Real Mount and Blade Game

Using himself as a medium and the power attributes of the Yenogu divine fragments as a fulcrum, Shen Mu forcibly leveraged a deeper level of the [Mount & Blade Rules], materializing them into a temporary and unimaginable rule amplification for specific troop types! This was not the result of his deliberate and precise manipulation, but rather a miraculous resonance produced at the critical moment when his shattered spiritual will, the indomitable collective will of the remnants of the allied forces, and the [Mount & Blade Rules]'s instinctive repulsion against the filth of the abyss, all under the "catalyst" of the divine fragments!
The double-kill of the Blasphemous Devourer was abruptly suppressed by this sudden, all-encompassing rule amplification!
The tentacles were repelled and burned. The final beam of light struck the defensive layer formed by the Swadian Knights' rule barrier and the Holy Tree Knights' purification aura, unleashing a tremendous energy shock. The earth cracked and the space trembled, but the beam of light ultimately failed to penetrate this defensive line forged by will and rules!

"Now! Alatan Khan! Decapitate!" Shen Mu's voice was hoarse but carried an undeniable determination. He endured the excruciating pain that felt as if his soul was being torn in two. On one side was the power of the raging divine fragments, and on the other was the over-activated power of the rules. He directed most of the amplified power toward the Khergit leader who was leading his troops to attack the remnants of the skeletal wizards.

Alatan Khan instantly felt a surge of immense power coursing through his body, and his scimitar ignited with bluish-white energy flames that seemed capable of severing the very rules! He roared, no longer bothering with the scattered wizards, and his warhorse reared up, charging straight towards the core area of ​​the altar with an unstoppable momentum—the rotting heart that exuded the strongest aura of the blasphemous devourer!

The blasphemous devourer roared in shock and rage, mobilizing its remaining tentacles and foul energy in an attempt to stop it. But at this moment, Alatan Khan, amplified by the rules, moved with lightning speed. Wherever his blade struck, tentacles snapped, and the foul energy was incinerated by the rule-based flames on his blade!

puff!

The scimitar, burning with the flames of rules, pierced fiercely into that huge, pulsating, rotting heart!

“Ouch——!!!”

The Defiler let out an unprecedented, deafening scream! The entire altar shook violently, and chaotic energy surges erupted from its core. Its massive body began to disintegrate, and its bones and rotting flesh peeled away as if losing their adhesiveness.

However, just as the core of the Defiler Devourer was severely damaged and on the verge of complete collapse—

"Insects! Thieves! How dare you... how dare you defile my divinity!!!"

A hysterical roar, filled with primal rage and malice, did not travel through the air, but exploded directly in the deepest part of Shen Mu's spiritual sea! This voice was distorted and insane, carrying the bloodlust and cunning unique to jackals; it was the lingering resentment of Yenogu, the jackal god!

Shen Mu's act of forcibly retaining the divine fragment as a fulcrum completely enraged the source of this lingering resentment!
"I will remember you! Shen Mu! I will remember you, you despicable thief who stole divine power! Though my divine kingdom has fallen, my will remains! The secret of the fusion of abyssal undead, the key to the descent of the spirit world… you will pay the price! I will watch you… watch your world… become a sacrifice for my return in despair! Just wait! I will not let you go!!!"

This curse-like roar, filled with boundless hatred, frantically assaulted Shen Mu's already overburdened mental defenses. Shen Mu groaned, fine blood seeping from his seven orifices, his consciousness blurring for a moment.

With this final roar, the core of the Yenogu divine fragment that Shen Mu had forcibly intercepted as a fulcrum of power suddenly erupted with an extreme darkness! This darkness was not filthy, but carried a supreme meaning of "end" and "annihilation," as if it represented the final and most vicious revenge of Yenogu's lingering will—it wanted to annihilate itself and try to take away a part of Shen Mu's soul!

boom!
A jet-black beam of light, condensed to its extreme, did not originate from the outside world, but rather shot into the sky from within Shen Mu's body—or rather, from the core of the divine fragment that served as the fulcrum within his sea of ​​consciousness!

This black light was so pure and so profound that it instantly pierced through the turbulent deathly aura and energy currents churning above the ancestral tomb ruins, and even briefly suppressed the remnants of the dissipating final pillar of light above the altar. It seemed like a passage to endless nothingness, emanating an aura of "end" that made all living beings instinctively tremble.

The black light flashed and disappeared in an instant, so fast that even the final collapse of the Blasphemous Devourer seemed to be swallowed up by it for a moment.

As the light faded, Yenogu's roar, filled with vicious curses, vanished completely, as if it had never existed. Only the lingering pain in Shen Mu's spiritual sea and the brand-like cursed words testified to the terrifying scene that had just unfolded.

At the heart of the altar, the massive, rotting heart of the Blasphemer was shattered by Alatanhan's Blade of Rules, turning into a shower of filthy pus and blood, and fragmented energy debris.

Without its core driving force, the massive altar, constructed from bones and evil matter, began to crumble and disintegrate from the bottom up, like a giant beast whose spine had been removed, emitting a sickening groan. The remaining skeletal wizards and undead creatures, caught in the energy backlash of the collapsing altar, were reduced to ashes as burning paper.

The oppressive and watchful feeling that had hung over the ruins of the ancestral tomb receded rapidly like a tide with the demise of the blasphemous devourer and the collapse of the altar. Although a strong aura of death and the end times still lingered in the air, the locked, deadly threat had finally vanished.

The battlefield was a scene of utter devastation.

The "Iron Wall" battle formation of the Swadian heavy knights had withstood the bombardment of the final beam of light. The barrier of rules had shattered, shields were broken, and armor was deformed. Many knights were bleeding from their mouths and noses, obviously suffering from severe shock and internal injuries. However, they still stood at the forefront, leaning on their broken weapons, vigilant against any remaining threats.

The purifying light of the Holy Tree Knights dimmed considerably, and the knights were pale, clearly having exhausted themselves in the previous outburst. However, they still tried their best to maintain the aura, dispel the remaining foul energy in the air, and quickly moved closer to their seriously injured and fallen comrades.

The Vaegir archers ceased firing. Arya leaned against a charred, withered tree, panting. Her fingers trembled slightly from drawing the bow too long, but her eyes still sharply scanned the direction of the collapsed altar.

The crossbow arm of the Rhodok ballista "Unyielding" had developed obvious cracks, and Captain Ralph was leading the crossbowmen in a tense inspection of the damage, while keeping a vigilant eye on the altar ruins.

The Khergit horse archers were scattered around the perimeter of the battlefield. Alatan Khan leaped down from the altar ruins, his scimitar still bearing the embers of bluish-white flames, though the blade itself was now riddled with fine cracks. He looked in Shen Mu's direction, his eyes filled with worry and lingering fear.

And Shen Mu—

"puff!"

The instant Yenogu's lingering will vanished and black light soared into the sky, Shen Mu could no longer suppress his anger and suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. The blood even contained specks of dim golden light, signs of the backlash from forcibly activating the rules and divine fragments. His vision went black, and his body fell backward like a puppet with its strings cut.

"commander!"

"grown ups!"

"Shen Mu!"

Exclamations erupted from all directions. The nearest Holy Tree Knights and Altan Khan rushed over without hesitation.

Alatan Khan caught Shen Mu's limp body, his hand finding it icy cold. Shen Mu's breath was extremely weak, his face as pale as paper, and a faint black line, like a spatial rift, was visible between his brows. It was a terrible mark left by the overuse of rules and the backlash from the divine fragments.

"Quickly! Purify the aura! Stabilize his soul!" Alatan Khan roared at the Holy Tree Knights.

The Holy Tree Knights immediately surrounded him, pouring the remaining power of the Holy Tree into Shen Mu's body without reservation. Soft white light enveloped him, attempting to dispel the aura of the end times and the mad will left by the fragments of divinity that had invaded his sea of ​​consciousness.

"Cough cough..." Shen Mu barely opened his eyes amidst violent coughing. His pupils were dilated, but a sharp glint of relief remained deep within them. "The altar... the blasphemous devourer..."

"Dead! My lord! That monster is completely finished! The altar has collapsed!" Altan Khan replied hastily, his voice filled with excitement and deep exhaustion.

Shen Mu nodded with difficulty, his lips moving slightly, his voice barely audible: "...Is the wound...stable now?"

Alatan Khan looked up at the central area of ​​the ancestral tomb. There, the enormous "scar" formed by the collapse of the warp rift seemed to have subsided somewhat after the death of the Profane Devourer and the collapse of the altar. However, the "wound" itself, resembling a giant eye in the abyss, had not disappeared! It still hovered there, emanating a chilling aura of the "end," only no longer releasing energy actively or being absorbed by the altar. It was like an eternal scar, branded onto the space.

“The wound is still there, my lord. But… it seems to have stabilized, at least there’s no sign of it expanding further,” Alatan Khan replied in a deep voice, his tone far from relaxed. This passage, connecting to the unknown void and exuding an aura of the end times, remained a sword hanging over their heads.

Upon hearing this, Shen Mu seemed to want to say something, but another wave of intense soul pain struck him, and he groaned before falling into a deep coma.

"Quick! Take the commander and evacuate! We can't stay here any longer!" Alatan Khan made a decisive decision. Although the Blasphemous Devourer was destroyed, this ancestral tomb ruin was still filled with the pollution of the apocalypse, and no one knew whether there were any new undead legions attracted by the battle just now from the direction of Long City.

"Rhodok ballistae cover the rear! Vygian archers guard the flanks! Swadian knights, protect the commander and the wounded, retreat! Retreat to the forest outpost!" Altan Khan swiftly issued the orders, becoming the temporary command center.

Without hesitation, the remnants of the allied forces sprang into action. The Holy Tree Knights carefully carried the unconscious Shen Mu on a stretcher, while the Swadian Knights, despite their injuries, guarded the flanks and rear. The Khergit horse archers once again spread out to serve as scouts. The column, carrying the exhaustion and heaviness of surviving the ordeal, charged once more into the path leading to the Wood Elf Forest at top speed.

When they finally broke out of the ancestral tomb ruins and re-entered the relatively safe edge of the forest, dawn was already breaking. But the expected tranquility did not come from the direction of the forest stronghold.

The piercing alarm once again shattered the silence of dawn!
Alatan Khan's heart sank. Could it be that the main force of the undead legion had launched a full-scale attack on the stronghold while they were raiding the ancestral tomb?

"Faster! Speed ​​up! Back to the stronghold!" he roared hoarsely, urging his equally exhausted warhorse on.

When the exhausted and battered assault team finally reached the outskirts of the stronghold, the sight that greeted them took their breath away.

The anticipated tidal wave of undead attacks did not occur. At the edge of the forest, the makeshift fortifications constructed of bones and filth still stood, but the undead creatures within were unusually... quiet? No, not quiet, but rather a strange "stiffness."

They seemed to be paused, maintaining various offensive or defensive postures, while the soul fire in their eye sockets flickered violently, as if enduring some immense pain or a forced command from a higher will. A more chaotic and ominous energy fluctuation permeated the air than before, its source still seemingly pointing towards the ancestral tomb of Longcheng, towards the "wound" they had just attacked.

The defenders inside the stronghold were equally tense. Arrows and crossbows were aimed at the stiff undead outside, but they dared not attack easily, because this abnormal sight was more terrifying than a direct attack.

Alatan Khan rushed into the stronghold command post, where the officer left behind immediately reported: "Sir! Shortly after you left, the undead at the edge of the forest suddenly froze, just like they are now! But in the direction of Long City... that wound... there's something unusual! The energy fluctuations are very chaotic, and... and it seems like something is trying to come out!"

Altan Khan rushed to the lookout post and looked towards the ancestral tomb. Even across the vast distance and dense forest, he could vaguely sense that the space above the ancestral tomb was undergoing an extremely unstable distortion, as if something was frantically impacting the barrier from the other side of the "wound"!

"Is it the backlash from the death of the blasphemous devourer? Or... something brought about by that bastard Yenogu's curse?" Alatan Khan's face turned ashen. He recalled Yenogu's vicious roar before he disappeared—"The secret of the fusion of abyssal necromancy, the key to the descent of the spirit world!"
He whirled around, looking at Shen Mu, who remained unconscious at the makeshift medical station. The commander's forceful absorption of the divine fragments' power had defeated the Blasphemous Devourer, but it seemed he had also stirred up an even bigger hornet's nest! That soaring black light—was it a signal? A coordinate?
"Issue the order! High alert for the entire army! Fortify all lines of defense! Holy Tree Knights, spare no effort to stabilize the commander's soul injury!" Alatan Khan's voice trembled slightly, but was filled with unwavering resolve. "The real disaster... has probably only just begun!"

Inside the stronghold, the atmosphere was incredibly tense. The soldiers gripped their weapons tightly, their gazes darting between their unconscious commander and the stiff undead legion outside the forest, finally settling on the distorted sky above the ancestral tomb. The faint light of dawn couldn't dispel the gloom in their hearts; the unknown threat from the depths of their "wound" hung like the Sword of Damocles over the head of every survivor. They had just experienced a pyrrhic victory, only to find themselves possibly having opened Pandora's box. (End of Chapter)