Undead Mage: I Have a Skeleton Clone-Chapter 269 - 239: Skinning and Bone Breaking, Group Battle Under the Blood Moon
The Mutated Zombie occasionally glanced at Fang Zhou, letting out angry roars that seemed tinged with a hint of confusion and uncertainty. Fang Zhou watched all of this quietly.
Despite the Mutated Zombie’s formidable strength, its intelligence is limited, he thought. I must fully exploit this to formulate a strategy.
As time passed, the other Skeleton Teams finally arrived at the battlefield Fang Zhou had designated. Using his [Skeleton Monarch] skill, Fang Zhou commanded over ten Skeleton Teams through his Soul Link. Under his precise command, these teams began to slowly advance toward the hills occupied by the Mutated Zombie, gradually tightening their encirclement.
When the Mutated Zombie saw Tidamia, it immediately sensed the familiar soul aura. This allowed it to instantly recognize the Skeleton Warrior it had once defeated. It no longer paid any attention to the ordinary Skeleton Warriors, who seemed weak in its eyes, instead turning its menacing face toward Tidamia. Its eyes glowed fiercely as it emitted threatening growls.
Under Fang Zhou’s suppression and command, Tidamia faced its former enemy with unusual calmness. It seemed to know that this was not the time for a personal grudge, but a time to concentrate and adhere to Fang Zhou’s overall strategy. Tidamia’s Soul Fire flickered slightly, as if responding to the Mutated Zombie’s taunt. It made no sound, however, simply standing firm and preparing for the upcoming battle.
Besides Tidamia, the Beheading Giant Sword Skeleton Warrior, Fang Zhou now commanded over ten Skeleton Archers. As for the melee-type Skeleton Warriors, they numbered about twenty to thirty. They were equipped with heavy Giant Axes and solid Giant Shields, or Long Spears and Greatswords, forming the most solid defensive line in the legion.
Once the Mutated Zombie entered the Skeleton Archers’ range, Fang Zhou immediately ordered the ten-plus archers under his command to launch a volley. In an instant, more than ten White Bone Arrows shot forth like the brightest stars in the night sky, carrying whispers of death as they sped toward the target.
The Mutated Zombie’s movements were indeed slow. Although it tried to dodge upon noticing the Skeleton Archers’ actions, its attempts remained clumsy, and several arrows still struck home accurately. However, the creature’s reaction took Fang Zhou by surprise. Its Defense Power was even greater than he had imagined. Despite the successive hits, the Mutated Zombie’s defense was astonishingly high, far surpassing any foe Fang Zhou had encountered before.
According to Tidamia’s memory, its own Beheading Giant Sword had once been able to inflict some damage on this Mutated Zombie. Yet now, judging by the effect of the Arrow Rain from the Skeleton Archers, the creature seemed almost completely immune to the damage from their White Bone Arrows. The arrows struck its body as if hitting a wall, leaving only shallow scratches on its surface and causing no effective damage. Each collision between an arrow and the zombie emitted a series of metallic clangs, as if mocking the Skeleton Archers’ futile efforts.
The Mutated Zombie seemed to realize this as well. After sensing that the archers’ attacks were merely superficial, it stopped in its tracks and let out a deafening roar toward the sky. Within that roar, it conveyed a powerful, clear, and intensely taunting soul-message to Fang Zhou.
"You... cannot... even... scratch me! I... will skin you... and break your bones!"
As Fang Zhou felt this intermittent message, his Soul Fire flared brilliantly. This wasn’t due to anger, but rather an inner surge of joy.
The level of intelligence this Mutated Zombie is displaying far exceeds my expectations. It’s even higher than that of my Skeleton Warrior, Tidamia. If I could bring this Mutated Zombie under my command, my Skeleton Clone would gain a second highly intelligent Undead Servant. This would undoubtedly be a massive enhancement to my forces. However, a problem immediately follows. My [Skeleton Monarch] skill currently only affects Skeletons and Skeleton Warriors. How can I effectively control this Mutated Zombie?
This dilemma left Fang Zhou momentarily deep in thought, but he soon put the issue aside. He raised his skull, his gaze piercing through the ethereal mist to stare straight at the Mutated Zombie, which was constantly taunting his Skeleton Army. His Soul Fire had calmed, and his thoughts became clear once again.
In that instant, Fang Zhou made a decision.
If I can’t subjugate this Mutated Zombie, then killing it will suffice. As a rare, intelligent Undead Creature, the Corpse Essence and Soul Power it could provide would certainly be abundant. Moreover, a valuable White Bone Stone Crystal Cluster lies behind it, waiting for me to seize it. For me, this is an extremely precious resource that absolutely cannot be missed.
With a thought, Fang Zhou activated the [Berserker Mark] deep within his soul. A dazzling purple light shot straight from his Soul Fire, illuminating the night sky before landing precisely on the strongest Giant Axe Skeleton Warrior. Bathed in the purple light, the Giant Axe Skeleton Warrior’s entire body began to emit crackling sounds.
