Chapter 155. Backlash, Artificially Creating Corpses
Liam left the temporary council hall and entered a secret chamber filled with Magic Arrays.
The other two Domain-Level Powerhouses of Silver Oakleaf were seated on stone chairs, their faces pale and their auras weak and unstable. Clearly, their condition was extrely precarious.
When they saw Liam enter, the two of them barely lifted their eyes and asked in hoarse voices,
“When... can we begin?”
“About half a month more,” Liam said heavily.
Smiles instantly appeared on the two old n’s faces, but the mont they started laughing, they were cut off by violent coughing.
“Cough... cough, cough... wonderful...”
One of them coughed for quite a while before finally catching his breath. A vicious glint flashed through his eyes.
“I knew it... that brat William Kroll would definitely co... Silver Oakleaf was just badly wounded by the Hydra Clan. In his eyes, this is the perfect ‘opportunity’... cough, cough...”
Liam looked at their tottering state and frowned tightly.
“That’s enough. Stop talking.”
His tone was grave.
“I didn’t expect the Lich King’s backlash to co so quickly.”
“We wanted to control him, but instead he has been secretly eroding our wills. If we were not relying on that Divine Artifact to suppress him, we would probably have beco his puppets long ago.”
The other old man raised a hand to his chest and coughed up a mouthful of frothy blood laced with black qi, his voice trembling.
“That giant sphere of Runes... the more flesh and blood it absorbs, the stronger he becos... and the fiercer the backlash grows... If this drags on any longer, we will fall first, before Kroll even attacks us...”
“Increase the supply of flesh and blood. The final fusion must be completed within a month.”
Liam’s eyes were dark and sinister.
“When the ti cos, even if Kroll sends out everything it has, with the Lich King in our hands, we will make sure none of them return.”
Silence fell over the secret chamber once more. Only the three n’s suppressed breathing and the pulsing of Runes coming from the distant mine pit intertwined in the air.
That pulsing sound was growing louder and louder, like a lurking beast. It nurtured Silver Oakleaf’s desperate hope, yet also concealed a danger that could devour everything at any mont.
A few days later, the gates of Iron Skull Fortress swung open with a thunderous boom.
The legions that had already assembled and stood ready surged out like a tide. The clash of armor, the thunder of hooves, and the roars of magical beasts wove together into a deafening uproar that shook the plains.
Large numbers of legions and Knight Orders advanced toward Silver Oakleaf’s Eastern Frontier.
At their head rode the Gold Legion.
Golden armor swept across the land like a torrent beneath the sunlight, easily crushing several Silver Oakleaf legions stationed at the border and advancing westward through the Eastern Frontier with unstoppable montum, carefully avoiding the range of the Magic Serpent Fortress.
William stood atop the walls of Iron Skull Fortress, watching the army’s retreating backs as his cloak snapped in the wind.
Xilan slowly walked to his side, his eyes following the distant dust clouds.
“Little William, how do you plan to deploy our forces in Silver Oakleaf’s Southern Frontier?”
William nodded.
“I have already given the order. My two Gold Knight Orders will lead the Royal Eighth Legion and Royal Ninth Legion to the Southern Frontier. Marquis Peter is in command.”
A faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
“He is loyal to , and he has rendered great service through hard work. It is ti for him to be promoted to Duke. Consider the credit for taking the Southern Frontier his gift of elevation.”
Approval appeared in Xilan’s eyes.
“Marquis Peter is steady and capable in battle. Having him take charge of the Southern Frontier is indeed a sound choice.”
“With pressure applied simultaneously from the north, west, and south, Silver Oakleaf’s main forces can only be pinned in the Royal Territory, leaving them no ti to worry about the Magic Serpent Fortress in the Eastern Frontier.”
“Exactly.”
William looked toward the Magic Serpent Fortress in the east, his gaze deep and unreadable.
“They will never leave that place lightly. After all, that is their last desperate hope.”
He spoke slowly, his tone full of certainty.
Xilan nodded, then let out a sigh.
“By the way, the Ancestors have already set out for the Magic Serpent Fortress...”
“Alas, Ancestor Aksu already has little lifespan left. If he acts this ti, I fear... it will be difficult for him to return alive to the royal family’s crystal coffin.”
Hearing that, William fell silent.
He looked at the faint dust rising from the distant battlefield. Only after a long while did he speak, his voice carrying a trace of heaviness that was hard to detect.
“Lord Xilan, if the Kroll Kingdom wants to truly secure its footing, and even go a step further, then necessary sacrifices... are ultimately unavoidable.”
The wind atop the wall grew colder, making both n’s cloaks crack sharply.
“Pass down the order. Have all forces accelerate their advance.”
William’s voice regained its steady calm.
During the next month, the Kroll Kingdom’s legions advanced like a hot knife through butter, and good news arrived constantly from every front.
The Silver Oakleaf Kingdom pulled all of its elites back into the Royal Territory and tried to withstand the Gold Legion’s assault head-on. But under the enemy’s fierce offensive, they were driven back again and again, and after several clashes, their forces were already in utter disarray.
And yet, a bizarre scene also began to appear on the battlefield.
Silver Oakleaf’s soldiers seed utterly fearless. Even when they knew they were outmatched, they still charged madly into battle.
And after the fighting ended, the corpses of both Silver Oakleaf and Kroll soldiers were quietly removed at astonishing speed. No matter how chaotic the battle had been, very few bodies were ever left behind.
When William received the frontline report, his fingers clenched the map tightly.
“They are sending ‘feedstock’ to the Magic Serpent Fortress.”
He imdiately gave the order to dispatch several highly mobile Knight Orders and Legendary Combatants specifically to intercept Silver Oakleaf’s corpse-retrieval teams.
But Silver Oakleaf had clearly prepared for this long ago. Nearly all of their Legendary Combatants were deployed. They had abandoned frontal combat entirely, and their sole task was escorting the corpse-retrieval teams.
These Legendary powerhouses were incredibly fast and skilled at concealnt. More importantly, they carried Spatial Rings with them and could stuff thousands of corpses inside at a ti. They were almost impossible to stop.
“Your Highness, the Knight Orders have failed to intercept them several tis. Their Legends are like madn. Even if they suffer severe injuries, they still insist on taking the bodies away.”
The ssenger knight dropped to one knee, his tone urgent.
William stood before the war sand table, looking at the region representing Silver Oakleaf’s Royal Territory, now covered in red flags. His brows were knotted tightly.
The more glorious the Gold Legion’s victories were, the more corpses Silver Oakleaf gathered, and the more dangerous the being inside the Magic Serpent Fortress beca.
This was not war at all. Silver Oakleaf was using the lives of its soldiers to feed the monster that was about to be born.
“Have the Gold Legion slow its offensive.”
William’s voice was low and firm.
“There is no need to rush the occupation of the Royal Territory. Shift the priority to sealing off every road leading to the Eastern Frontier. Not even a narrow trail can be overlooked.”
“Also, have Duke Tuso and Duke Lane speed up their advance and squeeze their corpse-transport routes from both sides.”
He had to cut off this “flesh-and-blood supply line.” Otherwise, even if they took all of Silver Oakleaf, they might still have to face an undead catastrophe capable of destroying everything.
On the sand table, the pointer indicated the direction of the Magic Serpent Fortress. The shadow there seed to grow heavier and heavier with every corpse that vanished.
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