Following the skeleton wizard, Gu Erdan sized him up without being noticed.
Actually, he didn't really need to be so sneaky. After all, he didn't even have a head. Even if he sized up the wizard openly, who could possibly notice?
Playing with a fist-sized skull of an unknown race in his hand, Gu Erdan felt a bit down.
Although he had already replaced all the cannon fodder under this guy's command by taking their places.
And he had also quietly taken out many of his trusted subordinates, greatly weakening his defensive strength.
But the other party was ultimately a third-tier skeleton wizard. Even though the ones on his side had been bound to each other by a pyramid-shaped soul oath, a single third-tier undead wasn't enough to make this group of skeletons revolt.
However, the combat power gap was too obvious. Especially since this bastard had a move called Spear of the Dead. If he got hit by that javelin, Gu Erdan would be done for on the spot.
(No, a frontal assault won't do. I can't guarantee he won't attack me first, nor can I be sure these first - order skeletons can beat him... I've got to find a way to make this guy use up all his energy first!)
With his mind constantly turning, Gu Erdan began to think of any feasible plans.
Going head - to - head with the skeleton wizard was way too dangerous, especially when his own life was in the other party's hands.
He had to find someone to weaken his power first. It'd be best if he could wipe out all of this guy's personal guards, those second-tier skeleton guards.
Without the guards, it'd be much easier to handle a ranged mage like him.
Taking out a simple, abstract map he had drawn himself, Gu Erdan started to check for marked powerful enemies nearby.
Actually, the Netherworld wasn't short of resources. The corpses here were all sorts, as if they'd been teleported from various planes.
There were also quite a few inanimate objects that had been teleported in with them. Things like weapons, armors, swords, spears, clubs, etc. weren't really rare items. But for some reason, most of them had been badly corroded.
The tattered chainmail Gu Erdan was wearing and the half-rusted [weapon] in his hand were the best evidence.
Gu Erdan had even seen a large wooden sailboat from World War I on a mountain of skeletons!
Even though he had seen a lot of inanimate objects, Gu Erdan, who had been wandering for nearly four months, hadn't seen a single living thing. Instead, he'd seen some corpses decaying at an extremely fast rate.
After carefully observing those corpses with an abnormal decay rate, Gu Erdan finally came to the conclusion: the air in the Netherworld was most likely poisonous!
A highly poisonous air that would quickly corrode anything but the undead!
Otherwise, with so many corpses coming in, there was no reason why there wasn't a single living person!
And there was no reason why all those trophies that had come in with them were rusty and decayed!
Holding a pen and paper, Gu Erdan began to circle and draw on the map.
"About ten li to the left of here, there is a small canyon. The resurrection speed of skeletons inside is much faster than that outside. It is occupied by a group of skeleton horses. They kill the resurrected skeletons every day, just like playing whack - a - mole. The leader is a third-tier skeleton horse king. Its ability seems to be to create skeleton horses. The last time I saw them was two months ago. At that time, there were about two hundred... No good. The lethality of cavalry charges is too great. Moreover, it's a canyon there with a long tunnel, which is just suitable for them to launch a charge. The danger of fighting them is too high! Next!"
"Five li to the right, there is a solitary giant skeleton. Judging from its size, it should not be fully grown yet, about 5 meters tall. But the last time we encountered this guy, the skeleton wizard turned around and left without saying a word. Nine times out of ten, this guy's combat power is beyond the third tier... Still no good. The skeleton wizard is too cowardly. If he chooses to retreat and send my little minions up to attract the opponent's firepower, wouldn't that be shooting myself in the foot?"
"... I remember that about 15 li behind, we encountered a nest of large bone-armored mantises before. These things are at the second - tier strength level. They most like to use the tactic of beheading the enemy leader first. When we met them two months ago, the number should have been between 20 and 30. This is worth a try. After all, these guys won't take the initiative to attack skeleton soldiers that are too weak in strength. Is this an instinct developed when they were alive? Or were they deliberately left there as bait to attract second - tier skeletons closer?"
Having made up his mind, Gu Erdan put away the map and tied it to one of his ribs.
Gu Erdan never cared who killed the skeleton wizard. His goal from beginning to end was only one thing, which was to make the skeleton wizard die so that he could regain his freedom.
The bone-armored mantises have special habits. They don't like to attack prey that they look down on. Usually, they will pick targets of equal strength to launch sneak attacks, and their instant-kill ability is very strong.
When Gu Erdan passed through that territory alone previously, he didn't even notice them at first.
It wasn't until a second - tier skeleton soldier chased after other skeletons and accidentally entered this territory that he saw more than twenty bone - armored mantises burst out from the ground and instantly cut it into pieces. Only then did Gu Erdan know that there was such a group of monsters hunting here!
Gu Erdan was so scared at that time that he ran more than two li in one go before daring to stop.
Since he had already chosen the target, Gu Erdan naturally wouldn't hesitate any longer.
He led the troops to slightly adjust the direction, walked along the edge of a mountain, and made an unnoticeable turn. Then everyone started to return along the original path.
The skeleton wizard didn't pay much attention to this sudden change in the marching direction. In fact, he didn't even notice it.
After all, although this guy has a higher IQ than his kind, the difference isn't that significant. After all, they are just a bunch of brainless skeleton soldiers. How smart can you expect them to be?
As long as there are skeletons to kill on the way and soul fires to devour, the skeleton wizard doesn't care which direction they head in.
After all, before Gu Erdan arrived, the subordinates he led were also wandering around aimlessly.
It can even be said that Gu Erdan and the others were actually just going in circles before and never went more than 10 li away.
Because the outside represents the unknown. No one knows whether they will encounter any powerful enemies if they venture too far. As long as nothing out of the ordinary occurs, the vast majority of skeletons will never leave the territory beneath their feet throughout their lives.
They will only choose to leave when they are slain by someone or break through to a certain realm.
After another day of journeying, when Gu Erdan reached the marked area on the map, he promptly ordered the troops to rest on the spot.
He himself sat in a corner, guarded by several elite underlings, and surreptitiously took out the map to start making comparisons.
(A huge and incomplete skeleton bull's head! A row of towering ribs plunged into the soil! And the plains where first - order skeletons are wandering everywhere, with not a single one above the second - order... All the features match! This must be the place!)
Gazing at the abstract skeleton bull's head drawn on the map and the twelve massive ribs depicted beside it, Gu Erdan carefully compared them. After making sure there was no mistake, he excitedly put away the map.
He turned his head and stole a peek at the skeleton wizard, then Gu Erdan suddenly clenched his fist.
The Burial Ground has been located for the other guy. Now, it's time to set the trap.
Bowking obsequiously, Gu Erdan spoke in an extremely sleazy tone.
"Your Excellency! This way, please!"