39: A sudden plague breaks out, and the natural disaster of the dead reveals a crisis (Part 2)

The battle for Furnace Fortress had entered a temporary stalemate. The sea of undead tirelessly battered the city walls, but under Elwin's command, the stabilization of Order through Legalist Edicts, and the assistance of newly applied Elementary School of Medicine methods, the defensive line barely held. However, the physical and mental strength of the defenders was being continuously drained. From the quarantine zone, the roars of the infected fully transforming into undead could be heard from time to time, followed by the ruthless purification by the Law Fishmen responsible for internal security, lowering morale with every instance.

Lin Zhou knew that dragging this out would only lead to death. He had to take the initiative, strike at the heart of the enemy, find the source of the plague, and obtain a sample so the Imperial Hospital could develop a true cure.

His consciousness swept through his divine domain, searching for the best candidate to carry out this lethal mission.

The Literary Heart Elves? They possessed Vast Righteous Qi, which provided some restraint against the undead, but their Physiques were relatively frail. In the Death Qi-dense environment of the Valley of the Dead, their own resistance would be consumed extremely quickly; the risk was too high.

The Tiangong Dwarves? They possessed powerful strength and excellent equipment, but they lacked specialized means to counter the undead and were insufficient in agility, making them unsuitable for infiltration and rapid collection.

The Law Fishmen? They had strong discipline and high execution capability, but their main trait lay in maintaining Order. They had no advantage when facing this pure power of death.

Ultimately, his gaze fell upon Bronzebeard Stonehammer and his most elite thirty-man squad of Dwarven Breakers.

[Hero Unit]: Bronzebeard Stonehammer

[Rank]: LV 28

[Talent]: [Heart of the Hill] (When standing on the earth, Strength and Physique increase by 10%, and injury recovery speed accelerates), [Great Master Blacksmith] (Can craft and appraise higher quality equipment)

[Skills]: [Storm Bolt], [Thunderclap], [Tenacity]

[Attributes]: Strength 58, Agility 22, Physique 55, Intelligence 18, Spirit 25 (Lawful Good)

[Equipment]: [Thunder-Forged Warhammer] (Fine, attacks carry slight lightning damage), [Dark Iron Heavy Armor] (Fine, high physical defense, carries [Sturdiness] special effect)

Every member of this squad was over LV 20 and equipped with the latest forged Dark Iron Heavy Armor and shields. Their physical defense was extremely high, with an average Strength attribute over 35 and Physique over 40; they were literal heavy-armored anvils. They might not be flexible enough, but their survivability was extremely strong. Furthermore, the dwarves' innate high magic resistance and tenacious will might help them better resist the erosion of necrotic energy.

“Bronzebeard.” Lin Zhou’s divine oracle descended directly into the mind of the Dwarven hero, who was currently using Storm Bolt to blast Abominations atop the city wall.

“My Lord!” Bronzebeard smashed a walking corpse trying to climb the wall into meat paste and responded respectfully.

“There is a mission concerning the survival of Blackstone Territory, and which may even endanger the divine domain itself, that requires you and your Breakers to complete.” Lin Zhou informed him without reservation about the Valley of the Dead, the plague source sample, and the extremely high risk of the mission.

Bronzebeard hardly hesitated. He wiped the foul blood splashed on his beard, his eyes burning with a determined flame: “For my Lord's glory, and to save the living beings on this land, Bronzebeard and my boys will face ten thousand deaths without regret!”

“Good!” Lin Zhou praised his courage. “Assemble immediately at the inner plaza of Furnace Fortress for final preparations before departure. The Tiangong Workshop will provide you with specialized equipment.”

A moment later, Bronzebeard and his thirty elite Dwarven warriors lined up in the inner plaza. They had removed some of their overly heavy siege equipment and replaced it with standard Dark Iron armor better suited for long-distance travel and flexible movement, yet they still maintained formidable defensive power.

Glick arrived in a hurry with several Underground Gnome engineers, pushing several small carts. On the carts were some newly crafted, strange-looking pieces of equipment.

[Mohist Anti-Corrosion Mechanical Armor (Experimental Type)] x 31

Type: Special Auxiliary Equipment/Mechanical Creation

Quality: Excellent (Green)

Effects:

[Active Coating]: The surface of the armor is coated with a special layer developed by Lightforged Gnomes, mixing tree of life sap with positive-energy crystal powder. It can continuously emit a faint aura of life, neutralizing low concentrations of necrotic energy and delaying plague infection. No bonus to physical defense.

[Internal Circulation Filter]: The helmet has a built-in miniature filtering mechanism that can be filled with activated carbon, spices, and a small amount of holy water (temporarily blessed by Elwin) to filter plague spores and putrid air, providing approximately 4 hours of clean air.

[Emergency Signal Flare]: A Gnome signal flare is installed on the shoulder plate. When fired, it creates a conspicuous golden flash high in the sky, used for positioning or requesting aid.

Creators: Li Mo (Mechanical Goblins Divine Domain), Glick (Deep Moss Tribe)

“This is the best protection we could rush out in an hour,” Glick said in a high-pitched voice, his tone carrying worry. “The coating effect will weaken over time and with the erosion of Death Qi, and the filters need to be replaced periodically. You... must be careful!”

Bronzebeard patted Glick heavily on the shoulder (nearly knocking the Gnome over) and grinned: “Don't worry, little guy! With these treasures, we will definitely bring the item back alive!”

Elwin also walked over. Pure Vast Righteous Qi condensed in her hands as she applied a temporary [Righteous Talisman] to each Dwarven warrior in turn. This was a continuous, faint buff that could further enhance their resistance to the mental erosion of the undead.

[Status]: [Righteous Talisman] (Temporary)

Effect: Spirit attribute +5 temporarily, increased resistance to undead fear, confusion, and other mental effects, faintly dispels negative energy.

Duration: Approximately 6 hours.

Ready for deployment!

Bronzebeard took a deep breath and raised his warhammer: “For my Lord! For our home! Depart!”

The thirty-one Dwarven heroes, carrying the hopes of the entire Blackstone Territory, charged out of the side gate of Furnace Fortress like thirty-one mobile iron towers. They bypassed the main undead army and launched a death-defying charge toward the Valley of the Dead, where the Death Qi was thickest.

The vast majority of Lin Zhou's consciousness followed this squad. Through Bronzebeard's perspective, he could clearly feel how harsh the external environment was.

The closer they got to the Valley of the Dead, the thicker the gray mist became, reaching a point where they could barely see their hands in front of their faces. The air was permeated with the smell of rot and sulfur; even with the Internal Circulation Filters, the dwarves felt some difficulty breathing. The ground beneath their feet was no longer solid rock but had become muddy and viscous, as if stepping on rotting flesh. The surroundings were terrifyingly silent, save for the heavy breathing of the dwarves and the clanging of their armor rubbing together.

From time to time, low-level undead lurking in the thick fog were startled and pounced on the squad. But Bronzebeard and his warriors were well-trained, forming a tight circular formation like a rolling steel hedgehog, crushing all undead that approached. Their Thunder-Forged Warhammers and Dark Iron battle-axes were remarkably effective against these low-tier undead, as the power of lightning could effectively purify Death Qi.

However, the Active Coating of the Anti-Corrosion Mechanical Armor was dimming at a visible rate. Lin Zhou could receive faint feedback information from the equipment.

[Warning: Unit ‘Bronzebeard Stonehammer’ [Anti-Corrosion Mechanical Armor] Active Coating efficiency remaining 65%... 58%...]

[Warning: Unit ‘Breaker A3’ Internal Circulation Filter efficiency below 30%, replace filter element as soon as possible!]

“Speed up! Don't get bogged down in combat!” Bronzebeard roared, leading the way. His Storm Bolt cleared the path, smashing several blocking skeletons to pieces.

The squad pushed forward with great difficulty under immense pressure. Finally, after crossing a withered forest of twisted trees, they arrived at their destination—the Valley of the Dead.

The sight before them caused even the well-traveled Bronzebeard to gasp.

Deep within the valley was a massive swamp churning with black sludge. In the center of the swamp grew a patch of moss that emitted an intense, eerie glow, resembling a giant fungal cluster. The moss was a sickly purplish-black, its surface covered in vein-like vessels that pulsated slightly as if breathing, continuously spewing gray plague spores into the air.

[Target]: [undead moss mother spore] (Plague Core Medium)

[Rank]: ???

[Attributes]: ???

[Traits]: [Source of Undead Plague], [Death Field], [Mental Pollution]

[Status]: Activated, continuously spreading plague.

And around that patch of undead moss mother spore, within the swamp, stood dozens of skeletons clad in tattered heavy armor, with eerie blue Soul fires burning in their eyes! They held rusted but still sharp great-axes or longswords, guarding the mother spore. The leading skeleton among them was exceptionally tall, wearing a set of black armor that faintly showed ornate patterns. Two points of crimson light beneath its helmet stared fixedly at the uninvited intruders.

[Unit Type]: Undead Guards (Elite)

[Rank]: LV 25

[Attributes]: Strength 38, Agility 15, Physique 42, Intelligence 8, Spirit 15 (Chaotic Evil)

[Traits]: [Undead Creature], [Sturdy Skeleton] (High physical defense), [Soul Fire] (Takes double damage from Holy and Fire sources)

[Skills]: [Cleave], [Heavy Strike], [War Cry (Weaken)]

[Hero Unit]: Undead Warrior (???)

[Rank]: LV 35

[Attributes]: Strength 65, Agility 20, Physique 60, Intelligence 12, Spirit 20 (Chaotic Evil)

[Talent]: ???

[Skills]: ???

[Equipment]: [Cursed Black Armor] (???), [beheading greatsword] (???)

“Prepare for battle!” Bronzebeard’s pupils contracted as he felt an unprecedented pressure. The sense of threat that Undead Warrior gave him even exceeded that of the previous Furnace Fortress Chieftain, Grak!

Without a word of nonsense, the Undead Warrior let out a silent roar (a Mental Shock), swung its beheading greatsword, and led dozens of Undead Guards in a charge! The ground trembled slightly under their trampling.

"Form Ranks! Defend!" Bronzebeard bellowed. The dwarves immediately formed their most expert defensive circular formation, shields interlocking like solid rock.

Boom!

The Undead Warrior's greatsword slammed violently against the dwarves' shield wall, erupting in an ear-piercing metallic clash and flying sparks. The first few dwarves in the front row groaned. Although they withstood the blow with their immense strength and Physique, their arms went numb, and clear cracks appeared on their shields!

"Storm Bolt!" Seizing the opportunity, Bronzebeard threw out a warhammer flashing with lightning, which struck the Undead Warrior's chest with precision.

Bang! The lightning exploded, forcing the Undead Warrior back two steps. Charred marks appeared on its breastplate, but it didn't seem to have suffered a heavy blow. The crimson glow in its eyes intensified as it lunged forward once more.

The other Undead Guards also clashed with the dwarven warriors. Swords and blades hacked at the dwarves' Dark Iron Heavy Armor, sending out showers of sparks, while the dwarves' warhammers smashed into the Undead Guards' skeletons, producing a tooth-aching sound of bone shattering. The battle reached a fever pitch from the very start.

"Someone must go and collect the sample!" Bronzebeard roared anxiously while entangled in combat with the Undead Warrior. He could feel the efficiency of his team members' Mechanical Armor dropping rapidly. Some dwarves had already begun to cough; clearly, their filters were about to fail, and they had inhaled the plague spores!

"Captain! I'll take a few men to cover you! You go collect it!" an adjutant roared, leading five dwarves to desperately block the Undead Guards surging from the flank, creating a brief opening for Bronzebeard.

Bronzebeard knew this was no time for hesitation. With a furious roar, his muscles bulged as his Tenacity talent activated. He took a heavy Cleave from the Undead Warrior head-on (his pauldron shattered and blood seeped out), using the force to roll backward, breaking away from the combat zone and charging toward the undead moss mother spore at the center of the swamp!

"Stop him!" The Undead Warrior let out a mental roar, and several Undead Guards immediately turned to pounce on Bronzebeard.

But that adjutant and the five dwarves stood in the way like boulders.

"We are your opponents! For the mountains!"

They launched a death-defying charge, firmly entangling those Undead Guards and using their bodies to buy time for Bronzebeard.

Bronzebeard had tears in his eyes, but his footsteps never faltered. He rushed into the swamp, the mud nearly reaching his knees. The moment the Active Coating of his Anti-Corrosion Mechanical Armor touched the black swamp water, it made a "hissing" sound and rapidly dissolved!

[Warning! Unit 'Bronzebeard Stonehammer's' Anti-Corrosion Mechanical Armor has failed!]

[Warning! High-intensity plague erosion detected! Unit 'Bronzebeard Stonehammer' has entered the Infection state (Mild)!]

Bronzebeard felt a wave of dizziness as cold Death Qi eroded into his body through his skin. He bit the tip of his tongue hard, the sharp pain clearing his mind. His Heart of the Hill talent operated at full capacity as the earth sent a faint power to help him temporarily resist the erosion.

He finally reached the undead moss mother spore. The pulsating moss, emitting a ghostly glow, was even more nauseating up close. He pulled out a jade box specially made by Glick (designed to maximize sample vitality) and covered his other hand with a thin layer of Battle Qi (to prevent direct contact) before fiercely grabbing the cluster that seemed to be the core of the energy!

The moment his fingers touched the undead moss—

Buzz!

A powerful, cold, and malicious Mental Shock erupted from inside the mother spore like a tsunami, slamming directly into Bronzebeard's consciousness!

"Argh—!" Bronzebeard let out a pained howl, feeling as if his head was about to explode as countless whispers filled with resentment and destruction echoed in his mind. His movements froze, and his eyes began to lose focus.

It was the Mental Pollution inherent to the mother spore! It was far more terrifying than the ordinary plague!

"Bronzebeard! Hold onto your heart!" Lin Zhou, far away in the Divine Realm, felt the violent tremors in Bronzebeard's Soul through the faith connection. He immediately channeled a stream of pure Divine Power (consuming 50 points) across the distance, while shouting with the majesty of a deity.

Like a great bell, Lin Zhou's voice resounded deep within Bronzebeard's Soul.

Bronzebeard snapped awake, clarity returning to his eyes. He hesitated no longer. Using all his strength, he tore off the violently struggling, seemingly living cluster of undead moss, stuffed it into the jade box, and slammed the lid shut! The Seal runes preset on the box instantly lit up, sealing the sample.

"Sample obtained!" Bronzebeard roared, turning to rush back.

However, just as he successfully collected the sample, the Undead Warrior seemed to be completely enraged. It abandoned its struggle with the other dwarves, its eyes turning crimson as blood. Thick, tangible black Death Qi condensed on its beheading greatsword, and a heart-palpitating pressure locked onto Bronzebeard!

[Warning! Hero unit 'Undead Warrior' has entered the Frenzy state! All attributes increased by 20%! Skill 'Death Slash' is being prepared!]

[Death Slash]: Condenses the power of death into a single strike, dealing massive Physical + Shadow damage, with an extremely high probability of inflicting an Instant Death effect!

This strike was unavoidable! Bronzebeard had just endured a Mental Shock and was in poor condition; moreover, his back was to the enemy, making it impossible to effectively defend or dodge!

"Captain! Watch out!" The adjutant responsible for the rearguard felt his eyes nearly burst from their sockets. He wanted to rush over, but was pinned down by even more Undead Guards.

In the nick of time, Bronzebeard made a decision. Using all his strength, he threw the jade box containing the sample toward a dwarven warrior near the edge of the valley: "Catch! Take it back! Give it to Her Excellency Elwin!"

Then, he spun around to face the air-tearing Death Slash. With no fear in his eyes, he raised his Thunder-Forged Warhammer and roared as he activated Thunderclap, preparing to meet this killing blow head-on!

"For my Lord—!"

The black sword light of death and the dazzling lightning collided violently!

A massive shockwave of energy swept through the entire valley, throwing swamp mud several meters into the air.

When the light faded, Bronzebeard Stonehammer was seen kneeling on one knee. His Thunder-Forged Warhammer was broken in two, and the Dark Iron Heavy Armor on his chest was completely shattered. A terrifying wound that nearly split him in half extended from his left shoulder to his right abdomen. The wound did not bleed; instead, it was permeated with thick black Death Qi that was frantically eroding his life force. His aura was extremely weak.

The Undead Warrior had also been forced back by the counter-shock of the Thunderclap. A crack appeared on its beheading greatsword, but it clearly still had the strength to fight.

"Captain!" The dwarven warrior who caught the box was in tears. He knew the captain had sacrificed himself to create an opportunity for them to retreat with the sample.

"Go! Hurry, go! That's an Order!" Bronzebeard shouted with his last bit of strength. He tried to stand up but collapsed again.

The remaining dozen or so dwarven warriors looked at their beloved captain with tears in their eyes, then at the sample in hand that concerned the lives of countless people. Finally, they gritted their teeth and, protecting the companion holding the sample, began to fight their way out of the valley.

The Undead Warrior did not pursue them. Its crimson gaze was fixed solely on the defenseless Bronzebeard. It raised its damaged greatsword, intending to personally end this dwarven hero who dared to desecrate the source of the plague.

Lin Zhou's consciousness was closely linked to Bronzebeard. He could feel Bronzebeard's life force being rapidly swallowed by the Death Qi, his Soul fire like a candle in the wind. He frantically mobilized Divine Power, trying to stabilize Bronzebeard's injuries from afar, but the death energy, which contained certain laws, was exceptionally stubborn; his Divine Power was like a stone dropped into the ocean.

Was he really going to lose this loyal and brave dwarven hero like this?

Just as the Undead Warrior's greatsword was about to fall, a sudden change occurred!

The Heart of the Hill talent on Bronzebeard, which was almost completely covered by Death Qi, seemed to be stimulated by this extreme crisis of death and his conviction to protect, triggering an unknown transformation. From the earth beneath him came a pulse far heavier and more ancient than usual. Wisps of barely perceptible khaki-colored light seeped from the depths of the earth, merging into his dying body.

[Notification: Hero unit 'Bronzebeard Stonehammer' has touched the Origin rules in a desperate situation. Talent 'Heart of the Hill' has evolved into 'heart of the earth (Elementary)'!]

[heart of the earth (Elementary)]: Greatly increases affinity with earth elements. When on the ground, Strength and Physique are increased by 20%, recovery speed for injuries and energy is significantly accelerated, and a faint Ley Line Sensing ability is gained. Resistance to earth-related negative effects (such as petrification, quicksand, and certain necrotic erosions) is increased.

This newborn, life-filled earth power acted like a soothing rain, temporarily protecting Bronzebeard's heart vessels and Soul core, forming a stalemate with the eroding Death Qi!

Although he was still heavily injured and on the verge of death, at least his final trace of life was temporarily preserved!

The Undead Warrior's greatsword fell, striking a layer of khaki light that had suddenly become incredibly hard, and was actually bounced away!

This scene caused even the Undead Warrior to pause in surprise.

And just then, Elwin, having received the distress signal flare from the comrades, personally led a rapid response force composed of High Elf Ranger and Law Fishmen, finally arriving at the edge of the Valley of the Dead!

"Bronzebeard!" Elwin saw the tragic scene in the center of the valley, as well as the dwarven hero kneeling on one knee, shrouded in khaki light. Without hesitation, she drew her bow and notched an arrow, infusing it with all her Vast Righteous Qi. A pure white arrow, like a miniature sun, tore through the gray mist and shot accurately toward the Undead Warrior!

"Evil! Die!"

Light and death clashed violently once again in this cursed valley.