The horn sounded for the entire army to attack. This was the best opportunity to assault the island in the middle of the lake. Tyrosus escorted Angela and the mages back to the main body, then began his buff performance again. Countless beams of silver light shot from his raised hands, granting an enhanced Blessing of Kings to all two hundred of Pulhart's men.
"Attack!" Once the other buffs had all been applied, Tyrosus immediately gave the order.
Pulhart, who was built like a small giant, rode a mighty black horse. Both rider and mount were covered in heavy steel armor. Shouting the order to charge, he led his cavalry onto the ice causeway.
Large numbers of Undead also poured out onto the island opposite them. Countless skeletons and zombies crowded around several enormous Abominations as they too stepped onto the causeway, seeking to block the ice road, which was only ten meters wide. More Undead ran onto the ice on either side and began hacking at it, eager to free their kin trapped underwater.
The two sides crossed the mere five hundred meters in an instant and clashed at close quarters. Pulhart led the charge, suddenly raising the enormous kite shield strapped to his left arm to deflect an oncoming giant hook to the side.
Before the enemy could pull the hook back, he urged his horse faster and slammed into several skeletons and zombies, sending them flying. The long-handled warhammer raised high in his right hand smashed deep into the chest of the Abomination before him.
The monster, nearly three meters tall and three meters wide, was actually knocked to the ground by the blow. For a moment, the scene fell silent.
But monsters produced through the Scourge's fleshcrafting techniques feared physical attacks least of all. The Abomination roared and sat back up, its massive body having absorbed most of the damage.
Pulhart's speed had also been checked, but several swift cavalrymen had already caught up. They rode around the Abomination slumped in the middle of the road, maintaining their charge and pushing the battle line farther forward.
But no matter how far they pushed, the road available for the cavalry to charge along was a mere ten meters wide. After advancing the line fifty meters, the vanguard cavalry slowed to a crawl. Faced with densely packed Undead, they could no longer charge and became bogged down in a stand-up battle.
Pulhart joined several of his men in tearing the Abomination apart and killing it for good, but the fighting ahead had already reached a stalemate. Fortunately, fresh troops kept joining from the rear, while the Undead forces seemed unable to sustain their momentum. The battle line moved toward the island, one step at a time.
The fighting on the ice causeway had stalled for the moment, but the troops on shore were not idle either. Shortly after the offensive began at the front, large numbers of Scourge Hounds and Darkblood Bats suddenly charged out of the woods. Gordon, who was guarding the rear, bore the brunt of the attack.
Gordon had been itching for action, and the appearance of his old opponents delighted rather than alarmed him. Unas had also been troubled: he was too far from the battlefield on the lake, and seeing so many enemies die without being able to absorb any experience had left him miserably frustrated. Now that monsters had come to him, he was only too happy to oblige.
These beasts were surely being driven by the Dreadguard again, but the demon had not dared show itself before the army.
The Scourge Hounds and Darkblood Bats charged forward in a chaotic swarm. This was plainly the Scourge's usual cannon-fodder tactic: use large numbers of low-level troops to harass the enemy and wear down their stamina, then send in elite forces to deliver a killing blow.
Where were Bessarius's elite troops? Had they gathered on the island to await the final battle, or were they hiding somewhere in the forest, ready to strike when the time was right?
Unas thought no more about it. That was a question for Tyrosus to consider. A Scourge Hound's sharp teeth were already right in front of him. He raised Verigan's Fist with all his strength and smashed the charging dog's head to pulp.
He had not been able to wield the weapon freely before, but with several enhanced buffs on him, his attributes had soared, and his strength had reached 70 points. Unas finally experienced what it was like to make light of a heavy weight. The stinking dogs that had seemed too slippery to catch before could no longer easily escape his attacks.
Unas swung the giant silver hammer to his heart's content. Every hit left another mangled dog corpse on the ground. He dealt with the bats darting about overhead with Judgment, while repeatedly casting Consecration at his feet. Golden flames spread across the ground beneath him, burning the Scourge Hounds until they howled.
The holy runes on Verigan's Fist shone with dazzling golden light. They not only amplified the power of his skills but also seemed to reduce the weapon's weight.
He cast his skills without restraint, unafraid of running out of energy. His experience was rising rapidly, and he would level up soon.
Finally, after a canine's dying whimper, the pleasant music of a level-up rang out in his mind. Golden light flared around Unas, and the comrades around him looked at him in astonishment. Only Gordon was unfazed, assuming it was a phenomenon unique to one favored by the Light.
The golden light instantly swept away all the fatigue in Unas's body, restoring his combat strength to its peak. He checked his attributes: strength +3, agility +1, constitution +2, energy +2, Paladin level 22, experience 1%.
He had gained another skill point. There were several skills he wanted to learn, and the pile of LV1 skills he had already learned also needed skill points to upgrade. But he had not yet made up his mind, so he saved the point for now.
He had become a little stronger again, and killing dogs came even more easily. If he kept killing, gaining another level was no mere dream.
Unas was preparing to go on a killing spree when Gordon, beside him, suddenly let out a thunderous shout. A jumble of incantations burst from his mouth, and the golden-red flames on his sword abruptly blazed more fiercely.
At last, three waves of golden-red fire shot from his sword. The fire dragons swept outward in a fan, burning the dozen or so dark creatures in front of the vanguard to ashes.
"Everyone, mount up and scatter them!" Gordon ordered loudly. It was the same tactic as the night before: the waves of fire he had released cleared a large open space, giving the cavalry a little room to accelerate.
The vanguard charged into the pack of dogs with a roar. Gordon's powerful attack had already scared the beasts out of their wits, and the knights pierced the Scourge Hounds' formation as easily as a spear.
After breaking through the pack and riding some distance, the troops gradually slowed. Just like the night before, if they turned back and charged a few more times, the beasts would surely break. But Gordon neither turned his horse around nor chose to aid the order's flanks, which were also under attack.
He adjusted the formation slightly, then called loudly to Whitemane in the center of the group, "Can you still sense where that demon is?"
Whitemane seemed to have shaken off her earlier fear of the swarm. The mark she had secretly placed on the Dreadguard the night before had long since disappeared, but she could still faintly sense a trace of its lingering presence. This was no time to take issue with Gordon's rudeness, so she nodded and replied, "Ahead and to the right."
"Good. Come to the front and lead the way!" Perhaps because he was anxious, Gordon's tone was very curt.
Whitemane was irritated. When did I sink so low that this fallen fellow could order me around? But she had no way to defy Gordon's orders. From the moment she volunteered to join the vanguard, Gordon had become her immediate superior, and disobeying a military order in battle was no small matter.
Why did I join the vanguard? Wasn't it to keep an eye on that shameless scoundrel of unknown origins?
When I get back to the monastery, I'll make sure to deal with those two villains in cahoots!
Making the fierce vow to herself, Whitemane held her pretty face stiff and rode to the front of the group. Darian naturally followed her over.
Speed was vital in war. Without another word of nonsense, Whitemane led the group toward the direction she sensed, with Gordon, Darian, and Unas riding close around her.