Their opponent—a Black Iron Skeleton Warrior, noticeably more robust and with cold, hard metallic gleam at its joints!
This warrior was exerting all its strength, swinging the rusted, broken greatblade in its hand with broad, sweeping, precise, and effective moves, fully consistent with its usual valiant and refined style!
Its soul fire was a relatively pure quiet green, carrying a cold dead silence and extreme abhorrence for the opponent's foul aura.
Every block and hack it made carried a resolute determination, like guarding its territory.
One dark red Skeleton had its arm bone severed by the greatblade's powerful cleave, with a few dark red sparks spluttering from the fracture, yet it used its other twisted bone claw to more frantically tear at the Black Iron Skeleton's leg joint!
Meanwhile, the other two dark red Skeletons, capitalizing on their companion's 'sacrifice,' flanked from both sides, their bone claws, trailing sulfurous black gas, plunging directly into the Black Iron Warrior's rib gaps!
This was no longer a battle between kin; it was more like monsters driven by two distinct primordial powers tearing at each other, a complete and utter fight to the death!
Kalain suppressed the shock in his heart and whispered a message through the small vine on his wrist used for short-range communication: “West side, Zone Three confirmed! Abyssal Corrupted Skeleton! Three against one! Target is a Black Iron Guard! Corrupted Skeleton characteristics: bones with dark red markings, frantic movements, sparks present! The source of Abyssal sulfurous aura is them!”
Almost simultaneously, rangers from other directions sent back similar reports:
“Seven o'clock direction, abandoned vehicle cover! Two Corrupted Skeletons gnawing on a half-rotted Walker! The Walker shows no special reaction, seems not to be infected by the Abyss!”
“Northeast side, collapsed Underground entrance! Five Corrupted Skeletons besieging a Black Iron Shield Infantry! The shield has been corroded with pits by the Abyss!”
“Important discovery! There seems to be a sulfur crystal-like object at the core of the Corrupted Skeleton! It briefly flashes and intensifies the foul smell when shattered!”
These scattered 'skirmish' fragments from various parts of the gray mist pieced together a cruel and clear picture.
The power of the Abyss was spreading like a greedy tumor deep within the core of Long City's deceased body, forcibly eroding, twisting, and appropriating the innate Undead power.
Those Skeletons entwined with sulfur and abyssal aura were the Abyss's claws, used to gnaw at Long City's very foundation!
And the remaining Black Iron Skeletons and uncorrupted Walkers, driven by instinct, were making their last futile resistance.
Not all patrol teams could observe as elegantly and covertly as the Elf scouts.
A patrol team consisting of ten Rodok Infantry and two Vigia Sharpshooters, at the edge of a relatively open abandoned square southwest of the Bulwark, directly stumbled into a sudden melee!
As they rounded a crumbling billboard, intense crashing and bone-cracking sounds suddenly erupted from the swirling gray mist ahead.
Three twisted Corrupted Skeletons were frantically attacking a small squad of Black Iron Skeleton Infantry arrayed in defense!
The Corrupted Skeletons' roars carried a choking sulfurous scent, and their attacks were chaotic but full of destructive intent.
The Black Iron Infantry's shields bore charred claw marks and pits, constantly being corroded and weakened.
One Corrupted Skeleton, torn in half at the waist, did not 'die'; its upper body still crawled on the ground with bone claws, its hollow eye sockets fixed on the nearest infantryman's ankle!
The sudden appearance of the patrol team broke the brief stalemate.
The Vigia Sharpshooter reacted extremely quickly, almost instinctively roaring: “Enemy attack! Abyssal Skeletons! Fire arrows!”
Armor-piercing arrows flew from the bowstrings, instantly hitting the breastbone of a Corrupted Skeleton mid-leap.
However, the anticipated shattering did not fully occur!
The arrow shattered some bones, revealing a dark red crystal core inside, about the size of a billiard ball, like solidified lava!
The surface of the crystal core gleamed with sulfurous light, and a stronger foul odor permeated the air!
The hit Skeleton's movements suddenly paused, emitting a silent soul scream, and then its remains suddenly burst open! Sharp bone fragments, burning with dark red sparks, shot out like buckshot in all directions!
“Shields up!” the Rodok Sergeant roared, simultaneously thrusting his war halberd.
A soldier at the front grunted, a burning bone fragment piercing through a gap in his armor plate, deeply embedding itself in his thigh!
Excruciating pain shot through him, but even more terrifyingly, sickening black and red patterns instantly appeared around the wound, a burning agony that made him almost unable to hold his weapon!
On the other side, that small squad of Black Iron Skeletons seemed not to consider the humans allies. A Corrupted Skeleton, heavily wounded by a human arrow, instantly drew their fire, and the two Black Iron Skeletons on the periphery suddenly turned, their hollow eye sockets locking onto the Vigia Sharpshooter who had just fired a second arrow, raising their broken weapons and charging over!
They perceived the humans' appearance as taking advantage of the chaos, or simply another target to eliminate!
“Damn it! They're not on the same side! Watch out for both fronts!” the Sergeant roared, simultaneously holding up his shield to block the flying bone fragments and swinging his halberd to try and force back the charging Black Iron Skeletons.
The scene instantly became chaotic.
Abyssal Corrupted Skeletons, remnants of Black Iron Undead, and the human patrol team were caught in a three-way melee in this small area!
The stench of sulfur, the crisp sound of cracking bones, the clash of metal, the groans of the wounded, and the soul-piercing screams emitted when the dark red crystal cores shattered intertwined.
Ultimately, this patrol team paid the price of three lightly wounded and one severely wounded, retreating in disarray after collectively shattering those few Corrupted Skeletons.
The severe burning pain and corrosive marks on the severely wounded soldier's leg were clearly visible, proving that the Abyssal corruption on that bone fragment was no illusion.
This bloody encounter report, along with the intelligence descriptions sent earlier by the Elf scouts, was quickly compiled and presented to Shen Mu.
Inside the huge treehouse command center at the Bulwark's core, the air was cold and heavy.
“Sir, the scout report and soldier encounter have been verified.”
Legolas's expression was extremely grim, “It can be confirmed that the power of the Abyss is directly creating a large number of 'aberrations' in Long City's core area through some form of erosion that we don't yet fully understand. They devour, transform, and attack all non-self existence. Those Skeletons with dark red markings, the sulfur core within them, their frantic combat characteristics, and the fragments that can erode flesh and blood… are all living proof! As for the Black Iron Skeletons… they are resisting.” He even felt that the word 'resisting' sounded somewhat strange when applied to these Undead, but it was indeed the truth.
Shen Mu stood before the massive tactical sand table, his deep gaze fixed on the area symbolizing absolute darkness in the core zone.
On the holographic projection screen in front of him, details of the scenes described by the soldiers and the drawn characteristics of the Corrupted Skeleton forms were constantly scrolling.
“Name the Corrupted Skeletons 'Abyssal Lesser Undead',” Shen Mu's voice was like quenched steel, cold and with absolute definitional authority, “Define their characteristics: caused by Abyssal erosion, bones with dark red markings, joints with sparks, core energy concentrated in unstable sulfur crystal nuclei within their bodies. Possess high aggression, corruptive power, and explosiveness. Danger level: High. Prioritize long-range destruction of their core.”
He paused slightly, his gaze sweeping over the grim-faced generals present: “As for the 'resistance' of the Black Iron Skeletons… it is the death throes of the old rules, and also an internal conflict caused by the Abyss's gluttony. To us, they are also a threat, but exploitable. Order all patrol and alert units: when encountering a combat zone between Abyssal Lesser Undead and any other Skeleton creatures, prioritize focusing fire to eliminate the Abyssal Lesser Undead as appropriate, but never let your guard down! Be wary of the Black Iron Skeletons' attack intentions! And even more wary of the damage from the Abyssal Lesser Undead's core explosions!”
His orders were swiftly relayed.
On the Bulwark, the soldiers gained a clearer understanding and higher vigilance regarding this new, sulfur-smelling, and explosive enemy.
At the same time, the cruel truth that the Abyss was 'feeding' on death itself also made every warrior in the Bulwark feel a deeper chill—the enemy they faced was not only powerful but also fed on the wailing Undead of the entire city!
Just two dawns after this naming and command were issued.
Several Wood Elf Rangers scout teams patrolling the outer perimeter, from higher vantage points deep within the gray mist, clearly saw—in several directions closer to the core black zone's edge—thick, dark red pillars of aura, emanating a strong sulfurous scent, like the fangs of a devil, twisting and continuously pouring from the ground into the thick, inky black mist!
This sight was like the roots of hell, greedily drawing Long City's last sustenance.
The Bulwark's brief tranquility was merely the prelude to a deeper storm brewing.
The Abyss's dining table was accelerating its setup, awaiting the ultimate gluttonous feast.
...
Under the hazy daylight, the Elf Forest Pangen Bastion stood solemn like an abyss.
However, the ruins of Long City outside the Bulwark were no longer the monochromatic scene of death and destruction they once were.
The sulfurous stench emanating from the core area, mixed with the smell of charred corpses and rusted metal, created a scene more nauseating than mere death.
Shen Mu stood at a high vantage point; the cold iron mask isolated the suffocating odors but could not block the extension of his spiritual perception.
At the edge of his vision, the thick, inky black core zone was no longer the unified threat of all souls being assimilated as before.
He could 'hear,' no, 'perceive' a chaotic energy fluctuation—two death essences tearing at and devouring each other!
The Abyssal Lesser Undead, those Skeletons with dark red markings, joints spewing sparks, and cores solidified with sulfurous lava-like substance, were moving in groups, driven by the most primitive destructive instinct and the twisted frenzy bestowed by the Abyss, frantically attacking every 'native' they saw.
Their enemies were none other than the elites of the former Black Arrow Tower Seventh Dynasty!
Those Black Iron Skeleton Guards, clad in broken bone armor, wielding greatblades or massive bone shields, their soul fires quiet green and cold.
These former defenders of Long City, now under the Abyss's relentless erosion, were using their remaining combat instincts to defend their last 'territory'—the death boundary belonging to Long City's origin.
As far as the eye could see, in the gaps of the ruins, within the remnants of high-rise buildings, these heart-pounding skirmishes were everywhere.
Three to five Abyssal Lesser Undead roared as they lunged at a Black Iron Shield Skeleton holding a broken wall, their bone claws scratching at the shield with an ear-piercing sound, raising dark red sparks.
The Black Iron Skeleton silently wielded its bone hammer, each strike carrying a resolute defense, smashing one Lesser Undead's skull and its unstable sulfur core to pieces, the explosive impact sending the other Lesser Undead flying.
At an abandoned Underground entrance, a squad of about ten Black Iron Skeleton Spearmen formed a tight formation, their spears like a forest thrusting out, firmly pinning the Abyssal Lesser Undead, composed of twisted aggregated bones, attempting to surge out of the opening.
Sulfurous aura and chilling death energy collided violently, shattered bone fragments and ignited membranes splattering everywhere.
Higher up, an Abyssal Lesser Undead with aberrant wing membranes on its back was fiercely battling a Skeleton Hunter, clearly better equipped, with bones gleaming dark and wielding a short dagger, on a broken beam.
Each collision brought the clash of sharp blades breaking bone, their movements so fast they were mere afterimages.
Eventually, the Hunter was torn down by its opponent's frenzy, exploding in a burst of dark red flames in mid-air, while its bone dagger accurately pierced the Lesser Undead's eye socket core.
“The Black Arrow Tower Seventh Dynasty… is desperately resisting the Abyssal Lesser Undead's consumption…” Shen Mu's voice beneath his full-face helmet was low and cold, like a precise judgment on the nature of the battlefield: “They are fighting among themselves.”
This bizarre scene explained the abnormal contraction of the core black mist and why the pressure on the Elf Forest's side suddenly decreased.
The Abyssal creations had just completed their rudimentary forms and were greedily drawing the entire city's death essence as nourishment, and their instinct-driven minions, the 'Abyssal Lesser Undead,' had as their primary target those Black Arrow Tower Skeletons that had not yet been corrupted by them and contained 'pure' Undead energy.
This was essentially a war between the Abyssal invasion and the local Undead forces, a 'Undead civil war' occurring deep within the ruins of Long City.
This strategy was identical to that of the main Abyssal Lesser Undead currently battling the Second Undead Dynasty of Gloom outside—first eliminate and devour powerful enemies, accumulate strength, then plan for expansion.
“This… is practically a reprieve given to us by the Abyss,” Legolas, beside him, watched the chaotic scene in the distance, like a doomsday battlefield, a complex emotion flashing in his emerald eyes.
On one hand, he was relieved that the pressure had lessened; on the other, he felt a heavy sadness for the tragic fate of Long City's land.
Just then—
Before Shen Mu's eyes, in the data stream vision that others could not perceive, an icy blue light flashed. A faint golden quest box suddenly popped up, suspended before his retina:
【Strategic Hub: Torch of Faith】
【Quest Conditions Met (Territory Expansion, Faith Cohesion Reached, Core Fortress Established)】
【Unlock Construction Permission: Holy White Council · Holy Light Torch Tower】
【Function】: …
【Initial Network Architecture Suggestion】: Use Deherim as the hub, lay out East and West chains.
West Chain: Deherim → New Uxhall → Elf Forest Bulwark.
East Chain: Deherim → New Rivadin.
【Warning】: Each Torch Tower activation requires a massive amount of Faith Power guidance and forms a permanent node. Use shield function cautiously in non-emergency situations.
Shen Mu's heart suddenly jolted!
Beneath the cold metal face mask, an indescribable joy instantly washed away days of grueling battle fatigue.
“Holy Light Torch Tower…” He muttered these words softly, an unprecedented sharp light bursting forth from his cold, iron-gray eyes! This significance was too great! (End of Chapter)
