Chapter 20: The Kill
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’I can’t fight them head-on. I have to split them up!’
Watching the swarm of Harpies rush toward him, Gu Su’s mind raced. In an instant, he made a decision.
’Thirteen Harpies and a Magic Leader... if they attack all at once, my Skeleton Squad will take losses, even with their perfect coordination. Splitting them up is the only way we’ll have a chance to take them all out.’
His gaze swept over the Skeleton Squad beside him. He immediately picked out two Elite Skeletons, pointed toward the other side of the woods, and gave a decisive command.
"You two, act as decoys. Run that way."
"Draw the Harpies’ attention as you run. Lure away as many as you can."
"If they refuse to split up, buy me as much time as you can. I need an opening to use my Soul Summoning Technique!"
Gu Su had already calculated his plan:
’The corpses of the dozen or so Harpies we just killed are still scattered throughout the forest. With the success rate of my Level 1 Soul Summoning Technique, I can summon at least six Harpy Skeletons as long as I have enough time to cast the Magic.’
’At that point, my forces will completely overwhelm theirs. Even in a direct confrontation, the two-to-one advantage would guarantee victory.’
The two Skeletons received their orders and immediately burst from their hiding spots. Without the slightest hesitation, they sprinted toward the other end of the woods.
They moved with swift strides, swinging their Iron Spears and striking them heavily against tree trunks as they ran.
A continuous series of dull THUDS rang out as they deliberately created a massive commotion, leaving no chance for the Harpies to miss them.
Sure enough, the sudden noise instantly drew the attention of the Harpy flock.
The Magic Leader’s scarlet eyes narrowed, fixing on the two running Skeletons. It let out a piercing shriek, then flapped its wings, which crackled with electricity. With six other Harpies in tow, it gave chase menacingly.
The remaining six Harpies landed in the woods, stooping to tend to their companions’ corpses.
To them, these dead companions were both kin and an indispensable source of food. They weren’t about to abandon them so easily.
Now’s the time!
A fierce glint flashed in Gu Su’s eyes. He raised his hand and waved to the Skeleton Squad hidden in various spots.
The next second, the Skeletons hiding behind tree trunks and in bushes charged out in unison. Wielding Cleavers and Long Spears, they rushed straight toward the six Harpies, drawing their fire.
Seeing this, the six Harpies instantly realized they’d been tricked.
They shrieked in fury, abandoning the corpses. With talons bared and wings flapping, they lunged at the charging Skeletons.
But it was too late. The Harpies were much slower on the ground, and to make matters worse, the Skeleton Squad was using tactics.
They worked in pairs—one Skeleton to pin the enemy down, the other to deliver the killing blow—replicating the same tactic they’d used to hunt lone Harpies earlier.
One Harpy had just lunged at a Skeleton when its opponent pinned it by the neck with a Long Spear, stopping it from advancing another inch.
The second Skeleton seized the opportunity, swinging its Cleaver and hacking viciously at the base of the Harpy’s wing. With a flash of cold steel, the Harpy shrieked as its wing was severed. It lost its balance and collapsed heavily to the ground. Before it could struggle to its feet, another strike silenced it for good.
The other Harpies met the same fate. Despite their desperate struggles, none could escape the Skeletons’ two-on-one assaults. Piercing screams echoed one after another, and soon, all the Harpies lay in pools of their own blood, never to fly again.
Gu Su quickly stepped forward to one of the Harpy corpses. He silently chanted the Spell for the Soul Summoning Technique, and a faint, gray Undead Energy began to rise from his body.
"Soul Summoning Technique!"
Gu Su shouted, and the gray Undead Energy around him instantly flared, surging like a tide toward the Harpy corpses scattered across the forest floor.
Under the Power of the Soul Summoning Technique, the six freshly killed Harpy corpses exploded simultaneously. As flesh and feathers flew, six masses of gray energy enveloped their skeletons and began to rapidly reassemble them.
[You have cast Soul Summoning Technique (Level 1) 6 times, obtaining Skeleton (Level 0) x5. Soul Summoning Technique proficiency +6.]
The system notification chimed as expected, and a flicker of delight went through Gu Su.
’My Luck was good this time,’ he thought. ’Six castings of the Soul Summoning Technique successfully summoned five Skeletons. They’re unarmed, but that’s more than enough for them to act as decoys.’
Gu Su gestured, sending them straight to the front line.
Just then, from deep within the woods, Gu Su heard the frantic beating of wings and sharp, furious shrieks.
The Harpies were back.
Sure enough, the moment Gu Su looked up, the furious Harpies burst out from the other side of the woods.
The WHOOSH of their flapping wings shook the leaves and branches, and their shrieks were sharp enough to pierce eardrums.
Gu Su’s gaze narrowed as he took a quick headcount: of the seven Harpies that had given chase (the Magic Leader and six ordinary ones), only six had returned.
The Magic Leader at their head had a blood-stained Iron Spear protruding from its chest. Black blood dripped down the shaft, and the faint blue electrical current around its body had weakened. It was clearly severely injured.
’Looks like my decoys were destroyed,’ Gu Su thought, instantly grasping the situation.
’The decoy Skeletons gave it their all. They not only traded their lives for one ordinary Harpy but also severely wounded the Magic Leader. That certainly takes a lot of pressure off this fight.’
’A perfect opportunity!’
A fierce glint flashed in his eyes as he gave a low command.
The five newly summoned, unarmed Skeletons immediately charged forward to draw the Harpies’ attention.
The Elite Skeletons, armed with Cleavers and Long Spears, retreated in an orderly fashion to the rear. They formed an encirclement, eyes locked on the Harpies, ready to strike at any moment. A new, fierce battle was about to begin.
Having been tricked by decoys and lost their kin, the Harpies were now completely blinded by rage.
Their scarlet eyes were filled with vicious fury, and their piercing shrieks sent fallen leaves scattering through the air.
Despite having already suffered from the Skeleton Squad’s coordinated attacks, and despite their leader being severely wounded, they charged forward recklessly. Flapping their wings, they dove menacingly toward the group of Skeletons, eager to tear the bags of bones to pieces.
The five newly summoned Skeletons, already prepared, met the charge. They immediately latched onto the five ordinary Harpies at the front, holding them in a death grip.
Unarmed and heedless of their own destruction, they held on. No matter how the Harpies thrashed and tore at them, no matter how their talons ripped at their bones, the Skeletons refused to let go, pinning their opponents to the spot and giving the Skeletons in the rear an opportunity to attack.
Meanwhile, the remaining three Elite Skeletons armed with Iron Spears joined the Magic Skeleton and lunged together toward the severely wounded Magic Leader.
They exploited its severe injuries and sluggish movements, giving it no chance to cast its Thunder Magic.
Seeing them coming, the Magic Leader forced its wings into a beat, trying to dodge. But blood seeped continuously from the Iron Spear in its chest, the faint blue electrical current around it grew even weaker, and its movements were a shadow of their former self.
In the blink of an eye, three sharp Iron Spears stabbed into it, piercing the base of its wings and its abdomen. Black blood gushed out, SIZZLING as it splattered on the ground.
Gu Su seized the perfect opportunity. He burst from behind a tree, gripping the Plague Cutter in both hands. He activated its Burst effect, and the weapon’s chain blade began to spin wildly as he brought it down on the Harpy’s body.