Mass Bloodlust

The dialogue box appeared rather abruptly on Shen Mu's retina.

It came from a system task that had been issued temporarily.

"Awooo!"

Within the Central Long Corridor, the unmistakable boar-like howl echoed through the cramped, enclosed space, making their eardrums ache faintly from the vibrations.

A passage had been cleared through the tightly packed corridor.

More bizarre-looking Spiritual Realm Creatures raised their weapons and charged excitedly at the Swadian Footman, who stood unmoving like reefs.

Among those Spiritual Realm Creatures were clearly Boss-level Creatures whose bodies still gave off faint white glimmers.

But Shen Mu understood perfectly well.

They were Blue Star Humans who had just swallowed those tiny specks of light that had stood out even in the darkness, though he had no idea what they actually were.

They were thugs from Diesel Company.

"So the special Rule Power the system mentioned refers to this kind of thing."

Shen Mu's expression grew slightly grave as he watched those Blue Star Humans, who resembled Spiritual Realm Creatures but were actually covered in a faint glow, a distinctive trait that set them apart.

The faintly glowing objects those Blue Star Humans had swallowed were definitely the things the system had mentioned—items imbued with special Rule Power that needed to be analyzed after killing these enemy leaders!

"Wipe out all these enemy leaders." Shen Mu pondered it. "In other words, they all have to die here."

This truly required careful planning.

With that thought, Shen Mu turned and glanced at the ballista beside him, already loaded with a spear and ready to fire at any time. He raised a hand lightly, signaling for the shooting to stop.

The ballista was too powerful. Its spears could certainly inflict massive damage on the enemy formation in a short time.

But if those so-called enemy leaders were frightened and no longer dared to advance carelessly—

Or even turned around and retreated without fighting—

Then it would be extremely troublesome for Shen Mu, who lacked the ability to pursue them.

"As expected, in the end, I only considered routing the enemy before, not wiping them out. The Apartment Building corridor I designed really does limit the Heavy Cavalry's mobility."

Shen Mu admitted that he had not considered that carefully enough.

Then he looked ahead.

The Swadian Footman's Pike Square was once again assaulted by a fresh wave of Spiritual Realm Creatures.

Among them were also those from Diesel Company, who had used items with special Rule Power to transform themselves into stronger, more savage Spiritual Realm Creature Elites with greater combat strength. Shen Mu formed an idea.

"I have to make them think my Pike Square can be broken."

A dangerous gleam flickered in Shen Mu's eyes.

And the price—

Perhaps it would be casualties among the Swadian Footman and the Lake Rats Members behind them when the Pike Square was overrun.

"But it's all worth it." Shen Mu slowly raised his hand and said in a low voice, "All Mercenary Crossbowmen, cease fire." After a brief pause, he turned and ordered, "Pass word to the Lake Rats Members. Stop throwing. Prepare to advance ten steps and engage in melee."

"Understood!" A Swadian Recruit waiting in the Castle Second Floor corridor immediately responded.

Then he turned and went to relay the order.

As the orders were issued—

When the Contract Workers from the Outsourced Team charged forward with their Spiritual Realm Followers—

They suddenly felt the pressure lessen dramatically!

The firepower pouring down on the pig-headed men, who had previously been slaughtered before the Pike Square and could barely even reach it before being pinned down and killed by the deadly rain of arrows and javelins, had been reduced by nearly two-thirds!

Although scattered crossbow bolts still fell from overhead, and a hit to a vital spot could still badly wound them—

More Gnolls, wasteland Lizardmen, hobgoblins, and other Spiritual Realm Creatures—

Were actually able to endure the damage inflicted by those bolts, reach the Pike Square, briefly knock aside the stabbing pikes with their weapons, and then, with great difficulty, use their lives to approach the main body of the formation.

They were already performing far, far better than the pig-headed men among the half-orcs!

"Kill!" The Spiritual Realm Creature Elites transformed through Frequency Resonance by those Blue Star Humans roared, commanding their own Followers of the same kind forward, using their lives to force open a path before the Pike Square.

Yet sorrow appeared in the eyes of those Blue Star Humans—the Outsourced Captains from Diesel Company.

Losing so many Followers was truly unavoidable.

It would weaken their own strength.

The Frequency Resonance between their bound souls and these Spiritual Realm Followers would also be greatly weakened under normal circumstances.

"I hope Diesel Company compensates us for some of the losses after we return."

That was the best reward these Outsourced Team captains could hope for: "Or perhaps, because of the merit of defeating this new human lord, we'll have a chance to sign Long-term Contracts, officially join Diesel Company, and become Official Employees!"

Of course, it was not just the Outsourced Teams who thought this way. Their members thought the same.

They had been outsourced personnel working with Diesel Company for a long time.

Some had even worked at Diesel Company through third-party firms before the Necromantic Rules descended.

They could be considered relatively trusted outsourced personnel.

That was why the Ninth and Tenth Outsourced Teams were relatively trusted Outsourced Teams.

They were trusted far more than the Eleventh and Twelfth Outsourced Teams, the two Outsourced Teams made up of fixed Temporary Workers. After all, the people in those two fixed Temporary Worker Outsourced Teams were not even qualified to receive allocated Mark Fragments.

Take Zhang Caidong, for example. He had only joined around half a year ago and was genuinely treated as nothing more than a Temporary Worker.

He did the dirty, exhausting work.

The salary, compensation, and benefits he received were two-thirds less than those of Official Employees!

Yet compared to the temporary teams formed only during the black tide, starting from the Twelfth Outsourced Team onward, which consisted entirely of outsiders, they were actually much better off because they had relatively stable wages—far better than those who had failed to join a Diesel Company team!

Now, in this terrifying world where the Necromantic Rules occupied the night and Undead Monsters appeared at every moment—

Although everyone had been forced to unite for various reasons—

During the chaotic first half-year after the Necromantic Rules first descended, when nobody knew what to do—

Feuds and malicious acts over all kinds of resources had caused everyone to distrust one another. They could only huddle in their own little shelters to seek a sense of security, and even now, that mutual trust had never been restored.

Being able to join an organization at least guaranteed one's safety, so naturally it was much better!

"Kill!"

At that thought, waves of fury surfaced in the eyes of these outsourced personnel from Diesel Company.

Bloodshot veins silently spread through their eyes.

They were filled with fury, hatred, killing intent—

And a greedy thirst for blood...

Drawing their weapons, they actually disregarded the sharp Pike Square before them, which surged like stormy ocean waves, and forcibly rammed their bodies forward!

Of course, charging at the very front were still the Spiritual Realm Followers of these outsourced personnel from Diesel Company.

One after another, they howled and used their lives to forcefully hold back the Pike Square.

Even if they had to grab the spearheads with their bare hands—

They would still use every ounce of strength to suppress the pikes of that hedgehog-like Pike Square, allowing their comrades behind them to draw closer to its main body and break through it faster!

And amid the fearless charge of those Spiritual Realm Creatures, the Pike Square, which had previously operated smoothly—

Finally began to slow in its stabbing waves.

More and more pikes were seized—

Or directly jammed.

Layer after layer of Spiritual Realm Creature corpses piled forward.

The Swadian Footman in the front row were even completely pressed beneath the corpses, unable to pull their pikes free. They instead drew Morning Stars from their waists, weapons better suited for extremely close combat and capable of piercing armor, and prepared to fight at close quarters!

"Hohoho, hahahahaha!"

At the rear of the corridor, Wu Hu, who had brought along fifteen others who had likewise completed Frequency Resonance and transformed into Spiritual Realm Creature Elite leaders, let out a sinister laugh.

In his left hand, strands of crimson light were gradually dispersing.

As they scattered, they happened to drift toward the hundreds of Contract Workers from the Outsourced Teams ahead, along with their Spiritual Realm Followers.

The crimson light finally landed atop the heads of those people and Spiritual Realm Followers.

It sank directly into them.

That was also why those outsourced Contract Workers and their Followers had become so furious.

"Mass Bloodlust, an innate spell of the half-orcs. Although it isn't as good as Single Target Bloodlust, its effects are still obvious."

The bloodshot veins in Wu Hu's eyes gradually thickened as well.

With one claw, he crushed the last trace of crimson light in his palm.

His pig-like mouth split into a vicious grin as he snorted. "The Pike Square is about to be breached. Next, it'll be time for us insiders to charge in and pick the fruit!"

"Ha ha ha!"

It was not just Wu Hu. The official staff beside him also let out sinister laughs.

By now, they too could hardly wait to completely crush those human troops!