Undead Mage: I Have a Skeleton Clone

Chapter 637 - 432: Pioneering the Tomb, Reaping Rich Rewards! (Part 2)

Now, its once-proud stealth ability vanished completely under the gaze of the Soul Eagle Eye. Its entire body was struck by Fang Zhou’s meticulously prepared Skeleton Prison Skill, leaving it no room to maneuver.

The Ghost, reduced to a caged bird, performed no better under Fang Zhou’s fierce magical assault than an ordinary Zombie or Skeleton. Soon, the Ghost’s struggles ceased. Its body trembled violently, and it reached out toward the sky as if trying to grasp something. Then, from its translucent chest, it emitted one final, piercing scream.

With a loud bang, a blinding green light forced everyone to look away. The Ghost’s body exploded. Black smoke and will-o’-the-wisps soared into the sky, forming a column that pierced the heavens.

An invisible shockwave spread outward from the center of the explosion, but it had no effect on Fang Zhou, who was tightly protected by his Skeleton Armor. However, the flying Skeleton Bats in the sky were not so lucky. The Ghost’s death seemed to strike them with a particularly terrifying blow. The shockwave rolled across the sky, causing the ghastly green Soul Fires to pop one after another like bubbles. The other Ghosts near the Skeleton Bats also lost their former arrogance, letting out sharp, fearful wails as they fled into the distance.

"Great, the obstacles are cleared! Let’s charge in!" Fang Zhou shouted, pointing his sword toward the tomb ruins.

At the bottom of the tomb, two great doors frozen shut by black ice stood firmly closed, but there were no more enemies in their path.

The battle between the Werewolves and Skeletons continued. However, it was clear to everyone that the Werewolves, with their brown fur and hearty appetites, had gained an absolute advantage. The remaining Skeleton soldiers were like white foam tossed about in a great wave, being squeezed and torn apart by the Werewolf pack, with more of them vanishing every moment.

"Those dog-heads sure got lucky. They won’t be lacking for food anytime soon," Hong Yang said, laughing with his mouth wide open.

"Hong Yang, now is not the time for making snide remarks," Zhang Wu said from the side. "We’ve only just reached the bottom of the tomb, and we haven’t figured out how to get inside yet."

After the Ghost was vanquished, he seemed much more spirited and could now walk without assistance. The team had gathered in front of the tomb’s entrance. The only thing stopping them from advancing was the two doors, frozen tightly together by black ice.

Several Combat Professional cadets tentatively struck the doors with their weapons. Their weapons were standard-issue, white Normal-quality Equipment from Sea City Military Academy, known for their sturdiness. Yet, compared to the tomb doors, they were like toys. Not only did the doors remain unmoved, but their strikes failed to leave even a decent mark on the black frost encasing them.

"This ice is harder than steel," Kai said in surprise, shaking his arm, which ached from the impact.

"Move aside, everyone, watch me!" a shout came from behind. A Shield Dancer cadet shouted, bracing his giant Tower Shield as he prepared to charge.

The others quickly stepped aside, watching with anticipation and curiosity as Hong Yang let out a great roar and charged forward with a series of heavy steps.

BANG!

A tremendous sound rang out, and the very ground near the tomb seemed to shudder.

The shouting ceased abruptly. The Shield Dancer cadet, known for his Defense Power, wobbled back in his Heavy Armor as if drunk. He stumbled chaotically for a few steps before collapsing onto his backside. His enormous, spiked Tower Shield remained pressed against the door for a few seconds before sliding down with a clatter. The broken spikes fell to the ground, ringing and clanging.

"Pathetic humans, like an egg hitting a stone!" Guna, the Mud Spring Female Leader, mocked with a piercing voice.

Fang Zhou ignored the taunts from the natives. Given how solid the door was, the result would have been the same even if the Werewolves or Snake-men had tried. Fortunately, for the well-prepared Natural Expedition Team, this was not an insurmountable hurdle.

First, Fang Zhou accurately cast the Poison Cloud Skill on the Black Ice Gate. The fog formed by the Undead’s Corrosive Poison had two properties. The most obvious, of course, was its toxicity. What was often overlooked, however, was its corrosive aspect. Even the inanimate black ice began to loosen under this relentless corrosive force.

Next, Fang Zhou used a Skill to enhance ten Skeletons, turning them into Elite Skeleton Officers. He had them raise their longswords and chop at the black frost covering the door. Fragments flew as their blades rang out. With the help of the Poison Cloud Skill’s corrosion, the attacks of these Elite Officers finally left clear marks several centimeters deep in the black frost. However, breaking through the door this way would still require continuous chopping for a very long time.

Of course, what Fang Zhou had the Skeletons do was just the first step. To avoid any unforeseen dangers beyond the tomb doors, Fang Zhou ordered the Combat Professional cadets to retreat to a safe distance. He left only his tireless Undead Summoned Creatures to hack away at the ice.

About ten minutes later, a rough, irregular crater had formed in the center of the Black Ice Gate.

Every Profession has its specialty. Brute-forcing a door open was a task naturally left to the students of other Professions.

Within Hong Yang’s Gale Squad, there was a Support Professional who had awakened the Blast Pioneer Profession. His greatest talent was developing and deploying various Explosive Devices. This kind of siege-breaking operation was his exact forte.

Notably, the Space Treasure Chest containing stored Magic Stones, which they had seized from the Fallen Bear Monsters, had been allocated to this Blast Pioneer at Hong Yang’s strong suggestion. There was no other choice; the explosive devices, augmented by a Professional’s power, were simply too unstable and required strict storage conditions. Equipping the Blast Pioneer with a spatial storage device was a great benefit to his combat effectiveness.

At Fang Zhou’s signal, the Blast Pioneer retrieved several meticulously wrapped Explosive Devices from his Space Treasure Chest. Everyone jumped back in alarm, scattering away from the Blast Pioneer cadet. Even Guna on her Swamp Slime was no exception.

The gaps Fang Zhou had the Skeleton Army carve into the Black Ice Gate were in the optimal positions for planting the explosives, just as the Blast Pioneer had instructed him earlier.

Fang Zhou then signaled everyone to move further back before directing several Skeletons to carry the Explosive Devices and secure them firmly in the gaps on the Black Ice Gate.

Then, with a tremendous, earth-shattering blast, a crimson Fireball rose into the air, piercing through the heavy mist. A searing shockwave rolled out, carrying the choking scent of gunpowder. However, following the Blast Pioneer’s guidance, the members of the Expedition Team had remained far outside the danger zone and were unaffected.

As the smoke cleared, the two doors of the tomb ruins swayed precariously. The lower half of one door was completely shattered, held together only by a few twisted metal strips clinging to some broken chunks of ice. The other door fared slightly better, though it was now covered in cracks.

Without hesitation, Fang Zhou commanded his summoned Skeleton death squad to charge into the dark, eerie entrance of the tomb ruin. However, the anticipated Undead ambush never came.

After directing the Undead Creatures to clear the narrow, dim tomb hall and finding nothing unusual, the members of the Expedition Team cautiously entered. Stepping past the two crumbling doors, they finally set foot inside the tomb ruins.

The light of Mana and Battle Qi intertwined, illuminating every last detail within the tomb. If the enemies inside had been human, this approach would have undoubtedly made them prime targets for a concentrated volley of arrows and bolts. But the beings now lurking in the ruins were an unknown number of Undead Demons. The vision of the Undead differs from that of the living; the intensity of the light did not alter what they could see.