Real Mount and Blade Game

The alarm horns of the eastern walls of Deherim ripped through the brief silence, their shrillness far surpassing any previous one.

The Yenogu mark on Shen Mu's palm, which had been dormant for a moment, suddenly erupted with a soul-tearing pain. This pain was no longer the aftereffect of the curse, but a fierce impact from the deepest part of the abyss, carrying endless resentment and a destructive will!

"They're here!" Shen Mu suddenly looked up, his eyes flashing with a sharp, cold light, like two tempered swords piercing through the billowing smoke and the embers of the energy storm.

He didn't bother wiping the blood from his lips; his figure moved like lightning, instantly leaping onto the fortified arrow tower at the forefront of the eastern city wall.

On the city wall, the soldiers, who were already in full battle array, needed no further orders.

Under the roaring commands of generals such as Fatis and Lesarit, the steel torrent was instantly in place.

The heavy footsteps, the scraping of metal armor plates, and the creaking of taut bowstrings combined to create a suffocating pre-battle symphony.

Outside the city walls, the churning black clouds in the direction of the Corruption Swamp seemed to be torn apart by an invisible giant hand.

A spatial rift, much larger and deeper than the previous beam of light that had attacked, was forcibly "pushed" out in the real world, accompanied by a tooth-grinding sound of shattering glass.

Dark purple, viscous energy flowed along the edge of the crack. It was the residue of divine power that had been twisted and desecrated, exuding a nauseatingly strong gnoll divine aura—the last madness of Yenogu!
“Ouch——!!!”

A non-human roar, like a tangible shockwave, erupted from the depths of the crack, causing dust to fall from the city walls. Immediately afterward, enormous, twisted figures, radiating terrifying pressure, surged out from within.

Jackal-man, a monstrous being!
Their bodies were several times larger than ordinary gnolls, their muscles bulging like rocks, yet covered in rotting, pus-filled fur and bone armor shimmering with eerie runes. Their heads resembled a hybrid of gnolls and abyssal worms, with rows of serrated fangs dripping corrosive saliva, and their murky yellow eyes burning with the purest hatred for life and soul.

Their very existence distorts the surrounding space, radiating a suffocating divine pressure. They are the final condensation of Yenogu's will before his fall, the ultimate creations utterly corrupted and twisted by the power of the abyss. They have only one goal—to tear apart the mortal who stole and detonated the fragments of his master's divinity, Shen Mu! They will use his flesh and soul to atone for the utterly vanished echoes of Yenogu!

The first wave of abominations was small, only a dozen or so, but the foul storm they unleashed was like a thousand horses galloping! The earth groaned and cracked under their heavy hooves, and the swamp's poisonous gas was swept up to form dark green shockwaves that crashed straight towards the eastern walls of Deherim! They ignored distance and terrain, their eyes fixed only on that tiny figure on the walls, a figure that exuded an aura that stung even the deepest part of their souls.

"Target confirmed! Gnoll Abomination! Highest threat level!" Rezarit's voice, like the scraping of steel, echoed throughout the entire eastern city wall. "All ranged units! Free fire! Prioritize lock-on! Blast them to smithereens!"

Commands are the valve that starts the war machine.

Almost the instant Rezarit finished speaking, the three-dimensional long-range firepower network that Deherim had meticulously constructed, which combined the essence of the various races of Calradia with the power of the Shenmu Rules, erupted like a dormant volcano!
At the top of the main tower, the four "Eyes of Judgment," on which high hopes were placed, were the first to emit a low hum.

The arcane crystal array atop the tower frantically drew upon its stored magic power—part of which came from the power of rules previously injected by Shen Mu, part from magic crystals urgently mobilized from within the city, and even part from the crudely formed, still-developing power of faith recently gathered from the Blue Star immigrant region. The eerie blue energy converged and compressed wildly at the cannon's muzzle, ultimately transforming into four thick, pillar-like arcane torrents carrying a destructive purifying aura! They tore through the air, emitting deafening shrieks, and slammed precisely into the largest and most formidable abominations charging at the forefront!

Wherever the beam of light passed, subtle ripples appeared in space. The filthy divine energy shield covering the abomination's body melted violently, like ice and snow encountering boiling oil, emitting a terrifying sizzling sound. Half of one abomination's shoulder, along with its deformed arm, was instantly vaporized and annihilated, emitting a shrill scream inhuman. Another abomination was directly hit in the chest and abdomen, its massive body blasted open with a huge, transparent hole, its dark green internal organs and bone fragments flying everywhere!
The medium-sized ballistae atop each of the arrow towers roared even more intensely. Arm-thick steel bolts, their arrowheads gleaming with a cold light or faint arcane runes, rained down on the rear and flanks of the abomination swarm like a torrential downpour.

With the implicit buff from the "Mount & Blade rules," these crossbows possessed a firing rate and power far exceeding the norm, each volley creating a dense storm of deadly metal. The bolts struck the rough, tough skin and bone armor of the abominations, erupting in a series of sparks and dull thuds.

While it couldn't cause instantaneous destruction like the "Eye of Judgment," the continuous saturation bombardment effectively tore apart their flesh, disrupting their charging rhythm. Dark green blood gushed from countless wounds on their bodies like fountains. One abomination's eye was pierced by several crossbow bolts, letting out a ferocious roar; its other leg was blasted into a bloody mess by a dense barrage of bullets, causing it to stagger in its charge.

Behind the crenellations of the city wall, forming the most solid foundation of the firepower network, were elite archers from various ethnic groups.

Rhodok's elite crossbowmen calmly set up their signature large shields and powerful crossbows, using precisely calibrated sights to coolly lock onto the gaps in the armor of the abominations, the joints, and even the wounds previously inflicted by the "Eye of Judgment" or medium crossbows, firing cunning and deadly arrows.

The Vaegir archers displayed their renowned rapid-fire skills, drawing their powerful composite bows to their fullest extent and unleashing a barrage of arrows like a whirlwind, creating a suppressive curtain of fire specifically designed to cover the Abominations' vulnerable areas, such as their heads and necks, disrupting their vision and senses. Meanwhile, the survivors from the Wood Elf Forest, though drastically reduced in number, were all seasoned veterans. Their Wood Elf longbows fired arrows imbued with the forest's vitality and purifying power, their arrowheads shimmering with a verdant, natural glow.

Their arrows became even more erratic, snaking around the abominations' waving arms like serpents, precisely piercing their eye sockets, throats, and even burrowing into their bodies through wounds, releasing a weak natural purifying power that exacerbated the abominations' pain and disrupted their internal energy.

Boom! Sizzle sizzle sizzle! Puff puff puff! Ouch—!
Explosions, the sound of energy annihilation, the whistling of crossbow bolts piercing armor, the thud of arrows piercing flesh, the agonizing howls and furious roars of the abominations… all these sounds intertwined instantly, forming a brutal symphony of death. Dark green blood, shattered flesh and bone, and fragments of energy corroded or purified flew everywhere, staining the land outside the eastern city wall a filthy tapestry.

The first wave of over ten abominations charged forward, under the terrifying, three-dimensional, multi-layered, furious, and resolute ranged fire of Deherim, was like crashing into an invisible wall of steel thorns. In less than a minute of concentrated attack, the five largest abominations at the forefront were completely torn apart and exploded into piles of smoking, rotting flesh by the arcane beams of the "Eye of Judgment" and the dense barrage of medium-sized crossbow bolts. The following abominations were also wounded and their movements were severely hampered. They were riddled with arrows and crossbow bolts, and finally, with a roar of resentment, they collapsed to the ground nearly a hundred paces from the city wall, their massive bodies convulsing, their filthy blood quickly seeping into the earth, which had been contaminated by their own power.

A deafening roar and cheer erupted from the city walls! The soldiers were thrilled by their sudden and glorious victory! Rhodok crossbowmen pounded their shields, Vaegir archers raised their longbows, and the wood elves let out clear battle cries. This was a tribute to their fallen comrades, a vow to defend their homeland to the death! However, Shen Mu stood atop the bastion, his face showing no sign of relief. The brand on his palm was like a red-hot iron; the excruciating pain not only did not lessen but intensified as the spatial rift widened. His gaze was fixed on the enormous rift, still slowly expanding and flowing with ominous purplish-black energy.

"Don't be too happy yet!" Shen Mu's icy voice pierced through the chaos of the battlefield, reaching every general's ears clearly. "Those were just scouts! Yenogu's final 'gift' hasn't been truly opened yet!"

As if to confirm his words, before the remains of the first wave of divine abominations had even cooled, the spatial rift trembled violently, its surging purplish-black energy boiling like oil. This time, there was no earth-shattering roar, only a deeper, more chilling, deathly pressure spreading out. From within the rift, a second wave of figures slowly emerged.

The number was still small, only seven or eight. But they were much larger than the first wave, and their shapes were increasingly twisted and bizarre.

The bone armor covering their bodies was no longer simple protection, but covered with sharp bone spikes and runes flowing with foul energy, like living evil totems. The madness in their murky eyes faded, leaving only a cold, pure will to destroy, locking onto the city walls and onto Shen Mu. Even more terrifying, the foul divine energy field emanating from them formed a viscous "domain." The steel bolts fired by Rhodok crossbowmen, upon striking it, slowed drastically, their arrowheads quickly corroded and dissolved; the arrows of the Vaegir and Wood Elves were like arrows hitting mud, their trajectories severely distorted and their power greatly reduced. Only the arcane beams of the "Eye of Judgment" and the barrage of heavy crossbow bolts from the arrow towers could barely tear through this domain, causing some damage, but the effect was far less than before.

Moreover, the crack did not close; instead, it began to fluctuate violently, and a third, even larger shadow was gathering within it!
"Eye of Judgment, second charge! Target: second wave of divine abominations! Arrow towers and heavy ballistae, concentrate fire and tear open their shells!" Rezarit's voice carried a hint of solemnity, yet remained as steady as iron. He knew the real test was only just beginning. The ballistae operators frantically turned their winches, loading heavy bolts and precious magic crystals. The arcanists, their faces pale, strained their mental energy to keep the "Eye of Judgment" running.

Shen Mu took a deep breath, enduring the searing pain of the soul imprint. He could feel that deep within the rift, a terrifying being, even larger and more concentrated, almost carrying the last trace of Yenogu's primordial will, was awakening. That was the final killing move, the ultimate divine abomination summoned from the most defiled corner of the abyss by Yenogu with its remaining divinity and boundless hatred for Shen Mu before its death. Once it descended, city walls and ballistae alone would likely be insufficient to withstand it.

He looked down at his burning palm, the divine fragment branded with Yenogu's essence, now resonating intensely with the being about to emerge from the depths of the rift. It was the source of the curse, the target attracting the divine abomination, but… a mad and resolute light flashed in Shen Mu's eyes. This brand might be his only weapon against this ultimate divine abomination, a chance for mutually destructive forces! A trap to ignite all hatred and curses, leading them into the abyss!

"Fatis!" Shen Mu suddenly shouted sharply, "Send the order! Inner city core defensive rune array, warm up! Holy Tree Knights, assemble inside the east gate! Prepare for close combat!" His voice pierced the battlefield, "Brothers on the city walls, give them a good beating! Nail them to the ground in their path of charge! Prepare our grandest 'welcome ceremony' for our final 'guests'!"

The order was swiftly relayed. Within the city, the massive array of runes hidden beneath the main tower's foundation began to hum deeply, energy flowing and converging within its intricate patterns. The remaining few dozen Tree Knights, led by Elder Ysera, clad in armor shimmering with a faint aura of purification, wielding longswords and spears blessed by the Tree's tender branches, formed a tight charging formation behind the east gate. Their eyes were resolute yet tragic, knowing full well what lay ahead.

The firepower on the city walls intensified! Archers and crossbowmen, ignoring the aching in their arms, drew their bowstrings tighter and fired their bolts faster. The heavy ballistae in the arrow towers reached their maximum rate of fire thanks to the taut veins of their operators. The medium ballistae began using a special type of explosive bolt with arrowheads coated in a thin layer of "ash powder."

When these crossbow bolts strike the corrupted domain of the Divine Abomination, they explode violently. Although they cannot completely break through the defenses, the shockwave and scattered ember powder from the explosion can effectively disrupt the domain's stability, creating opportunities for the "Eye of Judgment" and heavy crossbows.

The second salvo of the "Eye of Judgment" descended once more! Four eerie blue beams slammed into the second wave of aberrant hordes. This time, the aberrants were clearly prepared; they let out low growls, the runes on their bone armor lit up, and the corrupted domain instantly solidified.

The beam of light struck the domain, unleashing a blinding flash of light and a deafening roar of energy annihilation. The domain rippled violently, like a lake ripped open by a boulder, developing large cracks and dents, but ultimately it wasn't completely breached! Only one abomination positioned at the front, with a relatively weak domain, was struck by the edge of the beam, half its body blasted apart, collapsing with a mournful howl. The other abominations, braving the cracks in the domain and the relentless rain of crossbow bolts, managed to advance dozens more steps! They wielded enormous claws wreathed in foul energy, each strike sending up a stench-filled gale, slamming them against the sturdy rune walls of Deherime!
boom! boom! boom!
The city wall trembled violently! The runes at the point of impact flashed brightly, and some of the shallower runes even cracked! The flying debris flew like bullets, and some soldiers who couldn't dodge in time were hit and fell down screaming.

"Hold on! Reinforce the rune nodes! Ballistae! Aim at their claws!" Rezarit's voice was hoarse. Engineers and mages on the inner side of the walls rushed frantically to the attack points, urgently repairing and reinforcing them with the runestones and magic powder they carried. The firepower on the walls poured even more relentlessly at the giant claws of the abominations that were smashing through the walls.

Just then, the spacetime rift suddenly contracted inward, then pounded violently like a heart! A terrifying pressure that almost stopped everyone's heartbeats swept out like a tsunami! The purplish-black energy at the edge of the rift was instantly drained, collapsing and condensing inward.

A shadow far larger than any of the previous divine abominations slowly "squeezed" out from the center of the crack.

Its form defies description. The outline of a colossal gnoll can be vaguely discerned, but its body seems forcibly fused from countless fragmented gnoll skeletons, writhing abyssal sludge, and boiling resentment. A massive skeleton is exposed, with twisted bone spurs and pus-draining tumors growing from its joints. Its head bears three pairs of eyes of varying sizes, burning with the filthy flames of its soul. A gigantic maw, occupying half its head, opens and closes, revealing layers upon layers of spiraling, sharp teeth, and deep within its throat is a swirling, all-consuming vortex of darkness.

It had no hair, only dark purple skin that constantly writhed and dripped corrosive slime. Its appearance dimmed the light on the entire battlefield, making the air thick and heavy, as if even sound was absorbed by its massive body. Just by standing there, the filthy domain erected by the second wave of divine abominations seemed to find its backbone, instantly becoming more solid and expansive, and actively drawing closer to it, becoming part of its power.

Yenogu's final act of vengeance—the Lord of the Abyss Soul Devourer!
Its three pairs of eyes, burning with filthy soul fire, instantly traversed the battlefield like searchlights, locking onto Shen Mu atop the bastion's arrow tower! A will filled with endless resentment, destruction, and hunger, like a tangible hammer, slammed into Shen Mu's soul! At the same time, it let out a silent roar!

"Ugh!" The soldiers on the city wall, especially the ordinary soldiers with weaker mental strength and the archers near the front line, instantly felt a splitting headache, their vision went black, and some even bled from their mouths and noses. Their mental strength was severely damaged, and their weapons almost fell from their hands! Even strongmen like Fatis and Rezarit felt a shock to their minds, and their movements faltered.

Only Shen Mu! The instant the soul impact struck his body, the Yenogu mark on his palm erupted with an unprecedented, searing pain that seemed to set his entire body ablaze! This intense pain was like ice water poured over his head, instantly clearing his mind from the shock! He groaned, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth again, but his body remained as still as a rock rooted to the arrow tower! His eyes burned with an indomitable flame as he glared back at the terrifying Abyss Soul Devourer Lord.

"Finally... the last jackal!" Shen Mu's voice was low and hoarse, carrying an almost frantic calm. He could feel a strong, strange connection between the brand on his palm and the master, a connection that was both mutually attractive and mutually repelling. The brand was a fragment of Yenogu, and the master was the condensation of Yenogu's last will; they shared the same origin, yet Shen Mu's presence created a fatal conflict and... the catalyst for annihilation!

The Abyss Soul-Devouring Lord seemed to sense the special connection of the mark on Shen Mu's palm—a "foreign object" it loathed yet contained immense energy. It let out an even more ferocious, invisible roar, and its massive body began to move! It didn't run, but rather moved with the heavy, slow pace of a mountain. With each step, the earth trembled violently, leaving a deep crater that was quickly filled with filthy slime and writhing shadows. Ignoring the remnants of the second wave of divine abominations still smashing the wall, its enormous claws, wreathed in soul-devouring power, directly lashed out at the bastion's arrow tower where Shen Mu stood! Even before the claws arrived, the soul-locking suction and the oppressive pressure of its filthy divinity descended, as if to erase Shen Mu and his arrow tower from the material world!

"Eye of Judgment! Maximum power! Target! Its claws! Blast!" Shen Mu roared fiercely. At the same time, he made a move that shocked everyone—he suddenly raised the hand marked with fragments of divinity, palm facing outward, actively meeting the giant claw that the Abyss Soul Devourer Lord was reaching out with from afar! He wasn't defending, but rather using the mark on his palm as a fuse, as a coordinate, to actively "detonate" this destructive storm originating from Yenogu itself, a mutual devouring of the same source!

The final battle erupted amidst the embers of the fallen Jackal God atop the fortified city of Deherim! The city walls' firepower, the Holy Tree Knights' purifying spears, the protective light of the inner city's runes, and the double-edged sword in Shen Mu's hand, forged from hatred and curses, would all clash in this moment of intertwined despair and hope, sparking a destiny-determining conflict! Meanwhile, the distant vortex of the Ancestral Tomb continued its silent rotation, coldly observing this prelude to the final saga indirectly triggered by itself. (End of Chapter)