Azure Scepter

Page 161

Out of distrust of these Asmos who had participated in the massacre of the city, and in order to control and manage them as much as possible, Edith divided the massive Asmo army into more than a dozen small square formations with intervals between them, while reserving nearly half of them as a reserve force for later.

However, along the way, apart from encountering the "Thousand Souls Leader" who was easily defeated, they did not encounter any enemies, as if this bizarre city was always deserted.

However, Edith did not let her guard down. After all, if this place were really that safe, Trier would not have gone to such lengths and made such thorough preparations before letting people in. Therefore, Edith remained highly vigilant from the very first second she entered.

As she approached the vicinity of the clock tower, she sensed something was amiss. The distant clock tower, the abruptly narrowed street beneath it, and the view obstructed by buildings to the west all instilled in her an almost instinctive unease.

If the enemy is a humanoid creature, then that place would be the best battleground for them. Edith thought to herself.

So she simply ordered the Asmos at the front to halt their formation, carry out earthworks, and set up camp for repairs. At the same time, she used communication magic to order the reserve troops to come quickly.

However, at that moment, Chu Fashi, who was beside her, was suddenly touched.

—Fodia, who was acting as a scout ahead, sent her an alarm.

The enemy is coming!

PS: Only one update today, a transitional chapter, just a little filler, I'm saving some drafts for later.

Chapter 310 The Road to Legend (Part 1)

Wind does not exist in the underground mirrored labyrinth of Wirth.

The deathly silence, like a withered ghost wandering in the dead of winter, filled every corner of the narrow streets and alleys, and the windowless walls added a sense of oppressive darkness to this silence.

At this moment, a dilapidated and decaying sign was moving without wind, and the words "Holland Grocery Store" were written on it in a blood-red color.

Suddenly, a ripple appeared in the air beneath the sign, and then, like ink spreading, Futia's figure slowly emerged from the shadows.

Fythia lowered her center of gravity, blending into the shadows. After observing for a moment, she touched the "invisibility cloak" Trier had given her, and then removed the black hood.

Although the somber atmosphere was particularly oppressive, and the deserted city exuded a sense of desolation akin to the end of the world, it was still safe here for the time being.

Futia took a deep breath, the smell of rotting wood filling her nostrils. This scene, resembling a midnight cemetery, reminded her of her experience in Beaver Town.

To be fair, she was too nervous and her resolve was too weak at the time—even disregarding her improved martial arts skills over this period, with her current will and determination alone, she could have crushed the terrifying undead formation during the final battle.

Perhaps it was because she had been dancing on the edge of a knife for so long that she had made rapid progress in all aspects. Futia thought to herself.

After all, during this time, she had faced the Balrog, the six-armed serpent demon, Asmo, and even angels, all of which existed only in myths and legends.

The facts show that these things will also be injured and bleed if they are hit by arrows, and will die if hit by several arrows. I am fully capable of killing them.

Fytia, your values ​​are completely different from those of ordinary elves—your way of thinking is unique to us humans, beings with short lifespans.

For no apparent reason, the ramblings of Earl Cohen from a few days ago came to mind.

She took a deep breath and then focused her attention on the present—danger could strike at any moment, and now was not the time to reminisce about the past.

She put the hood of the invisibility cloak back on and then became invisible.

Suddenly, a flash of silver light disappeared from the corner of Futia's eye.

She paused for a moment, then suddenly looked up at the building to her left.

It was a dilapidated four-story building with a pointed roof. A faint silver light, like flowing water, slowly moved and reflected off the sharp edges of the broken glass windows.

Does this building have windows?

Futia frowned slightly.

Are the people who create the flashes of light natives of the underground mirror city of Wirth, or enemy scouts?

After a moment's thought, Futia crouched down, carefully took the deerskin bag in front of her, and then took out a jet-black magic storage stone.

As a former mage apprentice, she was no stranger to such expensive spellcasting tools; she could simply crush them to release the spells stored within.

"If only I could learn the Fireball spell," Futia thought, feeling the hard, cold edges of the magic stone in her hand. "If I could learn the Fireball spell, Mother wouldn't be so disappointed..."

The next moment, she clenched her fist and crushed the storage stone.

The storage stone contains the "Arcane Eye," a spell that creates an invisible magical eye through which she can receive information in her mind.

The Mystic Eye slowly floated into the air, making the massive buildings and narrow alleys appear tiny. In less than a few breaths, Futia's field of vision rose to a high point, overlooking the entire street in front of her.

Looking at the scene on the ground, Futia's azure pupils suddenly contracted slightly.

Not far ahead of her was a densely packed cluster of buildings, surrounding a towering clock tower. And within this cluster, countless silver-armored figures...

Nearby, countless small giants wearing wedge-shaped metal masks and silver armor stood ready. They all wielded heavy bows, their quivers filled with arrows the size of spears.

When the number of people reaches a certain level, it is impossible to see the end of the line. Even with an overhead view, Futia could only see a line of cold, metallic light. The sharp, metallic chill almost made her eyes hurt.

Amidst this chilling silver light, countless phantoms wielding long handles drifted slowly.

They're all enemies! Well-trained enemies!

If she's discovered, she's dead! She'll be riddled with bullets!

Futia took a deep breath to control the tremor in her heart, then looked out of the arcane eye's field of vision and looked up at the street.

The streets remained deserted and deathly silent, but the imagery of a midnight cemetery had instantly transformed into a chilling silence capable of silencing all sound.

Memories flooded back, and Fythia couldn't help but recall the time she and Trill had sneaked through hundreds of undead together.

She thought she would be torn to pieces by the endless zombies, but Trier led her and the dwarves past the corner of the wall.

“Calm down, Futia, calm down,” she murmured to herself. “Notify Edith first.”

With this thought in mind, she took out another warning magic stone and shattered it in one grasp!

Now they won't be ambushed, Fatiya thought.

However, at that very moment, a familiar yet unfamiliar sonic boom suddenly exploded in the air!

Futia subconsciously looked up—

Inside a building not far from her, the head of an Asmo rogue suddenly exploded, a wedge-shaped plume of scalding white mist engulfing the splattered blood. The spiraling white mist slowly dissipated, and a massive, terrifying spear instantly shredded Asmo's body before slamming it into the ground.

Someone has been spotted!

Fythia's heart skipped a beat, but she didn't act rashly—she needed to stay calm at this time and couldn't run around recklessly. She had an invisibility cloak, so as long as she didn't move, it would be difficult for the other party to find her.

She clung to the cold bricks and slowly peered out, looking in the direction from which the sonic boom cloud had originated.

At the towering summit of the clock tower, a giant twice the height of an ordinary silver-armored giant once more drew a massive spear and arrow, then suddenly pulled the bowstring upwards, the bowstring instantly transforming into a full moon—

"Bang!" The bowstring trembled violently!

This seemed to be a signal; the next moment, all the hidden Wild Hunt members drew their bows and launched their arrows!

In an instant, arrows rose up like a tsunami, and then rained down!

Futia's pupils suddenly contracted, and then she realized that the Asmo array at the front had already entered the enemy's maximum range!

ambush!

"Enemy attack!"

Before the scream could even escape their throats, a deafening sonic boom drowned out all other sounds.

The towering metal spears rained down from the sky, leaving the Asmo soldiers at the forefront with no way to avoid them. In an instant, a dense sea of ​​spears and arrows, like mountains falling from the sky, pressed down on the heads of the Asmo's first line of soldiers.

The wind wall spell, which is usually used to defend against ranged attacks, and the group protection arrows shattered and became ineffective in the face of overwhelming numbers and power.

The cold metal suddenly pierced through flesh and blood, and warm blood mixed with mangled limbs crashed to the ground.

Asmo, who reacted quickly, tried to hide behind the building and raise his shield to block, but the deadly rain of arrows was so powerful that the building crumbled into pieces like a sandcastle on a beach in front of the arrows, and Asmo, who was holding the shield, was also pierced by an arrow.

The spears and arrows rained down, piercing the ground. The edges of the arrows were already red-hot and melting under the high temperature, and scorching blood-red steam rose up.

The groans of the wounded in pain and despair, along with their indistinct prayers, mingled with the hissing sound of flesh being branded and charred by molten iron. However, this hellish scene did not last long before another volley of arrows rained down. Accompanied by seemingly endless arrows and countless elusive phantoms, they suddenly launched their attack.

The surviving Asmo officer grabbed the spear that had pierced him, then, with veins bulging in his arm, pulled it out with a swift motion, splattering drops of blood onto his colleague's corpse.

His eyes were bloodshot. He shoved aside the mountain of corpses and then scrambled to his feet from the blood: "Fight back! Tell the others to bring up the ballistae! For our Lord Saint Seir!"

From receiving the message to the outbreak of battle, there were less than ten seconds between them, and the confrontation immediately escalated to a fever pitch.

The unknown enemy was extremely powerful. Edith deployed about three arrays as physical warning units in front. Under the rain of arrows, the array at the front, which was a wedge-shaped formation, melted instantly. As the phantom-like figures charged forward, the battle at the front became a blood grinder in the truest sense.

With his exceptional perception, Edith witnessed the entire battle taking place in the distance.

She remained calm and unsurprised. She instructed the messenger to immediately wave the flag to notify the others to proceed with the battle as planned.

Before Asmo's army entered the underground labyrinth, she had roughly predicted several possible battlefields and made general contingency plans and organization.

After consulting with Trill, she had a general understanding of the possible types of enemies—the ones shooting now were likely the Wild Hunt, which was enhanced by magic.

In her original calculations, the worst-case scenario was that all three Asmos in the first three arrays would be vaporized, but now only one is missing. This either means that the number of enemies is not as large as expected, or that Asmos' combat power far exceeds that of the human soldiers of the Kingdom of Orko.

But whichever possibility it may be, it's a good thing.

If they are not hit by additional high-level evocation spells, the Asmer array in front can hold out for at least another hour, which is enough time for the others to complete their preparations and achieve their planned tactical objectives.

“Let’s cast protective divine spells on them,” Edith said to Noy beside her after a moment’s thought.

However, before Noi could respond, the metal monster that Trier had forcibly shoved into the team yesterday spoke up: "I have a better way, but you, as a paladin, cannot agree to it."

Edith paused for a moment, then nodded: "I don't know anything."

As an experienced military expert, Edith has never been swayed by emotions in her command. After the ordeal with Erlav, she became more steadfast in adhering to the principles she believed in, while learning to be flexible with other obviously unreasonable "principles."

"Principles" are not about upholding true goodness and justice, but merely about controlling other people's lies.

The metal monster nodded silently, and then disappeared in front of her in a teleportation.

The next moment, the metal monster appeared behind the first line of troops, which was almost completely wiped out. He took out a spellbook and began to chant a spell that he had prepared in advance.

—Legendary spell, the Scourge of the Undead!

This metallic monster is actually a legendary lich!

Edith was dumbfounded.

PS: First update, another one coming soon!

Chapter 311 The Road to Legend (Part Two)

Blood and flesh flowed everywhere, and corpses were everywhere in sight; the battlefield was filled with blood mist, and heavy arrows stood among the corpses like iron tombstones, the shafts of the heavy arrows swaying slightly, like tattered flags full of blood under the setting sun.

Suddenly, a blurry gray mist swept across the pool of scarlet, viscous blood, splattering blood everywhere.

Not far away, the phantom guardians formed by gray mist were engaged in fierce fighting, while the remaining Asmo soldiers relied on the ruins of buildings to hold the last line of defense. However, anyone with discerning eyes could see that Asmo's defeat was inevitable.

"boom!"

A cold halberd suddenly thrust out from beneath him, instantly piercing the shinbone of an Asmo soldier. Asmo cried out in pain, and the Gray Mist Guard opposite him hooked Asmo with his backhand, pulling him to the ground and dragging him into the killing zone made up of long-handled weapons.

The cold blade tore open the throat, and before the shrill scream could be uttered, it turned into bubbling blood. Asmo stared wide-eyed, his lifeless eyes looking up at the sky—in the distance, another round of arrows was about to arrive!

With a deafening sonic boom, a rain of arrows fell once more, wiping out the remaining Asmo soldiers in an instant. Even the ballistae from the heavens were blown to pieces.

The guardians formed from the gray mist ruthlessly finished off all the wounded, then continued to advance forward. Not far away, more gray mist guardians continued to pour out, seemingly endless, just like the mist itself.

However, the next moment, all the gray fog guards on the battlefield stopped in their tracks.

A vague and blasphemous murmur suddenly echoed, and the next instant, a dark red lightning bolt ripped through the sky.

"Uh..." The shattered corpse, with only its head remaining, suddenly opened its eyes, opened its mouth wide, and bit down on the heel of a gray mist guard!

As an otherworldly phantom echo, the Gray Mist Guardian felt no pain. It silently turned around and raised the halberd in its hand.

However, the other hand, which had been severed at the root, sprang up from the ground and grabbed the guard's wrist. Its well-defined fingers, like a spider catching its prey, crushed the guard's wrist.

Fatiah, hiding in the shadows not far away, was somewhat surprised.

To her astonishment, the Asmos, who had fought to the death and perished under the hail of arrows, rose once more as undead...

The mangled corpses rose again, their shattered flesh mixed with thick blood plasma, forming clumps of blood and flesh. The Gray Mist Guards all halted, then resumed their battle with the undead Asmos.

At the same time, eerie ghostly figures separated from the corpses of the Asmos. The ghostly figures had blank faces and broken bodies, but they screamed and pounced on the Gray Mist Guards as soon as they saw them.

Amidst the eerie shadows, a strange figure wearing a metal mask and gloves strolled out as if taking a leisurely walk. It raised a spellbook, and the aggregates of flesh and blood immediately began to multiply. Tentacles made of fragments of flesh surged out, connecting with each other like nerve bulges, and then merging together. In less than a few breaths, the aggregates of flesh and blood transformed into an extremely large stitched abomination.

This stitched monster abomination was enormous; it even occupied an entire street, and a single limb could destroy an entire building with a sweep—it looked like a miniature version of the Thousand Souls Head.

"Obey!" The metal monster stretched out its spellbook again and pointed its metal staff at the distant gray mist guards.

In the eyes of the old lich Orenroz, these dream monsters, though strangely shaped, should ultimately be considered undead, and as long as they are undead, they can be manipulated by the Dominate Undead technique.

However, the next moment, an unprecedented pressure suddenly returned, and Ororonz's metal body suddenly stiffened. In a daze, it seemed to see a burning star that occupied half of the sky slowly rising from the horizon!

The next moment, the burning behemoth slowly opened its eyes.

"boom!"

With just a glance, the already raging magical winds suddenly went berserk, the steam abruptly boiled, and Orenroz felt his head buzzing. The next moment, his mechanical head was blown away by the steam! The headless old lich immediately reached out and removed the pressure valve, thus stopping the further spread of the magical backlash.