Outside the bandit camp, the few guards on duty suddenly looked up in confusion. Strange sounds were coming from the darkness ahead—a continuous rustling that left them exchanging bewildered glances. One of them raised a torch, stepping forward cautiously to illuminate the source of the noise.
And then…
*Whoosh!*
As the torchlight flared, it revealed countless skulls, their cold, empty eye sockets glowing in the dark. The sudden appearance of so many skeletons shocked the bandit, and he let out a panicked scream, dropping the torch to the ground. But before he could retreat, the approaching skeletons had already raised their bamboo spears and thrust them toward him.
With a shuddering clash, a dozen spears pierced his body, his eyes bulging wide as he slumped onto the spears, lifeless. The skeletons withdrew their weapons in unison, only to thrust them again in a second deadly volley. Blood sprayed, and the bandit died instantly, while the other guards, jolted out of their stupor, finally realized what was happening.
Panic spread as they screamed for help. Some drew their swords and charged at the skeletons, while others turned and fled to alert the rest of the camp. In mere moments, the once-quiet bandit camp was plunged into chaos. The skeletons at the gate, however, had already formed a tight phalanx, marching forward with bamboo spears at the ready.
They trampled over the fallen bandit's body, sealing off the exit with an impenetrable wall of spears. Any bandit who tried to break through was skewered on the spot. One bandit fell, then another, as the relentless tide of skeletons pressed forward. Their ghostly green eyes remained fixed and unyielding, and they seemed unfazed by any attacks thrown at them.
The bandits tried desperately to resist, some throwing stones and others firing arrows. Yet, to their growing horror, the skeletons paid no attention to any of it. They simply advanced and thrust, advanced and thrust, their movements unchanging.
In their dense formation, the skeleton soldiers, once so easily broken, now seemed like silent reapers. They marched over bodies without hesitation, impaling any living being that came within reach. If a skeleton soldier fell, it was simply trampled over by its comrades, who marched on without missing a beat.
When the skeletons finally stopped, the ground behind them was littered with bandit corpses. The remaining bandits, who had been retreating, looked on in terror, their faces pale. The skeletons now blocked the only exit to the camp—their defensive line had turned the camp's strongest barrier into a death trap.
"Retreat! Head for the back exit! Hurry!" shouted the bandit leader, the only one on horseback and wielding a long-handled broadsword. Without hesitation, he led the remaining bandits toward the rear gate.
The camp had two exits, one at the front and one at the back, designed for strategic flexibility. However…
*Crash!*
A chilling sound echoed from the rear exit, followed by screams. The bandit leader reined in his horse, peering ahead in horror. Another phalanx of skeletons was slowly advancing toward them from the other side, identical to the first. This second unit, armed with bamboo spears, mirrored the relentless advance of the first.
A few bandits tried to rush forward, but they were met with the same grisly fate, their bodies punctured by countless spears. The second skeleton squad had arrived, trapping the bandits from both sides.
The bandit leader and his thirty remaining men were now sandwiched in the middle of the camp, with no way out. The sight of skeletons blocking both exits left them frozen in terror, unsure whether to charge or flee.
"Boss! What do we do?" one bandit stammered.
"How should I know?"
"Climb the walls! Let's get out that way!"
"But what if they attack us while we're climbing? What if they stab us while we're halfway up?"
Fear gripped the bandits as they exchanged anxious glances. Finally, the bandit leader, the only one with a measure of composure, roared from atop his horse, sword raised high.
"We can't stall! They don't need food or rest, but we do! If you want to live, charge with me! Take down their leader, and we'll break free!"
With a battle cry, the leader spurred his horse forward, charging toward the skeletons with his broadsword aimed at the skeleton carrying Grim's flag. Seeing their leader charge, the other bandits found a shred of courage. Grabbing their makeshift shields and swords, they threw themselves at the skeletons in a desperate assault.
A chaotic clash erupted as the two forces collided. The bandits, wielding wooden shields, tried to block the thrusts of the longer spears, only to be met with shorter bamboo spears stabbing at close range.
No matter how hard they pushed, the skeletons remained relentless. They struck from every angle, stabbing, swinging, and slamming their weapons with cold precision. Surrounded by the unending barrage, the bandits' courage quickly evaporated as their comrades fell one by one.
Just as they tried to retreat, they heard a rush of movement behind them. The skeletons from the other side had closed in, striking with their bamboo spears from both directions, trapping the bandits in a bloody crossfire. Shields failed to block the onslaught as spears pierced their bodies, and in moments, the ground was soaked in blood.
Among the chaos, however, one figure managed to break through the skeletal line—the bandit leader himself. His horse had been killed by the onslaught of bamboo spears, but the animal's collapse broke a gap in the skeletons' formation. Seizing the chance, he rolled forward, using the momentum to stand back up.
Wielding his broadsword, he batted aside the shorter spears, coming face-to-face with the skeletons. His iron armor shielded him from the bamboo spearheads, rendering him nearly untouchable…