Real Mount and Blade Game

The captain of the rangers stood tall and straight, with long silver hair tied back and emerald eyes as sharp as an eagle's.

After bowing with his hand on his chest, he reported clearly in a woodland-rhythm tone:
"My lord, for the past four days, the disturbances on the outskirts of the forest have been incessant. Those skeletons driven by decay are like carrion jackals attracted by the smell of blood. Their numbers far exceed those of the past, and among them are the 'Black Iron' variant with tougher bone armor and faster movements that you saw in New Uxhauer, and even... there have been ghostly entities that condense from mist and move elusively."

He looked up, his eyes displaying the calm sharpness characteristic of woodland warriors: "However, thanks to the terrain this forest provides, combined with the sturdy shields of the Rhodok warriors and the sharp arrows of our elven archers, all attacks have been repelled. Those who tried to scale the walls were impaled and strangled by spears; those who attempted to disperse and infiltrate the forest were lost among the layers of trees and vines, becoming easy targets for arrows from above. Every leaf in the forest is our eye and ear, every sturdy branch is our bulwark. Though a few scattered enemies managed to sneak into the inner layers under the cover of the thick fog, they were all reduced to withered bones beneath the decaying wood of our small-scale encirclement, posing no real threat."

These words are poetic.

Shen Mu listened carefully, his gaze sweeping over the surrounding fortifications and the determined yet slightly weary expressions on the faces of the elves and Rhodok warriors. He knew that behind this brief calm lay countless fierce battles.

He nodded slightly, acknowledging the efforts of Legolas and his soldiers: "Well done. It is no easy feat to construct such a three-dimensional defensive line and make full use of the woodland's advantages. Your perseverance has greatly relieved the pressure on New Uxhauer and even Deherim."

At this moment, another, older wood elf archer captain standing behind Legolas stepped forward, his face solemn and certain, and added:

"My lord, the captain's words are true. However, there is another unusual situation that I must report to you. Just four days ago, late at night..."

He paused deliberately, as if recalling the chilling scene: "The dense fog churned and surged like never before, as if stirred by an invisible giant hand. Just then, from the deepest part of Long City—the area known as the core of death—came a terrifying, earth-shaking roar! The sound was like mountains collapsing, or like a gaping maw suddenly being torn open in the deepest abyss that had been silent for millennia. What followed was an aura that...froze the soul, extremely cold, extremely evil, sweeping across the entire jungle like a tidal wave, even the ancient trees trembled and murmured. Even from such a distance, even with the protection of the forest's will, our comrades stationed at the westernmost watchtower felt a sense of oppression and fear from the depths of their souls. It was no ordinary necromancy; it was more like some...dormant or sealed terrifying being had fully awakened, or...some terrible 'gate' had been forcibly opened!"

After Caleborn finished speaking, the area under the ancient tree fell into a brief silence; even the sound of the wind seemed to subside.

The Rhodok warriors nodded solemnly to Shen Mu, confirming that what he said was true.

"Late at night four days ago? A tremendous roar? An abyss-like evil aura?" Shen Mu's eyes suddenly became incredibly sharp.

The sudden intensification of the fog and the surge in monster strength reported by Bandak, the new type of skeletons and necromancers encountered in New Uxhauer, and the enhanced undead horde he himself encountered in the fog last night... all these bizarre changes coincide perfectly with the terrifying roar described deep within the city of Long!
This is no coincidence!
Dense fog, enhanced undead, the core anomaly sensed by the wood elves... all the clues, like twisted vines, ultimately point to the deepest and darkest unknown core of Long City.

Shen Mu's gaze pierced through the thin mist in the forest, as if trying to look into the deepest part of that enormous city of death.

Hidden there lies the source of all the current storms, a key entity that has triggered a dramatic shift in the undead forces and may even rewrite the power structure of the entire Long City region!
The "gate" mentioned in the Ranger Captain's words, along with that "evil aura that freezes the soul," acted like invisible claws, completely seizing Shen Mu's thoughts.

A dramatic change must have occurred deep within Long City—a change that could affect the entire region's undead dynamics, turn the dense fog into nourishment, and cause monsters to become rapidly stronger.

The pressure on New Uxhauer has increased dramatically, and the unusual activity in the Elf Forest stems from this.

The unknown is the biggest risk, and he must go and see the source for himself.

"The source... is in the city center." Shen Mu's voice was deep but carried an undeniable determination. His gaze pierced through the thinning but still unsettling forest mist, landing on the blurry and menacing outline of the huge city to the west: "Have a simple meal, and we'll set off to take a look this afternoon."

There were no lengthy meetings, and no excessive planning.

At the heart of the Elf Forest, Shen Mu and ten Holy Tree Knights silently enjoyed the dry rations and water provided by the Wood Elves.

The food was simple, but enough to replenish the energy needed for the long march and the mission to come.

The Holy Tree Knights silently inspected their mithril spears and heavy armor, their movements fluid and steady. Their cold, indifferent faces showed no sign of tension, only a pure and restrained fighting spirit surging within them.

In the afternoon, when the sunlight should have been at its most intense, the light shining through the gray clouds and thick spirit mist that enveloped Long City onto the edge of the Elf Forest appeared pale and weak, carrying a twilight orange hue.

The air remained thick, filled with a lingering stench of decay and sulfur.

Shen Mu mounted his horse, with the Holy Tree Knights following closely behind.

Like a silent silver streak, no longer lingering on the vitality and shelter of the forest's edge, it galloped away, plunging headlong into the concrete jungle that had been completely transformed into a kingdom of the dead—the city center of Long.

Upon entering the high-rise-lined suburban area, a suffocating stillness immediately envelops you, far more thorough and profound than the dense fog surrounding New Uxhall or the outer edge of the Elf Forest.

The city's "outer shell" has been miraculously preserved.

Skyscrapers stand like giant tombstones, their glass curtain walls shattered and mottled, reflecting the dim light of the sky; abandoned vehicles on wide streets are rusty, or overturned and crushed into twisted metal mounds; once bustling shop signs hang crookedly, their words blurred.

However, all traces of "life"—human sounds, the activities of living things, and even the traces of struggling to survive—have been completely obliterated.

Time here seemed to freeze at the moment of destruction, and then be repeatedly washed and tainted by the merciless rules of the spirit world and the aura of death for several years.

Aside from the chilling, howling wind that cuts through the buildings like a weeping cry, there is an omnipresent oppressive, deathly silence that seems to seep from the depths of the earth and from the very marrow of the architecture.

Shen Mu opened his senses to the fullest extent, his mental energy like invisible tentacles, carefully skimming over the deathly silence, probing the hidden terror.

He could clearly "perceive" that beneath those towering skyscrapers, deep within the foundations of every building, at the entrance to every dark underground parking lot, and in every sewage-filled sewer system, countless "beings" lurked.

It was a twisted, cold, and filled with hatred for the living.

That was a vast ocean of necromantic energy, a nest of bones, rotting corpses, vengeful spirits, and many more unspeakable and twisted things!

The concentration of the undead in this area was terrifyingly high. Even for him, extending his mental power was like struggling through viscous blood plasma, and every scan was filled with the sense of danger of being locked on by countless cold malices.

The empty street where they were standing seemed safe on the surface, but in reality, it was like walking on thin ice on the edge of a volcano.

"Be cautious." Shen Mu's voice was exceptionally clear in the deathly silence, carrying a cold, commanding tone: "Maintain formation, keep your energy contained, target the city center area, and avoid unnecessary conflicts along the way."

"Yes, sir," the leading Holy Tree Knight responded in a low voice. The ten knights instantly spread out and regrouped with exquisite coordination, forming a flexible, arrowhead-shaped defensive array that protected Shen Mu at the core.

Their Swadian warhorses were extraordinary, moving with the lightness of cats and minimizing the sound of their hooves on the ground. The faint glow flowing through their mithril armor was deliberately suppressed by the knights with their own pure holy power, restrained to the extreme, so as not to become the most conspicuous torch in the darkness.

The ten people moved silently through the desolate tomb city as one.

However, the undead are far more sensitive to the presence of the living than one might imagine, especially in the core areas where they reside.

Just as the team ventured into a massive intersection where six streets converged, a sudden change occurred!

"Squeak—Hiss!!!"

Several piercing, inhuman screams rang out almost simultaneously from all directions! The sound did not originate from the ground, but from the rooftops of three extremely tall office buildings to the side, rear right, and left of the crowd!
Immediately afterwards, the sky was suddenly covered by a dense mass of black dots!

It wasn't an arrow! It was a "person"—or rather, a self-destructing zombie wrapped in tattered clothes, its skin and flesh dry and clinging to its skeleton, its eye sockets flashing with crazed green soul fire!
They were clearly manipulated by some force, precisely choosing this most open and difficult-to-avoid moment, a place shrouded in shadow, where the rules of Earth were not abundant and the location was dim, allowing them to jump from the rooftop of a building hundreds of meters high like dumplings being dropped into a pot!

Like a meteor shower from hell!

These fearless undead began to swell in the air, their ashen flesh glowing with a dark red light like lava!

A nauseating, foul, and deathly aura filled the air, densely covering the entire intersection!
Their purpose is simple and brutal.

Using the cheapest undead creations and the most frenzied suicide attacks, with overwhelming explosive shocks and necromantic energy containing strong corrosive and cursed elements, we will completely bury the elite squad that has broken into the heart of the area!
"Above! Avoid—Purify!!!"

The Holy Tree Knights captain's roar was like a thunderclap from a clear sky! Almost the instant the zombie appeared and jumped down, the ten knights reacted! Their long-standing, tacit cooperation was ingrained in their very bones!
It doesn't scatter!

As the captain roared, the entire wedge formation suddenly converged at an unimaginable speed, protecting Shen Mu in the middle!

Ten mithril spears sliced ​​through the air and suddenly thrust upwards!
The gun tip precisely locked onto the zombies closest to its landing point!

"Poof! Poof! Poof! Poof! Poof!"

The sounds of flesh being pierced blended together!
The zombie pierced by the spear exploded in mid-air like a punctured balloon!

But there were just too many zombies!
And the time spent falling from such a height is extremely short!
More than half of the zombies still managed to evade the precise interception and crashed onto the outer edge of the knight formation! Several of them even charged straight towards Shen Mu!

At this critical moment, the other Holy Tree Knights drew their knight swords and charged forward.

Puff puff puff puff...!
A series of dull, cracking sounds erupted!
It was like stepping on a pile of rotting pustules!

Without a deafening explosion or a spreading shockwave, the zombies, under the Holy Tree Knight's slashing and the trampling of the horseshoes, deflated like air, turning directly into soft, mushy mud and shattered remains.

Only foul-smelling, dark green slurry and bits of flesh poured down like a torrential rain; they were dead beyond dead!

The crisis seemed to have been averted in an instant!

But in that instant of chaos and pollution!
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Three streaks of dark light, moving faster than the limits of visual perception!

Silent and stealthy, carrying a chilling malice that seemed to freeze minds! Like three venomous snakes lurking in the shadows, they shot out from a broken window on the second floor of a low-rise supermarket across the street, taking advantage of the moment when everyone was locked in combat with the zombies and explosives, their minds still reeling, and their vision disrupted by the purifying flames in mid-air!

Target—Shen Mu!
Those were three strangely shaped bone spears, completely black, with tips that were not sharp cones, but barbs like the tail hooks of giant scorpions!

It was shrouded in a thick, almost tangible black mist!
Amidst the churning black mist, countless distorted phantoms of souls struggling in agony could be vaguely seen!
That was the power of a vicious curse and an instant death law from the rules of the necromancy!
The undead that launch the attack not only know how to use suicide zombies as cover to draw fire, but also possess the sinister wisdom to seize the opportunity in an instant and launch a fatal blow!

While defusing the self-destruction crisis, the Holy Tree Knights had already keenly sensed a new deadly threat, but those bone spears came too fast and too cunningly!
Moreover, the aura of death curse contained within them caused the sacred mithril inside their heavy armor to instinctively radiate heat.

"not good!"

They wanted to retreat and defend.

But they could only watch helplessly as the three cursed bone spears, wreathed in the shrieks of the dead, were about to strike the core of the formation—

Shen Mu!

We are powerless to do anything about it!
But at that moment, Shen Mu, riding on his warhorse, almost instinctively raised his left arm.

A Holy Tree Knight Shield was also worn on his left arm.

'Bang bang bang! '

With three loud bangs, three short spears, each the length of an adult's arm and the thickness of three fingers, appeared and became stuck on the Holy Tree Knight's shield, which was made of the finest wood, cowhide, and a little mithril iron.

Furthermore, the short spear was shrouded in black mist, which touched the mithril on the shield and the sunlight overhead.

It's still making a hissing sound.

It's like...

A massive chemical reaction occurred! (End of Chapter)