As night fell over the Hiwa Heights near Lake Tanho, the Red Duke surveyed the traces left by the Iron Coffin's retrieval from the shore, his eyes growing increasingly crimson.
Even with the evidence before him, he could scarcely believe that someone had so easily taken the iron coffin from the lake's depths.
Suddenly, a Blood Clan member emerged from the water, exclaiming, "My lord, there is nothing at the bottom of the lake, only a few broken iron chains.
" The BloodClan member's words extinguished the last flicker of hope within the Red Duke.
The iron coffin had indeed been taken.
"What transpired? What exactly happened?" In an instant, the Red Duke's body hunched forward, his eyes ablaze with fury, resembling a wild beast stripped of reason.
Behind him, the Blood Clan members bowed their heads, trembling in fear, too afraid to speak.
No one knew what had transpired.
Lake Tanho was thoroughly cleansed.
Nearby ancient castles had not only lost their inhabitants, but their valuable possessions had also been completely looted.
Just as the Red Duke's rage threatened to unleash violence, a blood servant he hurly approached.
Report states, "My lord Duke, a camp has been discovered beyond the mist, where a multitude of undead soldiers has gathered.
They must be the ones who have taken the treasures from the lakes's depths.
What lies at the lakes's bottom remains largely unknown to most of the blood kin, say for the fact that it is a treasure of great significance to the Red Duke.
undead.
A torrent of rage ignited in the Red Duke's eyes.
A fury not solely directed at the undead, but also stemming from a profound fear of his secrets being unveiled.
The deepest recesses of his heart trembled with dread.
If that woman were to survive, how might she torment him? This terror compelled him to consider fleeing, to escape this place, to abandon the hallowed heights and conceal himself.
No, I still have a chance.
Such a short distance.
The iron coffin might still be reclaimed.
His sharp nails dug into his palm, the pain forcing him to regain his composure.
The iron coffin must be retrieved.
Viscous blood dripped from his hand.
The scent of iron causing the nearby bloodkin to swallow hard.
His icy gaze turned toward the blood servant, inquiring coldly, "How many undead are there?" The paleblooded one replied, the camp shrouded in thick mist, rendering the undead beyond invisible.
But there seemed to be at least several hundred thousand, albeit their ranks appear to be rather low.
The blood servant bowed his head, too fearful to meet the Duke's eyes.
Several hundred thousand.
The mere mention of this figure sent a shiver through the hearts of all present.
What does this signify? It equates to the total military strength of an entire region.
Even during the coalition of humans and dwarves against the blood kin, their numbers barely approached 200,000.
The Red Duke narrowed his eyes, contemplating.
Then turned to the assembly of blood can behind him.
"Gather all your forces and launch an assault on the undead at midnight.
" "My lord Duke, their numbers are overwhelming.
An attack at this moment would likely lead us into a trap," a blood kin murmured softly.
"If their commander is not a fool, he will certainly anticipate our retaliation under the cover of night.
Would that not amount to a death sentence for our forces? Moreover, such an immediate counterattack is hardly a wise decision.
Just as the words left his lips, the red duke materialized before him, seizing his throat while swiftly severing his tongue.
Blood gushed from his mouth.
I commanded a midnight assault.
"Did you hear me?" the Red Duke reiterated with deliberate intensity.
Were it not for the current lack of manpower, he would have unhesitatingly executed this loquacious fool.
The Bloodkin, now tongue tied, nodded in terror.
Cast aside, he immediately plunged into the lake, searching for his severed tongue.
The Red Duke once more surveyed all present, reiterating his command.
At midnight, bring forth all your forces and decisively overwhelm the undead camp.
Should we achieve victory this time? I shall grant you the opportunity for elevation to heroism.
Yes, my lord Duke.
This time, no one dared to voice dissent.
all responding in unison.
Midnight, within the mist, the Red Duke clutched a crimson giant sword, casting a cold gaze upon the distant encampment.
No one had anticipated that an army of the undead would traverse past the city of Pearl and within a day establish such an expansive camp.
Moreover, they had already slain several members of the Blood Clan and seize the Iron Coffin from the lakes's depths.
The Red Duke, possessing a lifespan and strength far surpassing that of mere mortals, reveled in his possessions, and was loathed to relinquish them.
Thus, this battle was one he must win, reclaiming the iron coffin before those undead could execute their next scheme.
My lord, the troops strength has been assessed, reported the blood servant, bowing close to the Red Duke Seir.
We have 50,000 armed villagers, 40,000 corpses, 20,000 faint-blooded, 10,000 ferocious bats, 3,000 bloodthirsty batwolves, and 300 Blood Clan members, this formidable force essentially represented the entirety of the Huaya Heights.
Were it not for the Red Duke's urgency to retrieve the Iron Coffin, he could have utilized the thick fog within the Heights to engage the enemy at a measured pace.
The former human alliance had gained no advantage in a mist, ultimately leading to a peace treaty.
Has there been any change in the enemy's numbers? The red duke inquired.
No new reports have been received.
The blood servant replied, "Very well, let us commence the attack.
" "Attack!" The blood servant bellowed.
The army assembled from Hua Heights began to advance under the blood clan's urging.
Armed farmers wielding distributed shields and iron swords led the charge, followed closely by the faint-blooded and those of the blood clan with crimson eyes gradually approaching the forward encampment.
Let the ferocious bats take action.
The Red Duke commanded once more.
With a flurry of wings, the third tier ferocious bats soared into the sky, their bodies cloaked in darkness and their eyes of vivid red.
Attached to their shortorthhind limbs were circular metal bombs concealed by the cloak of night.
They swiftly flew towards the undead encampment.
Chapter 301.
A comprehensive encirclement midnight enveloped the earth in darkness.
10,000 ferocious bats swiftly ascended towards the necromancer's encampment.
Each one bearing a black spherical bomb.
This explosive known as the fire oil bomb was a compact and improved version of the ferocious oil canister.
Although its power was diminished, it was far more convenient to carry and did not require any apparatus for deployment.
This was the strategy of the Red Duke, employing a tactic of quantity against quality.
As the savage bats reached the enemy skies, they would recklessly dive into the ranks of their foes, shattering their vessels upon impact, causing the fire oil bombs to explode and ignite all units within the vicinity.
Once this fire was kindled, it proved exceedingly challenging to extinguish.
The flames would only grow more intense the more undead skeletons were set ablaze.
This would alleviate the pressure on the advancing infantry.
However, the outcome of the battle and the success of reclaiming the Iron Coffin depended heavily on the infantry's performance.
Thus, while maintaining a safe distance from the ferocious bats, the foot soldiers pressed onward.
Rustling sounds echoed as the savage skeletons drew ever closer to the necromancer's domain, now merely 300 m away.
Suddenly, a signal flare shot up into the sky, bursting into a brilliant explosion that illuminated the night.
In its wake, a cacophony of arrows sliced through the air.
The darkness made it difficult to discern the arrows being shot.
Yet, their whistling chorus reached the ears of the Red Duke and his companions.
With a thud, the first ferocious bat was struck and plummeted from the sky.
The fire oil bomb beneath it detonated violently, flames erupting from the ground.
Following this, a torrential downpour of arrows rained down, causing the ferocious bats to fall like leaves in a storm.
igniting fierce conflrations upon impact.
The sheer density of the arrows rendered precise aiming unnecessary.
Even if they could not hit the bats directly, they could easily shatter the fire oil bombs beneath them.
Explosions of these bombs rained fire down upon the battlefield, casting an orange red glow across the night.
The bloodthirsty troops in the rear gazed in bewilderment at the bats plummeting from the sky like dumplings, unable to suppress their salivation.
Over 10,000 bats carrying fire oil bombs had yet to reach the enemy's encampment.