Free Web NovelChapter 164: Chapter 99: Oh My God [Pale Elegy]
The fifty Soldiers were composed of a dozen veteran instructors and over thirty militiamen who had undergone basic training.
Although the militiamen were still green due to their short training time, they had been well-fed recently, were in good health, wore armor, and carried decent weapons. As a result, their morale was sky-high.
All the new recruits firmly believed that the great Lord Lynch would lead them to win one battle after another and make Lakefront Town great again.
Of course, considering it was their first time on a real battlefield, Lynch positioned them at the rear under Aus’s command. Initially, they were responsible for providing ranged support with bows and crossbows, but they could also be quickly moved up to the front lines at a critical moment.
Lynch himself was mounted on Red Rabbit, positioned in the center of the army and surrounded by the Skeleton Guards led by Bone Shield.
He was positioned on a high vantage point, from which he could just see the mine entrance in the distance.
’A direct assault is out of the question. If I just A-move in, even if we take the mine, our losses will be devastating.’
’Luring them out in batches to be annihilated is a viable option.’
’But Gnolls aren’t like goblins and other wild monsters. They’re more intelligent. If I lure out one group, it’s highly likely I’ll pull the whole lot. That would just lead to another pitched battle.’
Fortunately, Lynch’s preparations over the past few days had not been in vain.
As a Necromancer, besides the commonly known summoning skills, he was also proficient in plagues and poisons, as well as various types of Curses.
Lynch had exchanged for and learned the [Plague Poison Skill] as soon as he was promoted to Tier One, but he hadn’t really practiced the skill much, nor had he found a good opportunity to use it.
But now was the perfect time to put this skill into practice.
Over the past ten days, Lynch first used some plague toxins from the various jars and pots he had collected from Anthony’s lair to fiercely grind the skill in a remote location.
Relying on his panel and an ample supply of "practice materials," he quickly ground his [Plague Poison Skill] to Lv. 1.
Although the level was not high, it was barely enough for the task at hand.
Afterward, he ordered his men to procure a batch of over a hundred demon rat corpses. He then expended a considerable amount of materials and Negative Energy Crystals to personally cast the [Corpse Resurrection Skill], transforming them into Demon Rat Zombies.
Next, he cast the [Plague Poison Skill] on each of the Demon Rat Zombies, turning them into Demon Rat Plague Zombies.
He was lucky to have come into a windfall before arriving at Red Ridge Mountain; his funds were still relatively ample. Otherwise, this expense alone would have pained him for a long time.
Before the rocky slope.
Over a hundred Demon Rat Plague Zombies had now gathered there. Pus oozed from their entire bodies, and they radiated a deadly, pestilent aura. The sight was so gruesome that even Lynch, their creator, felt his scalp tingle.
Once everything was ready, Lynch sent the final command to the hundred-plus Demon Rat Plague Zombies through their mental link.
"Attack."
In the next instant, this horde of monsters, which dripped pus constantly as they moved, began to charge.
They were not particularly fast, but their momentum as a horde was terrifying, surging toward the dark cave entrance like a filthy, turgid flood.
At the mine entrance, two brawny Gnoll guards had been lazily leaning against the rock wall, dozing off.
The sudden commotion startled them awake instantly.
When they saw the terrifying-looking Demon Rat Plague Zombies, their cruel, yellow pupils instantly filled with shock and disgust.
"AWOO, what the hell are these things?!"
"Enemy attack! They’re demon rats!"
The two Gnoll guards immediately let out a warning howl while grabbing the Wolf Fang Clubs and stone axes at their sides, looking as if they were facing a formidable enemy.
However, the Demon Rat Plague Zombies completely ignored them.
Under Lynch’s final command, their sole objective was to charge into the depths of the mine.
"AWOOO—Die!" freēwēbnovel.com
One Gnoll roared, smashing a passing Demon Rat Plague Zombie with its club. Fetid pus and shredded flesh exploded, splattering all over it.
The other Gnoll also swung its stone axe, easily felling two more.
However, a Necromancer’s plague poison was not a traditional plague with slow infection and onset.
Strictly speaking, it was a form of Magic, activated by Mana. Therefore, its infection and onset were both extremely fast.
The pus that had splattered onto the Gnoll guards soon caused them to feel a burning, stinging pain.
"Ugh... AWOO... So itchy, so painful!"
The Gnoll guard felt an itching all over its body. It looked down to see that the skin on its arm and chest had turned bright red and was covered in blisters. When it scratched, the blisters burst, releasing a disgusting yellow fluid. freёweɓnovel.com
"AWOO! What’s happening?! I’m poisoned..." it shrieked in terror.
From the depths of the mine, the alerted Gnolls swarmed out.
Their first reaction upon seeing these Demon Rat Plague Zombies was to angrily charge and kill them.
Sharp claws and fangs tore through the rotten rat corpses, and heavy weapons smashed bones as the battle erupted in the narrow mine tunnels.
In the process, however, the Gnolls were inevitably infected by the splattering pus and even the toxic mist that filled the air after the zombies were blown apart.
Soon, the inside of the mine descended into chaos.
"My eyes! I can’t see! AWOOO!"
"So hot... My body feels so weak..."
"COUGH, COUGH... I can’t breathe..."
All sorts of terrified howls and agonized roars echoed through the mine.
The Gnoll Warriors fighting at the forefront began to show symptoms of plague poisoning one after another: high fevers, dizziness, localized skin and muscle rotting and oozing pus at a visible rate, rapid loss of strength, and difficulty breathing...
