Chapter 17: The First Wave Ends
Swish! Swish! Swish!
The leader of the black shadows wielded his spear, striking precisely at the three skeletons in front of him. Under his attack, their bodies were shattered into pieces.
"Surround him," Gu Xi decisively commanded.
He knew that if they didn't deal with this shadow leader first, the subsequent battle would be much harder. While issuing orders to his subordinates, he threw two daggers at the shadow leader.
Although stronger than regular shadows, the shadow leader shared their fighting style. Faced with attacks, he didn't dodge; he took them head-on. The two daggers pierced into the shadow leader's body, disrupting his next move.
At this moment, Squad 4's skeletons rushed forward, using their shields to block the shadow leader's movements. Then, Squad 2's skeletons charged, their two-handed swords thrusting into the shadow leader's body.
However, the shadow leader's level far exceeded that of ordinary shadows. The skeletons' attacks, dealing 1 or 2 points of damage each, did not significantly harm him. Instead, the shadow leader saw an opportunity. His arms, forming the spear, split apart, transforming into sword-like limbs. He swung both swords, cutting down the charging skeletons.
Three skeletons holding off the shadow leader were killed instantly. Gu Xi shouted, "Raise your shields!" The skeletons blocking the shadow leader swiftly raised their shields, crouching down. Gu Xi then pointed at the fallen skeletons, "Lesser Corpse Explosion!"
A skeleton, just about to fall, exploded. Since it was blocking the shadow leader, it collided with him as it fell, causing the full impact of the explosion to hit the shadow leader directly.
Boom!
The shadow leader's body was blasted away.
"Attack!" Gu Xi commanded decisively.
Squad 2's skeletons rushed forward, hacking at the shadow leader with their swords. Unlike other skeletons, they put all their power into their swords, making their two-handed swords stronger than Squad 3's spears.
They struck decisively, slashing the shadow leader with a flurry of swords. Already severely injured, the shadow leader couldn't evade and rolled on the ground, showing his final defiance.
As Squad 2 raised their swords for a second strike, Gu Xi heard a notification:
[The Skeletons (Summoned) have killed the Shadow Leader (Level 3, Elite). You gained 1 + 63 experience points (damage reward). Each squad member gained 1 experience point, and each summoned unit gained 5 experience points.]
"He's dead," Gu Xi sighed with relief. He noticed that besides the large amount of shadow essence left behind, there was also the spear made from many arms where the shadow leader fell.
Is this equipment?
Without hesitation, Gu Xi pointed ahead, "Kill all the shadows."
He then rushed into the battlefield to inspect the spear. Although he wasn't skilled with spears, such a weapon would certainly enhance his attributes, better than his less effective scimitar.
Meanwhile, the battle between shadows and skeletons intensified. The shadows, unaffected by morale, didn't retreat even after their leader's death. Instead, Gu Xi's deployment of all skeletons turned the fight into a chaotic melee.
Amidst the chaos, Gu Xi reached the spear and picked up the nearly three-meter-long weapon.
[Ding, you obtained the Hundred Blade Shadow Arm (Green).]
[Hundred Blade Shadow Arm (Green, Spear)]
[Attack: 2-3]
[Requirement: Strength 2]
[Special: Resentful Lock - 50% chance to lock the enemy's weapon during parry, causing disarmament.]
[Description: In some eyes, the arm is the sharpest blade.]
Seeing the attributes of the [Hundred Blade Shadow Arm], Gu Xi lost interest. It didn't boost attributes, only slightly increased attack power and added a skill. His spear skills were mediocre; he could only thrust with it.
Keeping the spear would be a waste. Gu Xi handed the [Hundred Blade Shadow Arm] to the leader of Squad 3. The skeleton leader took the spear, and it quickly transformed. Originally a nearly three-meter spear made of arms, it became a spear made of bones, with the tip formed from finger bones.
Simultaneously, the spears held by all Squad 3 skeletons also transformed, becoming two and a half meters long, with the tips reshaped into conical bone hands.
Clearly, when the skeleton leader was equipped, the entire squad was affected. Equipped with new weapons, Squad 3 advanced, attacking the shadows. Unlike before, their attack patterns changed, adapting to the chaotic melee.
The new weapons significantly boosted their attack power. With their added strength, the remaining shadows were quickly eliminated. When the last shadow fell, Gu Xi heard another notification:
[Ding! Temporary mission: Progress in the Dead City changed. First wave of enemies defeated. The second wave will appear in 15 minutes. Prepare for battle.]
Seeing the message, Gu Xi immediately ordered, "Move! Clean up the battlefield. I don't need the shadow essence, strengthen the skeletons. Dismantle houses, build barricades, and replenish squad members. We don't have much time!"