Utilizing the skill Dark Deception, he navigated through the dense fog.

Upon reaching the castle's apex, he dove straight down.

With a swift stroke of his blade, the blood hunter dispatched two pale bloods.

The skeletal giant bats that followed him descended upon the castle, overwhelming all the pale bloods in the vicinity.

As they dispersed once more, the flesh from the pale bloods had been meticulously stripped away, leaving only their stark white bones scattered across the ground.

The battle concluded in a flash with hundreds of pale bloods eradicated.

Ditiga and his troops arrived, making their way directly into the castle, ascending the stone staircase to the third floor.

The bedroom on the third floor was dimly lit with the windows sealed and heavy curtains hung.

In the center of the room stood an exquisitely crafted sarcophagus.

Its lid tightly shut.

It seemed the soundproofing here was excellent.

While hundreds of pale bloods were slain outside, the occupant within Burns remained undisturbed.

Domiga gestured and two graveyard guardians stepped forward, one on each side to secure the lid of the sarcophagus.

With a concerted effort, they pried it open.

As the Blood Clan within opened his eyes, Dmitigusa struck with a swift sword, severing the Blood Clan's head, which tumbled along with half of the sarcophagus.

Rolling into a corner, removed the corpse.

Dimmitri sheaved his long sword and turned to descend stairs.

The Bloodkin possessed extraordinary vitality, even with its head severed.

It did not succumb to death.

Its body flailed, arms outstretched in a chaotic dance.

Nearby, a skeletal warrior drew a hard silver sword from its waist and delivered several decisive strikes to the thrashing form, gradually subduing it into silence.

Outside the castle, the liberated villagers were gathered in the clearing.

Upon witnessing the two halves of a coffin being carried out along with the head of Burns nonchalantly held by a skeleton, their eyes widened in terror and disbelief.

The blood can had perished, a notion they never fathomemed, that such creatures could be slain.

Dmitri observed the panicked and bewildered villagers below.

And Bolton stepped forward briskly.

Lord Dmitri, you must escort these villagers out and establish a concentration camp behind the encampment.

Anyone who dares to flee or inform the Bloodkin shall be executed on the spot, Dmitri declared with authority.

Upon hearing the decree of execution, the already trembling villagers quakd even more in fear.

"Yes, my lord," Bolton replied, leading the villagers away.

As the villagers departed, Dimmitri had no intention of halting the advance.

His battle plan with Fong Ho was meticulously timed.

"Kong Yong, you performed admirably this time," Dimmitri praised.

Kong Yong, having regained his composure, felt a sense of vengeance for his militia with the demise of Burns and the Pale Bloodkin.

"Thank you, my lord.

I am aware of several locations of Bloodkin castles and can guide you there," Kong Yong responded, astonished at how effortless it had been to eliminate the blood.

"The undead army he led had dispatched the formidable burns with the ease of slaughtering a mere chicken.

Not so fast, Dmitri interjected, shaking his head, eliminating the bloodqin can wait.

I require your guidance to a specific location.

Whatever you say, my lord, I will ensure to lead you there.

Though my knowledge of the area is limited, Kong Yong assured him.

Tanho Lake.

As Dimmitri uttered the name, Kong Yong faltered.

Although the map of the Lord<unk>'s book did not record Tanho Lake, he knew its location well, for it was a place strictly forbidden by the blood.

Anyone who ventured near never return alive.

Is there a problem? Dmitri noted the tension in Kong Yong<unk>s demeanor.

My lord, that place is a realm of death.

The blood strictly prohibit anyone from approaching, and all who do are doomed? Kong Yong stammered, his voice trembling.

Are there blood soldiers there? Tanho Lake, a crucial element of the beating heart mission, was heavily guarded by the Red Duke's forces.

It was reasonable.

If there were no presence at all, it would raise concerns about the veracity of the intelligence.

I do not know.

No one has returned from there alive, Kong Yong replied.

Dmitri nodded thoughtfully.

Simply put, guide us.

When the time comes, you may stand at the rear of the line.

Kong Yong took a deep breath and gestured in a particular direction.

The army pressed onward, relentlessly advancing.

The troops swept past, annihilating the ancient fortresses along the way, eradicating the slumbering vampires and the faint-blooded within.

After approximately 20 minutes of travel, the army finally reached the designated location.

The fog thickened, and the humidity in air caused the accompanying orcs to begin coughing violently.

The faint rays of light could no longer penetrate the mist, as if it were the deep of night.

Ahead lay a dense forest.

Through the gaps between the trunks, a shimmering lake could be glimpsed.

However, no enemies or signs of life were evident.

"Has the fog always been this dense here?" "Demidica inquired.

" "Indeed, once you enter, it becomes nearly impossible to discern day from night," Kong Yong replied, gazing at the towering trees and the thick forest.

The murky sky peaked through the dense foliage, instilling a sense of danger in their hearts.

Signal flare.

Domiga spoke solemnly.

From the rear of the formation, someone ignited a signal flare.

Whoosh.

The flare exploded in the sky, illuminating the surroundings with an orange glow.

In the next moment, the dense foliage suddenly revealed two scarlet points of light.

46.

A multitude of red dots appeared, filling the entire forest, all fixated on the intruding undead legion.

The fleeting illumination allowed everyone to discern the situation ahead.

This was not a lush grove, but rather a multitude of withered trees adorned with enormous bats.

Bats.

Archers prepare.

The sound of rustling wings echoed from ahead as the inverted bats took flight, leaving behind only the towering barren trunks in what was once a verdant forest.

Chapter 298.

the coffin at the bottom of the lake.

The formidable bats, each as large as an adult wolf hound, hung ominously in the air, their jet black wings enveloping most of their bodies as they awaited the approach of their prey in silence.

In the eyes of the vampire clan, these specially bred ferocious bats were far more effective than the falcons trained by human nobility.

Once their bloodthirsty instincts were aroused, they would plunge fearlessly into the ranks of their enemies.

Fonggha and Domiga had previously speculated about Lake Tanho.

Given the nature of the Red Duke, they expected to encounter a multitude of his subordinates, perhaps even a legion of dusk revelers.

However, what awaited them was an overwhelming swarm of large bats.

Upon reflection, they realized they had fallen into a misconception.

This territory was inherently that of the Vampire Clan.

To gain access to Lake Tanho, one would have to traverse through ancient castles inhabited by vampires and half-bloods who served as the unyielding guardians of the lake.

The darkened sky was obscured by the ferocious bats, which dove in droves towards the army of the undead.

These third tier bats relied on their sheer numbers and agility.

Even when faced with enemies that vastly outnumbered them, skeletons incapable of drawing blood, they would not retreat, but instead charged recklessly into the fray.

Attack! Domitiga calculated the distance and spoke calmly.

Loose arrows, fire, magic missiles.

The air was filled with the sharp twang of bow strings, followed by the whistling of arrows slicing through the air.

200,000 archers unleashed a volley, their arrows crashing like a mighty wave against the oncoming swarm of bats.

Thud, thud, thud.