Real Mount and Blade Game

"Target spotted! Skeleton archers at the third-floor window! Two!" The sharp Elven warning from the Wood Elf lookout on the canopy platform had just fallen.

"Whoosh! Whoosh!" The sound of wind breaking through the air rang out.

The Sharpshooter's armor-piercing arrows seemed to have eyes, shooting into the broken window from two tricky angles!
The faint sound of bones cracking could be heard, and the two eerie green soul flames were extinguished instantly.

The battle quickly broke out in every street and every building.

A battleground between alleys and buildings

While the daytime reduced the fog's obstruction of sunlight, it also dispelled the sense of shroud, exposing the undead to the torrent of steel.

However, the fighting in the city center was far more bloody and complex than in the open.

The narrow streets became a meat grinder.

The Holy Tree Knights' charge was incredibly powerful, but they had to pause slightly when they encountered a makeshift barricade made up of Black Iron Skeleton Shield Soldiers and the corpses of giant Abominations.

The skeletal swordsmen formed a rigid yet sturdy array, their black, iron-like bone shields fiercely resisting the onslaught. The abominations roared, wielding rusted iron bars or wrecked vehicles, clashing head-on with the heavy armor.

Arrows and bone spears flew through the streets like locusts, clashing against walls, shields, and heavy armor with a cacophony of clanging sounds.

"Spear thrower! Right flank! Second floor of the ruined café!" A Swadian knight roared as his helmet scraped against a heavy bone spear.

"Leave it to me!" On the rooftop of a three-story apartment building not far away, a Rhodok sniper calmly pulled the trigger.

The adamantite crossbow bolt, engraved with spell-breaking runes, pierced through the broken window with precision, just like a gray lightning bolt, and pierced the head of the dark figure who was raising the bone spear again!
The immense kinetic energy of the crossbow bolt even lifted it off the ground, pinning it to the wall behind it.

The cleanup inside the building was like exploring a hellish anthill. The massive commercial complex was a scene of utter chaos, with collapsed shelves, shattered glass, and dried, blackened bloodstains everywhere, the stench of decay almost palpable.

Sunlight streamed through the broken dome and windows, casting pale beams of light through the dust.

The heavy armor of the Holy Tree Knights was not suitable for climbing ruins, so the main force for clearing the inner building became Rhodok sergeants wielding tower shields and warhammers, Swadian infantry skilled in fighting in confined spaces, and archer squads providing suppression and guidance from high ground.

Every time you push open a deformed fire door, or turn a dark corner, you may encounter an ambush.

Ordinary skeletons leap from the shadows, only to be smashed by tower shields or crushed by warhammers; swift skeleton hunters attempt to ambush from ceilings or ventilation ducts, only to be precisely targeted and killed by Vaegir archers; and from the depths of the fog, stray arrows may suddenly be fired or pottery jars laced with corrosive liquid may be hurled.

"Watch out for the ground! It's corrosive acid!" A sergeant captain reacted quickly, slamming his tower shield into the ground to block several sprays of dark green liquid. The shield's surface immediately emitted a "sizzling" sound.

"Left rear emergency exit! Something's banging on the door! It's very heavy!" another squad reported nervously, and two sergeants immediately raised their shields to block it.

"Boom!" With a piercing metallic tearing sound, the door was smashed open, and a "constructed abomination" made of several heavy engineering machinery parts stitched together, with black smoke billowing from its joints, roared out, its huge drill arm slamming down on the soldiers blocking the door!
"Get out of the way!" "Get out of the way quickly!"

At the critical moment, the ballistae of the Senmu Fortress, which had been waiting outside the building, roared under the guidance of the observation post!

"Buzz—Boom!"

A thick green "meteor" rose from the ground and shot through the building's exterior wall with a roar!

The massive elven root spear, carrying unparalleled kinetic energy and a tearing effect, pierced the chest of the "Construct Abomination" like a battering ram!

It slammed its massive body backward, crashing through two concrete walls before finally turning into burning metal and bone fragments in a deafening explosion!
The battle inside the building was fierce and protracted, but the legion under Shen Mu's command, which brought together the strongest forces of Deherim, cooperated perfectly and advanced layer by layer.

The Rhodok soldiers' shield wall advanced steadily, while crossbowmen and archers relentlessly sniped every undead that tried to block their path.

After clearing the obstacles in the streets, the Holy Tree Knights quickly stormed into the core entrances of various buildings, stabilizing morale like a pillar of strength.

Swadian knights patrolled the outside, slaying stragglers emerging from other blocks or sewers, ensuring the safety of the mopping-up operation's flanks.

Time flies by in the midst of battle.

One after another, the once-prosperous landmark buildings were reclaimed.

The shattered glass windows reflected the mountain of skeletal remains and the charred remains of abominations below.

Shen Mu did not personally storm into each building. Instead, he sat in a reinforced command vehicle and patrolled a relatively safe area.

His mental power swept across the cleared area like a precision radar, sensing any residual energy fluctuations or hidden traps, while simultaneously directing the squad commanders in each area and coordinating the cooperation between the giant crossbowmen and the infantry.

"Sir, the 'Starry Sky Building' in Block 7 has been largely cleared. A large skeletal mass was discovered, suspected to be a small conversion pool, which has now been destroyed!" a messenger reported breathlessly, his face covered in soot and sweat.

"Report! The entrance to the underground parking garage of 'Times Square' in the central business district is facing strong resistance. There are a large number of Black Iron Skeletons and spellcasters! Requesting support!" Another voice urgently sounded in the communication scroll.

"Accurate! Send the coordinates to gun position number three!" Shen Mu calmly gave the order, his gaze fixed on a huge Senmu crossbow not far away as he began to adjust the firing angle.

The deafening roar and the subsequent sound of buildings collapsing heralded the annihilation of the resistance.

As the crackdown deepened, the resistance encountered became increasingly fierce and bizarre.

The undead seemed to realize that daytime was no longer their domain, and became restless and more aggressive.

More and more elite units—skeleton spear throwers, skeleton mages, and even Black Iron skeleton cavalry riding skeleton boars—are being deployed into battle.

Shen Mu could clearly feel that the closer he got to the core area shrouded in dark clouds in the city center, the clearer the deep evil will in the air became, like a sleeping giant turning over, causing a slight tremor in the ground and deep within the buildings.

Shen Mu stood on the roof of the car, looking at the cleaned-up streets and the buildings in front of him still shrouded in shadow and thin black fog, his eyes as sharp as ever.

"Continue." His icy voice echoed throughout the army. "Advance to the last building! Let this city of the dead burn completely!"

The bugle call for a new round of attack sounded again, accompanied by the roar of crossbows and the shouts of warriors, as sharp swords pierced the last barrier of the rotting heart of Long City.

……

The steel torrent unleashed by the Holy Tree Knights was like a red-hot warhammer, smashing deep into the decaying heartland of Long City.

Driven by Shen Mu's icy will, the towering knights fearlessly led the army, treading over the burning remains of the undead and the broken steel and concrete, steadily advancing towards the central area.

Torches were lit, and the soldiers lit more torches in the narrow alleyways and among the rubble of the bombed-out buildings.

The flickering orange-red light tore through the impenetrable darkness inside the building, revealing the pale skeletons and writhing, rotting flesh hidden in the shadows. "Hold your ground, vanguard!!" a Holy Tree Knight captain roared from his horse, his heavy arm, covered in mithril chainmail, slamming down.

Behind him, a squad of Swadian knights, equipped with heavy chainmail and leather shields, immediately formed a human wall, their heavy hooves pounding on the broken glass and rubble with a chilling sound.

A dozen or so Rhodok soldiers followed closely behind, gripping their extended halberds, the sharp tips gleaming coldly.

Before us lies a canyon street, narrowed to just a few meters wide by collapsed high-rise buildings on both sides.

In the darkness, countless crimson, pale green, and eerie blue soul flames, like ghostly lamps from hell, lit up densely.

Not a grunt.

The skeletons of these skeletal warriors were a chilling dark gray, covered with black lines like rust, and many of their joints were even covered with simple but exceptionally sturdy fragments of bone armor.

What they held in their hands were no longer rusted swords and blades, but relatively intact bone knives and bone hammers, and some skeletons even held up crude shields pieced together from twisted metal strips—the elite remains of the Seventh Dynasty of Black Arrow Tower!
"It's the Skeleton Guard! The Black Iron Guard!" The Swadian knight officer in charge of this front narrowed his eyes and shouted sharply, "Raise your shields—!"

Before the words were even finished, a piercing shriek tore through the air!

hum!hum!hum!
It didn't shoot out from the front, but from the crumbling windows and broken balconies of the tall buildings on both sides!
The bone arrows, no longer crudely made, gleamed with a metallic sheen and whistled through the air, enveloping the vanguard squad at the entrance like a chilling downpour!

"Boom boom boom boom—!"

A dense, drum-like thud resounded against the tower shields and chainmail!

The excellent knight's shield blocked most of them, but a few bone arrows with tricky angles and amazing force still pierced through the weak joints of the Rhodok sergeant's arm armor with a screeching sound!
"Ugh!" A soldier groaned in pain, blood instantly staining the inner wool sleeve of his coat, but he gritted his teeth and did not take a single step back.

"Fire arrows! Fire arrows back! Suppress the upper floors!" The officer's voice was almost distorted by the whistling of arrows.

The Vikya sharpshooters were already on high alert, waiting in the street-facing windows and dilapidated stairwells.

Their hawk-like eyes captured every flash of soul light upstairs.

collapse!collapse!collapse!
A more steady and powerful bowstring twanged. The armor-piercing arrows fired from the Wikiia-made composite longbow spun rapidly like deadly shuttles, piercing the skeletal windows of those skeletons that were trying to draw their bows again.

The skulls of several skeleton archers, with their rotting leather hats, instantly exploded into grayish-white bone fragments!

As the torchlight flickered, the "Black Iron Skeleton Guard" in front seized the opportunity to let out a silent roar, pushing against the low wall formed by the remains of their companions, and surging forward like a tide with faster and more steady steps than their kind encountered before!

Their bone knives were raised high, their bone hammers whistled through the air, and their bone shields were at the forefront. Their sense of power far surpassed that of the previous grunts!

"Holy Tree Knights! Charge! Pierce them!" The Holy Tree Knight captain's eyes flashed with holy light, and his mithril spear snapped straight.

"For Deherim! For Lord Shen Mu!" the knights roared, their bodies, encased in heavy armor, unleashing terrifying power. Their massive warhorses spurred their horses forward, crashing into the tide of skeletons!
boom! ! !
The bone shield shattered, and the skeleton of the Black Iron Skeleton Warrior groaned as it broke and exploded under the suppression of absolute power and divine radiance!

However, a few elite skeletons with shields were not destroyed instantly. They were knocked back, and the heavy bone hammers still slammed into the armor of the warhorses or the shields of the knights with a whistling sound, producing heavy thuds and sparks!

"Rhodok! Thrust with your halberd! Don't let them close!" the officer roared.

The Rhodok sergeants immediately followed, and the well-trained soldiers fiercely thrust their heavy halberds through the gaps between the knights fighting in front of them!

The long-handled weapon proved advantageous in the confined space, with the halberd tip and crescent blade tearing and slashing fiercely at the black iron skeletons that were trying to fill the gaps from the side.

Bone fragments flew everywhere, dark gray bone shards scattering wildly in the torchlight!
The battle was deafening!

The narrow alleyway became a bloody meat grinder.

The roars of elite warriors, the neighing of warhorses, the scraping and cracking of undead bones, the sharp metallic clang of clashing weapons, and the continuous whistling of crossbows piercing the air from afar, all mixed with the pervasive dust and nauseating stench, created a brutal picture of medieval warfare in the ruins of the apocalypse.

Shen Mu stood at a temporary observation point made of collapsed concrete blocks a little further back.

His full-body mithril heavy armor gleamed coldly in the firelight, and his iron-gray eyes, sharp as an eagle's, scanned the fierce battle ahead. The defensive line of black iron and bones ahead was far more resilient than he had anticipated.

They are no longer easily defeated, but rather, under the constraints of some core will or battlefield law, they tenaciously resist the most elite forces of mankind.

"The core of resistance of the Seventh Dynasty of Black Arrow Tower is awakening..." Shen Mu's cold whisper could only be heard by himself. He gripped the mithril greatsword at his waist, his hand on the ancient cross hilt clenching slightly. "It seems that the strongest remaining undead legion in this city is entrenched in its heart."

A messenger, covered in black ash and blood, ran up to Shen Mu and knelt on one knee: "My lord! A report from Crescent Street: while clearing the basement of an office building, we encountered fierce resistance! We discovered a large number of skeletal warriors in relatively intact iron armor, wielding two-handed giant axes! There are also bone spike traps summoned by skeletal spellcasters! Our army is stalled and requests support from heavy infantry or... or the Holy Tree Knights by your side, my lord!"

Shen Mu shifted his gaze slightly, looking at another battlefield outlined by smoke and torchlight.

"Not enough. The greater the resistance, the closer the core is. Tell the vanguard assaulting the Seventh District not to be bound by perfect formation. Rhodok sniper crossbowmen, in conjunction with the Tree Knights, focus on eliminating the Bone Casters and Spear Throwers. Vaegir Sharpshooters, extend your coverage deeper and suppress the enemy's backline."

His instructions were clear, cold, and carried an undeniable penetrating force: "As for the underground of Crescent Street, bring some kerosene and burn it out."

"Yes!" The messenger nodded emphatically, then turned and rushed back into the chaotic battlefield of light and shadow, where blood and bones flew everywhere.

Shen Mu turned his gaze back to the main battlefield ahead.

The Holy Tree Knights' charge finally broke through the first layer of Black Iron Skeleton defenses on that narrow street, but they were not a mob that would collapse at the first touch.

The surviving Black Iron Skeleton Warriors and the other undead that followed formed a thicker, seemingly endless line of skeletons at the wider street intersection, relying on the broken walls and ruins.

In the darkness, those taller, more condensed soul flames flickered in and out of sight. The resistance intensity indeed surged dramatically as they approached the heart.

"Advance!" Shen Mu's voice, like the clash of metal, resounded across the battlefield once more. "Sweep away every inch of filth! Let light return to this place!"

Military orders are like mountains.

Exhaustion was dispelled, and fear was overwhelmed by fighting spirit.

Under the firelight, Deherem's army, after paying a bloody price, once again pressed forward with difficulty and determination.

Every barricade built of bones crumbled under the weight of steely resolve and raging flames.

The massive, dark outline of the city center, illuminated by the blood and fire, seemed to grow even more grotesque and... restless.

The true decisive battle is slowly unfolding with each step forward. (End of Chapter)