The Approaching Nightmare, Lurking

Night fell.

The soldiers guarding the defensive line breathed a collective sigh of relief, then tensed up again. This meant they had safely passed another day. Whether they could safely pass the next night depended on the great gods' protection. Of course, this didn't depend on the soldiers' prayers, but on the Scourge Legion. They hadn't appeared for some time since the second line of defense, and the soldiers had been using the time to train and recover. Holy light could heal their wounds in the shortest amount of time, and divine power allowed these soldiers to survive on only small amounts of food and water. They were full of energy, but that wasn't the main point. They were undergoing rigorous training. The veterans who had survived the second line of defense were passing on all their experience to these new recruits without reservation, and leading them in extensive training and preparation. Even now, several patrol teams were risking their lives to patrol the front lines, holding torches high so that the soldiers guarding the walls could see the light. Once the light in their hands disappeared, it meant that the Scourge Legion had reached the front lines, and at that point, the front lines should fulfill their intended function.

Of course, the patrolmen were well aware that their mission was extremely dangerous, almost a one-way trip. After all, the Scourge Legion's undead were no match for them, let alone the monsters flying in the sky. Not only could Ghoul easily catch up with galloping warhorses, but those flying monsters were enough to kill them. Their mission was, in essence, to risk their lives to give more people time to survive—even if they might only live a few more hours.

Riding their horses, galloping across the land, soldiers held torches and illustrated books aloft, vigilantly patrolling and inspecting their surroundings. The pitch-black night heightened their nerves; after all, legend had it that undead creatures preferred to attack in the darkness, lurking in the shadows where the sun couldn't reach, silently watching their prey with greedy, ferocious eyes, ready to pounce at any moment... Such rumors were terrifying enough in themselves, and now, as the darkness deepened, the area illuminated by the torches shrank further. Even with their arms raised high, they could only light a small portion around them, while the rest remained shrouded in darkness.

It looked like a sleeping beast, ready to open its jaws at any moment and swallow these fragile lives whole, which was unsettling and terrifying.

Nevertheless, the soldiers were somewhat more at ease than before. Due to the previous earthquake, all roads from the second line of defense to this point were cut off, and various cracks and collapses greatly reduced their mobility. Even the undead could not pass through easily. Therefore, as long as the soldiers' senses were sharp enough to detect any unusual movements, they still had a chance to escape.

It's just a chance.

Reaching out and waving the torches forcefully, the soldiers widened their eyes and scanned their surroundings with utmost vigilance. Fortunately, they didn't need to stay there all night; after a while, their replacement patrol would arrive, and the soldiers could return to the fortress and get a good night's sleep—this was their daily routine, and every day when they returned to the fortress, they felt a chill run down their spines. Even though it wasn't the first time, the soldiers still couldn't get used to this kind of life.

After surveying the area again and confirming that there were no enemies within their own perimeter, the soldiers exchanged glances, nodded, and began to advance in other directions according to the original plan. They were only responsible for a small section and would not conduct extensive reconnaissance, which did not comply with their superiors' orders. Moreover, the soldiers themselves did not want to go too far and get into unnecessary trouble.

"Alright, guys."

After circling around again, the leading soldier spoke. Unlike the usual soldiers who spoke in a loud and boisterous manner, he lowered his voice as much as possible and even nervously looked around, as if afraid that their voices might disturb something they shouldn't.

"Everything's fine. We can back off now. Once we reach the designated location, we can call it a day, go home, have a good meal, and get a good night's sleep!"

No one cheered, but the soldiers showed excitement after hearing his words. Then, without even waiting for orders, they marched towards the defensive line, torches held high.

The firelight gradually faded, and darkness once again enveloped the spot where the soldiers had been. Within it, the soft earth slowly churned, as if something was writhing beneath it, moving forward at a snail's pace.

The soldiers quickly met up with the patrol that had come to relieve them. The expressions on both sides were somewhat different. The soldiers who had come to relieve them looked serious and tense, after all, they would be the ones to bear the danger next. The soldiers who were about to return looked somewhat relaxed, after all, their work was done, and all that was left was to return to the fortress safely.

"So..."

Just as the handover was completed and they were preparing to leave, suddenly, one of the soldiers' horses neighed softly. It pawed the ground restlessly and nervously turned around. The others looked at him with tension and confusion. Then, to their surprise, they found that their own horses were also becoming agitated. Some shook their heads frantically, while others began to leap and bound, as if trying to throw their riders off. This unusual behavior immediately made everyone tense and uneasy. They all raised their torches and looked around, but the darkness remained silent. There was no sound, and they saw nothing moving or rushing towards them.

"----"

As a gust of wind blew by, the air suddenly became thick, making it difficult to breathe. At the same time, a faint stench seeped into everyone's bodies, making them feel dizzy and nauseous.

"I think things don't look too good."

One of the soldiers spoke, then suddenly pulled on the reins, trying to leave. But just then, his horse suddenly leaped up, neighing and trying to run, but it ultimately failed.

Something translucent, slippery, and eerie, like a venomous snake, darted out from the ground and seized the sturdy warhorse. It looked like a large puddle of snot, spreading a nauseating and disgusting stench. The horse didn't last long before it was forcibly "sucked" into it and then disappeared without a trace.

This bizarre scene startled everyone else as well. They no longer cared about what was happening; whatever that thing was, it could never be a symbol of friendliness!

However, they did not have time to escape the clutches of God of Death.

The soil on the ground suddenly churned up, and then the cavalrymen and their horses disappeared into the writhing, translucent, gelatinous liquid.

However, they finally completed their mission.

Fires immediately blazed along the defensive line, illuminating everything around them. Soldiers, armed with swords, spears, and bows, quickly assembled and took their positions, awaiting the enemy's arrival. Catapults were also erected at top speed, their blazing flames heating the stones inside. The priests had also held their positions, but they did not see their enemy—or rather, they simply did not see the enemy they hoped to see.

There were no terrifying undead creatures, nor any flying monsters that blotted out the sun. Under everyone's gaze, there was only a thick, semi-transparent gel-like substance, like a mixture of snot and mucus. It seemed to be just an ordinary liquid, flowing slowly. From another perspective, this would be perfectly normal. However, considering that the defensive line was built on an uphill slope, the scene was extremely bizarre.

"Great god, what exactly is that thing?!"

The nauseating, ominous appearance filled the soldiers with extreme panic, not only because of the horrible and bizarre shape of the creature, but also because of the stench it emitted! The stench was like a mixture of all the most foul-smelling things in a sewer, and some soldiers even fainted because they couldn't breathe. It was beyond the limits of human endurance; not to mention breathing, even speaking loudly felt like a stream of sewage was being poured into their throats.

Not only that, but in the firelight, the soldiers could clearly see that their comrades were trapped inside this horrific thing. And judging from their appearance, they were still alive, struggling desperately! But this was unbearable torture for them. The holy light offered no help; instead, right before their eyes, their armor began to corrode and disappear, followed by their skin, their muscles, and then their internal organs were revealed. Horrifyingly, they still hadn't died! Their mouths were wide open, desperately calling out something, but just as they opened their mouths, the translucent, gelatinous substance entered them, forcefully pushing their eyes out of their sockets.

"I despise things that have no aesthetic appeal whatsoever."

Floating in the dark night sky, Angela pouted helplessly.

"I originally wanted to avoid using this thing as much as possible, but now it seems there's no other way. Well then, let it eat its fill of books... Hopefully, these weak and foolish humans will make it happy with its feast."