Real Mount and Blade Game

The sky above the Molten Core Realm seemed to be congealed with dried blood, exuding a nauseating stench of sulfur mixed with corpses. The earth was scorched and cracked, with dark red molten flow surging from the fissures, reflecting the distant, writhing black-core mountain formed from the corrupted remains of the gnoll god Yenogu. Each pulsation of that mountain spewed out foul shockwaves, like the wail of a dying beast, giving birth to endless blasphemous creations.

However, on the edge of this sub-plane, utterly tainted by the abyss and death, a barrier constructed of steel, will, and the light of order is stubbornly taking root and expanding.

"Hold the perimeter! Reinforce the 'Wall of Sighs'! Spearmen, advance thirty degrees with the hail of bullets!"

Shen Mu's icy voice echoed through the [Tallinn] mental network, precisely reaching the depths of every soldier's consciousness. The Allied forces, relying on the ruins of the collapsed entrance gate, had completely transformed this relatively "small" area into a meat grinder-like fortress.

The Swadian heavy infantry, their armor thick with blood and scorch marks, their massive shields driven deep into the cracked earth, interlocking to form an iron fortress known as the "Wall of Sighs." Their arms trembled from the frenzied onslaught of the Abominations, but their eyes burned with an indomitable flame, fueled by a resolute steely will. From the gaps in the shield wall, the spears of seasoned Rhodok spearmen lashed out like venomous snakes, each thrust whistling through the air, precisely piercing the deformed joints and vital points of the Abominations, pinning them to the ground.

"Rhodok ballista, target—left flank assault point, three shots in quick succession! Vaegir Icewind Archer, suppress the Abyssal Undead swarm on the right flank! Freeze their charge!" Shen Mu's commands were delivered without hesitation.

Buzz—Boom! Boom! Boom!

The Rhodok Heavy Radiant Burst Ballista roared, its thick beams of light trailing purifying flames as they slammed into the feet of several flesh-mountain-like pseudo-god abominations on the left flank, who were attempting to tear through the shield wall. A blinding white light accompanied a violent explosion, ripping apart rotting flesh and bone armor. The scorching purifying energy even briefly ignited the nearby flowing lava, forming a blazing wall of fire.

On the right, the Vaegir Icewind Archers completed another volley. A dense barrage of ice arrows, like a blue rainstorm, precisely struck the heads of the densely packed Abyssal Undead Gnolls surging from behind. The ice arrows exploded upon impact, releasing not blood, but frigid vapor. The first few dozen Undead were instantly frozen into ice sculptures, then trampled into dust by their brethren. The subsequent Undead's charge visibly slowed, the icy mist condensing into frost on their bodies.

"Kujite light cavalry! Sweep and disperse on the left flank! Scouts and scouts, harass the right flank rear energy nodes!" Shen Mu's gaze swept across the battlefield holographic image (a mental projection provided by the Tallinn Network).

On the periphery, seasoned Khergit horse archers, like the most agile falcons, galloped across the rugged terrain of lava and skeletal fragments. They didn't engage the powerful pseudo-divine abominations head-on, but instead used their precise mounted archery skills to snipe smaller, faster Abyssal wrecks and small sources of contamination attempting to flank the shield lines or attack the ballista positions. A dense rain of arrows, imbued with specially crafted purification runes, effectively severed the enemy's rear echelons. Meanwhile, steppe scouts, with their extraordinary mobility, appeared like ghosts behind the Abyssal forces, hurling ignited alchemical explosives containing faint luminous energy at nodes formed by blasphemous runes that continuously spewed Abyssal energy, causing small-scale explosions and energy disturbances.

Take control of the entrance!

This is the first step in achieving the objective of the Shenmu campaign. Only by firmly securing this sole "gate of life" can a solid bridgehead be established in the Pure Land of Melting Hearts, a land of pure death, serving as the core fulcrum for the counterattack. And now, after the "Hedgehog Formation," constructed at a heavy cost, withstood the first wave of pseudo-divine abominations, this step is gradually becoming a reality.

The scales of victory did not tip easily. The throbbing of the Black Core Mountains intensified abruptly, as if enraged by the allied forces' tenacious resistance. A thicker, more viscous black mist spread from the mountains, mixed with the shrieks of countless vengeful spirits. Under its influence, the earth became even more viscous; what gushed from the cracks was no longer simple lava, but a profane swamp of blood and writhing flesh. The remains of fallen soldiers, even fragments of shattered pseudo-divine abominations, began to violently churn and merge in this filthy swamp!
"Blasphemy Law - Eternal Calamity of the Filthy Veins!" Shen Mu's pupils constricted. This abyssal rule, which appeared in Chapter 449 and once dealt a devastating blow to the allied forces, became even more terrifying under the empowerment of the Molten Heart Domain's origin. It was no longer just simple black mist, but was transforming the entire plane's material foundation towards blasphemy and flesh!
"Holy Tree Knights! 'Thorn Garden - Root Purification' at maximum power! Suppress the spread of corruption!" Shen Mu's voice carried a hint of determination.

At the core position, Grand Master Kalanzo of the Holy Tree Knights raised the Holy Tree Battle Banner, and all the Holy Tree Knights erupted with unprecedented light. Beneath their feet, no longer was the scorched earth, but a rapidly spreading network of thorns composed of pure, orderly energy—the Thorn Garden!
Countless thorns of light, shimmering with purifying runes, pierced the surging, foul swamp, hissing and sizzling like red-hot irons falling into grease, billowing plumes of black smoke carrying the smell of sulfur and burnt earth. At the boundary between light and darkness, intense energy collisions produced piercing screams. The thorn network stubbornly resisted the erosion of the corrupting swamp onto the allied positions, but the power of the abyss's rules was too overwhelming. The light of the thorns was constantly compressed under the dense darkness, and the knights' faces were pale, their bodies trembling slightly from the excessive strain.

Just then, a sudden change occurred on the battlefield!
It did not originate from the abyss, but from the coalition itself, from this "fortress of order" that was forcibly maintained.

When the Swadian heavy infantry, with their perfectly synchronized and honed movements, slammed their tower shields into the edge of the filthy swamp, activating the "Iron Barrier" runes inscribed on the shields to create a brief energy barrier to deflect the heavy blows of the false god abominations; when the Rhodok spearmen roared in unison, their spears thrusting like a forest, the armor-piercing runes on their tips perfectly intertwining with the soul-freezing "Frozen Echoes" fired by the Vaegir ice wind archers; when the purifying spears of the Tree Knights and the tactical lines formed by the Khergit scouts' agile maneuvers and battlefield cuts complemented each other...

Faint, almost transparent white streaks of light appeared abruptly on the battlefield, as if drawn by an invisible brush!
These streaks of light are not physical entities, but rather a reflection of a higher level of rules. They appear in the trajectories of soldiers' shields clashing and weapons swinging, in the paths of arrows flying, on the front lines of cavalry charges tearing through enemy ranks, and even at the boundary where the Thorn Garden and the Blasted Swamp clashed fiercely. These streaks of light are pure, sharp, and possess a cold sense of order, completely out of place with the filthy, chaotic, and viscous abyssal atmosphere of the Molten Core Realm. They flash by in an instant, yet in the moment of their appearance, they seem to forcibly reverse the local rules!

Mount & Blade rules! Battlefield laws!
Shen Mu keenly sensed this. This feeling became even clearer when he focused his attention on observing through the [Tallinn] network. These white lights were not some kind of spell or energy attack, but a more fundamental, more basic "manifestation of rules"! It was the indomitable fighting spirit, highly coordinated tactical maneuvers, and honed combat skills of the Allied soldiers that, in the abyss environment of the Molten Core Realm—an environment that utterly rejects order—forcefully pried open a crack, allowing the battlefield rules belonging to the "Calradia" world, imprinted deep within their souls, to faintly manifest!

confrontation!

These rules of white light are resisting! They resist the corrupting influence of the Abyss's "Eternal Calamity of Filth," temporarily strengthening the "sturdiness" of Swadian soldiers' shields when stained with tainted blood; they resist the necromancy rules' draining of life force, temporarily suppressing the negative attributes of "bleeding" and "infection" from wounds inflicted by the claws of the False God's Abominations; they resist the spiritual impact of the blasphemous will, weakening the soldiers' sense of "fear" and strengthening their "morale" when facing the roars of the False God's Abominations!
Although each flash of white light was extremely brief and its range was limited, unable to immediately reverse the situation, they were like sparks in the darkness, bringing crucial hope and...opportunity!
"Carranzo! Did you see that!" Shen Mu's mental fluctuations carried a hint of barely perceptible excitement.

"My lord! I see it! The light of order is responding to the warriors' courage!" Kalanzo's voice echoed through the Tallinn network, weary yet excited. "They are purifying this filthy 'battlefield'! The pressure on the Thorn Garden... has eased!"

Yes, when these faint white lights, representing core principles such as "battlefield fairness," "tactical execution," "unit coordination," and "weapon mastery," flashed continuously in the Allied-controlled areas and at the points of intense combat, they resonated with the purifying power of the Holy Tree Knights, creating a strange synergy. The erosion of this area by the Abyss's rules began to become less "smooth"! The expansion of the Profaned Swamp slowed significantly, the skeletons resurrected by corrupted energy became stiff and sluggish, and even the profaned pressure emanating from the False God Abominations was weakened slightly by the inadvertently flashing white light as it approached the Allied shield wall!
Suppression complete!

"Now! All troops, listen to my command!" Shen Mu seized this fleeting strategic window. The Abyss experienced a brief period of "discomfort" due to the clash of rules, and the allied forces' strangulation in the entrance area achieved its intended effect—the corpses of a large number of gnoll pseudo-god abominations and Abyssal undead gnoll troops piled up almost into a ring around the fortress. In the short term, no new, large-scale enemy waves could breach this solid defense line. "Target—the Filthy Blackcore Mountains! Advance!"

Shen Mu's orders were decisive. With the command given, the entire allied forces, like a sophisticated war machine, began a complex maneuver and advance.

"Swadia's first and second phalanxes! Alternate cover, shield wall advance slowly!"

"Rhodok spearmen, follow the Swadians, advance through the hail of spears!"

"Vegia shooters! Follow in staggered formations, extending firepower to cover the path ahead! Focus on clearing out any remaining firing positions and small spawn points on both sides of the path!"

"Rhodok ballista! Move forward 300 paces and establish a temporary firing base! Cover the fan-shaped area to the left front of our army!"

"Holy Tree Knights! Maintain the core area of ​​the Thorn Garden, and move the purification aura along the front line! Reserves, assemble and prepare to deal with the attack on the core area!"

"Khergit horse archers! Expand your patrol area! Clear the flanks and rear of the advance route of any remaining threats! Secure the retreat route!"

"Swadian Knights! Heavy cavalry group! Stand by at core reserve positions! Move out!"

The orders were issued like flowing water. The outermost Swadian heavy infantry, maintaining a tight shield wall like a slowly moving steel dam, began to press forward, step by step. The Rhodok spearmen's spears, like protruding poisonous stings, followed closely behind, constantly clearing away any remaining remnants or small pseudo-divine abominations attempting to rush forward in front of the shield wall. The moving barrier formed by the shield wall and the forest of spears became the core arrowhead of the entire advancing formation.

On either side of the arrowhead, the Vaegir Icewind Archers displayed exceptional marksmanship and discipline. Divided into several waves, they moved in tandem with the infantry lines, continuously unleashing a barrage of icy arrows upon the lava hills and piles of bones in front of and to the flanks of the formation, freezing and tearing apart any hidden Abyss Archers, acid-spitting Profane Worms, or wretched remains just emerging from the corrupt mire. Meanwhile, Rhodok's heavy ballistae, propelled by the engineers, rolled across the filthy ground, establishing temporary positions on selected high ground ahead, their massive bolts beginning a suppressive barrage against the more distant, attempting-to-assemble swarms of False Gods.

The hooves of the Khergit horse archers echoed like a rapid drumbeat across the wider flanks. Their arrows, like the scythe of death, precisely reaped any enemy attempting to break away from the main battlefield, flank, or attack artillery positions, ensuring the safety of the main advancing column's rear.

The light of the Holy Tree Knights, like a moving beacon of purification, enveloped the core advancing force. The network of roots from the Thorn Garden extended forward with the movement of the lines, piercing the tainted earth and tenaciously purifying the ground beneath their feet, dispelling the pervasive blasphemous black mist and necromantic resentment. A reserve contingent of Holy Tree Knights, personally led by Kalanzo, followed closely behind the infantry, their purifying spears gleaming, ready to meet any sudden, high-intensity assault from the front.

Shen Mu stood at the heart of the formation, his [Tallinn] network spreading like a giant spiderweb across the entire battlefield. Countless streams of information converged, analyzed, and transformed into precise commands in his mind. His gaze swept across the fierce front lines, firmly fixed on the distant, increasingly pulsating black core mountains, as if sensing a tremendous threat. The location where the spikes of rules had been driven in still emitted faint fluctuations of order, like a prominent signpost.

Forward! Resolutely advance towards the heart of pollution!

As the Allied Forces left the entrance ruins and began to truly step into the "depths" of the Molten Core Domain, the confrontation at the rule level became more frequent and intense!
"Whoosh—Clang!"

As a Swadian heavy infantryman advanced, he swiftly parried the claws of a corrupted gnoll that lunged out from a pile of skeletons on the side with his tower shield. The instant the shield struck, a bright arc of white light flashed, and the gnoll's claws seemed to strike an invisible anvil, twisting and snapping instantly! The soldier followed up with a standard shield strike, the edge of the shield flashing white light again, smashing the opponent's head to pieces. The moment the white light appeared, the soldier felt the recoil on his arm lessen considerably.

"Target locked! Three rapid fires!" the Vaegir archer captain calmly ordered. Three specially crafted "Demon-Slaying Ice Arrows" were fired in a triangular formation towards the energy node at the head of a centipede-like pseudo-divine abomination, which was preparing to spew corrosive venom. Three faint white streaks flashed across the arrows' trajectories, precisely correcting any slight deviations that might occur within the chaotic energy field. The three arrows were virtually unaffected by the abyssal force field, striking their target with unparalleled accuracy. The ice explosions instantly froze and shattered the energy node!
As a small group of undead gnoll cavalry attempted a high-speed flank attack on the Vaegir archers, the Khergit scouts on the perimeter, as if anticipating their move, swooped in from the side, unleashing a precise volley of mounted archers that covered the tips of the arrows. Where the arrows struck, points of white light shone like stars, and the undead cavalry's charge abruptly halted, as if sinking into an invisible quagmire, engulfed by the ensuing rain of Khergit arrows.

The most obvious confrontation occurred before the Knights of the Holy Tree. As the thorny root network attempted to purify a newly defiled area, the filthy mire retaliated wildly, its dense darkness threatening to engulf the thorns of light. Just then, a unified battle cry erupted from the nearby Swadian infantry phalanx, which was stabilizing its lines. The front-line soldiers simultaneously slammed their shields into the ground! In an instant, a bright, grid-like white light spread out beneath their feet and in front of them! This light, though lasting less than a second, acted like a powerful neutralizer, instantly diluting the abyssal rules of that area! The pressure on the Knights of the Holy Tree eased dramatically, and the thorny network seized the opportunity to surge forward, successfully dispelling the corruption of that area and purifying it into a safe path for advancement!
Flashes of white light, no longer occasional sparks, gradually coalesced into a vast expanse, forcefully carving a path of light—a path paved with the light of conflicting rules—for the advance of the human alliance in this terrifying land ruled by the abyss and death! They were faint, yet resolute; fleeting, yet omnipresent. They were the soldiers of Calradia, their flesh and blood, their will, and their honed skills—a battle song of order played out in this otherworldly abyss!

Shen Mu felt the pulse of the white light of the rules emanating from the [Tallinn] network, a burning determination burning within his cold will. The propulsion array was like a slowly rotating steel millstone covered with spikes and blades, relentlessly crushing all obstacles in its path. The filthy black core mountains grew larger and larger in his vision, and the beating heart seemed to be drumming war drums right beside his ears.

This bloody path to the core is destined to be paved with the corpses of enemies and the light of order! The true final judgment lies ahead! (End of Chapter)