A New Undead Warrior (Bonus Update-Please Bookmark!)

I made it to No. 13 on the new-book ranking, so here's another bonus update. I hope I can break into the top ten!

In silence, Gu Su waited outside the battle outpost.

In just two or three minutes, the outpost's crude door, made from animal hides and wooden stakes, swung open. The newly transformed Undead Warriors filed out in neat formation, each step steady and powerful—a far cry from their former stiff, dragging gait.

These Undead Warriors had been completely remade, their appearance transformed beyond recognition. The difference between them and ordinary undead was obvious at a glance.

At the front of the formation marched the Skeleton Warriors. Whether they had once been ordinary Skeletons or Elite Skeletons, they all looked the same now.

Each wore a neatly shaped leather helmet. Dark-red Corruption Mycelium juice had stained the helmet rims with shadowy patterns, and a small, eerie green crystal was embedded above the brow, protecting the top of the head and the face.

They wore simple but sturdy armor, with black metal plates covering their shoulders. Sharp spikes jutted from the armor's edges, giving off a bone-chilling aura. Fine scratches covered the armor, as if it had seen a hundred battles.

Each held a round black iron shield firmly in its left hand. The shield's surface was smooth and hard, engraved with a simple skull design, and several arrows were stuck in it.

In its right hand, each held a longsword whose blade gleamed a faint bone-white.

On closer inspection, it was a long Bone Sword forged from thick animal bones. Iron sheathed the blade, which had been sharpened to a deadly edge; dark stains that had not been wiped clean still clung to its sides.

Unlike the ordinary Skeleton Warriors, the Elite Skeleton Warriors had bones that gleamed white, with reinforced black leather cords wrapped around their joints.

The ordinary Skeleton Warriors, though gray-white in color, also had exceptionally hard bones.

Their equipment had clearly been designed for light infantry: agile, with both offensive and defensive capabilities. They walked upright and tall, no longer hunched and stiff as before.

More striking still, a faint green glow surrounded every Skeleton Warrior. It was the energy signature unique to Undead Warriors, making them instantly distinguishable from ordinary Skeletons and giving them an imposing air.

The Zombie Warriors following behind the Skeleton Warriors looked entirely different.

Their rotting, damaged bodies and patches of missing flesh had been neatly filled in with gray-white humus and vine fibers.

They were bulkier and sturdier than before. Their skin was a dark, dull blue-gray, stretched tightly over their bones, and bony spikes were faintly visible beneath it.

Each held a wooden shield as thick as a door in one hand. Coarse hemp rope reinforced its surface, which was covered in dents of varying depths. Its edges were roughly hewn, but it was sturdy enough to withstand heavy impacts.

In the other hand, each dragged a heavy war hammer over a meter long. The hammer was black, forged from a mixture of refined iron and animal bone, with raised iron spikes along its edges. A fearsome beast-face pattern had been carved into the hammerhead, making it intimidating even at a glance.

With every step, the war hammer scraped against the ground with a piercing screech.

Clearly, the Zombie Warriors had been transformed into heavy infantry.

Their heavy equipment greatly improved their defense and attack power, but it also slowed them down. Every step landed with a solid thud. They were much slower than they had been before, but their movements were now all the more steady and unshakable.

Looking at the revitalized, imposing ranks of Undead Warriors before him, Gu Su wore a satisfied expression and nodded slowly.

This was exactly the kind of fighting strength he wanted. His earlier investment of resources had not been in vain.

Without hesitation, Gu Su issued his orders. "Zombie Warriors, return to your posts. Let the Graveyard Demon handle the supplies itself.

"Skeleton soldiers, prepare for battle. White Crow, lead the way. We're setting out."

With an Undead army that could both attack and defend at his command, Gu Su was undoubtedly much more confident.

His usual caution remained, but now he was also certain of success.

He could barely contain himself. He was eager to take this newly assembled force out and clear the area—both to test the Undead Warriors in actual combat and to collect more corpses, so he could fill Great Mound Pit No. 4 completely.

Gu Su calculated to himself, Once I fill Pit No. 4 this time, I refuse to believe another Skeleton Junior Leader with a noncombat talent can appear!

Just as the group was about to leave through the Graveyard Demon's gate, Gu Su stopped and turned to remind the Zombie Warriors staying behind.

"When the other five Elite Skeletons return, send them straight to the battle outpost for transformation.

"I'll cover the cost of all the required supplies."

Once he had finished giving instructions, he wasted no more time. He strode out the gate first, followed by thirteen Skeleton Warriors and three spellcaster Skeletons whose mana had already recovered.

As he left, Gu Su made a special detour to bring along a shopping cart loaded with Corruption Mycelium.

He had learned from experience. There was no telling whether they might encounter another base that could be devoured, like the Half-Orc Camp.

If they did, this Corruption Mycelium would come in handy.

Unfortunately, Gu Su's luck did not hold for the rest of the trip.

All the large beasts and groups of humanoid creatures within one or two kilometers of the Graveyard Demon had already been wiped out by Gu Su and his people. Not a trace remained.

To find a suitable target, White Crow would have to fly farther and search a much wider area.

That meant that even with a stronger Undead army at his command, Gu Su would be hard-pressed to achieve much in the short term. He might even come away with less than he had from his previous sweeps, making for a rather inauspicious start.

Gu Su and the Undead army roamed the wilderness for over an hour, crossing hills and passing through dense woods. In the end, they managed to hunt only three large wild boars.

The three wild boars were thick-skinned and tough, and their strength was considerable. They also served as proof of the Skeleton Warriors' power.

Against beasts like these, the Skeleton Warriors worked in perfect coordination, attacking and defending in an orderly fashion. They took little time to finish them off.

But such a small haul was clearly below Gu Su's expectations.

Gu Su did not waste time. He ordered two Skeleton Warriors to carry the three wild boar carcasses back to the Graveyard Demon for future undead transformations and resource storage.

Watching the two Skeleton Warriors walk away, Gu Su raised his brows and quickly considered his options.

There were no targets left nearby. Rather than waste time here, he might as well visit a few places he had discovered earlier but never had time to investigate.

One of them immediately came to mind: the building that had been completely covered in Glowing Vines and eventually crushed beneath their weight.

He had been too busy clearing out the Half-Orc Camp and transforming undead to investigate it. Now that his force was ready and there were no targets nearby, it was the perfect time to take a look.

He was free anyway, so he might as well go check it out.