The Undead blanketed the mountains and plains as they charged toward the Flower Territory's army. The soldiers standing at the front could clearly see their faces.
Most of the Undead were Skeleton Soldiers. Aside from a few unusual exceptions, the vast majority were weaklings with no rank at all. They had nothing but hollow eye sockets, grayish-white bones, and a terrifying appearance.
Any adult woman could easily smash these Undead to pieces and turn them back into the dead.
The second-largest group among the Undead was Zombies. Most of them had Bronze-rank strength and tough bodies, with corpse poison on their fingernails and teeth. An ordinary adult man couldn't handle these creatures.
But the main force among the Undead this time was the Ghouls. Most were Silver-rank, while a few had Gold-rank strength. They were faster than Zombies and Skeletons, and their sharp claws and teeth made them the nightmare of anyone who crossed their path.
This time, Edward was stationed at Crouching Dragon Ravine. Its terrain was highly favorable for defense; its only drawback was that it would be difficult to break out if they were surrounded.
Edward calmly observed the Undead appearing around him. They were all low-level troops. Abominations, Crypt Fiends, and Death Knights had yet to appear. He still hadn't lost hope. Given the Undead they were facing now, he believed his men could defeat them.
"Everyone, raise your shields!"
At the order of the Necromancer hidden in the dense forest, the Undead covering the mountains and plains surged toward the soldiers' formation like a mighty tide, carrying unstoppable force.
Edward roared as he directed the defensive line. In a clash between two armies, only if the first line held could they hope to survive this assault.
The soldiers at the front raised the shields in their left hands. The ground beneath their feet cracked in all directions from the force of the impact. Every so often, one or two soldiers fell and failed to get back up; the men behind them quickly stepped in to fill the gaps.
Seeing that the battle line was holding steady, Edward leaped out of the battlefield and dashed toward the forest. To capture the bandit, one had to seize their leader. If he caught the hidden Necromancer, the attack would end.
Blood splattered through the air as one soldier after another fell to the Undead's attacks. Their elite force, which had numbered well over five hundred at full strength, was now down to fewer than three hundred.
What they found hardest to accept was that their fallen comrades had been revived under the hidden Necromancer's control and turned against them.
Looking around, the Undead that covered the mountains and plains showed no sign of dwindling. The slopes of Crouching Dragon Ravine were already blanketed in white bones.
Under the blazing sun, the soldiers' hearts were ice-cold. Their arms moved mechanically, each swing smashing a Skeleton or bringing down a Zombie.
But what good was any of it?
The soldiers had no idea what their efforts would accomplish. All they could do was pray their lord would turn the tide and save them from disaster.
Meanwhile, Edward was weaving through the dense forest. The lush undergrowth made it extremely difficult to move, so he could only search at Gold-rank speed.
Minute by minute, Edward's anguish grew. Every moment, he could feel his soldiers dying. The helplessness gnawed at him.
"Boom!"
"Found you."
With a tremendous crash, Edward's relentless search finally led him to an unusual figure at the edge of the battlefield. Without hesitation, he swung his giant sword, carrying at least a thousand pounds of force, down at the figure.
"Whoosh!"
"Not bad. Looks like Lord Edward found me. But it seems your soldiers are about to be wiped out."
The black-robed figure seemed to have anticipated the attack and dodged it with a flash.
"Who are you? Why are you attacking us?"
The black-robed figure looked at Edward mockingly.
"Well, well, well. It seems our esteemed Highlord doesn't remember me. Take a good look."
As he spoke, the black-robed figure removed his mask, revealing a handsome yet deathly pale face.
"It's you, Sandro. I can't believe you joined the Scourge Legion. Are you even human anymore?"
"Haha! Human? I stopped being one long ago. Ever since you killed my father and destroyed my family's lands, I've thought of nothing but revenge, day and night.
"If magic couldn't give me power, then I'd find something that could. Just look at all this magic power I have. Isn't it incredible?"
Sandro spoke in a rapturous voice. He had become a plaything of power, utterly consumed by it.
"Fool."
Edward snorted. He didn't waste words on him. People were dying with every passing moment, and he couldn't afford to waste time talking to the enemy.
"Earthfury!"
Edward brought his giant sword down hard on the ground. His aura resonated with the earth, sending a massive wave crashing toward Sandro.
"Boom!"
When the dust settled, a huge figure stood before Sandro: a mutated Abomination Butcher.
A normal Abomination Butcher was only Gold-rank, and its corpse poison could harm only Silver-rank creatures. But the Abomination Sandro had summoned was clearly an enhanced version.
"Haha!"
Sandro laughed wildly.
"This is my most precious masterpiece. To get the materials, I slaughtered two whole towns. I took the finest piece of flesh from every person, combined a thousand children's skulls, and added the corpse of a Gold-rank creature to create it."
Sandro described it to Edward as if reciting a prized collection. An unnatural flush appeared on his sickly face, making him look even more sinister.
After his attack failed, Edward frowned. The stitched monstrosity before him had astonishingly strong defenses. By the time he dealt with it, his soldiers would be dead.
"Boom! Boom!"
Under Sandro's control, the Abomination Butcher attacked Edward. Its arms, each like an iron hammer, smashed everything they touched to pieces, leaving two enormous craters, each a yard across, in the ground.
"Boom!"
After dodging the stitched monster's attack, Edward seized his chance and struck back. His sharp blade carved a three-foot-long gash across its body.
A foul stench seeped from the wound. Green blood dripped onto the ground, corroding a hole about the size of a bowl.
"Damn it."
The Abomination Butcher's corpse poison spread through the air and entered Edward's nose and mouth. He immediately felt unsteady, and a wave of dizziness washed over him.
With no other choice, Edward retreated and used his aura to suppress the poison inside his body.
"How do you like my big boy? Impressive, isn't he?"
Sandro noticed Edward's movements and taunted him.
"I can't fight it head-on. I'll have to outsmart it."
Edward ignored Sandro's jeering. As he looked at the Abomination, which showed no awareness despite his wound, he thought to himself.
Seeing Edward retreat, Sandro grew even more pleased. He sent the Abomination Butcher after him, forcing Edward into a desperate retreat. He seemed to be losing ground.
"Now's my chance."
Edward appeared to be fleeing as he was chased and hacked at, but in reality, he was luring the Abomination away from Sandro. Now it was over fifty meters from Sandro. With its slow movements, Edward could easily kill Sandro before it got back.
Although Edward had drawn the Abomination Butcher away from Sandro, and it was now within Execute range, he was cautious and decided to lure it farther away.
Suddenly, Sandro seemed to notice Edward's strange behavior and began guiding the Abomination Butcher back toward him.
"Whoosh!"
Edward knew his intentions had been exposed. Without another moment's hesitation, he sped toward Sandro like a bolt of lightning.
"Boom! Boom!"
Sandro's expression changed drastically. He hurriedly waved his staff and conjured two Necrotic Entanglements.
Edward dodged his attacks with ease, then swung his hand with all his strength. Sandro's head fell to the ground.
"Something's wrong. He isn't dead."
Looking at Sandro's body, Edward suddenly realized that he had transformed himself into a Lich. Unless Edward destroyed his Phylactery, Sandro would only lose much of his power.
Seeing the Abomination Butcher stand motionless, Edward charged up a strike and chopped it to pieces. Then he burned it to ashes.
"I wonder how the others are doing."
After dealing with Sandro, Edward hurried back to Crouching Dragon Ravine. The battle was still raging.
The once-numerous Skeletons and Zombies had all fallen. Only the Ghouls, who had a little intelligence, remained to attack the surviving soldiers.
Edward didn't hesitate to join the fight. Of the many Ghouls, only a few escaped near the edge of the battlefield. The rest fell among the corpses, just like the Skeletons.
"Brown! Where's Brown?"
After it was over, Edward asked his captain of the guard.
"Centurion Brown fell in battle."
Tears ran down the bloodstained face of the captain of the guard. The tough man, who had always stayed strong, finally let his grief show.
"What happened?"
Edward's voice sank.
"Two minutes ago, the battered defensive line finally broke. To restore the line, Centurion Brown led a small squad in a charge, drawing the Undead's attacks and buying us time to build another defense."
Edward fell silent. His victory had suddenly turned to sorrow. As he looked at the fewer than a hundred men left, an indescribable pain filled his heart.
"My lord, what's wrong?"
Edward suddenly collapsed without warning. The captain of the guard hurriedly caught him.
"Get the physician! The lord has fainted!"
"The lord's been poisoned. It's a potent toxin. Thankfully, his strength let him suppress it. Otherwise, he wouldn't have merely fainted."
The physician, who had hurried over, reached his conclusion.
"How do we save him?"
"We need a lot of medicinal herbs, and we don't have any here. We have to return to the Flower Territory."
"Good. We'll head back to the Flower Territory now."
The captain of the guard immediately gathered the remaining soldiers. He left two men behind to clear the battlefield and collect their comrades' bodies, then led the rest in escorting their lord back to the Flower Territory.
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