Chapter 52: Electrostatic Shock (Seeking Recommendations)

As Liu Zhi led his team in a charge, a chaotic skirmish broke out in the vicinity. At this moment, Liu Zhi was already feeling some regret—he had acted too soon by launching this assault. There were more than a hundred and fifty native warriors who had entered this place. Although he had discovered them in time and the Soul Naga had dealt with nearly twenty, there were still about a hundred and thirty remaining—far too many compared to Liu Zhi’s undead force, which numbered fewer than thirty.

The most troubling realization for Liu Zhi was that he possessed no talent for battlefield command. All he knew to do was to raise his longsword and shout, “Everyone, charge with me!” He had no idea who should take which position, whom to attack first, how to divide the battlefield, which enemies to prioritize, or when to send in reserves. None of these considerations crossed his mind.

Fortunately, his undead minions instinctively formed a battle array: five golden skeletons with shields took the vanguard, five skeletal archers fired from the rear, and the remaining ordinary skeletons clustered around Liu Zhi, charging alongside him. At first, this worked well enough, but soon the native warriors scattered the skeletons, and each was beset by one or two warriors working in concert, causing the formation to become chaotic.

The true pillar of Liu Zhi’s side, the Soul Naga with its prowess in melee, had also been entangled in battle. The one holding her off was none other than Black Kite, whom Liu Zhi had previously blasted away with lightning. Though she had been nearly reduced to charcoal, Black Kite still retained her fighting ability, shockingly enough. Her blackened body, controlled by the shield in her grasp, fought fiercely against the Soul Naga.

It was obvious that the shield, not Black Kite herself, was in control. The shield radiated arrogance; whenever it maneuvered Black Kite’s arm to attack, a ring of white light wings would appear around it, making it clear to anyone with eyes that the shield was enchanted. It cared nothing for the state of Black Kite’s arm, moving it rapidly up and down to block the Soul Naga’s four-armed onslaught, which rained down blows like a tempest.

From this alone, Liu Zhi could discern the shield’s unique power.

With just a glance from the sidelines, Liu Zhi knew he was no match for that shield; this was a matter only the Soul Naga could resolve. His own responsibility now was to deal with the hundred-plus native warriors before him.

With this in mind, Liu Zhi cast a look at the Death Staff in his hand, noting the lightning coral affixed to it had grown dim. He gritted his teeth and, removing the spent coral, replaced it with a fresh, unused one. Then, planting his wooden sword in the ground, he gripped the Death Staff with both hands.

As all attention was focused on the ongoing battle, no one noticed Liu Zhi’s actions, giving him ample time to prepare. This time, Liu Zhi did not concentrate on any single enemy, but poured all his will into the lightning coral. As his mind connected with it, he felt as though he could completely control the currents stored within. The sensation was so vivid that he almost believed he had become lightning itself.

Liu Zhi knew, of course, that this was mere illusion—a hallucination brought on by the electrical stimulation of the coral. Yet this was precisely how the static shock was activated; only by becoming one with the current could he guide it.

After preparing for seven or eight seconds, Liu Zhi let out a roar. Strands of electricity flickered from his eyes as he raised the Death Staff high and drove it forcefully into the ground. From the point where the staff struck, a shockwave of electricity rippled outward in all directions.

Though not the most powerful in terms of force, the wave covered a vast area. Nearly everyone engaged in the melee was struck by the surge. Liu Zhi’s undead minions fared well, being unaffected by the electricity. But the native warriors, mere mortals, were another story—though not killed outright, they were paralyzed, and in an instant, the clash was brought to a halt.

Leaning on the Death Staff, Liu Zhi struggled to lift his head. “What are you waiting for? Finish them all!” he commanded.

His undead troops, as if roused from a trance, raised their weapons and fell upon the immobilized warriors. It was then that their various natures became apparent. The golden skeletons hefted flails, smashing enemy heads one by one—usually a single blow sufficed to flatten a skull, after which they moved on. The ordinary skeletons used their spears to stab at enemy hearts, pausing to check if their targets were dead. The four ghouls were particularly efficient; wielding macuahuitls—blades designed for decapitation—they were adept at severing heads, ensuring their foes stayed down.

As for the skeleton archers, who had remained in the rear and avoided the chaos, they ignored the fallen warriors and instead aimed at Black Kite, who was still locked in combat with the Soul Naga. However, these archers lacked discernment; they failed to see that it was the shield using Black Kite’s body, not the other way around. Their arrows struck Black Kite but did her no harm.

Witnessing this, Liu Zhi could only sigh. Being a necromancer was truly a thankless task. In moments like these, he felt his hair might turn gray from the frustration. He could hardly split his attention to command these brainless minions during battle. Did he need not only more skeletons but also officers to command them?

But then, would he still be a necromancer? No, he thought, once this was over, he must find another profession. This one was utterly exhausting. Nothing compared to the satisfaction of sword in hand, cleaving through enemies.

So thinking, Liu Zhi drew the Death Staff from the ground, carefully removed the now-burning hot lightning coral, and with a long sigh, released the staff to float behind him. He drew his wooden sword and plunged back into the fray.

By this time, the surviving native warriors were beginning to recover. What they saw was Liu Zhi, unleashing wind blades left and right, snatching their lives away.