Chapter 554 The Battle of Burial Peak!
On the other side, on the southern slope of the Wanren Mountains, lies Burial Peak, controlled by the Shrek warlords.
The so-called "Burial Peak" is not an isolated mountain, but a precipitous mountain range composed of five peaks of varying heights and elevations.
Viewed from above, the five mountain peaks appear unpredictable and resemble the corpse of a giant lying on the earth.
The exposed grayish-white rocks are the bones of the giant, and the twisted vegetation covering them is the rotting flesh... hence the name "Bone Burial Peak".
At this moment, a commotion erupted above the "corpse".
Shrek's army of ratmen, like maggots crawling on corpses, swarmed densely across every inch of the hillside.
They cursed the damned human creatures in shrill voices as they frantically dug fortifications with crude tools.
It must be admitted that although these rats are filthy, their learning ability is first-rate.
They learned the dwarves' mining techniques and innovatively improved them, digging out a series of seemingly random yet intricate trenches along the edge of the mountain ridge.
Those trenches were like scars on a giant's corpse.
The ratmen set up the stolen rune-inscribed crossbows behind the mounds of earth, holding spears of varying lengths, rusty iron swords, and even farm pitchforks.
In addition, there were magic stone guns stolen from the hell dwarves, as well as magic scrolls and magical artifacts "discarded" by magic apprentices in the Ten Thousand Ren Mountains.
Looking around, one couldn't find a single well-organized squad in this army of tens of thousands, nor could one find two pieces of equipment that were exactly the same.
Even so, the combat effectiveness of this unit should not be underestimated.
While the quantity of equipment is limited, the number of ratmen is endless. The dwarves in the Ten Thousand Mountains have suffered defeats more than once because they underestimated the ratmen's fighting power.
They are not as easy to deal with as you might think.
Of course, it also depends on who you're paired with.
"Everyone, be alert! Those hairless monkeys are coming!"
"We absolutely cannot let those human things rush up here!"
"Let them see the might of Lord Gerlow!"
"Die! Die!"
The noisy shouts rose and fell.
The rats' unified shouts actually dispelled the fear that permeated the battlefield, allowing them to briefly forget the pain of being soundly beaten by the cave spiders a few days earlier.
However, while the Shrek warlords' fools are quick to forget their mistakes, the ratman commander Cracktooth Gagall, who is also the frontline commander, is a smart rat.
He was standing on a protruding rock, his cloudy little eyes scanning his surroundings anxiously, especially his back, his heart pounding.
The cunning Shrek warlord has not shown his face for several days.
Although he claimed to be in seclusion practicing the secret techniques taught by Lord Gerlo, the rats below were whispering among themselves that their leader had already run away through the secret passage with the treasure and the female rats.
To stabilize morale, Gagar had to hang more than a dozen of the rumor-mongers and display their corpses on the flagpole as a warning to others.
However, while morale was stabilized and the little mice became arrogant again, Gagar himself couldn't calm down.
According to intelligence reports risked their lives to bring back from the front lines, the number of human troops gathered at the foot of the mountain was astonishing. Moreover, there were not only humans, but also a large number of heavily armored dwarves, as well as a group of lizardmen from the southern swamps who were said to eat rats as snacks.
Lord Gerlo is above...
Gagar couldn't help but groan inwardly. What on earth had their boss, Mok, offended?!
Just a few days ago they had managed to fend off the attack of that terrifying burrow spider, and thought they could finally catch their breath, but in the blink of an eye, an even more formidable group of creatures appeared.
Poor Gagar didn't know that it wasn't that they had stopped the cave spiders' attack, but simply that Alacdor had let them go.
The vanguard of the Demon King's army has achieved its first-stage war objective: weaken the defenses of Burial Peak, take control of the experimental facilities before their relocation, and stir up trouble before the arrival of the regular army, leaving behind its "spoils of war" and its glory.
Although Alacdor was merely the Demon King's pet, he still managed to complete his tasks efficiently, ensuring that none of the four strategic objectives were overlooked.
As for now—
This is the second stage.
Just as Gagar was lost in thought, strange noises suddenly came from the distant sky.
"Waaaaah—!"
That was a shrill cry that the rat-men of the Wanren Mountains had never heard before, dense and mournful, like thousands upon thousands of killer bees roaring in!
Gagar was slightly taken aback. His two mutilated ears twitched. Before he could react to what was happening, the shrill sound was already above him.
"Boom, boom, boom—!"
The forward position, one kilometer ahead, was instantly engulfed by countless orange-red fireballs, turning into a boiling sea of fire!
The deafening explosion sent blasts of debris and limbs of the ratmen flying into the air. Before the ratmen crouching in the trenches could even see who their enemies were, most of them had already been wiped out by the rockets that ravaged the ground.
The ratmen crouching in the trenches behind were all stunned by this sudden attack.
They stared in terror at the destructive rain falling from the sky, their faces contorted with fear, just like the rats outside the city at dusk who had witnessed the arrival of angels.
"Fireball! It's a fireball—!"
"Damn it! The enemy has a Diamond-level Archmage!"
"No...this scale...it might be a Purple Crystal level!"
The rats screamed and scurried across the battlefield, barely managing to return to their trenches only thanks to the coercion and enticement of the supervising officers.
However, at this moment, the supervising officers were also in a panic. If their entire families hadn't been held in Shrek's hands, they probably would have run faster than these slave rats.
In the limited understanding of the ratmen, only legendary high-level mages could create such a terrifying sight.
However, this is not the case.
That wasn't magic at all, but the culmination of industry and alchemy—the Gutaf Kingdom's organ rocket launcher!
At the foot of the mountain, in the forest, on the makeshift artillery positions, rows of honeycomb-shaped wooden crates pointed towards the sky, wisps of smoke rising from the cannon muzzles.
In less than three minutes, the artillery positions of the Gutaf United Kingdom unleashed a staggering three hundred heavy incendiary rockets at the first hill of the Skaven.
In terms of destructive power alone, it is in no way inferior to the magic of a high-level superhuman, and may even be superior!
After all, magical damage is reduced by magic resistance, but physical and chemical damage is not; one can only fight it with supernatural power itself.
Most rat people don't have this thing.
"Awesome!!"
"Haha! I'm so happy!"
"Keep loading, don't stop!"
A lizardman artillery commander, dressed in bizarre equipment, excitedly waved his command flag and shouted at his comrades.
"Let's try to launch one more attack before the final charge!"
"Oh oh oh!"
The players put all their effort into loading the rockets, and in less than half an hour, the erected rocket pods were filled again.
With a command from the player directing the artillery, the whistling rockets once again spewed out thick tongues of fire, piercing the sky!
Those arm-thick bullets were not ordinary gunpowder weapons; each bullet's surface was engraved with "underworld script" from the Great Cemetery.
At the moment of impact with the ground, not only the warhead explosives are activated, but also the magic crystal powder spread evenly on the inside of the cartridge case!
As the Netherworld runes were activated, a chilling energy coursed through the burning flames, tearing at the ratmen's fragile nerves.
The terrifying power was a level above that of ordinary incendiary bombs. The originally sturdy trenches became extremely fragile in the sea of fire, and the flames mixed with the power of the underworld made the ratmen howl and flee in panic.
Seeing that the time was ripe, the "Gutaf officer" standing at the front drew his command sword and swung it forcefully towards the distant position!
"attack!!!"
Immediately following the whistling of the rockets was a resounding bugle call, and the allied forces of various ethnic groups, who had been waiting in the wings, launched their charge!
On the left flank was the lizardman hand cannon unit of the 1st Battalion of the 1st Regiment of the Kingdom of Gutaf. They charged forward with their tails swishing, just like cavalry charging up the mountain ridge!
On the right flank was Lane's battalion of the 1st Mountain Regiment of Campbell, carrying "Rocksey Model 1054 rifles".
Although they are not as physically robust as the lizardmen, no one can ignore their fighting prowess and their determination to fight to save their people.
"Charge—!"
"kill--!"
Amidst the tidal wave of shouts of battle, Sir Dick Binn mingled in the crowd like a husky among wolves.
The once arrogant envoy was now covered in mud, clutching a rifle soaked with sweat and rain, his face devoid of any semblance of composure.
Looking at his comrades roaring and charging around him, and hearing the roar of artillery fire ahead, he felt his legs go weak as noodles.
However, he dared not stop.
He always felt that if he stopped, the man-eating beast behind him would bite off his neck and swallow him whole.
These savages from the lower reaches of the rushing river—
Sir Dickbin, a coward, cursed inwardly, but finally opened his mouth wide and let out a hysterical roar, venting all the fear he had accumulated over half a lifetime.
"Aaaaaah—!"
He kept his head down and followed the people around him as they rushed up the burning hillside, and then he remembered something he had lost.
Bullets and arrows whizzed through the air as he and his comrades fired at each other while taking cover behind cover. Under the cover of battlefield mages and artillery, they advanced up the mountain.
Meanwhile, to the north of the mountains beyond Buried Bones Peak lies the northern border of the Carrion Clan, a region repeatedly contested by the Skaven and Dwarves.
Both sides left their mark on the rock face, leaving the hard granite jagged and uneven, as if it had been gnawed by a dog.
Every time the ratmen occupy this place, they remove the reliefs of the dwarven lords, and when the dwarves take them back, they recarve them.
Now this area is under the control of the ratmen, who have used dwarven explosives to completely destroy several passages leading to the Mountain Kingdom and built an indestructible rat nest relying on the hard granite.
All the little mice thought they could finally relax, because the dwarves hadn't returned since they blew up the mine tunnels.
However, at this moment, the ratman centurion "Severed Tail," who was in charge of guarding this place, sensed that something was wrong.
His sensitive beard was trembling wildly, catching a deep, rhythmic hum in the air.
What was that sound?
He searched carefully for a while and found that the sound seemed to be coming from the rock wall, and it was becoming clearer and clearer.
"Buzz...buzz..."
The hard rock walls began to tremble, and loose rocks fell from above, as if a giant beast lying deep in the mountains was awakening.
The creature with the severed tail clung to the rock face in terror, trying to hear more clearly.
But the next second, a deafening explosion blasted him away from the rock wall!
"boom--!"
The entire mountain seemed to tremble with that roaring sound!
The clan rat centurion with silver-level strength, "Tail-Cutting," died on the spot without even having time to let out a scream.
The power of "Yellow Explosive" is terrifying!
The people of the Dragon God brought more than just a verbal promise to their dwarf friends; they also brought many novelties that the dwarves had never seen before.
And this is just the beginning—
Amidst the flying debris and dust, a giant steel drill bit spewing white steam crashed through the obstruction and slammed into the ratmen's tunnel!
The dwarven runes engraved on the drill bit flashed with a blinding orange light, and the rapidly spinning drill tip easily shredded all the rocks and flesh that tried to block its way.
"Squeak squeak squeak—!!"
A dozen or so unlucky clan rats were sucked into the drill and turned into mincemeat before they could even scream. A few that managed to escape were also chopped into mincemeat by the blades and axes on either side of the drill.
"Shield Wall!"
"ha!"
Before the rats could react, a heavy hiss came from behind the steel monster, and a "wall" appeared out of thin air behind the billowing steam and dust!
A wall made of steel and beard.
They were led by a dwarf lord wielding a warhammer, with large muskets mounted on the shield wall.
"For the mountains! For the king!"
"Fire!"
Bang, bang—!
The bursts of white smoke tore apart the ratmen's newly assembled formation, and a hail of shrapnel rained down in the narrow cave!
In just one round, the thousand-strong ratman squad stationed here suffered heavy losses, leaving behind a pile of twisted corpses.
Fear was etched on the faces of the ratmen, their morale collapsed once more, and they screamed as they turned and fled into the depths of the cave.
The dwarf musketeer retreats to reload.
Next to step forward were rune warriors wielding swords and axes.
Black runes were etched on their bulging muscles. With the blessing of the dwarven priests, they smeared black beast blood on their faces, and their pupils and axe handles emitted golden light.
"For the King—"
"charge!!"
"Kill them!!!"
The harsh battle roars echoed through the narrow tunnels, making the ratmen's eardrums ache!
Rune warriors wielding battle axes leaped out and, in just a few breaths, felled a large number of ratmen who couldn't escape in time, like a hurricane cutting down wheat!
The bloody massacre lasted for a full ten minutes.
As the light from the runes faded from the rune-carved battleaxe, the dwarven heavy infantry, arrayed in neat square formations, surged forth from the forcibly opened mine tunnels, their steps perfectly synchronized.
They were like a torrent of steel rolling through the mine tunnels, each step accompanied by the clanging sound of metal colliding, exuding a suffocating pressure.
Although they were not superhumans, these dwarves were absolutely confident that even if a gold-level ratman charged into their ranks, he would be chopped into mincemeat by their axes!
Blessed by the progenitor runes, they are invincible!
The ratman centurion who came to reinforce was terrified by this scene. He turned around and tried to escape into the burrow, but bumped into a lead-gray curtain wall!
"Damn it!" he screamed and cursed, turning back in horror to look at the dwarven priests who were raising their warhammers to cast spells.
It's dwarven alchemy!
They had expected him to run away!
Seeing that there was nowhere to hide, the ratman centurion let out a piercing scream, drew two daggers that emitted a dark green glow, and charged towards the dwarf like a whirlwind!
Even if it means death—
He's going to drag two others down with him!
Unfortunately, he had only just reached the front of the dwarves' formation when he was struck head-on by the hammerhead of a warhammer, and his rat head was smashed into a pulp.
Wiping the blood and brains from the warhammer off the ratman's corpse, the expressionless dwarf lord spat on the ground and raised the warhammer high.
"Forward! Crush these bastards!"
The one-sided slaughter began.
Under the blessing of the dwarven priests, the entire elite dwarven army was like a ruthless harvester.
They used shields to block the ratmen's attacks, shotguns to tear through enemy lines, and warhammers and axes to finish them off... Wherever they went, ratmen and their fortifications were crushed to dust in the face of this force of iron and fire!
On the seventh day after the Duchy of Campbell unveiled the bloody secrets of the rat hole, the three-race alliance officially launched a full-scale offensive against the Carrion Clan!
In just one day, Campbell's First Mountain Legion had planted the Duchy's flag at the highest point of Burial Peak!
Sir Dickbin, panting heavily, stared wide-eyed at the flag fluttering in the wind, his chest heaving violently.
Saint Sith above...
Edward has gone mad.
What's even more insane is that they actually managed to take down that mountain!
Respect for the strong is one of the human instincts, and Sir Dick Binn himself did not realize that as he looked at that flag, a strange feeling arose in his heart.
That was a sense of honor for the duchy—
If even a knight of the Kingdom of Ryan felt this way, one can only imagine how excited the other young men in the Ryan camp were; their eyes burned with fervent passion.
Unlike them, Mok, the "Soul Shatterer" who was currently enjoying a hearty meal in the "Flesh and Blood Royal Court," was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.
With the support from the Kingdom of Ryan and the Academy, he had planned to hold out to the bitter end, but ended up losing several square kilometers of land in just one day.
Not only that, but the crazy ideas he came up with also turned into self-deceiving and terrible schemes.
For example, they tried to get the ratmen on Burial Peak to declare themselves warlords, but the humans completely ignored their little scheme and slapped it away.
Shrek was even more cunning. On the very first day of the fight, he packed his belongings and fled to another place without even a moment's hesitation!
"Those damned human bastards! And those dwarf bastards! Those lizard bastards... and those rat bastards! Shrek, that son of a bitch, deserves to die too!" There were too many names to curse, so Mok bit his lip in anger, and shuddered in pain.
This time was clearly different from the past. The human duke in the south seemed to be serious about taking him down, so much so that he had no intention of backing down.
Those little eyes kept moving across the mouse's face, and he couldn't help but start to think that perhaps he should also consider his escape route...
However, he was surrounded by enemies.
We can't just retreat into the dimensional desert, can we?
Although the ogres are from the Chaos faction, none of these Chaos guys are good people. Sending the little mouse over as a gift is one thing, but going over themselves is simply walking into a trap.
Are they going to follow Shrek's example and hide in the mountains like that shameful thing?
That would be so shameful!
...
In the afternoon in Thunder City, the sunlight lazily streamed through the glass, spilling into the living room of Colin Manor.
Unlike the burial mounds thousands of miles away, where artillery fire raged, the air here was filled with the sweet aroma of black tea and baked biscuits.
Sitting on the velvet sofa, Mia's quill pen hovered over the draft paper for a long time, until a deep smudge of ink spread across the tip of the pen, and she still didn't come to her senses.
Looking out the window at the neatly trimmed lawn and the fox-eared maid trimming the hedges, a hint of worry was visible in her pink eyes.
"Luo Yan... will he be alright?"
Although that man was the Demon King, and even Elder Zacro of the Demon City was no match for him, this time he was facing a different opponent than before.
Is everything really okay?
"Tch, worrying unnecessarily."
Vivian sat cross-legged on the other end of the sofa, a paper straw dangling from her mouth, idly blowing bubbles at the juice in front of her.
Mia glanced at her sideways.
Aren't you worried at all about your 'older brother'?
The wicked Padridge emphasized the word "brother," while the Colin family's little madman was not to be outdone and retorted.
"What's there to worry about? Just a few rats. With 'Dear Darling's' strength, she wouldn't even need to use her full power to take them down!"
The fact that there's still no result after all this time is simply because those little rats have powerful backers. Vivian knows this all too well.
Vivian, who has no backing, doesn't bother with anyone. The "Little Tyrant of Shanghai" targets the elite, specifically those with powerful backers!
Upon hearing the words "darling, darling," Mia's brow twitched violently. Although she still maintained a smiling expression, her fists were already clenched tightly.
This brat...
Sooner or later, she'll break through my defenses!
Regardless of what blasphemous things Partridge was thinking, Vivian suddenly thought of something fun and put down her juice.
She extended her index finger and thumb, gently stroking her smooth chin, her scarlet eyes tightly closed, and began her "ritual" with a serious expression.
As Eileen's savior, although she can't always take advantage of her vulnerability, she can clearly sense the heartbeat of her family members.
Undoubtedly—
That's the smell of a loser!
A moment later, Vivian opened her scarlet eyes, her mouth stretched wide to her ears, unable to hide her smug smirk.
"Kukuku... As expected of my elder brother."
Hearing Vivian's mischievous laugh, Mia cast a curious glance at her.
"What happened?"
"It's nothing, Kukuku... Anyway, it's a good thing!" Vivian's face showed a gloating expression.
Eileen was unusually depressed at the moment, and she could guess what had happened even with her little toe!
It was nothing more than a white fox spirit taking advantage of the chaos of war and the opportune atmosphere to launch a desperate attack on her elder brother, only to be defeated by his words, "I'm sorry, I'm focused on my career right now and have no time for matters of the heart!"
That sour and astringent taste is truly delicious, kukuku!
Vivian was overjoyed at the thought and twisted into a happy caterpillar on the sofa, while two little white goldfish swam around in the pile of cushions.
"...?"
Mia stared blankly at the suddenly deranged brat, completely unaware of what she was doing all that.
Did I drink the wrong blood packet again?
Just then, the bushes outside the window suddenly trembled, and a small, dark-skinned winged demon peeked out furtively.
After confirming that no one was around, she threw a letter onto the grass in the garden, then flapped her wings and flew away hastily, as if it were a hot bomb.
The commotion naturally did not escape the ears of the vampires.
Vivian, who had stopped wriggling, lazily reached out and beckoned with her finger.
An invisible, blood-red thread pulled the letter across the window, like an obedient bat landing in her hand.
It was a letter from Shanghai, still carrying that familiar sulfur smell, but what excited Vivian even more was the stamp on the envelope.
grandfather!
It was sent by my grandfather!
Vivian excitedly opened the envelope.
She had been waiting for this letter for almost half a year. As long as she got a position in the "Demon King Management Department", she could rightfully become her brother's boss, step on the Demon King's head, and manage the Demon King ruthlessly!
Just thinking about it is exciting!
However--
As her gaze swept over the letter, the smile on her face gradually froze, finally turning into furious rage.
"I'm sorry, my dear granddaughter. Padridge and the succubus in Melusine are so cunning; I always have a million excuses to talk to them. Give Grandpa a little more time! If they don't budge, I'll drive the magic crystal tank to the gates of the Capitol! They've really gone too far!"
in addition--
There was a line of small print at the bottom of the envelope, which didn't seem to be his grandfather's handwriting, but it was definitely in his grandfather's tone.
[The Demon King's Administration Department is too hard to get into; Melusine always brings up your diploma. How about I get you a position as the Grand Master of a Knights Order? That sounds much more prestigious! And I'll even get you a professorship later; then they'll have no excuse!]
"That wretched succubus—!"
Vivian jumped up from the sofa with a loud yelp and stomped on the velvet cushion next to her, as if the succubus Padric was lying there.
It's a disgrace that the powerful Colin family, who hold absolute power in hell, can't even manage a small department like the Demon King's Administration Division!
What good are the Knights of Faith?!
So... does this family really have to rely on Vivian herself?!
"Uh, what happened now?"
Seeing Vivian, who was grinning foolishly one second and then jumping up in a fit of rage the next, Mia sighed, put down the untouched script in her hand, and gave Vivian a look of pity for someone with intellectual disabilities.
Vivian turned her head sharply, her red eyes glaring fiercely at the "culprit," and she bared her canine teeth.
"None of your business!"
"Tch, you're crazy."
Mia rolled her eyes in annoyance. "I was just trying to be nice and you're getting rude to me. Go worry about it yourself!"
She had worried about him for a second, and even considered helping him out because he was Colin's sister.
In retrospect, her good intentions were completely unnecessary.
Now that Miss Mia has "won big wins," she has long forgotten about the letter-writing contest that happened when she first arrived in Thunder County, unaware that the turmoil in Shanghai has not yet subsided.
It's fortunate that she had long forgotten about it.
If she knew that Vivian was still thinking about the radish pit she had left over, she would definitely rush to write another letter home and select another outstanding junior from the Demon King Academy to fill the long-vacant pit.
Ignoring the mad vampire, Mia lowered her head and began to carefully study the beginning of the script she had discussed with Mrs. Antony.
After venting her anger, Vivian sat down cross-legged again, this time controlling her strength so as not to collapse the sofa.
calm.
thinking.
It must be said that Vivian is a clever vampire. Although her education is not as good as that of Padridge, who is a complete idiot, she is definitely not lacking in knowledge.
Her crimson pupils darted around, her gaze shifting and then suddenly landing on today's Thunder City Daily on the coffee table.
The front page headline was a line of bold black text:
[The number of wounded in the Earl's Domain of Spinol has surged!]
[Many of our rescued Laine compatriots urgently need medical treatment. The Count of Spinor is short of priests, and we hope that more volunteers or priests skilled in medicine, holy magic, and herbalism can go to the front lines to provide support...]
Vivian's gaze lingered on that line of text for a few seconds.
Is there a shortage of pastors?
Who would have thought that Saint Sis's servants would be so stingy, not even caring about the suffering believers?
It seems that it's not just the succubi under the Demon God's command that have fallen; even the Demon God's mortal enemies have fallen.
Vivian pursed her lips and was about to look away when a sudden flash of insight pulled her gaze back.
etc!
This is an opportunity!
There is a shortage of priests at the front lines, and they cannot take care of the human slaves rescued from Burial Peak, but the Principality of Colin in Hell has plenty of people who can save lives!
Vivian's eyes widened, her scarlet pupils gleaming with intelligence, and she excitedly jumped up from the sofa again.
"I've got it!"
Mia was startled.
Why are you shouting so loudly?
"Kukuku, Padridge's vixen would never understand!"
"???"
Ignoring Mia's bewildered expression, Vivian proudly raised her chin, her face beaming with excitement, and placed one foot on the armrest of the velvet sofa as if it were the head of a demon king.
A nascent inspiration shone brightly in those scarlet eyes.
"I've already thought of a name—"
"Let's call it the 'Holy Hospitaller Order'!!"
(End of this chapter)
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