Undead Mage: I Have a Skeleton Clone-Chapter 605 - 416: Blue Star’s Destiny, Children of the Race!

These arrows not only penetrated the thick hide of the Bear Monsters but also rapidly spread a potent poison through the wounds. The Bear Monsters roared in agony as their movements became increasingly sluggish. Their self-healing ability was completely suppressed. The wounds bled continuously, causing their combat power to plummet.

Among Fang Zhou’s forces, the Skeleton Archers responsible for long-range attacks were clearly the unit with the lowest Combat Power Coefficient. Yet, even the poisoned arrows they fired inflicted massive damage upon hitting the Bear Monsters! This was thanks to Fang Zhou’s Brutal Aura, an Aura Skill that, after several enhancements, now applied multiple damage attributes like Physical Armor-Piercing, Death Energy, and Corrosive Poison.

This skill was particularly effective against enemies like Trolls or Bear Monsters, which had a Poison Series weakness. For instance, the Gale Squad had been fighting for over ten minutes, but the number of Bear Monsters they had managed to kill could be counted on one hand. In contrast, a single volley from dozens of Skeleton Archers inflicted damage that far exceeded all their previous efforts combined.

The members of the Gale Squad naturally noticed this as well. They were all excellent cadets trained at the Sea City Military Academy, so their tactical coordination was naturally seamless.

After Fang Zhou ordered Olaf to lead the Skeleton Warriors and Zombies to the very front, the Combat Professionals from the Gale Squad, who had been holding the line, found an opportunity to pull back. They ceded the focal point of the attack to the Undead Creatures summoned by Fang Zhou.

From the rear, Wu Di led the Gale Squad’s Magic Professionals and Support Professionals. They continuously cast several Support Magic spells, such as Secondary Bear Power and Tree Skin Technique, on the new frontline tanks, a clear gesture of goodwill toward Fang Zhou.

During a lull in the spellcasting, the Gale Squad’s captain stepped forward to greet Fang Zhou and his companions.

"Hello, Fang Zhou," he said. "I’m Hong Yang, captain of the Gale Squad and a Priest of the Black Iron Lower rank. Thank you for your assistance."

Hong Yang was a young man in his early twenties, dressed in a suit of Chain Armor. In his left hand, he held a Magic Book so wide and thick it could double as a shield, and in his right, he carried a Metal Warhammer. All his equipment was of White quality, and his combat power seemed quite high.

Fang Zhou gave him a polite nod while waving his Undead Magic Ball, unleashing his Poison Cloud Skill over a wide area. The poisonous cloud spread quickly, enveloping the Bear Monsters.

As a hybrid skill, the Poison Cloud Skill didn’t inflict a great deal of direct damage. Its primary features were its wide area of effect, its silent and unseen poisoning, and the various Negative States it could apply. This was no ordinary situation, however. For one, the Bear Monsters possessed an inherent Poison Series weakness. For another, as Fang Zhou’s Spirit Attribute and Skill Proficiency steadily increased, combined with the magic power boosts from his equipment, the damage from the once-inconspicuous Poison Cloud Skill had become terrifying.

More than one heavily-injured Bear Monster let out a painful wail as the sudden Poison Cloud engulfed it, collapsing to the ground and losing all Combat Ability. At the same time, Gu Yueyuan, Liu Diewu, and Zhang Wu coordinated with Fang Zhou’s Undead Creatures, unleashing their own skills into the chaotic battle group.

Almost in the blink of an eye, one Bear Monster after another fell.

Hong Yang grew more and more shocked by their combat strength and felt a secret shame welling up inside him. This guy, Fang Zhou, seems to have only awakened half a year ago, yet he already has such powerful skill combinations and combat effectiveness. Compared to him, it’s like I’ve completely wasted the last three years.

Still, Fang Zhou is definitely a powerful Undead Mage. If he’s a reliable person, maybe we’ll have a chance to cooperate in the future... 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

With the addition of Fang Zhou and his team, the Bear Monsters began to fall at a much faster rate. However, as they faced the poisonous fog blanketing the entire battlefield, even these seemingly sluggish Bear Monsters began to show signs of agitation and anger. The most direct manifestation was that their attacks grew increasingly fierce.

The Bear Monsters not only attacked with arms thicker than a human thigh but also stomped with their powerful feet. Whenever a Skeleton Warrior or Zombie was knocked down, the nearby Bear Monsters would swarm it, launching a violent, concentrated assault. This caused the casualties among the Undead Creatures to skyrocket.

To Fang Zhou, however, this was nothing more than an increased expenditure of Mana, a trivial concern. He quickly summoned more Skeleton Warriors and Zombies to fill the gaps in the line.

During the battle, Fang Zhou began to see the truth in what the Eagle Mother had said about these Bear Monsters having different Bear Spirit incarnations. Indeed, while they all looked roughly the same on the surface, there were slight differences in the details. Their Attack Power, Defense Power, and Movement Speed all showed subtle variations. The differences weren’t large, but they were definitely there. Some Bear Monsters had darker hides, more developed muscles, and more agile movements, while others appeared slightly more cumbersome but possessed stronger defenses.

Ultimately, however, the power of Corrosive Poison was simply too great a counter. As more and more Bear Monsters fell in battle, their resistance grew increasingly feeble. Furthermore, just as Fang Zhou had speculated, the Bear Monsters seemed to be following some unwritten rule, confining themselves to a specific area and almost never stepping beyond its boundary.

Fang Zhou quickly adjusted his strategy to exploit this. He positioned his troops right at that edge, using his Long Spear Skeleton Warriors as the main assault force. Meanwhile, the Zombies and other Close Combat Skeleton Warriors, who had a shorter attack range, were held back in a support role.

The effect was immediately and significantly better. The Long Spear Skeleton Warriors used the advantage of their long weapons to strike at the Bear Monsters from a distance. Although the Bear Monsters stood several meters tall, the reach of their arms couldn’t match the length of the long spears. As a result, the number of injuries sustained by the Long Spear Skeleton Warriors dropped significantly.

Although the Bear Monsters’ stiff faces showed little emotion and their savage minds seemed to lack sufficient intelligence, they began to catch on after being targeted in this manner repeatedly. Soon enough, two Bear Monsters stepped across that invisible boundary.

The Zombies and Skeleton Warriors, who had been waiting for this exact moment, immediately swarmed forward, launching a fierce assault on the two transgressors. They were acting on Fang Zhou’s prior command, waiting for this very opportunity!

Just as he had predicted, Fang Zhou couldn’t help but laugh. The moment the Bear Monsters left their designated area, their Defense Power dropped noticeably. Their previously indestructible hides became much more vulnerable. The poisoned arrows and long spears now easily penetrated their defenses, inflicting massive damage.

Now Fang Zhou was completely certain. There’s definitely something in this forest that enhances defense—it could be a structure, a treasure, or even a special type of monster. Any creature within a certain radius receives a powerful defensive buff. I’m just not sure yet if this boost only applies to Bear Monsters, or if it works on other Units and races as well.

At first, Hong Yang was confused. Soon, however, understanding dawned on him. He began to imitate Fang Zhou’s tactics, keeping his squad members behind that same invisible line and prioritizing attacks from his long-range units. This new strategy significantly lowered the battle’s difficulty.

Any trace of contempt for Fang Zhou, so deeply hidden that Hong Yang himself hadn’t even been aware of it, vanished without a trace. Fang Zhou is the real deal. His reputation is well-earned. His personal combat power, his sharp grasp of battlefield opportunities... he’s on a completely different level than an ordinary cadet like me.

For many years, the existence of geniuses in the Era of Myth had been widely accepted. In this atmosphere where everyone was a soldier, there were always "children of the era" born bearing the destiny of their home world.

But with great power comes great responsibility. I can only wonder what kinds of bloody storms a person like Fang Zhou will have to face in the future.