Night Curse

"Du Kakaow..."

A voice, gloomy as if drifting from a thousand-year-old abandoned well, echoed within the dim marble church.

"I am here."

From the shadows of the church, a middle-aged man respectfully lowered his head.

"I pay my respects to you, Lord of Death, King of the Underworld."

"You once told this King that you wished to obtain enough power to overthrow Noxus?"

"Yes, as you said. This humble one dreams of obtaining such power."

"Then you must prove your worth."

The gloomy voice let out a cold snort.

"A corner of my power has already descended upon this world. Go, make good use of it, and let me see if you have the value for me to continue using you."

"As you command."

The middle-aged man lowered his head deeply. Only when he felt the oppressive aura in the church dissipate did he stand up. He turned his hand and took out a Blood Crystal, looking at it with fanaticism in his somewhat cloudy eyes.

"I will obtain Noxus! Otherwise, I will turn it into scorched earth!"

"Gods Above, my dear mother, what in the world is happening?"

The loud-mouthed stonemason stared at the unbelievable scene before him, his eyes wide as dinner plates. He didn't even realize he had dropped his hammer. It wasn't until Ling Ying dashed past with a Shadow Step and pulled him to a safer spot behind that he remained in a daze.

"How much longer until the Portal is fixed!?"

"Huh? What?"

"What what!? I'm asking you about the Portal, when will it be fixed!"

"Ah! The Portal."

The stonemason gave himself a hard slap, finally snapping out of his stupor.

"About twenty more minutes!"

"Ah!"

Before the stonemason could finish speaking, a scream rang out. A stonemason who had previously teleported in was impaled by a spear thrown from the air, having failed to dodge. He was clearly beyond saving. The one who threw the spear was a Rebel Soldier emitting a deep red glow. Perhaps "corpse" was a more fitting description. His body was almost split in two, and he had been dead for a long time. But now, some kind of strange Blood-red Viscous Substance had stitched his body together, allowing him to rise again. With mechanical movements, he picked up whatever weapon he could find and staggered towards the Portal. Behind him were more soldiers of the Return of the Dead, wielding spears, Short Swords, and Bow and Crossbows. In an instant, another stonemason was stabbed. Sharp wails echoed through the night sky.

"We're screwed. It's probably going to take forty minutes now."

"But we don't even have twenty minutes!"

Ling Ying stared intently. A undead soldier in the front rank, about to draw its bow, was struck by the last remaining Crimson Elite on the field. The Enchanted Arrow blasted off its head, but the creature was merely knocked to the ground by inertia. In a moment, it stood up again, dark red liquid surging around its neck, reforming a head. It lacked facial features. The loud-mouthed stonemason's jaw dropped so wide an egg could fit inside.

"Damn it! These things are truly evil!"

"Forget those monsters, we have to retreat! You take him! I'll go to the back and check on those people!"

Ling Ying commanded, but just then, a massive Dark Red Energy Beam suddenly rose from outside the fortress, piercing the heavens. It shot directly at the Portal within the fortress. A brilliant light flowed, and the Portal, which Ling Ying and the others had been gazing at expectantly, began to hum and reactivate before their bewildered eyes.

"My god... how can a single beam of light like that power a Portal? And from the outside, without going through an Energy Core? Just... how strong of an energy level would that take to accomplish?"

"Stop being surprised! We have a Benefactor's help, why aren't you running?!"

Ling Ying didn't have as many exclamations as the stonemason. After a few seconds of brief astonishment, she decisively ran towards the Portal. It was a joke; if it wasn't good now, would she wait until those undead soldiers reached them? She wasn't exactly selling her life for Noxus. The mess here was for the Noxians to clean up.

Unfortunately, perhaps Ling Ying's luck had been bad recently. As she rushed to the gate, the Light Screen suddenly flashed, and a burly man, eight feet tall, carrying a great axe on his back and clad in Heavy Armor, strode out of the Portal. Following closely behind was a dense screen of light, and numerous soldiers in shining armor emerged one after another, quickly filling the open space in front of the Portal to the brim.

"I am Darius, Trifari Legion Commander."

The armored man looked down at Ling Ying, who was nearly two heads shorter than him, and said in a deep voice.

"You have done well. Leave the rest to us. Trifari Legion! Clear the front lines! Form ranks and advance on the enemy!"

"Hoo-ah!"

Darius raised his arm and shouted. The warriors of the Trifari Legion immediately roared and formed ranks, charging towards the undead soldiers. Soldiers wielding Enchanted Spears thrust and retracted in near-perfect unison. In an instant, dozens of undead soldiers in the front rank were reduced to writhing piles of rotten flesh. When facing "scattered" undead soldiers, the well-ordered Trifari Legion was like a meat grinder, crushing them with overwhelming force.

"Whoosh whoosh!"

Several corrupted arrows were hurled from the hands of undead soldiers into the Trifari Legion's formation. They were quickly intercepted by quick-handed Swordsmen. The arrows struck the shields made of Inert Demon Metal with clangs, not even leaving a mark. Soon, a bright Fireball rose from the rear of the formation and smashed into the area where the undead soldiers who fired the arrows were located. After the explosion and flames. This kind of combat was happening on all sides, and the Noxian legions were rapidly advancing their lines outwards. Soon, there were no standing undead soldiers left around Ling Ying. Though the chunks of flesh mixed with dark red liquid still writhed and tried to reassemble, they often drew a second trampling from the soldiers' Iron Hooves, turning into even smaller pieces of meat.

"Phew, we're saved now."

Seeing the crisis temporarily eased, the loud-mouthed stonemason started clamoring again.

"It seems these evil things are nothing special after all, easily defeated before my Noxian Iron Hooves. Haha! Bring it on! Ptooey!"

Ling Ying rolled her eyes at him irritably. Unexpectedly, perhaps his jinxing had taken effect. The wind and clouds suddenly changed in the night sky. Dark red light converged in the air, forming a massive face, and in a moment, it formed a body connecting heaven and earth. Looking around, a Blood-red Phantom spanned between heaven and earth, bringing immense pressure to the Noxian soldiers below.

"Noxus!! I will make you witness my power!! And submit to me!"

The Blood-red Phantom's voice echoed throughout the fortress. Its crazed intent and its colossal form, like a towering city, caused even battle-hardened soldiers to involuntarily retreat. The once orderly front line instantly became somewhat loose.

"Soldiers!! Hold your will!!"

Just as the Blood-red Phantom was about to throw the front-line legions into chaos, Darius raised his iconic Black Great Axe high and let out a sky-shattering roar. It startled Ling Ying, who had never seen anyone produce such a loud sound without external aid. It was like a thunderclap falling beside her.

"He is merely a remnant of the hypocritical royalty of the past! Think about what you have all done to get here!! We sent those Sinful Kings to the gallows! We let the people of Noxus raise their heads from the shadow of royalty! If those once arrogant kings could not make you fear, are you now going to fear a remnant of royal power that has rotted and stinks!!"

Darius pointed his axe at the blood-red phantom in the sky, his square, angular face devoid of fear.

"Keep fighting!! Soldiers!! Show me your courage!! Culligan Legion!!!"

"Victory is assured!!"

The soldiers responded to Darius with a thunderous roar, instantly revitalizing their morale. Ling Ying, standing nearby, couldn't help but marvel at Darius's leadership and the fighting spirit of the Noxians.

"Darius!! You're just a lapdog!"

The blood-red phantom in the sky let out an enraged shriek, piercing like the wails of demons from the deepest abyss.

"First Bokwell's dog, now that damned cripple's dog!! You two brothers! You'll always be playthings at the nobles' feet!!"

"And who are you a plaything for, General Du Kkao?"

Darius looked at the face within the blood-red phantom. It was a face once revered by thousands in Noxus, until the Noxian monarchy fell. Of the two who vied for the throne, one's bones had long gone cold, and the other had become this.

"Commander Swain already saw through the strangeness behind this rebellion. You and Bokwell, your era is over. Noxus no longer needs so-called emperors. If you continue to remain missing, perhaps you could live out your remaining years peacefully outside Noxus."

"Joke!!"

Du Kkao, transformed into the blood-red phantom, roared.

"I will become the master of Noxus!! You damned pawns!! I will settle accounts with that damned cripple myself. As for you! Darius, you and your Culligan Legion! You will all die here today!!"

"Perhaps you are the one who should die today, Father."

Beside Darius, a person wearing a short cloak, who had remained silent, slowly lowered their hood, revealing fiery red hair and a beautiful face. However, a scar running from top to bottom across her left eye lent her an air of ferocity.

"For Noxus, I am here to bid you farewell."

"Katarina. The moment you disobeyed my orders for the first time, I knew you would eventually betray me!"

Du Kkao turned his gaze to his daughter, his tone...

"Fine. Since you are here, you will die here with your comrades. I will hold a grand funeral for you!!! Hahahahaha."

With a laugh that shook the very foundations of the fortress, Du Kkao's phantom form vanished. A hazy blood mist then filled the fortress, and countless ferocious, ghost-like monsters surged forth. Their bodies were composed of the same blood-red substance as before, their humanoid forms clad in tattered armor that barely retained its shape, wielding rusty battle axes, spears, or scythes. Their necks, however, were topped with deformed heads that bore no resemblance to humans. As soon as these quasi-human, quasi-monstrous beings emerged from the blood mist, they clashed with the Culligan Legion. Fortunately, Noxus's most elite army, despite the initial shock of facing unfamiliar enemies, managed to withstand their onslaught. The vanguard of both sides became locked in a stalemate across the vast fortress, until the grating sound of metal armor echoed from within the blood mist. A whole row of tall, heavily armored soldiers in rust-colored armor stepped out in unison, taking their positions opposite the Noxians. These soldiers... perhaps they shouldn't be called soldiers, for they were merely empty suits of iron armor, with nothing inside. Only two wisps of sickly green will-o'-the-wisps flickered from within the helmet slits. Yet, they moved with uncanny freedom.

"Our King's will is not to be questioned!"

The iron armors grumbled in indistinct words, charging headlong into the Noxian ranks. Their three-meter-tall bodies remained unyielding against countless spear thrusts, sword cuts, and magical bombardments, like invincible humanoid behemoths. The maces and spiked clubs in their hands could easily unleash a bloody storm among the Noxians with a single swing. Many soldiers had no time to react before being crushed into a pulp. The front lines were breached, and chaos rapidly spread to the rear. The once invincible Culligan Legion was immediately at a disadvantage, and the gap was widening.

"Hah!!"

Seeing the army's lines about to collapse, Darius suddenly charged forward from the rear, his heavy armor knocking over several undead soldiers before him. He then leaped into the air, raising his great axe and bringing it down upon an iron armor that had penetrated the center of the army formation. The black axe blade appeared heavy and dull in the night, but when it whistled down and struck the iron armor, it sliced through it as easily as a hot knife through butter. The iron armor, previously impervious to blades and spears, was split diagonally from head to toe, clattering to the ground in pieces, leaving only a wisp of eerie green fire to dance in its place. Ling Ying, quick-witted, raised her gun-sword and fired at the will-o'-the-wisp, which was immediately engulfed in scorching flames.

"Our Lord will eventually return to the earth, and when he does, the land shall be his kingdom!"

The will-o'-the-wisp was extinguished by the explosion of the energy projectile after a low growl. The iron armor finally scattered into a pile of lifeless parts. However, looking around, there were at least dozens more such iron armors clashing with the Noxian soldiers.

"Boom!"

A violent burst of fire and explosions suddenly erupted from the rear of the Noxian army. Several massive fireballs, wreathed in thick smoke, fell like meteors, smashing directly behind several iron armors. The fierce explosions instantly engulfed several unstoppable iron armors, while the blast wave also sent more than half of the Noxian soldiers flying. Screams and wails echoed through the night sky.

Ling Ying looked at Darius beside her with complex emotions. She hadn't expected the Hand of Noxus to be so decisive, directly bombarding the front lines with artillery. The obviously too-close bombardment range had friendly-fired quite a few frontline soldiers. Even with a full set of enchanted armor with excellent defensive performance, they could barely withstand the residual shockwaves from the edge of the blast. But the effect was immediate. The tightly locked front lines of the two armies suddenly had a blank area.

"Array Mages! Construct trap terrain!"

As Darius roared, a group of mages in brown robes behind him began chanting spells in unison. Several iron armors in front immediately fell flat on their faces. They tried to get up but quickly slipped again. The ground beneath their feet had, at some unknown time, become as slippery as soap. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn't stand steady. In other directions, iron armors either unexpectedly sank into quicksand-like ground or had their feet frozen by icy terrain. The land seemed to have suddenly come alive, trapping those iron armors with all sorts of methods, preventing them from approaching the soldiers in front.

"All troops! Contract the battle line! Withdraw from the fire coverage zone!"

"Beep beep beep!"

Centurions who received the order blew their command horns. The surrounding soldiers quickly gathered around their captains, and then the entire Culligan Legion contracted backward together. In front of the trapped iron armors and other monsters...

"All array artillery! Cover fire the trap terrain!"

"Boom boom boom!"

Darius's response was dense artillery fire from the rear. A large number of projectiles were lobbed by the large caliber cannons over the heads of the iron armors and monsters. After a deafening barrage of explosions, the entire trap terrain was engulfed in flames. Large numbers of monsters were blown to ashes in the explosions of the shells. Even the previously invincible iron armors were mostly blown apart. The shattered armor fragments were scorched black in the flames, which were fueled by magic accelerants, losing all their former might.

"Whoa."

Ling Ying shook her head vigorously, still feeling a bit dizzy. She felt she had seen plenty of big scenes, but this was her first time participating in such a large-scale frontal war. A moment ago, a shell had landed a bit too close, almost knocking her unconscious. And that loud-mouthed stonemason was now jumping around like he was drunk.

"So fing awesome! Hahaha! Gods Above! Array artillery is so fing awesome! Monsters! Look at you still showing off! Come on! Do it again! Hahaha."

Ling Ying instinctively wanted to rush forward and cover his mouth. She wondered if this guy was possessed by some famous figure from another world who famously laughed three times in a fit of rage. As he laughed provocatively, a series of hoofbeats came from the blood mist on the other side.

"Clop clop clop clop!"

The metallic sound of hooves striking the ground reached the ears of every Noxian soldier. Even Darius couldn't help but look in the direction of the blood mist. Soon, a large, narrow horse head clad in black armor emerged from the blood mist. Then came the horse body, over five meters long, and the knight on its back. The knight, like the iron armor, was over three meters tall, clad in heavy, airtight black armor. Two points of crimson will-o'-the-wisp glowed from the slits of the cross-shaped helmet. In his hand was a lance over a person tall. If the iron armors could be considered man-like beasts, the knight emerging from the blood mist could truly be called a humanoid tank. And there wasn't just one such tank, but more than a dozen. Ling Ying found it hard to imagine what the Culligan Legion would use to defeat such opponents. And if Noxus were to be defeated like this, she was sure she wouldn't escape the fate of being left to rot in the wilderness.

"Oh? Nether Soldiers, Soul Armor, Undead Knights? He's really pulling out all the stops this time."

Just as Ling Ying was desperately thinking of an escape route, a somewhat familiar voice suddenly came from behind her. She turned her head and saw a strange woman she had never seen before standing behind her. Even so, Ling Ying didn't feel surprised, because she knew that the strange woman was definitely LeBlanc's twisted sense of humor.

"I heard you ran into a bit of trouble, so I came specifically to take a look. It seems I've arrived at just the right time, after all..."

LeBlanc looked at the imposing Nether Knights in the distance, her voice carrying a hint of coldness.

"The king who should have rotted away with time is once again coveting the land under the sun."