Chapter 43: Head-on Battle
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Gu Su’s attack came without warning. The Orcs charging at the very front were stunned, the fanaticism on their faces barely fading before the sudden assault threw them into disarray.
But the Orcs were a race hardened by endless battle, and their combat reflexes were incredibly fast.
After a brief moment of shock, they snapped back to their senses. Roaring, they raised their crude metal weapons and fixed their crimson eyes on the Skeletons before them. They charged recklessly, determined to tear these insolent Skeletons to shreds.
But they never could have imagined that Gu Su had already calculated everything.
The positions where the Skeletons stood were all preset traps. Beneath the seemingly flat ground lurked lethal danger.
The Orcs, focused only on charging forward, were completely unguarded. The ground suddenly gave way beneath them, and with a stumble, several fell headfirst into the open traps, their falls marked by dull thuds and cries of pain.
Sharp wooden stakes at the bottom of the traps instantly pierced their bodies, staining the wood and the pit walls red with blood.
Gu Su’s Ordinary Skeletons immediately seized the golden opportunity. Gripping their three-meter-long wooden Long Spears, they braced them against the edges of the traps, pinning the fallen Orcs to the bottom and giving them no chance to struggle or climb out.
After all, these traps had been dug in a hurry and were only about 1.6 meters deep—not particularly profound.
If the Orcs hadn’t been wounded by the stakes and weakened, they could have easily hauled themselves out with their powerful arms. The situation would have then turned against them.
While the Ordinary Skeletons focused on pinning the Orcs in the traps, several Elite Skeletons leaped forward. Gripping their sharpened weapons, they hacked wildly at the trapped Orcs. With flashes of cold steel, gashes appeared all over the Orcs’ bodies as their screams filled the air.
At this point, Gu Su no longer stood on the sidelines and immediately joined the fight.
’The Ordinary Skeletons can only suppress them and keep them from running wild,’ he knew. ’To actually kill these tough Orcs, we have to rely on the Elite Skeletons.’
He could also see that the Orcs were far more durable than he had imagined.
Their Defense Power might not be particularly high, but their Life Value was definitely over 20.
Even his two Magic Skeletons struggled; to one-shot an Orc, they had to target one that was already heavily wounded and at half health. Against a full-health Orc, they were powerless.
’So for this battle, I have to get involved,’ Gu Su concluded. ’I can’t just watch from the sidelines. Every bit of extra Power increases our chances of victory and reduces Skeleton losses.’
With Gu Su joining the fight personally, and the two Magic Skeletons providing ranged support—periodically casting Magic to wear down the Orcs and assist the Skeletons locked in combat—the stalemate gradually turned in their favor. Before long, the dozen or so Orcs that had charged in lay dead in pools of their own blood. The battle was over.
[Your Skeleton (Summoned Creature) has killed a Sharp-toothed Orc (Level 1). You have gained 3 Experience Points. Your Summoned Creatures have split 7 Experience Points.]
[You have killed a Sharp-toothed Orc (Level 1). You have gained 11 Experience Points.]
[...]
A series of system notifications echoed in Gu Su’s mind, but he was in no mood to pay attention to the Experience Points.
The moment the last Sharp-toothed Orc hit the ground, its life extinguished, Gu Su gave a decisive order. "Reset the traps! Quickly!
Don’t leave a single trace!"
’The Orc clans live together,’ he thought. ’The death cries of these Orcs must have alerted the others back in the ruins.’
’If we don’t reset the traps in time, it’ll be incredibly difficult to handle the next wave with just my Skeletons.’
But it was too late.
The Orcs’ death cries had been piercing, shattering the forest’s silence and reaching the distant ruins where their clan resided.
The remaining Orcs, though typically arrogant and confident that no enemy in the area could challenge them, were instantly alerted by the screams of their kin. They gripped their weapons and charged menacingly toward the forest with incredible speed.
Just as Gu Su gave the order to reset the traps, before the Skeletons could even move, several tall figures burst through the undergrowth at the forest’s edge. The first of the Sharp-toothed Orcs had arrived.
Gu Su’s expression darkened. With no time to think, he barked an order at his Skeleton Squad, "Hold them back!"
The instant the order was given, several Elite Skeletons shot forward, appearing in front of the incoming Sharp-toothed Orcs and forcibly halting their advance.
The sharp clang of Metal on Metal rang out as the Elite Skeletons’ weapons violently crashed against the Orcs’ crude iron blades, sending sparks flying.
Meanwhile, the Skeletons that had been positioned in the trees for the ambush seized their chance, releasing the last of their ropes.
The sharpened logs they had prepared plummeted from the canopy with a whistling roar, precisely targeting the Orcs charging in from behind.
The Undead feel no emotion, no fear or nervousness. Even as more and more Orcs poured in, the Skeletons never faltered. Every movement was precise and efficient as they seized the perfect moment to counterattack.
Several thick logs smashed down hard, sending a few of the Orcs in the rear flying. They crashed heavily to the ground, spitting blood and struggling to rise.
Gu Su seized this brief opening to activate his Plague Cutter at maximum power. The device let out a piercing WHIR, its sharp blade glinting coldly.
He flashed forward, rushing in front of one of the Orcs. As it staggered from the impact of a log, he jammed the Plague Cutter against its neck and sliced down hard.
SHRRRIIIP—
The sharp blade easily tore through the Orc’s neck. A hot torrent of blood gushed out, spraying across Gu Su’s face. He paid the thick, coppery stench no mind. His eyes remained cold and sharp as he yanked the cutter free and charged toward the next Orc.
The other Skeletons adhered strictly to their assigned tactical positions. Grouping into threes to form small combat units, they gripped their wooden Long Spears and relentlessly thrusted at the incoming Orcs. Their movements were perfectly synchronized, giving the enemy no quarter.
Even when a Skeleton was struck by an Orc’s powerful blow, its bones shattering as it fell, it showed no sign of retreat.
As long as it could still move, it would struggle back to its feet and resume the attack, using its very bones to stall the Orcs and create openings for Gu Su and the other Skeletons.