"Wait?!"
Aleron on the city wall instantly recognized the target that had been heavily described by the scouts earlier in the day, his pupils constricting: "It's that strange Skeleton Cavalry reported this morning! They... they were lurking so close!"
These Skeleton Cavalry appeared just after nightfall.
Didn't that mean they were targeting him?
"Form ranks! Archers, nock your arrows!!" Aleron's voice was like a piercing arrow, issuing a clear command.
The harsh clang of the alarm gong echoed urgently above the castle.
Outside the city, a small team of Kujit Veteran Horse Archers, positioned closer by Bestour, also heard the alarm.
The squad leader responsible for patrolling this area was a trusted subordinate brought by Bestour, a fierce rider with a scar across his face.
A ruthless glint flashed across his face as he roared: "Target! Reinforce our brothers! Kill all these bone fragments! Blow the horn! Kujit warriors, charge with me!"
He sharply spurred his horse, leading a dozen of his subordinates, galloping like arrows released from a bow towards the dunes.
On top of the dunes, the two fleeing Khergit Mounted Archers looked panicked.
They felt the bone-chilling killing intent and the rapidly approaching wind behind them.
The last Khergit Mounted Archer, in desperation, suddenly twisted his body, trying to draw his tough Nomadic Bow—*Pfft!*
A grating, dull thud!
The cavalryman wielding the enormous bone blade was at the forefront, his Skeleton warhorse's speed rivaling a phantom's!
He raised the terrifying, tusk-like bone blade high, and with a scream that tore through the air, it transformed into a pale white flash, striking diagonally from upper right to lower left!
The tough leather armor was cut open as easily as paper!
Also cut open was the warhorse's rear half, including its haunches!
And the rider's entire right shoulder along with half an arm!
Large gouts of crimson, hot blood sprayed like a fountain onto the cold sand, as the warhorse and rider, amidst desperate wails, crashed down, instantly submerged by the sea of Skeletons behind them.
The other Khergit Mounted Archer witnessed his comrade's tragic demise, his eyes splitting with rage, only managing to shoot an arrow, its angle warped by despair, at another bone-armored cavalryman charging behind the bone-bladed cavalryman!
Clang!
The arrowhead struck the chest plate of the bone-armored cavalryman, which was covered in grotesque bone fragments, but was easily deflected!
The remaining rusted long spears and scimitars, carrying a dense aura of death, had already woven into an unavoidable death net, completely engulfing him!
Another short, sharp scream was abruptly cut off.
Two excellent Kujit Steppe Bandits, like raindrops falling into a sand sea, vanished in the blink of an eye.
On the city wall, Shen Mu's eyes were icy cold.
The speed and flexibility that Kujit prided themselves on seemed so fragile and powerless in the face of the Undead's eerie stealth, sudden burst attacks, and tireless, fearless mobility!
"Fire!" Bestour's rough, furious roar exploded outside the hastily opened East Gate of New Rivadin.
The reinforcement team he personally led had finally reached the edge of their firing range!
Without any hesitation, led by Bestour, who was at the forefront, the remaining Kujit Steppe Bandits abruptly reined in their horses mid-gallop, almost standing their horses upright, and drew their powerful bows towards the distant Undead horde!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The whistling of arrows through the air fell like dense rain, covering the most concentrated area of the Skeleton Infantry.
The arrow strikes were indeed effective!
Ordinary Skeleton Infantry, struck by powerful cavalry bows in their leg bones, arm bones, or even skulls, had their fragile bones shatter, instantly bringing down a dozen Skeletons.
The sharp sound of cracking bones was particularly grating in the night wind.
However, the effect was limited to this.
Against those bone-armored cavalrymen with their strange equipment, the effect was greatly diminished!
Most of the arrows, when they struck their dark, twisted bone armor, only produced a series of dull "clinking" sounds before being deflected!
Only one or two arrows, with tricky angles, fortunately struck the cartilage at the bone armor's joints or the exposed leg bone joints of the Skeleton warhorses, but they only caused a momentary delay and wobble in their movements, their ghostly green soul fires in their eye sockets flickering violently, with almost no substantial impact on their speed!
The Undead Legion's objective was exceptionally clear!
More than fifty Skeleton Infantry, like sturdy meat shields, ignored their fallen comrades and the slight hindrance from the sparse arrow rain, firmly guarding the five elite bone-armored cavalrymen at the core.
Like a swarm of evil spirits that had sniffed out the freshest blood and flesh, they ignored Bestour's team's harassment, their speed undiminished.
With an unstoppable momentum, they charged directly towards the East Gate of New Rivadin, which had just opened and was not yet fully closed!
Deep within the hollow Skeleton eye sockets, the ghostly green soul fire firmly locked onto the open city gate and the few Kujit who had rushed out to try and meet them, as if convinced that was the ultimate source where all living souls converged.
Bestour and his men also perceived the Undead Legion's intention, and without the slightest hesitation, they turned their horses and quickly charged towards the city gate.
After all, they were all light cavalry, and their galloping speed was very fast.
The previous Steppe Bandits were also killed because they charged forward and, upon seeing the Skeleton Cavalry for the first time, didn't react immediately, being caught off guard by the sudden burst of speed.
If it were truly a test of speed, these light cavalry could indeed flee as quickly as rabbits.
After all, Steppe Bandits themselves were equivalent to the most agile light cavalry.
So, under Bestour's command, they quickly outdistanced the mixed Undead forces of infantry and cavalry behind them and swiftly rushed into the city gate.
"Close the city gate! Bring up the cheval de frise!"
Then, Lezalit's steady and powerful command echoed from the city wall, carrying an undeniable calmness.
The soldiers operating the winch roared with effort, and the heavy city gate accelerated its inward closure with a dull creaking sound.
Inside the city gate, several Swadian Infantry and light infantry gritted their teeth, exerting all their might, pushing the heavy wooden spiked cheval de frise with a "boom" into place at the city gate!
This effectively made New Rivadin completely safe.
Once inside the city gate, Bestour spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva. His coarse linen shirt beneath his armor was soaked with sweat, mixed with dust and a faint, non-living, burnt smell.
But Bestour didn't hesitate.
He strode quickly onto the main city tower of New Rivadin, his usual arrogance replaced by a rare solemnity and frustration.
Behind him followed several equally disheveled Steppe Bandits, whose eyes, though fierce, still couldn't hide the lingering shock of their narrow escape.
"My Lord!" Bestour's hoarse voice broke the stagnant air on the city wall. He saluted with his hand on his chest, his movements still carrying the Kujit's ferocity, but his tone was exceptionally heavy: "These bone fragments... they're evil! They're damn evil!"
Shen Mu had his back to him, his gaze still fixed on the dark, gradually silent sand sea outside the city, and the distant spot where his two comrades had disappeared. His ice-sculpted profile was obscured by the flickering torchlight, only the deepest part of his eyes seemed to hold the darkest ice coalescing.
"Speak." Shen Mu's voice had no fluctuations, yet it carried an invisible pressure that made all the other generals on the city wall hold their breath.
"Those Skeleton Cavalry... their speed! Their strength!" Bestour gritted his teeth, trying to describe it in the most direct Kujit way: "Normally, their bone horses run slower than our well-trained warhorses. At most, they can wear down opponents by not getting tired. But just now... just before they caught up to Amutu..."
He took a deep breath, his face showing a mix of anger and a hint of unnoticed surprise: "I saw it with my own eyes! Just after that little green fire in their bone eye sockets suddenly contracted, a... a... black light, like ink spilling into water, but faster! It just *whooshed* out of them! It was incredibly fast, just for a moment!"
His deputy also nodded vigorously in agreement, adding in the common language of the continent with a heavy steppe accent: "Yes, My Lord! When that black light appeared, those five bone cavalrymen, and the broken horse Skeletons they rode, looked like their asses were on fire from hell! Damn it, their speed directly more than doubled! I've never seen Skeletons run that fast! It's more terrifying than the charge of the wildest horses on the steppe! Brother Amutu was just caught off guard..."
"Their strength too!" Bestour cut him off, pointing to a shallow, fresh bloodstain on his arm, scratched by a bone fragment. This was left when he desperately parried a passing bone spear with his scimitar. "When that black light possessed them, the bone blades they swung, the force! It numbed my hand! At least double the power of when they first charged! My blade almost flew out of my hand! And as for the one who killed Amutu with that bone blade, don't even mention it, it felt like it could cleave a crack in the city gate tower!"
Power amplification... speed doubling... instantaneous black light...
These words, like cold steel needles, precisely pierced the core of Shen Mu's thoughts.
His pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.
Bestour's description evoked a memory deep within him, both familiar and strange.
He had also witnessed this kind of power that emitted special light before.
As he spoke, he also wielded such power.
Although the manifestation and essence might differ due to the different light, the pattern of "instantly drawing upon some primal energy to attach to oneself to unleash power far beyond the norm"—how similar!
This was not simple Undead enhancement, nor was it an inherent ability of skeletal creatures.
This was magic!
A type of extraordinary power that, when applied to Undead creatures, could instantly and greatly enhance their basic physical abilities!
"Signs of extraordinary power." Shen Mu slowly and clearly uttered these words, as if they condensed into ice crystals in the cold air, falling into everyone's ears.
Lezalit's hand gripping his sword hilt suddenly tightened: "Magic amplification? These low-level Undead Skeletons can also bear magic?"
Aleron's face was solemn: "A new Undead Legion... new enemies."
Shen Mu did not deny Aleron's intuition, but his voice grew colder, carrying a sharpness that dissected the essence: "It seems so."
He turned, his sharp gaze sweeping over Bestour and the group of still-shaken Khergit Mounted Archers: "Their objective is clear. Sacrificing a large number of low-tier Skeletons for cover, just to let these five elites use their extraordinary burst to penetrate the city gate and create chaos. If the city gate hadn't closed in time, the consequences would have been unimaginable."
This analysis sent a chill through everyone's hearts.
The enemy not only possessed elite mobility beyond imagination but also had precise and ruthless tactical minds!
Bestour roughly wiped his face: "Next time I see that black light appear, my men will definitely stay far away! But their arrows... they have too little effect when shot at those bone frames!"
"Their core is their bone armor," Lezalit immediately summarized. "Ordinary arrows and slashes are difficult to penetrate. They require heavy blunt force or stronger piercing power."
Aleron looked at the Vigia Sharpshooters below the city wall: "Our elite archers, using heavier armor-piercing arrows, focusing fire on the joint connections, might have a chance."
Shen Mu's gaze once again turned to the darkness outside the city: "They won't give up. Tonight was just a test."
His instructions were cold and clear:
"Relay my orders: All city wall sentry posts are to raise their alert level to the highest. Set up hidden sentries five hundred meters outside the city, connecting warning lines with steel bells, and reinforce the East Gate! Install a second, simple iron grate on the inside, dig anti-cavalry pits in front of the city gate, and embed spikes."
"All Vigia Sharpshooters and Heavy Crossbowmen are to receive armor-piercing bodkin arrows. And send word to Deherim, to dispatch a contingent of Swadian Sergeant here!"
"Bestour, have your scouts expand their reconnaissance range, especially looking for abnormal energy fluctuations. If signs are detected, send word immediately and retreat at all costs."
Shen Mu's voice was decisive and unyielding: "We will make these new Undead Legion collide with the anvil Deherim has prepared for them. The next time they try to use force to break through, they will pay the price... of shattered bone armor."
Everyone acknowledged the command in unison, and a chilling aura permeated the city wall.
A flame reignited in Bestour's eyes, a bloodthirsty anticipation for the stronger collision to come.
Only Shen Mu's eyes, their depths a deeper, colder gloom, seemed to silently decipher the malevolence and hidden rules from deeper within the spirit world that the black light of the Undead represented.
The night grew darker.
The cold wind swept across the dunes, like the wailing of the Undead, announcing that the next confrontation was brewing in the dark night.
And Shen Mu stood at the top of the city gate, looking at the Skeleton Cavalry and the Skeleton Infantry around them retreating outside the city wall of New Rivadin, his expression growing more solemn: "How interesting. I originally thought that bringing Long City completely under my control was within reach, but I didn't expect new enemies to appear. This really makes me a bit troubled."
Although he said so, Shen Mu's face showed no fear or deep distress, only a cold impassiveness.
It must be said that Shen Mu enjoyed this sense of challenge.
And now, for Shen Mu, a new challenge had arrived. So, facing this challenge with the even stronger forces of Deherim was a very pleasant thing. (End of Chapter)
