Banshee Moran

Riots began to erupt across the various streets of Flower Territory, and the scope of the chaos quickly spread from the outskirts of the territory to the Lord's Mansion.

In an instant, the roars of men, the wails of women, and the sound of houses being consumed by raging fires reached Lin Lei's ears from outside.

"Why hasn't the City Defense Department mobilized yet?"

Listening to the screams outside, Lin Lei closed his eyes, unable to bear the sound. He knew he could not leave; his most important responsibility right now was to guard the path to the inner courtyard and buy time for Alice's plan.

"Bang!"

A violent impact echoed from the front gate of the Lord's Mansion. Lin Lei opened his eyes instantly, his gaze turning sharp.

He knew the enemy had arrived. All he had to do now was wait for them to draw near and then slaughter them all.

The first line of defense for the Lord's Mansion was the squad led by Hera, numbering over four hundred strong and distributed throughout every corner of the mansion grounds. They were the first to encounter the undead.

As the sounds of battle grew louder and the enemy drew closer, Lin Lei, who had been standing still, mounted his warhorse.

"Quick, hurry..."

Only four or five men remained from the squad of over three hundred. They rushed past Lin Lei and his men, carrying a heavily wounded Hera as they fled toward the secret passage inside.

"Brothers, it's our turn."

With a thought, Lin Lei activated the Guan Yu card from his system. Accompanied by a mechanical prompt, his iron armor transformed into a green battle robe, and the Two-Bladed Three-Pointed Spear in his hand morphed into the heavy weapon, the Green Dragon Crescent Blade.

Red Hare, which previously only had a saddle, was now clad in battle armor, its eyes glowing with a dazzling light.

"Hoo."

Having used the Yang Jian card once before, it took Lin Lei only a few minutes to grow accustomed to this sudden surge in power, and wielding the heavy blade became second nature to him.

Lin Lei sensed his own strength; he had reached roughly the third tier of the Gold rank. While this power was still a long way from the Platinum level, it was sufficient to face the threat of the Shadow Council in the coming battle.

"They're here."

Accompanied by a dark aura, a black mist appeared from the direction where the remnants of the first line of defense had fled, filled with chilling, blood-curdling screams.

"Lady Moran."

One of Lin Lei's subordinates shouted. Lin Lei followed his gaze.

A woman in a black dress stood there, staring at them expressionlessly, her face twisted with the hideousness characteristic of vengeful spirits.

"This... is this Lady Moran? I thought she was the most beautiful woman in Flower Territory. How did she end up looking like this monster?"

"Judging by her features, it is Lady Moran. This isn't her usual appearance; she didn't have those spiteful eyes or those terrifying bloodstains before."

Henry, standing nearby, said with certainty.

"Indeed, I am Moran. If you know what's good for you, move aside, or you shall all die."

Moran's voice started out normal, but as she continued, it became increasingly eerie and ethereal.

"Watch out, everyone! Beware of her voice; she's using a mental spell."

Lin Lei, possessing superior strength, was the first to notice something was wrong and hurriedly warned the surrounding soldiers to cover their ears.

Watching Moran, who continued to emit the sound from where she stood, Lin Lei charged at her first, forcing her to break the spell.

"Hmph."

Lady Moran let out a cold snort and nimbly dodged Lin Lei's charge. However, his goal had been achieved; the soldiers, who had been in agony, were no longer suffering. They picked up the weapons they had dropped and charged toward Moran's group.

"Xuanshui, Yishe, are you two old geezers not going to make a move?"

After her initial failed attempt, Lady Moran called out to the two figures in black robes who were watching the show from the sidelines.

"We were just giving you a chance to shine, my lady. How could we two brothers possibly interrupt your battle?"

Yishe, on the left, said with a mocking smile. Lady Moran seethed with hatred; these two were clearly trying to take advantage of the situation to extort benefits from her.

"Damn it, are you not afraid of being punished by the master?"

"Heh, we two brothers aren't the main ones in charge of this operation. I doubt we'll face much punishment for a failure. Of course, if you give us one thousand souls each, we might just consider stepping in," added Xuanshui on the right.

"Fine."

Moran agreed, having no other choice.

"My lady is truly generous. In that case, we two brothers shall make fools of ourselves."

As they spoke, Xuanshui and Yishe shed their black robes, revealing their true forms.

"Orcs!"

Lin Lei, who had been watching them vigilantly, gasped in shock.

"Damn it, has the orc invasion already begun?"

Lin Lei cursed inwardly.

"Heh."

Having revealed their true forms, Xuanshui and Yishe stopped talking. Like the savage beasts they were, they lunged at Lin Lei with crude, violent movements.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

Having long been on guard, Lin Lei barely dodged their attack, but the soldiers beside him were not so lucky. Unfortunate enough to be seized by Xuanshui and Yishe, they were tossed high into the air, only to land on the ground gasping their last breaths; it was clear they would not survive.

Meanwhile, the flock of banshees following Lady Moran controlled the charmed warriors, launching an assault on the already shattered guards. The situation was dire.

"Damn it."

Lin Lei's eyes blazed with fury. He kicked his heels into his mount's flanks, urging Red Hare into a rapid gallop.

"Iron Cavalry Charge!"

Lin Lei roared. Accompanied by the influence of a mysterious power, cold Black Knights manifested to his left and right, charging alongside him toward the banshee formation.

Under Lady Moran's incredulous gaze, her banshee camp was sent into disarray. The two or three dozen silver-ranked banshees were wiped out in an instant, and the manipulated warriors gradually regained their senses.

These charmers, sent directly to the battlefield as cannon fodder, were not deeply enthralled. The truly wicked banshees would never put those whose minds were completely lost on the front lines.

Feeling a continuous stream of power supporting him after using the Iron Cavalry Charge, Lin Lei did not hesitate and continued his charge toward Lady Moran.

"Ah!"

Feeling her life threatened, Lady Moran stopped hiding and unleashed her signature skill: Banshee Wail.

Banshee Wail was a spell that ignored physical defenses, piercing directly through the heart to attack the soul. Caught off guard, Lin Lei clutched his head and tumbled off Red Hare.

Lady Moran's Banshee Wail did not cease, causing even the soldiers and warriors far away to clutch their heads and roll on the ground.

Xuanshui and Yishe, who were in league with her, fared no better; their steps were unsteady, and they looked like drunken men.

At this moment, the movements on the battlefield stilled due to Lady Moran's single spell.

"Power of Holy Light."

A golden light flew from the depths of the inner courtyard, slamming into the incessantly wailing Lady Moran.

"Ah."

Lady Moran halted her spell and let out a miserable shriek. A massive, rotting patch was scorched into her previously fair skin.

"Who is it?"

Lin Lei, gradually regaining his composure, looked toward the direction from which the spell had been released.

"Knights of the Church of Dawn."

Lin Lei recognized these men. He had encountered these knights on his way to Flower Territory; their uniform black armor and the Holy Light were their hallmarks.

As the knights approached step by step, the previously ferocious Xuanshui and Yishe retreated vigilantly, pulling back to Lady Moran's side.

"Who are you?"

"Dawn Knights, Yaduo De."

Upon hearing Yaduo De's words, the still-screaming Lady Moran clamped her mouth shut, her pupils constricting violently. The expressions of the other two members of the Beast Race were no better.

Clearly, these evil beings had all heard of Yaduo De's title as a righteous knight.

"The situation is bad, Yishe."

Xuanshui and Yishe exchanged a glance, understanding each other's thoughts.

"Demon Gate."

The two members of the Beast Race began to chant an ancient and evil incantation. Their robust muscles began to wither, and the two-meter-tall giants shrank into dwarves less than a meter and a half tall.

"Stop him! They are warlocks; they are going to summon demons from the outer realms!"

Familiar with history, Lin Lei knew exactly what they were about to do the moment he heard them chanting.

"What?"

Yaduo De, who had been pressing forward step by step, swung his warhammer and sprinted toward Xuanshui and Yishe, utilizing the Power of Holy Light as he ran in an attempt to interrupt their ritual.

"Ah."

Knowing the importance of the ritual, Lady Moran, who was beside Yishe and the other, disregarded their past grievances and used her own body to block Yaduo De's divine spell.

"Damn it, it's too late."

As the final drop of energy fell, a space portal brimming with evil intent appeared in the air.

"Roar."

Accompanied by countless screeches, demons emerged from the space portal one after another—Evil Beast Race, berserk beasts, Blood Demon, Evil Walker—each one hideous, cruel, and wicked.

However, the one stroke of luck in this misfortune was that the mana of Yishe and Xuanshui could only sustain the portal for one minute.

After one minute, the portal, which carried an aura of destruction, vanished. In its place appeared over a hundred soldiers of the Destruction Legion, each one at least at the first level of the silver rank.

"Thank goodness, thank goodness."

Lin Lei looked at the dense crowd of Destruction Legion soldiers. Seeing no Demon Lords, Fear Demons, or Queens of Pain among them, he felt slightly relieved.

"Kill!"

Facing these suddenly teleported soldiers, Lin Lei did not freeze. Seizing the moment before these demons could adapt to their new environment, he charged in like a lone rider against a thousand.

"Bang!"

With a thunderous crash, a massive, berserk beast was sent flying by Lin Lei, slamming into the ground with a gaping wound torn into its purple hide, violet blood spilling out wantonly.

"Roar!"

These creatures, born for destruction, knew nothing of fear; seeing their companion's gruesome death, they felt not a shred of emotion and began their assault on Lin Lei and his group.

The human soldiers, originally numerous, roared as they charged toward the demons, emboldened by Lin Lei's display of slaughter.

The soldiers' courage was commendable, but the disparity in strength could not be bridged by bravery alone; it often took five soldiers to trade for one Long-Horned Demon, and ten to take down a single Evil Walker.

Though Lin Lei and Yaduo De could dispatch the demons, it was like trying to put out a burning cart of firewood with a single cup of water.

Just as Lady Moran and her cohorts were gloating, Alice and the others emerged from the tunnel.