Undead Mage: I Have a Skeleton Clone-Chapter 356 - 280: Coronation of the Divine Archer, Undead Reaper!

The elite demon only sensed them when they were already approaching the hill, a short distance from the Fiery Demon leader. It whirled around, a look of utter disbelief flashing in its blood-red eyes.

In the dense forest flanking the hill, numerous blurry figures were swaying. The occasional glint of bone flickered in the darkness, revealing what looked to be at least a hundred beings.

The Fiery Demon leader shook its head, finding it hard to believe what it was seeing.

Human reinforcements? 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Its mind was filled with doubt, but the figures did not disappear. On the contrary, as the distance between them shortened, their outlines grew clearer, revealing a massive Skeleton Army. Not only that, but the Fiery Demon leader could now see a group of Skeleton Archers drawing their longbows, aiming in its direction.

It estimated the distance to be at least 150 steps, which brought a mocking sneer to its face. Based on its experience, it was impossible for Skeleton Archers to shoot arrows that far and still maintain sufficient lethality. The Fiery Demon leader’s gaze slowly swept over these silent warriors, a disdainful smile on its face.

However, at that very moment, an icy chill shot up its spine.

As if receiving an invisible command, the Skeleton Archers moved in perfect unison. They drew their longbows taut in the same instant, the sharp sound of the bowstrings ringing out clearly in the silence. Immediately afterward, with a soft twang of release, countless silver arrows shot forth. They streaked across the night sky like meteors, blazing with a dazzling glow and unstoppable momentum as they flew straight for the Fiery Demon leader.

The Fiery Demon leader felt the specter of death approaching. Acting on instinct, it quickly dove to the ground, attempting to evade the sudden attack. Even so, a gleaming arrow whizzed past the top of its head at an astonishing speed, nearly grazing its scalp.

The arrow’s momentum hardly diminished. It continued forward, violently piercing the heart of another Fiery Demon standing behind the leader and pinning the creature to the ground. A shrill scream tore through the air.

It was only then that the Fiery Demon leader heard the sharp whistle of the arrow cutting through the air. It realized the projectile’s speed had actually surpassed the speed of sound.

Even the battle-hardened Fiery Demon leader was stunned by such precise shooting and terrifying power, its scalp tingling with fear.

Under normal circumstances, even an ordinary Fiery Demon could hurl a searing Fireball over a hundred steps. As a more powerful entity, the Fiery Demon leader could cast an explosive Fireball, striking targets well beyond a hundred steps. Ordinary human archers, however, had a range of only eighty to one hundred steps. They were incapable of reaching such distant enemies and could only die screaming in the Fiery Demons’ sea of flames.

Therefore, Fiery Demons had always been the Abyssal Demons’ preferred unit for countering archers.

But today, facing these terrifying Skeleton Divine Archers, the Fiery Demon leader experienced the sheer terror of a near-death encounter.

This transformation was, of course, because Fang Zhou, hidden within the Skeleton Army, had used the [Crowned with Death] skill on a few of the Skeleton Archers. Under the skill’s effect, the strength of these Elite Skeleton Archers had increased dramatically, which naturally included their most critical attribute: range.

The Fiery Demon leader trembled, because it clearly saw dozens more identically equipped skeletons emerging from behind the first group of archers. Each one held the same fearsome longbow, ready to launch another deadly assault.

Stunned by the sudden blow, the Fiery Demons had yet to recover their senses. Their massive bodies wobbled from the impact, their fiery skin seeming to burn even hotter in the dark. Anger and shock intertwined, erupting into deafening roars that echoed throughout the valley.

These destroyers from the Abyss moved quickly, gathering clusters of flame in their palms that gradually formed into burning fireballs. The fireballs flickered with a wicked light, ready to erupt at any moment and incinerate any being that dared to invade their domain.

However, before they could launch a counterattack, a chilling noise came from the dense forest ahead. The few skeletons at the very front—their already hollow eye sockets glowing with a ghostly green light—now shone even brighter. Almost simultaneously, they drew their longbows. The arrows trembled on the strings like vipers poised to strike.

Then, streaks of silver light shot out like meteors piercing the night sky, carrying with them the stench of death.

The two Fiery Demons in the lead instantly became targets. The sharp arrows pierced their hearts with irresistible force. As the arrows struck home, the fireballs in their hands spun out of control, erupting with blinding light before a violent explosion followed. The two fireballs not only obliterated the Fiery Demons’ bodies but also left two charred craters on the hard hillside.

The Fiery Demons farther back finally snapped out of their shock. Faced with a ranged attack launched from 150 steps away, the fireballs in their hands couldn’t even come close. In desperation, they had to abandon their Fire Element manipulation and quickly drop to the ground, searching for any possible cover. Fortunately, the hill’s terrain was rugged, and its various rocks and plants provided natural barriers.

But the Skeleton Archers clearly weren’t finished. They seemed to hesitate for a moment before a portion of them locked onto new targets—the demons charging toward the Shelter ruins.

Another volley followed. This time, the silver arrows wove between the demons like merciless Death Gods, claiming countless lives. The Little Inferior Demons appeared particularly fragile under such an onslaught. A single arrow could pierce two or even three of them in a row, their bodies disintegrating under the impact in a gruesome display.

The red-and-black torrent of the Demon Army halted, the air suddenly thick with fear and chaos.

Then, a thunderous roar broke the brief silence. It was the enraged shout of a Horned Demon Commander. An arrow was embedded in its muscular body, blood mixing with flame to create a ferocious and terrifying sight. It glared angrily toward the hill and bellowed, "Fiery Demons, what are you doing? How could you let enemy archers get so close!"

Hiding behind a massive rock, the Fiery Demon leader snorted coldly. Without looking up, it replied, "Use your eyes! Do you see how far away they’re shooting from? They’re well outside the range of my Fireball Skill. What do you expect me to do... Damn it!"

Before the words had even faded, another sharp whistle cut through the night. A brilliant silver light pierced through the giant rock the Fiery Demon leader was using for cover at an impossible speed. It landed with a thud, embedding itself deeply in the ground and almost grazing the demon’s foot.

The Fiery Demon leader cursed, shrinking back and cautiously shuffling a few steps to the side. Its eyes remained fixed on that direction, bracing for the next attack.

In the distance, ranks of skeletons holding long spears began to emerge from the dense forest. These skeleton soldiers moved in unison, as if controlled by an invisible commander. Every step landed on the same beat, a sight that sent shivers down the demons’ spines. They marched slowly out of the forest and began to adjust their spacing, row by row and column by column, quickly forming a solid phalanx. Each long spear glinted coldly in the dark, forming a silent, still forest of steel.

From its perch on the hill, the Fiery Demon leader’s expression shifted from surprise to deep worry as it watched everything unfold.

Can mindless skeletons really march with such perfect order?