Chapter 7, Death Mission
Haha, Scarface suddenly lifted his head from the pond: "Bam, nephew, do not be deceived by the small size of this pond and its somewhat unclean appearance; it is the best freshwater pond within a hundred miles. There is plenty of water on the grassland, but very little of it is drinkable. You must remember the location of every water source, for no one knows when they might save your life."
Is this how it ends? Lü Yan took a step back again, and this time one of his feet stepped into the damp mud at the edge of the pond. A small frog narrowly escaped between his toes, jumping in panic several times before leaping into the pond.
"Uncle Zama, why is this water so dirty?" A young voice came from above, and Lv Yan speculated that the owner of this voice should not be older than 16 years.
"You all hold him down, and I will deliver the fatal blow!" Lu Yan issued the command to the three Gray Bones in front of Zama, without any attempt to conceal his intentions. He did not know how to disguise his actions, or perhaps he felt that in the face of such overwhelming power, any disguise would be futile. What he was doing now was merely a final struggle before being crushed.
Hmph! The voice of Zama revealed an uncontrollable anger: "The water on the grassland is certainly a gift from the Great God of the Long Sky. Originally, there were no poisonous springs or toxic pools. However, ever since that black continent drifted in from the west thirty years ago, the evil skeleton army has continuously invaded our beautiful grassland. These damned beasts have poisoned every water source they encounter..."
Not good! Lü Yan was taken aback, but it was already too late; the gray bones were almost breaking through the surface of the water.
As the temperature gradually rises, the warriors decide to take a rest. The gray warriors immediately collapse to the ground like a pile of disassembled bones, while the red warriors remain standing, waiting for the warriors to assign tasks.
In Lü Yan's mind, several plans flashed like lightning, but it was evident that none of them would be effective. He could almost foresee that he was about to become a pile of scattered bones in the wilderness.
Escape
The saying goes, "A distant mountain can tire a horse to death." Clearly, Lü Yan's eyesight is quite good. By the time the two horses finally stopped by the pond, more than ten minutes had passed. The murky soil in the water had settled significantly. From the outside, the water appeared to be of decent quality, yet it perfectly obscured the bodies of Lü Yan and the other three skeletons.
The voice of Karen Val echoed in his mind, and Lv Yan felt a warmth in his heart as he nodded and rushed into the vast grassland
The gray bones were still stirring restlessly, their bloodthirsty instincts compelling these foolish gray bones to rise. Lü Yan was acutely aware that when the gray bones stood up, his own brief life would come to an end. Therefore, he could only forcefully press them down to the bottom of the pool, simultaneously lowering his voice to issue relentless commands: "Do not move! No one is allowed to move!"
Although there are life-saving techniques, they cannot withstand the grueling march under the scorching sun. When the sun reached its zenith, Lü Yan felt that he could collapse at any moment, and behind him, half of the gray bones had already fallen, with only three still hanging on behind him, barely alive.
Lü Yan stood up helplessly from the ground, and the three gray bones miraculously remained alive. They staggered over to Lü Yan's side, ready to make one final charge into death together
Lü Yan secretly recalled that during the march a few days ago, the skeletons had almost jumped into every puddle or lake they encountered, yet he had never heard of any water that was undrinkable. It seems that the requirements for water quality differ between humans and skeletons
Uncle Zama, why are there so many water sources that are undrinkable? Aren't the water sources on the grasslands all gifts bestowed upon us by the Great God of the Sky?
Accompanied by joyful roars, four skeletons jumped into a pool with a diameter of less than ten meters. The gentle water element did not exhibit any form of racial discrimination; the delicate water flow gently washed over the bodies of Lu Yan and the three gray bones, removing the dust and heat from their surfaces, while also moisturizing the cracked joints between the bones
Thud! Thud! Thud! The sound of hooves grew closer and slower, sending a chill down Lü Yan's spine. Could it be that the other party had already discovered him?
Twenty red skeletons were dispatched to the outermost perimeter of the temporary camp to stand guard. The Wama grassland is not lacking in some battle-hardened human tribes, and the combat strength of this skeleton squad is actually equivalent to that of about twenty strong human soldiers. If they were to be entangled by the cavalry of the nomadic tribes, it would not be long before they were completely annihilated
Just when Lü Yan thought he was about to meet his end, the goddess of fortune favored him once again, as a miniature lake, or rather a small pond, appeared before him
Ah Wu!" Lu Yan roared and charged towards Zama
He is undoubtedly a strong human warrior. Lü Yan could not help but secretly rejoice that skeletons do not need to breathe; otherwise, he would surely be dead today
Human Warrior
Stepping on the slick, damp grass, Lü Yan felt a throbbing pain in his feet, as if they were about to burst. The once soft blades of grass had, he realized, turned as sharp as saws. Each step was a tormenting agony, and he began to long for the black, decayed soil of the camp, which was the preferred ground of the skeletons
Behind Zama, a boy of about thirteen or fourteen years old dismounted from his horse and handed over a curved sword. With the gleaming curved sword in hand, Zama's tall figure appeared even more imposing.
Attack! Lü Yan roared as he burst out of the water, only to be met by a palm the size of a fan.
The Red Bones can walk a maximum of fifty kilometers in one night, while during the bright daylight, it is extremely difficult to cover more than twenty kilometers. Now, Karenval actually wants him to scout ten kilometers away during the day; this round trip of twenty kilometers is essentially a death march. Just a couple of days ago, some Red Bones assigned to this task died outside.
"Select a few gray bones and walk ten kilometers west to see if there are any human settlements." The command from Karenval came down, and to Luyan's surprise, it was an extremely difficult task, one that could even be described as a death mission
Lü Yan said nothing, choosing a few of the strongest Gray Bones to head west. Disobeying the orders of the War Bones was tantamount to death, and he did not believe he had any chance of defeating Kairenval.
The young man nodded vigorously, but upon seeing the dark red skull of Lu Yan, he could not hide the tension on his face
Listening to the sound of water splashing above his head, Lü Yan realized that the rider was replenishing water for himself and his horse. Gathering his courage, he looked up. Above him, the circular white surface of the pool was not only adorned with two large horse mouths but also featured a big face covered in a beard. The broad lips of this face, which were almost as wide as the horse's, were greedily gulping down the pool water, while a menacing red scar twisted at the edge of the lips, showcasing the martial prowess of its owner.
On the green grassland at the horizon, two small dots appeared. Lü Yan vaguely discerned that they were two humans on horseback
Lü Yan and three gray bones soaked in the pond for half an hour before getting up. When leaving the pond, he cleverly smoothed out the sharp skeletal footprints at the edge of the pond, a technique learned from a battle bone.
to strive desperately
With renewed vigor, Lu Yan confidently stepped westward. This unexpected joy filled him with hope for victory. Recalling Lord Zhan Gu's words, "Come back alive, do not let me down," he felt a surge of excitement in his heart, almost inclined to hum a little tune. However, at that moment, the real crisis finally emerged
The three gray bones also discovered an unexpected guest in the distance. They emitted a low growl from their throats, and their bloodthirsty instincts left them unaware of what fear meant. Had it not been for Lu Yan's command to keep them still, they would have rushed forward long ago
However, a sudden and intense pain in the abdomen caused Zama to shudder, and his strength vanished without a trace in an instant
Ah, Lv Yan's inspiration flashed like lightning
"Just gray and red skeletons?" Zama's tense expression relaxed, even breaking into a smile: "Bam, my nephew, although you have seen skeletons, you probably do not know their classifications. Listen carefully: the gray skeletons are the most numerous, but they are like tiny ants, easily crushed underfoot. The red skeletons are fewer in number and a bit tougher, but they are at most just slightly larger than ants, akin to grasshoppers; a few more stomps and they are dead. When you encounter such lowly creatures on the grassland, there is no need to rush to escape, for you can easily crush them!"
The question raised by the young man was also the question in Lü Yan's mind, so Lü Yan patiently awaited the answer from the scarred face, unaware that a gray bone was slowly sliding out from beneath his feet
The water pool, over 4 meters deep, is sufficient to conceal four skeletons within it
In the past few days, Lu Yan's tasks have all involved keeping watch, but today he was not assigned to keep watch by wwwhetushucomcom, as a more important task has been entrusted to him
Jump into the pond! He commanded the impulsive Gray Bones with a fierce growl, driving them all into the water. Then, he simply wiped away the traces at the edge of the pond and jumped in himself
The speed of the prairie horse is remarkable, and the sound of its hooves striking the ground, along with the rider's shouts, faintly drifts along with the wind. Lü Yan has little time to think; the rider could discover the four skeletons at any moment. He feels life gradually slipping away from his grasp, yet he has not found a way to cope. In his panic, he instinctively begins to step backward.
Zhamal let out a cold laugh, raising the curved blade in his hand. He intended to cleave this arrogant red skeleton in two, while the other three gray skeletons were of no concern to him at all. The strength of the gray skeletons was comparable to that of a ten-year-old child, and they could not possibly restrict his movements.
Zama first kicked the first gray bone that crawled out away, then with a slap sent Lu Yan flying six meters from the water. The fate of the two gray bones that followed was similar; the strong Zama lifted them out like chicks and then slammed them hard onto the ground, shattering their bones and nearly disassembling them completely
Chewing on grass leaves can reduce the mortality rate of gray bones. This is such a simple principle, yet for some reason, other red bones are unwilling to learn it, and even most battle bones are too lazy to command their subordinates to do so. Lü Yan feels that he is somewhat different from other skeletons, and he also thinks that his superior, Kairenwal, is somewhat special, but he cannot articulate where this difference lies
Enduring the scorching sun is the first lesson in becoming a qualified warrior. I have already given you a three-day grace period. Come back alive, do not let me down
"It's a damned skeleton, there's an ambush in the water!" Zama's roar reminded Lv Yan that humans are cunning. When a gray bone appeared at the bottom of the pool, would humans not carefully search the water? At that moment, a sturdy wooden stick could shatter Lv Yan and his two subordinates. His only way out was to take the opportunity to jump out and deliver a sudden strike to the two humans.
Ah! With a cry of despair, the color drained from Zama's face, and he staggered back two steps.
The sharp bone needle pierced through Zama's neck
At this moment, Lu Yan finally saw the full figure of Zama. He was a towering man, nearly two meters tall, wearing leather shorts, with a bare upper body showcasing muscles as solid as rock. The numerous scars on his body perfectly illustrated his combat prowess. Lu Yan despondently speculated that even his own battle-hardened leader, Kerenval, might not necessarily be a match for Zama here.
Lü Yan's mind was blank, and he had no time to ponder why Zama had suddenly become all show and no substance. He leaped high into the air above Zama and forcefully brought his right palm down towards Zama's neck.
In the eyes of skeletons, mounted humans are generally warriors, and only skeletons of the warbone level possess the ability to confront these warriors. Even though Lü Yan is already a robust red bone and has even killed a wizard, he still cannot match a prepared warrior
Lü Yan must quickly make a decision: whether to abandon the gray bone and continue to lurk, or to charge out and fight for his life against the two humans
There are a total of fifty-four gray bones remaining behind him, while the others have scattered during the continuous three days of trekking. The fact that this number remains surprises Lü Yan, as he remembers that gray bones are quite fragile. He wonders if he would have been able to endure until now had he not evolved into a red bone
In fact, skeletons also require moisture; this common knowledge was learned by him during three days of marching. After leaving the temporary camp, Lü Yan ordered several of his gray-boned companions to imitate his constant chewing of grass leaves. Although it seemed like a futile effort, he knew that this tactic was what kept his gray-boned squad's mortality rate at its lowest.
Three gray-boned figures rushed forward and seized Zama, whose seemingly solid muscles proved surprisingly weak, as the tall Zama was effortlessly pushed to the ground by them
Lü Yan was utterly perplexed. During these past few days of marching, he had never seen skeletons poison a water source. The skeletons' favorite activity was merely to jump into the water to cool off. Could it be... Just as Lü Yan was contemplating this, he suddenly felt a surge of water beside him. By the time he reacted, a robust gray skeleton had already kicked off the pool wall and charged out.
Ah, Uncle Zama, bones... bones!