Behind it followed a Fishman Priest. It wielded a fishbone Magic Staff inlaid with a Muddy Crystal, its body smeared with bizarre grease paint, and a small tuft of gaudy feathers resting atop its head.
The Fishman Priest hid behind its leader, spitting out a string of bizarre syllables. In an instant, an arrow forged of Water Element traced an arc through the air, shooting straight toward the Skeleton pack.
SPLAT!
The Water Arrow struck a Fishman Skeleton cannon fodder. The intense impact shattered its frame entirely, reducing it to a pile of fragmented bones.
"Oh? A spellcasting unit?" Lynch raised an eyebrow, entirely unfazed.
The power of this Fishman Priest's Water Arrow Skill was utterly mediocre. It could not even compare to a Mage apprentice; it was only good for bullying cannon fodder Skeletons.
The Fishman leader, on the other hand, proved quite robust. It rammed recklessly through the ranks, swatting away several fodder Skeletons in quick succession.
"Heh, you think you're pretty tough, don't you?"
Lynch sneered. He shifted his Magic Staff slightly. A gloomy light flashed at its tip, and a sphere of the Weakness Curse shot forth. It spun rapidly through the air before sinking into the body of the fiercely battling Fishman leader.
The leader's charge halted abruptly. Sapped of all strength, its fierce assault instantly dialed back.
Seizing the opening, Bone Jade and the Humanoid Skeletons under Lynch's control swarmed forward, delivering a brutal and thoroughly justified beatdown.
CRACK! SQUELCH!
Under the effects of the curse, the Fishman leader possessed brute strength but could not unleash it. It lasted barely ten seconds before Bone Jade cleaved its massive fish head in two with a single strike of its Bone Knife, ending its life.
With the greatest threat eliminated, the remaining Fishman Priest was left completely defenseless.
It shrieked, GARBLE GARBLE, launching another Water Arrow that barely managed to take out a Fishman Skeleton that had charged too far ahead. But in the very next second, it was completely swallowed by the surging Sea of Skulls.
Bone Jade's Bone Knife, the Skeletons' Broken Swords and Sabers, and the Fishman Skeletons' fish-bone Bone Spears rained down upon it.
HOWL!
Accompanied by a bloodcurdling scream, the Fishman Priest was hacked into minced meat.
The deaths of the leader and Priest utterly shattered the Fishman camp's final will to resist. The scattered survivors let out terrified shrieks, diving into the water and fleeing in panic.
Thus, an entirely ordinary battle drew to a close.
Yet, a surge of towering ambition welled up in Lynch's chest.
Scanning the battlefield, he noted that the Fishman Skeleton fodder under Bone Jade's command had lost over a dozen units in this skirmish. However, they had perfectly fulfilled their duty as cannon fodder: exhausting the enemy and drawing fire.
Meanwhile, Lynch's own eight Humanoid Skeleton Guards suffered zero casualties. Two of them had broken a rib, but it was a minor issue that could be easily patched up.
"Bone Jade, clear the battlefield," Lynch commanded with high spirits, waving his Magic Staff.
Even though he could have issued the order silently using his Spiritual Power, the moment demanded a certain post-victory ritual.
Receiving the command, Bone Jade led the clumsy Skeleton Servants into action. They dragged all the corpses and scattered Skeleton frames to the clearing at the center of the camp, piling them into a small mound.
Staring at this hill of corpses and bones, Lynch felt as thrilled as if he were looking at a crowd of beautiful women, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
He could not wait to cast the Skeleton Resurrection Skill again.
A ghastly white light of death flared, entirely enveloping the small mountain of corpses.
BANG BANG BANG! CRACKLE CRACKLE! CLATTER CLATTER!
The spine-chilling sounds of exploding corpses and snapping bones rang out in a continuous stream, playing a macabre hymn of the Undead.
As the light faded, Skeleton Servants stood up from the bone pile one after another.
The ones that caught Lynch's attention most were the two elite units.
The first had transformed from the Fishman leader. Its bones were thick and dense, making it vastly superior to the ordinary Fishman grunt Skeletons. It was even a notch stronger than Lynch's Humanoid Skeleton Guards.
The other was the Fishman Priest Skeleton. Its bones bore a faint, ghostly blue tint. It still gripped the original fishbone Magic Staff, and a weak ripple of Water Element seemed to linger on its form.
The more Lynch looked at these two elite Skeletons, the more satisfied he felt.
"Not a bad haul," he mused.
Afterward, Lynch reorganized his forces.
The Fishman Skeleton fodder under Bone Jade's command had not only replenished their ranks instantly but had even gained five or six extra units compared to before the battle, bringing their total to a solid thirty.
Lynch's direct Personal Guard also welcomed two new members: the Fishman leader Skeleton and the Fishman Priest Skeleton.
His troop's total strength now exceeded forty Skeletons.
Though the majority were weak Fishman Skeletons, the expanse of ghastly white bones stretching out before him exuded a heart-palpitating, lethal military prestige.
Standing at the center of the Skeleton army, Lynch felt a reassuring sense of power and profound satisfaction.
The only slight pity was that, given the current strength of Bone Jade's Soul Fire, it could only barely manage to command these thirty Fishman Skeletons. With his own Spiritual Power, Lynch could still expand his forces a bit further, but the numbers were ultimately limited.
To continue raising his troop cap, there were only a few paths available.
He could either contract a second Netherworld Skeleton that possessed Soul Fire to establish a second unit—though this involved complex contract slot expansion, which he pushed out of his mind for now. Or he could elevate his own Spiritual Power. This could be achieved through Meditation training, consuming temporary mind-enhancing Alchemy Potions, or hunting for Magic Equipment capable of boosting Spiritual Power.
In short, the avenues were varied. But they all required patience; rushing would do no good.
"Now, it's time to enjoy the spoils."
Lynch turned his attention back to the devastated Fishman camp. Looting after a battle was an absolutely essential part of any adventure.
Although Fishman tribes were primitive and backward, they also hoarded shiny or energetic objects. Some of the treasures in their eyes shared common ground with human values. A Fishman camp this large was bound to have something worthwhile.
Escorted by his Skeleton army, Lynch began his treasure hunt.
He first directed Bone Jade to kick open the dilapidated shacks one by one. He did not rush in immediately, instead dispatching Fishman Skeletons to do a sweep. Only after confirming there were no hidden dangers did he gingerly step into the foul-smelling hovels.
Inside, the shacks were a mess. Rotting aquatic weeds and the remains of various creatures were piled haphazardly in the corners.
The environment seriously nauseated Lynch. He quickly pinched his nose tight, hurried to rummage through the area, and bolted to the next shack the moment he finished one.
After completing his sweep, the harvest was merely passable.
He found a handful of Swamp Black Pearls of varying sizes. There were not many—just a small fistful.
These pearls were typically harvested from the bodies of giant swamp clams. While their exteriors lacked the round, lustrous perfection of a Deep Sea Pearl, they possessed a somber, muted radiance that gave them a unique charm. They served as ingredients in alchemy, specifically for certain Alchemy Potions, and could also be crafted into decorative ornaments for sale, making them highly sought-after goods.