“The Lord’s analysis is thorough,” Lezalit’s steady voice rang out. He stepped forward and drew a circle on the map over the area representing Long City and its surroundings, especially the Underground station area.
“My subordinate speculates that perhaps it is precisely because of the strong presence of my Deherim Legion here, especially after several clashes deep within the Underground tunnels, that we have severely wounded the Black Arrow Tower Seventh Dynasty.”
He paused, his gaze solemn: “When a powerful force is suddenly heavily struck from outside and reveals its weakness, its equally powerful ‘neighbors’ who covet its territory or resources will naturally harbor improper thoughts. This sudden attack and counterattack between Bone Armor Cavalry and Skeleton Archers outside the city is likely the Ghost Light Dynasty taking advantage of your illness to claim your life, attempting to swallow or even replace them! They want to seize the opportunity while Black Arrow Tower is weakened by us to decisively defeat their main force, and then monopolize this strategic chokepoint!”
Lezalit’s final conclusion pointed to that immense temptation—the ruins of Long City and the more central Underground tunnel node.
“Dogs fighting over territory!” Bestour growled, a fierce glint in his eyes. “Even Skeleton scraps understand this?”
“I’m afraid so,” Aleron interjected, his voice calm yet sharp. “Among the shattered bone fragments brought back by the scouts from below the city, there are not only the gray bone scraps of the Ghost Light Dynasty but also the pale bone fragments of Black Arrow Tower, and even charred pieces of demonic puppets… These chaotic battlefield remnants themselves silently speak of the ambitions of multiple factions engaged in a chaotic battle.”
This confirmed Shen Mu’s earlier judgment about the various factions being wary of each other and waiting for an opportunity to act.
Shen Mu stood before the map again, his gaze sweeping over the faces of his core generals, finally settling on the area marked with danger and battlefield.
“The devil’s bait has been cast, and the undead’s fangs are tearing at each other. New Rivadin is the most stable bedrock in the eye of this storm.”
He slowly raised his hand, his voice like quenched cold iron, carrying an undeniable command: “Continue monitoring, Bestour, dispatch two more teams of rangers. Let them be like the most cunning sand foxes, closely watching all unusual movements in the area where the two undead forces are fighting, especially any signs of high-level Bone Armor Cavalry that can unleash ‘Ghost Light.’ I want to know how much stamina they have left after this war of attrition.”
“Lezalit, the fortress is our armor. The final arrow tower on the city wall must be topped out by noon tomorrow. Widen the pre-set buffer zone in the horse pit area by another ten paces, ensuring that even if a group of cavalry unleashing ‘Ghost Light’ charges to the base of the wall, they will become living targets for our arrow towers.”
“Aleron, double the quota of spare armor-piercing arrows for the Vigia Sharpshooter. From now on, I want two-tenths of the Sharpshooters on every section of the city wall to be in the highest state of readiness at all times, bows half-drawn, arrows on the string, ready to meet any assault from any direction, in any form!”
He turned around, his back to the flickering firelight, leaving a silhouette that appeared even more resolute and aloof against the backdrop of the massive map, only his cold words reverberating through the hall like a declaration of steel:
“Since they all want Long City, want this place, then let them come. Let them here, on the battlefield of their mutual hatred, beneath the bulwark of Deherim, drain their last ounce of decaying energy. Their Skeleton will become the foundation of the new city wall, their demise will forge New Rivadin’s true secure border! Command everyone to reinforce the fortifications and prepare for battle. Our opportunity lies in their weakness after their self-consumption!”
Inside the Lord’s Hall, Shen Mu’s cold and powerful commands were like giant stones thrown into stagnant water; every word heavily struck the hearts of the three generals, yet ignited an even greater fighting spirit.
Bestour pounded his chest with a low growl, “Understood!” He then turned and swiftly exited the hall with Gegen, Batu, and others, the clatter of armor and weapons quickly fading at the end of the corridor leading to the city tower. Clearly, he was going to immediately deploy troops and set up a more stringent surveillance network.
Aleron and Lezalit exchanged glances, both seeing the other’s admiration for Shen Mu’s analysis and decisiveness in their eyes.
Aleron gently pounded his chest towards Shen Mu, saying clearly, “Lord, I will go now to adjust the defenses and ensure the bows and crossbows are always in optimal condition.”
Lezalit also calmly added, “The main arrow tower will be closed before dawn, and the widened buffer zone will be completed before sunset.”
The two then also neatly turned and left, leaving only the crackling of burning torches in the hall and the faint sounds of commands from the distant city walls.
When the heavy hall doors closed, cutting off the night wind and clamor from outside, Shen Mu stood alone again, facing the large map.
His gaze fell on the “Dune Battle Zone” marker where the Ghost Light Second Dynasty and Black Arrow Tower Seventh Dynasty’s spheres of influence converged, then slowly moved to the sturdy emblem representing the New Rivadin fortress, finally settling on the words “Long City” outlined in dark script.
He extended a finger and lightly tapped the area marked with conflict and death. On his ice-cold face, there was no ripple, only a hint of cold amusement, known only to himself, of a strategic chess player surveying the entire situation, flickering deep within his profound, cold eyes.
“Interesting, before this, these Skeleton Archers and those Skeleton Cavalry had a battle. I originally thought it was just a coincidence, but I didn’t expect that they are indeed hostile…”
A low voice, almost a soliloquy, echoed in the hall, carrying an almost ruthless sense of control: “Information from hell, the chaos and internal strife of the undead—this is truly too interesting.”
His gaze turned to the inky night sky outside the window, as if he could already pierce through the thick fog and darkness, seeing the dawn of order that would eventually arrive after the chaos, an order written by his will.
Time, like the constantly encroaching quicksand outside New Rivadin, quietly slipped by for more than ten days and nights.
The land east of the city, which once retained traces of Long City’s suburbs, has now completely transformed into a monotonous, desolate, grey-yellow Desert.
Sparse vegetation has long vanished, leaving only undulating sand dunes, endlessly devouring the imprints of past civilizations under the spirit world rules.
Only the Underground station entrance and the broken walls of Su Family Village, like the remaining Skeleton of the earth, silently tell of bygone days.
However, inside the new city, the atmosphere was tense and efficient.
Thanks to Shen Mu’s continuous recruitment and Bestour’s relentless training, the number of Kujit Steppe Bandit belonging to the Deherim Legion has surged to over five hundred riders.
This large light cavalry force was not idle in the city; instead, like a handful of sand poured by Shen Mu onto the Desert, he steadfastly spread them into the increasingly dangerous, desolate land east of New Rivadin.
Their mission was clear and deadly—to become the eyes and ears extending from New Rivadin’s city walls.
These riders, honed by Bestour to be as vigilant and cunning as sand foxes, operated in groups of two or three. Leveraging their natural adaptability to sandy terrain, they silently roamed a vast area.
They avoided the “Dune Battle Zone” where the two undead forces frequently clashed, weaving an invisible early warning net that covered all critical chokepoints and high vantage points leading to the fortress.
“Lord, Bestour requests to report.” The Kujit’s voice sounded from the city wall, as rough as the steppe always.
Shen Mu’s gaze retracted from the boundless sand sea outside the city, falling upon Bestour’s face, which was slightly anxious from the wind and vigilance.
“Speak.”
“Those eagle fledglings sent out need a faster, more covert way to relay the dangers they see and smell,” Bestour said, pointing to two sand dunes about two or three li east of the city, standing like two giant tombs. “Those two large sandbags are perfect.”
“Oh? What is this?” Shen Mu’s eyes sharpened.
“The method is very simple!” Bestour grinned, a wild pride showing. “The sand dune on the left is our pre-set ‘No Incident Dune.’ If it’s safe with no unusual activity, we send one or two lads to climb up and stand there, just enough for the city tower to see their figures. The one on the right is the ‘Warning Dune.’ If they discover a situation, whether it’s smoke or a ghost, the more people who climb up, the bigger the problem!”
Shen Mu nodded slightly, signaling him to elaborate.
Bestour extended his rough fingers, gesturing one by one: “Specifically, it works like this: one figure standing on the left dune means ‘nothing, not even a bird in sight’; two people mean ‘a tiny bit of trouble, like small cats and dogs’; three figures mean ‘quite a few guys have arrived, need to be careful’; four figures, that’s ‘stirred up a hornet’s nest, the enemy is very large-scale’! And if…” He paused, his tone becoming exceptionally grave, “five people are standing there! Then don’t say anything else, it means ‘Lord! A legion is coming! Heading straight for our city gates!’”
He licked his chapped lips, concluding, “If both dunes have people, that means it’s an urgent, catastrophic situation! It means the enemy is gathering right under our noses and will attack immediately! This way, the brothers in the main tower’s watchtower can see at a glance whether it’s safe, a small problem, a big problem, or an impending disaster! It’s more effective than any smoke signals or horns! And it’s silent!”
Lezalit, who had been standing behind Shen Mu, responsible for city wall defenses, nodded steadily upon hearing this: “Very interesting. Using terrain to establish visual signals avoids time delays and exposure risks of scouts delivering information back and forth. If we see a five-person warning, we will have enough time to sound the alarm and prepare to meet the enemy.”
A glimmer of approval flashed in Shen Mu’s eyes. This was indeed a clever application of Bestour’s nomadic experience combined with the current environment. “Very good. Do this immediately. Have all Steppe Bandit teams memorize the rules.”
“Understood, Lord!” Bestour saluted with his hand to his chest and turned to relay the order.
Just as the early warning network outside New Rivadin became increasingly precise, like the extended nerve endings of the fortress, new aid arrived within the city.
The heavy city gate opened a small crack with the sound of a winch, and Aleron’s tall figure appeared in the gateway, followed by a group of figures whose demeanor was distinctly different from human soldiers.
He nodded slightly to the waiting envoy: “The handover is complete. You’ve had a difficult journey.”
“It is my duty,” the envoy replied respectfully, then turned towards the city tower, saluting Shen Mu with a hand to his chest: “Respected Lord Shen Mu! We have come under the command of Lord Bandak, escorting the first contingent of reinforcements from Elf Forest!”
He stepped aside, revealing about fifty agile figures behind him.
They wore dark green, form-fitting leather armor or specially toughened chainmail shirts with leaf and vine patterns, carried long, elegantly shaped composite bows on their backs, and had sharp, focused eyes, like the finest hunters of the forest.
“Reporting, Lord,” the envoy’s voice carried the tranquility of the forest. “Fifty Wood Elf archers, ‘ranged shooters of Elf Forest,’ have arrived in New Rivadin today!”
Shen Mu’s gaze swept over these warriors from the distant forest.
He could feel their distinct qualities compared to the Vigia Sharpshooter—Vigia archers were symbols of discipline and strength, excelling at mass volleys to create covering arrow rain, and in city defense battles, they were skilled at using powerful armor-piercing arrows to precisely suppress heavily armored targets.
These Wood Elf, however, were primarily characterized by precision and adaptability.
After the envoy briefly described their abilities, Aleron, the highest-ranking officer of the Vigia archers, also added at the appropriate moment:
“Lord, preliminary drills concluded,” Aleron’s voice held a hint of imperceptible surprise and appreciation, “As you can see, they have demonstrated remarkable skill. In terms of long-range sniping, their range far exceeds that of archers of comparable rank under my command. They can accurately hit a thumb-sized bullseye from two hundred paces away, their arrow trajectories are stable, their wind resistance is extremely strong, and while their penetration might be slightly inferior to our specialized armor-piercing heavy arrows, they are lethal weapons for precise targeting of light-to-medium armor or critical weak points.”
He paused, then continued, “Their rapid-fire capability at mid-to-close range is equally astonishing. Once within short-to-medium engagement range of a hundred paces, their draw speed and rhythm are excellent, allowing for extremely deadly rapid, precise consecutive shots. Their dense ‘point-arrow rain’ is remarkably effective in suppressing elite squad assaults or hindering key targets.”
Aleron honestly added, “Of course, as intelligence suggests, they are indeed not proficient in our Vigia’s standardized, area-of-effect focused mass volleys. This stems from their emphasis on free firing lanes and individual judgment; their formation discipline is slightly weaker, and large-scale group suppression is not their core combat tactic.”
Despite Aleron pointing out the shortcomings in volley fire, Shen Mu’s stern face for the first time showed a clear expression of satisfaction.
This satisfaction was not mere joy, but a clear understanding of strategic value.
Vigia Archers were sturdy shields and heavy hammers, excelling in large-scale defense and suppression.
These Wood Elf, however, were like extremely precise, poison-tipped daggers and eagle feathers, excellent forces for hunting key targets such as Ghost Light Bone Armor Cavalry, spell-casting undead, conducting special operations, or accompanying elite squads for high-difficulty interdiction.
Their addition made Deherim’s ranged strike system more three-dimensional and lethal.
“Precise as the stars, swift as the wind. Children of the forest, New Rivadin welcomes your arrival.” Shen Mu’s voice held a hint of solemnity: “Aleron!”
“Here, Lord!” Aleron immediately stepped forward.
“Integrate these Wood Elf archers into your direct shooter sequence, under your personal command. Their training grounds and special arrow supply will be prioritized. Get them familiar with the fortress environment as quickly as possible and integrate tactics with their Vigia brothers to form complementary firepower.”
Shen Mu’s gaze swept over the quiet yet sharp Wood Elf: “Your eyes and arrows will be the key sharp blades to tear through the undead mist.”
The fortress’s defense system, like precise gears, hummed with even greater power, reinforced by both alarm whistles and precise arrows.
Aleron pounded his chest: “Understood!” (End of Chapter)
