Real Mount and Blade Game

This is not a lament for the idyllic pastoral scene, but a chilling anger and profound sorrow at the forced interruption of a great civilization and the violent erasure of its traces.

This emotion felt like a heavy lead weight pressing down on his chest.

Shen Mu's predecessor, his parallel world self, was a Blue Star human born from the Blue Star civilization within the Blue Star world.

Suddenly, a bandit on guard duty spurred his horse back at high speed, reined in it a dozen paces away, and the horse reared up, raising a cloud of dust.

The bandit's face showed a hint of surprise: "Sir! About three miles to the east, behind the sand dunes! There's a large-scale dust storm!"

Dust storm?

In this almost windless daytime?
Shen Mu immediately composed himself, his eyes instantly becoming as sharp as ice picks, all his sadness instantly dispelled by his fighting instincts.

He decisively raised his hand: "Halt! All troops on alert! Khergit archers, spread out in a fan shape and provide ranged cover! Holy Tree Knights, protect the flanks! Steppe bandits, advance to scout the situation, and take cover!"

The order was given, and the troops instantly changed formation.

The experienced Khergit horse archers skillfully spread out to both sides in small squads, nocked their arrows, and kept their arrows hidden, their sharp eyes fixed on the undulating sand dune line to the east.

The Holy Tree Knights then tightened their formation, protecting Shen Mu at the core. Their mithril kite-shaped shields tilted slightly, forming a solid defensive line. Their sharp eyes beneath their visors scanned for any possible attacks from any direction.

Upon receiving the order, several of the most agile bandits on the grasslands immediately shook their reins and, using the terrain as cover, silently and swiftly advanced towards the direction of the dust storm, their figures quickly disappearing into the shadows of the undulating sand dunes.

The air seemed to freeze.

The sun was blazing, and the sand was steaming hot.

In the distance, only the whistling of the wind sweeping across the sand dunes and... that faint, muffled thunderous sound could be heard.

It sounded like a flurry of footsteps, or the dull thud of countless swords clashing.

The bandits sent out from the grasslands quickly brought back intelligence.

They crept back like ghosts, reporting urgently in low voices: "My lord! Skeletons! A huge number, probably no less than two hundred! But they are fighting on the move! Those fleeing ahead are the skeletal archers of the Seventh Dynasty of Black Arrow Tower, nimbly using the dune terrain to dodge their retaliatory shots. Closely pursuing them are about a dozen skeleton cavalry! They are chasing very closely, and the two sides are engaged in a melee between the dunes! The dust is from their pursuit and battle!"

"Wait a minute?" Shen Mu was slightly taken aback upon hearing this: "Skeleton archers are fighting against skeleton cavalry!?"

These are all undead monsters under the rules of necromancy.

How could they possibly have started fighting?!

Beat yourself up?
"Is this true?" Shen Mu pressed, as if he had thought of something.

The grassland bandit, who was acting as a scout, shook his head: "It's true, their battle was really intense, and when we saw it, it had already reached a fever pitch, and they weren't holding back at all."

“My lord.” Bestur rode closer, licking his dry lips, his hawk-like eyes gleaming with predatory intent. “A good opportunity! We’re not far now, and the terrain is perfect for our maneuver! Send my mounted archers to charge and unleash a volley. Whichever side they hit, it’ll make their infighting even fiercer! Ideally, it’ll provoke them to retaliate against each other!”

This suggestion is extremely tempting.

Using the enemy's confusion to create even greater chaos is a classic tactic for profiting from chaos.

This harassment was almost instinctive for the highly mobile Khergit horse archers, in particular.

But Shen Mu's gaze swept across the sand dunes to the chaotic battlefield, his eyes deep and cold. He slowly shook his head: "No."

"Why is that?" Bertusel asked, puzzled, his voice urgent. "My lord, this is truly a wonderful opportunity!"

"There are three reasons." Shen Mu's voice was completely flat, like a cold verdict:
"First, the purpose of the probing is unclear. Did the two sides reach some kind of tacit understanding during the exchange of fire? Or are they trying to lure us into revealing our position and strength? We are still unclear about their true intentions. If we intervene rashly, we may be playing right into their hands."

"Second, the oriole is behind. Rezarit's intelligence clearly indicates that the skeleton cavalry of the Ghost Dynasty are most likely lurking in the shadows nearby, like the most patient vipers. Once we show ourselves and attack, whether we succeed or not, our position will be completely exposed. If more skeleton cavalry take the opportunity to launch a 'Ghost Light' charge, we will be at a complete disadvantage in the open sand dunes and will be easily divided and surrounded."

He paused, his gaze sharpening further:
"Third, core interests. At present, the defense of Xinriwadin is not perfect. The most urgent task is time! We must seize every possible opportunity to strengthen the city walls, improve military equipment, and stabilize the internal situation! Our goal is not to annihilate the small group of enemies in front of us, but to ensure that when the three main forces attack again, Xinriwadin can become an anvil that will break their teeth! If we are greedy for a little advantage now, and we are entangled by the enemy or attract their main force to launch a strong attack, which will disrupt our defense construction rhythm, the loss will far outweigh the gains from this little bit of harassment."

His analysis was logically clear, coldly balancing the immediate temptations of the battlefield with long-term strategic goals, instantly overwhelming the Khergits' fervent desire to charge.

Bestur was speechless, the impatience in his eyes fading, replaced by a hint of sternness.

He understood Shen Mu's deeper considerations.

Patience is for the sake of waiting for the moment when a more fatal blow can be delivered to the enemy.

"Pass on the order!" Shen Mu's voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable authority. "Everyone, maintain silence and take cover on the sand dunes! Carefully observe their combat patterns, troop composition, and tactical habits! Record all details! At the same time, the grassland bandits on the outer perimeter expand the warning circle and closely monitor other areas besides this battlefield, paying particular attention to whether there are any hidden bone armor cavalry gatherings or the movements of third-party forces!"

"Yes!" A messenger immediately whispered the order and quickly relayed it.

The elite cavalry swiftly carried out the order.

The experienced Khergit horse archers sought advantageous positions to conceal themselves and their horses, their arrows still nocked, ready to be released.

The Holy Tree Knights concealed the gleam of their armor, resembling gray-white rocks embedded in the sand dunes.

Even Shen Mu himself retreated to the top of a higher, leeward sand dune, standing quietly beside the Sacred Tree Steed, his gaze like a cold probe, directed towards the chaotic and bloody chase in the distance.

He could clearly see that the skeletal archers used the complex terrain to their advantage, scattering bone arrows in a backflip. Although most of the arrows were deflected by the skeletons' hard bone armor, some occasionally hit vital points, causing one or two skeletal cavalrymen to fall.

You can also see that these dozen or so skeleton cavalrymen, relying on their mobility and charging speed, are constantly compressing the space of the Black Arrow Tower archers, and their sharp bone spears and bone knives are easily tearing apart the fragile skeletons.

Dust billowed, and distant roars could be heard.

This seemed like a microcosm of an ancient war taking place in a desert of another world. However, Shen Mu's eyes showed no pity, only cold calculation and a deeper wariness.

He hid behind the sand dunes like a seasoned hunter, patiently lying in wait while sensing the greater dangers that might lurk in the wider area.

The desert wind remained dry and scorching, whipping sand against his visor. The walls of New Rivadin stretched into the distance, like a silent, isolated island.

He knew that the real test was approaching, and what he needed was more patience than his enemy, and more time to buy more solid bricks for that isolated island.

This is the only goal at this moment.

Therefore, Shen Mu was able to wait.

He is very calm.

He calmly watched the legion of undead monsters in the distance, all seemingly governed by the rules of the undead, fighting amongst themselves.

His gaze pierced through the sweltering air, fixed firmly on the boiling battlefield in the east.

A brutal battle between the undead is unfolding.

On one side are the Black Arrow Tower's Seventh Dynasty skeletal archers, whose movements are swift and strangely coordinated.

Their numbers were staggering, roughly estimated at over three hundred, like a flowing tide of gray bones, weaving, dodging, and fighting back among the undulating sand dunes.

The bone arrows rained down like a storm, carrying corrosive energy as they pierced the air, with most of them heading towards the dozen or so skeleton cavalrymen chasing behind.

On the other side were the skeleton cavalry of the Second Dynasty of the Dark Light, but they were completely different from the "bone armor cavalry" that Shen Mu had encountered before and that had given Bestur a hard time.

These skeleton cavalrymen, though riding skeletal warhorses and wielding bone spears or swords, were clearly equipped with much simpler weaponry.

They lacked the thick, dark bone armor covered in twisted patterns, and the soul fire in their eye sockets was a plain, ghostly green, rather than the cold, deep, or dark red flames of elite bone armor cavalry.

"That's them!"

Bestur's low voice carried a hint of surprise and confusion: "Skeletons against skeletons... that's fucking weird! But sir, these pursuers... they're not quite the same as the death-reaping ghouls I encountered before. They look like ordinary stuff!"

Bestur licked his chapped lips, a fierce glint in his eyes: "And... I've been watching for ages, why hasn't a single one of them used that 'ghost light'? If they had, even if they could instantly accelerate and burst open a hole to rush to the archers like that day, this battle would have been over long ago!"

Shen Mu's cold gaze swept across the battlefield, like a precise calculator assessing the balance of power. His deep voice was like the grinding of gravel: "Because they are not elite 'bone armor cavalry'. These are more like ordinary patrols, scouts, or... cannon fodder."

The situation on the battlefield confirmed his judgment.

Although the dozen or so skeleton cavalrymen were exceptionally fierce, each charge cut down several skeletal archers at the edge, and their wielding bone spears and blades easily shattered fragile bones.

Skeleton archers are indeed poorly protected individually, and once cavalry gets close, they are almost certain to be crushed.

But sheer numbers are an unparalleled advantage.

The more than three hundred skeleton archers displayed a chilling resilience and tactical skill.

Faced with the cavalry charge, they did not flee in panic, but rather moved like a startled but well-organized ant colony.

The archers in front quickly retreated, while their comrades on both sides and behind unleashed a barrage of arrows, creating one deadly zone after another.

Even if they couldn't accurately hit the vital joints of a fast-moving cavalryman, with a barrage of arrows, some would always manage to wed into the gaps between bones, pierce the fragile spine, or even embed themselves directly into the joints of a skeletal warhorse.

"Look at that slope at nine o'clock!" Rezarit's calm voice rang out, carrying the analysis of a professional officer: "Three skeleton cavalrymen attempted a high-speed flanking maneuver... Well done! The skeletal archers abandoned their concentrated fire on the frontal targets; at least thirty arrows instantly covered that area!"

Three skeleton cavalrymen charging at high speed crashed headlong into the sudden storm of arrows.

An arrow pierced the neck of the foremost cavalryman, causing him to falter and halting his charge.

Although the two riders following closely behind avoided vital points, they were struck by several arrows in their ribs and thigh bones, causing their speed to drop drastically.

In an instant, seven or eight skeletal archers abandoned their ranged attacks, drawing bone daggers from their waists or picking up rusted weapons from the ground.
They pounced on it like hyenas.

As the saying goes, "Many ants can kill an elephant," and within moments, the two cavalrymen who had lost their speed advantage were completely torn to pieces by the skeletal archers who surrounded them.

"quantity."

Shen Mu's voice was flat and emotionless, yet it clearly reached the ears of Bestur and Rezarit beside him: "In this complex terrain, which is not flat and open, sheer numbers are the most effective shield and millstone. The local advantage of individual strength will be constantly eroded, consumed, and divided by the overwhelming numbers, until... it is completely wiped out."

He paused, his gaze sharp as a knife: "Moreover, they haven't even used that advantage of instantaneous burst... Are they conserving energy? Or are they not qualified to use it? In any case, based on their current strength, it's a pipe dream for them to devour these three hundred archers. It seems like a stalemate, but in reality, the outcome is already decided. These skeleton cavalry are finished."

Bestur stared intently at the center of the battlefield, at the dwindling squad of skeleton cavalry whose numbers were visibly decreasing. They charged left and right, like trapped beasts stuck in a gray swamp.

Although the number of skeleton archers is also soaring, their sheer numbers ensure a constant pressure.

"Damn it! This is so frustrating!" Bertusel cursed under his breath. "If I were there, I would have charged in and crushed them all, black and green lights!"

Rezarit shook his head slightly, his voice grave: "Without the 'Ghostly Light' amplification, ordinary cavalry would indeed be powerless to turn the tide in this situation. The enemy archers' ranged suppression is very effective. Once their charging space and speed are restricted... they can only be slowly worn down. Although the Ghostly Light Dynasty's loss of this scout cavalry is small, the tactical intentions and troop composition it revealed are of great value to us."

He looked at Shen Mu: "My lord, shall we wait until they are both exhausted before harassing them a little?"

"No." Shen Mu's gaze had already passed beyond the bloody slaughterhouse, casting its light into the deeper, more silent depths of the sand sea, as if sensing some kind of cold, hidden gaze. (End of Chapter)