Real Mount and Blade Game

Legolas took a deep breath. As a wood elf, a child of the forest, his senses were far sharper than those of ordinary people.

Every detail Shen Mu described perfectly matched the despair he felt when he first sensed the eruption of that evil power.

He stepped forward, his slender fingers gently brushing across the rough bark of the massive ancient tree, as if sensing a faint, uneasy tremor emanating from the depths of the earth.

"What the lord said is exactly the same as the warnings issued by my people."

Legolas's voice carried the inherent chill of the forest, yet it was tinged with a deep-seated worry:
"The concentration of the black mist continues to increase, and the corrosive power of the necromantic energy seeping from the city's core is growing stronger every day. The will of this forest is struggling, desperately trying to purify and resist. But..." He slowly withdrew his hand, his fingertips seemingly tinged with an unseen chill: "Without a stronger barrier, without continuous support, the Elven Forest, this fulcrum for westward expansion, may not last long. Those new types of skeletal monsters, the damage they inflict on the forest itself is probably far greater than those low-level undead that only know how to tear and bite."

He paused for a moment, then turned his gaze to Shen Mu with a do-or-die determination: "My lord, the reconnaissance results are clear enough. The core of Longcheng has become a dangerous den of demons, which cannot be explored by a small elite force. The most urgent task is to hold this place, turning the Elven Forest into a solid wedge driven into this deadly territory, preventing its spread, and making it our only observation point and buffer fortress for any possible future counterattack!"

These words were always spoken in a literary style, which made the Holy Tree Knight beside him look at them with increasing disdain.

However, these Holy Tree Knights still had a good impression of the Wood Elves.

After all, the Knights of the Holy Tree are supported by the magical creatures of the Noldor Forest, the Noldor Elves, in the continent of Pendor.

Therefore, these Holy Tree Knights have a very good impression of the Wood Elves.

“You’re right, Captain.” Shen Mu slowly stood up, his figure like a sharp sword about to be drawn from its sheath.

His eyes were filled with unwavering determination and icy killing intent: "The value of the intelligence has been realized—it tells me that our previous defense plans are still... not strong enough! Not tough enough against this drastically changed enemy!"

His voice suddenly rose, carrying an undeniable, iron-fisted resolve:

"The Elf Forest Fortress Project is now a top priority!"

"All construction work, halt completely!" Shen Mu's voice echoed decisively in the ancient wooden hall: "Captain Legolas, your elite rangers, from this moment forward, are to be on alert! Utilize all your sensory abilities to the fullest, keep a close watch on any unusual activity in the dense fog, and investigate every blind spot along the edge of the woodland! Raise the alert level to the highest level!"

"Yes, sir!" Legolas placed one hand on his chest, his emerald eyes flashing with a cold light, without any hesitation.

"All Rhodok soldiers on leave, training, or in logistics, return to your posts immediately!" Shen Mu's gaze swept over the Rhodok officers present. "I want the First and Second Spear Battalions to be stationed at the two most likely forest edge passes to the east and north! Shields in front, spears behind, form at least three lines of flesh and blood defense! No retreat is permitted without my order! The entire crossbowman battalion, ascend the canopy platforms and newly built watchtowers, ready to be deployed at any time! Don't be stingy with arrows; the core requirement is—accuracy! Coverage!"

"Yes, sir!" The Rhodok officers pounded their chests with their fists, the dull thuds demonstrating their determination to fight to the death.

“Captain Kaleborn!” Shen Mu turned to an older elf wearing dark green leather armor and carrying a magnificent longbow, who was also the captain in charge of the wood elf archers.

"Yes, my lord!"

"Your Wood Elf Archer Team, quest changed!"

Shen Mu's gaze sharpened. "Abandon the deep guerrilla warfare and immediately break into smaller groups! Form groups of three, radiating outwards from the tallest ancient tree as the core axis! Your mission is—'Hunter' and 'Alarm'! Any single, small group, high-speed enemy attempting to infiltrate through non-frontal passages using the shadows of the forest, especially those skeletal spear throwers and black iron skeletal assassins, must be eliminated as quickly as possible before they reach the core or attack our ground forces! At the same time, once a large-scale enemy movement or an abnormal energy source is detected, immediately send out the highest-level Elven signal!"

"We will obey your will! We will guide the arrows in the darkness!" Caleborn solemnly accepted the order, his fingers instinctively resting on the bowstring.

The swift and precise commands, like invisible mercury, instantly seeped into the "veins" of the entire forest fortress.

The soldiers and elves, who were just moments before still immersed in shock and fear, were immediately driven by this clear, forceful, protective, and murderous command.

The shouts of commands, the clang of weapons being drawn, the scraping sounds of archers rapidly climbing the vine ladders, and the heavy footsteps of soldiers running and assembling instantly shattered the deathly silence outside the council hall. The forest fortress, like a war beast that had been fully awakened, began to breathe rapidly and powerfully.

Seeing his subordinates being quickly mobilized and the formidable defenses beginning to take shape, Shen Mu was not satisfied.

He needs a stronger barrier, an absolute defense strong enough to withstand the full-force onslaught of those new undead.

He closed his eyes, his powerful mental energy sinking inward, instantly connecting with that vast, star-like golden ocean of faith—the boundless power gathered from the most steadfast and fervent beliefs of tens of thousands of people in Deherim!
"In the name of faith!" Shen Mu roared inwardly, his boundless will precisely locking onto the entire Elf Forest, especially the enormous ancient tree in the core area. "Defense System—Faith Manifestation!"

Om-!
Driven by divine will, the invisible power of laws descended with a roar!

It was as if a massive hammer had silently crashed down on the earth! The entire core area of ​​the Elf Forest trembled violently!
Legolas and the other wood elves' expressions changed drastically in an instant. As the guardians of the forest, they were most sensitive to changes in the laws of nature!
They clearly "sensed" an invincible, supreme and powerful will that was directly rewriting and reshaping the "rules" of the forest and soil in a domineering manner!
The towering ancient tree, reaching a height of 100 meters, emitted a deep, muffled groan. Its roots, so thick that it would take several people to encircle them, seemed to awaken from a slumber, taking deep root into the earth!
The ground undulated slightly like rolling waves, rocks cracked, soil clumped together, and countless thick, gnarled tree roots, as thick as giant pythons, burst forth from the ground in an instant. Centered on the ancient tree, they spread, intertwined, and arched wildly toward the edge of the forest like a living spider web!
A brand-new "tree root city wall," gleaming with the gray-blue light of ancient wood and rocks, is rising from the ground at a speed visible to the naked eye!

The city wall is not straight, but rather twisted and gnarled naturally like the roots of a giant tree, full of the primal power of life.

Countless sharp, spear-like thorns, like natural chevaux-de-frise and caltrops, pierced outwards from the city wall!
The height of the city wall is rapidly approaching ten meters!

The surface is covered with a thick layer of old tree bark, which grows rapidly by absorbing the earth's essence and is harder than steel, and dark green moss.

The city wall is not a single piece; its interior contains countless holes and gaps, which have become the perfect firing ports and stealth passages for Rhodok crossbowmen and wood elf archers!

They blend seamlessly with the forest topography and the ancient trees, forming a harmonious whole!
Immediately afterwards, the ground roared once again around the perimeter of this ever-expanding and ever-growing giant, sprawling city wall.

Hundreds of sturdy stone platforms rose up simultaneously, each topped with a strange arrow tower that shimmered with pale purple arcane light and wood-based runes!
It was the "Senmu Ballista" that Shen Mu improved based on the system's troop blueprints!
These ballistae appear to be crafted entirely from reinforced, dark ironwood, with an intricate design. Their bases are heavy, equipped with large winches, and they don't fire ordinary heavy crossbow bolts, but rather sharp spears with elven symbols engraved at their tips!
Its power is enough to tear apart the defenses of the Black Iron Skeleton!

At the top of the arrow tower, several smaller "spellbreaker crossbows," with denser runes and a cold metallic sheen, had their muzzles slightly adjusted, as if they had locked onto any undead spellcasters that might be lurking in the mist!
Even more astonishing is that, deep within the original, expansive canopy of the core ancient tree, accompanied by the rustling sound of branches and leaves rubbing together, several enormous wooden platforms suddenly appeared out of thin air, as if solidified from the void!

Runes shimmered along the platform's edges, subtly forming a complex arcane matrix. This was clearly a strategic platform for future deployment of more powerful ranged firepower, such as wood elf mage formations or more powerful ballistae!
Legolas and the surrounding elven warriors were completely stunned!
This miraculous growth rate!

This defensive structure ingeniously combines the power of nature with exquisite magic!

The sturdiness and thickness of the city walls, the ferocity of the "Forest Wood Ballista," the targeted nature of the "Spell-Breaking Ballista," and the deterrent power of the aerial fortress—every detail seems tailor-made for the upcoming fierce battle!
"Is this a barrier bestowed by the gods?" a young wood elf archer murmured, his eyes filled with awe.

Legolas took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and his eyes shone with an unprecedented determination.

He looked at Lord Shen Mu, who stood in the center of the miracle, his face still cold and indifferent: "Lord... with this 'entrenched fortress,' with these 'forest crossbows,' with my rangers and the warriors of Rhodok... no matter how many monsters pour out of that demon cave, the Elven Forest will surely become their eternal burial ground!"

Shen Mu slowly opened his eyes and looked at the newly renovated and impregnable Forest Fortress before him, feeling somewhat relieved.

But as his gaze swept westward toward the heart of Longcheng, still shrouded in an impenetrable black fog, the solemnity in his eyes remained undiminished.

The fortress was completed.

The real storm may have only just begun to brew.

“Very well.” Shen Mu’s voice was devoid of emotion, only cold pragmatism: “Then, let us wait for them in this forest. Captain Legolas, high alert, commence immediately!”

Deep within the thick fog, it seemed as if countless pairs of cold, malicious eyes were staring intently at this verdant land that had suddenly become incredibly "hard" and "dangerous."

The roots of the massive ancient tree, buried deep underground, seemed to emit a faint, yet chilling, and strange vibration.

Clearly, this is a special situation that has arisen in the Elf Forest.

Deep in Longcheng City.

There has already been a reaction!
……

More than half a month passed amidst the cold rain of arrows and the sound of bones shattering.

The western forest fortress—the core of the Elf Forest—had long been transformed into a formidable barrier filled with deadly traps and miracles of life under Shen Mu's unwavering dedication of faith.

That intricate "walled city" is not just a city wall, but more like a living, sleeping dragon.

The tangled and twisted roots, like a thick dragon's spine, have stubbornly extended outward for a hundred meters, and the height is approaching fifteen meters!

The old tree bark, thick enough to withstand repeated blows from a battering ram, is covered with weathered patterns and dark green, slightly shimmering moss, as if it were breathing.

The sharp, thorny roots growing on it grow ever more menacing and piercing, silently conveying a chilling killing intent.

The number of ballistae on the city walls has doubled.

The newly appeared "Forest Wood Ballista" is entirely black, shimmering with a stable and restrained light of wood-type runes. The large winch is taut with the rope, and the sharp spear at the top, gleaming with an elven symbol, seems ready to pierce the fog of death at any moment.

The crossbow's position was even more cunning, its muzzle coldly pointing into the depths of the mist, subtly locking onto any possible source of arcane energy.

The arcane matrix on the canopy platform has become more complex, reserving space for potential future deployments of strategic forces.

The reinforcement of troops filled the entire forest fortress with an aura of iron-blooded ruthlessness.

Under Shen Mu's orders, squads of heavily armed infantry rushed from New Uxhauser day and night.

It's not just about increasing numbers; the units have also undergone targeted upgrades.

In addition to the existing 500 Rhodok veteran spearmen and 200 Rhodok crossbowmen, 200 Rhodok soldiers have been stationed here!
They wore heavy scale armor made of multiple layers of leather, felt, and finely forged iron plates, hooded helmets with chainmail visors, carried huge pointed tower shields that could almost cover their entire bodies, and had heavy short-handled hammers or armor-piercing axes hanging from their waists.

They replaced some of the spearmen, forming an unyielding wall of sighs at the front lines, in the narrowest pass most likely to be hit.

The tower shields slammed into the ground, forming a seamless shield wall that not only defended against arrows but could also withstand the massive undead monsters.

One hundred more accurate and powerful Rhodok sniper crossbowmen were also added to the crossbowman ranks.

They carried specially made sniper crossbows, using arrows with longer, thinner arrowheads, designed specifically for penetrating armor and dealing with those exceptionally hard black iron skeletons.

Under Captain Caleborn's coordination, Shen Mu once again expended his faith power to recruit 300 Wood Elf Twilight Rangers who were more skilled in night combat and moved more stealthily and swiftly.

They wore light, camouflage leather armor in a dark green that almost blended into the twilight, and their longbows had a more graceful curve, with tiny mute symbols wrapped around the bowstrings.

They were ghost hunters of the night, a trio completely integrated into the forest, specializing in hunting down speed-type threats that lurked in the darkness and fog—skeleton hunters, shadow assassins, and even spear throwers attempting to get close to the walls. (End of Chapter)