novelno Chapter 327: The Undead Recruitment Ground.
Chapter 327: The Undead Recruitment Ground.
Whoosh!
Thud!
A massive stinger spun through the air for several seconds before crashing heavily onto the blood-soaked ground with a sickening thud.
The undead Royalty Stonewall raised its deadly blade and swung downward without hesitation.
Bang!
The enormous blade cleaved through the Level 33 Lesser Dune Scorpion’s carapace as though it were made of paper.
The beast’s body split cleanly into two halves.
Dark blood sprayed across the battlefield.
Its mangled organs spilled onto the street, mixing with the growing rivers of crimson that flowed between shattered stones and broken corpses.
Without pause, the undead Royalty Stonewall continued forward in long, steady strides.
Humans and Mantis Beastmen might fear the overwhelming might of the Dune Scorpions and Bone Crushing Wyrms.
They might hesitate.
They might tremble.
They might despair.
The undead knew none of those emotions.
Fear meant nothing to them.
Pain meant nothing to them.
Their sole purpose was to obey the commands of their master. That truth would never change, even if the entire world collapsed around them.
Suddenly, a massive Level 35 Greater Dune Scorpion erupted from beneath the crimson sand and charged directly toward the undead formation.
Its appearance instantly drew attention from everyone nearby.
The beast towered over three meters tall.
Its dark crimson carapace glistened beneath the bloody moonlight.
Each pincer was enormous.
Each carried fresh blood and pieces of flesh from previous victims.
Its enormous stinger swayed through the air like a deadly spear, radiating a murderous aura that caused many nearby warriors to shudder.
Standing atop a nearby rooftop, Thoren watched the rapidly approaching beast without any visible change in expression.
His eyes remained calm.
Cold.
Unmoved.
’Shield.’
The mental command echoed instantly through the connection shared with his undead servants.
Without hesitation, five undead shield soldiers stepped forward. Their heavy shields rose simultaneously.
Their formation tightened immediately.
Just before the Greater Dune Scorpion reached them, a terrifying pressure descended upon the battlefield.
The pressure was invisible.
Yet its presence was unmistakable.
The air itself seemed heavier.
The desert wind faltered.
Even the surrounding beasts became restless.
The Greater Dune Scorpion suddenly shrieked.
Its charging speed dropped noticeably.
The beast’s instincts screamed warnings.
Danger.
Death.
Its massive eyes darted around frantically.
It searched desperately for the source of the pressure.
Yet it found nothing.
The threat remained hidden.
Unseen.
Controlled entirely by bloodlust and instinct, the creature ignored every warning and lunged toward the undead formation.
Bang! Bang!
Its massive pincers slammed into the wall of shields and sparks erupted everywhere.
The impact shook the surrounding, powerful tremor hit the buildings.
The five undead shield soldiers were pushed backward several steps.
Their boots dug deep trenches through the muddy road.
Yet none of them fell.
None of them retreated.
They stood firm.
Like an unbreakable wall.
Like death itself.
With the beast momentarily occupied, three figures emerged from different directions.
The undead Storm Tyrant appeared on the right.
The undead Elite Jackal Beastman appeared on the left.
The undead Royalty Stonewall emerged from behind.
The trap closed instantly.
Bang! Bang!
Shriek!
The coordinated assault struck simultaneously. The Greater Dune Scorpion released a painful shriek.
Its entire body trembled violently.
More importantly, its massive stinger was severed cleanly from its body.
The severed appendage crashed onto the ground with a heavy thud.
Dark blood erupted from the wound.
Instantly, the beast went berserk. Pain overwhelmed its instincts. Rage consumed its mind.
Its pincers lashed wildly in every direction.
Its armored body spun violently.
Everything within reach became a target.
Perhaps such a desperate counterattack would have forced human awakener and Mantis Men to retreat.
Unfortunately for the Greater Dune Scorpion, its enemies were undead.
They knew no retreat.
Bang!
The undead Storm Tyrant leaped into the air.
Its massive body landed heavily atop the beast’s sturdy carapace.
Cracks immediately spread across the armored shell.
At the same time, the undead Royalty Stonewall and the undead Elite Jackal Beastman attacked from opposite directions.
Their weapons flashed through the air.
Bang! Bang!
The Greater Dune Scorpion’s pincers struck first.
The sheer force behind the attacks sent both undead servants flying backward. They crashed through nearby debris before regaining their footing.
Yet before the beast could capitalize on the opening, a gigantic hammer descended from above.
The undead Storm Tyrant raised its weapon high and then it brought it down with all its might.
Boom!
The hammer smashed directly into the creature’s head.
The impact shook the street.
The air exploded outward.
Cracks spread across the beast’s skull.
One eye burst instantly.
The Greater Dune Scorpion staggered backward violently.
Its body shook uncontrollably.
Blood flowed from every opening.
Then the enormous beast collapsed heavily onto the ground.
Dead.
Silence.
Although the battle felt like it took a long time, it was less than thirty seconds. A Level 35 Greater Dune Scorpion had been utterly annihilated.
Many nearby humans and Mantis men stared in disbelief. Some could not even process what they had witnessed.
Such a powerful beast had fallen with shocking ease. Then something even more horrifying happened.
[Undead Summoning]
An undead aura spread across the corpse and the dead scorpion trembled.
Its shattered body twitched repeatedly, and cracks echoed from within its corpse. Slowly, gradually, the dead beast began to rise. Gasps erupted throughout the battlefield.
Its destroyed eye sockets suddenly ignited.
Two burning soul flames emerged from the darkness.
The dead creature stood once more.
Now it was one of Thoren’s undead servants.
The newly risen undead Greater Dune Scorpion immediately joined the formation.
Without hesitation, it turned against its former kin.
A fresh wave of slaughter began.
Standing atop the rooftop, Thoren observed everything with terrifying calmness.
His expression remained unreadable.
Even though he strongly suspected the beast tide had some connection to the mysterious Cressida, he refused to allow the thought to distract him.
Fear was meaningless.
Panic was meaningless.
Worry solved nothing.
To him, this was merely another obstacle.
Another enemy.
Another debt waiting to be repaid.
His gaze drifted briefly toward the distant desert.
A cold glint flashed through his eyes.
The memory of Cressida’s words resurfaced.
The memory of her smile.
The memory of her impossible appearance.
Whoever stood behind that nightmare had made a mistake.
A terrible mistake.
They had provoked him.
They had threatened him.
Most importantly, they had escaped.
For now.
Thoren slowly exhaled.
His emotions settled once more, and his expression returned to complete calmness. However, deep within his eyes, a murderous resolve burned fiercely.
He was not a forgiving person.
He never had been.
Grudges were not forgotten.
Debts were not erased.
Anyone foolish enough to place themselves upon his list of enemies would eventually pay the price.
No matter how far they ran.
No matter where they hid.
No matter how powerful they became.
He would hunt them to the ends of the Abyss if necessary.
That resolve never wavered.
Not even for a single second.
Returning his attention to the battlefield, he noticed another encouraging development. The number of undead Greater Dune Scorpions had increased.
One became two.
Two became three.
Soon, three Level 35 undead scorpions marched at the front lines like unstoppable siege weapons. They became the vanguard against the incoming tide.
Any beast below Level 35 was utterly helpless before them.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Every strike crushed bones.
Gradually, the number of invading beasts within the streets began to decrease. At the same time, Thoren’s undead army continued growing.
Every fallen Level 35 beast strengthened his undead legion.
Every beast slaughtered multiplied his advantage.
The battlefield itself had become his undead recruitment ground. The tide that was supposed to destroy the town was slowly becoming fuel for his legion.
At a nearby intersection, three Level 35 undead Greater Dune Scorpions charged simultaneously. Within less than ten seconds, dozens of beasts were reduced to mangled corpses.
Blood flooded the streets.
Broken beast limbs littered the ground.
The defenders could barely believe what they were witnessing. Standing in the distance, Riven stared at the battlefield with wide eyes.
His shield hung forgotten at his side.
His breathing slowed. For a brief moment, even he forgot the danger surrounding him.
Every instinct told him what he was witnessing should not be possible. Yet it was happening right before his eyes.
The impossible had become reality. His gaze remained locked upon the growing undead legion.
His throat felt dry and a chill crawled down his spine.
"What in heaven’s name is going on?" he whispered.
For the first time since the beast tide began, genuine shock appeared upon the Vice Guild Master’s face.
****
AN: Tomorrow is a mass release. Cheers.