Chapter 25: Skeleton Infantry and Skeleton Archers
Chapter 25: Skeleton Infantry and Skeleton Archers
The next dawn, Ma Xue led a small squad to search for traces of the Undead in the nearby area.
They returned around eleven, but unfortunately, they found nothing significant, only clearing out a few wild monsters.
These wild monsters were all Undead, which only reinforced Qin Muye’s belief that there were indeed Undead in the vicinity. It was highly unlikely that they would randomly spawn, and even less likely that all of them would be Undead.
However, Qin Muye didn’t have the luxury of pondering this now, as the monster siege was about to begin.
[Wave 2, Your Overall Strength: Elite Rank 1, This Wave’s Monsters: 400 Elite Rank 1 Skeleton Infantry, 100 Elite Rank 1 Skeleton Archers]
"Changing professions? This is a bit much. Yesterday, it was just 100 Skeleton Warriors, and today it’s 500 Skeleton Infantry and Archers."
Qin Muye watched as a vast army of skeletons marched in unison from the distance. At the front were 400 Skeleton Infantry, each wielding a sword and shield and clad in armor. Behind them were 100 Skeleton Archers, equipped with longbows and short knives.
In terms of discipline, these skeletons were far superior to the Magic Goblins. Even the Magic Goblins, who had trained all night, couldn’t match the precision of the skeletons. It was like facing a well-organized army with a ragtag group, but the outcome was still uncertain.
In truth, the skills and attributes of the three types of elite Skeleton units were quite similar.
For example, the Skeleton Infantry had 5 attack and 5 defense, making them very balanced. The Skeleton Archers had 8 attack and 2 defense, while the Skeleton Warriors had 6 attack and 4 defense. The total attribute points for each unit were 10, and their skills were identical.
The real difference lay in their coordination.
The Skeleton Infantry marched steadily toward the territory. Despite their number being only 400, from Qin Muye’s vantage point atop the Mage Tower, they looked like a vast, orderly sea.
His side only had 182 Magic Goblins and Ma Xue.
"First, cast the Cursed Affliction on the Skeleton Archers. Their attacks can penetrate defenses!" Qin Muye quickly warned Ma Xue as the Skeleton Archers began to draw their bows.
Although the Magic Goblins had a 2-point defense boost from Ma Xue, it was better to be cautious.
Ma Xue didn’t respond verbally but acted immediately, casting the Cursed Affliction on the skeleton army first. He then cast the Bloodlust and Attack Speed buffs on his own side.
Currently, the Magic Goblins needed to fight a 2-to-1 battle. When the two forces collided, the encounter was not as one-sided as the first time they faced the Skeleton Warriors.
The Skeleton Infantry immediately raised their shields in defense.
This was the difference. Qin Muye’s Magic Goblins had no weapons or armor, so they charged headfirst.
They quickly scattered the Skeleton Infantry, but the casualties were minimal, with the worst being broken bones.
Then, arrows rained down from the sky, clattering against the Magic Goblins. Thanks to the 9-point defense boost and the Cursed Affliction reducing the Skeleton Archers’ attack by 3 points, their attacks only had 5 points of damage, which wasn’t enough to penetrate the defenses.
Qin Muye, hiding in the Mage Tower, let out a sigh of relief. It was good that the defenses held.
After all, 182 against 500 was a significant disadvantage in numbers. More importantly, the enemy had equipment and ranged attacks.
Qin Muye had hoped to loot the equipment from the wild monsters, but unfortunately, they disappeared after death, taking their gear with them. This left him with no choice, as someone who values every resource, he wouldn’t have let such opportunities slip by.
For now, the situation seemed to have stabilized. The Blood Demon led the charge, cutting through the ranks of skeleton infantry like a sharp blade, tearing a long crack through their formation.
The Magic Sprites, with their powerful attacks, couldn’t break through the shields. They had to find a way to land a fatal blow. However, these skeleton infantry were clearly well-trained, moving in and out in an orderly fashion, their shield techniques highly proficient, effectively blocking the Magic Sprites’ attacks.
But their defenses had a limit. As the Magic Sprites continued their onslaught, cracks began to appear on the shields. Sometimes, the defenses failed, and a Magic Sprite’s punch would shatter a skeleton’s skull.
On the Blood Demon’s side, things were simpler. He wielded a standard longsword with enough power to cut through shields. With a single swing, he could disintegrate both the skeleton and its shield.
His goal was straightforward: eliminate the ranged attackers first. As the defending party, lacking ranged units was a significant disadvantage.
Even as an outsider, Qin Muye could see that today’s battle was much more challenging than yesterday’s. The equipment and numerical disadvantages were severe, and even with the attribute and skill advantages, they could only barely keep up.
Now, some of the Magic Sprites were starting to lose health, but this was also a piece of good news. The Element Resonance skill was finally taking effect.
One point of health for one point of attack, making their strikes more powerful.
The 100 Magic Sprites that had received training last night had gained some experience. Realizing this, they began to consciously let themselves take damage to boost their attack power.
The Magic Sprites noticed that the enemy line was slowly retreating. While the skeleton infantry weren’t as strong offensively or defensively, they were methodical and relentless, gradually wearing them down. Fortunately, the Blood Demon had managed to clear out the skeleton archers, or their situation would have been even more dire.
“The difference in battle experience is clear. The enhanced attributes of elite units might just be an added bonus, but the real strength lies in their experience and quality,” Qin Muye realized the gap between elite and ordinary units.
The skeleton warriors from the previous attack could be likened to wandering knights, relying on their courage.
This time, the skeleton infantry and archers were different. They could be called elite units. Any attack that broke through their defenses would result in damage to the Magic Sprites, forcing Qin Muye to step in and heal his troops. Otherwise, they would be wiped out.
Fortunately, their defenses held firm.
Of course, this wasn’t absolute. If they took too many hits, they would still suffer damage, which was why the Magic Sprites were consciously letting themselves take damage to increase their attack power.
As more skeleton archers and infantry fell, the advantage gradually shifted back to Qin Muye’s side.
When the last skeleton infantry was shattered by a Magic Sprite’s punch, the monster siege finally came to an end.
Yesterday, it had taken only three minutes to resolve, but today it had taken nearly fifteen minutes, a difference of almost five times. This made Qin Muye’s heart sink, as tomorrow’s battle would likely be even more challenging.
(End of Chapter)
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