Two days later, since the Great Rift was only so wide and there was no point taking too many people down, Zhao Fu brought just ten Archers, ten Shield Bearers, ten Infantrymen, Bai Qi, and Old Rogge. They followed the repaired stairs down to the bottom of the Great Rift.
Their equipment had improved dramatically. The Infantrymen were all armed with iron swords, while the Shield Bearers' shields had been reinforced with a thick layer of iron, greatly increasing their defense. The Archers' arrowheads had also been upgraded to iron. Everyone wore leather armor.
Great Qin Village still couldn't produce iron armor. It was complicated to make and required a blueprint, and it cost eight times as much as ordinary weapons.
Bai Qi carried a blue-quality sword, one of the weapons they had found at the bottom of the rift earlier and simply repaired. He also wore blue-quality leather armor made from the hide of the Fierce Fire Rabbit they had killed.
Zhao Fu stayed in the rear, since he wasn't charging into battle. He wore ordinary leather armor, while the blue-quality set was better suited to Bai Qi.
The group raised their torches and reached the bottom of the Great Rift. Bai Qi led the Shield Bearers, with the Infantrymen right behind them. Zhao Fu, Old Rogge, and the Archers stood in the third row, acting as their two mages.
As they slowly advanced, blue flames ignited inside the skulls of five skeletons ahead. They raised their weapons and charged at Zhao Fu's group. All five were Infantry, armed with swords, spears, axes, and the like.
When the five Skeleton Infantry charged, Bai Qi led the Shield Bearers into a wall and blocked them. The five skeletons instinctively swung their weapons at the shields, but the Shield Bearers raised their shields and stopped each blow.
The Archers took the opportunity to shoot. Their arrows did little damage to the Skeleton Infantry unless they hit the skulls, but they could still serve as support, disrupting the skeletons and creating openings for the Infantrymen.
This time, neither Bai Qi nor Old Rogge did much. The Shield Bearers separated the five Skeleton Infantry, while the Archers shot at them and made them falter for a moment. Then the Shield Bearers struck first, knocking each skeleton back and throwing it off balance before stepping aside. The Infantrymen behind them rushed in to finish the job.
After three or four rounds of this, the Skeleton Infantry collapsed into piles of bones. Soul power kept the skeletons moving, and once it ran out, they naturally fell apart. This time, the five Skeleton Infantry dropped three Souls of Martial Refinement and five weapons.
They continued onward. This time, they encountered six Skeleton Infantry and two Skeleton Archers.
The six Skeleton Infantry raised their weapons and charged without hesitation, lifting their bone-white legs and rushing toward Zhao Fu's group. Behind them, the two Skeleton Archers pulled arrows from their quivers and drew their rusted bows.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Two arrows sliced through the air, arcing toward Zhao Fu's group.
The Shield Bearers hurriedly raised their shields and blocked them. But the six Skeleton Infantry were almost upon them. If the Skeleton Archers fired again, they would completely disrupt the group's formation. One lapse in their defense could leave someone wounded.
Zhao Fu immediately ordered, "Old Rogge, attack!"
Old Rogge obeyed, raising his Withered Wood Staff. Two Blood-colored Fireballs shot out and blasted the six Skeleton Infantry just as they were about to reach the group, sending them flying.
Zhao Fu shouted again, "Archers, fire! Keep those two Skeleton Archers pinned down!"
The Archers drew their bows and fired a volley at the Skeleton Archers, interrupting them just as they were about to shoot again.
Zhao Fu called out once more, "Bai Qi, charge in! I'll leave those two Skeleton Archers to you."
Bai Qi obeyed. He leapt over the six Skeleton Infantry sprawled on the ground and charged toward the two Skeleton Archers.
By then, the six Skeleton Infantry were slowly getting back to their feet. Zhao Fu hurriedly called out again, "Shield Bearers! Move up and separate them. Use the same tactics as before and attack!"
His rapid-fire commands were carried out at once. The Shield Bearers and Infantrymen split into six squads and separated the six Skeleton Infantry. The ten Archers drew their bows and looked for openings to shoot. Up ahead, Bai Qi had reached the two skeletons. He swung his sword, sending a blade of sword energy slashing toward them.
The battle quickly came under control and gradually shifted in their favor.
Old Rogge raised his head and watched Zhao Fu, whose eyes were fixed intently on the battlefield. Having once been Zhao Fu's enemy, he couldn't help feeling a little afraid. Zhao Fu was so calm in the face of danger, so clever.
He had devised a detailed battle plan in an instant, then turned the unfavorable situation around with a series of commands. Losing to him hadn't been a disgrace. Without realizing it, Old Rogge's loyalty to Zhao Fu rose a little further.
The two sides were now fighting at close range again, so neither Zhao Fu nor Old Rogge could easily intervene. They could only watch from the sidelines.
Bai Qi was the first to succeed. With one stroke, he lopped off the head of a Skeleton Archer. Then he reversed his grip and slashed the other one flying into the wall. It crashed hard, and its body fell apart.
The Infantrymen followed the same tactics as before and took down the Skeleton Infantry one by one.
This time, they obtained ten weapons: eight of blue quality and two of white quality. The two white-quality items were short swords used by the Skeleton Archers. They also got five Souls of Martial Refinement.
After resting briefly, the group continued forward.
The passage was pitch-black, seemingly endless. The surroundings were deathly silent, and everyone stayed alert.
Then they heard the sound of skeletons awakening ahead. This time, there were twelve of them. Eleven were Skeleton Warriors carrying swords. The last one wore armor and had a greatsword at his waist. His name appeared as [Skeleton Captain].
The situation immediately looked grim.
"Roar!"
The Skeleton Captain drew his sword and let out a loud cry. An invisible sound wave spread out, the shriek piercing.
Then the Skeleton Captain charged at the head of the group, followed by the Skeleton Warriors. They moved with none of the clumsiness or disorder of ordinary skeletons. At the Skeleton Captain's back, they looked like a squad of living soldiers, charging forward with unstoppable momentum.
"So that's what the Skeleton Captain does?" Zhao Fu murmured before shouting, "Form up!"
The soldiers obeyed with solemn expressions. The Shield Bearers formed a shield wall at the front, the Infantrymen followed behind, and the Archers in the third row readied their bows.
"Fire!"
At Zhao Fu's command, the Archers loosed a volley. The arrows reached the charging Skeleton Warriors in an instant, but the Skeleton Captain swung his greatsword. A flash of steel, and five or six arrows were knocked aside.
Just then, Zhao Fu shouted, "Rogge, fire!"
Old Rogge had been ready for some time. He raised his Withered Wood Staff and poured all his strength into the spell. The two Blood-colored Fireballs hovering overhead were at least twice their original size.
He swung the staff, and the two Blood-colored Fireballs shot forward.
The Skeleton Captain saw the two incoming fireballs and showed no fear. He held his greatsword at an angle as streaks of gray spread from its blade. He was about to swing it and cleave the two fireballs in half.
Just then, Zhao Fu snorted. He had already drawn his Ironwood Bow. Yellow-black qi rose from the arrow, and he released the bowstring.
"Whoosh!"
The arrow shot forth like lightning.