fynovel Chapter 1173: The Undead Siege
Chapter 1173: The Undead Siege
Chapter 1173: The Undead Siege
The Law Gate's defenses roared to life. Automated turrets unleashed streams of concentrated energy, the brain crystals powering them, turning their already powerful attacks into
something that could fry a Thaid in mere seconds.
Each blast tore through the ranks of the undead Thaids controlled by the Chimaeric Demons, ripping apart decaying flesh, boiling blood, and shattering bones.
Yet not a single Chimaeric Demon died, at least, and that was because they weren't directly joining the fight, at least for the time being.
Erik's orders had been clear. They had to attack only when the barrier was taken down or if the undead got decimated.
But even that was most likely not going to be enough for them to join the fight, and the reason was simple.
As soon as they entered the city, they would bring forth new undead, those made from the bodies of the blackguards defending this place, or so everyone hoped.
Erik needed all the troops he could bring to Mur, and creating battle-ready Chimaeric Demons was not a fast affair.
Besides, given the utterly massive number of dead monsters, it was unlikely they would join the fight in a short time.
Blackguard soldiers lined the walls of the fortress city like sentinels carved from living stone directly from the walls. They were unmoving, only focusing on killing the abominations their enemies unleashed on them. An unbreakable chain of defenders whose unwavering vigilance mirrored the eternal seas that had consumed the shores of this place since the beginning of life.
Their own brain crystal powers joining the barrage and making bodies pile up on the ground, this time dead.
Many kinds of energy, stemming from mana, flew toward the undead. Ice-based attacks froze entire sections of the advancing horde, turning rotting flesh brittle enough to shatter.
Fire-based attacks incinerated wave after wave of undead, turning their bodies to ash that got scattered by the winds or the blasts of other powers.
There were many more, of course, but the spectrum of powers outside there wasn't easy to quantify.
The only problem with all of this was that whatever the blackguards did, it wasn't enough. The undead responded with equal fury. Bear-like Thaids absorbed direct hits from the turrets. They were powerful enough to withstand most of the attacks.
Flying units swooped through the storms, some torn apart by defensive fire, but there were simply too many for that to be meaningful.
Besides, the undead were nothing more than mere distractions, puppets used to make the blackguards focus on a battlefield they couldn't possibly ignore while Erik and his team advanced toward the barrier masters and the generators, unseen.
Missile batteries launched salvos, their warheads designed to counter Thaids. Explosions rippled across the battlefield, sending body parts in all directions. Yet the horde pressed forward, their dead eyes glowing with the power they borrowed from their Chimaeric Demons' masters.
"They're not stopping," a blackguard said over the communication network. His squad unleashed another volley of attacks that scattered dozens of smaller Thaids.
Another blackguard's voice crackled through the communication network. "Multiple casualties in Sector Eight! We need reinforcements!"
"Redirect fire to support Sector Eight," came the Vindicator's response. "Focus on the larger threats first."
The defensive line trembled as another wave of undead crashed against the barrier. Energy weapons carved through the ranks of shambling corpses.
More undead emerged from the dark tunnels, but they couldn't see from where they were
coming from exactly.
"Where are the tunnel exits?"
"Doesn't matter! Just keep firing! The barrier holds-that's all that matters!"
The barrier and defensive systems gave them confidence. The automated defense systems
operated at their absolute limits. The mechanism fired the brain crystal itself, now devoid of mana, discharging it on the side and releasing steam.
A blackguard then opened the fiery hot housing and placed a new brain crystal inside the machine. Similar scenes were playing everywhere.
"Sir! New contacts detected in Sector Nine! Multiple signatures approaching from the
northwest quadrant!"
"I want eyes on every side now! These undead have to be coming from somewhere. Find their source, and we might prevent them from spawning!"
While the chaos unfolded above, Erik led his small team through the winding tunnels beneath
the Law Gate.
June walked close behind him, while Amber, Mira, and Emily followed behind. Three Chimaeric Demons brought up the rear, protecting the three women from attacks. They knew nothing could happen inside the tunnels, but once they teleported, it would have been better to already be in position rather than to waste time, possibly under attack.
"We're getting close."
June nodded. "The diversion above works perfectly, master."
If one could call that a diversion. With over 60 thousand undead Thaids assaulting the walls, thousands of flying creatures darkening the skies, and massive bear-like monstrosities pounding against the barriers, this was more of a full-scale invasion.
Every attack was meant to exhaust the blackguards, strain their defensive systems, and keep
their attention fixed on the chaos above ground.
"We still need to bring down that barrier," a Chimaeric Demon said.
Amber and Emily exchanged glances.
Erik turned to look at Amber. She was going to warp them soon. "Are you ready?" he asked.
"Yes."
Then the barrier came into view, its shimmering surface extending even this far beneath the surface. The shield stretched through the rocky earth, penetrating deep underground where their tunnel had brought them, forming a dome that protected the Law Gate both above and
below ground. Not for long, though.