NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 3: Gathering Troops
Chapter 3: Gathering Troops
The three skeletons stiffly turned their skulls, their hollow eye sockets locking onto the target.
Upon spotting the zombies, they immediately rushed down the stairs to attack.
Two of the barehanded skeletons each engaged a zombie, while the sword-wielding skeleton stood to the side, slashing continuously at the zombies with its iron sword.
Wu Heng also moved forward, using his shield to block the reaching claws and the splattering filthy blood.
He jabbed his short spear through the gaps in the skeletons' bones, randomly stabbing at the zombies' bodies.
He repeated the stabbing motion again and again.
The reason he chose the short spear was that it was the only viable option after trying various weapons.
Drawing a bow was difficult, and the accuracy of arrows required long practice. Shooting repeatedly with precision was not something just anyone could do.
Swords were the most common weapon in Blackstone Town.
But when he tried using one, he nearly cut his own throat, so he followed the blacksmith’s advice and chose a short spear.
Thrusting and striking with it could still deal considerable damage.
As a beginner, it was easier to handle and less likely to cause self-injury.
Soon, the two zombies that had been lured upstairs were killed by the combined efforts, their mutilated bodies collapsing to the ground in a pitiful state.
Wu Heng actually knew these zombies.
They were all neighbors from the same building.
But now, they had become enemies.
He cast 'Raise Skeleton,' and two more skeleton warriors rose from the fallen bodies.
Seeing no more zombies rushing up, he thought for a moment and then gave the command.
"Follow me back!"
He turned and led the skeletons back to the room.
After closing the security door, Wu Heng sat in a chair to recover his strength.
Even though the skeleton warriors did most of the fighting, the high tension and physical exertion left him feeling tired.
In terms of attributes, his strengths weren’t in stamina or strength.
But for now, ordinary melee combat was his only option.
After resting for a bit, Wu Heng went to the kitchen, found a kitchen knife, a fruit knife, and a hammer, and handed them to three of the skeletons. For the last one, he couldn't find anything useful, so he gave it a mop as a temporary weapon.
The kitchen knife was actually a good choice.
It could completely replace the skeleton warriors' primary weapon.
Once he had more money, he would consider buying iron swords from Blackstone Town to equip the skeletons properly.
After getting everything ready, Wu Heng stood up again, preparing for the next battle.
…
Returning to the cold, dark corridor, his footsteps stuck to the blood-soaked floor.
"You three walk in front of me," Wu Heng directed three skeletons.
With three in front and two behind, they shielded him as they walked downstairs.
A door on the second floor was open, and Wu Heng, along with the skeletons, peeked inside but found no zombies.
The resident was the zombie they had just killed.
In the kitchen, he found two more kitchen knives, replacing the mop and fruit knife.
They continued down to the first floor.
Cautiously, Wu Heng peeked around the corner.
The green stairwell door was battered and in bad shape, but it was still tightly closed, keeping out whatever was outside.
He could faintly hear the sound of something clawing at the door.
Luckily, the door was shut. If the zombies outside had gotten in, it would have been a tough fight.
He instructed the skeleton warriors to pile up some debris at the entrance, completely sealing off the stairwell door.
It wasn’t likely to be needed later anyway.
Once everything was secured, Wu Heng began his next plan.
He approached the first apartment door, took out the bronze key, and gently turned it, cracking the door open slightly.
Through the crack, a faint white curtain of light was visible.
As the door unlocked, Wu Heng pulled out the key, waiting a few seconds until the curtain of light from the other world disappeared.
What was revealed was the living room of the first-floor apartment.
The living room was dim, but there were no zombies in sight.
Bang!
Bang, bang!!
As he stepped into the living room, loud banging came from the bedroom door.
After a few hits, the flimsy door shattered.
Two zombies in pajamas stumbled out.
"Attack," Wu Heng commanded again.
These scattered zombies were no longer a threat.
Instead, they were experience bundles.
They could increase his experience and the number of skeleton warriors.
Clatter!!
The skeleton warriors swarmed the zombies, surrounding them, their kitchen knives rising and falling without pause.
The scene was brutal and somewhat stress-relieving.
The zombies didn’t even get a chance to attack before they were hacked to death in the living room.
Wu Heng stepped forward and used Raise Skeleton, raising two more skeleton warriors.
After confirming there were no more dangers, Wu Heng headed to the kitchen.
There, he found two more kitchen knives.
He distributed them to the newly risen skeleton warriors.
Then, he began rummaging through the apartment, searching for anything useful.
He had no choice; life in Blackstone Town required money.
If the world hadn’t turned out this way, he could have made his fortune more easily.
There was stored rice and flour, and the fridge had well-preserved pickled foods.
But with Blackstone Town providing for his needs, food wasn’t a big concern.
He closed the fridge and continued searching through the bedroom wardrobe.
He pulled out a few high-end looking clothes.
Then there was cash, bank cards, property documents, and some paper bonds.
In the dresser, he found a few pieces of women’s gold jewelry.
Cash and bank cards were useless now, but gold jewelry still held value.
As he was leaving, his eyes fell on an ornament by the entrance.
On the shoe cabinet was a jade cabbage.
It had a wooden base and a translucent cabbage design about thirty centimeters long—not small at all.
Wu Heng examined it and then carried it out the door.
He then led the skeleton warriors to the next apartment.
He lived in an old community with six floors, three apartments on each floor.
Wu Heng systematically opened each door with the skeletons, killing any zombies inside and looting useful items.
…
5:00 PM.
Wu Heng had finished sweeping through the entire building with the skeletons.
The not-so-spacious living room was now filled with skeleton warriors holding kitchen knives and fruit knives.
They stood in neat rows, making the room feel eerie.
He counted a total of 17 skeleton warriors.
The number of skeleton warriors was fewer than expected, but it wasn’t bad—at least today’s operation went smoothly.
Among the skeletons, the one with the sword had the most experience, taking advantage of its superior weapon, and had reached 55 points, just a little short of leveling up.
If tomorrow went as smoothly as today, leveling up to Level 2 shouldn’t be a problem.
Today’s battle also allowed him to figure out how the skeletons gained experience.
Besides Wu Heng sharing the experience of all the skeletons, the remaining experience was allocated based on who landed the killing blow.
In other words, the skeleton that dealt the final strike received the experience.
It wasn’t equally distributed among all the skeletons.
His own experience had also reached halfway. If everything went smoothly, he could level up as well.
Everything was progressing in a positive direction.
After organizing the loot, he ordered all the skeletons to stand by in place, put on his backpack, and returned to Blackstone Town through the portal.
…
Deerhorn Shop.
A well-known chain store in Blackstone Town.
The logo resembled deer antlers.
It was said that the shop had branches in every human city, wielding considerable influence and a solid reputation.
"Beautiful, very beautiful." The fat shopkeeper behind the counter carefully examined the jade cabbage.
After unconsciously praising it, he carefully placed it on the counter and continued to ask, "What material is this? It’s not jade, and there are no carving marks. It doesn’t look like a natural material."
Wu Heng was surprised by the shopkeeper’s sharp eye.
Although it was called a jade cabbage, it wasn’t actual jade but a resin-cast ornament.
It had nothing to do with jade at all.
"Jade resin, you rarely see it around here. Its characteristics are that it’s lightweight, resilient, and has vibrant colors." Wu Heng casually made up an explanation.
This world wasn’t like the medieval Earth; it wasn’t underdeveloped.
They had glass, all sorts of exquisite crafts, and there was no shortage of grains or salt.
But resin and plastic, synthetic materials like these, hadn’t appeared here.
They were considered rare items instead.
The shopkeeper examined it again and then directly said, "Deerhorn Trading Company never undercuts prices. Your item is nice, but it’s clearly a mold-cast piece, impressive in appearance and made of special material. If you’re willing to sell, I can offer you 30 silver coins."
The common currency was divided into four types: copper pence, copper coins, silver coins, and gold coins.
Although gold coins were the highest denomination, they rarely appeared among common people.
Silver coins could cover most transactions.
So silver coins had high purchasing power.
In Wu Heng’s understanding, silver coins here were equivalent to hundred-yuan bills.
"Too low." Wu Heng pretended to be dissatisfied and shook his head.
"What’s your asking price then?"
"100."
He aimed high, figuring they could negotiate down.
If he asked for too little and they agreed right away, he’d feel bad.
Of course, he couldn’t ask for something outrageous—just close enough.
"That price is hard to accept. How about this, 40 silver coins? That’s the highest I can offer." The shopkeeper named his final price.
Wu Heng thought about it. The jade cabbage was useless to him, and there wasn’t anywhere else to sell it.
So he nodded in agreement.
"Deal."