone inside who could resurrect its kind? You couldn’t beat it, so you just grabbed a few corpses and retreated?’
The three Skeletons tilted their heads in unison, not denying the situation.
’What the hell was that thing? A resurrection ability?’
Gu Su pressed for more information as he tossed the last goblin corpse into the graveyard, then vaulted back over the fence.
The Skeleton’s log panel flickered again, and Gu Su managed to forcibly extract one last piece of memory.
It was a creature a full head taller than a normal goblin, draped in tattered Beast Skins and clutching a long, red banner. It was roaring, "BEEBO BEEBO!"
Whenever it struck the ground, the dead goblins would climb back to their feet.
’Resurrection?’ Gu Su’s pupils constricted, and his mood soured.
These goblins were the weakest enemies he could find at the moment, and also his only source for fresh corpses to grow his Undead Squad. They were his lifeline.
’Now some creature that can resurrect goblins has appeared? Isn’t that cutting off my only path to survival?’
’Absolutely not!’
’I have to uproot this entire nest of goblins!’
A ruthless glint flashed in Gu Su’s eyes, and the movements of his hands suddenly quickened.
He dragged all five goblin corpses over to the Level 1 Empty Tomb area and casually tossed them into one of the Empty Tombs.
[The Empty Tomb has automatically used your Soul Summoning Technique (Level 1). Obtained Skeleton (Level 0) x5. Soul Summoning Technique proficiency +5.]
Following a DING, the five goblin corpses thrown onto the gravemound weren’t even dragged down. They began to wither at a visible rate right on top of the mound as their flesh and blood melted away and their skeletons were stripped clean.
In the blink of an eye, five brand-new, sallow-yellow Skeletons climbed out of the Gravepile. Eerie Blue flames flickered in their empty eye sockets as they stood obediently before Gu Su.
On the stone tablet in front of the gravemound, the text that had read Skeleton Squad (2/10) rapidly changed to Skeleton Squad (7/10).
Gu Su nodded in satisfaction. He then turned to the Skeleton with the severed left arm, pointed at a nearby unfilled Empty Tomb, and said in a low voice, "You. Get in and recover."
Without the slightest hesitation, the injured Skeleton walked into the Empty Tomb with stiff steps.
The next second, the soil around the pit churned automatically, burying it completely.
A new gravemound slowly rose, and another stone tablet appeared before it, inscribed with a line of crooked text: Skeleton Squad (1/10), Recovering.
Having done all this, Gu Su paid no more attention to the recovering Skeleton. His gaze swept over the Skeletons before him, a hint of helplessness flashing in his eyes.
He bent down and picked through the goblin weapons scattered on the ground, distributing a few of the thickest Beast Bone Sticks and sharpened stones to the newly created Skeletons, ensuring each one was properly armed.
"Everyone ready?" Gu Su barked, pointing a hand past the fence toward the swirling mist. "Let’s go. We’re going to wipe out the goblin nest!"
Then, he turned his head to look at the Deceitful Tree in the center of the graveyard, his voice suddenly rising.
"Deceitful Tree! I’m leaving this place to you! When that Skeleton finishes recovering, have it patrol the graveyard! Remember—aside from me, any living thing that approaches is to be killed on sight!"
As his voice fell, the deathly still Deceitful Tree actually swayed its bare branches slightly. A few remaining dead leaves fell with a RUSTLE, as if in response to Gu Su’s command.
Gu Su said no more and, taking the lead, vaulted over the fence.
The seven Skeletons followed close behind, their Bone Claws gripping their weapons with a CLACK CLACK sound as they stepped into the vast white mist after him.
As Gu Su stepped in, the swirling mist before him seemed to be dispersed by an unseen force, automatically parting to either side to reveal a clear path.
The world beyond the mist was suddenly revealed before Gu Su’s eyes.
It was an incredibly bizarre place.
It was clearly the ruins of a modern metropolis, yet it had been completely devoured by time and Nature.
Towering skyscrapers had long since lost their former glory. Their outer walls were covered in thick vines and moss, and verdant branches grew out from shattered windows. Enormous, wildly growing trees had even pried open cracks in the buildings, blotting out the sky so that not a single ray of sunlight could penetrate.
On the streets, abandoned cars were covered in weeds. Their exposed Metal shells were mottled with rust, their original colors long since faded beyond recognition.
The roads were completely blocked by the debris of collapsed buildings and overgrown plants. Only a narrow, winding path, beaten down by repeated footfalls, led into the depths of the mist—like a treacherous path of no return.
Gu Su narrowed his eyes, instantly understanding the state of the world before him.
’This is a world where humanity has completely vanished.’
’The entire world has been reclaimed by time and Nature.’
’Even though the buildings humans left behind still attest to the prosperity of their society, none of it has anything to do with them anymore.’
’Strange and bizarre creatures are the true masters of this world now.’
’Those goblins are merely the lowest-level beings in this world.’
"Four in front, three in the rear. Advance in a staggered formation."
Gu Su commanded decisively.
At Gu Su’s command, the seven Skeletons quickly split up. Four Skeletons carrying bone clubs or wooden clubs went to the front, while three Skeletons holding stones moved to the rear, protecting Gu Su in the middle.
Meanwhile, Gu Su’s gaze was constantly scanning the thickets of weeds.
’In the eyes of the Skeletons and goblins, the cars by the roadside are just useless junk. But to me, they might be an enormous, untapped treasure trove.’