The reason skeletons are considered the lowest-level undead in the underworld is something Zhao Lun didn't fully comprehend at the time. That's why he wasted four or five hours on a pointless task.
For ambitious people, the best way to break them is through repeated failure.
After five hours and having gone through 567 skeletons, Zhao Lun was disappointed to find none of them were mutated skeletons. Even when he lowered his standards, not a single one of the skeletons he encountered was above the Black Iron rank. Everyone's tolerance has its limits, and Zhao Lun was no exception. Frustrated, he spent another ten minutes and captured three skeleton archers before calling it quits.
The failure in hunting for mutated skeletons only increased Zhao Lun's ambition to capture the mutated Giant Axe Skeleton, so he intentionally left two empty slots in his lineup.
"The Swamp Technique is almost fully mastered. Although it still takes five seconds to chant the spell, I'm at the point where I can use it in battle. As for my skeleton servants, with Ollis, plus four skeleton archers, one big sword skeleton, and one bone shield skeleton, this formation is already much stronger than what I initially planned. I'm ready to take on the mutated Giant Axe Skeleton."
An hour later, having confirmed that everything was ready, Zhao Lun waved his hand dramatically, leading his skeleton army to the location of the mutated skeletons.
This time, Zhao Lun was full of confidence, and with a heart full of excitement, he made it to the mutated Giant Axe Skeleton's territory in just fifty minutes.
"Go, you!"
It must be said that Zhao Lun was a rather heartless and indifferent master. After glancing at the distant "territory will," he turned his gaze to his skeleton minions. Without hesitation, he chose to abandon one of the 4th-level skeleton archers he had recently captured, cruelly sending it to its death.
The loyal skeleton archer, with the sound of its bones clanking, marched forward fearlessly, heading straight for the "territory will."
Zhao Lun, the cold and calculating master, didn't spare a second thought for the archer. His eyes remained fixed on the lower back of the "territory will," where the mutated Giant Axe Skeleton had appeared earlier.
"Stop, shoot!"
Surprisingly, Zhao Lun wasn't completely heartless. Just as the skeleton archer was within thirty to forty meters of the "territory will," he halted the archer's advance and gave the order.
"Whoosh!"
The skeleton archer immediately responded without hesitation, shooting a bone arrow half a meter long with lightning speed. In an instant, the arrow reached the spot Zhao Lun had designated, piercing the ground as though it had struck soft tofu.
"Who knows if the mutated Giant Axe Skeleton is well hidden? If not, this shot might actually hit it!" Zhao Lun had confidence in the power of the skeleton archer's shot.
However, after the arrow was fired, three minutes passed, and there was no reaction from the mutated Giant Axe Skeleton.
Zhao Lun, unable to sit still, muttered, "Shoot again!"
"Whoosh!" With a second command, another bone arrow flew out, landing in the same spot.
Another three minutes passed, and still, no movement from the mutated skeleton.
"This is strange. Is it not there?" Zhao Lun began to feel puzzled, about to order the skeleton archer to shoot a few more test shots when something unexpected happened!
The white bone layer in front of the "territory will" suddenly exploded. In an instant, a massive, three-meter-long giant axe flew out, crashing into the skeleton archer that had just shot.
"Crack!" The poor skeleton archer, struck at the waist by the giant axe, was shattered. Even its hard skull couldn't withstand the blow, cracking apart, and the soul fire inside was instantly destroyed. The 4th-level skeleton archer was killed in an instant.
"Ollis, now's your chance! Go!" The sudden turn of events didn't give Zhao Lun any time to mourn the loss of his skeleton archer. The overwhelming battle instinct and the terrifying threat of the mutated Giant Axe Skeleton forced him into action.
"Yes!"
Ollis, who had been waiting for an opportunity, immediately picked up his bone shield and big sword, rushing forward in a stance ready to face the mutated Giant Axe Skeleton in a fight to the death.
The mutated Giant Axe Skeleton, upon noticing Ollis charging toward it, suddenly raised both arms and slammed them onto the ground, its jaws opening wide as it let out a roar filled with fury. Then, it charged toward Ollis.
As the mutated Giant Axe Skeleton began to run, it resembled a ferocious prehistoric beast. Its grotesque skeletal form became even more menacing as it raced through the dust, giving off an overwhelming feeling of invincibility. Even Zhao Lun, who had just been analyzing the deafening roar of the mutated Giant Axe Skeleton, couldn't help but feel a bit of concern for Ollis, who was bravely meeting the charge head-on.
Fifty meters, thirty meters, twenty meters...
As the mutated Giant Axe Skeleton neared Ollis, Zhao Lun gripped his staff tightly.
"Ollis, you better hold on! I don't want my precious mutated skeleton servant to get killed just like that!"
Just as Zhao Lun worried for his prized servant, Ollis and the mutated Giant Axe Skeleton collided. The massive skeleton raised its arms high and slammed them down toward Ollis with all its might.
"Boom!"
In an instant, the giant axe-like arms of the mutated skeleton struck the ground with a thunderous crash. The ground beneath it cracked open, and the shockwave sent debris flying everywhere, creating a scene of intense destruction.
Zhao Lun, shaken by the sheer power of the blow, couldn't see Ollis through the thick dust. All he could make out was the silhouette of the mutated Giant Axe Skeleton and the long cracks spreading across the ground.
"Ollis, you better not be dead, or else..."
"Crack!"
A crisp sound of bone cracking interrupted Zhao Lun's anxious muttering.
Through the flying dust, Zhao Lun couldn't see clearly, but he saw the mutated Giant Axe Skeleton stagger as though it had been struck. Then, a series of bone-clashing noises rang out, each strike more intense than the last, like the beat of a drum, growing louder and more forceful, with no dips—only a relentless crescendo of conflict!