“Huh?”
Shigao looked at her with a puzzled expression.
“You can’t hypnotize them?”
“Mm.”
Bai Nian nodded.
“I can only hypnotize living things.”
“But can’t you still…”
Before he could finish his sentence, he immediately realized what was going on.
These skeletons could only be killed by the abilities of Professionals, because both their powers originated from the Disaster Gate.
Ordinary weapons were useless against them, so even if Bai Nian’s combat ability was high, it didn’t help at all.
“That’s just as well, let’s have a good rest.”
Li Qian, who was standing nearby, spoke up.
“We don’t have much of a choice.”
Bai Nian curled her lips.
This was one of the big drawbacks of hypnosis.
She had never expected to be attacked by a horde of dead things.
“I just hope the Third-Order Gate isn’t like this.”
She sighed to herself, and, together with Shigao, obediently became mere spectators.
The bone arrows shot by those skeletons were exceptionally hard, and when they struck the thick steel wall below, they made a tremendous noise, even embedding themselves straight into the metal.
Although firearms were useless against these monsters, the Heavenly Dynasty Nine Provinces members stationed on top of the wall still used them to provide cover for the people below.
The skeletons’ bodies were unusually brittle; any attack could completely shatter them,
But Bai Nian saw clearly that even when they were reduced to a pile of broken bones, they didn’t die.
The bones seemed to have some magnetic force between them, actually attracting each other.
In no time, the shattered skeletons reassembled and stood up again.
It was as if they would never die.
Even for Professionals, only by attacking the blue flames in the chest cavity, completely surrounded by ribs, could the skeletons be killed.
These skeletons were far stronger than the troop of baboons she had dealt with before.
If not for the Professionals fighting desperately below, it wouldn’t be long before the iron-walled stronghold was overrun by the Skeleton Sea.
Bai Nian swept her gaze around.
It was her first time witnessing so many Professionals fighting at the same time.
Their abilities were incredibly diverse—some wielded staffs, some radiated lightning from head to toe, and some even fought with handguns.
Compared to Li Qian’s bow and arrows, these were like the upgraded versions—one shot, one kill, with infinite ammo.
The only flaw was that the user’s marksmanship was terrible, and there was a pause after each burst.
“Sis Qian, can I use the Captain’s weapon?”
Bai Nian turned to Li Qian and asked, “I want to help too.”
If she took action, her efficiency would be at least ten times that of Zhang Kun.
“No, weapons conjured by Professionals can’t be used by others.”
Li Qian shook her head.
She took advantage of the break to hand her own bow to Bai Nian as a demonstration.
But the moment Bai Nian touched the bow, it turned into a beam of light and instantly disappeared.
“All Heavenly Dynasty Nine Provinces members are equipped with standard weapons enhanced by Disaster Cores. Go check inside the stronghold.”
Li Qian suggested.
“Alright.”
Bai Nian nodded, turned, and left the wall.
The vast stronghold was empty; nearly everyone was fighting outside, except for one member on duty inside who was responsible for guiding newcomers.
She exchanged a few words with him, and he understood at once.
“Here, take it. I’m in a support profession and can’t fight, so I’ll be relying on you all.”
He spoke earnestly, handing his weapon to Bai Nian.
It was a long, straight-bladed saber with a black finish and a ring-shaped pommel—seemingly ordinary, but it felt surprisingly good in her hand.
It even had a resounding name:
Han Dao.
Bai Nian casually swung it a few times, nodded at the man, and said, “Thank you.”
***
Beyond the stronghold, in the darkness of the wilderness, two male figures appeared: one middle-aged, one young.
The middle-aged man strolled casually, always wearing a faint smile, as if nothing concerned him.
The young man’s face was cold, dressed in black tactical gear, and most striking was the mysterious bundle wrapped in black cloth on his back.
The two walked straight toward the stronghold.
Bai Nian glanced at them but paid no mind, turning to enter the stronghold.
“Yo, isn’t this the Bai Clan’s abandoned daughter?”
The middle-aged man greeted with a faint smile.
“Master, you know her?” the youth asked.
“Of course not, just saw her on the news.”
the middle-aged man replied offhandedly.
The youth was speechless; his master always liked to watch gossip.
“Gentlemen, thank you for responding to Heavenly Dynasty Nine Provinces’ call for aid. Please follow me.”
A member of Heavenly Dynasty Nine Provinces stepped forward to greet them.
“No need, we’re Hunters from the Hunter Guild.”
The middle-aged man introduced himself, then looked at the youth beside him.
“Oh right, Chen Yi, what level are you?”
The youth, Chen Yi, gave the man a glare and said flatly, “Fourth rank, regular.”
Hearing this, the Heavenly Dynasty Nine Provinces guide looked delighted.
“Excellent! With two strong warriors joining us, this disaster surely won’t spread.”
Soon, the three of them arrived atop the city wall.
“Master, those are Undead.”
Chen Yi spoke calmly.
“Looks like this Gate is a downgraded version from an Alliance instance.”
The middle-aged man said, but his eyes never left Bai Nian below.
Chen Yi also noticed something unusual and spotted the white figure among the Skeleton Sea.
She wielded the Han Dao, her movements smooth and unhurried, each strike stabbing straight into the blue fireball at the skeletons’ centers, slaying them with ease.
In the blink of an eye, the pile of skeletons slain around her had become a small hill.
Her fighting style was a delight to watch—completely different from the other Professionals.
She relied solely on skilled technique and a standard weapon from Heavenly Dynasty Nine Provinces.
Suddenly, a bone arrow with tremendous force shot toward her from the side, but Bai Nian blocked it with a horizontal sweep of her blade.
The arrow struck the blade with a crisp sound and was deflected off course.
“Her skill far surpasses yours, including strength. Without using your Professional ability, you wouldn’t last five rounds.”
The middle-aged man said flatly.
Chen Yi looked at him in surprise.
This was the first time he’d ever heard such high praise from his master.
“What are you looking at me for? Watch her!”
The man glared at him.
“Watch and learn.”
“Master, is this really that so-called abandoned daughter of the Bai Clan you talked about?”
Chen Yi asked skeptically.
“Tsk, she doesn’t look useless at all.”
The man also sounded confused, rubbing his chin and muttering to himself, “Could it be that idiot Bai Tianyi had a screw loose?”
The two of them watched Bai Nian fight for a while, and then the middle-aged man spoke again.
“Second-tier Disaster Gates won’t have an Undead leader. Go.”
At his words, Chen Yi yanked the black cloth off his back, revealing a rectangular, wood-grain box, and leaped straight off the wall.