Chapter 31: The Skeleton Soldier

The skeletons, with ghostly fire dancing in their eye sockets, advanced step by step. Zhou Xu felt his eyelids twitch uncontrollably at the sight. Although the existence of "Old Gods," "teleportation arrays," "True Words," and "giant spiders" had all told him this was no ordinary world, none of them carried the same shock as the dozen or so skeletons before him.

If a relatively normal primitive world’s threats were limited to natural disasters, man-made catastrophes, or prehistoric beasts, then once a world turned magical, the number of unpredictable variables skyrocketed. These skeletons were a prime example.

Zhou Xu instinctively glanced at Dashan and the others beside him. They were staring at the skeletons in the distance with stiff expressions, as if they could not believe their own eyes.

"Dashan, is this also the power of a True Word?"

Facing the question, Dashan nodded firmly. "I’m afraid so. I’ve heard the elders in the tribe mention that some True Words can control skeletons, but I have never seen it with my own eyes!"

It seemed that the power of True Words did not appear frequently in their world either. Zhou Xu took a deep breath, calmed his emotions, cast aside useless distractions, and focused all his energy on the battle ahead.

*Whether they have discovered us or not, it seems they intend to use these skeletons to scout the path.*

"Tsk!" Zhou Xu couldn't help but let out a sound of annoyance. This arrangement had disrupted his original plan right from the start. The skeletons were advancing slowly. During this time, Feique and the others, who had retrieved stone projectiles from the cave, arrived to provide support, bolstering Zhou Xu’s confidence.

*In any case, let’s test these skeletons first and gather some intelligence!*

With that thought, Zhou Xu issued his orders in a low voice. "Dashan, take five men and stand by on the side. Wait for my command to charge. Now, slingers, ready!"

Upon receiving the command, the slingers loaded their stones, their slings whirling rapidly and emitting a dull "whoosh" sound. They waited for the moment the skeletons stepped into their range.

"Target! The skeletons ahead! Fire!"

Following Zhou Xu’s order, a volley of stones was launched, slamming into the advancing skeletons and causing them to stagger. One skeleton’s skull was struck and sent flying, landing on the ground and rolling like a ball, its jaw clicking open and shut as if in a seizure. Yet, the headless body did not stop; it continued to lurch forward.

This eerie sight was within Zhou Xu’s expectations. After all, if skeleton soldiers could exist, what was so strange about them moving without heads?

Throughout this, Zhou Xu used his "Eye of Insight" to observe the enemy’s movements. Their own attack had effectively exposed their position, but the enemy remained hidden behind a shield wall, keeping them out of sight and leaving Zhou Xu in the dark about their true situation.

Meanwhile, the slow movement of the skeletons relieved the pressure on the slingers, giving them ample time to fire. Several volleys of stones left the skeletons in tatters, which suddenly boosted the morale of the tribe members.

"These things look scary, but they aren't actually that tough!" said one of the slingers, exhaling a long breath and joking to relieve the tension. It was a sentiment shared by most of the tribe.

However, no sooner had he spoken than the scattered bones in the distance underwent a sudden change. As if pulled by an invisible force, the skeletons shattered by the stones began to reassemble rapidly, clicking and clacking back into their original forms.

The sight made the tribe member who had just been joking freeze in place. "H-how can this be?!"

Facing this, Zhou Xu inwardly cursed, "Damn it," and quickly spoke up to interrupt their thoughts. "What are you panicking about? They’re just a pile of broken bones. Such fragile skeletons are not invincible! No matter how many times they stand up, we can knock them down just as easily! Keep attacking!"

Having been through the ordeal with the giant spider, Zhou Xu was now like a pillar of strength for the tribe. His mere presence was enough to put everyone at ease.

"The leader is right! It doesn't matter how many times this pile of bones stands up! Knock them down!"

"Knock them down!"

With a few words, the morale of the tribe members was restored, and their initial nervousness was replaced by a surge of excitement.

Zhou Xu maintained the composure expected of a leader to keep his men from losing their nerve, but he felt far from optimistic. His timely interruption had prevented the tribe members from realizing a critical issue: consumption.

The fact that the shattered skeletons could reassemble and continue the assault meant the enemy could drain them through a war of attrition. Zhou Xu guessed that the enemy must also face a cost to raise the skeletons repeatedly; it couldn't be infinite. He was just glad he had been cautious enough not to save stones and wait for the skeletons to enter the black forest, where they would have had to use melee weapons. Otherwise, the reassembled skeletons would have appeared right inside the forest and disrupted their formation.

Still, the situation remained grim. He had now fully grasped the enemy's tactic: a defensive shield wall combined with endlessly respawning skeletons to wear them down. It was a textbook war of attrition. This was clearly the enemy’s specialty; fighting a war of attrition on their terms was not a wise decision.

"Dashan!"

Having reached this conclusion, Zhou Xu signaled to Dashan. Dashan understood immediately, took his five brothers, and darted out, bypassing the main battlefield to quickly flank the enemy’s position!