Chapter 10 Battle Squad
As the skeletons approached Gu Xi, he could clearly see his gains this time.
A total of 473 black-robed cultists had been killed, and their souls and bodies became materials for Gu Xi's necromancy.
Regardless of success or failure, using necromancy would grant 1 point of necromancy experience.
In fact, by the time Gu Xi finished summoning the last few corpses, his necromancy skill had already reached level 3.
Although it hadn't reached the level where he could summon undead like ghouls, skeletons could still be quite useful.
Combined with the newly appeared skeleton leaders and skeleton warriors, it could be said that Gu Xi's skeletons were beginning to transform into an organized army, with some special skeletons emerging as well.
[battle squad 1 (level 0, unnamed, trait: +1 health): captain (1/1) level 0 skeleton leader, members (30/30) level 1 skeletons (5), level 0 skeletons (25)]
[battle squad 2 (level 0, unnamed, trait: +1 attack): captain (1/1) level 0 skeleton leader, members (35/35) level 0 skeleton warriors (3), level 1 skeletons (3), level 0 skeletons (29)]
[battle squad 3 (level 0, unnamed, trait: +1 health): captain (1/1) level 0 skeleton leader, members (28/28) level 0 skeletons (28)]
[battle squad 4 (level 0, unnamed, trait: +1 defense): captain (1/1) level 0 skeleton leader, members (40/40) level 0 skeleton warriors (6), level 0 skeleton shieldbearers (3), level 0 skeletons (31)]
Additionally, there were 43 skeletons not yet assigned to a squad, bringing the total skeleton force to 180.
These 43 skeletons were not assigned to squads, not because of their poor attributes, but because Gu Xi didn't have enough skeleton leaders to command them.
Compared to skeleton warriors, skeleton leaders were harder to find.
Among the undead under Gu Xi, aside from the ordinary ones, there were two branches.
One branch led towards being a leader, capable of commanding 25 to 50 similar undead in battle, with the number depending on their leadership skills in life.
Following this path, they could eventually become heroes leading seven squads, and then commanders of those heroes.
This method allowed necromancers to easily command undead armies numbering in the millions.
The other branch led towards being a warrior, lacking the ability to command others but possessing superior combat abilities.
For example, a normal level 0 skeleton might have attack 1, defense 1, and health 10, while a warrior might have attack 3, defense 2, and health 20.
Additionally, they could retain combat techniques or skills from their previous life, making them powerful fighters.
Following this path, they could become elites and eventually champions.
Of course, under normal circumstances, elites and champions could not compare to heroes and commanders in terms of leadership, but their combat abilities were significant, and Gu Xi didn't underestimate them.
After the 180 skeletons stood in formation, Gu Xi glanced at them.
The strengthened skeletons were clearly much stronger than before.
Even the level 0 skeletons now had bones that were no longer dry and yellow but normal in color, thicker, and more agile.
Their weapons had also clearly been upgraded.
Initially, Gu Xi's squad had skeletons wielding daggers and short wooden sticks. Now, the daggers remained, but the sticks had been replaced with short axes.
Gu Xi wasn't sure where these axes came from, but they all bore a distinct undead style.
The other three squads used weapons like two-handed swords, spears, and sword-shield combinations.
These weapons also seemed to be standardized. Gu Xi doubted they had been scavenged from corpses.
It was clear that the [Undead Mastery] skill was very important for necromancers.
"I need to find a way to add more points to this skill when we get back," Gu Xi muttered, then raised his scimitar and pointed towards the distant abandoned stone gate.
The black-robed cultists on this path had been killed by Gu Xi's corpse explosions, and no new cultists had arrived yet. Now, there were no enemies in their way.
As Gu Xi pointed towards the abandoned stone gate, the skeletons began to move forward.
However, before Gu Xi could react, Jack and his group rushed in.
Ignoring the danger, they stepped through the bloody mud left by the exploding skeletons and charged towards the stone gate.
Seeing this, Gu Xi was somewhat surprised.
But remembering their previous behavior, he understood their desperation.
They had risked their lives to stay for the legend.
Facing such a legend, they were fearless.
After a moment of hesitation, Gu Xi slowed the undead's advance.
Unlike these people, Gu Xi's goal was to destroy this abandoned stone gate.
Whether or not the gate led to the mirrored dungeon Jack mentioned was unimportant to Gu Xi.
He just wanted to vent his anger from being captured.
After destroying the gate, he would find a safe place to leave.
Jack and his group wanted to enter the dungeon to find some big shot, but that had nothing to do with Gu Xi.
Slowing the undead's pace was his way of showing them some courtesy.
At most, he would let them enter before destroying the gate, as a token of appreciation for the information they provided.
Unaware of Gu Xi's intentions, Jack and his group sped up after passing through the skeleton army.
They feared Gu Xi might destroy the gate before they could reach it, making it difficult to find one of the six entrances to the mirrored dungeon again.
Just as they were about to reach the stone gate, a voice suddenly came from there.
"Stay back!"
But Jack and his group ignored the warning and accelerated, crashing into the stone gate.
As they collided with the gate, which should have been abandoned, it suddenly lit up, a layer of mercury-like substance forming in the center, resembling a giant mirror.
Seeing this, Jack and his group believed they had found the legendary mirrored dungeon entrance and rushed in without hesitation.
In the next moment, Gu Xi saw a flash of white light, and the surroundings completely changed.
He was transported from the underground space to a lawn outside a palace. At the end of the lawn, where the abandoned gate had been, stood a decaying guillotine.