Chapter 93: Military Sword Style (1/5)

Scattered groups of skeletons walked across the sandy ground. Some sat on the earth, while others stood guard at fixed positions like sentries. They had become orderly, no longer filled with the chaos and conflict seen during the full moon.

Some skeletons even held weapons in their hands, gripping broken sword hilts likely scavenged from the sands – just as Wade had found his round-headed mace and small round shield buried beneath the same dunes. The weapons hidden under the sand made Wade wonder what had happened here long ago, but their organized movements felt eerily familiar.

They resembled the Icelandic army Wade had seen when infiltrating Alvado with Lucas that night – some standing guard on the perimeter, others resting in place, while a few patrolled and kept watch. The skeletons in this area seemed to have transformed into a systematic military unit.

Wade had always wondered where the wandering skeletons of the wasteland came from. Even his own body – was this skeleton truly his original bones? This sandy terrain didn’t seem like a place that would spontaneously produce skeletal soldiers. Long ago, these skeletons must have been living people.

When they were alive, perhaps they marched and deployed formations just as Wade now observed them doing. But armies must gather for a reason – what enemy had they been fighting?

Hidden behind a distant hill, Wade contemplated these questions while carefully committing the scene to memory. Though the skeletons had become organized for reasons unknown to him, he had no intention of turning back. His eyes locked onto a patrolling skeleton squad on the perimeter.

Even gathered together, their bones remained worn and fragile, their weapons reduced to rust and debris. Wade felt confident he could crush them all regardless of their numbers. His combat abilities were far beyond what they once were – he now had the confidence to face Sven Freud directly in battle.

Currently armed only with a worn round-headed mace, Wade knew brute force would suffice. Even barehanded, he could shatter these brittle skulls. And with Mia by his side – the little ghost having grown significantly since their first meeting – her frost magic would provide valuable support.

Selecting a skeleton squad, Wade first tested luring them out by throwing stones from a distance. A pebble struck one skeleton’s head, and though only one was hit, all five in the squad turned toward Wade’s hill. Their movements appeared clumsy – one even tripped over a companion’s ankle and fell.

What intrigued Wade was how the nearby skeletons attempted to help their fallen comrade up, only to tumble down themselves. The entire squad flailed on the ground like beached fish in a strangely comedic display. They seemed capable of defeating themselves through sheer stupidity without any outside help.

After considerable struggle, the squad reformed and advanced. Rather than attacking immediately, Wade stepped out from behind the hill, curious if they would accept him as one of their own. Unfortunately, no camaraderie developed.

The wandering undead unanimously identified Wade as an enemy, spreading out to surround him with clear hostile intent. They remained incapable of communication, driven only by fragile, beast-like instincts. Wade sensed no “desire” within them – they seemed more like artificial constructs operating on preset commands.

With no need for restraint against such foes, Wade (who had come seeking bodies anyway) still held the stones he’d gathered. Targeting a skeleton’s temple, he hurled one with deadly precision. At close range, his throws were machine-like in accuracy – the stone piercing through brittle bone like an arrow.

The impact sent the skeleton reeling off-balance as the stone itself shattered from the force. Four stones later, four skeletons lay defeated. Wade spared the fifth – a skeleton wielding a long-handled sword – not due to lack of ammunition but to test whether it could wield the rusted blade like a true swordsman.

As they faced off, Wade waited for the skeleton to make the first move. Surprisingly, it assumed a proper sword stance – both hands positioned before its chest, blade parallel to the ground with tip pointed at Wade’s heart. Its left hand gripped the sword’s counterweight as its left foot advanced, adopting a classic lunge position.

The stance was unmistakable – a standard two-horn sword style, recognized by the soul sharing Wade’s consciousness. This aggressive technique left major openings if the lunge missed, making it risky for single combat. But when multiple soldiers encircled a target and executed simultaneous two-horn thrusts, it became a guaranteed kill.

Many lords’ militia training prioritized this coordinated assault formation. Elite troops mastered its execution – the more participants, the fewer blind spots, creating overwhelming numerical advantage. This sword-wielding skeleton displayed actual technique unlike the mindless ones seen during full moon.

Wade sidestepped the thrust without immediately counterattacking. He continued dodging while studying the skeleton’s swordsmanship. After the initial lunge came systematic horizontal slashes. Though weak and slow, each movement flowed seamlessly into the next with surprising grace, like an elderly veteran whose muscle memory remained despite waning strength.

Some techniques even Wade and his resident soul didn’t recognize – likely an ancient military sword style emphasizing practical, coordinated movements. Had five or six skeletons attacked together, they might have formed an effective combat formation. This suggested the local skeletons had once belonged to a well-trained elite unit, explaining the scattered weapons.

After observing the full repertoire, Wade shattered the skeleton’s temple. With all five defeated, Wade and Mia set about repairing the bodies. Eventually, three skeletons stood and bowed to Wade before assisting with reassembling the remaining bones. The other two proved too damaged, their parts cannibalized to complete three functional skeletons.

Now with three skeletal soldiers standing at attention before him, Wade nodded in satisfaction and led them onward to find more squads.