Chapter 149
Chapter 149
Ch. 149 .｡.:✧ Chapter 149 ✧:.｡.
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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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I gave her a list of necessary items and some money, instructing her to secure as much as possible and even hire merchants for purchasing if needed.
She was also responsible for procuring anything Mutre requested.
This task was both necessary and a preparation for the future.
‘And she seems to understand that.’
Even without my prompting, she wanted to contribute to the group, and her previous success in managing the underground dungeon seemed to have convinced her that this was the most effective way to help us.
Athena also seemed pleased with the relatively safe task and was quite enthusiastic.
Athena would be responsible for returning here periodically for resupply.
Even in the Barren Lands, Athena could protect herself.
I would give her the subspace artifact, so resupply wouldn’t be a problem.
Of course, she needed to be careful.
If she acted recklessly like she did in the Monster Forest… even Athena would be in danger.
“Please don’t get hurt.”
I reassured Thea and set off for the Barren Lands.
The undead I had summoned were already waiting.
“It’s impossible to clear the entire Barren Lands… how far are we going?”
Athena asked as we entered the Barren Lands.
Having heard about the situation there, she knew it was impossible for us to clear the entire area with our current strength.
“To an oasis.”
“An oasis?”
“Think of it as a lake.”
Even in this desert-like terrain, living creatures needed water.
Therefore, there had to be a water source, and I intended to claim it.
“I’m planning to find at least three.”
And I would establish a base at the most suitable one.
Then, I would clear the surrounding area and establish my territory.
Only then would I receive the materials and have Mutre begin construction of the tower.
‘Structures’ and undead, empowered by the Land of Death, would block key passages, and my undead would patrol regularly, steadily reducing the monster population.
Then, whenever I had the opportunity, I would contaminate the oases, transforming them into environments suitable for undead…
‘That would eliminate the threat of the Barren Lands encroaching upon human territory.’
While I and the monsters here would constantly clash, the undead would do the fighting.
Elite forces would handle any powerful monsters that appeared.
As long as I could hold out, the accumulating corpses would steadily shift the advantage in my favor.
‘Even with new monsters appearing, maintaining the status quo is enough.’
Even after clearing the Barren Lands, monsters would still emerge from somewhere.
‘I need to investigate that.’
It was a variable.
-Master. There’s a group of monsters ahead.
Orie, scouting from above, reported the situation.
“What kind of monsters?”
-They appear to be hyenas.
“Red-Eyed Hyenas.”
These weren’t ordinary Earth hyenas.
Despite being quadrupeds, their shoulder height reached a human’s chest, and they weighed over 200 kilograms.
They were larger than even the largest hyenas in Earth’s history.
Ordinary humans were no match for them, they were classified as monsters for a reason.
However, a mid-level Expert could defeat one in a one-on-one fight.
The problem was…
“How many are there?”
-About ten.
They were pack hunters.
Their packs ranged from five to twenty.
This was a mid-sized pack.
-Yes!
“Eliminate them.”
-At once!
Perhaps excited by her first direct order, she led her subordinates with visible enthusiasm.
“I’ve heard Red-Eyed Hyenas are individually quite powerful. Shouldn’t I go?”
I nodded at Baldur’s suggestion.
“You’re right.”
However, I didn’t change my decision.
“I intend to assess their capabilities.”
I cast a simple enhancement spell but provided no further assistance.
Even though most of them were Warriors, they wouldn’t lose against mere hyenas.
Moreover, as undead, they didn’t fear death, and they were fully equipped, practically guaranteeing victory.
‘Gagar himself is a high-ranking Expert.’
While currently weaker than in his previous life, he could easily defeat a single Red-Eyed Hyena.
The key was minimizing losses.
‘Of course, it doesn’t matter if they don’t perform well.’
We had just entered the Barren Lands.
Gagar was a high-ranking undead and had ample opportunities to gain experience and grow stronger.
However, I needed to assess their current strength.
I had a general idea of the others’ capabilities.
But this was effectively Gagar’s first command, and the strength of the 200+ Skeleton Warrior army depended on his abilities.
My strategy would be adjusted based on his performance.
If he was a skilled commander, I would be more aggressive.
If he was still lacking, I would take a more defensive approach, giving him time to gain experience.
Since Gagar commanded the largest number of undead, his performance had the greatest impact.
-Master is watching!
Gagar led the Warrior army and charged forward.
‘It’s a shame there are no archers.’
Most of the monsters suitable for creating undead around the castle were orcs.
While there were goblins, they weren’t as efficient as orcs when turned into undead.
Therefore, I primarily focused on creating orcs, and they weren’t suited for archery.
While I could force it, they wouldn’t be very effective. And arrows were consumables.
With resupply being difficult, creating archers instead of warriors wasn’t a wise choice.
The warriors under Gagar’s command moved swiftly despite their dense formation.
They were highly disciplined, resembling a well-trained regular army.
‘Not bad…’
While not extraordinary, their precise movements indicated that Gagar wasn’t a novice at commanding undead.
‘Perhaps because he retains his memories, even though he’s undead now.’
As they approached, the Red-Eyed Hyenas grew wary.
They sensed our hostile intentions.
Coupled with the ominous aura of the undead, the Red-Eyed Hyenas began to growl in warning.
However, Gagar didn’t falter.
‘They’re not… running away.’
Perhaps due to being closer to monsters than beasts, they chose to fight instead of fleeing.
Perhaps this location was significant within their territory.
The Red-Eyed Hyenas charged towards Gagar’s forces.
The distance closed rapidly. They were large and fast.
The Red-Eyed Hyenas reached our lines, and two in the lead leaped forward.
The warriors raised their shields in unison, bracing for the impact.
The shield wall buckled slightly but held.
They withstood the attack, and the hyenas were momentarily surprised.
One thrashed wildly, attempting to break free from the shield-formed platform, while the other lunged towards Gagar.
The warriors didn’t allow the hyena above to escape.
They quickly created an opening, causing it to fall.
Then, they closed ranks, pressing their shields against the trapped hyena.
The creature struggled, but trapped in the tightly packed formation, it could do little.
‘Foolish creature.’
Leaping in like that wasn’t a good strategy.
Countless swords pierced its body, and it quickly succumbed to its wounds.
The one that lunged at Gagar met an even swifter end.
A single strike.
Several Skeleton Warriors from the rear ranks threw themselves forward, intercepting the hyena’s charge, and Gagar, seizing the opportunity, cleaved its head with his large sword imbued with Unholy Aura.
Despite their first coordinated attack, their movements were incredibly precise, resulting in the instant death of the hyena, a feat normally impossible with a single blow.
Meanwhile, the remaining Red-Eyed Hyenas crashed into the front lines, but the 200+ warriors held their ground.
In fact, after the two hyenas that had broken through were killed, the warriors began to advance, surrounding and isolating the remaining hyenas.
One by one, the eight remaining hyenas were surrounded, and they began to thrash wildly, trying to rejoin their pack.
Their struggles sent warriors flying.
It was an inevitable outcome, as they weren’t grouped in large numbers like before.
Then, the hyenas’ eyes changed.
While over twenty warriors were assigned to each hyena, they seemed to believe they could handle them individually.
It wasn’t an entirely baseless assumption.
Red-Eyed Hyenas had high stamina.
While not comparable to tireless undead, it was considerable, enough to gradually wear down and destroy over twenty warriors.
However, the damaged undead could regenerate using Gagar and the Centurion’s demonic energy, supplemented by my own if necessary, giving us the advantage in a prolonged battle.
But I didn’t want to waste demonic energy unnecessarily. I preferred to conserve it, especially in the Barren Lands.
Perhaps Gagar had misinterpreted my intentions.
Fortunately, he hadn’t.
The warriors didn’t attack aggressively.
They focused on defending themselves and preventing the hyenas from regrouping.
Despite the difference in individual strength, with the Skeleton Warriors focused solely on defense, the Red-Eyed Hyenas couldn’t defeat them with a single blow.
Whenever they sustained damage, they retreated, relying on their companions to cover them.
It was a form of rotation.
However, it wasn’t to conserve their strength.
Divide and conquer.
They isolated the hyenas, preventing them from regrouping by stalling for time.
And Gagar himself moved between the isolated hyenas, hunting them down one by one.
Seeing their comrades fall, the hyenas grew desperate.
However, as their numbers dwindled, the freed Skeleton Warriors reinforced areas facing heavy resistance, slowly tightening the noose.
With their increased numbers, they even attempted to overwhelm the hyenas with sheer numbers, as they had done with the first two.
The hyenas tried to escape by leaping away, but they often fell back into the encirclement due to the self-sacrificing Skeleton Warriors blocking their path.
When that failed, the warriors formed double circles, completely isolating the hyenas.
Then, Gagar would appear, coordinating with the Skeleton Warriors to hunt down the trapped hyenas one by one.
I was impressed by their performance.
While the strategy itself was simple, the Skeleton Warriors’ movements were remarkable.
Incredibly disciplined.
Gagar was clearly responsible for their precise control, and he was even participating in the battles himself while managing the intricate troop movements.
Having witnessed this battle, I felt confident in taking a more aggressive approach in the Barren Lands.
The battle ended much faster than expected.
-As you commanded, all targets have been eliminated!
“Well done.”
After a brief compliment, I asked Gagar,
“Did you command many mercenaries in your previous life?”
-I have considerable experience.
He had even been hired for territorial wars.
-However, this command style was only possible because I am undead. I couldn’t have done this in my previous life.
He calmly explained that such a battle was possible because they were directly and indirectly connected to him, lacked strong egos, and responded instantly to his commands.
Furthermore, their lack of fear made it even easier.
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