However, Olaf neither dodged nor retreated. Instead, he activated [Taunt] at the last possible moment. A thunderous roar erupted, forcing the nearby Skeleton Servants to fall back. The Beheading Giant Sword Skeleton's attack trajectory was affected by the roar, shifting it slightly off course.

Olaf activated [Berserk], seizing the opening. His speed and power surged to their peak as he transformed into a streak of ghostly blue lightning, circling to the side of the Beheading Giant Sword Skeleton.

He activated [Bloodthirsty Frenzy]!

The war axe traced a perfect arc through the air, cleaving precisely into the opponent's ribs. With the crisp sound of bone striking bone, blood-red Energy spilled from the wound and was absorbed by Olaf. His body grew even more solid from the Life Energy he siphoned. The Beheading Giant Sword Skeleton Warrior shrieked, but it was flustered and overwhelmed by Olaf's frenzied assault.

The battle quickly entered a fever pitch. Neither side yielded, and each clash caused the very ground to tremble. Olaf utilized his agile movement technique to constantly skirt the edge of the Beheading Giant Sword Skeleton's attack range. At times, he would activate [Charge], slamming into his opponent with the force of a thunderclap. At other times, he would unleash [Blood Blade Tornado], transforming into a spinning storm of death that shredded the surrounding air. Although the Beheading Giant Sword Skeleton was immensely powerful, it began to look ragged under Olaf's relentless assault.

At that moment, Olaf made a decision guided by pure combat instinct. He raised his war axe high, his Soul Fire flickering with resolute light, and instantly activated [Reverse Flow Throwing]. The Bone Battleaxe soared across the night sky like a meteor, piercing through the Beheading Giant Sword Skeleton's layers of defense and embedding itself deep in its chest.

Under the gaze of all the other skeletons, Olaf's axe pinned the Beheading Giant Sword Skeleton to the ground with irresistible force, rendering it immobile. The Soul Fire within its skull dimmed, losing its former brilliance.

The battle was over. Olaf stood there as the flames surrounding him gradually extinguished. He gazed toward Fang Zhou with his hollow eye sockets, like a battle-hardened general pledging loyalty to his monarch.

Seeing Olaf's effortless victory, Fang Zhou, who had been quietly observing from the side, felt his own Soul Fire flare brightly as he sent a wave of approval toward Olaf.

Previously, from Archer One's perspective, this Beheading Giant Sword Skeleton Warrior had seemed supremely powerful, like a descending god. It had even given Fang Zhou a brief moment of anxiety. He never expected it to be so easily crushed by the [Berserker Heroic Spirit] Olaf and his frenzied double axes.

After ordering Olaf to confirm that the Beheading Giant Sword Skeleton Warrior was completely helpless, Fang Zhou slowly stepped onto the battlefield. Above his Skeleton Clone's head, an invisible force gathered, gradually outlining a crown sculpted from pure white bone. This was a potent ability originating from the Blood Moon, the power to command Skeleton Series Undead Creatures: the [Skeleton Monarch] skill.

Fang Zhou gently raised a hand. The crown, as if responding to a summons, emitted even stronger spiritual waves, aiming them directly at the Beheading Giant Sword Skeleton Warrior on the ground. Its wavering Soul Fire quivered violently under the assault of this power.

Finally, with a nearly inaudible crack, the Beheading Giant Sword Skeleton Warrior's Soul Fire was completely conquered. At that moment, its body regained its strength and slowly stood up. But this time, its Soul Fire no longer pulsed with aggression. Instead, it was filled with reverence and dependence on the Skeleton Clone, as if it had found a new master.

Fang Zhou surveyed the powerful Skeleton Warrior that had just joined his ranks with satisfaction. It was rare to encounter such a unique subordinate, so Fang Zhou decided not to use it as expendable cannon fodder for the time being. After a moment of contemplation, he decided to bestow his newly acquired warrior with a resounding name—Tidamia.

With the decision made, Fang Zhou closed his eye sockets, his entire being emitting a soul wave that was almost corporeal. This was another demonstration of the Skeleton Monarch skill. A direct soul-to-soul link was established between him and Tidamia. This process was irresistible for any linked undead, a form of absolute control and comprehension.

The will of the Skeleton Clone surged into Tidamia's soul like a tide, beginning a dominant and meticulous exploration to uncover all the secrets of his newly subjugated vassal.

As the exploration deepened, the Skeleton Clone gradually understood why Tidamia possessed combat power far beyond the ordinary. He had once occupied an exceedingly precious resource point: a crystal cluster of White Bone Stones.

For Skeletons, a type of Undead Creature from the Skeleton Series, White Bone Stones were not mere Enhancing Gems. They were crystallizations of Death Energy, containing powerful Undead Attribute power. Within that cluster, day after day, year after year, Tidamia had absorbed the White Bone Stones. The energy from these stones gradually reshaped his bone structure, making it more robust while invisibly enhancing his racial Combat Power Coefficient.

Most importantly, the energy essence within the White Bone Stones had stimulated Tidamia's inherent potential, allowing him to exhibit exceptional tactical wisdom and Combat Techniques, far beyond that of typical Lower-rank Black Iron Skeleton Warriors.

Learning all of this, Fang Zhou's heart surged with uncontrollable excitement.

However, for low-level Undead Creatures like Skeletons, the passage of days and nights was merely a distant, vague concept. Fang Zhou couldn't glean much precise temporal information from Tidamia's hazy memories. The output of the mysterious resource point that nurtured the White Bone Stones, its rate of replenishment, and how much essence Tidamia had actually absorbed were all difficult to estimate.

Yet this very same powerhouse, who had once reigned supreme in the region, had somehow run into Fang Zhou's number-one team.

What happened? And why did Tidamia leave the White Bone Crystal Cluster he had occupied for so long?

Driven by curiosity, Fang Zhou once again immersed himself in the sea of Tidamia's memories.

It turned out that Tidamia's former dominance had not been unshakable. A Mutated Zombie, wandering in from an unknown land, had silently infiltrated Tidamia's territory like a shadow of death. This Mutated Zombie was unlike the ordinary walking dead. It possessed a more robust physique, faster speed, and even showed traces of intelligence.

In their fight, although Tidamia fought fearlessly, he was ultimately outmatched and narrowly defeated by the Mutated Zombie. Relying on his own agility, Tidamia had managed to escape an otherwise hopeless situation. The price, however, was heavy. He was forced to abandon the precious White Bone Stone deposit.

From that moment on, Tidamia was no longer the overlord of this land but a solitary wanderer, right up until he met Fang Zhou's forces.

Fang Zhou realized that the Land of Death was far more intricate than he had imagined. It held the lure of unknown resources, but also the threat of powerful, unknown dangers.

Fang Zhou shook his head. He communicated further with Tidamia through the Skeleton Monarch's Soul Link and made a surprising discovery. Tidamia's Soul Fire was far more vigorous than that of the other Skeleton Servants under his command. In Fang Zhou's view, this was likely a result of the long-term consumption of White Bone Stones, which had enhanced and fundamentally transformed his soul.

The most crucial point was that, because of this thriving Soul Fire, Tidamia's level of intelligence was significantly higher than that of other ordinary, Lower-rank Black Iron Skeleton Warriors. He could even use his own Spiritual Wave to engage in simple communication with Fang Zhou.

This discovery delighted Fang Zhou. In all his time controlling the Skeleton Clone and sweeping from the Burial Wilderness to the Corpse Hills, Tidamia was the only Undead Creature he had found that showed any degree of intelligence.

This led Fang Zhou to a bold conjecture. If Tidamia, a mere Lower-rank Black Iron Mutated Skeleton Warrior, showed signs of intelligence, then perhaps deeper in the Corpse Hills, there might be even more intelligent Undead Creatures.

"Tidamia," Fang Zhou asked, his thoughts stirring, "in which direction was the White Bone Crystal Cluster you used to occupy?"

Tidamia stared blankly at the Skeleton Clone. The Soul Fire in his skull pulsed intensely a few times before he emanated a strong Spiritual Wave.

"Master, White Bone Crystal Cluster… ahead… very far."

Looking southeast in the direction Tidamia was pointing, Fang Zhou shook his head. I wonder just how far 'very far' is.

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