Chapter 18: Organizing the Battlefield
With a single command from Gu Xi, his skeletons quickly transitioned from combat mode to labor mode.
They swiftly cleaned the battlefield, primarily focusing on the bodies of fallen skeletons and moving various pieces of furniture to serve as barricades.
As for the Phantoms, they left no bodies behind upon death, only a scattering of ghostly beads. These were easily picked up without much fuss.
Gu Xi ordered the skeletons to place the bodies of the fallen skeletons on the battlefield or behind the barricades. As for the collected ghostly beads, he had no intention of keeping them; instead, he had the skeletons and combat squads divide them equally.
Gu Xi understood that these ghostly beads, in his possession, wouldn't offer much improvement. He couldn't use spells he hadn't yet mastered. It was better to let the undead under his command enhance their combat strength to prepare for the next battle.
After all, this battle had already brought out a Level 3 boss, and in greater numbers than Gu Xi had anticipated. With significant losses on his side, if he didn't boost his undead's power, the next fight might be challenging.
The skeletons under Gu Xi quickly understood his intentions. They used the ghostly beads to strengthen themselves, with skeleton leaders primarily focusing on enhancing their weapons and equipment. This way, their subordinate skeletons could also benefit.
Ordinary skeletons used the ghostly beads on themselves to boost their vitality and combat power, instinctively sensing the challenges of the upcoming battles.
With several combat squads replenished, Gu Xi assessed the losses from this battle. He had initially brought 180 skeletons, but just this first encounter resulted in the loss of 44.
This meant that after replenishing the combat squads, only three scattered skeletons remained.
If similar losses occurred again, the next casualties would come from within the combat squads.
However, after this battle and the enhancements, the combat squads had seen some improvements, with many skeletons increasing their strength.
Gu Xi glanced at the state of the combat squads, confident that another fight like this would further raise their levels.
[Combat Squad 1 (Level 0, Unnamed, Trait: +3 Life, EXP 45/100): Leader (1/1) Level 0 Skeleton Leader, Members (30/30) Level 1 Skeletons (15), Level 0 Skeletons (15)]
[Combat Squad 2 (Level 0, Unnamed, Trait: +5 Attack, EXP 56/100): Leader (1/1) Level 0 Skeleton Leader, Members (35/35) Level 1 Skeleton Warriors (3), Level 1 Skeletons (19), Level 0 Skeletons (13)]
[Combat Squad 3 (Level 1, Unnamed, Trait: +2 Attack, +3 Life, EXP 3/200): Leader (1/1) Level 0 Skeleton Leader, Members (28/28) Level 2 Skeletons (2), Level 1 Skeletons (26)]
[Combat Squad 4 (Level 0, Unnamed, Trait: +4 Defense, EXP 93/100): Leader (1/1) Level 0 Skeleton Leader, Members (40/40) Level 1 Skeleton Warriors (6), Level 1 Skeletons (13), Level 0 Skeletons (21)]
At this point, none of the four skeleton leaders had leveled up, which was reasonable. These summoned undead shared their kills' experience points, with Gu Xi receiving only 1 point per kill, the combat squads getting 1 point, and the rest going to the individual undead involved in the battle.
Without kills, no amount of talent could raise their levels. Skeleton leaders required more experience to level up than regular skeletons, so it made sense they hadn't leveled up yet.
With no scattered skeletons left, the combat squads began transporting furniture to the streets to build barricades. Some skeletons even lit bonfires on the street to prevent sneaky attacks from the Phantoms.
Once the setup was nearly complete, the second wave of Phantoms appeared in the distance.
Their arrival surprised Gu Xi, not because of their numbers, but because they seemed damaged.
About a third of the advancing Phantoms were wounded, and the Phantom leader in their midst was visibly furious, clearly having been attacked.
Though Gu Xi didn't know who had helped by attacking the Phantoms, he was grateful for the advantage.
"Hold your ground. They're in a hurry. Don't rush forward; lure them in. Combat Squad 1, be ready. Flanking is your task. Once the battle starts, get behind them and take out as many as you can."
As the enemies appeared, Gu Xi took his position at the front line. Fifteen minutes had been enough for him to organize the combat squads.
He planned to use the barricades to funnel the Phantoms into the street, breaking them up for easier handling.
When the Phantoms entered the street, Combat Squad 3 would engage them head-on, using the barricades to hold them back. Combat Squad 4 would drag the Phantom leader aside, allowing Combat Squad 2 to attack.
The remaining enemies would be handled by Combat Squad 1, which would strike from the rear. Given their situation, they should be able to eliminate many enemies if they didn't block the way.
Gu Xi hadn't expected the second wave of enemies to be in such a condition, giving him hope. It seemed the explosive traps set on the skeleton bodies wouldn't be needed yet.
He could save the corpse bombs for the third wave.
"Attack, Combat Squad 3. Be aware that the enemy is charging fast. If the frontal assault is too strong, you may retreat a bit, but do not fall back behind the second line of defense."
Following Gu Xi's orders, the four combat squads quickly moved forward, along with the three remaining scattered skeletons.
These three were not weak but hadn't been selected for the squads. So Gu Xi didn't keep them close but sent them to join the charge.
As long as they participated in the battle, they could gain levels and contribute more.
At this point, the Phantoms entered the street, moving noticeably faster than the previous wave. They drew their weapons, and their eyes glowed red.
However, Gu Xi was prepared.
Combat Squad 3 advanced, holding their upgraded spears, watching the enemy's movements closely. When the Phantoms were still over two meters away, they launched the first attack.