The road to Archer's Hill was longer—and deadlier—than Lin lan had expected.
Harsh weather was the least of it.
Undead grew stronger the closer they got. Faster. Meaner. Smarter.
It took Lin lan nearly half a month to push through territories infested with newborn skeletons and bone warriors, inching closer to Archer's Hill step by bloody step.
How many fights had there been?
He couldn't remember.
How many skeletons had fallen beneath the Blood-Slaughtering Bone Blade?
He'd stopped counting.
All he knew was this—
his control over the Eight Desolations Soul-Refining Technique had become sharper, smoother. His soul flame burned steadier, edging ever closer to a dark white hue.
That alone lifted his spirits.
For undead, the soul flame was everything. Each shift in color meant a leap in power—and one more fragile chance at survival in this hellish realm.
Still…
Something bothered him.
I'm getting stronger, Lin lan thought, but my gear sucks.
As Archer's Hill drew nearer, he'd soon be facing Skeleton Archers.
Two meters tall. Bone bows in hand. Dark-white soul flames burning coldly in their eye sockets.
Far more dangerous than anything he'd fought before.
Shen Daolun had warned him plenty.
"Those things," Shen had said, "can pin a Skeleton Warrior to the ground from a hundred meters out. I've seen more than a dozen warriors rush one archer—none of them made it halfway."
Lin lan believed him.
He could handle seven or eight Skeleton Warriors. A dozen would force him to retreat. But Skeleton Archers?
Different league.
And their leader…
Forget it.
That gap wasn't a gap—it was a cliff.
If the Archer Chieftain doesn't come looking for trouble, Lin lan thought dryly, I should light incense and thank Jesus.
Still…
He rubbed his chin.
"If I had lightweight armor. Or boots enchanted with speed. Something to close that hundred-meter kill zone…" His eye flames flickered. "Then maybe I could rush them. Even the leader."
Shen Daolun sighed. "Dreams are free. Reality isn't. This isn't your family's artifact shop—where are you planning to get that kind of gear?"
"Can't I dream?" Lin lan shot back.
Shen Daolun wisely shut up.
The sky darkened.
Heavy clouds sagged low, filtering the pale blue light of the Nine Nether into a dim, sickly glow.
Cactus-like plants swayed gently, greedily absorbing the death energy within that light. Their bodies bristled with bone spines sharp enough to pierce skeletal limbs.
Then—
Movement.
A Skeleton Mole poked its head out from behind one of the cacti, eyes darting nervously.
In its mouth—
Shoes.
Tattered. Filthy. Barely holding together.
But around their edges shimmered a faint milky glow. Within that glow, thin currents of air spiraled endlessly.
Lin lan froze.
"Those are—" Shen Daolun sucked in a breath. "Gale Boots."
"What?"
"Wind-element enchanted boots," Shen said quickly. "Earth-grade, second tier. Massive speed boost. Grab them—now."
Lin lan's soul flame flared.
Just what I needed.
He didn't hesitate.
"Robbery!!!"
Blade in hand, he took off.
The Skeleton Mole shrieked and bolted for its burrow.
Fast.
But not fast enough.
Lin lan closed the distance in seconds. He lunged—
Missed.
The mole made a sudden ninety-degree turn and slipped past his grasp.
"Damn it!"
If it reached its burrow, those boots were gone for good. Skeleton Mole tunnels were deep, twisted, and riddled with exits.
No thinking.
Lin lan ripped the bone blade free and hurled it.
The blade spun through the air—
And missed.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
The mole was almost home.
Then—
Thunk.
The Skeleton Mole flipped backward and crashed onto the ground, limbs twitching.
Lin lan blinked.
The bone blade was embedded right at the burrow's entrance.
The mole hadn't stopped in time.
It had headbutted the blade.
Hard.
Lin lan burst out laughing. "Got you."
He grabbed the dazed creature, shaking it mercilessly until its tiny tail flailed wildly.
After venting his frustration, he snatched the boots and pulled them on.
They were… awful.
So worn they looked like trash even by undead standards.
Didn't matter.
He took a step.
Then another.
The glow brightened. Wind surged.
Lin lan shot forward.
The world blurred.
Air screamed past his ears.
He laughed out loud, exhilarated.
By the time he stopped, Shen Daolun was nowhere in sight.
A long while later, Shen finally drifted over, panting. "Do you have any respect for the elderly?"
Lin lan ignored him.
His gaze dropped to the Skeleton Mole.
The creature whimpered, tiny paws pressed together, bowing desperately.
Lin lan paused.
"…That's new."
Shen Daolun shrugged. "Some undead develop awareness once they absorb enough death energy. Skeleton Moles can't steal soul flames like others. They siphon energy from the Nine Nether sunlight. Takes them ages."
Lin lan looked at the trembling creature.
"Then let it go."
He set it down and waved it away.
The Skeleton Mole froze—then wagged its tail and vanished underground.
Shen Daolun stared. "Didn't expect you to be soft."
"Just practical," Lin lan said. "It wasn't a threat."
Shen Daolun stopped smiling.
"…No threat?" he repeated.
Lin lan turned. "What do you mean?"
Before Shen could answer—
The ground roared.
The earth burst open.
Skeleton Moles erupted from every direction—hundreds of them. Heads touching heads. Tails brushing tails.
A living tide.
They surrounded Lin lan and Shen Daolun completely.
And then—
They closed in.