Setting Out Again (Bonus Chapter-Please Add to Your Collection)

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"Your name is Coyote? What does your Rapid Sprint talent do?"

Gu Su lowered his gaze to scan the skeleton squad leader's status panel. He skipped the small talk and got straight to the point.

[Coyote (Level 0, Summon, Squad Leader): Experience (0/100), Attack 1, Defense 1, Health 10, Talent: Rapid Sprint]

Coyote immediately adopted a humble, respectful posture. His bony hands lowered slightly as he answered.

"My lord, it's like this!

"As long as I lead the way, the movement speed of every member of my Skeleton Squad will double!

"Whether we're rushing to provide support or doing manual labor, we'll get things done much faster. With me around, I can make sure we accomplish more in less time!"

"A hauler, then."

Gu Su fell silent for two seconds. He lightly rubbed his chin with his fingertips, a glimmer of understanding in his eyes. He already knew what this kind of squad leader was for.

It just wasn't a particularly good talent for skeletons. Put it in an aerial unit, though, and it would be top-tier.

Though that was what he thought, Gu Su still instructed Coyote, "All right. That's a practical direction to develop in.

"The Skeleton Squad you led before is hauling water, monster bones, and mud from the puddle. Go over there now and take charge."

After a pause, he added a firm reminder: "With your Rapid Sprint talent, they should finish the job much faster.

"Once everything's been moved, come find me right away and help me count and haul the spoils we collect afterward.

"I'll leave a White Crow on standby at the territory. It'll lead you to me. Don't dawdle."

Coyote didn't hesitate for a moment. He accepted the order respectfully, turned around, and led his skeletons briskly toward the puddle.

The instant he turned away, a faint wisp of black smoke rose from the bare gravestone in front of the grave mound he'd crawled out of. It lingered for a moment before a clear line of text slowly appeared.

"Coyote Squad (25/25)." The inscription clearly indicated the squad's affiliation and that it was at full strength.

Only after Coyote and his squad had disappeared from view did Gu Su shift his gaze to the six zombies standing quietly nearby, waiting for orders. A thoughtful look passed through his eyes.

He knew all too well that the six zombies moved at an absurdly slow pace—at most, only a third as fast as ordinary skeletons. If he took them along on an expedition, he and his elite squad would likely have finished the battle and collected the bodies while the zombies were still plodding along the road, nowhere near the battlefield.

No wonder zombies were jokingly called "the eternal home guards." At that sluggish speed, they were suited only to defending a territory and were completely unfit for an expedition.

But everything had its strengths and weaknesses. Zombies might be slow, but they made up for it with sturdy defenses and powerful strength. Whether guarding a territory, keeping watch, mining, digging, or handling other heavy labor, they were excellent workers and highly practical.

There were no mines near the territory so far, so Gu Su quickly assigned them a task.

They would patrol inside and outside the Graveyard Demon's territory, watching closely for any sign of movement and making sure no careless monster or enemy took advantage of his absence to break in and destroy the territory's foundations.

After giving the zombies their orders, he watched them lumber off with heavy, clumsy steps, slowly spreading out to take up their patrol positions throughout the territory. Only then did he consider the arrangements for guarding the place complete.

Then he turned and waved to the undead squad, already assembled and waiting. "Move out!" he ordered.

This time, he was bringing three spellcasting skeletons, five elite skeletons, and eleven newly transformed ordinary skeletons, forming a squad with clearly defined roles.

The elite skeletons would take hits and deal damage in close combat, while the spellcasting skeletons provided support and kept enemies at bay from a distance. It wasn't a small force, and it was enough to handle most unexpected situations.

As for the new skeletons, they were all cannon fodder, meant to draw the enemy's attention.

The reason he was setting out in such a hurry was that only moments earlier, the White Crow he'd sent to scout had brought back another urgent report.

A settlement of orcs had been spotted a little over two thousand meters from the Graveyard Demon's territory.

According to the White Crow's detailed report, the orcs all had rough, blue-green skin and thick, powerfully built bodies. They stood around 1.6 to 1.8 meters tall, more than a head taller than the goblins he'd encountered before. They radiated a violent aura and looked extremely aggressive.

More importantly, there were quite a few of them—around thirty in all. They were a tribe that couldn't be underestimated.

But what put Gu Su most on guard wasn't their numbers or size. It was the weapons in their hands.

They weren't wielding crude branches and wooden clubs like the goblins. Instead, they carried sharp iron shards gathered from somewhere and ground to a gleaming edge. Gripped in their thick hands, the metal flashed with a deadly sheen, making them far more lethal than ordinary stone weapons.

"So this time, we're going straight from the Stone Age to the Iron Age."

Gu Su murmured under his breath. His eyes turned grave, though beneath the concern lurked an unmistakable excitement.

The stronger the enemy, the greater the rewards were likely to be.

The White Crow had also brought back one crucial detail.

The orcs had gathered beside the ruins of a collapsed building. A roaring fire burned among the rubble, with large chunks of raw meat roasting over it, sizzling and dripping with fat. The rich aroma of meat mingled with the smell of blood and carried a long way.

Judging by their arrogant expressions, careless behavior, and lack of caution, they had clearly taken complete control of the area. They were the local tyrants within a radius of one or two thousand meters, used to throwing their weight around and never having faced a foe who could challenge them.

Gu Su knew that these enemies would be no easy targets.

They were numerous, strong, and well-armed, and they had occupied the ruins, a position that was easy to defend and difficult to attack. If he charged in recklessly, his undead squad could suffer losses, and it wouldn't be worth it.

But on the other hand, if he managed to take down the orcs, the rewards would be substantial.

Thirty orc corpses would be enough to transform into a large force of powerful undead, further strengthening his ranks.

The iron shard weapons they carried could also be distributed among his Skeleton Squad, greatly improving their close-combat strength.

More importantly, their arrogance might be the best way to defeat them.

As the local overlords, they wouldn't normally give a second thought to anyone else.

They probably had never been lured into a trap or ambushed before.

That was Gu Su's chance to take them down.