Free Web NovelChapter 139: Chapter 109: Secretly Watching the Battle
The Skeleton before Panok and his men wore a Round Helmet and was clad in Bone Armor. It held a Shield in its left hand and a Sword in its right, standing squarely in their path. The sight of it brought to mind the saying: "one man guarding a pass can hold off ten thousand."
Remembering the recent Undead ambush that had cost him so many of his men, Panok’s anger flared. He raised his hand and slapped the goblin across the face again, knocking out several of its teeth.
"A single damn Skeleton scares the wits out of you? If we run into more Undead, are you just going to surrender on the spot?" Panok roared, pointing at the goblin who had been slapped to the ground and was struggling to get up.
’He was a leader, no matter how small! When had he ever suffered such humiliation?’ The goblin leader’s heart seethed with resentment, and a murderous glint flashed in his eyes. ’If I could beat you, I’d kill you on the spot, you damn member of the Headhunter Race!’
After thoroughly berating the goblin, Panok felt much of his anger subside. He turned his head to look at the Skeleton and took a step forward.
His step seemed to flip a switch. A ball of eerie green light ignited within the Skeleton’s eye sockets, flaring into sputtering flames. The Skeleton had come to life.
’So it really is a damn Undead!’
’But if it’s just one of you, I’m not afraid. Watch me smash your skull in with my rod!’
Panok raised his Bone Rod, about to charge, but then he saw the strangely armored Undead tilt its head as it stared at him. It slowly lifted its Bone Saber, its mouth opening as if to shout, though no sound could be heard.
While Panok was still confused, bony claws began to burst from the ground all around them. One after another, Skeleton Undead pulled themselves up, shaking the dirt from their forms. Their dancing Soul Fires fixed on the intruders, a dense, countless mass that surrounded the party in an instant.
Once all the Undead were standing, the High Level Skeleton Warrior at the front lowered its arm. It tapped its helmet with its Bone Saber and then pointed at Panok. The blade quivered in a clear act of provocation, as if to say, ’What are you waiting for? Come on!’
’Come on, my ass! You dirty, cheating bastard!’
Stared down by the horde of Undead, Panok felt his blood run cold. He gritted his teeth in fury at the High Level Skeleton Warrior and slowly backed away into the center of his formation.
"It’s not just one Undead anymore. What do we do now?" the goblin asked, oblivious to the danger of speaking. His face was swollen, and he was missing several teeth.
Panok fought the urge to slap him again, afraid any sudden movement would trigger an attack from the Undead. He suppressed the impulse, forcing his raised hand down. ’Just you wait,’ he vowed internally. ’If I get out of this alive, I’ll swell up the other side of your face and knock out every last one of your teeth!’
Seeing that Panok wasn’t advancing, the High Level Skeleton Warrior poked its helmet with its Bone Saber, almost as if scratching its head. It then jutted its chin toward Panok.
"What if I said this was all a misunderstanding? Would you believe me?" Panok asked dryly, cold sweat beading on his forehead as he forced a smile.
’Like hell I would.’
The High Level Skeleton Warrior tapped its Bone Saber against its palm, then pointed at the group. The Skeleton Undead raised their weapons and began to press forward slowly.
"Break out!" Panok roared, his expression instantly turning ferocious.
The members of the Headhunter Race suddenly attacked the Undead on one flank. Being from the same clan, they had worked together countless times and knew exactly what to do; they had only been waiting for their leader’s order.
The Undead had them surrounded and clearly had no intention of letting them leave. There was only one option: a desperate charge. They would carve a bloody path forward, and whoever managed to escape, escaped. They would take advantage of the goblins’ slow reaction, leaving them behind as cannon fodder to draw the Undeads’ attention.
’Isn’t that their fate, to be cannon fodder?’
By the time the goblins realized what was happening, the Undead were already upon them, hacking and slashing with their weapons.
"Damn you, Headhunter Race!"
"Charge! We have to break through—"
The shrieks, pained cries, and wails of the goblins merged into a cacophony of chaos. Meanwhile, the Headhunter Race, led by Panok, used their initial momentum for a desperate breakout, constantly crushing any Undead that drew near and forcefully carving a path forward.
’There’s hope!’
’I can make it out of here alive!’
Panok swung his Bone Rod relentlessly, a flurry of motion that kept the Undead at bay. The hope of survival unleashed an unprecedented level of combat prowess from him. At this rate, it seemed he really could break through the Undead horde.
CLANG!
His Bone Rod slammed down with a muffled thud. The immense force sent bone fragments flying, but unlike before, Panok’s strike had been stopped—blocked by a small Round Shield.
Panok’s expression froze. He now saw that this Undead was different from the common ones whose heads he had been caving in. This one also wore a helmet and Bone Armor, and by slightly crouching, it had managed to withstand his blow head-on.
A great force traveled up from the Shield, sending his Bone Rod flying upward. The High Level Skeleton Warrior straightened up and slashed its sword at Panok.
SHLICK...
Blood streamed down Panok’s cheek and chest. At the last second, he had thrown himself backward, barely saving his life. The close call only infuriated him further, and he once again swung his Bone Rod down at the High Level Skeleton Warrior.
With Panok, who was leading the charge, tied down by the High Level Skeleton Warrior, the momentum of the group was lost, like an engine sputtering to a halt. The breakout slowed to a crawl. The Undead swarmed in from the sides, completely surrounding the Headhunter Clan People and trapping them in a desperate battle.
When fighting the Undead, the best strategy was to maintain distance, using agile footwork to exploit their primary weakness: a lack of Speed. Once surrounded, you were in deep trouble. The Undead felt no pain and knew no fear. They cared nothing for their own destruction and would swarm forward in endless waves, driven by the sole purpose of sinking their blades into you.
