Real Mount and Blade Game

The "Wedge of Order" is deeply embedded in the core of the shattered Black Core Mountain, like a scorching blade of judgment piercing the heart of the abyss.

The violent turmoil seemed to echo throughout the entire Molten Core Realm, the cracked earth spewing forth even thicker, more viscous black smoke. But this time, the blasphemous power contained within appeared chaotic and weak, like a torn rag. What emanated from the core was no longer pure darkness, but a mixture of chaos, pain, and a trace of... the eerie light of the abyss's origin, filled with terror.

"Defense breached! Advance! For order, for the world of the living—charge!" Shen Mu, enduring the combined strain of his mental and physical strength, roared hoarsely yet like thunder, his voice instantly igniting the will of every surviving Allied soldier through the [Tallinn] network. His voice carried a resolute determination that pierced through illusion and a hint of... the sharp edge of a victor.

His response was met with a deafening, almost frenzied roar from the remaining soldiers.

The Swadian heavy infantry discarded their utterly deformed tower shields, raising their spare greatswords or maces; the Rhodok spearmen raised their broken, repaired lances, their tips pointing directly at the shattered core ahead; the Vaegir ice wind archers, ignoring their frostbitten fingers, once again drew their frost-covered bows; the Khergit horse archers roared, their scimitars drawing deadly arcs in the light of blood and fire. The remaining knights of the Holy Tree Knights surrounded the heavily wounded but still standing Kalanzo, their holy light, though dimmed, becoming even more concentrated and resolute.

At this moment, they were no longer a desperately holding-up defensive line, but transformed into a torrent of revenge and purification. Ignoring the rolling lava beneath their feet, the filthy fire rain falling from the sky, and the destructive aura about to erupt from the core, they launched the final, desperate charge of the human alliance without hesitation!

But in that moment of desperate charge, a dramatic change occurred that was visible to the naked eye.

The "Mount & Blade Rules," which had been struggling against the abyssal tide and were like a candle flickering in the wind, suddenly erupted in white light! It was no longer a few scattered sparks or a barely connected sheet of light, but rather, as if injected with an overwhelming force, it suddenly expanded and condensed!
On the battlefield, countless gnoll pseudo-god abominations and abyssal undead gnolls were being valiantly killed by the Allied soldiers. Their deaths were no longer silent annihilation. With each fatal blow—whether it was the Swadian heavy infantry's powerful and furious slash severing the limbs of pseudo-god abominations, the Rhodok spearmen's precise piercing of the decaying core of the abyssal undead, the Vaegir's icy wind arrows freezing and exploding filthy flesh, or the Khergit horse archers' cunning arrows piercing the aberration nodes—in the instant their forms disintegrated and their filthy energy dissipated, a faint yet incredibly clear "white light" would emerge.

This is not the vibrant, purifying holy light of the Holy Tree Knights, but a purer, more essential light of "order." It embodies the will to fight, the desire for victory, the rhythm of cooperation, and the culmination of skill—the very embodiment of the "Mount & Blade rules" forged from countless battles, countless commands, and countless soldiers' bloody fights!

These tiny "white lights," like iron filings drawn to a deadly force, frantically converged on Shen Mu's location, on the core rule light cluster that was fiercely battling against and gaining the upper hand against the rules of the abyss!
"Om-!"

A hum resonated within the rules themselves, echoing in the hearts of every powerful member of the Allied Forces possessing spiritual perception. The previously limited and somewhat thin white light of the "Mount & Blade Rules," after devouring countless "fragments of order" originating from the deaths of enemies, suddenly solidified, thickened, and sharpened! Like a hundred-times-forged steel blade wielded by the most resilient and valiant warrior on the battlefield, it no longer merely struggled to resist the erosion of the abyssal tide, but began to fiercely push back!
The filthy black tide manifested by the rules of the abyss attempted a counterattack, trying to re-coalesce its tentacles, distort space, and erode the soldiers' minds. However, when it collided with the white blade of rules formed from countless victorious battle wills, it emitted a piercing hissing sound, like boiling oil splashed onto snow!

The white blade of light cleaved through the viscous black tide with unstoppable force. The black tide churned, retreated, and dissolved violently as if encountering its nemesis. In the area shrouded in white light, the fissures in the earth no longer spewed forth filthy black smoke, but rather scorching but relatively "clean" ley line lava; the blasphemous whispers and chaotic will that permeated the air were forcibly dispelled, replaced by a chilling battlefield atmosphere that cleared the mind and invigorated fighting spirit; even the blasphemous mutants that were still struggling to rise from the filthy soil became incredibly stiff and sluggish, as if bound by invisible chains of rules.

“The rules…are responding to our battle!” Kalanzo coughed up a mouthful of blood tinged with golden light. The “Mark of the Martyr” on his body was now resonating strongly with the white light of the rules. The holy light and white light intertwined, making his already severe injuries seem to be alleviated. His eyes burst with astonishing brilliance. “The power of the abyss…is retreating!”

Shen Mu stood at the rear of the charging column, in the core area of ​​the rule-based confrontation. He clearly felt the unprecedented activity and power of the "Mount & Blade Rules" white light. It was no longer something an outsider could barely resist, but something truly piercing deep into this sub-plane corrupted by the abyss, like a resilient steel needle, constantly growing stronger! Although his mental energy was greatly depleted due to the "Wedge of Order" and maintaining [Tallinn], this resonance at the rule level invigorated him. He no longer needed to expend too much power to forcibly maintain the "existence" of the rules, but rather felt as if he were wielding a peerless divine weapon blessed by countless heroic souls, yearning to drink blood, needing only to guide the way!

"All troops—speed up!" Shen Mu's voice was clearly transmitted to every combat unit through [Tallinn]. "Long-range clusters, free-fire! Target: all visible aberrations and energy nodes ahead! Khergit Rangers, cut off the flanks! Holy Tree Knights, purify the passage! Heavy infantry spearmen, crush everything in your way!"

The command was concise and powerful, carrying an unquestionable determination.

The effect is immediate.

The icy archers of Vaegir were the first to sense the change. Drawing their bows and firing arrows became incredibly smooth. The icy arrows that previously required immense mental effort to condense now seemed to be actively "blessed" by the rule-based white light as they flew through the air, enveloped in a faint, sharp white gleam the moment they left the bowstring. Each icy arrow was no longer a single, targeted strike, but rather transformed into a blanket of icy arrows, precisely striking the densely packed horde of abyssal undead jackals ahead. Where the arrows struck, not only were their bodies frozen, but the rule-based white light attached to them also directly tore apart their filthy cores! Freezing and annihilation occurred simultaneously; large swathes of enemies fell like harvested wheat, clearing vast passages.

"That was exhilarating!" a Vaegir archer captain roared excitedly, drawing his bow again. The arrow, like a meteor, pierced the eye socket of a multi-legged bone worm, a pseudo-god abomination, that was trying to pounce from the side. A flash of white light erupted, and the pseudo-god abomination's massive body stiffened abruptly before shattering into pieces.

Rhodok's heavy Radiant Burst Ballista roared once more, fueled by the desperate reloading of the remaining engineers and crossbowmen. This time, a wisp of regulated white flame seemed to swirl around the ballista. The bolts fired were no longer simple Radiant Burst bolts, but rather thick spears trailing white flames! They pierced deeply into the fleshy mountain-like pseudo-god abominations, no longer merely blasting open a purification breach, but triggering a violent, internal, and dimensional collapse! The pseudo-god abomination, as if its interior had been ignited by white purification fire, let out a shrill howl, its massive body beginning to disintegrate and evaporate as it ran!
"Advance! Advance!" Rhodok's spearman commander, his eyes bloodshot, followed closely behind the heavy infantry. The Swadian heavy infantry, now seemingly aided by divine intervention, their tattered armor appearing to be reinforced by an invisible force of law. No longer passively defending, they wielded their heavy weapons, coordinating with the spearmen's precise thrusts, like a highly efficient meat grinder, crushing, piercing, and trampling the abyssal undead and small-to-medium-sized pseudo-divine abominations weakened and slowed by the white light of the law!
The Khergit's veteran mounted archers and scouts were like the deadliest ghosts on the battlefield's edge. The white light of the rules seemed to grant them enhanced mobility and perception. Divided into several squads, they moved like white lightning along the flanks, their scimitars no longer simple physical slashes, but each swing carrying a sharp, rule-based edge that tore through the foul air. They precisely sliced ​​through enemy hordes attempting to flank them, specifically targeting command nodes or energy aggregation points. Wherever their scimitars passed, the foul energy dissipated, exposing and instantly shattering the cores of the abyssal undead. They effectively secured the flanks of the main force's rapid advance, allowing the allied wedge formation to penetrate the core without restraint!
Even more exhilarating was the Holy Tree Knights. Led by Kalanzo, the remaining Holy Tree Knights condensed the power of "Root Erosion" into a purifying torrent, burning with golden holy flames and the white light of order, propelling forward. Wherever this torrent passed, the filthy black mist dissipated as if exposed to the blazing sun, and the earth, twisted by the abyss, temporarily returned to its scorched but "pure" original state. Those blasphemous creatures attempting to surge from either side of the torrent were instantly scorched and purified by the dual flames and white light, reduced to ashes. This directly opened a relatively "clean" passage for the main force of the allied forces to the shattered core of the Black Core Mountains!

Shen Mu, amidst the torrent, felt the excitement and efficiency of every node in the [Tallinn] network. The soldiers' combat skills had become more refined and fluid, their coordination more seamless. Infantry shield bashes and parries were more precise and effective, spear thrusts more penetrating; archers' arrows seemed to have eyes, ballistae' reloading appeared slightly faster; cavalry charges were more unstoppable, scimitar cuts more deadly. This improvement wasn't a surge in individual strength, but rather the entire legion, empowered by the rules, bringing their honed combat skills to their peak! Every successful parry, dodge, and fatal blow seemed to add a touch of sharpness to the rule's blade, weakening the abyss's rules. Conversely, the continued collapse of the abyss's rules amplified the suppressive power of the rule's white light, creating a snowball effect extremely advantageous to the allied forces!

The Abyss was not without its counterattacks. From the core of the Black Core Mountains, at the shattered breach, came an even more furious and desperate pulsation. The remaining filthy tentacles danced wildly, unleashing corrosive energy beams; more distorted, violently aura-inducing self-destructing Abyssal lesser demons surged from the cracks in the ground; in the sky, some flying aberrations corrupted by the filth, risking being shot down by the white light of the rules and arrows, frantically rushed towards the rear of the allied forces, attempting to create chaos. However, under the suppression of the "Mount & Blade Rules" white light, which held absolute superiority in the rule hierarchy, these counterattacks appeared pale and powerless. The corrosive energy beams lose much of their power when they approach the area shrouded in white light, and are even neutralized and annihilated by the white light; the self-destructing lesser demons are precisely detonated halfway by Khergit horse archers as soon as they crawl out of the cracks, or are pierced and detonated in advance by spearmen when they approach the infantry formation, resulting in negligible casualties; the diving flying aberrations become live targets for the Vaegir archers, and the icy wind arrows wrapped in regular white light easily penetrate their defenses, turning them into burning fireballs falling from the sky.

The Allied forces' advance was accelerating, just as Shen Mu had ordered—faster than ever before!

What would normally require a bloody battle to advance even a few dozen meters was now swept away with overwhelming force. The massive gap in the shattered core of the Black Core Mountain, radiating a chaotic, eerie light, rapidly magnified and drew closer in the eyes of the allied soldiers!

"I see it! That's the source!" A Swadian heavy infantry centurion at the forefront roared as he smashed a blocking Abyssal Claw Aberration with a blood-stained mace.

We are less than 300 meters away from the core fracture point!

The rhythm of the abyss reached its peak, a final, hysterical madness. At the core breach, raging, corrupt energy erupted like a burst dam, no longer coalescing into a concrete monstrous form, but transforming into a destructive "Abyssal Annihilation Tide" that covered the entire area ahead! Wherever the tide passed, space groaned under its unbearable weight; remaining rocks, aberrant remains, and even scattered fragments of rules were instantly swallowed up and annihilated into nothingness.

This is the Black Core Mountains' last trump card, an indiscriminate annihilation attack released at the cost of overdrawing its own essence! Its power is enough to instantly wipe out an elite legion!
Faced with this devastating tide, the rapidly advancing allied forces inevitably experienced a slight slowdown. The shadow of death loomed once more.

"Hmph, a desperate struggle!" A fierce glint flashed in Shen Mu's eyes. Instead of ordering a retreat or defense, he suddenly took a step forward, his hands clenching into fists!

He no longer needed verbal commands. His powerful will, transmitted through the [Tallinn] network, instantly connected the boiling fighting spirit, the thirst for victory, and the deep-seated hatred for the Abyss among all the soldiers on the battlefield! It also connected with the "Mount & Blade Rules" blade, forged from countless fighting wills, yearning to drink the blood of the Abyss's core!
“Congeal—!”

Shen Mu let out a low shout, like the tolling of the final judgment bell on the battlefield.

In an instant, all the fragments of white light of rules that scattered across the battlefield, the radiant fighting spirit emanating from the soldiers, the purifying holy light of the Holy Tree Knights, the piercing sharpness of ranged attacks, the sturdy bulwark of heavy infantry, the deadly edge of spearmen, the agile cutting of rangers... all the power belonging to "battle," "order," and "victory" was forcibly extracted and gathered!
Above Shen Mu's head, at the very forefront of the charging Allied forces, an enormous "lance" formed from pure, rule-based white light was taking shape!
This lance, with its ancient and majestic design, is entwined with spiral patterns formed by countless miniature soldiers, some wielding shields, others drawing bows, spears, or swords, collectively constituting the "will" of this lance of destruction. The spearhead is not a physical object, but rather a highly concentrated, primordial sharpness, radiating an aura that pierces through all illusion and shatters all evil! The spearhead points directly at the surging "Abyssal Annihilation Tide"!
Shen Mu gripped the handle of the invisible "rule lance," a weapon embodying the will and battlefield rules of the entire allied forces. His muscles bulged, and his spiritual power surged forth like a flood, serving as the "force" to guide this divine weapon of rules!
"My legion, wherever it goes—unstoppable!!"

With Shen Mu's roar that shattered the void, he made a standard, unstoppable cavalry charge—slinging the invisible "rule lance" in his hand fiercely and resolutely toward the abyssal tide that annihilated everything, toward the shattered black core!

"boom--!!!!!"

A deafening roar that defies description.

It was not the explosion of matter colliding, but a mournful cry and roar that resounded through the soul when two fundamental rules and two supreme wills clashed!

That white lance, condensed from the "Rules of Mount & Blade," transformed into a comet that tore through the dark universe! It had no physical form, yet possessed an unparalleled concept of "annihilation"!
The white comet crashed violently into the pitch-black annihilation tide!
Time seemed to freeze at this moment.

The anticipated earth-shattering explosion did not occur immediately. The highly condensed, rule-based sharpness at the tip of the white comet, like a red-hot iron piercing butter, forcefully "plowed" a path through the raging abyssal tides! The power of the tides desperately tried to close in and annihilate the intruder, but the countless fighting spirits, desires for victory, and synergistic forces contained within the white lance, like the most resilient chains of law, held firm, stubbornly pushing the path open, and relentlessly advancing inch by inch towards the source of the tides, towards the shattered core of the black nucleus!
Around the passage, terrifying turbulent currents surged violently, annihilating each other, their energy levels high enough to instantly vaporize legendary powerhouses. But within this passage, carved out by the rules of the lance and protected by the will of the entire allied forces, a strange "vacuum" zone had formed!
"Now—Charge with me!!!" The Holy Tree Knight, Kalanzo, was the first to react. He burned his last bit of holy light and life force, like a moth drawn to a flame, and without hesitation, he was the first to rush into the "rule passage" that had been forcibly carved out in the annihilation tide!
Following closely behind were all the Allied warriors who had witnessed this miraculous scene and had long since disregarded their own lives! Swadian heavy infantry, Rhodok spearmen, Vaegir archers, Khergit riders... they roared and howled like rivers flowing into the sea, merging into the path to final judgment opened by their commander and by their shared will!

The moment Shen Mu threw the "Lance of Rules," his body swayed, his face turned deathly pale, and his spiritual energy was almost completely drained. But he stubbornly refused to fall, his deep gaze piercing through the chaotic energy currents, locked onto the ever-approaching, shattered core of the black core. There, in the deepest recesses of the abyss's power, shrouded in countless filthy flesh and blasphemous remains, a "point" more profound than darkness itself, radiating an aura of absolute evil and chaos that could freeze the soul, was appearing and disappearing with the advance of the Lance of Rules and the resistance of the abyssal tide.

"The Origin... finally, I've caught you." A cold, resolute smile curved Shen Mu's lips. The blade of final judgment is about to pierce the true heart of the abyss! (End of Chapter)