"Don't."
Before Gu Xi's combat squad could step forward, Luna stopped them.
"It's fine if just the master and I go in."
Seeing Luna's determined expression, Gu Xi also waved his hand.
"Combat squad, surround the area. If anyone approaches, stop them at all costs."
Gu Xi didn't explain how to stop them. Anyway, for the skeletons, there's only one way to prevent the enemy from getting close: just kill them all.
After arranging these skeletons, Gu Xi followed Luna into the small building.
The moment he pushed open the door, Gu Xi believed the legend Jack and the others had talked about.
James I really created a perfect replica of a city to deceive the big shots.
Not only was the outer part of the city identical, but even the arrangement inside each room was copied one-to-one.
As he opened the door, Gu Xi saw a not-so-large living room. Although it was covered in a thick layer of dust, Gu Xi noticed that everything — from the plates on the table, the scuff marks under the chairs, to the woodpile by the fireplace — was arranged perfectly.
But with just a glance, Gu Xi realized this was a staged arrangement. The living room looked like the real thing, but it lacked any signs of life.
After entering the living room, Luna stopped at the dining table, as if pondering something.
Gu Xi walked up to the dining table, wiped the dust off with his hand, and then his gaze settled on the table.
Apart from the thick layer of dust, there were surprisingly no traces of time on the dining table.
No cobwebs, and the surface wasn't decayed. It was clearly very unusual.
Just when Gu Xi was about to study the situation further, Luna lifted her head and began floating upwards.
Seeing Luna pass through the ceiling, Gu Xi was startled. He quickly glanced around and found the stairs to the second floor, hurrying up them.
At this moment, the two-story building suddenly experienced a slight tremor, and some black figures began appearing on the nearby street.
As if drawn by some force, they started moving towards the small building.
The skeletons stationed around the building also noticed the appearance of the black figures.
Without the command of Gu Xi or his Contracted Undead, these undead would act according to the last orders left by Gu Xi.
Gu Xi had instructed them to guard the area and prevent anyone from approaching, so naturally, the skeletons would obey.
Upon seeing the black figures emerging from the alleys, the skeletons swiftly mobilized.
The four combat squads, each led by their respective bosses, were ready to move.
The appearance of these black figures was different from the deceitful shadows they had dealt with before, but the undead never relied on sight to sense people; they used qi.
The qi emanating from these black figures wasn't too different from that of the deceitful shadows, filled with eerie energy.
But they surely also produced deceitful energy pearls.
These pearls were valuable materials for enhancing the undead, and now each skeleton boss was eager to act and earn big.
Of course, they hadn't forgotten Gu Xi's orders. After a few tests, the skeletons quickly took their designated positions, surrounding the small building to prevent any enemies from approaching.
The combat squads advanced slightly, blocking both ends of the street.
At this moment, the first black figure had already approached within about twenty meters of the building.
Without any intention to give a warning, the skeletons charged forward with their weapons upon seeing the black figures come close.
These black figures were actually deceitful shadows who had replaced humans.
Before replacing humans, the deceitful shadows had no fixed form, aiming to morph into human shapes.
But after replacing humans, they lost any purpose and didn't need to consume food or water; all the energy required for their existence was provided by the space, and nothing in the city could attract their attention.
In their regular state, they wandered in the city's fog.
As time passed, some deceitful shadows would forget the memories of their human forms and revert to their original shapes. However, some of them benefited from the fog, and surprisingly, they regained the abilities they once remembered from their human past.
Gradually growing stronger.
These deceitful shadows were most sensitive to any changes within the city. As soon as they sensed something alluring, they'd rush over immediately.
The batch appearing at the alleys now came from the nearby deceitful shadows.
They felt the change in the small building, drawn by the qi emanating from it. In their eyes, the things inside the building were materials for their growth.
However, Gu Xi's skeletons had no intention of letting these black figures pass.
As they approached, the skeletons charged out, striking down on these black figures with their weapons.
[Skeleton (Summoned Creature) kills Deceitful Shadow (Level 2), you gain Experience 1 point, Combat Squad gains Experience 1 point, Summoned Creature gains Experience 8 points.]
[Skeleton (Summoned Creature) kills Deceitful Shadow (Level 1), you gain Experience 1 point, Combat Squad gains Experience 1 point, Summoned Creature gains Experience 9 points, Skeleton Level up to 1.]
[...]
Just as he reached the second floor, a series of messages popped up in front of Gu Xi.
Glancing at them, Gu Xi understood that someone must be charging in. Though he had confidence in the number of his undead, he couldn't guarantee their strength.
Most of these skeletons were Level 0, not even qualified as Skeleton Soldiers.
Against regular humans, they could rely on numbers and their fearless combat style to suppress enemies.
But if faced with enemies who were equally fearless and numerous, things wouldn't look good.
He needed to finish Luna's task quickly now.
With that thought, Gu Xi sped up, quickly reaching the room directly above the living room.
Upon entering this room, Gu Xi found Luna standing in front of a bed. The round mirror that had always been cradled in her arms was set down, replaced by a doll dressed exactly like Luna.
This sight made Gu Xi pause, and then he noticed something else — on the opposite side of the bed by the window, there was a dressing table, not particularly lavish.
The round mirror on the dressing table was gone.
Seeing the size of the round mirror Luna placed on the bed, a thought raced through Gu Xi's mind.
Could it be that this was where Luna was born?
As he was still grappling with the question, Luna lifted her head and spoke in that sharp yet hollow voice.
"I've remembered now, this is my home. I have my own name; my name is Luna, Luna Yalidov."