Real Mount and Blade Game

Whether it's dealing with the current complex multi-front combat environment, the Elf Forest's role in coordinating the core of the Abyss, New Uxhowl's role in coordinating the external Abyss's inferior remains, or Deherim's role as the central hub for future large-scale strategic deployments, the timely, reliable, and unaffected assistance from evil, or even the enhancement of regional purification and defense capabilities, all represent a strategic leap forward!
Shen Mu also decided to quickly build this Holy Light Torch Tower.

The entire Elf Forest barrier was instantly infused with an unprecedented vitality.

The fierce infighting between the Abyssal Corpse and the Undead Skeleton in the core area bought Shen Mu the most precious window of opportunity.

Under the grey light, on the heavily fortified watchtower, Shen Mu's figure resembled a statue cast from mithril and steel.

His gaze pierced through the sparse yet nauseating gray fog, locking onto the abyss of darkness at the heart of Long City, a place churning with the stench of sulfur and the wails of death.

The chilling energy churning in the core—the brutal civil war between the Abyssal Remains and the Dark Iron Remains—bought him time, precious time.

When the pale gold quest frame [Strategic Nexus: Torch of Faith], representing unlocked permissions, flashed across his unique Mount & Blade-style vision, a cold, certainty, like the meshing of adamantine gears, replaced the somber mood of the past few days.

Holy Light Torch Tower!
This gift from the Holy White Council is the strategic sword that will pierce this veil of death, establish order, and connect all his territories!

Without the slightest hesitation, the cold command was issued instantly.

"Construction".

The moment the command was issued, the operation of the Deherim core region reached a new critical point.

The first "Torch of Holy Light," which had long stood in the central square of Deherim, constructed of pure white holy stone and with its top constantly burning with light, now became the absolute node of the entire faith network.

A massive amount of dinar gold coins flowed from the overflowing national treasury, and abundant faith began to converge, transforming into a data stream, like a white stream, precisely flowing into the planned transportation lines.

Then it begins to coalesce.

The consumption of 500,000 units of faith power is astonishing, and each new tower site will erupt with unprecedented light.

The mighty torrent of faith, like a tangible pillar of light, traversed vast distances and, guided by the first tower, precisely poured into the core magic array of the tower's foundation, which was rising from the ground.

That was the pure power of faith gathered from the day and night prayers of countless residents and soldiers, which was now being efficiently transformed into a strategic resource for opening up new territories of order.

The project was progressing rapidly, yet it also carried a sacred solemnity.

Like an anchor point cast into deep water, the flame of the Holy Light began to ignite eastward from the main tower of Deherim.

The data flowed westward and southward along the lifeline between Deherim and the Elven Forest.

From Deherim to New Uxhauer, the ten Holy Light Torch Towers, like ten fallen stars, precisely cover all supply points, high points, and areas once ravaged by the Abyssal Beasts along the way.

Accompanied by hymns and the clanging of hammers striking stones, a corridor of hope is being built within the data stream.

The construction of the last ten towers was the most crucial and also the most difficult.

The location extends all the way to the safe zone in front of the Elf Forest Fortress, with the nearest one even standing on a stable hill less than three kilometers behind the entrenched fortress, like a huge support beacon erected for the fortress.

As the last bit of data emitted a faint glow and was deposited into the foundation, and the last pillar of faith pierced through space from Deherim, the core magic circle of the twentieth Holy Light Torch Tower suddenly lit up!

Effective!

Om-! ! !
An invisible, yet seemingly emanating, low hum spread out instantly.

Starting from the first Deherim Tower, the dormant core magic circle was fully activated at the top of the twenty brand-new torch towers along the way!
First, a faint golden light shone inside the runic sphere carved from holy white stone at the top of the tower, and then, like a wildfire, a dazzling and pure holy light burst forth!

This is not a simple fire, but a manifestation of highly condensed order and divine power.

Centered on each torch tower, invisible yet repulsive ripples of pure rules rapidly spread outwards.

The necromantic aura, filled with decay and resentment, that permeated the path was like frost meeting the blazing sun, emitting a sizzling sound as it was rapidly dispersed and purified!
The air seemed to have been filtered through a giant, invisible sieve, becoming fresher than ever before, and the gloom that had been weighing on the soldiers' hearts instantly dissipated.

The necromantic whispers and residual energy that had been attempting to infiltrate the edge of the safe zone were silenced by the suppression of this rule.

From New Uxhall to the Elf Forest, an order corridor based on the Holy Torch Tower network has been successfully established!

The golden holy light atop the tower burned fiercely, its intensity so great that it was clearly visible even under the iron-gray skylight, like twenty small suns that would never set.

As night truly fell and the sky above Longcheng was shrouded in an impenetrable darkness, these twenty golden beams of light became the only source of light that tore through despair!

They illuminated the roads, the outposts, and the fortress walls, projecting warmth and courage directly into the hearts of every soldier and civilian.

The light emanating from the new tower in front of the Elf Forest fortress even enveloped the fortress in a golden halo, greatly enhancing its defensive power and morale.

With a steady hum from the tower, a powerful magic scroll from the ancient heritage of the Holy White Council, stored inside the tower, was activated.

Mysterious holy light runes, like flowing golden streams, slowly emerged and rotated on the surface of the tower.

Any being carrying a strong aura of the undead—whether it be a wandering skeleton, a lurking undead, or a low-level lich trying to approach and unleash a curse—will instantly unleash small, swift, and incredibly precise beams of holy light from the runes on the surface of the Torch Tower once it enters the core area of ​​the tower!

The light was like a red-hot iron, scorching the bodies of the undead, extinguishing their soul fire, and emitting a sharp "hissing" sound.

At night, this automatic purification system forms leaping golden whips of light, becoming an insurmountable forbidden zone in the darkness.

Such a crucial strategic juncture naturally requires rigorous protection.

Shen Mu's orders were swiftly implemented.

Around each newly built torch tower base, sturdy low walls and simple fortifications with crenellations and firing ports were quickly constructed.

Beneath the twenty crucial torch towers along the route from Deherim to New Uxhauer, and from New Uxhauer to the Elven Forest, groups of elite soldiers have taken up positions and set up defenses:

Two Rhodok crossbowmen occupied the high ground and best firing positions reserved within the fortifications, equipped with heavy crossbows and magic-piercing arrows.

Calm, precise, and powerful are their hallmarks; they are tasked with sniping strong targets attempting to approach or attack the Torch Tower from medium to long range. Three Vaegir archers are equipped with sophisticated composite longbows and special arrows.

They moved nimbly within the fortifications, using their exceptional reaction speed and archery skills to intercept approaching fast-moving units and provide continuous mid-range fire suppression.

Ten Swadian light infantrymen serve as the most basic barrier and mobility force. They are equipped with sturdy chainmail, one-handed weapons, and skin shields.

The mission is to provide close protection for the tower base, preventing any stragglers from attacking the fortifications or directly damaging the tower structure, and to launch counterattacks during lulls in the crossbowmen's and archers' fire.

Transportation lines are lifelines.

Along the "Corridor of Light" formed by the torch towers, high-speed cavalry patrols work tirelessly day and night.

Ten seasoned bandits from the grasslands led fifty other bandits; these warriors from the grasslands possessed unparalleled skills on horseback.

The seasoned bandits are experienced and serve as the team's spearhead and eyes and ears; the bandits themselves are lightly armored, fast horses, and carry composite horse bows.

They patrolled the roads like the wind, covering the gaps between towers, detecting any anomalies immediately, eliminating small groups of wandering undead, and swiftly counterattacking and distracting any enemies that attacked the tower bases or roads.

At key junctures, such as road junctions and areas near New Uxhall and the Elf Forest, a powerful reserve force is on standby.

One hundred Swadian heavy cavalrymen, clad in heavy armor and with their horses covered in chainmail, formed an iron torrent on the battlefield.

Once a torch tower is under heavy siege, or a patrol discovers a crisis requiring a strong breakthrough, these silent yet powerful cavalry will strike like thunder.

Where iron hooves trample, bones turn to ash!
Their presence is the most solid and destructive mobile fist in the entire defense chain.

This is a new beginning!
When the brand-new torch tower in front of the Elven Forest fortress ignited a towering pillar of light, echoing the nineteen towers behind it and illuminating the gloomy northwest corner of Long City as if it were daytime, the entire Deherim-Elven Forest front felt the immense power of order and the fearless will of light.

Standing atop the fortified walls, the soldiers gazed at the blazing golden spears that seemed to pierce the gaping maw of the abyss. Their eyes burned not only with a sense of security and warmth, but also with an unwavering determination to launch a counterattack.

The defensive pressure on the fortress was greatly reduced, and the cold and decay that had once been like a bone-deep ailment were forcibly driven away.

Shen Mu remained standing on the high observation platform, his cold mithril mask reflecting the pulsating golden light.

His gaze swept over the lifeline built at enormous expense, constructed of faith, money, and steel, and finally settled on the direction of the core abyss black domain.

The corridor of light has been forged, and the anchor of order has taken deep root.

It dispelled the fog and ignited hope, but like the brightest lighthouse, it also proclaimed to the terrifying presence lurking in the darkness.

His counterattack now has a more solid foothold!

The workshop furnaces within the fortified walls remained blazing hot, the muzzles of the ballistae in the Senmu Fortress gleamed coldly, and the sounds of soldiers sharpening their weapons were powerful and resonant.

Under the glow of twenty torch towers, the Elf Forest Fortress stood like a dragon awakened and armed to the teeth, silently awaiting its arrival.

This light not only illuminates the present, but also the battlefields of the future.

Shen Mu knew that when he took the initiative to knock on the core gate of hell, this final battle concerning the fate of Longcheng and even the world order would unfold in a completely new way.

The light has arrived, and the next act of the war is about to unfold in the ultimate clash between holy flame and the abyss.

The Holy Light Corridor, like twenty giant, burning golden spears, pierced fiercely into the decaying corpses of Longcheng.

The path from Deherim to the Elven Forest was lit, the gray fog was dispelled, and the whispers of despair were replaced by a sacred hum.

However, this magnificent light of order is nothing less than the most dazzling provocation and the most deadly poison to the abyssal will entrenched in the heart of the city.

The change first occurs at the level of breath.

Shen Mu, standing on the watchtower of the Elf Forest Fortress, was the first to sense that the already suffocating stench of sulfur had undergone a qualitative change.

It is no longer just a sticky air pollutant, but has taken on a kind of activity, a kind of greedy malice.

The smell seemed to have a weight on it, pressing heavily on everyone's heart, making it difficult to breathe.

The soldiers on duty all felt tinnitus and dizziness, as if an invisible stench was trying to penetrate their brains and erode their will.

Outside the barrier, the once silent core abyss, churning with collisions of dark blue and crimson energies, suddenly boiled over!

"Roar--!!!"

A silent roar that reached the depths of the soul was larger and more frenzied than the previous howl of the jackal phantom, filled with the rage of being "burned," like an injured ancient beast rolling wildly in the abyss!
The ground of the entire ruins trembled dully, and the thick, gnarled wooden structure creaked.

Spurred by this, the fierce civil war on the edge of the core area instantly escalated to a fever pitch!
The dark red blood droplets in the eyes of the Abyssal Corpses suddenly burst forth with an eerie red light, and the sulfur markings on their bones, like red-hot branding irons, emitted an even more pungent odor and high temperature.

Their attack methods have completely abandoned the last trace of undead instinct "skills" and become pure, hysterical, frenzied biting and explosions! Often, several inferior skeletons will rush towards a target without regard for the cost, using their bone claws, sharp teeth, or even directly igniting the unstable sulfur crystal cores in their bodies, turning into clumps of dark red flesh bombs carrying deadly corrosive energy!
The Black Iron Skeleton Guards, who were holding their ground, suddenly found themselves under immense pressure in the face of such a relentless and frenzied attack.

Their eerie green soul flames flickered violently, and their remaining fighting spirit, amidst the raging storm, gave rise to an extreme level of determination.

The once ruthless and precise defensive formation began to show gaps.

Some of the skeletal warriors abandoned their defensive posture and launched equally ferocious, suicidal charges.

The massive bone blade cleaved down with a mournful cry of mutual destruction; the skeleton holding the shield no longer held its ground, but roared as it charged into the enemy ranks with several times its own number of inferior skeletons, detonating the necromantic chill it had accumulated and the abyssal magic energy to perish together!
The battlefield was like a giant meat grinder, far more brutal than ever before!

Shattered bones, sparks, and fragments of dark red and eerie green energy, mixed with the acrid smell of sulfur and the chilling aura of death, churned and vanished in the viscous black-blue mist.

Vast areas were completely cleared after a brief explosion and roar, leaving behind a mess of debris and an even stronger abyssal aura. (End of Chapter)