...
Behind it followed a Fishman Priest. It carried a fishbone Magic Staff inlaid with a Muddy Crystal, its body was smeared with strange, greasy paint, and a small tuft of fancy feathers sat atop its head.
The Fishman Priest hid behind its leader, uttering a string of strange syllables.
In an instant, an arrow made of Water Element arced through the air and shot toward the group of Skeletons.
PSHHHT!
The water arrow struck a Fishman Skeleton cannon fodder. The powerful impact directly shattered its frame, reducing it to a pile of broken bones.
'Oh? They even have a spellcasting unit?' Lynch raised an eyebrow, but he wasn't the least bit flustered.
The power of this Fishman Priest's Water Arrow Skill was truly mediocre, far weaker than any Mage apprentice. It was only good enough to bully cannon fodder Skeletons.
The Fishman chieftain, on the other hand, was quite strong. As it charged recklessly, it actually managed to send several cannon fodder Skeletons flying.
"Heh, you think you're pretty tough, don't you?"
Lynch let out a cold laugh. His Magic Staff shifted slightly, its tip flashing with a dark light. A swirling orb of the Weakness Curse shot out and burrowed into the body of the fiercely fighting Fishman chieftain.
The Fishman chieftain's charge suddenly faltered. It felt its whole body weaken, and its ferocious assault slowed in an instant.
Bone Jade and the Humanoid Skeletons under Lynch's control seized the opportunity, swarming forward to deliver a righteous beatdown.
CRACK~ SQUELCH!
In its weakened state, the Fishman chieftain couldn't fully exert its brute strength. It held on for less than ten seconds before Bone Jade cleaved its massive fish head in two with a single strike, ending its life.
With the most threatening Fishman chieftain dealt with, the remaining Fishman Priest could hardly hold out on its own.
It shrieked "WARGLE-GARGLE" as it fired off water arrows, managing to take down one more Fishman Skeleton cannon fodder that had rushed too far ahead. But in the next moment, it was completely submerged by the surging Sea of Skeletons.
Bone Jade's Bone Knife, the Skeletons' Broken Swords and Sabers, and the Fishman Skeletons' fishbone spears rained down upon it.
AARGH~~
With a final, piercing shriek, the Fishman Priest was also hacked into a pulp.
The deaths of the chieftain and the Priest completely shattered the last of the Fishman camp's will to resist. The few remaining Fishmen shrieked in terror and dove into the water, fleeing in a panic.
And so, an ordinary battle came to a close.
But a heroic passion surged within Lynch's heart.
He surveyed the battlefield. Bone Jade's Fishman Skeleton cannon fodder had lost over a dozen units in the fight, but they had perfectly fulfilled their duty: wearing down the enemy and drawing fire.
Meanwhile, Lynch's own eight Humanoid Skeleton Guards were completely unscathed, save for two that had a broken rib. It was nothing major; they could be easily repaired.
"Bone Jade, clean up the battlefield."
Lynch commanded spiritedly, waving his Magic Staff.
Although he could command it with his Spiritual Power, this time, this place, this scene... it all called for a little post-victory ceremony.
Upon receiving the order, Bone Jade led the clumsy Skeleton Servants into action. They dragged all the corpses and scattered skeletons to an open space in the center of the camp, piling them into a small mound.
Looking at this small mound of corpses and bones, Lynch felt as if he were gazing upon a bevy of beauties, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
He couldn't wait to cast [Skeleton Resurrection Skill] again.
A ghastly white light of death surged forth, completely enveloping the small mountain of corpses.
BANG BANG BANG, CRACKLE... CLATTER...
The gruesome sounds of exploding corpses and knitting bones rang out one after another, like a hymn to the Undead.
After the light faded, one by one, Skeleton Servants rose from the pile of bones.
Among them, the two "elite units" were what caught Lynch's eye.
One was converted from the Fishman chieftain. Its bones were thick and large, making it much stronger than an ordinary Fishman grunt Skeleton. It was even a cut above Lynch's Humanoid Skeleton Guards.
The other was the Fishman Priest Skeleton. Its bones had a faint, dark blue hue, and it clutched the same fishbone Magic Staff from before. A faint fluctuation of Water Element seemed to linger around its body.
The more Lynch looked at these two elite Skeletons, the more satisfied he became.
'Tsk tsk, not a bad haul at all~'
Afterward, Lynch reorganized his army.
Bone Jade's contingent of Fishman Skeleton cannon fodder was not only instantly replenished, but it had even grown by five or six, reaching a total of thirty.
Lynch's Personal Guard also gained two new members: the Fishman chieftain Skeleton and the Fishman Priest Skeleton.
The total strength of his forces now exceeded forty Skeletons.
Although most of them were weak Fishman Skeletons, the sight of their ghastly white bones stretching out in a solid mass carried a heart-pounding, deadly military might.
Lynch stood in the center of his Skeleton army, feeling the power that set his mind at ease, and was quite satisfied.
The only slight regret was that, with the current strength of its Soul Fire, Bone Jade could only just barely command these thirty Fishman Skeletons.
As for his own Spiritual Power, he could expand his forces a bit more, but the number was ultimately limited.
'If I want to keep raising my troop limit, there are only a few paths.'
'Either I form a contract with a second Netherworld Skeleton that possesses a Soul Fire and start a second unit—but that involves complicated contract slot expansion, which I won't go into for now.'
'Or I could increase my own Spiritual Power. This can be achieved through Meditation, consuming potions that temporarily boost spiritual power, or finding Magic Equipment that enhances Spiritual Power.'
'In any case, there are many different ways.'
'But I have to take it slow. I can't rush things.'
"Now, it's time to enjoy the spoils of war."
Lynch turned his attention back to the devastated Fishman camp.
Looting the spoils of war was an essential part of any adventure.
Although Fishman tribes were primitive and backward, they still hoarded "shiny" or "energetic" items. Some of the things they considered valuable shared common ground with human values.
'In a Fishman camp this large, there's bound to be something good.'
Surrounded by his Skeleton army, Lynch began his "treasure hunt."
He first directed Bone Jade to kick open the dilapidated shacks one by one.
But he didn't rush inside. Instead, he first sent the Fishman Skeletons in to do a sweep, only cautiously entering the reeking shacks himself after confirming there were no hidden dangers.
The shacks were a mess, with rotting seaweed and the remains of various creatures piled randomly in the corners.
The environment truly nauseated Lynch. He quickly pinched his nose and hurried his search, moving on to the next shack as soon as he finished with one.
After a full round of looting, the haul was so-so.
He found some [Swamp Black Pearls] of various sizes, but not many—only a small handful.
These pearls usually came from giant swamp clams. While their surfaces weren't as round or lustrous as Deep Sea Pearls, they possessed a somber, dark radiance and a unique charm of their own.
These pearls were materials for certain Alchemy Potions and could also be made into decorative items for sale. They were considered a hot commodity.
...