Chapter 3: The Power of the Necromancer
Chapter 3: The Power of the Necromancer
After killing this batch of cultists, Gu Xi and Luna began to act with remarkable coordination.
Gu Xi performed soul extraction while Luna looted the corpses, handling these bodies with swift efficiency.
The only unfortunate thing was that the cultists were a bunch of poor souls, with nothing of value on them. The weapons they had were non-magical, and some were so poor that they didn't even have a dagger.
This situation made Gu Xi wonder how he had ended up being captured by such impoverished individuals.
He began to question what he had done to end up subdued by such riffraff.
At that moment, Gu Xi felt a slight chill on his arm. Turning his head, he found Luna standing beside him, gently patting his arm with her hollow eyes focused on his face.
"Don't overthink it. You're not alone now."
Gu Xi's facial muscles twitched slightly.
Was he being comforted by his undead minion?
Was his demeanor that obvious?
Gu Xi shook his head, dismissing his thoughts, and quickly moved to the freshly processed corpses.
As he passed by these bodies, his fingers kept flicking outward.
With each flick, a light orb would land on a complete or incomplete corpse.
"Summon Skeleton!"
"Lesser Bone Shield!"
"Summon Skeleton!"
With Gu Xi's actions, corresponding prompts kept ringing in his ears.
[You successfully used Summon Skeleton, obtaining a Skeleton (Level 0), Summon Skeleton experience +1.]
[Skeleton (Level 0, Summon): Experience (0/100), Attack 1, Defense 1, Health 10, Skills None]
[You successfully used Summon Skeleton, obtaining a Skeleton (Level 0), Summon Skeleton experience +1.]
[You failed to use Summon Skeleton, obtaining Summon Skeleton experience +1.]
[You successfully used Lesser Bone Shield, Lesser Bone Shield experience +1.]
[…]
Simultaneously, the corpses on the ground burst open. Some turned into dry, yellow skeletons standing behind Gu Xi, while others became gray-white wisps hovering around Gu Xi and Luna.
"All right, let's move."
After processing all the corpses, Gu Xi called out to Luna.
At that moment, Luna had just finished distributing weapons to the newly converted skeletons.
The weapons they wielded were all items Luna had picked up earlier—broken scimitars or simply iron rods and wooden staffs.
Although these weapons weren't much, given the current circumstances, it was fortunate they had any at all.
Hearing Gu Xi's command, the three newly converted skeletons charged forward without Luna needing to control them.
Their steps were light and decisive, their goals clear, unlike unintelligent undead who wandered aimlessly.
They moved with aggression, stepping forward to smash anything they could.
Even the plates and water jars by the roadside were kicked aside.
Gu Xi followed behind, holding a scimitar in one hand and a dagger in the other. Seeing this behavior, he couldn't help but wonder why these skeletons behaved differently from what the books described.
However, Luna, drifting around Gu Xi like a spirit, was unaware of this. She occasionally appeared in front of Gu Xi and then disappeared, yet Gu Xi could always sense her presence clearly.
This gave Gu Xi a sense of security. Perhaps this was the significance of having a contract companion.
Suddenly, urgent voices echoed from afar.
"There are skeletons! A necromancer!"
Soon after, another group of cultists emerged from the distance.
They were no different from the cultists Gu Xi had just blown up, all clad in black hooded robes and wielding any weapons they could grab.
Gu Xi even saw some holding candlesticks and benches charging forward.
Seeing their frenzied charge, Gu Xi felt like he was facing a group of madmen.
"Wail!"
Gu Xi shouted as he charged forward.
Luna, understanding Gu Xi's command, immediately appeared in front of him, unleashing a piercing scream towards the approaching cultists.
The Banshee Wail activated.
The scream sent waves towards the cultists, causing them all to bleed from their seven orifices.
Meanwhile, Gu Xi seized the opportunity to dash twenty meters ahead, throwing his dagger at the foremost cultist.
Then he pointed at the cultist pierced by the dagger.
"Lesser Corpse Explosion!"
Boom!
The cultist's body exploded on the spot, the blast affecting the cultists behind him, instantly killing the ones already heavily injured by the Banshee Wail.
[You killed a Cultist (Level 1), gained 9 experience points.]
[Luna (Contracted Undead) killed a Cultist (Level 1), you gained 6 experience points, contracted undead gained 8 experience points.]
[You killed an Elite Cultist (Level 2), gained 22 experience points, due to coordinated kill, contracted undead gained 11 experience points.]
[…]
"Old tricks are always good as long as they work."
Seeing the effect of this wave of attacks, Gu Xi murmured happily and pointed at another corpse blown to pieces.
"Lesser Corpse Explosion!"
A cultist who had just risen from the blast was blown to bits by the next corpse explosion.
Along with him, two previously hidden thieves were blown to pieces.
[You killed an Elite Thief (Level 2), gained 35 experience points.]
[You killed a Thief (Level 2), gained 28 experience points.]
Seeing the iron rod dropped by the thief, Gu Xi inexplicably felt much less irritated.
Gu Xi hadn't had time to think further before the three skeletons rushed to the corpses.
Without waiting for Gu Xi's command, the skeletons picked up the weapons on the ground, upgrading their arsenal.
At the same time, they didn't discard their old weapons but held them, waiting for Gu Xi's arrival.
Gu Xi dashed forward, extending his hand towards the battlefield, pulling out numerous soul fragments from the shattered corpses, forming five new soul orbs in his hand.
Just as he reached the corpses, he glanced at them and flicked two soul orbs into the more intact bodies.
[You successfully used Summon Skeleton, obtaining a Skeleton (Level 0), Summon Skeleton experience +1.]
[You failed to use Summon Skeleton, obtaining Summon Skeleton experience +1.]
Another failure. The success rate of Summon Skeleton seemed low.
Gu Xi felt a bit disappointed and was about to call the three skeletons back to share some extra weapons when he heard the clashing of weapons from around the corridor's corner.
There were more enemies.
Gu Xi glanced at Luna, and without needing a command, Luna had already darted forward, flashing a few times until she was almost at the corner.
Gu Xi readied his dagger and prepared for another Lesser Corpse Explosion.
Just as he had said, old tricks are always good as long as they work.