Wizard: Starting from Escape from the Thorn Garden

Chapter 135 Reorganizing Internal Affairs

He quickly issued a series of instructions to Grom, mainly regarding how to deal with the Pale King's inquiries, how to reorganize the Warband, and the next course of action.

Grom remembered everything and said he would carry it out perfectly.

"Now, let's go back first. You need time to recover. Until my next orders arrive, everything will remain the same, but secretly gather your forces and prepare."

Kate gave the final command.

"Yes, Master."

The two walked out of the stone forest one after the other.

The undead outside saw that Grom, though weak, seemed to be alright, and that the strategist "Shadowfang" was still following behind, so they no longer had any doubts.

Following Kate's instructions, Grom announced that the ambush was a success, and that important resources had been seized, but he himself was greatly exhausted and needed to return to the base to rest immediately.

The undead army regrouped and headed back towards Skullcrusher Canyon.

Throughout the journey, Kate could clearly feel the absolute, controlling soul connection between herself and Grom.

He could even sense Grom's state, emotions, and vague thought processes at any time.

He tried it out, issuing a simple command in his mind: "Clench your left fist."

Grom, who was walking ahead, immediately and silently clenched his bone claw in his left hand without the slightest hesitation.

"Very good." Kate's lips curled into a slight smile.

This feeling of complete control is simply wonderful.

Upon returning to his base in Skullcrusher Canyon, Grom immediately entered the deepest cave for "seclusion and recovery."

Please do not disturb us in any way.

Kate, as the "strategist," naturally assumed temporary management responsibilities.

Using this identity and Grom's absolute obedience, he began to gain a deeper understanding of and secretly adjust the structure of this undead force.

He first summoned the two mid-level lieutenants of the first ring—the Shadow Assassin and the Blood Priest.

The atmosphere inside the cave was somber.

The shadow assassin's figure appeared and disappeared in the shadows, exuding a chilling aura; the blood priest was surrounded by a faint blood mist, emanating an unsettling aura of life drain and curse.

Both maintained a respectful demeanor towards the "Shadow Fang" strategist, who was deeply trusted by the leader and had just made great contributions, but deep in their eyes, there was still a hint of scrutiny from the strong and an imperceptible jealousy.

Kate sat upright on the stone chair below Grom's throne, her gaze calmly sweeping over the two.

He now has complete control over Grom and is full of confidence, but on the surface he still maintains the coldness and mystery of a mimic spirit.

"Before the leader went into seclusion, he gave an order that I would temporarily take over the affairs of the War Clan during his recovery period."

Kate's voice was hoarse and calm, yet carried an undeniable air of authority. "The situation is complex, and His Majesty's mission is urgent. We must prepare as soon as possible. Immediately report to me the races, strengths, specialties, and resource inventory lists of all members of the War Clan."

The Shadow Assassin bowed slightly, his voice like the rubbing of bone: "Lord Shadowfang, I have always kept the roster and resource list, and I will send them to you shortly."

Its actions seemed compliant, but Kate, through the keen perception of the Heart of Reincarnation, could detect a very subtle resistance and—probing—in its mental fluctuations.

The Blood Sacrifice let out a low laugh, the blood mist swirling around him: "Is the strategist planning to take overall control and ensure everything goes smoothly? Rest assured, for the sake of our leader and the war guild, we will cooperate without hesitation."

Its tone sounded more cooperative, but the hypocrisy and greed hidden behind that smile couldn't fool Kate O.

Kate sneered inwardly, knowing that these two had their own agendas and were not truly submitting.

But now is not the time to take action against them.

Soon, the Shadow Assassin delivered several bone fragments containing information.

Kate scanned the area with her mental energy and immediately gained a clear understanding of the Skullcrushers' resources.

Summary of the Skull Crusher Gang's Strength:

Leader: Grom (Peak 1st Ring - Skeleton Warrior) - Absolutely under control.

Key Leaders: Shadow Assassin (Intermediate Level 1), Blood Priest (Intermediate Level 1) — Be wary.

精锐：恐怖骑士（4级巅峰10）、狂暴兽王（一环初级1）、骸骨盾卫（一环初级2）、腐尸投矛手（4级巅峰20）。

Mid-tier: Skeleton Warrior/Zombie Warrior (Level 3, 150).

Low-level: Skeleton Soldiers/Walkers (Level 2 and below, 300).

Attachments: Skeleton Mammoth (Level 4 War Behemoth 3), Gargoyle (Level 4 5).

Total forces: Approximately 500 undead units.

Inventory Resources: A quantity of Soul Crystals (medium to low quality), a quantity of Rotten Ore, a quantity of low-level Undead Equipment, and a small amount of plundered life materials.

A considerable force, especially Grom himself and the ten Dread Knights who formed the charge; their impact should not be underestimated.

However, resources are scarce overall, and low- to mid-level undead make up the vast majority.

Kate hesitated for a moment, then began to issue the order, her voice leaving no room for doubt: "Shadow Assassin."

"Your subordinate is here."

"Immediately select your most skilled ghost and vampire servants for stealth and reconnaissance, and form three reconnaissance teams to be dispatched to the three directions of 'Well of Withering,' 'Corridor of the Dead,' and 'Hall of Bones.'"

There's no need to get too close; just monitor the movement of large undead legions and any unusual energy fluctuations from the periphery, especially for signs of an unusually large accumulation of death energy.

Report back daily; timely completion is mandatory.

This is blatantly probing the movements of the Undead Lord's direct forces, which carries considerable risk.

The Shadow Assassin's soulfire flickered, seemingly hesitant: "Strategist, isn't this—being so close to the King's forbidden area—"

"This is the leader's order!" Kate's voice turned cold as she directly used Grom's tiger skin. "Our warband has already pledged allegiance to the Pale King and accepted an important mission, but now the leader is recovering and planning to conduct a general ascension ceremony."

The Pale King is preparing for a major event, and we, the peripheral forces, must be even more vigilant, just in case.

Or perhaps—you doubt the leader's judgment?

Upon hearing Grom's name, the Shadow Assassin immediately lowered his head: "I dare not! Your subordinate obeys!"

It gave Kate a deep look, then disappeared into the shadows to make arrangements.

Kate knew it was definitely suspicious, and might even be outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant, but he didn't care.

All he needed was the existence of these scouts themselves, and the information they might bring back, even the most rudimentary.

More importantly, this was a test to see the Shadow Assassin's execution and level of control.

Then, he looked at the blood sacrifice.

"Blood sacrifice".

"Your subordinate obeys, strategist." The Blood Priest bowed slightly.

"You are responsible for regulating all low- and mid-level undead. From this day forward, cease all unnecessary raids and conflicts."

All available resources should be prioritized for the ten Dread Knights, the three War Beasts, and the best of the Skeleton Warriors.

I need them to recover to their peak condition, or even improve, in the shortest possible time. Can you do that?

This is about concentrating resources to build an elite strike force.

A glint of blood flashed in the Blood Priest's eyes; this would clearly affect some of its own interests, but a smile appeared on its face: "The strategist is far-sighted, concentrating forces to accomplish great things! Your subordinate understands and will make careful arrangements to make our War Clan's elite forces even more formidable."

It readily agreed, but Kate could sense its reluctance and scheming.

"Very good, go ahead." Kate waved her hand.

The blood sacrifice has also ended.

Kate watched its retreating figure and sneered.

Let them do their jobs first, and when Grom "comes out of seclusion", we can use his power to gradually eliminate these two destabilizing factors, or find an opportunity to bring them under control.

For now, let's stabilize the overall situation.

In the following days, Kate, acting as strategist, swiftly and decisively reorganized the war gang.

Occasionally, Grom would be allowed to come out and issue orders personally, thus reinforcing Kate's (Shadowfang's) authority as strategist, and no one dared to openly oppose him.

The order within the War Gang was restored, resources began to be allocated to elite forces, and scouts were also dispatched.

Although the Shadow Assassin and the Blood Priest were secretly dissatisfied, they couldn't see Kate's true purpose for the time being, and with Grom occasionally showing his support, they could only obediently cooperate.

During this time, Kate also communicated with Grom, who was in "seclusion," through a soul link, to delve deeper into all the information Grom knew about the undead faction.

In particular, its previous interactions with other neutral factions, and its perceptions of the personalities and styles of several undead lords.

Grom is now very open and forthcoming, providing a wealth of valuable information.

[Intelligence Summary: Pale Lord: Cautious, suspicious, skilled in plagues and curses, prefers to operate from behind the scenes.]

Shadow Assassin: Aggressive, violent, controls the shadows and the assassination legion, and enjoys personally eliminating threats.

They are not a monolithic entity; there is competition and suspicion among them.

Known neutral factions, such as the Lich Alliance of Rusty Canyon (skilled in necromancy) and the Banshee Queen of Wailing Spire (skilled in mental attacks and summoning), are both in a wait-and-see mode and are not absolutely loyal to the King.

This intelligence is extremely valuable for Kate's subsequent plans.

On this day, Kate was studying the magical map of Evernight Canyon, trying to find more details that might have been overlooked.

A ghostly scout sent by the Shadow Assassin frantically floated back, bringing with him astonishing news!

"Report—Reporting to Lord Shadowfang! To the west—to the west, in the direction of the Well of Withering—a large-scale undead army has been detected."

Tens of thousands of spirits are pouring out of the well, led by an avatar of a king, heading toward—towards Rust Hills.

Energy fluctuations—extremely terrifying!

Almost simultaneously, another group of scouts also sent back vague information: there were signs of a large-scale gathering in the Corridor of the Dead.

Kate felt a sudden chill run down her spine!

Rust Hills—where another major neutral undead faction—the Rust Liches—is based.

They are skilled in necromancy, capable of crafting troublesome steel ghouls and corrosive weapons.

The Pale Lord's dispatch of such a large army at this time has an obvious purpose: either to conquer or to destroy.

These unstable neutral forces must be brought under complete control or eliminated to prevent them from becoming variables in the upcoming war.

This is a dangerous sign!

This indicates that the Undead Lord's consolidation efforts have accelerated, leaving him with less time.

However, crises also contain opportunities!

A sharp glint flashed in Kate's eyes, and she immediately issued a command to Grom through the soul connection.

Soon, a deep, furious roar echoed from the cave where Grom was in seclusion: "What?! His Majesty the Pale is actually going to attack the Corrupting Lich?!"

Immediately afterward, Grom emerged from the cave, his aura erratic. Before all the core undead, he roared at the Blood Priest, "Shadowfang, immediately assemble two squads of Dread Knights and elite troops. Follow me!"

Both the Shadow Assassin and the Blood Priest were taken aback: "Leader, your injuries—where do we go?"

Grom roared, "Of course we need to get to the southeast area of ​​Burial Pit No. 3 right away! The Pale King is making an example of us. If we don't get to the mission location quickly, we'll be the next ones to be eliminated!"

Grom was ordered to clear all Life Hand patrols and scout points in the area southeast of Burial Pit 3 during the next Shadow Moon cycle, ensuring the energy extraction channel remained completely unobstructed.

Kate, however, tricked Grom into delaying for a few days. Now a week has passed, and they are still reorganizing their elite troops, but there has been no progress on the mission they were assigned. If they don't hurry up and make some gestures, it will arouse suspicion.

The Shadow Assassin and the Blood Priest exchanged glances, but also felt that this was expected. At this time, a mere newcomer to the undead forces who were only on the periphery could not be too self-centered.

Kate (Shadow Fang) stepped forward at the opportune moment and said in a deep voice, "Chief, you are not in good condition at the moment. I think it is not necessary for you to lead the team personally. Let me lead a group of elites to set up defenses at Burial Pit No. 3."

"Shut up!" Grom interrupted him "rudely." "My mind is made up. Assemble the troops immediately. As for you, Shadowfang, I'll send your first elite squad to the Ironhills battlefield to show our warband's sincerity in supporting the Pale King."

It perfectly embodies the image of someone impulsive and irritable.

Kate (Shadowfang) immediately bowed with feigned reluctance: "--Yes! I'll arrange it right away!"

Seeing this, the Shadow Assassin and the Blood Priest could only swallow their words of advice, perhaps still grumbling about their leader's recklessness and Shadowfang's "helplessness."

Little did they know, this was all a show directed and acted by Kate herself!

The real purpose was not to "show support," but rather—

Kate turned around, a cold smile flashing in her eyes.

He was to lead this newly organized force, completely under his command, to the battlefield of Rusty Hills.

He wanted to observe firsthand how the undead lord's legions fought, and to see the strength and methods of the monarch's avatar.

He wanted to find an opportunity amidst the chaos—perhaps to save some of the remnants of the corrosive lich, do them a favor, and maybe recruit or utilize them in the future.

More importantly, he wanted to test whether, in a real melee, he could use Grom, under complete control, and this elite squad to do something even more "outrageous"—

For example, secretly causing trouble for the king's army, or—stealing something of value.

The risks are huge, but the rewards could be even greater!

This will be the first real-world test of his complete control over Grom, and an important stepping stone for his next, larger plan.

"Assemble the team! Target: Rust Hills!" Kate (Shadowfang)'s voice echoed throughout the canyon, carrying a chilling fighting spirit.