Free Web NovelChapter 9: Chapter 8: The Robbers Are Here
The Lizardman leader had told Ah Mu everything he knew. He was merely the head of a small scout party; the final decision on how to deal with the Undead rested with Ah Mu, the chieftain of the Tribe.
After listening to the Lizardman leader, Ah Mu was lost in thought. Others might have doubted the existence of the Undead, but he did not. Many dismissed the Undead as mere legend, but the truth was, many legends were real. They were passed down because someone, at some point, had actually seen them. And while the stories might have been exaggerated, that didn’t mean the subjects of them didn’t exist.
Someone like the Lizardman leader, even knowing the legends, only knew a part of them. Only a chieftain like Ah Mu knew the full story. The version that circulated among the common folk was only the first half; in truth, the legends of the Undead had a second half. This part, however, was likely to cause panic, so only the leadership was privy to it.
Where the Undead appear, a great disaster is sure to follow. Death descends, and all ends in silence.
This was a warning from the Ancestors—or perhaps, a prophecy. The Undead were far from the simple threat the Lizardman leader imagined them to be. They were synonymous with disaster, a terrifying existence, and by their very nature, stood in opposition to all living things.
Ah Mu had never imagined that in his lifetime he would not only learn of the Undead but also see them with his own eyes. He wasn’t the least bit happy about it. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
But the Undead had appeared. To close his eyes and pretend they weren’t there would be self-deception. The Wasteland did not permit cowardice; the cowardly became meals for other creatures. It was the law of the jungle, where the weak were prey for the strong. Ah Mu understood this all too well. He needed to confront the Undead.
The Lizardman leader’s report was not enough. He needed more information. He needed to see the Undead for himself. And this was his chance.
’According to the report, those Undead didn’t seem very powerful. This means we have a chance. A chance to exterminate them!’
’If we can eliminate those Undead, the Ancestors’ warning will be resolved. The great disaster, the descending death—it will all vanish without a trace. We can continue to live securely in this Wasteland, continuing our merry lives of robbery and plunder.’
’I can’t let the Undead continue to roam the Wasteland!’
Ah Mu’s gaze grew firm and sharp. He stood and looked at Ah Ta. "Get ready to move out. We’re going to see for ourselves these terrifying beings from the legends."
As the Tribe chieftain, Ah Mu held immense prestige among the Lizardman Robbers. When he had first become chieftain, their Tribe had been utterly destitute and in shambles. But under Ah Mu’s leadership, they had thrived, becoming more prosperous with each passing day. Their former poverty was now a distant memory.
The Lizardman Robbers would not question a decision made by Ah Mu. They would simply follow. If Ah Mu said fight, they fought. If Ah Mu said retreat, they retreated. There was no hesitation.
Weapons were raised high. The Lizardman Robbers let out hissing cries, answering Ah Mu’s call. With a wave of his hand, the entire force moved out.
The first place they reached was where the Lizardman leader had fought earlier. A few Lizardmen skilled in tracking scouted the surroundings and discovered that traces of the battle had been deliberately erased. However, there were very clear indentations on the ground. Something had passed through here.
According to the Lizardman leader, that must be the mobile Skull Mountain.
"After them!"
Receiving the report from his subordinates, Ah Mu didn’t hesitate and immediately gave the order, leading his men along the trail of indentations.
As they gave chase, Ah Mu suddenly raised his hand, signaling all the Lizardmen to halt. He bent down to look at the indentations on the ground, then glanced around, looking puzzled.
The indentations, which had been proceeding in a straight line, suddenly became chaotic. They turned and even went around in a few circles. ’What’s going on? What happened here?’
"Ah Mu, have we been discovered?" a Lizardman skilled at tracking drew near, touching the indentations on the ground and asking in a low voice.
"Impossible. They shouldn’t have spotted us. But the Undead probably guessed we would pursue them. This is a ruse to throw us off!" Ah Mu’s pupils narrowed into vertical slits as he spoke with certainty.
"Then what do we do now?" the tracker asked.
"If they’re trying to evade our pursuit by messing up the tracks, it must have slowed them down. We can’t be far from the Undead. Spread out and find them. Once you do, don’t get tied up in a fight. Blow the Bone Whistle and wait for our support," Ah Mu said in a low voice, assessing the situation.
His orders were passed down quickly. The Lizardman Robbers were no strangers to this kind of pursuit and search. They quickly broke into tracking parties of five to ten and fanned out into the Wasteland.
Ah Mu stood up and, along with Ah Ta and a few other Lizardman Robbers, continued to follow the tracks left by the Mobile Fortress.
「...」
The Skeleton Undead Mobile Fortress was still wandering aimlessly across the Wasteland. Under the Moonlight, a few Undead shambled up to the fortress, entered with practiced ease, and headed for the Castle Main Tower.
Seeing the Undead enter the main tower, Li Ziyu’s Spirit stirred. ’News is here,’ he thought. ’Now let’s see if it’s good or bad.’
The Undead stood still before Li Ziyu, its Soul Fire flickering as it transmitted a message.
"Wanderers sighted."
"Many of them. They’ve scattered."
The message was simple, but Li Ziyu understood its meaning. He couldn’t help but pump his fist. ’Perfect! Things are really going in the direction I’d hoped.’
’If those guys had stayed grouped together, there would be no question—I’d just have to run for it. Fighting them would be out of the question. Even if I won, I’d suffer considerable losses. But now that they’re scattered, this is much easier to handle. Guerrilla tactics and sneak attacks will do the trick.’
"Recall the other Undead. Don’t alert the wanderers."
"The hunt is about to begin."
A savage grin spread across Li Ziyu’s face as he issued his commands.
After his command was given, a brief pulse of soul energy erupted from within the Mobile Fortress before vanishing in a flash. It was barely noticeable in the vast Wasteland. This was the Undead’s unique method of communication: transmitting information via Soul Energy. It required no sound and delivered the message directly into their Soul Fire, making it both secretive and efficient.
The message was extremely brief, but its meaning was perfectly clear: "Return. Do not be seen."
The Undead closest to the Mobile Fortress quickly received the message. Using their own Soul Fire as a relay point, the message was broadcast outward again, spreading to the Skeleton Undead further away.
In this transmission process, the Soul Fire of every single Skeleton Undead acted as a relay point. The Soul Energy formed a network between them, allowing for the rapid, efficient, and secret transmission of information.
Of course, messages transmitted this way had to be simple. The more complex the information, the more taxing it was to transmit, as it would consume more Soul Energy and could even cause damage to the Skeleton Undead.
The Skeleton Undead who received the message immediately changed direction and began moving toward the Mobile Fortress’s location. At the same time, they deployed their own search abilities to avoid any other living creatures nearby.
Meanwhile, Li Ziyu was not idle. He had the Mobile Fortress change course to rendezvous with the returning Skeleton Undead and assemble his forces as quickly as possible. Every so often, a few more Skeleton Undead would return to the fortress, bolstering their numbers and bringing back more information.
They had already discovered the tracks of the Lizardman Robbers and, by sensing their life auras, had determined their strength. They informed Li Ziyu which groups of Lizardman Robbers were stronger and which were weaker, making it easier for the City Lord to make his decisions.
