"Target spotted! Third-floor window, Skeleton Archer! Two of them!" The Wood Elf lookout's sharp elven warning from the treetop platform had just faded.
"Whoosh! Whoosh!" The sound of arrows cutting through the air immediately followed.
The Vigia Sharpshooter's armor-piercing arrows, as if guided by eyes, shot into the broken window from two tricky angles!
The faint sound of bones shattering was heard, and two points of emerald green soul fire instantly extinguished.
Fighting quickly broke out on every street and in every building.
The Alley and Building Shura Field
Although daylight weakened the obstruction of sunlight by the thick fog, it also dispelled the sense of concealment, exposing the Undead to the steel torrent.
However, the battle in the city center was far more bloody and complex than in open ground.
The narrow streets became a meat grinder.
The Holy Tree Knight's charge was immensely powerful, but when they encountered temporary barricades made of Black Iron Skeleton Shield Bearers and massive Abomination corpses, they had no choice but to briefly halt.
Skeleton Warriors formed a rigid yet sturdy formation, using bone shields as dark as iron to firmly resist the impact. Abominations roared, wielding rusty iron rods or car wreckage, clashing head-on with heavy armor.
Arrows and bone spears flew like locusts through the streets and alleys, clashing against walls, shields, and heavy armor, creating a cacophony of clanging sounds.
"Spearman! Right flank! Second floor of the ruined cafe!" A Swadian Knight's helmet was grazed by a heavy bone spear, emitting a harsh scraping sound, and he roared hoarsely.
"Leave it to me!" On the roof of a three-story apartment building not far away, a Rodok Sharpshooter calmly pulled the trigger.
An adamantine heavy crossbow bolt, engraved with anti-magic runes, shot through the broken window like a gray lightning bolt, precisely piercing the head of the dark figure who was raising a bone spear again!
The enormous kinetic energy of the crossbow bolt even lifted it off the ground, pinning it to the wall behind it.
Clearing the interior of the buildings was like exploring an ant-nest hell. The inside of the massive commercial complex was a mess; collapsed shelves, broken glass, and dried, blackened blood were everywhere, and the intense stench of decay was almost palpable.
Sunlight streamed through the damaged dome and windows, casting pale pillars of light into the dust.
The Holy Tree Knight's heavy armor was not suitable for climbing through ruins, so the main force for clearing the interior became Rodok Sergeants wielding tower shields and war hammers, Swadian Infantry skilled in close-quarters combat, and archer teams providing suppression and guidance from above.
Every time a deformed fire door was pushed open, every time a dark corner was turned, an ambush could be encountered.
Ordinary Skeletons lunged from the shadows, only to be shattered by tower shields or smashed by war hammers; swift Skeleton Stalkers attempted to ambush from ceilings or ventilation ducts, but were precisely picked off by Vakian Sharpshooters; and from deep within the thick fog, cold arrows or clay pots containing corrosive liquid would suddenly be thrown.
"Watch the ground! It's corrosive acid!" A Sergeant Captain, quick-witted, slammed his tower shield heavily onto the ground, blocking several splashes of dark green liquid, and the shield's surface immediately hissed.
"Left rear safety passage! Something's hitting the door! It's heavy!" Another squad reported nervously, and two Sergeants immediately raised their shields to brace against it.
"Boom!" Accompanied by the screeching sound of tearing metal, the door was burst open, and a "Constructed Abomination", stitched together from several heavy engineering machine parts with black smoke billowing from its joints, roared and squeezed out, its massive drill arm slamming down towards the Sergeants blocking the door!
"Get out of the way!" "Quick, get out of the way!"
At that critical moment, the Forest Fortress Ballistas, which had been waiting outside the building, roared under the guidance of the observation post!
"Buzz—Boom!"
A thick green "meteor" rose from the ground, blasting through the outer wall of the building!
The enormous elven root spear, with unparalleled kinetic energy and tearing effect, pierced into the chest of the "Constructed Abomination" like a battering ram!
It carried its massive body backward, smashing through two concrete walls before exploding into burning metal and bone and flesh remnants with a deafening roar!
The battle inside the building was fierce and continuous, but the army under Shen Mu's command, which concentrated Deherim's strongest forces, coordinated seamlessly and advanced steadily.
The Rodok Sergeants' shield wall advanced step by step, while crossbowmen and archers mercilessly sniped every Undead attempting to resist.
After clearing the street obstacles, the Holy Tree Knight quickly broke into the core entrances of various buildings, stabilizing morale like a pillar of the sea.
Swadian Knight patrolled back and forth outside, slaying scattered enemies emerging from other districts or sewers, ensuring the safety of the clearing force's flanks.
Time flew by in battle.
One after another, once-prosperous landmark buildings were recaptured.
Broken glass windows reflected the mountains of Skeleton debris and the charred Abomination remnants burned by holy flames below.
Shen Mu did not personally storm every building; he commanded from a reinforced command vehicle, patrolling in relatively safe areas.
His mental power, like a precise radar, swept through the cleared areas, sensing any residual energy fluctuations or hidden traps, while also directing the squad commanders in various areas and coordinating the cooperation between the giant crossbows and infantry.
"My Lord, Sector 7's 'Starlight Tower' is largely cleared, a large Skeleton gathering point has been discovered, suspected to be a small conversion pool, and has now been destroyed!" A breathless messenger reported, his face smudged with black ash and sweat.
"Report, the entrance to the underground garage of 'Times Square' on Central Commercial Street is encountering strong resistance, with a large number of Black Iron Skeleton and spellcasters! Requesting support!" Another voice urgently sounded in the communication scroll.
"Granted! Send coordinates to Artillery Position Three!" Shen Mu calmly ordered, his gaze turning to a massive Forest Ballista nearby that was beginning to adjust its firing angle.
The thunderous roar and subsequent collapse of the building announced the demise of the resistors.
As the clearing deepened, the resistance encountered became increasingly fierce and bizarre.
The Undead seemed to realize that daytime was no longer their home ground, becoming agitated and more aggressive.
More and more elite units—Skeleton Spearmen, Skeleton Mages, and even Black Iron Skeleton Cavalry riding Skeleton Boars—were thrown into battle.
Shen Mu could clearly feel that the closer they got to the city center, the core area shrouded in black clouds, the clearer the deep evil will in the air became, like a sleeping giant turning over, causing slight tremors in the ground and deep within the buildings.
Shen Mu stood on the roof of the vehicle, looking at the cleared, messy streets and the layers of buildings still shrouded in shadows and thin black mist ahead, his eyes as sharp as ever.
"Continue," his cold voice spread throughout the army, "Advance forward, until the last building! Let this city of the Undead burn completely!"
A new round of attack horns, accompanied by the roar of ballistas and the shouts of warriors, sounded again, a sharp sword piercing the last barrier of Long City's rotten heart.
...
The steel torrent unleashed by the Holy Tree Knight Order, like a red-hot war hammer, deeply smashed into the decaying heartland of Long City.
Driven by Shen Mu's cold will, the tall Knights fearlessly led the army, stepping over burning Undead remnants and shattered rebar and concrete, steadily advancing towards the central area.
Torches were lit; in the narrow alleys and at the broken walls of bombed-out buildings, soldiers lit more torches.
The flickering orange-red light fiercely tore at the impenetrable darkness within the buildings, exposing the pale Skeletons and wriggling decaying flesh hidden in the shadows.
"Front team, hold steady!!" A Holy Tree Knight Captain roared from horseback, his heavy arm, covered in mithril chainmail, swung down fiercely.
Behind him, a squad of Swadian Knight, equipped with heavy chainmail and leather-covered iron shields, immediately formed a human wall, their heavy hooves stomping on broken glass and rubble, making a chilling sound.
A dozen Rodok Sergeants followed closely, gripping their elongated halberds, the sharp tips gleaming with cold light.
Before them was a canyon-like street, squeezed to only a few meters wide by the collapsed tall buildings on both sides.
In the darkness, countless crimson, sickly green, and eerie blue soul fires lit up densely, like infernal ghost lamps.
Not cannon fodder.
The bones of these Skeleton Warriors were a chilling dark gray, covered with black patterns like rust, and many Skeleton joints were even covered with crude but exceptionally sturdy fragments of bone armor.
In their hands were no longer rusty swords, but relatively complete bone knives, bone hammers, and even a few Skeletons held crude shields pieced together from twisted metal strips—elite remnants of the Black Arrow Tower Seventh Dynasty!
"It's the Skeleton Guard! Black Iron!" The Swadian Knight officer in charge of this front line's pupils contracted slightly, and he shrieked, "Shields up—!"
Before he finished speaking, a piercing shriek ripped through the air!
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
It wasn't from the front, but from the windows of the crumbling tall buildings and broken balconies on both sides!
Sheets of bone arrows, no longer crude, their arrowheads gleaming with a metallic cold light, accompanied by a chilling whistling sound, enveloped the vanguard squad at the entrance like a cold downpour!
"Thud thud thud thud—!"
Dense, drum-like impacts exploded on the tower shields and chainmail!
The excellent knight shields blocked most of them, but there were still a few bone arrows, with tricky angles and astonishing force, that pierced through the weak connections at the edges of the Rodok Sergeant's arm guards with a harsh scraping sound!
"Ugh!" A Sergeant grunted in pain, blood instantly staining the wool sleeve of his undershirt, but he gritted his teeth and did not retreat a single step.
"Fire arrows! Return fire! Suppress the upper floors!" The officer's voice was almost distorted by the whistling of arrows.
At the high street-facing windows and dilapidated stairwells in the rear, the Vigia Sharpshooters were already poised for battle.
Their hawk-like eyes caught every flicker of soul light from upstairs.
Snap! Snap! Snap!
The sound of bowstrings, more steady and powerful, rang out. The armor-piercing arrows fired from Vakian's specially made composite longbows, like precise death shuttles, spun at high speed and drilled into the windows of the Skeletons attempting to draw their bows again.
The skulls of several Skeleton Sharpshooters, with their decaying leather hats, instantly burst into ashen bone fragments!
In the flickering torchlight, the "Black Iron Skeleton Guard" in front seized the opportunity, letting out a silent roar, pushing the low wall formed by the remains of their comrades, and surging forward like a tide with faster, steadier steps than their previously encountered kin!
Their bone knives were raised high, bone hammers swung with force, and bone shields were at the very front; the sense of power was far beyond that of the previous cannon fodder!
"Holy Tree Knight! Charge! Pierce through them!" Holy light burst forth in the Holy Tree Knight Captain's eyes, and his mithril spear straightened abruptly.
"For Deherim! For Lord Shen Mu!" The Knights roared, their heavy-armored bodies erupting with terrifying power, and their massive warhorses galloped forward, smashing fiercely into the Skeleton tide!
Boom!!!
Bone shields shattered, and the Skeletons of the Black Iron Skeleton Warriors wailed, breaking and exploding under the suppression of absolute power and holy radiance!
But a few shield-bearing elite Skeletons were not instantly destroyed; they were knocked back, stumbling, their heavy bone hammers still whistling as they slammed heavily into the warhorses' armor or the Knights' shields, emitting dull thuds and sparking blinding flashes!
"Rodok! Halberd thrust! Don't let them close in!" The officer roared.
The Rodok Sergeants immediately followed, and, well-trained, they fiercely thrust their heavy halberds through the gaps between the fighting Knights in front of them!
The long-handled weapons showed their advantage in the narrow space, their halberd tips and crescent blades fiercely tearing and hacking at the Black Iron Skeletons attempting to fill the gaps from the sides.
Bone fragments flew, dark gray bone shards splattering wildly in the torchlight!
The slaughter shook the heavens!
The narrow alley entrance became an incredibly bloody meat grinder.
The roars of elite warriors, the neighing of warhorses, the grinding and shattering of Undead bones, the sharp clang of weapons colliding, and the continuous whistling of bows and crossbows from further back, mixed with pervasive dust and the nauseating stench of decay, formed a cruel tableau of medieval cold-weapon warfare in a post-apocalyptic ruin.
Shen Mu stood at a temporary observation point slightly behind, piled up with collapsed concrete blocks.
His full-body mithril heavy armor gleamed with a cold luster in the torchlight, and his iron-gray eyes beneath his hood were sharp as an eagle's, scanning the fierce battle ahead. The defensive line formed by the Black Iron Skeleton in front was much tougher than he had anticipated.
They were no longer rotten wood that would crumble at a touch, but were stubbornly resisting humanity's most elite forces under the restraint of some core will or battlefield law.
"The core of the Black Arrow Tower Seventh Dynasty's resistance is awakening..." Shen Mu's cold whisper was only audible to himself. He gripped the mithril greatsword at his waist, his hand on the ancient crossguard clenching slightly. "It seems the strongest Undead Legion remaining in this city is entrenched in its heart."
A messenger, covered in black ash and blood, ran up to Shen Mu and knelt on one knee: "My Lord! New Moon Street reports strong resistance encountered while clearing the second basement level of an office building! A large number of Skeleton Warriors equipped with relatively complete iron armor and wielding two-handed great axes have been found! Also, bone spike traps summoned by Skeleton spellcasters! Our forces are stalled, requesting heavy infantry or... or Holy Tree Knight from your side for support!"
Shen Mu's gaze shifted slightly, looking at the outline of another battlefield, defined by smoke and torchlight.
"It's not enough. The greater the resistance, the closer the core. Tell the vanguard assaulting Sector 7 not to be constrained by maintaining a neat formation. Rodok Sharpshooters will cooperate with Holy Tree Knight, focusing on eliminating Skeleton spellcasters and spearmen. Vigia Sharpshooters will extend their coverage deeper, suppressing the enemy's rear ranks."
His orders were clear, cold, and carried an undeniable penetrative force: "As for the underground of New Moon Street, bring lamp oil and burn them out."
"Yes!" The messenger nodded heavily, then turned and rushed back into the chaotic Shura field of light and shadow, blood and bones flying.
Shen Mu's gaze returned to the main battlefield ahead.
The Holy Tree Knight's charge finally breached the first Black Iron Skeleton defensive line in that narrow street, but they were not a rabble that would crumble at a touch.
The surviving Black Iron Skeleton Warriors and other Undead surging up from behind were relying on broken walls and ruins to form a thicker, seemingly endless Skeleton battle line at the wider street intersection.
In the darkness, those taller, more solidified soul fires flickered in and out of view. The intensity of the resistance, as expected, was rapidly escalating as they approached the heart.
"Advance!" Shen Mu's voice, like the clash of metal and stone, once again echoed across the battlefield, "Sweep away every inch of filth! Let light return to this place!"
Military orders were absolute.
Fatigue was dispelled, fear was drowned by battle intent.
Under the torchlight, Deherim's forces, after paying a price in blood, once again pushed forward with difficulty and determination.
Every barricade piled high with bones crumbled under the iron will and raging flames.
The massive dark silhouette of the city center, illuminated by blood and fire, also seemed to become more hideous and... restless.
The true decisive battle, with every step of the advance, was slowly drawing back its curtain. (End of this chapter)
