The water, now stained a deep red, spread outward, reaching Bones as he surveyed the scene.
"We're leaving, Skully. Seems the loot is once again not ours for the taking."
tsk
Bones clicked his tongue in frustration, dismissing Skully. He jammed his fingers into the tree bark and began to climb. When he reached a branch sturdy enough to hold him, he settled in, observing the carnage below. The leeches, grotesque and voracious, had swarmed the bodies, their size ranging from the length of Bones’ forearm to nearly his entire leg. They were feasting on his kills with ruthless efficiency. These creatures had been a common nuisance since Bones began hunting deeper in the swamps.
He had no issue with their scavenging—he preferred it, in fact. No flesh, no equipment, no evidence left behind. The leeches tended to avoid him, not out of any particular preference, but simply because he had no flesh to consume. They reacted to disturbances in the water and, especially, to the scent of blood. Bones had verified this through observation and experiment.
The men he had killed were around level forty, and while the experience was decent, it wasn’t enough to satisfy his growing hunger for challenge. Bones questioned whether he was becoming greedy, whether his expectations were too high. Perhaps he was, but if he were to level up through killing, he would need to face more formidable foes.
He recalled a recent ambush, where a solitary man at level forty-five had proven to be a tough opponent. The fight had dragged on long enough for the leeches to get involved, tipping the scales in Bones’ favor. That battle had yielded more experience than his recent kills combined, advancing him a level.
The system seemed to reward experience not just for killing, but for the challenge involved. Easy kills provided less experience, reinforcing the idea that the system favored difficulty and effort. Bones understood the need to face stronger enemies for greater rewards, but he was still torn between pursuing higher-level targets or focusing on quantity.
“Haah, what to do, what to do…” he muttered.
He pondered his options. For now, it seemed wise to continue with his current approach until the situation on the battlefield changed. He also needed a new spear for Skully. The adventurers in the area wielded superior weapons, but finding a suitable target to obtain one had proven challenging.
Bones navigated through the trees, leaping from branch to branch until he reached an area with a lower water level. He descended to the ground and headed toward a stretch of forest known for more suitable prey.
Upon arrival, he paused to reapply mud to his legs, which had been washed away by the water. Once satisfied, he proceeded to his chosen hiding spot. Climbing a familiar birch tree, he took his place on a branch from which he could survey the forest. There, he waited patiently, his eyes scanning for any sign of his next target.
To make the most of the situation, Bones needed the Wezar's army to advance on the frontline and push the Aphitonians completely out of the south camp and on the run. With how hard they were pressing, it wouldn’t be long. While he waited, Bones reflected on what he had experienced so far.
With the system’s guidance and the countless paths available, I expected there would be more magicians around. Instead, most seem to focus on physical abilities. A lot depends on having Mana Sense and Mana Manipulation, so it makes sense that those with poor sense and manipulation would train their physical attributes instead. I just thought I’d see more spells flying around rather than arrows and that one guy who kept throwing axes.
From what I understand, soldiers up to the second tier focus entirely on physical attributes, while the rest, along with adventurers, have hybrid builds with magical skills complementing their physical prowess. Pure mages are in the minority. Another thing to note is their equipment. It’s of higher quality than what I’m used to seeing, on par with some of the better items Hemdus made. I had Skully replace every piece of equipment so he wouldn’t take as much damage from enemies at my level. I should probably look into upgrading a few pieces myself. I’d need to find female armor or a really scrawny adventurer, though. Everything I’ve looted so far hasn’t suited me.
“Get them! Don’t let them pass!” The voices carried from a distance. Bones turned his attention to the direction of the sounds and sensed a larger group of people chasing a smaller one. For a moment, he thought this might be his cue, but it turned out to be a temporary situation where the Aphitonian soldiers were simply on the run. It wasn’t time yet, but it would be soon.
As night fell, Bones climbed down from his hiding spot. In the distance, he spotted numerous specks of light, like fireflies. These were torches lit by the Wezar’s army soldiers as they finally pushed the Aphitonians into retreat. He sprang into action, his feet leading him. With so many people moving about, no one would notice a muddy undead sneaking around.
Bones followed the torches at a distance and took every opportunity to engage in the fight whenever the Aphitonians fought back. Before doing so, he equipped his robe, donned a red armband to avoid being mistaken for an enemy, and prepared to strike.
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Bones let the two sides clash while he aimed to deliver the killing blows. It was a dirty way to fight, but it didn’t earn him as much experience as he had hoped. The combat experience was shared among all parties involved, so his plan to steal kills didn’t work out as expected. Still, he continued to try.
There was another reason Bones was eager to finally make a move and actively take part in larger-scale combat. During one of the many skirmishes in the forest, Bones hurled an object between the two sides, and it exploded. The sound of the explosion was muffled by the clamor of battle, noticeable only to those at the point of impact, and the smoke from the explosion went unnoticed due to the darkness of the night. However, the thirteen soldiers on Wezar's side and nine on the Aphitonians' would soon feel the effects of the bomb.
After throwing the bomb, Bones waited at a safe distance behind a tree for the poison to spread. The sudden difficulty in breathing, nausea, and dizziness affected everyone in the vicinity, causing attacks and spells that were meant to be blocked or avoided to hit their targets. Within seconds, five soldiers had died, and the situation continued to deteriorate. As the soldiers were affected, Bones took action.
He closed in on the nearest staggering man and jabbed a lance through his chest. The thrust was quick and precise, piercing through his protective equipment and his heart. Bones didn’t pause to see if the man died; if he wasn’t dead already, he soon would be. He then used Quick Steps to move into the center, surrounded by soldiers from both sides. Manifesting a new Bone Lance in his hands, he fired three consecutive Bone Novas, hitting everyone around him, friend and foe alike. An arrow pierced his shoulder, and he felt a long slash on his back, from shoulder to waist. Despite the injuries, he continued to move, using his lance and Bone Novas to inflict as much damage as possible. His hastily executed assault lasted only a few seconds before he was flung into and bounced off trees by a sudden blast of raw mana.
Bones quickly got back on his feet and looked around frantically, searching for his attacker. He saw mages on both sides convulsing and delirious, casting fire spells in random directions. Area-of-effect spells like Mana Blast hit everyone within their radius, and Bones realized he wasn’t being targeted.
“Hm… this isn’t good. This isn’t what I had in mind! The purpose of the bomb was to incapacitate, allowing me to deal the finishing blow. This is just chaos…”
The mages’ spells likely did more harm to their own soldiers than to the enemy. Their frantic and uncontrolled outbursts were quelled when the few less-affected soldiers knocked them unconscious. These second-tier silver rankers took immediate control of the situation. Those who were affected to the point of suffocation were led outside the blast radius, while the unconscious were carried away.
Both sides soon realized that a third party was involved, trying to gain the upper hand while they fought each other. In the meantime, Bones disengaged and observed the situation unfold from the top of a tree. Lacking a clear line of sight, he relied on his Mana Sense.
The soldiers disengaged and moved away from each other. The Aphitonians seized the opportunity to flee, while Wezar’s side opted not to pursue. Bones overheard them discussing their decision to turn back and regroup with the others. Although he didn’t catch who said it, someone concluded that they were most likely attacked by an adventurer. Bones was a bit surprised at how quickly they reached that conclusion.
“Damn adventurers. Riley’s group also faced adventurers. They’re getting bolder with their attacks!” one soldier said.
“There was always a risk of some of them turning against us. It has happened before and will happen again. We didn’t expect loyalty from their kind anyway. Come, gather the injured and have the more able ones carry the unconscious,” replied another soldier. The troops quickly left the area, leaving Bones alone with his thoughts.
“So, there are others acting out? Seems the soldiers don’t quite get along with the adventurers. Anyway, if I’m going to keep using the bombs, I should stick to fighting from a distance. I keep charging in…”
Bones left the area shortly after, searching for another fight. It didn’t take long to find one, and once again, he began by engaging the two groups with a bomb.
The night of fighting proved fruitful in more ways than just gaining combat experience and leveling up. He gained a deeper understanding of "modern" combat and, more importantly, pushed his limits, recognizing both his advantages and shortcomings.
Wezar's army managed to reclaim the south camp that night, but their momentum was eventually halted by enemy reinforcements. The two sides clashed consistently throughout the night, and the aftermath was a fire that engulfed a large portion of the forest, forcing the armies back into the clearing.
After a long night, the armies on both sides faced each other across an open field, much like when Bones first observed from his hiding place a few days ago. This time, he stood at the edge of the forest, his figure a patchwork of hardened mud, cuts, cracks, and singed bones. The cuirass he had looted and worn loosely was torn, its enchantment depleted and faded.
He focused on the two armies, now two hundred meters away. On his left was Wezar's army—worn and weary but steadfast in its resolve. On his right were the Aphitonians, outnumbered but receiving much-needed reinforcements with each passing moment. The two armies sized each other up, and with the sun rising over the horizon, they were once again ready to engage in battle.
The soldiers were too far to use Identify on, but Bones could tell they were from the main camp. They were of higher level, equipped with superior gear, and their presence alone affected the surroundings. The air was thick with tension, making it difficult for the weak-minded to breathe. A smooth, dim morning fog covered the ground, and the usual sharp calls of birds were eerily absent.
Thump, thump, thump
A dull, heavy sound of multiple fists hitting shields broke the silence, followed by a rallying war cry. The army's slow advance turned into a jog, then a run. The two sides clashed with a ferocity rarely seen. Bones was momentarily stunned by the chaotic scene before him but quickly felt exhilarated. He took three large steps forward and cast Bone Lance. The projectile flew straight for forty meters before losing momentum and falling to the ground. Annoyed, Bones continued to cast Bone Lances, firing them at different angles as he closed in.
At the sixty-meter mark, his lances began hitting their targets. By the fifty-meter mark, he started getting hit as well. Enemy archers turned their attention toward him, while Wezar's side recognized him as an ally. Bones dived into the battle and vanished into the sea of combatants and a barrage of attacks and spells, completely abandoning his plan to fight from a distance.