Chapter 118: Flying Axes or Throwing Spears.
Slater held the letter and returned to the study.
Leaning back in the chair, she slowly exhaled.
Blackstone Town had been unusually peaceful lately, with no major incidents, no wanted criminals, or cultists coming to this remote town.
The issues she dealt with were mostly local security matters.
It was as if... ever since that kid left, the entire town and its surroundings had quieted down.
Of course, that was a good thing.
It was a good thing for her as a steward and for the town's residents.
Her gaze fell on the letter beside her.
She broke the wax seal and opened the envelope.
"What ugly handwriting!"
She pulled out the letter, which was scrawled with crooked characters.
Just seeing the first line, she knew who had written it.
"I've arrived in Luntam City, took up a position as captain."
The only one going to Luntam City to be a captain would be Wu Heng.
He actually wrote her a letter...
The letter wasn't long, taking up only half a page. Slater leaned back in her chair, her long legs crossed on the desk, boots lightly tapping as she continued to concentrate on deciphering the handwriting.
Then she read about a witch who had transformed into a nun to seduce a merchant caravan and a psycho who took pleasure in bleeding prostitutes.
Both of whom he had heroically slain.
Slater didn't deny this. Wu Heng, despite being new to the adventuring profession,
Did possess some remarkable abilities.
Who would've thought he would encounter so much within just a few days of arriving.
As she continued reading, Slater's elegant brows furrowed.
Something didn't feel quite right.
The earlier content was like a subordinate reporting to a former leader, but the tone changed further down.
He wrote about missing their time together, reminding her to stay safe, and inviting her to visit for a few days...
Slater, being a mature woman who ran a place like the Golden Cat, was no stranger to matters between men and women.
"Getting bold from a distance, aren't you?" Slater muttered.
But her face felt slightly flushed, and she fanned herself with her hand to cool down.
She folded the letter neatly, put it in a drawer, took out fresh paper and an envelope, and after some thought, began writing.
After finishing, Slater nodded in satisfaction.
Bang~!
Suddenly, the door was flung open.
Yuli clung to the doorframe, asking, "Aunt, want to go to the black market tonight?"
Slater was startled, her hand trembling as she held the pen.
"Auntie's writing a letter. Who are you writing to?" Yuli peeked over curiously.
"An old friend." Slater quickly folded the letter, slipped it into the envelope, and continued, "You're a young girl. Why do you keep going to the black market? Stay away from that place."
"Oh, Auntie, the town is so boring, and there's nothing to do at night. Let's just go for a stroll!" Yuli pleaded.
Slater gave her a stern look. "Wait for me outside. We'll go after dinner."
"Okay!" Yuli agreed and obediently shut the door.
Slater sealed the letter with wax, grabbed it, put on her shoes, and headed out.
Yuli immediately came over and took her arm.
Passing through the hall, Slater handed the letter to the receptionist.
Then she walked out with Yuli.
...…
Back in the neighborhood.
Wu Heng had the Skeletons drag the Giant Zombie's body in front of him.
He cast [Raise Skeleton], a necromancy spell, fully enveloping the corpse.
In the next second, a towering Skeleton stood up.
Its bones were thick and strong, standing nearly three meters tall, with arms reaching past its knees.
[Skeleton Warrior (Level 11)]
It had the same level as Big Guy, but with 3 to 5 points higher in attributes.
"From now on, you'll be called 'Second Big Guy.' Go stand over there." Wu Heng addressed the Giant Zombie Skeleton.
The massive Skeleton walked over and stood next to Big Guy.
When the two stood together, there were still some differences.
Second Big Guy was taller and had stronger bones.
This made Wu Heng suspect that zombies were also growing stronger over time.
Either through feeding or some other method of enhancing themselves.
The Skeleton left, and Wu Heng squatted down, rummaging through the remains.
He found a Tier 2 corpse core.
This was the most important thing.
"Have the Alchemy Skeleton come here."
Soon, the Gnome Skeleton emerged from the stairway.
Wu Heng handed him the corpse core and said, "Study this, and see if the previous formula still works."
The Gnome Skeleton respectfully took the core and returned to the stairway.
Now that Wu Heng had a Skeleton capable of alchemy, there was no need to issue external commissions.
Not only was it convenient for him, but it also helped keep certain secrets safe.
After handling the matter with the corpse core.
Wu Heng glanced around the area.
He approached the pile of bodies and cast [Battlefield of the Dead], raising a large number of Skeletons from the ground, their hollow eye sockets scanning their surroundings.
"Go stand over there," Wu Heng ordered.
The Skeletons slowly walked over and joined the formation.
Wu Heng sat down to rest, drinking two bottles of mental potion before continuing to cast spells and raise more Skeletons.
This time, the harvest was significant.
Besides the Level 11 Skeletons, there were at least a thousand regular Skeletons.
The total number of Skeletons was now approaching ten thousand.
It could be said that his Skeleton army had truly grown into a full-fledged military force.
He continued raising Skeletons until late into the night, converting every corpse.
Wu Heng reopened the Dimensional Gate and returned home to rest.
...…
The next morning.
Wu Heng had a quick meal of instant noodles and headed straight for the Guild.
Entering the squad's rest area, he saw the orc Duke sitting there, gnawing on something like a sweet potato.
Seeing Wu Heng enter, Duke immediately said, "Captain, why didn't you come yesterday?"
Wu Heng frowned at him.
Did the orc not have a home?
Why was he always here whenever Wu Heng came?
He was an external field officer, but it seemed like he was turning into a desk worker, showing up on time every day.
"What's wrong? Did someone look for me yesterday?" Wu Heng walked in.
"No one," Duke replied.
"Did the steward not assign any tasks?"
"No, there was nothing all day yesterday."
It seemed the conflict with Squad 8 had left them somewhat displeased.
So, they hadn't given his squad any new assignments.
"Captain, do we have any tasks today?" Duke asked again.
Wu Heng sat in a chair, thinking that things couldn't go on like this.
Showing up at the Guild every day was too much of a time waster.
But as captain, he couldn't afford to come across as too lazy.
"Duke, I made a plan for our squad yesterday."
"Huh? What plan?" Duke shoved the rest of the food into his mouth and looked up.
"We've been taking Guild-assigned tasks, but these aren't regular, and the rewards are limited," Wu Heng said, glancing at him. "We should focus on bounty hunts. The rewards are higher, and it's easier to earn merit points."
"Uh, the captain's right, but bounty hunting isn't that easy."
"That's why we need to investigate. Develop informants. As long as we have intel and leads, it's not hard to catch them," Wu Heng explained.
He had some experience in capturing wanted criminals.
The key was information. Once you had that, catching them wasn't difficult.
"Sounds easier said than done."
"It's a long-term goal. The main point is that we focus on investigating bounty targets rather than waiting for tasks at the Guild."
"Yeah, the captain's right." Duke nodded in agreement, understanding.
"So, tomorrow you don't need to come straight here. Go out, gather some intel, and keep an eye out for suspicious individuals or unusual situations."
Duke nodded. "Sure, I know the lower districts well. I'll ask around."
Wu Heng nodded in satisfaction.
His team was obedient and ambitious.
The two chatted about bounty hunting for a while.
Wu Heng's mind drifted to yesterday's battle between the Skeletons and the zombie horde.
He asked, "Duke, in close combat without using crossbows, what ranged attack methods do you use? For example, when the enemy charges, how do you hit them before they get close?"
"Oh, I know this one." Duke scooted forward, saying seriously, "I like using throwing axes. If they hit, you can cut down the enemy right away."
Throwing axes were similar to throwing knives, but the axe had greater lethality and required more strength.
However, throwing axes didn't seem very suitable for Skeletons.
"Anything else?"
Duke scratched his head. "There's also throwing spears. Humans like using throwing spears. I've heard some mercenary groups are equipped with them, and they're great for hunting beasts."
Throwing spears?
This seemed like something that could be useful for the Skeletons.
"Is it like this?" Wu Heng pulled out his short spear and showed it to Duke.
"Close, but it needs to be a bit longer."
Wu Heng nodded.
He used the shortest type of spear, since most of his battles took place in narrow hallways where longer spears would be impractical.
He figured it might be worth having the Skeletons practice throwing spears, adding a long-range attack option.
The two talked for a while.
Then they went to the training room together to practice.
Wu Heng practiced the Gray Eagle Sword Technique, while Duke swung his battle axe in wide arcs, like a windmill.
They trained until noon, then went to a nearby tavern for lunch.
Duke wiped his mouth and asked, "Captain, are we going back to the training room this afternoon?"
"No, we're going to check out that armor shop," Wu Heng replied.
"Oh, okay!"
The two got up and left the tavern, heading toward the "Mao-Liao Armor Shop" in the outer district.
When they arrived near the shop,
They saw several carts parked outside, loading up goods.
The orc shopkeeper stood at the door, holding a ledger, checking the inventory.
It seemed business was doing well.
Seeing the two approach, the shopkeeper smiled, "Captain, Duke, you're here!"
"Business seems good!" Wu Heng said with a smile.
"It's just small deals, not much profit," the shopkeeper waved them inside, continuing, "The leather armor is still in production. Once it's done, I'll have someone deliver it to you."
The order Wu Heng had placed wasn't large by any means.
But customers who could pay the full amount in silver coins up front were rare.
"No rush." Wu Heng entered the shop and walked over to the iron armor display. "Do you have this armor in stock?"
This iron armor was the same as the set Big Guy was equipped with.
After killing another Giant Mutated Zombie yesterday, Wu Heng figured he'd buy another set.
After all, Skeletons above level 10 were elites of his army and deserved good equipment.
"Yes, how many do you need?" the shopkeeper asked.
"Just one set."
The shopkeeper immediately had someone prepare it and brought over some fruit tea for the group.
They sat down for some casual conversation.
Wu Heng asked, "What are the requirements for opening a shop here?"
The shopkeeper looked a bit puzzled. "Captain, are you thinking of opening a shop?"
"Yes, I have some business back home. I want to see if there's a market for it here."
The shopkeeper stroked his chin and said, "There aren't many special requirements for opening a shop. Besides selecting a location, the main concern is dealing with the local gangs. Building good relationships with them can save you a lot of trouble."
Wu Heng nodded, understanding, and continued, "How much is rent?"
"It varies by area. A shop like mine costs about 1,200 silver coins a year. In better locations, it can be even more."
It wasn't cheap.
For an average family, it would take years to earn that much.
But for business, you couldn't calculate it like a regular household.
As they chatted, the shop staff brought out the iron armor.
Wu Heng had Barson carry it, and they left the shop.
"Captain, where to next?" Duke asked.
Wu Heng replied, "It's getting late. We don't need to go back to the Guild. Our task now is to gather intel on wanted criminals. Be discreet, and don't put yourself in danger before catching the target."
"Understood, Captain. I know a lot of people around here. I'm sure I can dig up some leads."
"Good, stay safe."
After saying goodbye to Duke, Wu Heng didn't return to the Guild either.
The steward hadn't assigned them tasks for the past few days, which meant some free time, and Wu Heng was trying to avoid getting more tasks from her anyway.
...…
After having dinner at the tavern,
Wu Heng returned home, had Sword One and Sword Two tidy up the entrance, and went straight to the third floor.
Entering the study.
The four Skeleton Witches were still in the room reading.
Aside from turning the pages, their positions hadn't changed.
No skills had been unlocked.
Learning spells was actually quite difficult. It required long periods of study and experimentation to master.
Wu Heng's ability to unlock skills just by looking once was practically cheating.
This was one of the reasons Yazde had abandoned his original plan and insisted on taking over Wu Heng's body.
After arriving in Luntam City, Wu Heng no longer showcased his learning abilities.
To avoid causing any more trouble.
The Witches didn't have high intelligence on their stat sheets. They could learn skills, but it would take time.
Wu Heng closed the study door.
In his bedroom, he opened the Dimensional Gate and headed back to the zombie world.
As soon as he stepped out of the stairway, Wu Heng's brow furrowed deeply.
In the open area of the neighborhood, several bodies were piled up.
They weren't zombies, but human corpses. Their blood was red, and they were wearing tracksuits, leather jackets, and blue uniforms.
"Did they kill the survivors?"
Just as Wu Heng was about to check the bodies.
Sizzle sizzle~!
The walkie-talkie crackled with static, followed by Li Yanhong's voice.
"Boss, are you there?"