Undead Mage: I Have a Skeleton Clone-Chapter 600 - 414: Subjugation Mission, Recruiting Mythic Alien Races!
As creatures of the Chaotic Neutral Faction, these harpies weren’t inherently friendly toward those of the Lawful Good Faction. Still, they were far easier to deal with than the likes of the Demon Swamp Frogs from the Neutral Evil Faction. If he could somehow use his charm and persuasive tongue to recruit some harpies as muscle, it would be a major boon for his upcoming missions.
After all, while Fang Zhou could now summon Skeleton Bats with a relatively high success rate, the Mana cost for each summoning and its upkeep was much higher than that for ordinary Zombies or Skeleton Warriors. To preserve his Mana reserves and extend his continuous combat capability in the Forest of Nature, Fang Zhou could only maintain a small number of summoned Skeleton Bats.
As long-range reconnaissance tools, they were certainly useful, but there was still a long way to go before they could become a decisive aerial assault force on the battlefield.
I wonder if these harpies can live up to my expectations.
With this in mind, the Calamity Squad slowly approached the nests, openly displaying their friendly intentions. Immediately, a dozen or so harpies flew out to meet them.
Fang Zhou noticed they wore practically no Battle Armor, with only scraps of turf and leaves covering their vitals. Clearly, their Defense Power couldn’t be high. It was understandable, though. Their wings were quite thin and likely provided limited lift. Wearing heavy Battle Armor would likely impede their movement speed, if not render them completely flightless.
As he was pondering this, a harpy holding a wooden long spear—apparently their squad leader—blocked their path.
"Halt! This is the territory of the wise Eagle Mother Destiny. State your purpose!"
An Eagle Mother, not a chieftain? Fang Zhou immediately understood. I see. It seems this Eagle Mother is another rogue agent. I just don’t know if she’s an Elf or from some other race.
Outwardly, however, he remained composed and activated his Language Mastery skill. "I am Fang Zhou, from the Blue Star Human Alliance. We heard from our Flower Elf allies that a powerful Eagle Mother who can command harpies resides here. I was wondering if she would be willing to meet with me?"
He was hoping to gather some intelligence, and hiring these harpies as scouts would be the perfect outcome. However, until the other party revealed their attitude, he felt it was necessary to remain cautious and not rush into their nests. After all, this wasn’t the relatively safe Sea City Military Academy.
The harpy squad leader was about to say something more, but a surprised female voice cut in from the hut. "Blue Star Human Alliance? Flower Elf? I didn’t expect such honored guests to visit!"
With a series of coughs, the hut’s door was pushed open from the inside. Then, a mysterious-looking woman wearing a hood that buried most of her face in shadow stepped out.
"I am Eagle Mother Destiny. May I ask what brings Lord Ark to me?"
Fang Zhou’s first instinct was to activate his Soul Eagle Eye and quickly scan the mysterious woman. However, her hood seemed to possess some sort of property that blocked detection. Through his Soul Eagle Eye’s vision, Fang Zhou could only perceive that she had the Mana fluctuations of a Black Iron Lower. As for any other information, he couldn’t discern anything for the moment. To prevent her from sensing his Soul Eagle Eye’s detection, Fang Zhou used the skill in a quick pulse, not keeping it continuously active.
Fang Zhou glanced at the harpies once more. Even while hovering in mid-air, their wings made almost no sound. This was clearly different from how ordinary birds flew. Their movements were far more stealthy; they were like silent ghosts gliding through the air. This unique flight capability made Fang Zhou marvel, and it further solidified his resolve to recruit these harpies.
Clearing his throat, Fang Zhou replied, "Recently, with the energy level transition, a series of changes have occurred in the Forest of Nature. We’ve spotted many new faces around the Flower Elf tribe. For the safety of our allies, we have come to visit and ascertain whether these new arrivals are friend or foe."
The hooded Eagle Mother gave a hoarse laugh. "Of course, we are friends. Honored Lord Ark, as you can see, we are merely a group of harpies with no real strength to speak of. During our tribe’s migration, we were swept into a spatial turbulence and, in our confusion, ended up here. In fact, we are still unaware of what this place is or what dangers it holds.
"You say this place is called the Forest of Nature? The territory of the Flower Elf Clan? That’s wonderful! We have no intention of encroaching on the Flower Elf Clan’s territory; we only wish to find a place to live and survive. I am certain that a benevolent man like yourself, Lord Ark, can understand our plight!"
After exchanging a few more words with Eagle Mother Destiny, Fang Zhou concluded that they were likely not an evil race and held no malice toward the Flower Elves. He decided to share some basic information with Destiny. When he mentioned the colossal power that was the Sea City Military Academy, Fang Zhou deliberately emphasized it a little more than necessary.
Upon hearing that Fang Zhou and the Flower Elves were backed by such a terrifying power—one led by a Legendary Powerhouse—Eagle Mother Destiny was immediately filled with reverence. Her tone naturally became even more respectful and enthusiastic.
