Real Mount and Blade Game

Deep within the ancestral tomb, the filthy black core, like a pulsating, rotting heart, pumped out nauseating abyssal energy with each expansion, urging the jackal-man pseudo-god abomination swarm ahead to launch an even more frenzied attack.

Their roars were no longer mere sound waves, but soul-shaking impacts carrying a blasphemous will, crashing heavily onto the steel defenses of the human alliance.

"Hold on! Don't retreat an inch!" The shout of the Swadian heavy infantry centurion boomed behind the shield wall, drowning out the howls of the false god abomination.

The tower shields of the front-line soldiers groaned under the strain, their steel surfaces scratched with deep dents by the filthy claws and corrosive fluids of the false gods, and the edges even began to curl and deform.

The immense impact caused the shield-wielding soldiers' hands to split open, and blood flowed down the cold metal. But they gritted their teeth and pressed their bodies firmly against the shields, their feet even leaving skid marks on the hard rocky ground.

"prick!"

The orders of the seasoned Rhodok spearman commander were concise and deadly.

Countless spears, gleaming with a cold light, suddenly thrust out from the gaps in the tower shields and from above the shields held high by the second rank of soldiers, like venomous snakes!

puff!puff!
The sound of flesh and bone tearing is chilling.

The steel spearhead pierced the twisted limbs, swollen abdomen, and even the hideous head of the false god.

Thick, foul-smelling blood and bits of entrails splattered out, splashing onto the soldiers' armor and visor, sizzling as they did so.

The stabbed false god-like creatures let out shrill howls, their massive bodies convulsing violently. Some collapsed on the spot, becoming stumbling blocks for their companions; others, however, were driven to a deeper frenzy by the excruciating pain, recklessly ramming and tearing at the steel barrier with their bodies.

The spear shafts bent and even broke under the immense force, and the Rhodok spearmen in the front row were knocked down by the tremendous force and instantly overwhelmed by the minions of the false god.

The "Steel Thorns" formation is like a reef struggling to move forward in a raging, filthy ocean, enduring endless battering.

The soldiers' strength was rapidly waning, and the battle lines inevitably showed slight dips and fluctuations. Every small retreat was accompanied by the loss of life.

Just as the pressure from the front reached its peak, Shen Mu's gaze, sharp as a hawk's, pierced through the chaotic battlefield and locked onto the rear passageway area.

There, the undead skeleton phalanx, repeatedly broken by the heavy cavalry of the Swadian Knights and the Holy Tree Knights, had not completely dissipated. The scattered ash fog, as if possessing a life of its own, stubbornly reformed itself at the corners of the passageway and in the shadows of broken boulders, attempting to form a cold battle line once more.

Drawn by the gray mist, the remains of the skeletal warrior struggled to their feet like a puppet on strings. In their empty eye sockets, two cold flames of soul rekindled, carrying a deep-seated resentment towards all living beings, especially the abyss that had desecrated the fundamental laws of the dead. Silently, they raised their broken bone sword and bone bow.

This chilling killing intent emanating from the land of the dead was like a sharp blade hanging over the back of the allied forces' necks.

"Kalanzo!" Shen Mu's voice boomed through the [Tallinn] network, carrying an unquestionable, iron-willed determination, resounding in the mind of the Holy Tree Knights Commander. "The ashes have reignited, the rotten roots have not been eradicated! I grant you the authority of 'Root Erosion,' to cooperate with the Swadian heavy cavalry and crush them! Let this gray fog become nothing more than dust in history!"

“Yes, sir! For order, for purification!” Caranzo’s voice carried the resolute determination of a martyr.

The holy flames of purification surged forth from the warhammer he held high, instantly merging with the weapon light of all the Holy Tree Knights behind him to form a moving barrier of light.

"The glory of Swadia, charge with me!" the commanders of the Swadian Knights roared in unison.

The remaining heavy knights and cavalry quickly adjusted their formation, abandoning the scattered pursuit and reforming into a tighter, more destructive, dense conical charge. The sound of hooves once again merged into a dull thunderclap, their target the core point where the gray fog had re-condensed.

This charge was qualitatively different. As the heavy cavalry charged into the gray fog like red-hot irons, the Holy Tree Knights simultaneously activated the rule-based authority granted by Shen Mu—"Thorn Garden: Root Erosion"!
Streaks of emerald green, vibrant light, like purifying vines extending from the void, suddenly spread from beneath the feet of the Holy Tree Knights, rapidly expanding along the trajectory of the gray mist.

These vines of order are not physical entities, yet they possess a natural purifying effect on the disordered pollution of the rules of death. They entwine around the gray mist, like sunlight shining on snow, producing a sizzling sound.

The chilling aura of death contained within the gray fog was not eliminated, but the chaos and resentment "toxins" generated by the desecration of the abyss within it were quickly stripped away and neutralized by the vines that condensed the purifying power of the "Thorn Garden"!
The gray mist churned and retreated violently, as if it had encountered a natural enemy. The speed at which the bones were coalescing instantly slowed down, and even began to disintegrate.

Those skeletal warriors who had just managed to stand up became incredibly stiff, and the dark gray glow flowing over their bodies quickly faded.

"Break!" Kalanzo's warhammer, wreathed in purifying flames, slammed into a massive, condensing ash node.

boom!
The flames exploded, and the ash nodes, like withered leaves thrown into a raging fire, instantly carbonized and disintegrated, turning dozens of skeletal warriors around them into ashes.

The Swadian knights' heavy lances and knightly swords were like the scythe of death, precisely sweeping through the fragile skeletons that had lost the enhancement of the gray mist.

Wherever the steel torrent passed, the bones were completely shattered, the gray mist was completely dispelled, leaving behind a ground of truly withered bones devoid of any spiritual fluctuation.

"Kujit! Bandits! Clean up the remnants and sever the foundation of the Gray Fog!" Shen Mu's orders did not stop.

The experienced Kujit horse archers and steppe scouts, who had been circling and waiting on the outskirts of the battlefield, pounced on all parts of the passageway like wolves smelling blood.

The mounted archers displayed their superb archery skills to the fullest, their arrows, shimmering with elemental light, precisely striking the tiny vortexes of gray mist attempting to reassemble and the remaining skeletal archer heads.

The bandits, wielding their scimitars, swept across the edge of the battlefield like whirlwinds, pulverizing any remaining bones. At the same time, they fired burning arrows soaked in grease at the top walls and corners of the passageway. The raging flames not only hindered the flow of the ash mist but also destroyed the cold, damp environment upon which it depended.

This was a complete and thorough massacre, leaving no room for future trouble. With Shen Mu's precise command and the powerful support of the Holy Tree Knights' "Root Erosion," the last counterattack from the Kingdom of the Dead was completely extinguished.

The passageway behind gradually returned to deathly silence, with only the crackling of burning and the scattered, lifeless bones that could no longer stand.

The leaden-gray mist, representing the last remnants of the order of the dead, was finally utterly defeated and dispelled under the double blow—the power of the purifying rules and the complete destruction on a physical level.

The chilling threat from behind is completely gone!

The battle report of clearing the rear route spread instantly throughout the army via the [Tallinn] network. Although no one cheered, an invisible and heavy sense of oppression seemed to have been lifted with a crack.

Even amidst the fiercest hand-to-hand combat with the false god's abominations, the soldiers on the front lines felt a surge of morale. They knew their commander had eliminated any worries about their rear, and the entire army could finally face the abyss's enemy without reservation!
However, the pressure on the front lines did not lessen despite the clearing of the rear. The onslaught of the false abominations remained ferocious, trampling over the corpses of their comrades and human soldiers, relentlessly assaulting the "Iron Thorns" defensive line. Infantry phalanx casualties continued to rise, and the line began to bend noticeably under immense pressure, teetering on the brink of collapse.

"Long-range cluster! Target the rear and dense areas of the pseudo-godlike abomination cluster—maximum firepower! Covert strike! Buy three breaths of time for the soldiers at the front!" Shen Mu's voice, like a cold steel cone, pierced the minds of the Rhodok heavy radiant burst crossbow operator and the Vaegir ice wind archer captain.

The Rhodok heavy ballista, already fully loaded and its arms humming with energy, roared deafeningly under the bloodshot but unwavering gazes of its operators!

Buzz—boom!
Several massive beams of light, as thick as buckets and crackling with blazing white lightning, tore through the air and slammed into the rear half of the false god's abomination's charging column and the area with the densest concentration of troops, carrying the power to purify everything.

A series of earth-shattering explosions rang out, and a blinding purifying light burst forth like a miniature sun!
Wherever the light reached, several smaller pseudo-divine abominations instantly vaporized as if melting snow, while many more were torn apart and blown away by the shockwave of the explosion, their filthy flesh and severed limbs raining down. A brief, deathly vacuum zone filled with purifying energy formed at the center of the explosion.

Immediately following, the Vegir Icewind Archers unleashed a synchronized roar of bowstrings!

Countless magical arrows, shimmering with a chilling blue light, formed a cold net of death, precisely covering the cluster of pseudo-divine abominations that had been disrupted, injured, or slightly halted by the ballista explosions.

Extreme cold air instantly spread out, and the water vapor in the air condensed into ice crystals that fell down in a flurry.

The bodies of the false god-like creatures struck by the arrows were quickly covered with a thick layer of solid ice, making their movements extremely stiff and sluggish, as if they were stuck in a quagmire. The false god-like creatures at the forefront were blocked by their frozen companions, and their offensive inevitably suffered a brief delay and chaos.

Just those three breaths! For battle-hardened veterans, three breaths are enough to turn the tide of battle!

"Swadia! Rhodok! Hold your ground! Push forward! Make the corpses our bulwark!" the infantry commanders roared, their voices filled with blood and foam.

The soldiers at the front immediately unleashed their last bit of strength, thrusting their shields forward to push the fallen Fiends, which had lost momentum due to the freezing and explosion, back slightly. At the same time, the soldiers in the rear quickly used spears and grappling hooks to drag the massive, fallen Fiend corpses to the front of the formation and pile them up.

These twisted and enormous corpses instantly became a temporary and sturdy fortification for the allied forces, greatly weakening the impact of the subsequent false divine abominations.

After paying a heavy price, the bend in the formation finally stabilized, and even bulged slightly forward, straightening the line again!
Counterattack!

Pointing towards the heart of the ancestral tomb!

Shen Mu stood on the temporary command platform a little behind, his eyes sharp as knives.

He was highly focused, sensing every energy fluctuation and soldier's condition on the battlefield through the [Tower God] network.

With the rear cleared and the frontal defense temporarily stabilized, the long-range firepower successfully dampened the enemy's morale. More importantly, he clearly "saw" the pulsating, filthy black core deep within the ancestral tomb—after losing the restraint of the gray mist behind it and enduring the fierce attacks of the allied forces' long-range firepower, its energy fluctuations, though even more violent, revealed a trace of isolation and weakness, as well as a deeper level of instability caused by the excessive absorption and expansion of the abyssal power within!
The time has come! We must not give the Abyss Core another chance to breathe and regroup!

"All troops, heed my command!" Shen Mu's voice resounded through the [Tallinn] network like a thunderous bell, echoing deep within the souls of every soldier. It carried an unwavering resolve and the majesty of final judgment. "The undead are vanquished, the threat eliminated! The abyss's false god has exhausted all its tricks! Our allied soldiers, having fought and bled our way here, how can we allow them to prolong their lives in disrespect?!"

His gaze swept over the weary soldiers whose eyes burned with fighting spirit, over the dim yet unwavering holy light emanating from the Holy Tree Knights, over the last arrows remaining in the quiver of the Khergit archers, and finally locked onto the end of the deep tunnel, where the black core throbbed.

"Knights of the Holy Tree, purify and clear the way! Heavy infantry, advance with shields! Spearmen, follow closely behind! Ranged units, provide tiered cover! Heavy cavalry, prepare to charge! Khergit scouts, harass from both flanks and block enemy reinforcements!" A series of crystal-clear commands were issued instantly, and the tasks of each combat unit were precisely assigned.

"Target—the core of the Yeno Ancient Ancestral Tomb! With our flesh and blood and our will, we will carry out the final judgment!"

"The whole army—"

"attack!!!"

The final order was like a spark that ignited a wildfire.

boom!
The Holy Tree Knights, who had been poised for battle, instantly unleashed their most dazzling purifying light! Kalanzo took the lead, raising his warhammer high, and a thick, solid "Spear of Judgment" beam of light slammed into the cluster of pseudo-divine abominations blocking the depths of the passageway!
The other Holy Tree Knights followed closely behind, each firing a thinner but equally powerful purifying spear, which exploded into holy flames amidst the swarm of false gods and monsters, forcibly tearing through the black mist and scorching a charred passage!

"Swadia! Advance!" The heavy infantry roared once more, their massive tower shields shielding them as they pressed forward in tight formation, treading over the blood and broken bones, following closely behind the purifying light opened by the Holy Tree Knights!

The heavy footsteps, the scraping of shields against the rocky ground, and the clanging of armor merged into the roar of a steel torrent advancing forward.

They used their shields to withstand the attacks and ranged assaults from the remnants of the false gods on both sides, providing cover for the troops behind them.

"Rhodok! Advance, spearmen!" Rhodok's veteran spearmen raised their blood-stained spears, forming a dense forest of spears, closely following the heavy infantry. Their spears thrust out from between the shields, precisely piercing any false divine abominations that tried to approach, burned by the holy light, like moving steel hedgehogs.

The Vikya ice wind archers and the remaining Rhodok sniper crossbowmen occupied advantageous firing positions left by the advancing infantry phalanx, as well as on the towering boulder ruins on both sides of the passageway.

Frost arrows and pinpoint-killing Radiant crossbow bolts shot out like venomous snakes, accurately sniping Abyssal Overlords and spellcasters who were trying to organize a counterattack, or attacking the energy nodes and vital joints of the pseudo-godly abominations, continuously suppressing and disintegrating the Abyss's resistance.

Khergit archers and scouting cavalrymen moved like ghosts along the flanks of the battlefield, mercilessly slaying the scattered abyssal wrecks emerging from the side passages with their last arrows and scimitars, while constantly hurling arrows to harass any reinforcements that might be sent from the depths of the ancestral tomb, ensuring the safety of the flanks of the main force's advance through the tunnel.

Under the relentless bombardment of the Holy Tree Knights' purifying spears and the close coordination of various troop types, the human alliance, like a red-hot dagger, finally broke through the last and most frenzied pseudo-divine abomination's defensive perimeter at the entrance to the ancestral tomb after paying a heavy price!
The view ahead suddenly opened up!
At the end of the passageway was a vast, suffocating domed space.

In the center of the space stood a colossal gate whose size was beyond description!
This colossal gate was constructed from massive, weathered black stones, each etched with ancient and eerie totems, exuding an aura of antiquity, savagery, and malevolence. At this moment, the gate was ajar—and it was this very jar that had previously spewed forth endless abyssal carcasses and false divine abominations, like the gaping maw of an abyss.

Thick, viscous, almost tangible black filth poured out from the crack in the door like a waterfall, completely obscuring the view behind it.

The terrifying pulsation of the black core emanated from behind this door, like the heartbeat of hell, each pulsation causing the entire space to tremble and sending chills down one's spine.

Before the giant gate stood the last elite group of abyssal undead gnolls, led by several exceptionally large and even more twisted and deformed gnoll tyrant-type pseudo-god abominations. They formed the final line of defense, their eyes burning with fanatical flames of destruction, as they roared provocatively at the human alliance that was breaking through the tunnel.

Through the crack in the door, even more twisted shadows seemed to be writhing; the power of the abyss had not been exhausted!

Breaking Down the Door: A Torrent of Order and Purification
"This is it!" Shen Mu's eyes were icy cold as he locked his gaze on the filthy core behind the giant gate. "Holy Tree Knights! 'Holy Tree Finale Array'! Bombard the giant gate! Interrupt the gushing contamination!"

"Yes, sir!" Kalanzo's voice carried a martyr's resolve. All the remaining Holy Tree Knights swiftly formed a strange triangular formation around him, pouring all their purifying power into the warhammer Kalanzo held aloft. The light emanating from the warhammer instantly became blinding, as if one were holding a miniature sun!

A massive beam of light—thicker, more refined, and seemingly composed of tangible rules of order than ever before—sunned forth! This beam of light, carrying the will to purify all filth and end all blasphemy, crashed fiercely into the open gates of the ancestral tomb!
Boom——!!!!!!

The light spear collided with the filthy black mist waterfall, and what erupted was not an explosion, but a violent energy annihilation! A piercing shriek instantly filled the entire space.

The holy white light and the filthy black mist clashed and neutralized each other in a frenzied battle, like the ultimate struggle between ice and fire. The massive gate groaned under the intense energy impact, and spiderweb-like cracks appeared on its enormous black stone surface! The black mist gushing from the cracks was forcibly contained, even briefly reversing!

"Now!" Shen Mu's pupils constricted as he seized the once-in-a-lifetime moment when the abyssal power output was forcibly interrupted. "Swadian Heavy Infantry! Rhodok Spearmen! All troops, charge! Target—the core of the Ancestral Tomb! Crush them! Charge in!"

"For our homeland! For victory!!!" The Swadian heavy infantry and Rhodok veteran spearmen, having gathered all their rage and strength, erupted in their final, most devastating roar! The "Iron Thorns" phalanx instantly disintegrated, transforming into the most ferocious charging formation!
Ignoring the last group of false god abominations and elite inferior corpses blocking the way, they surged forward like a raging torrent, trampling over the enemies weakened by holy light and with unstable energy, and crashed their flesh and blood against the cracked ancestral tomb gate that symbolized the source of the gnoll people's evil god worship!

The arrows of the Vaegir archers and Rhodok crossbowmen rained down on the enemy guards, while the Khergit horse archers fired one last arrow into the cracks in the giant gate, attempting to extend their gains.

After unleashing the Spear of the End, the Holy Tree Knights, though their holy light had dimmed, still brandished their weapons and followed closely behind the infantry, using their last purifying power to burn away the abyssal aura along their path.

Boom! Crash!

Under the relentless onslaught of the human alliance and the continuous energy bombardment of the Holy Tree's Spear of the End, the ancient ancestral tomb gate, weathered by time, imbued with the evil power of Yenogu, and now desecrated by the abyss, finally let out a deafening wail and collapsed inward with a deafening roar!
Boulder collapsed, and smoke and dust mixed with purified black mist filled the air!

The gates are wide open!

The dense, impenetrable darkness behind the door, pulsating with terrifying black cores, and the countless twisted, writhing shadows within it, radiating endless blasphemy and pain, were exposed for the first time without any concealment to the Human Alliance—the last force representing the order and purification of the continent of Erion!

The biting winds of the abyss, mixed with the wails of the dead, howled out from the gaping gate, whipping against the blood-stained armor and resolute faces of every soldier.

"Forward!" Shen Mu's voice was resolute. He himself had already leaped down from the high platform, holding the short dagger that was formed from rules and emitted a cold, orderly luster. He took the lead and stepped into the core of the ancestral tomb that was surging with ultimate darkness!
"Execute the final judgment!"

The banner of the human alliance, surrounded by countless soldiers, finally flew inside the breached gates of the Yeno Ancient Ancestral Tomb!
A more brutal and closer-to-the-source final battle unfolded deep within the ancestral tomb, drawing back its bloody curtain! (End of Chapter)