Real Mount and Blade Game

For more than half a month, the nights became a tacit, bloody tug-of-war between the Elf Forest and the undead of Longcheng.

The thick fog, like a huge, heavy, gray-black shroud, arrives almost every night without fail.

The moonlight struggled to penetrate, staining everything around it with an eerie dark green hue.

The low growls of the dead and the grinding of bones rose punctually from the depths of the thick fog, like the tide of death.

The attacks in the previous nights were still in a state of tentative chaos, sporadic and isolated.

But as time went on, the undead's attack methods visibly became more organized.

The most common scenario is a surge of cannon fodder.

A sea of ​​grayish-white skeletons surged forth, mixed with even more rotting zombies that moved stiffly.

They frantically charged at the shield wall, tearing and crashing with their decaying bones and venomous fangs, all for one purpose.

This will deplete the defenders' stamina and arrow reserves, creating an opportunity for the real trump card.

What follows is often a precision strike.

Whoosh whoosh!
With a piercing whistling sound, poisoned arrows coated in phosphorescent light shot out from the thick fog, their target the Rhodok crossbowmen exposed on the wall.

Even more deadly was the signature creaking shriek. Several bone spears shrouded in black mist, like javelins thrown by the Grim Reaper, instantly tore through the air and stabbed fiercely into the position of a heavy arrow archer who had just finished cocking his bow!

But the defending troops had already developed a conditioned reflex.

Once the whistle sounds an alarm or the trajectory of an arrow is detected, the nearest Rhodok soldier will immediately raise his tower shield, forming a localized steel dome that keeps the deadly blow away from the sturdy ironwood.

"Duh duh duh!"

The bone spears were blocked by sturdy tower shields or thick wooden walls. The black mist corroded the wooden surfaces, leaving small dents, but it was difficult to penetrate this natural defense line continuously reinforced by the power of faith.

The undercurrents of infiltration have never ceased.

The skeleton hunters, like maggots clinging to bones, climbed the massive tree roots under the cover of the thick fog, trying to infiltrate from the side or rear.

But the presence of the Wood Elf Twilight Ranger became their fatal nemesis.

Captain Caleborn personally commands these ghostly hunters.

They are like an extension of the forest, precisely locking onto every shadow that tries to climb or stalk.

"Chi chi chi!"

The specially designed armor-piercing arrows seemed to have eyes, piercing the skull cavity with incredible precision from an incredibly tricky angle, extinguishing the flickering dark red soul fire.

Sometimes, the sound of arrows shattering bones could be heard clearly in the quiet night.

Even worse, once a large number of stalkers are detected approaching a specific area, the wood elves stationed in that area will activate and tighten the surrounding thorny vines, tightly binding and crushing the skeletons.

Occasionally, heavy pressure tests are particularly brutal.

Several enormous "stitched abominations" will suddenly roll out of the thick fog.

The behemoth, forcibly stitched together from countless rotting corpses and enormous skeletons, dragged its heavy steps, wielding massive rusted winches or broken steel beams embedded in its arms, and roared deafeningly as it charged straight toward a seemingly weak section of the shield wall.

Each impact caused the sergeant behind the tower shield to go numb in the arm and bleed from the mouth and nose.

Even more insidious is that they are often followed closely by several hidden skeletal mages, hiding in the huge shadow cast by the abomination, chanting silently.

Suddenly, bone spikes and thorns will sprout from the ground and entangle the warriors' legs and feet, while icicles containing the chill of death will condense in the air and shoot towards the crowd!
At times like these, the magic-breaking crossbows on the city walls play a crucial role!
Guided by the observation posts and the faint magical fluctuations during the casting, the crossbowmen unleashed specially made crossbow bolts engraved with anti-magic runes with a "whoosh," shooting out like meteors across the night sky and accurately piercing the heads or core energy nodes of the spellcasters!
But all of this is not enough.

Seeing the intense fighting recently, Shen Mu made a decision to call in reinforcements!

……

The fortified walls at the edge of the Elf Forest, after more than half a month of bloody tug-of-war, have been covered with a layer of dark green dried blood and bone fragments. The air is perpetually filled with a strong stench of sulfurous decay, which even the fresh woody scent of the forest itself cannot completely dispel.

Every nightfall, the thick, inky black fog arrives as scheduled, carrying with it an even more cunning and deadly undead offensive, like a never-ending tide of death.

The defensive battle was far more brutal than expected.

The Rhodok soldiers' tower shields were covered with deep scratches and dents, and many of the soldiers' arms suffered permanent shock injuries from repeated impacts by the Abomination.

The Wood Elf Twilight Rangers walk the edge of death night after night, their quiver dwindling, and even their sharp eyes betray their weariness.

The consumption of magic-breaking crossbow bolts is even more alarming.

Beneath the heavy armor of the Holy Tree Knight, Shen Mu's face was as calm as a rock, but deep within his iron-gray eyes, a chilling killing intent, enough to freeze magma, had solidified to its extreme.

He stood atop the highest watchtower of the fortified city, his gaze piercing through the thick fog as if trying to carve through the dark heart of the city.

trouble.

Extreme trouble.

These ever-evolving, tactically flexible, and constantly evolving undead monsters, taking advantage of the dense fog and the city ruins, have turned the Elf Forest into a giant meat grinder. They may not be able to breach this fortress forged with the power of faith, but they are enough to strip his carefully crafted springboard for westward expansion of its momentum, pinning it to this spot and wasting his precious energy and time.

What concerned Shen Mu even more was that, as the battle continued, the Wood Elf captain Legolas repeatedly sensed that the cold, evil aura that lingered in the heart of the city, like an abyss, was not weakened by the attacks from the outside. Instead, it was like a lurking prehistoric beast, slowly accumulating a heart-palpitating power in the warm bed of darkness. Its presence was becoming clearer and larger!
Passive defense? Waiting for the opponent to complete their final transformation?

This is absolutely not an option for Shen Mu!

He needs to attack! A sweeping, devastating attack! A complete annihilation that will thwart the enemy's efforts and may even strike at their heart!

"Pass on the order!" Shen Mu's voice wasn't loud, but it was like the clang of metal on metal, instantly suppressing the commotion within the fortress and the distant howls of the undead. "Immediately send a message to Deherim!"

He turned to the scribe standing behind him, speaking quickly and clearly, each word carrying immense weight:
"Order Fatis to redeploy the following garrison forces from Dehermem within three days:"
The Swadian Knights have removed all their ceremonial armor, donning full combat plate armor and chainmail, and equipped with lances, heavy knightly swords, and leather-covered iron shields! Led by the most experienced old knights, I want them to be like scorching warhammers, capable of crushing any enemy in their path!
The Rhodok Kingdom's snipers are armed with all the stockpiled adamantite armor-piercing heavy crossbow bolts! Their mission is singular—to pin down any undead spellcaster who dares to show their face, especially the new type of skeletal spear thrower!
The Vigía Archers! The Empire's finest longbowmen, equipped with enchanted sharp-edged arrows, providing the army with a barrage of arrows beyond visual range!

Shen Mu paused, his gaze sweeping over the ten Holy Tree Knights standing silently beside him, and added coldly, "Also, send a message to summon 500 Holy Tree Knights to come to the Elf Forest and meet me immediately."

The soldier took notes quickly, his face slightly pale from the massive transfer.

This mobilized almost half of Deherim's elite mobile forces!
But he knew that once the lord made up his mind, it would be swift and decisive!

Shen Mu's orders were not yet finished:
"Also inform Manid that he will oversee all defenses of Deherem and New Rivadin. New recruits must intensify their training, and farm production must be guaranteed! Priority should be given to ensuring the supply of arrows, armor, and fodder for warhorses needed for this battle! Requisition all available large pack animals to transport strategic materials to the Elven Forest immediately! Spare no effort to ensure a smooth supply line!"

The order was sent out at top speed, and the carrier eagle, carrying the information, pierced through the thin light and soared into the eastern sky.

Deherim's massive war machine was instantly ignited at top speed!

The sounds of clashing steel, neighing warhorses, the clanging of forging tools by craftsmen, and the roars of officers merged into a torrent.

Swadian knights in armor mounted their horses, their heavy plate armor gleaming coldly in the morning light; Rhodok archers silently inspected their powerful crossbows, loading their gleaming gold bolts into their quivers; Vaegir archers, meanwhile, nocked specially made long arrows and tested their bow strength.

The gates of Deherme were wide open, and elite troops, armed to the teeth and embodying the strongest military force, surged toward the western front like a torrent of steel, under the watchful and expectant gaze of the people.

Meanwhile, Shen Mu was also busy in the Elf Forest.

Inside and behind the fortified stronghold, temporary military camps, warehouses, and aid stations are being rapidly established.

He personally oversaw the final reinforcement of the defense system—consuming a massive amount of faith power to construct several even larger, permanent "Forestwood Fortress Ballistae" at several strategic nodes in the core area, with foundations extending deep underground, resembling small fortresses!
These ballistae have barrels as thick as centuries-old trees, gleaming with reinforced wood grain runes, their bases connected to the life source of the intertwined root barrier. The massive root spears loaded at the top of the ballistae even require the assistance of small engineering machinery, their elven runes engraved like burning flames!

These are no longer weapons designed for ordinary undead, but rather trump cards prepared for direct attacks on abominations, or even for more terrifying "things" that may be encountered in the future.

The entire Elf Forest was filled with an extremely oppressive atmosphere, as if a storm was brewing.

The original defenders, seeing the densely packed, murderous elite allies inside and outside the fortress, felt the heaviness and fear that had accumulated from the repeated bloody battles in their hearts quietly replaced by a fighting spirit mixed with excitement, tension and bloodlust.

Captain Legolas, holding his elven longbow, stood on the highest treetop platform, his emerald eyes gazing westward at the outline of the city center shrouded in thick, murky black clouds—a lair of death and evil.

He could sense that deep within that desolate forest of reinforced concrete, a pair of cold and greedy eyes were also staring intently at this fortress of life that was gathering terrifying power, through the thick fog and space.

A decisive battle, destined to soak every inch of land in blood and determine the future of Longcheng City, has inevitably entered its countdown amidst a new wave of thick fog.

Shen Mu stood atop the fortress, his cold armor reflecting a dim light. Behind him, on the aerial fortress, rows of menacing crossbows were already calibrated, their spears pointing westward.

He brought not only the might of Deherim, but also the purest force to extinguish the wildfire of the spirit realm that had ignited in his territory at its source!

Finally, at dawn on the fourth day, the elite torrent of Deherim surged into the Ironblood Barrier of the Elven Forest amidst a silent yet anxious wait.

The Swadian knights' plate armor and chainmail gleamed with a cold, hard sheen in the morning light; Rhodok snipers stood like a forest, their heavy crossbow quivers slung over their shoulders; Vaegir archers' longbows were already loaded with specially made armor-piercing arrows; and the five hundred Holy Tree Knights, clad in mithril heavy armor and exuding an aura as heavy as a mountain, instantly amplified the chilling atmosphere that permeated the entire fortress several times over upon their arrival.

Inside the fortress, the clamor of shouts and neighing horses was quickly suppressed by a series of cold commands.

The supplies were quickly packed up, and the clanging of armor against armor rang out continuously. After a brief familiarization with the environment, each team immediately took their respective battle positions according to the plan that Shen Mu had already set out.

The giant, python-like arms of the Senmu Fortress ballista slowly opened with the clatter of the winch, the massive elven root spears at their tips reflecting a chilling sharpness in the dim morning light, the muzzles pointing far to the desolate concrete jungle to the west.

Shen Mu stood at the highest point of the fortified city, his cold gaze sweeping over the elite forces assembled below, finally settling on the oppressive and gloomy central area of ​​Longcheng City, which was somewhat diluted by the thick fog.

"The time has come." Shen Mu's voice wasn't loud, but it pierced the air clearly, reaching the ears of every general: "The undead monsters fear light; daytime is advantageous to us. Advance!!"

He abruptly raised his hand, pointing to the heart of the death city, a city of towering skyscrapers:

"All troops, charge! Target—City Center! With the Holy Tree Knights as the spearhead, Swadian Knights on the flanks, Rhodok crossbowmen and Vaegir sharpshooters occupy the high ground along the streets to establish suppressive fire! Clearance mode—building by building, street by street! Leave no blind spots! Pry out every bone fragment and rotting flesh from every crevice! Crush their lair!"

"Yes, sir!" The thunderous reply echoed across the land like muffled thunder.

The massive wooden gate opened amidst the ear-piercing sound of the winch.

"Thump! Thump! Thump!" The Holy Tree Knight's heavy warhorse charged out of the barrier first, its hooves trembling with a rhythm that shook the earth.

Their mithril spears, held horizontally, resembled an advancing steel jungle, with a sacred light flowing from their tips, dispelling the thin mist within a dozen meters ahead.

The Swadian Knights, following closely behind, formed an impregnable embankment of an iron torrent, their cold, heavy swords drawn, ready to sever any corpses that lunged toward the flanks of the spearhead.

The marked high-rise buildings became a paradise for Rhodok snipers and Vaegir archers.

The agile soldiers, moving like monkeys, used collapsed billboards, rusted fire ladders, and even grappling hooks to quickly scale the second and third-floor windows of buildings facing the street, and even established firing positions on higher, relatively stable rooftops. (End of Chapter)