In the Land of Bones, just over three miles south from the territory altar Zhao Lun had built, a small group of skeletons marched steadily southward.
"How much farther?" Zhao Lun, still sitting on the stretcher made of bones, asked Pask who lay strapped onto it.
Having been harshly beaten not long ago, Pask had become much more obedient, quietly revealing useful information to Zhao Lun. Yet he stubbornly clung to his bottom line—refusing to let his soul mark be imprinted. But Zhao Lun was no easy master to fool. Now Pask was leading him to capture the strongest lord surrounding Zhao Lun's territory.
"Keep moving forward, we're almost there."
Thanks to wandering around the Land of Bones for some time, Pask was quite familiar with the area near Zhao Lun's position. That was one point Zhao Lun could make good use of. Moreover, Pask's usefulness went far beyond simply guiding the way.
"My lord, the territory ahead isn't small. The lord's strength is formidable, and the number of skeletons under him isn't much fewer than your entire tribe. You're bringing only this handful of skeletons?" Pask finally couldn't help but ask, glancing at the less than thirty skeletons surrounding Zhao Lun.
After Pask's reluctant submission, Zhao Lun no longer shouted threats at him, just cast a glance and said, "Given what you just described, these skeletons are enough."
"Let's hope so," Pask muttered softly, falling silent again. Zhao Lun didn't care much either. Sitting on the stretcher, he quietly practiced spells while the procession moved on, showing no trace of tension before an impending battle.
In truth, although Zhao Lun brought only a few underlings, they represented nearly the entire core strength of his tribe. Not only were all twenty-four elite skeletons deployed, but Felis, who had just recovered, was also with them. Only Orlis remained behind to guard the territory. Worth noting, besides the elite skeletons and Felis, Zhao Lun even brought along a level 3 peak skeleton mage. This was intriguing—due to the demands of magic and provisions, Zhao Lun had never truly accepted a skeleton mage into his territory or combat team before. Bringing one out now was a meaningful sign.
"Master…" Felis, walking in the front, suddenly called out softly. Zhao Lun's soul-flame flickered, and he stopped practicing spells, looking ahead with an expression of expectation. "Have we finally arrived?"
Not far ahead, the layer of bones covering the ground suddenly thinned. It wasn't as dramatic as in Zhao Lun's own territory, but it was enough to reveal the presence of a skeleton tribe.
Staring at the bones on the ground, Zhao Lun mused for a moment and suddenly said, "If it were just to build a territory altar, the bones wouldn't be depleted to this extent. Pask, does this territory have any other buildings?"
"Buildings? What's that?" Pask blinked in confusion. Apparently, the system's terminology differed from theirs.
"Something similar to a territory altar, but possibly shaped differently," Zhao Lun explained.
"Oh, you call it a building?" Pask's expression lit up with understanding.
"Speaking of which, yes, there is such a building. I remember there's a tall thing next to their territory altar, but I don't know its purpose."
"A tall thing? Just one?" Zhao Lun pressed.
"Yeah, just one," Pask replied decisively. Zhao Lun nodded, gesturing for his team to halt, lowering his head to contemplate.
"My lord, you seem troubled. Why don't you give me back my skeleton body? I'll go up there and guarantee to capture the territory for you." Pask's soul-flame flickered mischievously, clearly eager after a few days of inactivity.
"Give you your skeleton? Hmph. You'd either turn around and fight me or run away. Besides, I've already caught you. How could I not handle this territory?" Zhao Lun shot him a cold glance but remained deep in thought.
What concerned Zhao Lun now was that extra building. Having encountered a 'skeleton transformation pool' before, Zhao Lun understood how crucial a single building could be in determining victory or defeat. Thinking of this, he frowned slightly. "If only I knew exactly what that building was for…"
"That building? I think I know," Pask said.
Zhao Lun's eyes brightened instantly. "Quick, tell me. What's it for?"
"Well…" Pask, ever reluctant, began teasing withholdingly.
A cold glint flashed in Zhao Lun's eyes as he reached out his bony hand and grabbed Pask, pulling him close with a sinister tone: "What's this? Itchy skin again?"
Pask stiffened, then reluctantly said, "I've seen a similar building before, only that one was much larger, so I didn't recognize it immediately."
Zhao Lun's patience waned. "I'm asking what it does."
Pask hurried to answer, "The one I saw could release powerful magic."
"Powerful magic? What kind? How powerful?" Zhao Lun blinked, intrigued.
"The one I saw unleashed lightning. Anyone hit by it, even a level 5 bone-shield skeleton, would surely die," Pask recalled the terrifying power of that building, shuddering slightly.
"One hit? Level 5 bone-shield skeleton? Sounds pretty tough." Zhao Lun frowned, thinking carefully. "Anything else?"
"Doesn't seem like it…" Pask pondered, then noticed Zhao Lun's displeased look and quickly added, "Wait, wait, I remember… that building could only cast three spells."
"Strong power means high consumption. So it makes sense that it can only cast three spells," Zhao Lun said, stepping forward. In the distance, he could vaguely make out a territory surrounded by hundreds of skeletons.
Actually, Zhao Lun wasn't incapable of taking that tribe. But with such a building in play, he couldn't be sure to win without losses. And the skeletons he'd brought, except the skeleton mage, were all his precious assets. Losing even a few would pain him deeply.
"Keep thinking, keep thinking. There's definitely a way to take it safely!"