Chapter 139 – Escaping the Underground (2/2)
“The army of Black Tortoise City.” Lei Ting turned his gaze on the opposition. At his back, his creature corps deployed in a formation as well while the bosses flanked him.
“Brave Rider Drucker of Black Tortoise City greets Captain Lei Ting,” Drucker shouted from horseback, his right fist beating against his left pec; he saluted Lei Ting per proper military standard.
Grand Magus Jijilu also announced himself, “Space Grand Magus Jijilu of Black Tortoise City greets Captain Lei Ting,”and he placed his right hand on his stomach and bowed in obeisance.
“Black Tortoise City, such a dear name!” Lei Ting seemed to savor the words, and the black air around him roiled violently. “Black Tortoise City, huh?” The Undead Marshal suddenly roared from within the dark, rippling mist, “Kill! Kill every last human in Black Tortoise City! May the God of Darkness cover this land in his brilliance!”
Drucker and Jijilu exchanged glances and nodded in unison.
“Captain Lei Ting, for the peace of humanity and this continent, please forgive this general’s offense,” proclaimed Drucker. “Company, attention! Charge!” He cried out. Drucker had brought a troop of 30,000 men, which was roughly equal to the monsters. Oh! But, they were no longer just monsters now, but rather NPC soldiers of the Dark Corps!
The instant Fatty and Purple Bell snuck out, they witnessed the grand battle. As many as 60 or 70 thousand individuals were fighting to the death. Soldiers shed blood with each passing second. The lower-ranked bosses each commanded a troop. Yet, Lei Ting only sat staunchly upon the Hellfire Stallion in absolute silence, his thoughts unknown. The black air around him fluctuated.
Once Drucker had issued his commands, he didn’t pay attention to the battle; instead, he and Grand Magus Jijilu watched Lei Ting as if their lives depended on it. Every move from the Marshal caused them to raise their guard.
The two forces were deadlocked, and it was hard to tell who had the upper hand. Many players who hadn’t gone far saw the stalemate as an opportunity; but, they were ruthlessly killed by both sides the instant they approached. There was simply no benefit or easy gain to be had.
“Even though players aren’t as strong as NPCs, they’re not weak either. In the end, the problem is that they’re too unorganized,” Fatty whispered to Purple Bell.
Soon enough, someone realized this problem as well. With the six major guilds as the vanguard, around ten guilds organized themselves into formations and supported the battle from the side. With their aid, the conflict quickly tipped in favor of Black Tortoise City.
“The City Lord truly possesses an incredible foresight,” said Jijilu. “We’re all aware that Lei Ting’s corps has been slumbering here, but who could’ve known that there was more to the story?”
“That’s why Captain Lei Ting was buried in Mass Graves and not the Tower of Heroes, even though he was of such high standing. There were too many unanswered questions about how Captain Lei Ting died at the hands of Phantasm Ghost King,” Drucker replied. “After a multifaceted analysis, the City Lord concluded that the Phantasm Ghost King might have had other plans. That’s why the City Lord resolved to awaken Captain Lei Ting. And, with this catalyst of so much blood, Captain Lei Ting has been absolutely corrupted indeed.”
“Such a terrifying strategy! When he died, the captain looked normal; but when exposed to enough blood, his corruption would then be completed postmortally. The Phantasm Ghost King truly has earned his reputation as the wise and crafty man who led the Demon forces to wipe out half the continent.”
“In any case, we must put Captain Lei Ting to eternal rest. His grave should be in the worshipped Tower of Heroes and not filthy Mass Graves,” asserted Drucker quietly.
“Careful! Lei Ting is about to move!”
Seeing his underlings losing the advantage, Lei Ting finally woke from his long silence and slowly raised a hand. The limb was translucent white like jade. Whoosh! A blood red, long sword appeared in Lei Ting’s outstretched palm. The blade was nearly a meter in length and hand size in width. Magical runes encircled the weapon, emitting an impressive force.
“Demon Slayer!” Drucker and Jijilu growled, and their eyes finally wavered with a hint of anxiety.
“He’s already wholly corrupted. How can he still wield that sword?!”
“Neiiiigh!” The Hellfire Stallion let out a long whinny as Lei Ting set it galloping straight toward Drucker. The beast knocked everyone out of its way. No one was able to stop Lei Ting.
“Let me see just how much more powerful Our Honorable Captain is than I!” Drucker bellowed. A long, black sword suddenly materialized in his hand, and He spurred his horse toward Lei Ting.
Clang! The two swords clashed in the middle of the battlefield. Drucker felt a powerful force snake down his blade, and it knocked him from his horse. Rising, he retreated a few steps.
Crackle! Lei Ting raised his left hand, and a lightning bolt from thin air struck at Drucker. Simultaneously, the Hellfire Stallion spat out a ball-sized fireball, directly hitting Drucker’s mount.
“Spatial Shield,” Jijilu softly called out amidst the crisis and raised his magic staff. A transparent shield appeared above Drucker’s head and blocked the attack. As for the Stallion’s fireball, the general deflected it with his sword.
“Our Honorable Captain truly lives up to his reputation. I’m no match for him.” After just one round, Drucker already understood the difference in their abilities. He, alone, could not beat Lei Ting.
“That’s why I’m here.” Jijilu looked composed. He pointed his staff and shouted, “Spatial Chains!”