Chapter 420 – Skeleton Warrior

Chapter 420 – skeleton warrior

After the flying carpet set off again, Mo Lan used the Pathseeking Spell to divine the direction where the most fresh humanoid corpse materials could be found. The result pointed roughly the same way as Lady Ginia’s recommendation—both indicating the northern part of the Black Forest.

However, the location was somewhat more precise than the area Lady Ginia had outlined.

“It should be somewhere in this area.” Mo Lan circled a spot on the map within Lilith’s flying carpet route-planning function.

It was a stretch of Black Forest at the northernmost edge, beyond which lay the Kingdom of Watson’s Mino Town.

“Then let’s head that way!” Lilith said. “We’ll collect the corpse materials first, then investigate the undead creatures in the Black Forest on our way back.”

“Sounds good! Egg Fried Rice’s right arm has been used too frequently and is showing some wear—we need to replace it soon,” Vasida said.

Both Lilith and Mo Lan wanted to obtain humanoid corpse materials to craft highly flexible undead servants they could slowly nurture, but Vasida only wanted to properly maintain egg fried rice.

For an ordinary Necromancy witch, if only her Necromancy talent was particularly outstanding while her talents in other schools of magic were mediocre, and her mana and mana level were both low with limited personal accumulation, then she could only raise many low-level undead servants for protection, winning through sheer numbers.

Although the few of them also had outstanding Necromancy talent, Necromancy Magic was not their primary means of survival.

Raising undead servants was merely a hobby that also let them practice Necromancy Magic.

They also preferred quality over quantity when it came to raising undead servants.

Mo Lan, Lilith, and Vasida each only planned to raise a single humanoid undead servant.

As they drew closer and closer to their destination, Sylph’s attention remained fixed on the plants in the Black Forest. Vasida asked:

“Sylph, do you really not want to raise even one undead servant? Undead servants are actually quite similar to magical familiars, and they’re even easier to care for.”

“No thanks,” Sylph said decisively. “Compared to raising an undead servant—stitching up its cracking skin, replacing its worn-out bones, applying anti-decay spices—I’d much rather tend to a few potted plants, or raise a few little cuties like Bi’er!”

Bi’er was sitting on her shoulder, playing with strands of her hair. Hearing this, she lifted her chin proudly. “Sprites are absolutely the cutest creatures!”

Mo Lan, Vasida, and Lilith: “…”

Who wouldn’t want to raise a Sprite?

Sprites like Bi’er, willing to leave their clan and brimming with curiosity about the outside world, were exceedingly rare.

Sylph spotted some brownish thread-like plants clinging to the trunk of a nearby blackdeath tree, and her eyes lit up. “Lilith! Stop for a moment—there seems to be a cluster of withered thread moss over there!”

Lilith immediately brought the flying carpet to a halt.

Along the way, this kind of thing had happened more than once.

Sylph could never tear her eyes away whenever she spotted a new plant.

Sometimes, Mo Lan would join her as well.

This time, since the Book of Cards had already catalogued a complete specimen of withered thread moss, Mo Lan stayed put.

Sylph had not only collected many seeds of Necromancy and dark-element magical plants, but had also observed their growing environments and growth conditions.

However, the only one she had actually started cultivating was still the Animated Blackdeath Tree.

The first Animated Blackdeath Tree Seed she had soaked had already sprouted a dry, shriveled black bud and been planted in a small planting pot.

While Sylph crouched beside the blackdeath tree collecting withered thread moss seeds, Mo Lan and the others waited on the flying carpet, also serving as lookouts.

When a strange “clack… clack…” sound drifted through the thick gray fog, Mo Lan, Lilith, and Vasida noticed it immediately.

“Sylph! Come back!”

As soon as Mo Lan spoke, she placed a Teleportation spell right beside Sylph’s feet. Sylph instinctively did as Mo Lan said, and before she even realized what was happening, she had been teleported back onto the flying carpet.

Mo Lan, Lilith, and Vasida stared intently into the gray fog to the west.

Sylph finally noticed the sound that alternated between soft and heavy. “It seems to be coming toward us?”

Mo Lan nodded. “Let’s see what it is first!”

The gray fog, formed from years of accumulated Death Force, gathered without dispersing. The sound felt as though it was already very close, yet nothing could be seen—the waiting was nerve-wracking.

Unable to resist, Lilith steered the flying carpet a short distance in that direction.

A humanoid silhouette slowly emerged from the dense fog.

All four of them instinctively held their breath.

It was a skeleton—a bony frame with only a few scraps of rotting flesh still clinging to it.

In its empty eye sockets, a ghostly green soul fire flickered.

Upon seeing the ghostly green soul fire that marked a low-level undead creature, they all relaxed in unison.

What followed immediately was intense curiosity.

This was the first undead creature they had encountered since entering the Black Forest.

The four Sorceresses crouched at the edge of the flying carpet, poking their heads over to observe the skeleton below, whispering amongst themselves.

“No flesh left and it can still move. It’s even leaning on a rotten wooden stick in its right hand, and it has soul fire—it’s a low-level skeleton warrior!” Vasida said.

“Its right shin bone doesn’t seem to fit properly. It walks with a limp, and the bones are so old and worn—one fall might scatter the whole skeleton apart!” Lilith said.

“Both legs have adult human male bones, but the right shin is shorter. The joining technique is different from the rest of the body’s bones too—it’s been forcibly connected using Death Force. It looks like this skeleton’s own handiwork.

“A skeleton warrior that can perform simple bone-setting on itself is already an elite among skeleton warriors.

“And don’t let its wobbly gait fool you into thinking it’s about to topple over. Apart from the right shin bone, the rest of its body only shows signs of natural erosion from age, with no other external injuries. That means it hasn’t actually fallen much—its walking is actually quite steady.” Mo Lan assessed.

“What’s wrapped around its left arm—is that a green cloth strip? Is it a witch’s undead servant too?” Sylph asked.

“It should be. Let me try using Witch language to see if I can command it!” Vasida said, poking her head outside the one-way sound-dampening magic circle and shouting down at the skeleton warrior below in Witch language: “Halt!”

The skeleton warrior’s soul fire trembled. It swayed once, then forced itself to a stop.

Vasida pulled her head back inside. “No doubt about it! It’s a witch’s undead servant! What a shame it already has a master, though—that ghostly green soul fire is among the highest quality you’ll find in low-level undead creatures. It would be much smarter than most.”

After a long while without hearing a follow-up command, the skeleton warrior resumed walking. When it passed the blackdeath tree where Sylph had been moments earlier, it didn’t stop.

The skeleton warrior’s footsteps gradually faded into the distance.

“It’s leaving!” Mo Lan said. “Let’s follow it and see where it goes!”

Lilith guided the flying carpet after it.

Sylph used Path Clearing to command the blackdeath tree branches blocking their way to move aside. The branches rustled and shifted, but the skeleton warrior below merely paused, tilting its head upward to glance at the treetops.

Finding no trace of them, it continued on its way—apparently mistaking the moving blackdeath tree for an Animated Blackdeath Tree.