Chapter 3: Unprovoked Attack

Chapter 3: A Mysterious Attack

After the battle, Li Bin took stock of the outcome. In less than ten minutes of fighting, he had lost two skeleton warriors, and another corpse soldier was gravely wounded from the ogre’s dying counterattack.

Yet the spoils were considerable. Besides a level 3 ogre warrior, he had slain eleven goblin fighters. Not only had he acquired the four units of crystals that drew him here, but also twelve corpses of decent quality. Once the will-o’-wisp slaves stored the bodies away, Li Bin ordered the Graveyard Fiend to continue moving.

But unexpectedly, the Graveyard Fiend refused his command—it barely took a few steps before halting.

“What’s going on?” Li Bin asked in confusion.

“Sir, the Graveyard Fiend has exhausted its mobility for this turn. It must wait until the next round to move again. If you insist on advancing, you may lead your troops out on foot,” a cold system prompt echoed in his mind.

“Never mind, then. Let the Graveyard Fiend camp here,” Li Bin replied, realizing he couldn’t continue forward this turn. He issued the command and stepped inside the Graveyard Fiend.

Inside the hall, the treasure fountain he’d ordered constructed was now complete. At the center of the small pool stood a half-human-tall stone statue, its tip pouring a silvery stream into the basin.

“With the treasure fountain built, it’s time to construct the Undead Conversion Array. Without a steady supply of troops, I can’t withstand many more attacks like that,” Li Bin muttered, pulling up the building menu.

Just then, a will-o’-wisp slave who should have been working in a nearby earthen cave floated over, handing him a map.

“Is this the latest map?” Li Bin knew that once the Graveyard Fiend settled, it could scout a three-kilometer radius. He accepted the map.

But trouble came with it. Li Bin noticed a treasure chest marked just two kilometers from the Graveyard Fiend’s camp. He understood that if he led his forces to the chest, he could retrieve it in moments.

Still, suspicion gnawed at him. After some thought, he decided to ignore it and instead ordered the skeleton warriors to heighten their vigilance.

Sure enough, as the turn was about to end, another will-o’-wisp slave came to report: a mysterious group of troops had suddenly appeared ahead.

Li Bin’s heart tightened. He hurried to the graveyard’s surface with his remaining soldiers, where he saw more than thirty pairs of gleaming eyes flickering nearby.

“Wolves. Damn it, why did I have to run into them here?”

At a glance, Li Bin recognized what besieged the Graveyard Fiend. But what could he do? According to his knowledge, all wolf species were at least level 2 units, and they gained certain bonuses at night. His skeleton warriors stood no chance.

After a moment’s thought, he issued a decisive order: “Let them in. Open the Graveyard Fiend’s inner gate just a crack. If they want in, let them come.”

At his command, the tomb door in the center of the Graveyard Fiend slowly opened, leaving an entrance barely wide enough for one. The wolves hesitated briefly before vaulting over the outer walls, racing for the opening.

But Li Bin was prepared—he wouldn’t let the wolves enter so easily. Two intact corpse soldiers blocked the entrance tightly, preventing the door from being forced wide.

The wolves had no choice but to enter one at a time, falling perfectly into Li Bin’s trap. Skeleton warriors lay in wait just behind the entrance; two or three would strike in unison, killing a wolf almost instantly.

Only after losing a third of their numbers did the wolves realize the entrance was a snare. Yet unwilling to abandon their prize, they left a few to hold the doorway while the rest searched the graveyard for other ways in.

But how could these beasts comprehend the nature of the Graveyard Fiend, this semi-undead mobile village? While the wolves at the tomb door weren’t looking, the entrance quietly sealed shut.

Those scattered throughout the graveyard searching for other entrances soon fell prey to Li Bin’s forces. Whenever a wolf found itself alone, several skeleton warriors would suddenly appear. By the time the others arrived, only a puddle of blood remained—no corpse was left behind.

Faced with such elusive enemies, the pack leader knew they could gain nothing here. With a long howl, the wolves slunk away in defeat.

Only after confirming the wolves had all departed did Li Bin finally breathe a heavy sigh of relief. This victory was pure luck.

Later, when he examined the bodies dragged back by the will-o’-wisp slaves, Li Bin discovered that the weakest of the attackers were level 2 dire wolves, and among them were two level 3 war wolves. This meant their leader was at least a level 4 unit.

Had Li Bin faced this wolf pack head-on in daylight, he might have been sent straight back to the Hall of Reincarnation in short order. Out of fear and caution for the night, he’d chosen a strategy that favored him, successfully driving the wolf pack away.

Even so, Li Bin dared not linger here any longer. With the dawn of a new day, he swiftly directed the Graveyard Fiend to move southwest.

On the way, though, he didn’t neglect the treasure chest marked on last night’s map. He quickly collected it—finding two thousand gold coins inside—along with thirteen units of nearby lumber.

After distributing the two thousand gold coins among his subordinates, Li Bin gained 1,500 experience points, raising his campaign level to 2. The system immediately rewarded him with +1 to attack and offered him choices among Basic Leadership, Basic Offense, Basic Defense, and the Necromancy branch skill, Undead Research.

Since the undead were unaffected by morale, Li Bin decisively ignored Basic Leadership. He compared Basic Offense, Basic Defense, and Undead Research.

Basic Offense would increase his troops’ attack by 15%, while Basic Defense would do the same for their defense—skills beloved by warrior heroes, though their impact was modest for beginners. In contrast, Undead Research—a Necromancy branch skill—would allow an undead hero to build an Undead Research Institute in their base, upgrade their undead troops, and create special undead units.

With this in mind, Li Bin made his choice without hesitation: Undead Research!

Click to view image link: