Shen Ye quickly finished reading the letter, sheathed the sword, and turned his attention to the note.
In truth, the hand probably meant to indicate the letter.
The badge was just an extra find.
“Hey, I can’t read this writing. Can you read it for me?” Shen Ye asked.
“I’ve never learned to read your human script,” the large skeleton replied.
Shen Ye rolled over, found the corpse of a human soldier, and spread the letter out in front of it.
“Excuse me, could you read this for me?”
The corpse, compelled by his question, opened its eyes and began reading aloud:
“Notice regarding the urgent investigation into the undead disturbance.
Brothers and sisters:
The Empire and the Elven Kingdom have jointly issued a large-scale task. Anyone who can uncover intelligence about the undead disturbances will be rewarded handsomely.
Please head to the battlefield. The survival of our people depends on us fighting with all our might.
May the shadows protect us.
—The Hand of Shadows”
Hearing this, Shen Ye suddenly understood.
So, this was a mission for an assassin!
Roman must have been an assassin too. After recognizing his mask, Roman decided to lend him a hand by leaving the solo combat kit behind.
He had also indicated that the camp with three upright daggers marked the location of the Brotherhood.
That was the gist of it.
But—
How was this supposed to help him?
Was he even capable of uncovering the truth behind the undead disturbance?
…Wait a moment.
“Buddy, can you tell me something about the undead? I can trade it for a reward,” Shen Ye said, addressing the ring.
“What kind of information do you want? Earth-shattering? Or something more ordinary?” the large skeleton asked calmly.
Shen Ye was surprised.
This guy didn’t object at all?
It was, after all, an actual undead being.
But upon reflection, Shen Ye thought about how it had been forced by three of its kind to assassinate the elven leader. It made sense.
If it were me, I’d switch sides too.
Shen Ye said, “I can’t take information that’s too shocking. I’m just an ordinary person. If I present something world-shaking, others will investigate, and I’ll definitely be at great risk.”
“In that case, I have a piece of information that’s just right for earning some benefits,” the skeleton replied.
“What information?”
“The undead have adopted new turret components, which enhance the power of their soulfire cannons by 20% and increase their firing rate by 10%.”
As the skeleton spoke, a crystal emitting a faint gray mist appeared in front of Shen Ye.
“Isn’t this information a bit too valuable?” Shen Ye hesitated.
“It’s not overly valuable. Given the course of the war, I believe the human leadership has already suspected something. They just haven’t confirmed it yet.”
“So this information won’t stand out too much?” Shen Ye’s eyes lit up.
“Exactly,” the skeleton confirmed.
Perfect.
He could reap some benefits without drawing too much attention.
Relieved, Shen Ye carefully stored the crystal.
Everything was ready.
He crawled over to the undead giant, took a deep breath, and struggled to lift the stone hammer.
“Wait, are you serious?” the skeleton couldn’t help but ask.
“Just tell me, can the humans’ medical capabilities heal my injuries?” Shen Ye asked.
The stone hammer was so heavy that just holding it up made his hands tremble uncontrollably.
“Of course. If you have money, they can even regenerate limbs,” the skeleton replied.
“What about you undead?”
“We usually throw the severely injured soldiers out. If they survive, they survive.”
“Not even a little treatment?” Shen Ye asked curiously.
“Well, there’s another way—manifesting sacrificial altars through special spells, imprisoning groups of undead or living beings, and drawing strength from them. That can heal us instantly. But only the highest-ranking undead can do this, and they need to understand all the intricate rituals involved.”
The skeleton explained in detail.
“So, humans are more cost-effective,” Shen Ye concluded.
“Of course. As long as you’re willing to pay, human holy magic is the best. Even elves can’t compare,” the skeleton confirmed.
“Money, huh?”
“Yes.”
“Do we have money?” Shen Ye asked.
“I do,” the skeleton replied.
“So we do have money. That’s great,” Shen Ye said cheerfully.
The skeleton couldn’t argue.
After all, I’m relying on him too.
Shen Ye suddenly let go.
Thud.
The stone hammer fell, smashing into his chest and making him cough up blood.
“Want a limb regeneration session? I can pay for it,” the skeleton said bitterly.
“Why waste so much on a minor role?” Shen Ye replied.
“Authenticity,” the skeleton muttered.
Shen Ye let out a loud, agonized moan:
“Someone… save me…”
He grabbed the tower shield and struck the stone hammer with a loud clang.
In the distance.
A few human soldiers whipped their heads around.
One of them sprinted over and examined him closely.
Shen Ye lay on the ground, clutching a broken spear and a shattered tower shield, his armor in tatters and his helmet bloodied.
He was pinned under the stone hammer.
What bravery!
The soldier blew a whistle around his neck with all his might.
A stretcher team quickly arrived.
…
Dozens of minutes later.
On a bustling patch of grass.
A priest finished healing him and patted his shoulder.
“Brave young man, surviving under the undead giant’s hammer is truly remarkable.”
“Thank you for healing me,” Shen Ye said gratefully.
He touched his chest.
The fractured chest bone was now fully healed, without a single scar left behind.
At that moment, an officer entered the camp, accompanied by a dozen close aides.
Shen Ye noticed that the entire camp had quieted significantly.
Looking at the officer, he appeared young, around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, but his entourage was striking.
There was a white-haired elder in a gray robe holding a staff, a heavily armored knight, a mysterious figure clad in a black robe and wielding a black book while wearing a faceplate, and several female warriors armed with powerful crossbows, positioned on the outer edges of the group and vigilantly scanning the surroundings.
Who is this person, arriving with such a grand display?
Shen Ye silently pondered, his heart beginning to race.
To his surprise, the group made their way through the camp, scanning the injured soldiers, until they finally stopped at his stretcher.
The officer scrutinized Shen Ye and asked,
“Which lord’s subordinate are you?”
“Lord Rhine,” Shen Ye replied.
Everyone nearby turned to look.
The officer paused briefly before softening his tone. “I regret to inform you that your territory has already been overrun by the undead. Do you have anything to prove your identity?”
Shen Ye handed over the Nightmare Crystal.
“This is our lord’s plea for help,” he said, his expression sorrowful.
One of the officer’s aides took the crystal and handed it to the elder in the long robe.
The elder recited a spell, and the crystal emitted a panicked voice:
“Honored members of the Empire,
Please send troops to rescue Rhine Territory. I am willing to pay three hundred gold coins and a significant land deed!
I am Lawrence, the Lord of Rhine!
Please, come to our aid!”
The voice faded.
The elder nodded. “That’s Lawrence’s voice, and the crystal is genuine.”
The officer sighed, looking around at his companions.
Everyone wore expressions of sorrow and helplessness.
Rhine Territory’s situation was truly tragic.
This messenger might very well be the last survivor.
“Messenger, rest for now. Don’t worry about anything else for the time being.”
“Thank you, sir.” Shen Ye’s eyes reddened, as though suppressing deep grief.
“Rhine is gone. Perhaps you should retreat to the Empire’s rear and find a place to live?” the officer suggested.
“No, sir. I wish to stay on the battlefield,” Shen Ye replied.
“Why?”
“I must avenge my people. I will not stop until I die.”
Shen Ye’s words carried an unshakable resolve. Coupled with his youthful appearance, the statement moved everyone present.
I still need to find the assassin’s camp and claim my reward. Don’t send me away yet.
The officer scrutinized him further. “You’re very young. Why were you chosen as a messenger?”
Momentarily stunned, Shen Ye quickly replied,
“I’m the fastest runner in all of Rhine Territory for my age.”
With that, he leaped off the stretcher and absorbed the second “Comrade” entry, increasing his attribute points by 3.
His total attribute points rose from 4 to 7.
Adding all 7 points to his existing 2.9 agility, his agility stat now reached 9.9—an unprecedented figure.
“Sir, let me show you how fast I can run,” Shen Ye said earnestly, his tone pleading.
“Alright, show me,” the officer replied.
Shen Ye sprinted with all his might, dashing to the camp’s entrance like a whirlwind, startling the guards there.
He turned back and ran to the officer, then returned to the entrance, repeating the process.
“Stop!” the officer called out.
Shen Ye stopped before him, panting heavily. “Do you think I can stay on the front lines?”
His shattered armor (carefully selected by the skeletal guardian), blood-stained body (from rolling through countless corpses), youthful face (just 15 years old!), and deeply earnest eyes (acting convincingly, since failure meant death) instantly won over everyone around him.
“Sir, let him stay and fight alongside us.”
“Right, give him a chance.”
“The Rhine bloodline must not be extinguished, sir.”
“Bring him to my unit—I’ll take care of him.”
“Such a promising youth should be sent to the rear for training, sir!”
“I bet he’ll either become an assassin or a great knight someday.”
Everyone began chiming in.
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