On the hillside...
A two-meter-tall minotaur skeleton stood proudly.
Blackthorn's expression darkened as he stared at Peggy.
Unlike the skeleton warriors, Peggy's bones were far superior in both color and texture.
Especially the bones between her waist and legs, which had a dark golden hue that looked mysterious and powerful under the moonlight.
Matthew didn't hesitate.
He took out one magical scroll after another from his bag of wonders.
And then, without a second thought, he tore them apart!
In a matter of seconds, one powerful enchantment after another was cast upon the minotaur skeleton!
The resilience of a bear, the strength of a bull, the grace of a cat, the wisdom of an owl, a sword's protection, and even a dark energy shield.
Considering the profession of their enemy, Matthew had even invested in a valuable "Ring of Fire Resistance" for Peggy, granting her temporary immunity to flames.
Arcane auras descended, and these enhancements pushed Peggy's original third-tier strength to its peak. She looked even more formidable.
However, she wasn't satisfied and said, "Is that all? What about the majesty of the eagle or the cunning of a fox? Why not use the whole set?"
Matthew waved his hand, saying, "I'm running low on mana."
Of course, that was a white lie. In truth, he was thinking, "Why would a skeleton need extra charisma and intelligence checks?"
"Let's not waste any more time. Let's get to it," Peggy said.
As she spoke, Matthew began using his mental energy to direct the skeletons to advance.
Peggy didn't insist on more enhancements. She swiftly reached for her hip and with a crisp sound, pulled out the dark golden thigh bone.
This half-human-tall bone blade was her favored weapon. Losing this bone wouldn't affect her balance or mobility, but it would significantly boost her damage-dealing abilities.
"Whoosh!"
The bone blade cut through the air, and Peggy rushed forward.
Her followers, who had been standing in front of her, immediately scattered like frightened birds and beasts.
Peggy's target was obviously not these small fry. She took a big step, and in an instant, the dozen meters separating her from Blackthorn disappeared.
With a loud thud, the bone blade clashed with the dagger hastily drawn by the arsonist.
Blackthorn managed to defend successfully, but his body sank slightly, and the muscles in his chest trembled violently.
His eyes revealed a hint of disbelief.
The next moment, the clearly extraordinary dagger began to twist sharply!
Blackthorn quickly released his grip, rolled on the ground, and narrowly avoided Peggy's strike.
A whooshing sound passed just above his scalp, slicing away half of his once-flowing black hair. A bare patch, resembling the Mediterranean, was exposed on his head.
"You foolhardy skeleton!" Blackthorn erupted.
He continued to roll and dodge Peggy's pursuit.
Plop! Plop! Plop!
He smashed three bottles of red potions on the ground in front of him. A wall of flames instantly erupted.
Matthew's keen eyes recognized it as "Blaze Gel."
"Don't charge through it!" he hurriedly warned.
The flames produced by Blaze Gel were exceptionally fierce. While Peggy had fire resistance, it didn't necessarily shield her from the flames' destructive power.
Peggy didn't take the risk. She calmly circled around the flames and continued to chase Blackthorn.
But Blackthorn was equally cunning. His agility had clearly been honed in urban alley warfare. Leveraging the arson tools, he skillfully maneuvered to evade Peggy's attacks.
Several attempts by the minotaur skeleton were thwarted.
Soon, fire surrounded Peggy, and her maneuvering space continued to shrink. The situation was gradually turning in Blackthorn's favor.
"Arsonists are really tough for me," Matthew silently noted.
Most likely, this profession was filled with evil individuals. He vowed to eliminate every one of them he encountered in the future.
It was evident that fire was the bane of necromancers. Not only was Peggy being hindered, but the skeleton soldiers were instinctively avoiding the burning areas.
Blackthorn noticed this and immediately yelled at his remaining subordinates, "What are you waiting for? Use the firebomb, break through the blockade of bone fragments, and kill that necromancer!"
His calm and decisive command greatly boosted the spirits of his followers, who had been initially disoriented by the corrupt purse.
They had only been dodging the attacks of the skeleton soldiers. Now, they were finally able to respond.
"Protect me!" Scarface suppressed an itching sensation and called out, "That necromancer must be running out of mana. As long as we rush over, we can win!"
The remaining three reluctantly nodded and started to work together.
The sound of glass bottles breaking became more intense, and flames surged on the hill. Fortunately, this area was mostly barren soil, preventing the formation of a more ferocious fire.
But even so, the actions of the skeleton soldiers were being influenced to some extent.
Scarface, utilizing the rising flames, zigzagged through the gaps in the skeleton formation.
Suddenly, he noticed a gap in the moving skeletons.
"There!" Scarface shouted calmly.
Gripping his dagger tightly, he rushed forward.
The rest followed immediately.
Whoosh!
A night breeze began to pick up, invisibly aiding Scarface.
The gap in the formation widened as the skeleton soldiers hesitated to fill it.
"Protect me!" Scarface dashed forward.
Skeleton soldiers were approaching from both sides, trying to close the gap they had left.
However, Scarface's comrades blocked them with a "death before surrender" attitude.
Plop!
One of his companions, who was blocking the front, was struck on the head by a shield from a skeleton soldier coming from the side. He fell to the ground, blood pouring from his head. As he stumbled and fell, he still looked at Scarface with longing eyes.
"I won't let you down!" Scarface said as he continued to charge.
Then, in just a few breaths, he successfully crossed the blockade constructed by the skeleton soldiers.
The detestable necromancer was now within arm's reach.
"Time to die…" Scarface grinned, launching his final charge.
However, in the next second, his eyes widened dramatically.
He saw the necromancer suddenly raise his left hand, which had been hidden under his robe.
The thin fabric slid off Matthew's arm.
In the moonlight, a delicate and compact hand crossbow was revealed beneath the misty robe.
The tip of the crossbow bolt emitted a faint green light.
Scarface's wicked grin froze in an instant.
Swoosh!
The crossbow bolt hit him squarely in the chest.
Running at full speed, Scarface stumbled unexpectedly and fell down the hillside, rolling lifelessly.
...
"Hand crossbows are indeed reliable companions on the path of a spellcaster's growth," Matthew skillfully strung the hand crossbow.
The performance of these arsonists exceeded his expectations.
Fortunately, he had more than one trick up his sleeve.
After taking care of Scarface, the remaining thugs posed no threat.
Under Matthew's command, the skeleton soldiers regrouped and advanced step by step.
The three remaining henchmen, in their panic, reluctantly joined forces with Blackthorn.
However, Peggy had already flanked them from behind, forming a solid encirclement.
Seeing this, Matthew felt that he still needed to apply more pressure.
These enemies still seemed to resist—
It seemed they needed a little extra push!
"Shall we try the signature move of a death mage?" Matthew cleared his throat, attempting to replicate that sinister and hoarse voice he had read about in online novels.
"Heh heh, it seems like you also want to become my servants... hehe..."
Surprisingly, this tactic worked well.
Perhaps the thought of becoming playthings for a death mage after their deaths had taken its toll on the henchmen. Their willpower crumbled instantly, and they started to scatter and flee.
However, by that time, the corrupting pouches on their bodies had already spread all over their skin, even covering their eyelids with a thin layer of blood film.
Unable to see, they were like headless flies, and this made it much easier for the skeleton soldiers to finish them off.
In no time, the three henchmen were killed.
Now, only "The Arsonist Blackthorn" remained!
Matthew didn't let his guard down.
This guy was a legitimate third-tier professional, most likely an elite one. In a head-to-head confrontation, Peggy and him might not have the upper hand.
Matthew chose a more cautious approach to wrap things up.
...
Halfway up the hill.
The fire gradually subsided.
Blackthorn's face was covered in blood as he glared at Matthew.
Behind him stood a towering skeleton with a bone blade in hand, exuding terrifying power.
In front of him was a well-equipped squad of skeleton soldiers.
This formation could potentially conquer some less vigilant villages!
But now, they had been used to deal with this death mage and his gang of felons.
Blackthorn felt extremely aggrieved.
He wanted to ask the death mage why he had such a grudge against him.
But reason told him that it was pointless.
"The individual qualities of skeleton soldiers are lacking; maybe I can take them by surprise..."
This thought crossed Blackthorn's mind but was quickly dismissed.
He looked at the bone blade behind him, his brow furrowing deeply.
As he contemplated how to address his injuries and the pursuing enemy, a piercing roar suddenly pierced his eardrums.
Blackthorn was startled.
Intense pain surged from his chest.
He swiftly turned around—
Only to see a blurry-faced wraith pressing against him!
In the next moment, the wraith's claws were forcefully pulled out from Blackthorn's chest.
Thud! Thud!
The exposed heart continued to beat vigorously!
"No..."
Blackthorn's desperate cry got caught in his throat because the wraith had brutally shredded his vocal cords!
...
"You sensed a powerful grudge and, submitting to the grudge itself, you used 'Necromantic Summons'!"
"You have acquired a highly resentful wraith (Level 8)!"
...
"You have killed the arsonist Blackthorn and his subordinates, successfully preventing the fire from spreading to the forest!"
"You have gained the reward 'Wild Transformation'!"
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