Chapter 42: Setting a Trap
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’Next time, I definitely have to learn some poisoning techniques.’
In a patch of woods a safe distance from the Orc settlement, Gu Su stood in the shade with his hands clasped behind his back, his eyes locked on the ruins in the distance.
His Skeletons were hard at work, their movements orderly and efficient.
Ordinary Skeletons, one after another, gripped rough wooden planks and dug with all their might. Soil slid away with a soft rustle, and they quickly excavated a series of moderately deep pits to be used as traps.
Nearby, the Elite Skeletons had formed a circle. Gripping their sharpened weapons, they focused on whittling thick logs. Wood shavings flew as, one by one, sharp and deadly wooden spikes took form. These were the fatal spikes destined for the bottom of the traps.
A short while ago, Gu Su had made a tentative move against the Orcs.
His original plan had been perfectly laid out. Just as he had done with the Wild Swamp Wolves, he would send a White Crow to provoke the Orcs, draw them out one by one, and then use the concentrated force of his Skeleton Squad to annihilate them individually. It was supposed to be both safe and efficient.
But he never would have imagined it. The White Crow sent as a decoy had only just arrived above the Orcs’ ruins.
Before it could even approach its chosen target, a towering Orc swung a crude wooden club. The weapon whistled through the air and slammed violently into the White Crow.
With a sharp CRACK, the White Crow shattered into fragments. White bone-feathers and shards of bone flew everywhere.
This single blow was all Gu Su needed to make an assessment.
The Orcs’ Attack Power was at least 3.
The number didn’t seem high, but for his Skeletons, it was lethal.
An Ordinary Skeleton only has 1 Defense and 10 Life Force. A single hit from an Orc would mean a Skeleton could be shattered in roughly three blows.
Even the Elite Skeletons, with their slightly higher Defense, could only take one extra hit at most. They wouldn’t last long at all.
Clearly, in a direct confrontation, his Skeleton Squad had no advantage. They were, in fact, at an absolute disadvantage.
Even if he summoned all six of his Walking Dead currently guarding the Graveyard Demon Territory, it would be useless.
The Walking Dead had a Defense Power of 3, but they would still take damage from an Orc’s attack. Besides, the Orcs weren’t fools. They wouldn’t exclusively attack the Walking Dead and leave the Skeletons alone.
So, this time, he had to outwit them, not overpower them.
This, however, also exposed Gu Su’s biggest flaw at the moment.
He had plenty of accumulated Experience, but since he couldn’t complete the requisite quest, he was unable to level up. As a result, he hadn’t unlocked any Undead Magic either.
Any other Undead Mage would have already unleashed a volley of Bone Series Magic, Curse Magic, and Poison Magic by now.
They could wear down enemies from afar and debuff them, unlike him. His hands were tied, forcing him to rely on the most primitive traps to fight his enemies, which made him feel utterly pathetic.
Thanks to the Skeletons’ efficient work, the digging of the traps was nearly finished.
Seizing the opportunity, Gu Su directed his Skeletons to fashion the thick, prepared tree trunks into imposing, three-meter-long Long Spears. Each tip was sharpened to a fine point. They were heavy in the hand and extremely lethal.
Meanwhile, various traps made from vines had also been set.
Gu Su was no professional hunter, but he knew the basics of setting traps.
Gu Su had already formulated a battle plan in his mind.
The plan was to lure the Orcs into the woods, but he couldn’t let them get too close to the Skeletons’ ambush point. Under no circumstances could they be allowed to charge the Skeleton Squad head-on.
Instead, he would use traps to separate the enemies. The Ordinary Skeletons would use their Long Spears to hold back the Orcs, while the Elite Skeletons moved in for the kill.
The two Magic Skeletons who could cast Magic would be in the rear, ready to provide support wherever it was needed.
As for the one that couldn’t cast Magic, it was now armed with a Wooden Spear, mixed in among the Ordinary Skeletons.
Thanks to the Skeletons’ concerted efforts, all the traps were finally in place.
The locations of these traps were all meticulously chosen by Gu Su.
Some were hidden behind large trees—concealed and inconspicuous, but placed directly on the path the Orcs would have to take into the woods.
Others were located near the Skeletons’ ambush positions. The moment an Orc fell in, the hidden Skeletons could attack immediately, giving their targets no chance to struggle or escape.
With everything flawlessly arranged, Gu Su raised his hand again and waved to the White Crow Swarm resting on the branches.
Upon receiving the command, the White Crows flapped their wings. A great, dark cloud of them took off toward the Orcs’ ruins, their sharp caws shattering the silence of the wilds.
As the White Crow Swarm drew closer, the Orcs in the ruins quickly noticed something was amiss in the direction of the woods.
They stopped their work and exchanged glances. A fanatical zeal instantly lit up their faces. Without a moment’s hesitation, more than a dozen Orcs drew their crude metal weapons. Howling, they charged toward the forest, faces alight with excitement.
There was no trace of unease or fear in their eyes—only a ravenous hunger for battle.
In this area, spanning one to two kilometers, they were the undisputed rulers. They had never met anyone who dared to provoke them. Now that a victim had come knocking, it was the perfect opportunity to let loose.
It never even crossed their minds that someone would have laid traps in these woods.
This was their daily hunting ground. They couldn’t have been more familiar with it. As the Orcs themselves would say, they could navigate these woods with their eyes closed and never misplace a single step.
But they never could have imagined that this time, they would run into a treacherous schemer like Gu Su—someone who would lay such deadly traps in the one place they knew like the back of their hand.
The group of Orcs had taken only a few steps into the woods when several sharp SNAPS echoed out. The few Orcs in the lead had tripped on the vine tripwires Gu Su had laid out. Losing their balance, they crashed heavily to the ground, their weapons flying from their grasp.
The moment they struggled to get up, Skeletons lying in ambush in the trees released their ropes. Thick, sharpened logs whistled down from above, aimed directly at the fallen Orcs.
Gu Su himself had cut and sharpened every one of these logs with his Plague Cutter. The residual Plague toxins from the blade now coated their tips.
Even if the impact didn’t kill the Orcs outright, the poison was more than enough to make the arrogant Orcs suffer. A mild case would leave them weak and unable to fight. A severe case would mean instant death as the poison took effect.
Meanwhile, other Skeletons jabbed at the Orcs with their Long Spears, herding them toward the other traps.