“A tree-type monster trapped in place, do you really think I’d be foolish enough to engage in close combat with you here?”
Shen Mu’s face held a mocking smile, as if he were watching a trapped beast’s futile performance.
He slowly raised his left hand, his voice like cold metal scraping, clearly cutting through the battlefield’s clamor and the War Tree’s deafening roars of pain:
“All troops, listen—retreat!”
“Evacuate the village core, establish an outer blockade!”
The orders were concise, clear, and carried unquestionable authority.
Boom!
Like a receding tide, or a steel torrent guided by an invisible hand.
The solid barrier formed by the Holy Tree Knight Order first protected Shen Mu as he moved back, their steps steady and swift.
The Swadian heavy cavalry and Khergit Mounted Archers, who were clearing remaining enemies and preparing to besiege the treehouse, heard the order and showed no desire to continue fighting.
The heavy cavalry’s wall charge instantly transitioned into a tight, orderly echelon cover retreat, while the Khergit Mounted Archers, like agile hyenas, galloped their horses, retreating while using precise arrows to suppress the sporadic resistance attempting to spew venom or entangle with vines from the squirming tumor-like holes in the Ancient Tree’s trunk.
Bandak’s heavy light infantry phalanx also synchronously turned back as if by command.
The front-row soldiers held their shields and retreated, covering the rear-row soldiers carrying siege crossbows as they quickly moved.
The heavy crossbow carriages’ wheels carved deep ruts in the scorched earth and ruins.
The War Tree’s struggles reached their peak.
“Ooooh—Roar—!!!”
The earth-shattering roar was filled with extreme pain and a furious rage born of being completely ignored.
A massive, branch-like bone claw, over thirty meters long, swept towards the last soldiers of Bandak’s light infantry phalanx, carrying immense force and a nauseating stench!
The wind shrieked, and the air was forcibly torn, creating an explosive sound!
“Shields up—!!”
Bandak’s pupils contracted, and he roared hoarsely.
The heavy, fan-shaped shields instantly converged into a wall!
Boom!!!
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The giant claw struck the edge of the shield wall!
The terrifying impact instantly smashed and deformed over a dozen shields, and another dozen soldiers, spitting blood, flew backward like stones hit by a trebuchet, slamming heavily against the burning broken wall behind them, their fates unknown!
But the power of this giant claw ended there.
After one strike, constrained by its massive, heavy body and roots deeply embedded in the burning foundation, it could no longer pursue.
More trouble was yet to come.
Hiss, hiss, hiss—!
Sharp whooshing sounds rang out densely, like the hiss of venomous snakes!
Dozens of tough vines, thicker than an adult’s arm, dark brown, and covered in fine barbs, shot out wildly from various parts of the War Tree’s trunk, like long whips endowed with life!
These vines’ attack range far exceeded the giant claw’s, instantly covering the core attack zone that the Deherim army had just vacated!
Puff! Puff! Puff!
Whoosh—Smack!
The vines either stabbed like spears, piercing through several Swadian Light Infantry who were slightly slower in retreating.
Or swept like giant whips, sending several Khergit Mounted Archers, who tried to block with scimitars, flying backward, spitting blood, along with their horses!
“Stay away from the root zone! Quick! Its whips can reach a hundred meters away!”
Bestour’s voice cut through the chaos; the Kujit’s experience allowed him to instantly judge the danger distance.
The cavalry accelerated their retreat again.
However, once the soldiers accelerated to one hundred fifty meters, or even two hundred meters away, those wildly flailing vines became like venomous snakes that had lost their target, futilely striking the air with a loud “Whoosh—Smack!” but no longer able to reach any Deherim soldier.
The Deherim army retreated in an orderly tide to approximately two hundred meters outside the War Tree’s core attack zone, quickly reorganizing their defensive line.
The light infantry phalanx set up shield-spear walls on the outside.
Heavy cavalry formed a shock reserve on the flanks.
And what made the struggling War Tree feel a “thorn in its side” at this moment were the siege heavy crossbow carriages pushed to the front of the formation, as well as the massive number of archers and Crossbowmen, including Rodok snipers, who occupied the surrounding ruins and high ground vantage points!
The Kujit’s heavy Mounted Archers didn’t even need to dismount; their position was just beyond the maximum range of the vines, ensuring both safety and the ability to provide arrow cover at any time.
Fatis, Bandak, Lezalit, and Bestour almost simultaneously rode their horses to the command position beside Shen Mu.
They gazed at the colossal creature, futilely flailing its giant claws and vines amidst the raging flames and ruins, letting out roars of impotent rage, their expressions surprisingly similar—
Not solemn at all, but rather a sense of relief, even a hint of playful satisfaction.
“Hah.”
Fatis’s voice from beneath his helmet carried a hint of metallic coldness, yet it clearly expressed his ease: “A… giant wooden target? Yang Di’s final madness was to completely turn himself and his pathetic little foundation into a training ground for our army.”
“Well said, Sir Fatis!”
Bandak echoed with his characteristic loud voice, wiping the scorched ash and bloodstains from a crossbow bolt channel with a thick cloth in his hand, while grinning to reveal his white teeth: “This is much simpler than assaulting a castle! Our crossbows can finally get some proper business, no longer having to listen to the dying wails of those scoundrels! Look at its big wooden body! Tsk tsk, what a target, truly a good target!”
He patted the heavy crossbow carriage body, which had just been readied, and the metal emitted a dull thud.
Lezalit’s heavy armor still bore the bloodstains and smoke from the charge, but his gaze sharply swept over the struggling War Tree, his voice steady and confident: “My Lord, one round of crossbow fire can critically damage its main trunk. The archers will focus on covering its energy nodes and ‘head’ position. Its wood strength is far inferior to magic-enhanced city walls; its destruction is only a matter of time. Bestour’s Mounted Archers are flexible enough to clear any remaining stragglers attached to the tree attempting to escape.”
He spoke as if analyzing a tactical sand table model, not a roaring giant monster.
Bestour gently stroked the mane of his restless warhorse, the Kujit’s eyes gleaming with the light of a grassland hunter: “It’s dancing for us in the fiery pit it dug for itself? What a foolish and pitiful prey. My Lord, my men have plenty of quivers, I guarantee its body will be covered in ‘decorations’ until it can’t even twitch a tiny vine!”
He let out a short, somewhat teasing laugh, characteristic of the Kujit.
A relaxed atmosphere permeated among the generals.
The terrifying giant before them, despite its formidable appearance, possessed fatal flaws—its immense size, its tragically slow, almost immobile, movement speed, and most importantly, its complete vulnerability within the absolute range of their powerful long-range firepower—
Turning all its struggles into desperate futility and a performance of impotent rage.
Even sturdy castles can be stormed, but a giant target that can only be passively hit?
For the well-trained and well-equipped Deherim army, it was simply the ideal “hunting” target.
Shen Mu’s gaze swept over the generals, who were now talking and laughing easily, already assigning tasks, and the cold curve of his lips deepened.
He no longer looked at the monster, which was destined for destruction, but instead cast his gaze towards the distant burning sky, as if that was where his true concerns lay.
“Bandak.”
“Here! My Lord!”
“Your crossbows are the vanguard. Order the archers and Crossbowmen to fire at will! Bestour, your men keep a close eye on those annoying vines.”
Shen Mu’s tone was as calm as if he were ordering dinner: “Let the fire burn brighter. This forest… needs a new master.”
The command landed, like a pronouncement.
Buzz—!
The taut crossbow strings emitted a terrifying low hum, followed by a piercing shriek through the air!
Boom—!
Like the colossal sound of a battering ram striking a city wall!
Almost simultaneously, a cloud of arrows, with sharp hissing sounds, obscured the sky, like bloodthirsty locusts swarming towards decaying flesh!
The War Tree’s massive body, a mixture of pain and destructive intent, was instantly enveloped by the deadly steel storm!
Fire arrows wrapped in oilcloth densely ignited its twisted, deformed skin and the flailing vines!
The core of the burning Wood Elf Village became the execution ground for a colossal monster.
And Deherim’s iron and fire calmly and mercilessly carried out the final execution.
“Swish, swish, swish, swish—”
Feathered arrows and crossbow bolts flew like countless locusts, rapidly pouncing on the still roaring War Tree.
This was the grand spectacle woven by the long-range archers and crossbows within the encirclement that the Deherim army had already formed.
The crossbows continuously emitted dull roars.
Bestour’s Khergit Mounted Archers, with their precise arrow rain as a guide, plunged burning fire arrows into the War Tree’s massive body.
The covering fire from the Rodok Crossbowmen and other archers transformed the burning village core into a swirling vortex of steel and flames, as the final movement of war played for the twisted, mutated monster.
The War Tree’s wails and angry lashings, its flailing giant bone claws and retracting vines, were confined within two hundred meters of the scorched earth core, futilely tearing at the air and the burning ground, no longer able to reach the well-prepared Deherim army formation.
Shen Mu, atop his Holy Tree Steed, his deep gaze swept over the colossal creature, struggling in the sea of fire, seemingly composed of decaying ancient wood and black venom.
Flames licked its gnarled skin, and thick smoke billowed up, obscuring the sky, but the monster’s immense size and tenacious vitality meant that its complete destruction would still take time.
However, this time was entirely within Shen Mu’s control—
This was merely a process of waiting for the outcome.
At this moment, the outskirts of the Wood Elf Village and among the ruins, the scene was even more chaotic and tragic.
Aside from scattered remnants of loyal Wood Elf followers who frantically charged the army’s defensive line only to be instantly shot into pincushions or trampled by iron hooves, there were more Blue Star Humans fleeing like headless chickens.
They were ordinary residents, laborers, or even lower-tier dependents who had been coerced or taken in by the Green Leaf Group.
The horns of war, the burning village, and the terrifying Ancient Tree, seemingly straight out of mythology, had long crushed their last will to resist.
Screams, cries, and the wails of children mingled with the crackling of burning flames and the distant roars of the Ancient Tree, forming a scene of apocalyptic escape.
Many dragged their families, carrying simple bundles, blindly rushing towards the dense, dark forest at the edge of the village, completely disregarding the dangers of the death spirit rules lurking within the forest.
Others shivered, hiding behind half-collapsed wooden houses or piles of burning debris, their eyes filled only with terror and despair.
Shen Mu’s gaze shifted from the War Tree, consumed by flames, and swept over these chaotic, fleeing Blue Star Humans, like startled birds.
No pity could be seen on his face, only a calm assessment, as if evaluating an asset about to be recovered and utilized.
Deherim needed these people, this labor force, and more Blue Star Humans to pray and gain Faith Power, to maintain Deherim’s operations, and to become the cornerstone of future conquests.
These people were readily available resources.
“Lezalit.”
Shen Mu’s voice was calm yet highly penetrating, overriding the roar of battle nearby.
Lezalit, who was commanding the Swadian heavy cavalry to stand by on the flank, vigilantly watching for any sporadic incidents that might erupt from the fire, immediately rode forward upon hearing the call: “My Lord!”
Shen Mu raised his hand and pointed at the Blue Star Human figures running chaotically and hiding in the ruins: “Do you see those people? Those are the citizens Deherim needs. Act immediately, gather your riders, and also detach some of Bandak’s heavy light infantry to assist. Do not pursue those who have entered the forest, but gather those Blue Star Humans hiding in the ruins or remaining at the village edge, afraid to move. Tell them to abandon futile resistance and escape; those who surrender will receive Deherim’s protection. I grant you the authority to use a certain amount of force to deter them if necessary, to drive and confine them, but avoid unnecessary killing. The goal is living people, living people who can work and migrate. Do you understand?”
A flicker of understanding passed through Lezalit’s eyes beneath his helmet.
As one of Shen Mu’s most experienced commanders, he instantly grasped his liege’s intent.
This was the first step after the war: to gather the remnants and integrate resources.
“Understood, My Lord! Live captives first, with force as a supplement, to complete the assembly.”
His voice was firm, and he accepted the order without hesitation: “Those terrified lambs need the talons of a griffon to bring them back into the flock.”
Lezalit pulled on the reins, and his Swadian Steed reared up with a long neigh.
He drew his sword and pointed it skyward, his high-pitched command overcoming the battlefield’s clamor:
“First, Third, and Fifth Cavalry Squadrons, follow me! Light infantry Third Battalion, coordinate action! Target Blue Star Human survivors inside and outside the village— ”
“Drive, gather, and accommodate! Those who resist or attempt to charge the formation, subdue them on the spot! Move out—!”
Instantly, hundreds of elite knights, clad in heavy plate armor and armed with lances or longswords, began to move under Lezalit’s leadership.
They did not charge, but rather, with a suppressive posture, like sheepdogs, they divided into groups to drive and encircle the bewildered survivors. (End of Chapter)
