And this attack was extremely swift and fierce.
When Shen Mu turned his head to look at the east city wall, he saw the giant Skeleton, over six meters tall, that had suddenly appeared outside the east city wall. It was raising a beautifully shaped longsword made of bone, and like throwing a javelin, it fiercely hurled it towards the city wall.
'Boom!'
It then slammed heavily onto the east city wall, instantly piercing through it and causing the stone-built wall to violently shake.
A huge crack even appeared on the city wall.
Moreover, the seven or eight Swadian Infantry, two or three Lake Rat Gang Destroyers, and four or five Holy Tree Knight Order soldiers densely packed together on the city wall, not having anticipated such an attack, lost their footing when the wall shook and cracked, and actually fell backward heavily from the six-meter-high wall.
With just one strike, over ten Mount & Blade Soldiers lost their combat effectiveness by falling off the city wall.
It even caused cracks to appear in the originally sturdy city wall.
"Hmph ha ha ha ha!"
Then the giant Skeleton, still gleaming with a metallic sheen and now enveloped in black mist, let out a sinister laugh.
Looking at the longsword, nearly seven meters long, that had pierced through the city wall and was stuck there, it was as if it had pierced an enemy and left its weapon embedded in the enemy's body.
The sinister laughter became even more deafening.
Because this was the effect he wanted.
"Although I was controlled by the Skeleton King into a puppet, the Skeleton body granted to me by the death spirit rules is indeed quite powerful."
On the skull of this giant Skeleton, there weren't two eye sockets.
There was only one eye socket.
Because this Skeleton itself originated from the Spiritual Realm. After an extremely powerful Cyclops died, it was collected by the death spirit rules and formed into a special Skeleton.
And then controlled and mastered by Ludwig.
Within this single eye socket, inside the fiercely burning soul fire, Ludwig's body resided.
At this moment, the soul fire in his eye socket was connected to the soul fire of the Cyclops outside.
Therefore, as the Vanguard Commander of the Black Arrow Tower Seventh Dynasty, and being a higher-level Undead Monster, he possessed the strongest suppression and manipulation abilities over this Cyclops, which, although seemingly powerful, did not have a soul activity level within its soul fire that reached his own level.
"This is the absolute oppression of superiors over subordinates under the death spirit rules."
Ludwig looked at the heavily damaged city wall before him, but he didn't panic. Instead, he saw the Human Clan soldiers calmly spreading out their density, reforming their formation, blocking the ramp, and still resisting the attacks of the greater Skeleton Legion of Undead Monsters.
His mood gradually became suppressed.
Ludwig knew that those Human Clan soldiers were experienced veterans who had been on the battlefield and weren't afraid of combat.
They were all elite Human Clan soldiers.
And at that time, the Wood Elf legion he led were actually also such experienced veterans who were unafraid of death and any kind of battle.
But these veterans had all died in the End War because of that disgusting political struggle.
At this moment, Ludwig turned his head and looked at the Skeleton Soldiers holding bows and arrows in the black mist.
In his heart, there was only a sense of desolation.
Those Skeleton Archers were actually the Wood Elf veterans who had died in the End War at that time. After killing countless Undead Monsters, they had all died on the battlefield due to betrayal.
Even their corpses were later controlled by the death spirit rules, forming these unconscious, low-level Skeleton Archers.
Becoming Undead Monsters.
Becoming puppets of the death spirit rules.
"Moreover, even I am actually a puppet of the death spirit rules. What difference is there between me and this Cyclops Skeleton that I am currently manipulating? If the Skeleton King were to descend, his will would directly take me over as well."
Ludwig was very clear about this, and then a surge of anger rose in his heart. However, when he raised his head and looked towards the Castle District, there was also some excitement in his eyes.
Fortunately, he had found an opportunity to break free from this puppet state.
Inside, he could clearly sense the existence that possessed the fragment of Natural Consciousness, releasing the vast power belonging to nature within.
Although that vast power was very thin.
But it absolutely existed.
It was precisely because of the existence of the Natural Consciousness fragment that as long as Ludwig could obtain it and integrate it into his soul fire, he would be able to use the mighty power of nature to break free from the control of the death spirit rules and regain his freedom.
Then he could become a Wood Elf again.
Instead of this Skeleton.
Thinking of this, the soul fire in Ludwig's eyes began to flicker even more intensely, and this also caused the Cyclops Skeleton he was controlling to erupt with restless soul fire.
Then this giant Skeleton extended its arm forward and began to run, wanting to re-grasp the longsword stuck in the city wall.
A Skeleton longsword in the style of Wood Elf longswords.
'Crackle.'
But just as he began controlling the giant Cyclops Skeleton to run forward, a white rain of arrows suddenly appeared before him.
Whistling in sheets, like white clouds.
They rushed towards him with a swishing sound.
And landed on his body.
"Why is it a white rain of arrows?" Such a puzzling thought suddenly appeared in Ludwig's mind. And because his memories as a Wood Elf had not disappeared, he felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity with this white color.
A very extreme sense of familiarity.
It was even so familiar that in that instant, he didn't react, nor did he recall in his mind what this white light represented.
Then the rain of arrows carrying white light fell upon him.
Feathered arrows and crossbow bolts that could originally only scrape off a bit of white edge on his Skeleton bones, now, to Ludwig's astonishment, he found that the feathered arrows and crossbow bolts attached with white light seemed to ignore his metallic-gleaming Skeleton bones, which had been strengthened by the death spirit rules.
They directly pierced through bones as thick as an adult's thigh.
Just as the longsword he had thrown had pierced directly into the city wall, these feathered arrows and crossbow bolts flashing with white light also pierced through his bones.
And remained lodged in his bones.
Furthermore, the white light being released was continuously eroding the negative energy within his bones that belonged to the death spirit rules.
It was like a hot dinner knife plunged into cold butter.
Or rather, a hot dinner knife continuously being heated by that white light.
Or rather, hundreds of hot dinner knives that had already pierced through the bones all over the Cyclops Skeleton formed by Ludwig's control.
'Sizzle sizzle sizzle sizzle sizzle!'
The moment the white light attached to the feathered arrows and crossbow bolts that had pierced his bones came into contact with the dense negative energy filling his bones, it was as if a chemical reaction occurred, and they began to sizzle.
The sizzling sound was even very dense, after all, hundreds of feathered arrows and crossbow bolts all over his body were undergoing this reaction.
To the extent that Ludwig even felt pain.
"Wait."
"Wait, wait, wait, wait."
And at this moment, Ludwig suddenly realized something. It seemed he had figured out what this power was. His expression suddenly became astonished, and at the same time, there was a feeling of panic.
Because at this moment, Ludwig suddenly discovered that on the tower before him, which he had already approached within a ten-meter range.
Within visible distance.
The light crossbows placed on the tower, operated by individual Human Clan soldiers, were placing long spears, also flashing with white light, into their firing slots.
And then the long spears flashing with white light were aimed at him.
"Holy Light!!!"
This word suddenly appeared in Ludwig's mind at this moment.
The name of the positive energy that was most powerful against the death spirit rules and had the greatest lethality.
It was as if his entire being had entered a state of fear.
'Bang!'
But at this moment, the light crossbows that he greatly feared were directly struck heavily on their firing levers by the wooden hammers raised by the individual Human Clan soldiers.
Accompanied by a strange sound of tearing air, having reached a distance of four or five meters, a position quite close to the city wall, a distance where he could even see the indifferent, expressionless faces of the Human Clan soldiers, Ludwig also saw the white shadow of the long spear, carrying white light, that was instantly fired towards him.
"Damn it."
In the skull of this Skeleton giant, this was the only word that surfaced in the mind of the controlling Ludwig.
Then the long spear flashing with white light slammed heavily onto the Skeleton frame of the Skeleton giant formed by the Cyclops. The force generated was so powerful that it even brought the Skeleton giant's forward run to a complete halt.
There was even a huge force that, through the mental power Ludwig was using to control it, made him realize that his Skeleton giant was falling backward.
That power was simply too great.
And indeed, that was the case.
One must know that the section of the city wall Ludwig was attacking was originally the part connecting the east city gate and the Castle District.
Therefore, the arrow towers lined up on the city wall, as well as the towers in the Castle District, could all attack him.
So, the knights operating the six light crossbows and medium catapults on a total of six arrow towers directly shattered half the body of the Cyclops Skeleton controlled by Ludwig.
Whether it was ribs, spine, or even arm bones and leg bones, crossbow bolts had hit them.
The Skeleton formed by the Cyclops immediately fell heavily backward with a clang, crushing the ordinary Skeleton Soldiers beside him and kicking up a cloud of dust on the ground.
At such a close distance, the power of the crossbows was within their strongest attack range.
Shooting this giant Skeleton frame to the ground was simply the most normal thing.
Moreover, at this moment, the ranged archers on the city wall didn't hesitate at all. Under the shouts of their respective Captains, they concentrated their fire again, unleashing a volley upon the Skeleton giant that had fallen but was still struggling, looking as though it wanted to get up and attack again!
The countless feathered arrows and crossbow bolts flashing with white light added another dense patch of arrows on the Skeleton giant's body, like overgrown weeds!
'Sizzle sizzle sizzle sizzle!'
The black mist produced by the conflict between the positive and negative energies continuously emanated from the Skeleton body of this Skeleton giant, forming a thicker and foul-smelling black mist.
Obviously.
This Skeleton giant, over six meters tall, not only suffered heavy damage in that instant but also sustained fatal injuries.
And looking at the soul fire that was originally burning fiercely within the single eye socket of this Skeleton giant's skull, which was now extremely weak and had shrunk significantly.
One could clearly know.
Just how powerful the strikes from the ranged archers and crossbows on the city wall were.
And to strike while he was down, more ranged archers on the city wall and arrow towers drew their war bows again, or placed crossbow bolts in the firing slots of their war crossbows, continuing to shoot.
Pouring more feathered arrows and crossbow bolts attached with white light onto the fallen Skeleton giant.
Along with that, the crossbows on the arrow towers also completed reloading and continued to fire the long spears.
And this time, the long spears fired not only shattered the bones on the body of the fallen Skeleton giant, inflicting even heavier damage upon him.
But also literally pinned this Skeleton giant to the ground.
No matter how much he struggled.
He still couldn't stand up again!
Now, this Skeleton giant was like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered, like fish on a cutting board, completely incapable of resisting.
Especially as the crossbows on the city wall were adjusting their firing angles, clearly aiming the long spears placed in their firing slots at the obviously critical skull location.
Ludwig, hiding within the skull, also knew at this moment that he had to escape quickly.
But at this moment, his eyes still held a look of disbelief.
Because Ludwig truly hadn't expected the Human Clan's forces to have such a strong mastery over Holy Light.
It should be known that at that time during the End War, although there were powerful Human Clan Holy Sanctuary Mages who cast similar spells, causing all attacks to carry Holy Light damage.
But one should know that the Human Clan Holy Sanctuary Mage had reached the level of a Ninth-Circle Mage.
Just half a step away from being a Legendary-level.
Only then could they cast similar spells.
Now, the power possessed by this Human Clan empire was actually using enchantment spells that could be called strategic level in an ordinary battle.
"How is this possible?" It was as if a fire was burning in Ludwig's heart at this moment, and even a sense of despair was emerging in his mind: "Is the idea I had of obtaining the fragment of Natural Consciousness somewhat impossible to achieve?"
And looking at the current situation, it seemed it was no longer just an idea.
But reality.
