The Ranger Captain stood tall and straight, his silver hair tied back, and his emerald eyes as sharp as an eagle's.
After saluting with a hand over his chest, he reported clearly in a voice with a woodland rhythm:
"My Lord, over the past four days, the harassment on the outskirts of the Elf Forest has been constant. Those Skeletons, driven by decay, are like carrion jackals drawn by the smell of blood. Their numbers far exceed the past, and among them are mixed 'Black Iron' variants with tough bone armor and faster movements, similar to what you saw in New Uxhall, and even… ghostly entities formed by mist, moving elusively."
He looked up, his gaze possessing the calm sharpness unique to a woodland warrior: "However, relying on the geographical advantage granted to us by this Elf Forest, combined with the sturdy shields of Rodok warriors and the keen arrows of us Elven archers, all assaults have been repelled. They tried to climb the walls, but were impaled and strung up by long spears; they tried to disperse and infiltrate the Elf Forest, but got lost among the layers of trees and vines, becoming living targets for arrows from above. Every leaf of the Elf Forest is our eyes and ears, and every thick branch is our bulwark. Although a few scattered enemies managed to break into the inner layers under the cover of thick fog, they were all turned into dry bones beneath the decaying wood in the Elf Forest under our squad-based encirclement, failing to cause any substantial threat."
His words were poetic.
Shen Mu listened carefully, his gaze sweeping over the surrounding defensive fortifications and the firm yet slightly weary expressions on the faces of the Elven and Rodok warriors, knowing that behind this brief calm lay countless fierce engagements.
He nodded slightly, affirming Legolas and the soldiers' efforts: "Well done. Constructing such a three-dimensional defense line and maximizing the woodland advantage to this extent is truly not easy. Your steadfast defense has greatly alleviated the pressure on New Uxhall and even Deherim."
At this moment, another, older Wood Elf archery captain standing behind Legolas stepped forward. His face held a look of solemnity and certainty as he added:
"Lord, what the Captain said is true. However, there is another unusual situation that I must report to you. Just on that late night four days ago…"
He paused deliberately, as if recalling the heart-pounding scene at the time: "The thick fog rolled and surged as never before, as if stirred by an invisible giant hand. It was then that a terrifying, earth-shaking roar came from the deepest core of Long City—that area known as the Death Core! The sound was like mountains collapsing, or a deep abyss, silent for tens of thousands of years, suddenly tearing open its maw. What followed was a… soul-freezing, extremely cold, and extremely evil aura impact, sweeping through the entire jungle like a tidal wave, making even ancient trees tremble and groan. Even from such a distance, and even with the protection of the Elf Forest's will, our comrades stationed at the westernmost watchtower felt a sense of oppression and fear from the depths of their souls. That was definitely not ordinary death spirit rules agitation; it was more like some… terrifying existence, long dormant or sealed, had completely awakened, or… some terrible 'gate' had been forcibly opened!"
When Calebawn finished speaking, the entire area beneath the ancient tree fell into a brief silence; even the sound of the wind seemed to lessen.
The Rodok warriors also nodded solemnly to Shen Mu, confirming that what was said was true.
"Late night four days ago? A huge roar? An abyss-like evil aura?" Shen Mu's gaze suddenly became incredibly sharp.
The sudden intensification of the great fog reported by Bandak, the leap in monster strength, the new type of Skeleton and necromancers encountered by New Uxhall, and his own encounter with the strengthened undead cluster in the thick fog last night… All these strange changes, in terms of timing, perfectly coincided with the terrifying roar described from deep within Long City!
This was definitely not a coincidence!
Thick fog, strengthened undead, the core anomaly perceived by the Wood Elves… All the clues, like twisted vines, ultimately pointed to the deepest, darkest, unknown core area of Long City.
Shen Mu's gaze pierced through the thin mist in the Elf Forest, as if he wanted to look towards the deepest part of that massive death city.
There, hidden, was the source stirring all the current storms, a key existence that triggered a drastic change in the undead forces and could even rewrite the entire power structure of the Long City region!
The Ranger Captain's words, "gate" and "soul-freezing evil aura," like invisible hooks, completely seized Shen Mu's thoughts.
A drastic change must have occurred deep within Long City—a change capable of affecting the entire region's death spirit rules landscape, turning the thick fog into nourishment, and rapidly strengthening monsters.
The sudden increase in pressure on New Uxhall and the anomalies in the Elf Forest all stemmed from this.
The unknown was the greatest risk; he had to go and see the source himself.
"The source… is in the city center." Shen Mu's voice was low but carried an undeniable resolve, his gaze piercing through the much sparser but still unsettling thin mist of the Elf Forest, directed towards the blurred and grim outline of that massive city to the west: "We'll have a simple meal, and then we'll depart this afternoon to take a look."
There was no lengthy meeting, no excessive deployment.
At the core stronghold of the Elf Forest, Shen Mu and ten Holy Tree Knights silently enjoyed the dried rations and clear water provided by the Wood Elves.
The food was simple, but sufficient to replenish the energy needed for the long journey and the upcoming actions.
The Holy Tree Knights silently checked their mithril lances and heavy armor, their movements fluid and steady, their cold, indifferent faces showing no hint of tension, only a pure and restrained will to fight silently surging.
In the afternoon, the sun should have been at its most intense, but filtering through the decaying clouds and thick spirit world rules fog shrouding Long City, the light cast on the edge of the Elf Forest appeared pale and weak, with a touch of twilight orange.
The air was still viscous, permeated with an lingering stench of decay and sulfur.
Shen Mu mounted his horse, and the Holy Tree Knights followed closely.
Like a silent silver streamline, no longer lingering on the vitality and protection of the Elf Forest's edge, they galloped swiftly, plunging headfirst into that concrete jungle—the center of Long City—which had completely become a death spirit rules kingdom.
As soon as they entered the suburban area, lined with tall buildings, a suffocating silence enveloped them, far more complete and profound than the foggy areas of New Uxhall or the outskirts of the Elf Forest.
The city's "shell" was miraculously preserved.
Skyscrapers stood like giant tombstones, their glass curtain walls shattered and mottled, reflecting the dim sky; abandoned vehicles on the wide streets were rusted and overturned or crushed into twisted metal mounds; once bustling shop signs hung askew, their lettering blurred.
However, all traces of "life"—human sounds, the activities of living beings, even signs of struggling to survive—had vanished.
Time here seemed to have frozen at the moment of destruction, then repeatedly washed and permeated by the merciless spirit world rules and death spirit rules aura for several years.
Apart from the cold wind howling through the buildings, like weeping, there was the pervasive, oppressive silence that seemed to seep from the depths of the earth, from the very bones of the structures.
Shen Mu's senses were fully open, his mental power like invisible tentacles, cautiously sweeping over this silent facade, probing the hidden horrors.
He could clearly "perceive" that beneath the forest of skyscrapers, deep within the foundations of every building, at the entrance of every dark underground parking lot, and within every sewage-filled drainage system, countless "presences" lay dormant.
They were twisted, cold, and filled with hatred for the living.
It was an ocean of death spirit rules energy, a nest of Skeletons, decaying corpses, vengeful spirits, and many more indescribable, twisted things!
The death spirit rules concentration in this area was terrifyingly high; even for him, the extension of his mental power was like a difficult trek through viscous blood, every scan fraught with the dangerous feeling of being locked onto by countless cold malevolences.
The open street where they currently stood, seemingly safe on the surface, was in fact like walking on thin ice at the edge of a volcano.
"Be cautious." Shen Mu's voice was exceptionally clear in the silence, carrying a cold, commanding tone: "Maintain formation, keep your energy contained, our target is the city center, try to avoid unnecessary conflicts along the way."
"Yes, My Lord." The Holy Tree Knight Captain at the front responded softly. The ten Knights instantly spread out and converged with incredibly subtle tacit agreement, forming a flexible, arrow-shaped defensive array, guarding Shen Mu in the core rear.
Their Swadia warhorses were also extraordinary, their steps as light as cats, minimizing the sound of their hooves on the ground.
The faint glow emanating from their mithril heavy armor was deliberately suppressed by the Knights with their pure holy power, restrained to the extreme, to avoid becoming the most conspicuous torch in the darkness.
The ten men moved as one, stealthily advancing through this silent tomb city.
However, the sensitivity of the death spirit rules to the aura of the living far exceeded imagination, especially in their core stronghold.
As the team had just entered a large crossroads area where six streets converged, an anomaly suddenly occurred!
"Screech—Hiss! ! !"
Several piercing, inhuman shrieks simultaneously broke the silence from all directions! The sounds did not come from the ground, but from the rooftops of three extremely tall office buildings: to their front-side, rear-right, and directly to their left!
Immediately after, the sky was suddenly obscured by a dense swarm of black dots!
They weren't arrows! They were "people"—or rather, self-detonating zombies wrapped in ragged clothes, with shriveled flesh clinging tightly to their Skeletons, and eyesockets glowing with mad green soul fire!
They were clearly being specifically controlled by some force, precisely choosing this most open and difficult-to-avoid moment, a shadowy place where blue star rules were not abundant, and a dim location, to leap from hundred-meter-high rooftops like dumplings falling into a pot!
Like a meteor shower from hell!
These fearless undead began to swell in mid-air, a dark red, lava-like glow emanating from beneath their decaying flesh!
Carrying a nauseating, foul death spirit rules aura, they were densely packed, covering the entire crossroads from above!
Their purpose was simple and brutal.
To use the cheapest undead creations, the most insane suicidal attacks, with widespread explosive impact and death spirit rules energy containing strong corrosion and curses, to completely bury this elite squad that had intruded into the heartland!
"Above! Evade—Purify! ! !"
The Holy Tree Knight Captain's roar was like a clap of thunder! Almost the instant the zombies appeared and leapt, the ten Knights had already reacted! Their long-standing coordinated effort was already etched into their bones!
They did not scatter!
As the Captain roared, the entire arrow-shaped formation rapidly converged with unimaginable speed, protecting Shen Mu in the center!
Ten mithril lances sliced through the air, suddenly thrusting upwards!
The spear tips precisely locked onto the closest falling zombies!
"Puff! Puff! Puff! Puff! Puff!"
The sound of piercing flesh merged into one continuous noise!
Zombies impaled by the long lances exploded in mid-air like punctured balloons!
But there were too many zombies!
And the time for their descent from that height was extremely short!
More than half of the zombies still bypassed the precise interception, defiantly falling onto the outer perimeter of the Knight formation! Several of them even charged directly towards Shen Mu!
At this critical moment, the other Holy Tree Knights drew their Knight's swords and went up to meet them.
Puff puff puff puff…!
Dull explosive sounds merged into a continuous roar!
It was like stepping on a ground full of rotten pustules!
There were no earth-shattering explosions, no spreading shockwaves; under the Holy Tree Knights' slashes and the trampling of horse hooves, those zombies, as if deflating, directly turned into soft mud and shattered remains.
Only foul, dark green pulp and shredded flesh splattered down like a downpour, deader than dead!
The crisis seemed to be resolved instantly!
But in that fleeting moment of chaos and contamination!
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Three streaks of black light, moving at speeds beyond the limit of visual capture!
Silently, carrying a mind-freezing, cold malevolence! Like three venomous snakes lurking in the shadows, waiting for a long time, they shot out from a broken window on the second floor of a low-rise supermarket diagonally across the street, taking advantage of the moment when everyone was clashing with the zombie explosives, their minds not yet redirected, and their vision obscured by the purifying flames in mid-air!
Target—Shen Mu!
They were three bizarrely shaped bone short spears, entirely black, with spearheads not like sharp cones, but like the barbed stinger of a giant scorpion!
Thick, almost materialized black mist coiled around them!
Within the surging black mist, countless distorted, struggling soul phantoms were vaguely visible!
That was the power of vicious curses and instant-death rules from the death spirit rules!
The attacking undead not only knew how to use suicidal zombies as cover to draw fire, but also possessed the chilling intelligence to instantly seize a combat opportunity and launch a fatal blow!
While neutralizing the self-detonation crisis, the Holy Tree Knights had already keenly sensed the new deadly threat, but those bone spears came too fast, too tricky!
And the death spirit rules curse aura they contained made the holy mithril within their heavy armor instinctively glow with heat.
"Not good!"
They wanted to defend.
But could only watch as the three cursed bone spears, entwined with the wailing of vengeful souls, were about to strike the core of the formation—
Shen Mu!
And they were powerless!
But at that very moment, Shen Mu, riding on his warhorse, almost instinctively raised his left arm.
His left arm was also covered by a Holy Tree Knight Shield.
'Bang! Bang! Bang!'
With three loud thuds, three short spears, each the length of an adult's arm and three fingers thick, appeared embedded in the Holy Tree Knight Shield, which was made of high-quality wood, cowhide, and a small amount of mithril plating.
And the black mist swirling around the short spears, upon touching the mithril on the shield and the sunlight above, began to sizzle.
As if…
A massive chemical reaction was occurring! (End of Chapter)
