In the brief three seconds when the zombies were stunned by the skeletal lord, Red, over ten instances of *Bone Binding Snare* emerged one after another from beneath the zombie's feet. Bony claws latched tightly onto its legs, holding them firmly in place. Moments later, seven or eight thick clouds of greenish-blue *Rotting Fog* enveloped the lower half of the unfortunate zombie.
As it struggled free from the *Bone Binding Snare*, multiple *Accelerated Decay* spells struck near its knees. Rotting flesh peeled away in sheets, falling from the zombie's legs. The poor creature, having barely escaped the binding, managed to stumble forward two steps before Red, now ready again, cast another *Undead Terror*, throwing it into disarray once more.
By the time the zombie staggered within five steps of Ande, its legs had been reduced to skeletal remains. This was the moment the eager Three Mo brothers pounced. Each took a vicious bite, sending the unfortunate zombie tumbling to the ground like a rolling gourd.
"What a tragedy—such a pitiful sight!" Ande muttered as he watched the half-destroyed zombie writhing and roaring at him from the dirt. A rare pang of sympathy crossed his undead heart. But before the zombie could crawl close enough to strike, Ande, still feigning compassion, turned to bark orders.
"Hey, you with the long claws! Don't even think about hiding again! Get over here and put this poor thing out of its misery, now!"
Dagama, who was typically full of bravado against fellow skeletons, had inexplicably cowered from the zombie, shrinking back and retreating. After a few solid kicks from Ande, Dagama reluctantly moved forward to "give it a try." The half-dead zombie, however, was no match for Dagama's hesitant but increasingly confident assault. Once Dagama realized the zombie posed no threat, his movements grew bold. Using his sharp claws, he viciously tore into the zombie, reducing it to a gory mess.
When the deed was done, a smug Dagama scurried back to Ande, proudly holding the zombie's soul flame. If Ande were still alive, the sight would have made him vomit, but years as a skeleton had dulled such reactions. He simply waved Dagama off, gesturing for him to consume the still-dancing soul flame.
"Skeletons really are the weakest of undead creatures," Ande thought with a sigh. The low-level skeletons, lacking awareness, would recklessly attack foes stronger than themselves. Yet those like Dagama, who were developing intelligence, clearly showed fear when facing superior opponents like the zombies.
Ande had no better solution to such cowardice than to force Dagama into action. Surprisingly, this strategy seemed to work. Having tasted the benefits of killing zombies, Dagama was now visibly eager for more.
With *Undead Terror*, *Bone Binding Snare*, *Rotting Fog*, and *Accelerated Decay* at his disposal, plus a reserve force of axe-wielding giant skeletons, Ande felt momentarily pleased with his arsenal. After a short rest, he sent the unfortunate bait, Magellan, drifting back toward the zombie cave entrance.
It wasn't long before another enraged zombie took the bait. Like before, Ande adjusted the attack sequence, swiftly bringing the zombie down. This time, Dagama didn't wait for instructions. He charged in and finished the job in half the time, growing more efficient with each kill. The soul flame from this zombie was tossed to an exhausted skeletal mage in need of replenishment.
As the hunts continued, Ande's minions became increasingly coordinated, and the zombie population at the cave entrance dwindled. However, despite the replenishing soul flames, the skeletal mages were running low on energy. With the crimson twin moons creeping higher into the sky, Ande decided to call off the hunt. He withdrew to a predetermined camp and left Red to oversee the resting mages while he and Magellan stayed behind to keep watch on the cave.
It wasn't long before a horde of zombies emerged from the depths of the cave. Among them was a towering zombie crackling with electrical energy. The surrounding zombies kept their distance from this figure, leaving no doubt in Ande's mind that this was the cave's Zombie King.
The electric zombie roared in fury upon discovering the massacre of its "subjects." Grabbing a lower-tier zombie nearby, it unleashed an angry interrogation in guttural zombie-speak. The poor creature, already struggling with limited intelligence, was further incapacitated by the electric shocks coursing through its body. Unable to explain, it was swiftly dispatched as the Zombie King split its skull open with a claw. It then devoured the soul flame and brain matter in one grotesque gulp.
"Ugh, zombies really are disgusting!" Ande muttered, shaking his head from behind his rocky hiding spot, conveniently forgetting the dozens of zombies he had ruthlessly "humanely exterminated" earlier.
After swallowing its meal, the Zombie King let out a feral roar in Ande's direction, startling him. But Ande quickly realized the roar was simply an unconscious venting of rage. The Zombie King's anger then turned toward the corpses strewn about the ground. It conjured several crackling electric spheres and obliterated the remains in a series of explosions.
After a prolonged display of fury, the Zombie King seemed to calm down. It killed a few unlucky zombies nearby before retreating back into the cave. Four black-skinned zombies with unusually sharp, three-inch claws quickly followed, their movements far more agile than the average zombie.
"Crap—this guy has four Black Zombie guards? This just got a lot harder…" Ande cursed under his breath, watching the scene unfold.
When Ande decided to come to this zombie cave, he had anticipated a potential Zombie King and even entertained the idea of killing it. However, he hadn't expected the King to be this formidable. The electric spheres alone were daunting, and the Black Zombie guards were another matter entirely. Though weaker in strength than ordinary zombies, their hardened skin and swift movements posed a significant threat. Among Ande's forces, only the skeletal lord might hold his ground against one of them.
Ande scratched his head in frustration, his bony fingers making a faint clattering sound. This was going to be a real headache.