Griffith was forced to regroup his forces due to heavy losses in the previous battle. Lacking the extraordinary characteristics of transforming an army, he could only provide energy to Minos himself, and the speed of forming an army also slowed down.
The first wave of troops only has high-level suture monster Gulatoni, twelve-headed ghouls and a small number of self-destructing balls. Such a small team is naturally unable to defeat the extraordinary or the regular army, but the defense line used to raid the trolls is barely usable.
"Most of the Troll's outer troops must have been recruited by Commodus. This small force can be enough to break through as long as it is used properly." Griffith climbed to a low hill with good terrain to command the troops. "If reinforcements are brought, we will Just destroy them in the wild.”
He looked closely at the walls and ramparts, looking for gaps.
"Guard me when I break through the troll city defenses, Erza. Controlling the ghouls requires a lot of dedication," Griffith put on his command helmet, and then he remembered one more thing, "By the way, wait for us After leaving here, I still need you to command the direct troops for me."
"Do you mean you want to be with me every day?" Erza raised her slender eyebrows, "Where are Miss Elf and Miss Countess? Do Amber and Miss Mermaid want to join in~"
There is a large town under the pyramid located south of Zulhaqa. The trolls living here must always be wary of predators from the giant beasts in the jungle, and have built the city walls here very strong for thousands of years.
"The stone wall is very strong, but there are flaws in its shape and depth," Erza looked at it from a distance for a while and commented, "In comparison, the mysterious existence enshrined by the trolls is more threatening.
"The 'Eternal Staircase', which is regarded as a sacred object by both the tribes here and the Deathrattle Order, is a tool used by the Troll tribe to choose the king.
"This plant-like existence contains powerful life energy that penetrates the life fabric of the virtual world into reality. It can greatly improve the host's physical functions and extend the life span. However, complementing these gifts is the extremely high risk that comes with extraordinary characteristics - —
"Contact with the Eternal Staircase will over-stimulate the immune system, leading to systemic inflammation, massive loss of body fluids, necrosis of skin tissue, and then severe sepsis and shock, eventually leading to death. After some individuals are infected, the immune receptors in the body will mutate to fight erosion. .
“Few creatures can withstand the toxicity and mutation of this trait.
"Like those merchants in the South who took potions in the hope of longevity, trolls seeking power will turn into monsters. I wouldn't be surprised if we found some monsters in the pyramids."
Griffith did not respond.
Like the ice peaks of the far north, he mobilizes his troops with majestic and terrifying will. The ghouls spread out at his will, taking different routes to avoid the troll sentries and scale the walls.
Minos and the Helm of Dominance enhanced his perception, and his spiritual energy close to Sequence 5 was driving rapidly.
Every undead creature is his tentacle, and combat information and threats along the way will be gathered into his thoughts. At this moment, he even had the idea that he was not a human being, but some kind of indescribable... non-human thing that was far above all living things.
The huge wall in the night is majestic and impressive. However, upon closer inspection, one can feel a sense of cruelty and resentment that has been accumulated for thousands of years.
Griffith was a little dizzy and rubbed his forehead to dispel the uncomfortable smell. In the dark, there seemed to be another voice approaching him.
Ghouls have broken into troll military camps and civilian homes. They kill the guards silently, and groups of trolls are killed and transformed in their sleep, becoming members of the undead army.
These living corpses roared and swept in the entire town like a tide.
At first, Griffith wanted to be in control. However, the exponential growth of the army immediately exceeded the upper limit of his command. He could only control the ghouls and a few living corpses as the core. The other undead creatures completely fell into crazy predation and killing, massacring the troll civilians.
"Ugh——!"
Griffith spit out a mouthful of blood and fell to his knees. Erza thought he had been attacked and hurriedly came to check, only to see Griffith's eyes flashing with blood-red lightning, and countless signals colliding violently in his brain.
"Warning, the number of troops has exceeded the command limit. Safe mode is now implemented," Minos began to intervene. "The basic units will be taken over by vague orders, and the control authority of the core units will be retained."
The situation is out of control.
Undead creatures do not distinguish between troll warriors and civilians. In an extreme period of time, they infect a large number of living corpses like snowballs. Other corpses squirm and gather together, splicing together into stitch monsters and wild beasts on the spot.
The sharp horns echoed, mixed with shrill cries, and the trolls, men, women, and children, swarmed out of the stone houses where they lived and fled in a mess towards the pyramid altar guarded by the high-ranking priests.
"The Death Knight is really evil...I can't control it at all." Griffith wiped the blood and stood up. "Quick, we have to move forward to command, otherwise my army will destroy everything."
Erza supported him and climbed onto the wall, surveying the chaos in the town.
Infectious bodies are everywhere. The ant-like living corpses dragged the crying residents out of the houses and tore them into pieces on the spot.
The originally strong and plump muscles had become dry and twisted, pus oozed from the ulcerated mouth, and fragments of meat and internal organs hung on the fangs. These monsters, beyond all reason and nightmare, wailed in the darkness with broken limbs and bones in their mouths.
Only half of the body of the troll that had just been killed was left. When they opened their eyes and found a living person, they roared and joined the ranks of other infected bodies and rushed forward.
The rotten corpses made of white bones have big and small heads hanging on them. They don't distinguish between friend and foe, they grab a ball of flesh and blood and stuff it into their stomach...
The blood foam accumulated into a stream and formed a pool of blood along the stone slabs and steps.
Erza witnessed this crazy scene and felt that her mind was about to lose control:
"Griffith, gather your troops and drive the trolls to the highest pyramid. There must be enemy reserves there, and clear orders can restrain the zombie tide."
"good!"
Griffith immediately gave orders to the undead. A severe headache and a sense of guilt weighed on his heart. Almost unable to bear it anymore, he could only force himself to implement a rational tactical plan:
"I'm going to make some wild beasts...
"They have heavy armor and long-range attacks, but they move slowly without the blessing of black mud, so they are suitable for defense. When we attack other strongholds, the wild beasts will guard our base and expand my army."
The cold thinking made him feel better, as if the misfortune suffered by the troll who watched his family being torn apart under the city wall had nothing to do with him.
"Everything has a price," Griffith croons. "Wars are fought for centuries. If we fail to win, the end of the Void will consume all living things."
Erza had nothing to say.
"Let's go," Griffith shook his head, not looking at the tragedy at his feet, "We want to eliminate the troll lord here and attract Commodus to fight."
…
"There are zombies everywhere out there, and they've infected half the town."
"We sensed two extremely powerful existences, as powerful as the human king."
"Commodus promised to send support, but Zulhakar did not respond..."
"Sir High Priest, have we been abandoned by the Holy City..."
Venosis stood by the altar at the top of the pyramid with a gloomy expression. Around him were priests and warriors who had gathered in a hurry, reporting in panic.
"Set up a defense line at the entrance," Venousis ordered, "Seal that place!"
There are still many residents who have not fled into the pyramid, but the situation has become so urgent that there is no time to hesitate.
The trolls guarding the pyramid immediately dragged in more than a dozen carriages loaded with goods and food, and built a circular defense line at the entrance to cover the residents' escape to the top of the pyramid. Warriors armed with spears, slings, spears and axes formed a dense formation at the entrance.
"I'm talking about closing the door!" the high-ranking priest shouted angrily, "immediately, immediately!"
The troll elders and priests, big and small, knelt on the ground in shock, hugged Venosis' thigh and cried:
"But the warriors' families are still outside!"
"The warriors have formed a phalanx, let them defend it!"
Venosis was so angry that he almost carried it away in one breath. Before he could draw out his whip, the circular formation of cars below started to move.
Rows of troll warriors gripped their spears. They were side by side, with a spear resting on the shoulder of a warrior in front. The centurion holding a sharp ax stood at the front of the team, looking at the warriors and encouraging them with his fiery eyes.
"Hold on! The ancestors are watching you!"
The loaded carriage blocked the tide of corpses and blocked the view of the phalanx. All you could hear was the loud banging sound outside. There were also priests and civilians standing higher up shouting at them heartbreakingly.
"Hold on." The centurion raised his battle ax, thinking that the warriors must not be swayed by the civilians above. Soon, he became impatient due to the noise, and he yelled a few words. Suddenly, he saw that all the subordinates in front of him were staring at the car formation in front, their faces turned blue, and they were all deformed, as if they had seen a ghost.
"Hold on!"
The Centurion roared and turned to see what was going on.
I saw that the three- to four-meter-long carriage was already covered with gray-brown living corpses with incomplete bodies. They step on top of each other, one on top of the other. The ones in front haven't had time to turn over the carriage, and the ones behind have already been piled up seven or eight levels.
The heavy truck creaked as it was pushed. Finally, something like a tide covered the truck, rolled over and rushed towards the gun formation!
"shooting!"
"Throw the spear! Throw the spear!"
All the troll light infantry threw everything they could project. The heavy rain of spears and rocks emitted a shrill scream like tearing linen, knocking down a large area of living corpses.
Before they could launch the second round of shooting, more living corpses were stacked higher than the war elephants and poured in from the gaps in the vehicle array. They rushed out of the way and rolled around the heavy carriage.
The living corpses below were crushed into minced meat. The carriage covered with blood and rotten flesh was like a barrel in the flood, rolled up by the gray-brown corpse tide, and rushed towards the phalanx.
The guards on each level of the pyramid went crazy and threw javelins, causing a little splash. Then, this unstoppable tide of corpses smashed the gun array at the entrance, and the centurion and his men disappeared in an instant.
"Let's get out of here," High Priest Venousis turned around and left, "take the secret passage."
…
The sky was suddenly filled with dark clouds, silver arcs of lightning cut through the night sky, and thick fog with a strange smell filled the air. It was dark all around, and almost nothing could be seen beyond ten steps.
The team of high-ranking priests brought the most precious treasures and books, left the pyramid along a secret passage, and fled towards the cliff. The town that was flooded by the mutant infection could no longer be seen.
The earth-shattering screams also became fainter. The fleeing trolls wanted to cover their ears.
The gloomy darkness could not stop their progress, but it effectively slowed down their progress. Every now and then a troll falls off a cliff.
The strong wind mixed with screams and wails wandered over the statues and rocks on both sides, like invisible and rough monsters salivating and staring at the fleeing prey.
There was no road visible at the end of the line of sight, just an ominous black mist, which was really daunting. The road is getting steeper and steeper.
Finally, the team stopped at the highest point of the ridge, and no one dared to go down any further. This is originally a secret escape path. If you can barely pass it at night, I am afraid that only a few people in the entire team will survive.
A warrior came to the high priest and bowed:
"Great Master, I'm afraid we can't go any further.
"The vanguard lost contact, and the priests were unable to pinpoint the location of the apostle of the alien god. Before arriving at Zul'Haka's sanctuary, there was a full forty miles of journey through the cliffs and valleys. It was really difficult to trek in such a dark night. Too dangerous.”
Winosis also felt that this journey was too difficult. He also carries precious documents. Publicly and privately, he cannot let his team be wiped out here.
He hesitated for a while, and finally responded in a low voice:
"Take a rest and take action immediately at sunrise."
The accompanying trolls immediately set up camps and sentries. However, he did not notice that the rugged rocks and shadows on the cliff suddenly extended strangely.
The shadow suddenly seemed to have a life of its own, and slowly condensed into the shape of a scorpion tail. The abrupt joints were clearly visible, and it suddenly rolled towards a sentry.
The troll was about to shout a warning immediately, but before he could shout, his face showed a strange expression and he froze and lay down on the ground. The nearby trolls just thought he had fallen accidentally and didn't even bother to come over to help him.
Around this group of busy and tired escapees, shadows in all directions twisted ferociously.
They prostrate and curl, blending into the contours of rocks, shrubs, and dead trees, devoid of breath, heartbeat, or waves of psychic energy. Their mutated and sinister outlines slowly expanded, and viscous water dripped from the cracks densely packed with fine fangs, and the slender, sharp fangs dug deeply into the rock wall.
Their long bony tails are curly and sharp. When they lurk in the darkness, they are as dead as stone sculptures. Once they move, they are suddenly everywhere.
(End of chapter)
