Chapter 6, Gnoll Rock Thrower (New book period, seeking recommendations and collection.)_1
"Doesn't seem like this will be of any use, huh?" Fang Hao replied.
*Better to keep some things hidden.*
Their conversation suddenly went silent for a few seconds.
Dong Jiayue finally responded, "Uh... I know, but... Fang Hao, I really need food over here. Could you trade just a little less?"
Shadowstone had no utility for the human faction.
Even though it was a rare resource, in the hands of the humans, it was no different than ordinary stone.
"Could you tell me how you obtained this Shadowstone?" Fang Hao asked.
He was genuinely curious—how exactly was Shadowstone acquired?
"Of course! It's near my territory; I discovered an underground ancient tomb and picked it up there," Dong Jiayue answered.
Fang Hao stroked his chin, thinking deeply.
*Does Shadowstone have to be obtained from cemeteries?*
*Not only do I have to build undead structures, but now I need to delve into tombs?*
"Hey, are you still there? Trading just a little less food is fine too," Dong Jiayue asked hurriedly, thinking Fang Hao might have lost interest in the trade.
"Just call me by my name. Here's my offer—I'll give you 30 units of meat for one Shadowstone. If you find any more in the future, we'll trade at the same rate," Fang Hao proposed.
He wasn't short on food, especially since Shadowstone happened to be what he needed.
"Thanks, Brother Hao! I'll put the Shadowstone up for trade now."
"Okay."
Shortly after, the designated trading zone displayed the Shadowstone, but there was only one.
He quickly traded 30 units of meat for it.
Shadowstone was secured.
After completing the transaction, Fang Hao returned to upgrading buildings.
The labor skeletons had been working tirelessly to gather resources at an impressive speed.
The materials were sufficient for building upgrades.
[Required Materials for Level 3 Lord's Wooden House: Wood 1200, Stone 600, Straw 300, Leather 120, Rope 50.]
Upgrade confirmed.
A radiant glow shone.
The lord's hall of the wooden house underwent expansion again, its size increasing.
It looked more refined and sturdy.
[Level 3 Lord's Wooden House]
[Belonging to Lord: Fang Hao]
[Existing Structures: Level 2 Underground Cemetery, Level 2 Warehouse, Level 1 Burial Grounds.]
(Note: Core building of the territory.)
[Required Materials for Upgrade to Level 4: Wood 2200, Stone 1000, Brick 200, Leather 240, Rope 180.]
Upon upgrading to Level 4, a new material requirement appeared: brick.
As of now, there was no known method to obtain it.
…
He waited a bit.
But there was no reward notification, unlike when the main town had been upgraded for the first time.
*Feeling slightly disappointed,* he began inspecting other buildings within the territory.
Both the Underground Cemetery and Burial Grounds still required Shadowstone to upgrade, rendering them unprogressable.
However, the warehouse could be upgraded to Level 3.
[Level 3 Warehouse: Wood 1200, Stone 950, Straw 320, Leather 100, Rope 220.]
Upgrade confirmed.
The warehouse smoothly advanced to Level 3.
[Level 3 Warehouse]
[Storage: 50,000/50,000]
(Note: Resources within the warehouse are better preserved; food stored here is less likely to spoil. The higher the warehouse level, the more resources can be stored with greater effectiveness.)
[Required Materials for Upgrade to Level 4: Wood 2000, Stone 1500, Brick 400, Leather 300, Rope 220.]
The total storage capacity increased to 50,000.
But the overall resource quantity in the territory continued to exceed the warehouse's storage limit.
With the warehouse at full capacity, resources were also piling up in the open spaces within the territory.
After upgrading the buildings, Fang Hao summoned all the skeleton soldiers back.
"I should explore the surrounding map of the territory." Tightening his leather armor and grabbing a stone axe, he prepared himself.
Other lords had already begun exploring the maps around their territories, and he couldn't afford to remain confined to his immediate area.
Just like Dong Jiayue, who had traded Shadowstone with him.
She had discovered a cemetery through exploration nearby that yielded Shadowstone.
*A shame,* though.
Outside of himself, none of the skeletons in his territory possessed the capability to explore or map areas.
He could only embark on exploration by himself.
Fortunately, compared to other lords, his army was visibly superior in strength.
This reduced the risk significantly.
Glancing at the gathering skeleton soldiers around him, he announced, "Follow me. Your job is to protect me."
The skeleton soldiers stood there motionlessly, holding wooden shields and stone axes in hand.
"Let's move," Fang Hao took the lead, stepping beyond the protection barrier.
The forest in front of the territory had already been cleared to create an open area.
Labor skeletons continued harvesting materials tirelessly.
Leading the group of skeleton soldiers through dense woods, they emerged into an open plain with a clear stream gently flowing.
Fang Hao grabbed a wooden board and marked the location of the stream.
This was closer to his current water source, and there didn't seem to be any signs of danger.
*Too bad he hadn't brought any containers; otherwise, he could've had the skeletons carry some water back to the territory.*
Following the stream upward, Fang Hao's expression abruptly changed.
Taking a few steps forward, he crouched to inspect the marks on the ground.
Wheel tracks!
The moist soil along the stream clearly revealed the impressions left by cartwheels.
"A lord? Or another faction?" Fang Hao muttered under his breath, staring at the tracks.
Then he signaled the skeleton soldiers to follow the tracks' direction, pursuing what lay ahead.
An unexpected neighbor near his territory?
Before long, Fang Hao saw the source of the wheel tracks.
It was a humanoid creature with a massive dog's head slumped over its hunched body.
A cart was loaded with freshly slaughtered animal carcasses, dripping with blood.
[Gnoll Stone-Thrower (Level 2)]
[Skills: Sling Stones]
The gnoll stone-throwers weren't tall, averaging about 1.2–1.3 meters.
Their skin was an ashen gray, resembling the flesh of a hairless dog.
Fang Hao and his skeleton army—hundreds strong—were immediately noticed by the gnolls.
After a brief moment of shock, the gnolls unleashed screeching howls and readied their slings, launching an attack.
THWAP! THWAP! THWAP!
The slings might have seemed rudimentary, but their impact was substantial.
Whistling stones smashed into wooden shields, echoing loudly as the front-line skeleton soldiers stumbled under the barrage.
"Attack! Kill them!" Fang Hao commanded.
CLANG!!
Hundreds of skeleton soldiers raised their wooden shields and charged toward the gnolls.
The disparity in numbers was immense.
While the slings were fairly effective, the skeleton soldiers' wooden shields and leather armor provided decent protection.
The gnolls couldn't inflict any significant damage.
The dense horde of skeletal warriors approached rapidly.
The gnolls, numbering just over twenty, were quickly overwhelmed as the skeleton soldiers drew near.
Even when wielding short daggers to defend themselves while screaming, they were helpless against the sheer number of skeletons.
The battle ended with a few final wails—the gnolls perished under shield strikes and the relentless blows of Chaotic Axes.
Once the dust settled, Fang Hao stepped forward.
He looked at the gnoll corpses scattered on the ground, along with a few fragmented skeleton remains.
"Clean up the battlefield," Fang Hao ordered.
The skeletons began collecting the items dropped by the [Gnoll Stone-Throwers].
Fang Hao's attention shifted to the bodies of the deceased gnolls.
Near each gnoll's corpse lay white bones resembling biological vertebrae.
[Wriggling Spine]
[Type: Consumable]
(Description: A sacrificial item of the Undead Clan, used for recruiting undead units.)