The Approaching Nightmare, Rhapsody

This was the first time the United Kingdom's army had directly clashed with the Scourge Legion's air units.

Although many of these soldiers were veterans of the expeditionary force who had fought directly against the Scourge Legion, even they had never seen these terrifying monsters before.

Although these bats were living creatures, merely mutated species with enlarged bodies, they were enough to cause the enemy considerable suffering. Despite their enormous size, they still possessed agile and unpredictable movement patterns, causing many arrows shot at them to miss their mark. Furthermore, the holy light could not inflict much damage on them. For a time, these demonic beasts hovering in the air became the greatest nightmare of the allied army.

Under their onslaught, the priests who couldn't defend themselves were quickly grabbed by the sharp claws, thrown into the air, and then torn to pieces. Even the warriors who bravely stood in front of the priests couldn't stop the demons' advance. These weren't just zombies that attacked from the front; often, they circled around and attacked from behind, seizing their targets when the warriors and archers were distracted.

Soon, the defenses on the city wall fell into disarray.

Although Catherine had already ordered the walls to be thickened to counter the Scourge Legion's attacks, the walls, no matter how wide, could only accommodate three people side by side. Beyond that, they couldn't extend properly and would risk injuring their companions. For this reason, the number of people who could actually defend the walls was quite limited. In addition, with the almost relentless zombie attacks from the front, it was difficult to spare the attention to protect those above and behind them at the same time.

As each priest fell, the pressure on the warriors grew heavier. Although divine power still flowed through their bodies, giving them courage, faith, and strength, and healing their wounds to ward off evil, the sheer number of zombies without the priests' massive firepower suddenly posed a significant threat. If things continued this way, the collapse of the entire defensive line was only a matter of time.

"All hands, prepare!!"

Seeing the situation worsening, an officer shouted, hacking to death the undead creature that had just jumped onto the city wall. Without even wiping the blood splattered on his face, he yelled, "Prepare oil! Drive these monsters back to their homeland!!"

The moment he gave the order, the entire ranks changed. The surviving priests immediately stopped casting their spells and hid in the towers beside the city wall, while the other soldiers quickly scattered, leaving a gap of about one step in front of the wall. Then, they shouted and threw something they were holding at their feet.

If Angela could get closer to observe, she would have been astonished. A small trench had been dug along the edge of the city wall, resembling a roadside ditch, but clearly serving a different purpose. During the battle, it had been filled with thick layers of oil, and now, with the commander's order, towering flames erupted, forming a new barrier on the city wall.

This was no ordinary oil; long before the battle, the Temple had blessed it, giving it considerable destructive power. Moreover, it seemed some strange method had been used, causing the flames to burn straight upwards like ordinary flames, forming what appeared to be solid walls. The undead creatures climbing the walls were completely blocked outside this fiery barrier, unable to even get close. Those undead that lost their mobility due to the burning and fell below even "ignited" the corpses below, causing the fire to intensify. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the priests, under the cover of the warriors, launched another attack on the Scourge Legion. The enormous monsters, due to the intense fire, dared not circle and launch aerial attacks again, inadvertently providing the defenders with a chance to regroup and recover.

The combined assault of fire and holy power brought the advancing dark legion to a halt once more. They began to retreat, shrink back, and cautiously maintain their distance from the burning wall of fire, no longer charging forward to their deaths. Instead, they waited quietly for their masters to give them new commands. The towering flames illuminated the once-dark land, even causing a slight stinging sensation in the undead creatures.

"Snort."

Gazing at the flickering flames rising from the dark army, Angela frowned. Corpses were vulnerable to fire, a problem even she couldn't solve, but it didn't matter. The little creature understood; the closer to annihilation, the brighter the light. Since they could inflict such heavy losses on the Scourge Legion, it meant their own demise was near—after all, oil couldn't be unlimited, and when this wall of fire disappeared, it would be their death anniversary. Tactically, Angela should recall her undead and wait for them to exhaust themselves before swarming in to wipe out the weary defenders. However, Angela clearly had other plans. She intended to play a little longer, until she saw her prey show despair and fear—that was what Angela loved to see, what she most desired. The battle was unfolding as Angela had predicted. Although somewhat surprised that her opponents could create such a thing, Angela clearly didn't take it seriously.

"Since they're so determined to protect what's behind them at all costs..."

Angela laughed loudly and took flight, her wings spread wide, her eyes flashing with savage excitement.

"Then I'll let them lose what they want to protect!"

As she spoke, Angela stretched out her fingers, put them in her mouth, and then suddenly let out a loud whistle that pierced the sky.

A piercing whistle echoed across the battlefield, and the garrison soldiers looked anxiously and bewildered in the direction of the sound. They didn't know what was going to happen, but they soon widened their eyes in astonishment. They witnessed something they had never imagined: the dark clouds that had hung in the sky seemed to have been torn off in pieces and were now flying downwards!

No, those aren't clouds.

As the "dark cloud" became clearer, everyone finally saw its face: a swarm of enormous bats. They circled, gathered, and then dispersed, flying in peculiar trajectories above the Scourge Legion. This didn't surprise them, of course. After all, they had fought these monsters before; though terrifying, they were no problem once they became familiar with them. However, what was most frightening was that these monsters had "split off" from the dark cloud! In other words, the dark, seemingly endless cloud above them could very well be entirely composed of these horrifying creatures—a thought that sent chills down everyone's spine.

However, the garrison then witnessed a scene they had never imagined.

Instead of attacking, the bats charged into the Scourge Legion's massive horde below. The undead behind them, seemingly venting their anger on these monsters, quickly began to gather around them. Soon, all the monsters were completely overwhelmed by the undead and disappeared from sight.

What's going on?

Witnessing the scene unfolding before them, everyone was somewhat astonished. Was it infighting? Or had something gone wrong? Why were these undead attacking their own kind? And why were those monsters flying to the ground to die? These questions puzzled the defending soldiers as well. However, regardless, the dead were all enemies, so they didn't care too much. Instead, they seized the opportunity to recover their strength and replenish their power for the next attack.

But at that moment, the tide of the dark undead army began to surge.

Strange bulges emerged from the army, and then, like butterflies breaking free of their cocoons, they soared into the sky.

The same enormous bats were still there, but unlike before, they were now covered in undead creatures. They clung tightly to the bats' bodies, claws, and backs, clearly intending to hitch a ride.

"They're charging at us!!"

Seeing these dark, monstrous creatures return once again, the soldiers on guard immediately screamed. At this moment, even a fool would understand that these undead creatures jumping onto the bodies of those giant bats were not fighting among themselves. Clearly, they intended to use the power of these giant bats to leap over the front line and rush directly to the rear!

"Fire! Fire now! Shoot these damn bastards down!!"

At this moment, no one cared about resting anymore. Ignoring their bloodied and mangled hands, the archers gripped their bows again, aimed at the enormous figures in the sky, and began firing relentlessly. They had almost forgotten the dangers they might face, even the intense flames; they simply fired wildly. They knew that behind them lay the people they were meant to protect, their families, and everything else! They absolutely could not let these demons fly over their heads!

However, their attack was destined to be futile.

Although a few bats were indeed hit, the undead covering their bodies acted as armor, negating the damage. Furthermore, these enormous bats possessed considerable strength; the strong winds created by even a gentle flap of their wings were enough to deflect the arrows. Therefore, even with the archers firing frantically, only a few unfortunate undead stumbled and fell. The rest of the force easily leaped over the defensive line!

"No!!!"

Gazing at the scene before them, everyone felt a surge of anger and hatred. They had spent so much time training, all to be able to withstand the attacks of these despicable undead creatures, even for a moment! But now, the enemy had so easily breached their defenses. All their hard work, unwavering determination, and willpower had become a joke! They didn't even have an outlet for their rage! Were they really going to just stand by and watch these damned monsters fly over every line of defense and directly into the royal city?!

However, to everyone's surprise, these monsters did not simply disappear from their sight as they had expected. Instead, these bats circled and flew in the air, and after making a circle, they slowly descended!

"They're planning to flank us from behind!"

This time, even a fool could understand the other side's intentions. Sure enough, just as they expected, as the bats approached the ground, the undead creatures that had been hanging on them jumped down and pounced on the panicked guards below.

Although a rotation system was implemented on the city walls, their limited width could only accommodate a portion of the soldiers. Therefore, those qualified to stand on the front line against the undead were all their elite troops. However, the reserve soldiers in the rear were different. Unlike the warriors in front, they lacked experience. Although they also possessed divine protection, they were clearly inferior to the elite soldiers. Therefore, when they saw the enemies descending from the sky, panic immediately erupted throughout the camp.

Generally speaking, an airdrop attack should involve a small number of elite troops, but Angela clearly disregarded this and was determined to carry out the human wave tactic to the end. Therefore, after this round of airdrops, about 10,000 undead creatures were thrown behind the army and began a brutal killing and battle.

Although the garrison has a clear numerical advantage, the undead have another unparalleled advantage—contagion.

The soldiers who had been overwhelmed, torn apart, and killed by the undead quickly rose again. The difference was that their eyes now held no trace of panic, fear, or struggle—all human emotions. Instead, hatred and rage for life filled the depths of their souls. They had abandoned their former glory, turning their claws and teeth to their former comrades and compatriots, satisfying the emptiness and fury deep within their souls by taking their lives.

The battle lines immediately descended into chaos. Although the officers tried their best to restore order and eliminate the undead army that had parachuted behind them, under Angela's deliberate command, the undead creatures landed in unusually scattered directions, seemingly blooming in all directions. It gave the impression that undead creatures were attacking them from all sides, and many even began to suspect that the number of undead creatures that had parachuted down might have reached hundreds of thousands!

Seeing the chaos erupting in the rear, the morale of the soldiers guarding the front lines was wavering. Although there were soldiers in the rear, they too had provisions and supplies! The current disarray caused many to question the effectiveness of their defensive line. If the enemy could leap over and attack the rear, what was the point of continuing to hold out? Moreover, judging from the enemy's actions, they were converting their dead soldiers! Was their fighting a pointless battle? Even if they eliminated so many undead, what was the point? These soldiers weren't trained and equipped humans; they were the Scourge Legion! A terrifying army of undead, even with only teeth and claws, they could deliver deadly attacks!

Only then did everyone realize that in the eyes of the Magic Empire, they were not "enemies" at all, but "reserve soldiers." How many enemies they eliminated was irrelevant to the Magic Empire; as long as they were added to this terrifying undead army, there would be no problem.

Although questions had already arisen in everyone's minds, Angela clearly had no patience to wait for them to find the answers. Accompanied by mournful howls, the Scourge Legion launched its attack once again! The terrifying undead creatures began a new offensive against the city walls, while the giant bats circling in the sky, under Angela's command, began to bypass the fire walls and launch their own attack.

This time, the garrison finally felt the pressure. If they were already surrounded by undead, they wouldn't have needed to worry so much; they could simply grit their teeth and fight to the death. But now, these soldiers not only had to face the immediate threat but also had to keep an eye on their rear, to see whether the soldiers were eliminating the undead dropped from the air or the undead were killing the soldiers. This made them uneasy; they worried about their safety behind them and couldn't concentrate on the battle ahead. They began to waver; their resolute hearts began to falter, and the once powerful and radiant holy light gradually became more illusory. Without the support of a strong mind, the divine power naturally couldn't continue, a fact that Angela understood very well.

That's why she chose to do it.

At the same time, the power of the fire walls began to weaken. In the cold wind, they began to sway and tremble for the first time, becoming thin and powerless.

"Now."

Looking at everything that was happening before her eyes, Angela smiled smugly.

"All troops, launch a surprise attack! Slaughter all these lowly people here!"