That's How We Necromancers Do Things

Chapter 165: Chapter 99: My Dear Mom, Pale Elegy

The plague spread like wildfire in the confined environment of the mine.

In just ten-odd minutes, over two-thirds of the Gnolls were showing clear signs of poisoning, their combat effectiveness plummeting.

The remaining Gnolls, though temporarily safe due to being at the back or just lucky, were too terrified to advance. They huddled in the depths of the mine, snarling and growling anxiously at the corpses of the plague rats that were either still staggering forward or had already collapsed.

But that was the extent of the effect.

With Lynch’s mere Level 1 Plague Poison Skill, it was naturally impossible to poison all of these physically tough Gnolls to death in one go.

Under normal circumstances, with two or three days of rest, their powerful life force would allow them to gradually metabolize the poison and recover. They would even develop corresponding antibodies, making this trick far less effective next time...

So, why hadn’t Lynch been more ruthless by spending a few more days grinding his Plague Poison Skill to Level 2 before coming here? After all, the Plague Zombies created at that level would be more toxic, perhaps poisoning the Gnolls more deeply and even causing some casualties.

He did this for two main reasons.

First, he was worried that delays could bring complications. He needed to establish actual control over this mining area as soon as possible.

Second, and most importantly.

The mine also held over a hundred Kobold miner slaves. They were natural-born miners—excellent diggers with a keen sense of smell and more discipline than goblins. They were a ready-made labor force to resume mining operations.

If he had grinded his Plague Poison Skill to a higher level, one wave would have certainly brought disaster upon the Gnolls, but the much frailer Kobold miners would have almost certainly been wiped out too.

’If I poison them all to death, am I supposed to turn them into Skeleton miners?’

’Kobold Skeleton miners would be far less efficient than living Kobolds. Plus, they can’t identify ore veins or perform detailed work.’

Lynch wanted the goose that lays the golden eggs, not a pile of unintelligent Kobold skeletons.

"It’s about time."

Through the few Squirrel Skeletons he had sent in to act as his "eyes," Lynch could roughly sense the chaos inside the mine and the Gnolls’ weakened state.

But even so, Lynch didn’t launch a rash attack.

He was well aware of the principle that a cornered beast will still fight.

This was especially true for a fierce race like the Gnolls. Even when poisoned, their final death throes could be terrifying. The most logical tactic was, naturally, to weaken them further, maximizing his own advantage while minimizing casualties.

He waited patiently for a while longer.

Sure enough, a number of the more deeply poisoned Gnolls, feeling suffocated, staggered out of the cave to gulp down fresh air.

"Now’s the time."

With a thought, Lynch issued the command.

The Bone Wolf, already lying in ambush on the flank and having reached Tier One strength, immediately broke into a run. It was followed by a dozen or so goblin wolf rider Skeletons, charging straight for the weakened Gnolls outside the mine.

Just as the two sides were about to clash, the Bone Wolf led the wolf rider Skeletons in a feigned retreat.

These Gnolls were so deeply poisoned that their minds were clouded and they had lost all judgment. Seeing the wolf rider Skeletons flee, they instinctively gave chase.

Soon, they had lured seven or eight Gnolls into the ambush zone.

Under a barrage of concentrated fire, this group of Gnolls collapsed into pools of their own blood with wretched howls, unable to even mount a decent counterattack.

"Clean up the battlefield. Convert them."

Lynch commanded.

A Bone Mage then strode forward, waving its Magic Staff.

Soon, Gnoll Skeletons with massive bones and sharp claws staggered to their feet, joining the ranks of the Undead Army.

This process was repeated.

Using this "fishing" tactic, Lynch easily wore down and eliminated over twenty Gnolls.

Only then did he lightly press down with the skull-topped Magic Staff in his hand.

"Attack~" freewebnøvel.coɱ

CLATTER!!

The long-waiting Undead Army surged into the mine. Although the remaining Gnoll soldiers were still ferocious, they were now at an absolute disadvantage in numbers.

What was worse, they discovered to their horror that their fallen comrades were quickly turning into skeletons and joining the attack against them.

This despair-inducing sight dealt a heavy blow to the Gnolls’ already low morale.

The battle turned into a one-sided slaughter and harvest.

The remaining Gnolls were pushed back relentlessly, retreating step by step. After leaving more than a dozen corpses behind, they were finally forced into a spacious cavern in the deepest part of the mine.

This was the lair of the Gnoll Chieftain, Hog.

Now, only seven or eight Gnoll warriors remained, cowering behind an abnormally tall and terrifying figure.

That was none other than the Gnoll Chieftain—Hog.

He stood over three meters tall, his bulging muscles like solid rock. His dark gray fur was riddled with old scars, his fangs were exposed, and he exuded an incredibly ferocious aura.

His enormous yellow eyes now burned with furious rage, and held a hint of madness.

In his hand, he gripped a Totem Pole inlaid with grotesque beast bones.

The Totem Pole was covered in dense runes and carvings depicting scenes of Gnolls hunting and making sacrifices, and it radiated a sinister aura.

"Damn it!"

Facing the encroaching Undead Army, Hog knew that even with his Tier Four strength, he was doomed to be mobbed to death.

His tribe had reached a dead end today.

This drove Hog into a frenzy. freeweɓnøvel.com

He suddenly slammed his Totem Pole hard onto the ground and let out a guttural roar composed of strange, ancient syllables.