The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 20

Chapter 20: Undead Evolution (Seeking Reads)

09-02-2024

Chapter 20: Undead Evolution (Seeking Reads)

Watching the Wraith Boss fall, Gu Xi finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Although this Wraith Boss hadn’t initially put much pressure on Gu Xi’s lines, the presence or absence of a leader did make a difference to the black wraiths.

After killing the Wraith Boss, Gu Xi could clearly feel the pressure on both flanks lessen considerably.

“Attack!”

At this point, all of Gu Xi’s troops were already engaged in battle. He had no intention of recalling the combat squads for rearrangement, instead opting for an all-out assault.

Combat Squad 2, which had been surrounding the Wraith Boss, immediately charged towards the rear of the black wraith forces, brandishing their long swords.

The black wraiths at the back were preoccupied with fighting off Combat Squad 1’s attack. They never anticipated another wave of assault.

Thus, in the ensuing chaos, Combat Squad 2 easily dispatched over thirty black wraiths before attracting their attention. They turned back, clashing with Combat Squad 2’s skeletons.

Compared to the skeletons of Combat Squad 1, these warriors wielding two-handed swords possessed superior close-combat capabilities. Facing the charging black wraiths, they didn’t retreat, instead pushing forward, their swords slashing relentlessly.

The black wraiths didn’t back down either, engaging Combat Squad 2’s skeletons head-on.

Seeing this opportunity, Combat Squad 1’s control unit launched attacks on the black wraiths’ rear.

The two combat squads acted like the upper and lower millstones, relentlessly grinding down the black wraiths’ numbers.

Meanwhile, the black wraiths on the other flank encountered a rock-solid defense. Combat Squad 4’s round shields blocked their attacks, while Combat Squad 3’s spears precisely targeted the black wraiths whenever their attacks paused.

This side of the battle progressed much smoother.

Protected by Combat Squad 4, Combat Squad 3’s skeletons didn’t need to worry about being overwhelmed.

Combat Squad 4’s skeletons only needed to focus on defense; they still received a portion of experience points for each black wraith killed.

If the defensive line felt threatened, they’d retreat slightly; new roadblocks would halt the pursuing black wraiths, reducing the pressure on the skeletons. After that, they would initiate another round of attacks.

Seeing this, Gu Xi refrained from further troop movements. The four combat squads had developed their own fighting styles and coordination; with a few more level-ups, Gu Xi believed their cooperation would improve significantly.

No wonder some say that once Undead Mages have troops, subsequent battles become much easier.

Watching the constant stream of kill messages, Gu Xi nodded.

Regardless of the experience points the skeletons gained, Gu Xi received 1 point for each enemy they killed.

Small-scale engagements might not compare to Gu Xi personally using Corpse Explosion, but on a large battlefield, the experience points would skyrocket.

To illustrate, in just a short while, Gu Xi had gained 327 experience points.

Combined with the previous wave’s experience and the experience from killing the Wraith Boss, Gu Xi realized he was nearing another level-up.

This was excellent news. Each level-up granted him a new skill, making future tasks easier.

With this in mind, Gu Xi’s gaze drifted towards the distance.

Luna had mentioned that Alerdovier was 2.9 square kilometers large. Their current street block was less than one percent of that.

After clearing these black wraiths, he would have to push outward, all the way to the edge of Luna’s control range.

What awaited him remained unclear. He had to be fully prepared.

Just as Gu Xi was contemplating this, a “ding” sound reached his ears.

[Ding! Temporary Task: Progress on the “Dead City” mission has changed. The second wave of enemies has been eliminated. The third wave will appear in 15 minutes. Please prepare for battle.]

Gu Xi quickly raised his head.

Another victory.

“Clean the battlefield, use all the Wraith Essence Orbs. Check Combat Squad casualties and replenish losses. Place the bodies of the fallen skeletons on the street.”

Gu Xi immediately issued the order.

Another battle loomed.

Judging by the strength of the black wraiths, Gu Xi believed the third wave would be even stronger.

Although the battlefield hadn’t been fully cleared, Gu Xi clearly saw that Combat Squad 1 and Combat Squad 2 had suffered significant losses. Without quickly improving their combat strength and deploying strategically, the next battle would be difficult.

Therefore, optimizing troops and repositioning the battlefield were priorities. Gu Xi had to drag the battle into a situation most favorable to him.

The skeletons, upon receiving Gu Xi’s order, acted without hesitation, swiftly gathering the Wraith Essence Orbs.

Without Gu Xi’s instruction, the orbs were divided: half to the skeleton squad leaders, and the remainder divided amongst the other skeletons.

Gu Xi then approached the location where the Wraith Boss had fallen.

The Wraith Boss had left behind its large wooden club.

Gu Xi wanted to examine it.

As Gu Xi approached, another message appeared.

[Ding! Guided and enhanced by strange energy, a level 2 skeleton has reached the advancement threshold. Please select the advancement direction for this skeleton.]

Gu Xi looked around, noticing a skeleton amidst the others emitting a faint purple glow.

It belonged to Combat Squad 2. The skeleton was still crushing Wraith Essence Orbs, absorbing the strange energy, completely unaware of the event.

When Gu Xi looked at the skeleton, two distinct shadows appeared behind it, representing the two advancement paths.

One was the regular Skeleton Soldier path: a one-handed sword, rusty armor, and an oversized hat constantly sliding down.

The other was the two-handed sword Skeleton Soldier path: the long sword was planted in the ground, wearing leather armor, without a helmet, revealing only its skull face.

Upon seeing these options, Gu Xi understood.

Both paths resulted in Skeleton Soldiers, but with different strengths.

The regular Skeleton Soldier path emphasized balance, while the two-handed sword variant clearly sacrificed defense for enhanced swordsmanship.

Gu Xi made his choice almost instantly.

[Skeleton Soldier (Level 3, Summon): EXP (9/500) Attack 3+1 (Two-Handed Sword), Defense 1+1 (Leather Armor), HP 19, Skills: Undead Creature, Swordsmanship Mastery, Killing Blow.]

(Chapter End)

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