Head-on Battle

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Gu Su's attack came without warning. The half-beasts charging at the front were instantly stunned. The fervor on their faces hadn't faded before they were thrown into disarray by the sudden assault.

But half-beasts were, after all, a race accustomed to constant combat, and their reactions were swift.

After a brief moment of shock, they immediately recovered, roaring as they raised their iron shard weapons. Their scarlet eyes fixed on the skeletons ahead, they charged at the skeletons with all their might, determined to tear these defiant skeletons to shreds.

However, they never imagined that Gu Su had already planned for everything.

The positions where the skeletons stood were all pre-arranged traps. Beneath the seemingly flat ground lay a deadly crisis.

The half-beasts, focused solely on charging forward, were completely unprepared. The ground beneath their feet suddenly gave way, causing them to stumble. Several half-beasts plunged headfirst into the open traps, their fall accompanied by dull thuds and pained cries.

The sharp wooden stakes at the bottom of the traps instantly pierced their bodies, and blood immediately stained the stakes and the inner walls of the traps.

Gu Su's regular skeletons immediately seized this excellent opportunity. Gripping their three-meter-long wooden spears, they pressed firmly against the edges of the traps, pinning the fallen half-beasts at the bottom and preventing them from struggling or climbing out.

After all, these traps were dug temporarily and were only about 1.6 meters deep, not particularly deep.

If the half-beasts hadn't been impaled by the stakes at the bottom and weakened, they could have easily climbed out with their strong arms, which would have put the situation at a disadvantage.

While the regular skeletons were fully occupied suppressing the half-beasts in the traps, several elite skeletons immediately leaped forward. Gripping their sharpened weapons, they began to hack ferociously at the half-beasts at the bottom of the traps. Amidst flashes of cold light, wounds appeared on the half-beasts one after another, their screams echoing.

At this point, Gu Su no longer stood by. He immediately joined the battle.

He knew clearly that the current regular skeletons could only serve to suppress and contain the enemies, preventing them from moving around. To truly kill the formidable half-beasts, it would still require the elite skeletons to exert their strength.

Moreover, he could see that the half-beasts were far more resilient than he had imagined.

Their defense might not be particularly high, but their HP was definitely above 20.

Even his two spellcasting skeletons, who could use magic, could only target half-health, heavily wounded enemies to achieve a quick kill. Facing full-health half-beasts, they were powerless.

Therefore, Gu Su had to personally intervene in this battle. He couldn't just watch from the sidelines anymore. Every bit of strength would increase their chances of victory and reduce the skeletons' losses.

With Gu Su's personal reinforcement, coupled with the two spellcasting skeletons providing ranged support from the side, occasionally casting spells to wear down the half-beasts and assist the engaged skeletons, the initially stalemated battle gradually turned around. Before long, all the dozen or so half-beasts that had charged in fell in pools of blood, and the battle finally came to an end.

[Skeleton (Summon) killed Fanged Half-Beast (Level 1), you gained 3 experience points, summoned units share 7 experience points.]

[You killed Fanged Half-Beast (Level 1), you gained 11 experience points.]

[...]

System prompts continuously sounded in Gu Su's mind, but he paid no attention to these experience points.

The moment the last Fanged Half-Beast fell to the ground, its life extinguished, Gu Su decisively ordered, "Restore the traps immediately! Be quick! Don't leave any traces!"

He knew clearly that the half-beast tribe lived together. The pained roars of these half-beasts as they died would surely attract the attention of the remaining half-beasts in the ruins. If the traps couldn't be restored quickly, and the remaining half-beasts charged over, without the advantage of the traps, it would be incredibly difficult for his skeletons alone to deal with the subsequent onslaught.

But it was already too late.

The dying roars of the half-beasts had extreme penetrating power, and had already pierced the silence of the forest, reaching the ruins where the remaining half-beasts lived. Although these half-beasts were usually arrogant and never believed there were enemies in this area who could contend with them, upon hearing their companions' screams, they immediately became alert. They gripped their weapons and charged towards the forest with fierce momentum, moving at great speed.

Just as Gu Su gave the order to restore the traps, and before the skeletons could act, several tall figures broke through the bushes at the edge of the forest and charged in. They were the first to arrive – the Fanged Half-Beasts.

Gu Su's eyes darkened. With no time to think, he sternly ordered his skeleton squad, "Block them!"

The moment the order was given, several elite skeletons responded. With a flash of movement, they intercepted the charging Fanged Half-Beasts, forcefully blocking their assault. The sharp clang of metal colliding instantly rang out as the elite skeletons' weapons clashed fiercely with the half-beasts' iron shards, sending sparks flying.

Simultaneously, the few skeletons that had been sent to ambush in the trees earlier seized the opportunity and released the last of the ropes in their hands. The sharpened wooden stakes, already prepared, whistled through the air as they plummeted down from the trees, accurately striking the half-beasts charging from behind.

Undead beings have no emotions, no nervousness or fear. Even when facing an increasing number of charging half-beasts, they showed no signs of panic. Every action was precise and swift, perfectly seizing the best moment for a counterattack. Several thick wooden stakes smashed heavily onto the half-beasts, sending several of them flying backward, crashing heavily to the ground, spitting blood from their mouths, and unable to get up for a time.

Gu Su also used this brief respite to unleash the maximum power of his Plague Cutter. The cutter instantly emitted a piercing hum, its sharp blade glinting with a cold light. He flashed forward, charging in front of a half-beast. Taking advantage of the moment the creature was unsteady from being struck by a wooden stake, he gripped the Plague Cutter and pressed it against the half-beast's neck, slashing down fiercely.

"Ching—"

The sharp blade easily sliced through the half-beast's neck, and a large amount of warm blood instantly gushed out, spraying directly onto Gu Su's face. It carried a strong scent of blood, but he paid it no mind. His eyes remained cold and sharp as he drew the cutter back and charged towards the next half-beast.

The other skeletons also strictly followed their pre-assigned tactical positions. Three skeletons gathered together, forming a small combat formation. They gripped their wooden spears and repeatedly thrust them at the charging half-beasts, withdrawing them in unison, giving the half-beasts no chance to breathe. Even when a skeleton was hit by a powerful attack from a half-beast, its bones shattering and falling to the ground, it showed no intention of retreating. As long as it could still move, it would struggle to get up and continue attacking the half-beasts, using its own bones to stubbornly hold back the half-beasts' advance, creating opportunities for Gu Su and the other skeletons to counterattack.