Real Mount and Blade Game

In the suddenly chilly air of the command room, the Khergit cavalry archer captain was singled out: "Khergit scouts, disperse from the ramparts immediately, sixteen riders per group, patrolling the Corridor of Light in a radius. I want you to be like steppe eagles, crushing snakes at their vital points—sound the arrows immediately upon spotting any jackals, and anyone who dares to engage in close combat will be executed by military law!"

As Kalanzo instinctively reached for his battle axe, Shen Mu slammed his mithril gauntlets against the edge of the sand table, causing the arrow models to rattle loudly.
"The melee ban is effective immediately. All Swadian heavy cavalry are to retreat to the second line of defenses, and the Knights of the Sacred Tree are to hold the Torch Tower base." He pointed to the abyssal black area on the sand table, where dark red veins surged, "The Shadow of the End is drinking death—every fallen warrior's body is bait to feed the abyss!"

Legolas looked up sharply, his emerald pupils reflecting the foul energy flowing backward on the tactical screen: "Those jackals... are they collecting the debris of battle?"

"It's not just wreckage." Shen Mu's voice was icy cold. "The wounds inflicted by the jackal's scimitar release energy-draining spores. Close combat is tantamount to laying energy pipelines for the abyss with your own hands!" He suddenly turned to his generals. "From this moment on, the area within 300 meters of the fortified wall is an absolute no-fire zone—let the corpses of the abyss's minions pile up outside the range of crossbow bolts, so that even their wails cannot reach the light screen of the tower!"

Less than fifteen minutes after the order was given, a piercing alarm sounded from the western watchtower!
The whistling arrows of the Khergit riders tore through the sky, and dozens of hunched black shadows emerged from the edge of the mist.

The skeletal gnolls were arranged in a wedge formation, their black iron scimitars pointing uniformly at the forward ballista positions—a posture ready to charge!
However, before the warning line of light in Tallinn, they suddenly stopped in their tracks. The lead jackal howled to the sky, and the fire of the abyss surged wildly in its eye sockets.

In the chilling silence, the pack of jackals simultaneously opened their jaws—

laugh!laugh!laugh!
Dozens of thick, dark red rays, as sticky as asphalt, burst out from the throat bone!

The target is the ballista base of Senmu Fortress!
"boom!!!"

Bandak's roar and the booming of ballistae exploded simultaneously. Burning runic root spears shattered the rays, and purifying holy flames and corrosive energy violently annihilated in the mist.

A rain of arrows from Vaegir instantly covered the jackal line, and the three-headed monster exploded into a sulfur fireball as the holy arrow pierced its skull!

Shen Mu stood on the observation platform, his cold gaze piercing through the smoke and dust of the explosion. Deep within the swirling, abyssal fog, a pair of mountain-like, blood-diamond-like giant eyes hovered in the sky, their pupils swirling with icy calculation patterns—like a chess player scrutinizing the cost of exchanging pawns.

The light of Tallinn flickered violently amidst the smoke of battle, and a corrosive black mist rose from the edges of the light curtain due to the energy clash.

The deafening sound of hooves shattered the brief silence of the battlefield. As the crimson rays of the skeletal jackals exploded into sulfurous clouds before the ballista positions, the commands beneath Shen Mu's helmet had already transformed into cold rules, imprinted on the core of the Holy Tree Knight's consciousness through the mental link.

"Coordinates locked. First and third Sacred Tree squads, advance on the left flank; Swadia First Knights Battalion, advance on the right flank anvil." No amplification magic was needed; his will was the law of the battlefield.

In the western borderland where the thin mist and thick darkness intertwined, shadows suddenly surged! Thirty Holy Tree Knights, like silver evil spirits breaking free from the shadows, their mithril greatswords trailing the holy flames of order, pierced the flanks of the jackal pack from both sides at sharp angles beyond the limits of physics.

Almost simultaneously, a steel wall of two hundred Swadian heavy cavalrymen surged forward, their steel lances pointed straight ahead, and the iron hooves of their chainmail warhorses crushed the bricks and stones—a perfect match of anvil and hammer!

"Clang—!" The sound of swords slicing through black iron scimitars echoed one after another.

The Holy Tree Knight's blade pierced precisely into the jackal's skull and eye socket, and the shriek emitted as the Abyss Fire was consumed by the Platinum Holy Flame sounded like a dying wail.

As the Swadian heavy cavalry surged forward, the skeletons of jackals that couldn't dodge in time were shattered and exploded under the piercing of their lances. The viscous, dark red liquid splashed onto the heavy armor, even causing the steel knee pads to sizzle as it corroded them.

The combat was so efficient it bordered on brutal.

Ten minutes, just ten minutes!

Thirty-seven jackal carcasses were reduced to burning fragments under the iron hooves, while the remaining Abyss Scourge skeletons were pinned to the charging path by a hail of arrows from the Khergit bandits.

Before the cheers of the fortified soldiers could even rise, Shen Mu's icy voice shattered the lingering echoes of the battlefield: "Cleanup team, burn the wreckage! Knights, return to your positions immediately!"

But as the iron torrent retreated, a strange change quietly began to occur on the battlefield, which was filled with the stench of burning.

Between the cracks in the ground scorched by the purifying beam, wisps of inky black mist, like living mycelium, emerged from beneath the charred remains, weaving and spreading at a visible speed.

In less than half a day, the originally thin boundary zone had turned into a churning pool of ink, which even the pale midday sunlight could not penetrate.

This thick black mist was completely different from the old necromantic gray fog—the gray fog was as ethereal as gauze, while the black fog was as heavy as glue, with even dark red veins at the edges. The stench of sulfur was further enhanced by a sweet, dizzying, putrid smell.

"Sir, the energy consumption of the No. 7 Torch Tower shield is abnormal!" The light screen in the command room flashed, and a warning red line suddenly lit up on the western edge of the energy flow map of the Tallinn Network.

The engineer's voice trembled, "The black mist... it's continuously eroding the tower's base runes, the automatic defense rays are triggering frequently, and the shield is passively depleting its faith reserves!"

Shen Mu's gaze swept across the three-dimensional sand table, the dark area representing the black mist spreading like thick ink dropped into clear water. He tapped his fingertips heavily on the edge of the sand table: "Kujit cavalry will rotate three times, conducting zigzag patrols centered on the Torch Tower."

Each rider was paired with two horses, and the warning arrows' range was reduced to three hundred meters—I needed to be aware of every claw peeking out from the black fog!

The command was like ice water poured onto scorching sand.

A hundred Kujit bandits charged out of the ramparts, their lightly armored, swift horses cutting into the edge of the thick fog like sharp blades.

But just two hours later, a sharp, bone-piercing whistling sound suddenly rang out in the foggy area to the east!
A band of thieves broke through the black mist, with three riders lying on their backs, their breastplates pierced, and dark, sticky fluid seeping from their wounds.

The centurion leading the team, his eyes blazing with fury, exclaimed, "There's something in the fog! It's faster than a jackal! Its claws... are like red-hot scythes!"

Shen Mu's mithril gauntlets instantly crushed a corner of the sand table's edge.

The blade of the abyss has evolved to have an even more deadly edge.

Outside the fortress, within the stagnant, ink-black mist, two tiny, crimson lights quietly shone, like the chilling glint of fangs revealed when a colossal beast licks its lips…

The Khergit centurion's piercing warning, like an icicle, broke the brief silence of the ramparts.

The unspoken fear was far more suffocating than any concrete description—"faster than a jackal," "a red-hot sickle!"
The air inside the fortress seemed to freeze instantly. The soldiers' knuckles cracked as they gripped their weapons, their gazes involuntarily drawn to the churning, ink-like black mist of the abyss.

Shen Mu slowly loosened his mithril gauntlets, and a few strands of crushed sandstone dust fell down. Beneath his visor, his icy gaze, almost tangible, pierced through the thick wooden walls of the ramparts, fixing its gaze on the inky black viscous liquid seeping from the breastplates of the three riders. It wasn't blood, but an active corrosive toxin!

"Holy Light Tower Forest, western section seven to nine, emergency connection, overload purification!" His voice was like the first crack in the ice, instantly activating the barrier's energy core.

Buzz—! Buzz—!
The runic spheres atop the three Holy Light Torches on the western side of the fortress suddenly erupted with dazzling platinum-gold light, their rays connecting like tangible fiber optic cables, instantly forming a massive triangular purification zone! A torrent of holy light energy surged into the black mist at the boundary!
"Sizzle—!!!!"

Like a red-hot iron pressed into ice, the churning, inky fog was instantly boiled and evaporated!
Vast areas were forcibly purified and dispersed, exposing the scorched and cracked earth beneath! A sacred hum, like a grand bell, reverberated against the surging black tide!
This dispel is also a form of illumination!

Right at the edge of this rift in the mist, torn open by the intense light—

“Hiss—!!!”

A piercing scream, accompanied by a deafening sonic boom, suddenly rang out! Dozens of shadowy figures, faster than ghosts, shot out from the thin black mist!

Their bodies were more slender and twisted than those of the skeleton gnolls, as if they were forcibly kneaded together from melted tar and blackened bone fragments!

Their lower limbs have a bizarre structure, resembling inverted sickle joints. Each stomp leaves scorched marks on the ground, and their speed is so fast that they leave afterimages!

What's most terrifying are the ends of their forelimbs—they're not claws at all, but two bony blades shaped like giant mantis scythes, burning with eerie green hellfire and dripping with a blackish-red corrosive liquid like magma!
With each swing, the air is scorched and twisted, accompanied by a soul-ripping shriek!
Swarm of Scythe Demons! A brand new killing unit evolved from the Abyss!
Their objective was crystal clear—to rush straight to the nearest Holy Light Torch bases under the brief exposure of the light barrier! The scorched earth could not hinder them in the slightest, and their charge, trailing sulfurous flames, was like a deadly poison needle!

"Ballista - Armor-piercing Incendiary Root Spear! Cover the tear in the light barrier!" "Rhodok Sniper! Lock onto the scythe joint!" "Vegia - Scatter Shot! Suppress the following inferior corpses!"

On the city wall, the roar of Bandak, the howl of the ballistae, and the buzzing of the bowstrings instantly filled the air!
Heavy, rune-infused spears tore through the air, striking precisely in front of the scythe demon's charge, attempting to create an obstruction explosion; the dull thuds of Rhodok's heavy crossbows echoed as bolts, imbued with armor-piercing and holy light enhancement, rained down on the fast-moving, burning scythe limbs; while the Vaegir archers' arrows blanketed the Abyssal wretches following behind the scythe demon, trying to use this wave of attack to surge forward!

However, the speed and unpredictable footwork of the scythe demon far exceeded expectations!

The shockwaves and smoke from the explosion were deftly bypassed or resisted. The crossbow bolts, embedded in the burning scythe-like body, burst into small bursts of holy flame, only to be quickly "swallowed" by the flowing tar-like substance. The corrosive liquid could also rapidly erode the runes!

Only a few arrows that accurately hit the thigh joints caused the scythe demons to lose their balance and roll on the ground, where they were then impaled and burned by subsequent arrows.

Most of the scythe demons had charged into the "exposed zone" torn open by the intense light of the Holy Light Tower despite the barrage of bullets. Some of the ones at the forefront even viciously slashed at the low wall fortifications on the outer perimeter of the tower with their burning scythes and bone claws!

The Swadian light infantry and Rhodok crossbowmen stationed behind the wall only saw a ghostly green light fall down on them!

Right now!

Shen Mu's icy voice struck the hearts of all the knights like a heavy hammer:

"Holy Tree Knights! Squads one through five! Target—Taki's close-range threat! Eliminate!"

"Swadian Knights, First and Third Battalions! Cut off the Black Mist reinforcements! Crush the enemy forces outside the light barrier!"

"Grassland Bandits - Scatter Scatter! Disperse the horde of vile corpses! Anyone who dares to step into the light barrier will be slain!"

The order had just been given!

"For order!"

Inside and outside the barrier, a deafening response suddenly erupted!

The five teams of Holy Tree Knights closest to the tower, ten knights, suddenly released their power like a tightly wound spring!

The mithril greatsword, trailing a platinum tail of flame, transformed into streaks of silver lightning from the various pre-deployed hidden troop bunkers!

Their target was not the surging tide of wrecked creatures, but the elite scythe demons who had already reached the edge of the low wall and were about to breach the tower's defenses!
Boom! Clang!
The mithril greatsword clashed violently with the black scythe-like bone claws burning with hellfire!

A piercing clang of metal clashing and a deafening explosion of energy annihilation erupted!

The eerie green hellfire clashed fiercely with the platinum holy flames of order, and the shockwaves sent the surrounding light infantry staggering!
The Holy Tree Knight's swordsmanship was exquisite; it was not a direct confrontation, but rather a technique of deflecting and guiding the force!
One sword deflected the fatal slash, while the other, like a venomous snake spitting its tongue, pierced with unparalleled precision the core of the scythe demon hidden beneath its twisted body, emitting a faint glow—a deep-sea energy node even more concealed than a crystal core!

"Pfft!" Holy flames erupted from the core, and a scythe demon let out a desperate howl before instantly exploding into a burning mass of fragments!

At the same time, the side gate of the fortress suddenly burst open!

Two hundred Swadian heavy cavalrymen, like an iron torrent bursting its banks, trampled the shadows of the city gate with their heavy hooves, charging with a suffocating momentum, and fiercely crashed into the main force of the Abyssal Corpses that were pouring out from the tear in the black mist and charging with the scythe demons!

"Derhem—crush them!!!"

The Knight Captain's battle cry was like thunder!

Boom! ! !
A torrent of steel clashed violently with the skeletons! Steel lances easily pierced the decaying bone armor of the wrecked remains, pinning them to the scorched earth; heavy swords swung like the wind, cleaving and smashing swathes of the wrecked remains!
Under the light of the Holy Light Tower Forest, the bone armor of the inferior skeletons was like rotten wood, and the charge of the cavalry group showed terrifying destructive efficiency!

Where iron hooves passed, bones turned to ash! A bloody, burning tunnel of flesh and blood was plowed through the path of the charge!

The Kujit steppe bandits, like a nimble pack of wolves, galloped along the edge of the battlefield, their composite horsebows opening and closing at an astonishing rate. A dense rain of arrows, like a swirling storm, precisely targeted the hordes of inferior cavalry attempting to bypass the heavy cavalry and approach the edge of the light barrier from the flanks. Their harassment tactics were extremely effective, forcing the hordes of inferior cavalry to constantly scatter and preventing them from forming a united force to breach the light barrier.

With the absolute blessing of the Holy Light, the entire battlefield situation underwent a decisive reversal!

The Holy Tree Knights, the sharpest blade of order, were firmly anchored to the defensive line of the tower, efficiently and precisely slaying the close-range threat of the scythe demons; the Swadian heavy cavalry, like an indestructible iron hammer, repeatedly charged through the light domain outside the city, crushing the main force of the monstrous invaders; the steppe bandits were like agile whips, scattering scattered enemy groups and covering the flanks. Meanwhile, the ranged firepower on the city walls poured down on the battle line like hail and torrential rain!
Within the light barrier, the area touched by the holy light has become a meat grinder for the minions of the abyss!

Shen Mu stood on the watchtower, his mithril heavy armor reflecting the sparks of metal clashing below and the brilliance of holy flames annihilating the abyss.

His cold gaze swept across the battlefield, watching the scythe demons and the torrent of wrecked creatures crumble under the holy light, without the slightest relaxation.

His gaze finally pierced through the thinning battlefield smoke and the billowing black mist on the periphery, landing on the distant and profound shadow of the End Wolf, which hovered like a mountain above the core black domain.

Those enormous, abyssal, blood-diamond-like eyes continued to coldly gaze upon this place, devouring every trace of death energy dissipating from the battlefield, seemingly indifferent to the horrific losses of their own cannon fodder before them.

The battles were merely building up resources for the final showdown. And the abyss's patience would eventually run out. (End of Chapter)