Real Mount and Blade Game

The sky was a dusky yellow, rapidly transitioning to leaden gray.

On the western horizon, the last ray of orange-red sunset struggled to sink below the horizon, bringing no warmth but instead making the central black area appear even more unfathomable.

It's like a giant, cold maw, about to devour the entire city.

The surrounding noise, the soldiers' shouts, the sound of corpses breaking, and the crackling of burning all seemed to blur at this moment.

Shen Mu's senses were firmly drawn to a kind of invisible yet heavy "gaze".

That was by no means the chaotic malice of a low-level undead, but rather a... higher-level, cold will that had been accumulated over countless years.

It was hidden in the deep core where even sunlight could not penetrate, and now it was piercing through the thick ruins and the thin night fog that was gradually spreading, landing precisely on him.

Cold, vast, like the abyss itself.

He could clearly "sense" the other's presence, and the complex emotions contained within it that were far more than just a simple desire to kill—it was a mixture of ancient hatred, agitation at being disturbed, and... a scrutiny before a hunt.
Goosebumps are not a sign of fear, but rather the body's instinctive warning of an extreme threat.

The sacred runes embedded in the Sacred Tree Heavy Armor seemed to sense something, heating up slightly, and the mithril glow flowing on the armor plates seemed to brighten a little more, silently resisting the invisible pressure that was seeping in.

"My lord?" the captain of the Holy Tree Knights beside him asked in a low voice. He had been guarding Shen Mu vigilantly and had keenly sensed the change in Shen Mu's aura.

Shen Mu did not answer immediately, but instead took a slow breath.

The air was filled with the smell of gunpowder, blood, and burnt stench, but deeper inside, the faint scent of sulfur and extreme cold seemed even clearer than before.

This aura was exactly the same as the evil impact following the terrifying roar from the depths of the city, as described by the captain of the Wood Elf in the Elf Forest.

He raised his hand, his palm pointing to the churning core of darkness, his voice low and deep, like the clash of ice, clearly piercing through the rising clamor:
"withdraw."

The command was concise and decisive.

The knight captain did not hesitate for a moment, as if he too had caught that unsettling feeling in that instant.

He turned around immediately, and a roar from his chest exploded like muffled thunder, instantly drowning out the noise of the entire building:
"All troops evacuate the center of the universe! Immediately! Quickly!"

The messengers immediately rushed off like arrows to deliver the message.

Although the soldiers who were clearing out the various floors were surprised by the sudden order to retreat, since there was still sporadic resistance inside the building and the clearing was not yet completely finished, Deherem's orders were absolute and no one questioned them.

The soldiers who were setting fire to the last hiding place suddenly poured out the oil that had just been lit. The Rhodok soldiers who were kicking open the door immediately put away their shields and retreated. The archers on the rooftop quickly put away their bows. Everyone was like a precise gear that instantly reversed direction, and began to withdraw from the huge steel cage efficiently and orderly according to the pre-planned path.

The Swadian knights had already mobilized their warhorses on the outer streets, ready to provide support and ensure an unobstructed retreat.

The Holy Tree Knights once again huddled around Shen Mu, their mithril heavy armor gleaming with a restrained, chilling light in the twilight. They formed a solid and swift core, guiding the retreating torrent.

Surrounded by knights, Shen Mu took one last glance at the deep darkness. There, it seemed as if countless cold eyes suddenly lit up, or was it merely an illusion created by the twilight?

It is impossible to tell.

But the stirring in his heart was real.

In the depths of darkness, something... has awakened.

It is no longer merely lingering, but has fully awakened.

It sensed the sharp blade piercing its heart and cast its gaze upon it. The advantage of daytime was fading with the setting sun, and the true darkness of Long City was about to fall.

"Let's go!" Shen Mu no longer hesitated and decisively turned his horse around.

The mithril horses' hooves pounded heavily and rapidly on the streets littered with gravel and bone fragments.

Behind them, the enormous shadow of the center of the universe quickly merged into the even larger dark background in the twilight. Only a few scattered fires lit by the soldiers during their retreat flickered like the last faint sparks in the howling, damp night wind, as if they could be extinguished at any moment by the sweeping cold.

Darkness surged forth from the city center like a tide, accompanied by a silent roar and a chilling current, closely following the rapidly retreating torrent of silver iron.

The setting sun sinks completely below the horizon, not taking away the light, but bringing with it something thicker and heavier than the night itself—darkness.

A substantial darkness, tainted with the stench of decay and the acrid smell of sulfur.

That initial gray fog, like a living curtain, silently spread from the depths of the city's core, at a speed far exceeding that of natural night fog.

But it is not grayish-white; it is as deep as ink!

Wherever it passed, the remaining debris of buildings was quickly swallowed up, and familiar street scenes were instantly distorted and blurred.

"Black fog!" a Rhodok soldier on guard at the rear of the formation exclaimed in shock, his voice filled with barely suppressed chill: "The same as outside the city walls... no, it's even thicker!"

The soldiers were deeply shaken.

They had all heard Bandak describe the thick, leaden fog outside the walls of New Uxhauer, and the terrifying monsters that appeared within it.

What was churning up in front of me was that very substance, seemingly even more concentrated!

Shen Mu's pupils suddenly contracted. The moment the black mist touched the team, his senses detected the chilling death intent and extreme twisted energy contained within it.

This is definitely not a natural phenomenon!

This is definitely related to the core anomaly that the Wood Elf sensed, and the awakening of that immense will at the center of the universe!

"Speed ​​up! Don't stop!" Shen Mu's voice pierced through the fog, cold as a knife: "Shield formation retract! Spearmen on the outside! Ranged archers, conserve your arrows and cover the retreat route! Avoid unnecessary engagements!"

Orders are executed efficiently within an orderly force.

The speed of the retreating torrent increased sharply.

The outermost Swadian knights and Rhodok soldiers immediately tightened their formation, their massive tower shields and leather-covered iron shields drawing closer together to form a constantly moving steel corridor.

The spears, like a forest, pointed outwards at the black mist, menacing and menacing.

Crossbowmen and archers climbed onto the wagons, broken roadblocks, or the shoulders of their companions in the center of the procession, drew their bows taut, and searched the edges of the swirling fog with sharp eyes.

The fog grew thicker and thicker, drastically reducing visibility to just over ten meters.

The torchlight seemed to be sucked away by an invisible monster, barely illuminating a small area. The orange-red glow appeared so pale and weak in the deep blackness, like a candle flame about to be extinguished in a storm.

The oppressive silence did not last long.

"Hehe..." "Squeak—"

"Click...click click..."

The sickening creaking of bones grinding together, the sticky squeak of a wet object being dragged along, and the deep, hollow roars, like a symphony of hell, began to rise from the thick, impenetrable black fog all around, growing closer and clearer.

Finally, the shadowy figure appeared!
They are no longer limited to skeletons and zombies!
The black mist, like a monster's womb, gave birth to an even more twisted and terrifying being.

The Bone Spur Abomination was larger than any they had seen before. Its twisted body was no longer just a stitched-up corpse, but was covered with numerous sharp, slender, pale bone spurs, like a giant sea urchin.

It roared and crushed the flank of the group with its body covered in bone spikes!
The Blackbone Predator, on all fours, with bones forged from black iron, resembles a hybrid of a vicious dog and a lizard. It is incredibly fast, its limbs twisting dramatically to allow it to pounce from unexpected angles, its sharp bony teeth gleaming with an eerie light.

The Bone Thrower, wielding a heavy "flying bone" crafted from the rib of an unknown gigantic creature, hurled it from the mist, sending it crashing into the shield array with a dull thud.

The force was astonishing!

"Enemy attack! Left front! Bone spike monster!" the Vaegir archer on high ground roared, his arrow already released from the bow!

"In the fog on the right! Shadow form!" A Rhodok crossbowman aimed at the elusive fog shadow.

"Watch out for the ground! Those black-boned beasts are coming!" The Swadian knight swung his sword at the charging predators!
The battle breaks out instantly!

At this moment, the elite demonstrated their value as forged in fire!
Faced with the overwhelming barrage of bone spikes, the shield wall formed by the Rhodok soldiers was like a reef. Although it was violently shaken by the impact and the shields were scraped by the bone spikes, producing a piercing noise and sparks, it did not retreat!

The spearmen in the back row roared and fiercely thrust their extended halberds out from the gaps in their shields, plunging them deep into the relatively soft seams of the abominations and stirring them up!

The Vayne archer's armor-piercing arrows were concentrated on its only weakness—

Head!

In a few breaths, the enormous bone spike abomination howled and crashed to the ground!

The Wood Elf Hunters displayed terrifying precision in dealing with the elusive Shadow Cloak.

Their arrows were imbued with a subtle anti-magic enchantment, far inferior to the mithril of the Holy Tree Knights. Yet, thanks to the elves' extraordinary perception and archery skills, the arrows always managed to pierce through the thick fog, penetrate the weak points of its energy core, and shatter it into a swirling cloud of black mist.

The Rhodok crossbowmen's precise shots were also perfectly coordinated.

Blackbone predators are fast and have high defense, but they have difficulty getting close to well-defended, experienced heavy infantry squads.

The Swadian infantrymen wielded their broadswords and the Rhodok sergeants their warhammers with ferocious force, and under their heavy blows, even the hard bone armor shattered inch by inch!

The Holy Tree Knight occasionally galloped past the edge of the formation, his mithril knight sword like the scythe of death, its holy light flashing, instantly purifying and vaporizing any elite undead that dared to approach!
Shen Mu did not make many moves; his mental energy spread out like an invisible network, coldly scanning the entire team.

As a squad of bone throwers attempted to assemble, he instantly locked onto them: "Front line, shields up! Sniper, 12 o'clock, 40 paces out in the fog!"

The magic-breaking crossbow bolts arrived in response, accurately blasting the bone thrower, who had raised his arm in the thick fog, to pieces!
Occasionally, a few stray fish would slip into the core of the group, only to be easily dealt with by the Holy Tree Knight in the center, as if swatting flies.

The mithril heavy armor gleamed with a resolute light in the black mist, like a stabilizing force, dispelling the fear in the soldiers' hearts caused by darkness and monsters.

The battle was intense but brief.

The black mist provided cover, but it also limited the undead's tidal wave of attacks.

Deherem's elite troops, with their formidable individual combat skills, superior equipment, and honed teamwork, thwarted each attack.

The soldiers were splattered with black and dark red blood and mud, and their shields and armor were covered with new scratches and dents, but their eyes were sharper in the firelight and their movements were more ruthless and precise in the life-or-death struggle.

Like a mobile, indestructible steel fortress, they cleaved through the thick, deathly black fog, moving with difficulty yet with remarkable stability towards the Elf Forest.

After an unknown period of fighting, the density of the black fog ahead seemed to loosen slightly.

A faint yet vibrant green energy fluctuation pierced through the cold silence, like a drowning person seeing a campfire on the shore!

"I see it!" the scout at the outpost shouted excitedly, his voice hoarse but full of hope: "Fortified walls! I see fire on the walls!"

Shen Mu's spirits lifted, and his iron-gray eyes pierced through the thick fog. Sure enough, about two miles ahead, a huge, twisted wooden "wall" covered with moss and thorns appeared and disappeared in the thick fog. It was the outline of the Elf Forest's fortified stronghold!
At the top of the city wall, the scattered orange torches, like lighthouses in a dark sea, guide the way!

"Maintain formation! Full speed ahead!" Shen Mu waved his hand and gave the order. The warhorse suddenly accelerated, and the faint light on the mithril armor left a brief trail of light in the black mist.

The guards of the Elf Forest had clearly already spotted the army struggling to approach through the thick fog.

"The lord has returned! Quickly! Open the inner gate! Ballistae guard the perimeter! Wood Elf scouts, go forward to meet him!" Captain Legolas's clear and urgent Elven command echoed from the city wall.

The massive wooden inner gate was quickly lifted with a heavy creaking sound from the winch.

At the same time, the wooden city wall came to life—countless firing ports were opened, and longbows drawn to their full lengths and crossbows with their bows cocked gleamed coldly; on the tall treetop platform, the huge muzzles of several wood crossbows slowly adjusted their direction, locking onto the depths of the surging, chasing black mist behind the troops!

Teams of agile wood elf Twilight Rangers leaped out like phantoms from the hidden passages beneath the wall, longbows in hand, and quickly dispersed into the flanks of the forest, vigilantly guarding the sides and rear of the group, ready to snipe any pursuers at any moment.

In the final few hundred meters, under the silent cover of a rain of arrows from the wood elves and the crossbows from behind, the team, braving the increasingly frantic roars from behind and the sporadic bone spear arrows being thrown, finally rushed to the open inner gate!

"Get in quickly!"

"Keep up! Quickly!"

The soldiers poured in like a receding tide.

Warhorses neighed, armor clanged, and the atmosphere was one of exhaustion mixed with the exhilaration of surviving a calamity.

Surrounded by ten Holy Tree Knights, Shen Mu was the last to enter.

The moment he stepped into the protective range of the Pan Gen Barrier, the holy light covering his armor and shielding him from the black mist seemed to flash for a moment.

The heavy inner door slammed down behind him with a dull thud!
The massive log bolts were pushed up with great effort by the Rhodok soldiers.

The heavy door slammed shut, keeping the surging, murderous black mist outside, along with the countless terrifying shadows within it that were blocked from entering and howling in despair, firmly shut out of the door!
Inside the Elf Forest Fortress, the lights were on, and the soldiers were panting heavily as they checked each other's wounds and adjusted their equipment.

Safety was temporarily restored, but on the city wall, Captain Legolas and all the guards, including Shen Mu who had just retreated, all stared solemnly at the terrifying darkness outside the wall, which was separated by wooden fences and the roots of huge ancient trees and rolled like an ink sea.

The fortified walls blocked the view, but they could not block the immense will emanating from the heart of Longcheng City, growing clearer through the thick black fog, carrying pure death and malice.

It woke up and is watching this place.

This brief calm seemed to be the most dangerous silence before the next storm. (End of Chapter)