Ambush

To avoid the wandering ghouls,

Havent chose to lead everyone on a wide detour, arriving far behind the ghoul army.

After half an hour of frantic riding, the group reached a low slope. Taren rode ahead for a while before turning back.

"Young master, this is about right. Ride another five kilometers that way, and we'll reach the Southern Outpost."

Hearing Taren's words, Havent dismounted and walked over to a large boulder.

"Warriors of the White Lion Legion, rest for fifteen minutes and check your equipment.

Soon, we will launch a suicidal assault. Many of us may not live to see tomorrow's sun.

That includes me. Our objective is to destroy the enemy's magic array at any cost.

Once the mission succeeds, withdraw freely.

Victory belongs to Hailan!!!"

As Havent lightly tapped his right hand against his breastplate, the guards gathered around him also raised their right fists and struck their breastplates in unison.

"We swear to defend our honor unto death!"

Baiman City's southern wall

By now, the war had reached a fever pitch. Empowered by undead magic, the green-glowing ghouls had become ruthless killing machines.

Arrows infused with battle qi pierced their dried flesh, punching hole after hole through their bodies.

Yet the results were far from obvious. Ghouls had already climbed halfway up the wall, their green eyes fixed on the figures appearing over the battlements.

Their craving for flesh and blood, born from the depths of their souls, made the ghouls stretch their necks long.

The soldiers standing atop the battlements looked down at those gaping mouths full of black teeth and felt as if they could smell the stench of rot pouring from the ghouls' jaws.

"Damn it, these disgusting things!"

Two soldiers heaved up a massive stone together and hurled it down at the shrieking ghouls below. After a heavy crash, the ghouls in that section fell from the wall once more. Several pinned beneath the boulder stretched out their pitch-black hands, grasping mindlessly at the air.

At another section of the wall, defensive supplies such as boulders, oil barrels, and explosive bombs had already been used up, while replacements had yet to arrive.

Five heavily armored soldiers extended their spears, desperately holding back a large ghoul that had already climbed onto the wall. Half an insignia from some legion still remained on its breastplate. Its bones, corroded to an ink-green color, rang like metal beneath the spears' attacks.

The large ghoul let out a piercing howl at the heavily armored soldiers before it. Its rotting jaw split grotesquely open all the way to its ears, and viscous black fluid dripped from its exposed gums.

The roar at such close range directly stunned the resisting soldiers. Seizing the chance, the large ghoul leaped onto the wall, swinging its spiked club at the soldiers blocking its way.

In an instant, several soldiers spat blood as they were blasted off the wall, crashing into the debris below. Whether they lived or died was unknown.

"Fall back! All of you, fall back! You can't handle this Ghoul Punisher. Third Squad, form up!"

A White Lion squad leader in gleaming silver armor rushed over from the gate tower, accompanied by six White Lion warriors wearing the same standard armor.

With a thunderous shout, the White Lion squad leader drew his sword and leaped forward, bringing it down toward the Ghoul Punisher's head.

However, this ghoul was clearly not comparable to ordinary peasants raised after death.

The battle instincts lingering from its life allowed it to display remarkable combat awareness against the White Lion squad leader's leaping strike.

It instinctively raised its wrist to block the descending blade, then swung its spiked club with its right hand at the White Lion squad leader.

Fortunately, a White Lion warrior carrying a cavalry shield appeared in time and blocked the club. After a teeth-grating screech of metal, the White Lion squad leader kicked the Ghoul Punisher in the chest, and the two sides separated to face each other.

Southern Outpost

Havent and his cavalry had successfully circled behind the ghoul army. As they continued forward, they could already see scattered ghouls wandering along the edge.

"Taren, how is it? Did you find it?"

The Knight Commander scouting ahead quietly returned with two others.

"Young master, you were right. There's a half-height dirt slope to the front right, and there's a red glow there.

However, there are quite a few ghouls in that area. By my rough estimate, there are no fewer than five hundred."

After hearing Taren's report, Havent could not help clicking his tongue. With so few of them, could they really break through?

"Everyone, come here. I'll activate the Oath of Hailan shortly.

These are magic scrolls. Each contains a second-tier spell—Fireball. Take one each. When we charge, Knight Commander Taren will command you."

With that, he exchanged a glance with Taren. They nodded at each other.

The knights quickly formed a charging formation, placing Havent at the center. As the jeweled necklace activated, red magic rapidly enveloped them all, and their momentum rose steadily.

"White Lions, advance!

White Lions, charge!"

The small slope Taren had scouted was only about a thousand meters from the raiding party.

Since their mission was to ambush the enemy formation and destroy it, they had to end the battle quickly. In a wedge formation, Balzama surged to top speed under the stimulation of the knights' battle qi.

Steam billowed from the horses' nostrils, and the ghouls at the edge offered no obstruction to the raiding party.

Flames ignited around Taren's body, making him look like a demonic rider from hell. His lance swung without pause, cleaving the ghouls before him in two or sending them flying several meters away.

At last, the waiting ghoul army came to its senses. With mouths dripping viscous black fluid wide open, they raised their broken weapons and surrounded the cavalry squad.

Taren glanced at the target slope. It was still roughly four hundred meters away.

"Everyone, prepare! Charge Sword Qi Slash and clear the ghouls ahead.

Stop after using half your battle qi. Fire the Fireball scrolls in three volleys.

Victory belongs to the White Lions!!!!"

"Yes! White Lions, advance!"

As Sword Qi Slash swept out, the raiding party cut through the ghouls before them like a hot knife through butter, turning them into piles of flesh.

By then, they were only about a hundred meters away. Even from horseback, Havent could clearly see the flashing magical light ahead.

Thud... thud... thud...

A series of heavy footsteps drew Havent's attention. An enormous figure came racing over from the left.

"Roar~~~~~~~"

"Now!"

A massive creature roughly seven or eight meters tall sent the ghouls on the left flying one after another. Its footsteps grew clearer and clearer, beating against the heart like war drums.

The next moment, Havent finally saw the gigantic creature bearing down on them.

Its iron-blue skin was covered in scars. A horrifying, savage wound ran from its left shoulder down to its lower abdomen. The remaining hair around its neck fluttered wildly as it ran, while two green flames blazed fiercely within its eye sockets. Above its unmistakably bovine face rose a pair of enormous horns.

"Kalimdor Tauren!!!!!!!!"