46: Military strategists cover the rear, fighting and retreating to preserve the last embers (Part 1)

Five figures encased in precision mech armor moved like ghosts through the increasingly thick, gray mist of the Valley of the Dead. The effects of the [all-round anti-corrosion stealth infiltration mechanism armor] were exceptional; the positive energy barrier emitted a faint, nearly imperceptible glow, neutralizing the encroaching Death Qi into nothingness. The internal circulation System provided clean air, protecting the team members from direct harm by plague spores, while the stealth array allowed them to almost blend into the environment, suppressing their life Aura to the absolute minimum.

Captain Elwin remained at the center of the squad. Her perception was the sharpest, and the Vast Righteous Qi flowed slowly within her body, not only strengthening her own barrier but also acting like a miniature lighthouse, providing mental protection and directional guidance for her teammates. She tightly gripped the jade jar containing the [nether-skeleton dissipation powder]; it was the key to the mission and their final trump card.

The vanguard scout, Snik Shadowclaw, moved like a true shadow, flickering between jagged rocks and dead trees. His Agility attribute, as high as 55 points, combined with the mech armor's stealth effects and the natural [Shadow Affinity] of a Ratman, made him seem almost non-existent. The [Paralyzing Poison Blade] in his hand was coated with a special neurotoxin that was effective even against the undead; though not lethal, it could cause brief paralysis.

The ranged fire support, Eagle Eye Balend, followed silently behind. His specially modified mech armor had a small bracket on the shoulder, allowing his heavy [Dragon Hunter Crossbow] to remain in a ready-to-fire state at all times. His sharp gaze, like that of a falcon, pierced through the mist to scan for any suspicious movement ahead.

The support expert, Clever Hands Mibo, proceeded with great caution, his mech armor hung with various small collection tools and isolation containers. His [Micro-Perception] talent was fully activated, carefully discerning subtle changes in the air's energy to avoid triggering potential undead traps or alerting sensitive entities.

Bronzebeard Stonehammer, whose injuries had been temporarily stabilized by Lin Zhou's Divine Power, acted as the team's stabilizing force at the rear. Although he could not easily unleash the heart of the earth power, his mountain-like Aura and the warhammer gripped in his hand gave the team a complete sense of security. His task was to handle the worst-case scenarios—heavy assault and guarding the rear.

Following the safe path scouted by Snik, the squad advanced cautiously and rapidly toward the Death Swamp at the center of the valley. The deeper they went, the harsher the environment became. The ground turned muddy and viscous, making a squelching sound with every step as if treading on rotting flesh. Even with the internal circulation filtering it, the decaying scent in the air seemed to seep in, causing a sense of unease. More wandering undead began to appear, from the lowest skeletons and walking corpses to twisted, foul-smelling stitched abominations.

[Environmental Effect]: Deep Death Field

[Description]: The core area of the Valley of the Dead, a Domain formed by a high concentration of the rules of death.

[Effect]:

All living units' attributes are reduced by 10% (partially offset by the mech armor's positive energy barrier, actual reduction is approximately 3%).

Health/Stamina/Mental Energy recovery speed is reduced by 50%.

Non-undead units take 1-3 points of shadow damage per second (completely offset by the mech armor).

Mental skill effects are weakened, and units continuously suffer minor mental pollution (requires a Will Check).

“To the front-left, three wandering walking corpses, avoid them,” Snik's voice came through the mech armor's built-in communication runes (Li Mo's clever design), low and clear.

The squad immediately changed direction, slipping past the blind spots of the aimlessly wandering corpses like slippery loaches.

“Energy residue on the right rock wall, suspected wraith habitat, bypass it,” Mibo warned.

The team turned again. A translucent [Wailing Wraith] (LV22, Incorporeal, Mental Attack) emerged halfway from the rock wall, seemingly sensing something. It looked around in confusion, but ultimately failed to discover the nearly perfectly hidden squad and slowly retreated back inside.

It was a close call. The performance of the mech armor and the professional skill of the team members allowed them to dance on the edge of a blade in this undead-infested land without ever truly touching the sharp edge.

However, as they continued deeper, Lin Zhou's unease grew stronger through the perspective shared by Elwin. It was too quiet, and things were going too smoothly. Aside from these low-intelligence wandering undead, they hadn't encountered any elite units like the previous Undead Warrior, and even the LV28 Wraith Mages and LV30 Plague Abominations were nowhere to be seen.

This was illogical. The defense around the core area of the mother spore would inevitably be the tightest.

“Stay alert, we may have entered the core alert zone,” Elwin reminded all members through the communication runes. “Snik, slow down and be twice as careful.”

Snik responded with a sound, his movements becoming even more elusive as he moved forward almost inch by inch.

Finally, after crossing an area littered with pale bone fragments and smelling strongly of sulfur, the view ahead suddenly opened up—they had reached the edge of the Death Swamp.

It was a boundless black mire, the mud bubbling constantly as if boiling. Each bubble that burst released a thick cloud of gray plague spores. In the center of the swamp, the clusters of glowing undead moss mother spores were clearly visible. At their core sat a giant fungus, about half a person tall, shaped like a twisted human face and deep purple, nearly black in color. It pulsed slowly like a heart, and with every beat, it caused the surrounding Death Qi to surge!

[Target]: Undead Moss Core Fungus (Source of Plague)

[Rank]: ???

[Attributes]: ???

[Traits]: [Highly Active], [Rule Core], [Mental Pollution Source]

[Status]: Continuously releasing plague, intense energy fluctuations.

That was their ultimate goal for this trip!

However, the area between the mother spore and the swamp's edge was not empty. Dozens of Undead Guards (LV25), clad in heavy armor with ghostly blue Soul-fire burning in their eyes, stood there silently, along with three massive [Plague Abominations] (LV32) made of countless stitched corpses dripping with green pus! They stood like the most loyal sentinels, guarding the core fungus.

Even more heart-stoppingly, directly beneath the mother spore, the mud churned as a massive figure covered in black bone armor slowly rose from the swamp! It was the LV35 [Undead Warrior] that had previously fought Bronzebeard! Its arm, which had been damaged by Elwin's arrow, was now restored. Its crimson Soul-fire stared intently at the squad, and its beheading greatsword was wreathed in Death Qi!

It had discovered them long ago! The previous silence was nothing more than a trap to lure them in!

“We've been spotted! Prepare for battle!” Elwin made a split-second decision and deactivated part of the stealth effects. Her Vast Righteous Qi erupted like a sword being unsheathed, dispelling the surrounding gray mist!

Almost simultaneously, the Undead Warrior let out a silent roar (a mental shock swept over them)! It pointed its beheading greatsword forward!

“Roar—!”

The three Plague Abominations let out deafening roars, their earth-shaking strides moving them like three heavy tanks as they charged toward the squad! Behind them, dozens of Undead Guards formed a tight formation, surging forward like a black tide!

“Balend! Suppress the abominations! Snik, move and harass, prioritize any Wraith Mages (if they appear)! Mibo, prepare the collection tools! Bronzebeard, hold the front with me!” Elwin issued orders instantly, demonstrating excellent on-the-spot command capability.

“Understood!” Eagle Eye Balend knelt on one knee, his [Dragon Hunter Crossbow] propped up, aiming at the knee joint of the leading Plague Abomination—a relatively weak point! He activated the [Armor-Piercing Bolt] skill!

Whoosh!

A shrill sound of piercing air rang out! The specially made bolt instantly crossed the distance of hundreds of meters and accurately hit the target!

Puchi! Green pus sprayed everywhere! The Plague Abomination let out a howl of pain, its charge momentum suddenly faltering, its massive body nearly toppling over!

“Swift as the Wind!” From far away in the Divine Realm, Lin Zhou's consciousness was closely linked with Elwin's. Seeing the situation, he immediately channeled a pure School of Military battle formation intent across the void! This was an application of basic School of Military tactics; it didn't directly increase attributes but optimized their cooperation and rhythm, making their actions swifter and more coordinated!

The squad members felt their bodies lighten, their movements becoming more fluid, and their cooperation felt as instinctive as if they had practiced it thousands of times.

Snik Shadowclaw's figure vanished like a ghost, reappearing behind an Undead Guard trying to flank them. His [Paralyzing Poison Blade] stabbed hard into the connection of its cervical vertebrae! The Undead Guard's movements stiffened; though it quickly broke free, its speed was noticeably slower.

Elwin and Bronzebeard stood side by side, facing the other two charging Plague Abominations and the following tide of Undead Guards. Elwin's longsword left its sheath, her Vast Righteous Qi transforming into a brilliant sword light. With one slash, she cut through and purified the [Disease Cloud] sprayed by one of the abominations! Bronzebeard let out a roar; although he couldn't fully erupt, he still swung his warhammer, slamming a [Thunderous Blow] into the ground. The shockwave sent the leading Undead Guards stumbling.

The battle instantly reached a white-hot intensity!

Relying on the protection of the mech armor, their superior equipment, tacit agreement coordination, and the assistance of Lin Zhou's School of Military intent, the squad barely held against the first wave of the undead legion's assault. But there were too many enemies! The Undead Warrior had not yet personally joined the fray, merely overseeing the battlefield from the rear, its cold Soul-fire watching the fight, seemingly waiting for the perfect moment.

“Mibo! Is there a chance?” Elwin asked urgently while parrying a massive claw from an abomination.

Clever Hands Mibo, hiding behind the defensive line formed by Elwin and Bronzebeard, nervously observed the core fungus: “No! The energy field is too strong, and that big guy is guarding it (referring to the Undead Warrior). Approaching directly would result in being instantly focused on!”

They had to create an opportunity!

Elwin's gaze sharpened as she made a decision: “Use the [nether-skeleton dissipation powder]! Balend, create dispersal points! Snik, prepare to strike!”

She threw the jade jar to Balend. Balend understood and quickly filled the cavities in the heads of several special [Explosive Arrows] with a portion of the powder. These arrows would explode upon impact, perfectly scattering the powder!

He aimed at the densest area of undead and at those three Plague Abominations!

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Three Explosive Arrows were fired in a triangular formation!

“Cover your mouths and noses (despite the internal circulation)! Close your eyes!” Elwin shouted.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Three bursts of gray-white light exploded within the undead crowd! The effects of the [nether-skeleton dissipation powder] erupted instantly!

It was like pouring hot oil onto snow!

The low-level undead (walking corpses, skeletons) enveloped by the gray-white light were like dry grass set on fire; their Soul-fires were instantly extinguished, and their bodily structures rapidly disintegrated into ash! The three thick-skinned and resilient Plague Abominations let out agonizing wails as the pustules on their bodies burst one after another, their stitching came apart, and their massive forms rotted and collapsed at a visible rate! Even the LV25 Undead Guards became sluggish, their Soul-fire flickering and their attributes clearly dropping!

The power of a single strike was truly terrifying! At least thirty undead units were directly purified, and over fifty units were severely affected!

The opportunity was here!

“Snik! Now!” Elwin shouted!

Snik Shadowclaw moved like an arrow from a bow, pushing his [Sprint] skill to its limit. He transformed into a nearly invisible shadow, bypassing the undead crowd thrown into chaos by the powder's effect and heading straight for the core fungus in the center of the swamp! His goal was to collect it! Once they had the core fungus, the mission would be mostly complete!

However, just as Snik was about to reach the mother spore—

The Undead Warrior, which had been watching coldly, moved!

It seemed to feel a hint of wariness toward the effects of the [nether-skeleton dissipation powder], but it was even more impossible for it to allow the opponent to collect the core fungus. It let out an enraged mental roar, and its massive body erupted with surprising speed that belied its size. Its beheading greatsword, carrying the power of the rules of death that could tear through anything, arrived second but struck first, slashing toward Snik's waist!

This strike was as fast as lightning, and the rules of death it contained locked onto Snik's Aura, making it unavoidable!

“Watch out!” Elwin and Bronzebeard's eyes nearly split, but they were entangled by the remaining undead and could not provide timely rescue!

Snik felt a lethal threat, and his fur stood on end! Without hesitation, he activated the mech armor's ultimate life-saving measure—the [Gnome Rocket Booster]!

Bang!

A massive thrust erupted from his back, pushing him to narrowly shoot upward! The Undead Warrior's greatsword grazed the soles of his feet, and the sharp Sword Qi even left deep gouges in the leg of his mech armor!

However, the direction of the booster was difficult to control precisely. Snik was like an out-of-control cannonball, flying diagonally toward the other side of the swamp and slamming heavily into the black mud, splashing foul-smelling mud everywhere!

“Snik!” Chen Hai saw this through the remote connection, and his heart leaped into his throat.

The Undead Warrior's attack missed, and its crimson Soul-fire instantly locked onto Eagle Eye Balend, who had just succeeded in his shot and was reloading his crossbow! It decided that this ranged threat had to be eliminated first!

It abandoned the temporarily missing Snik and charged toward Balend with giant strides like a death chariot! Any undead blocking its path, whether allies or those affected by the powder, were ruthlessly knocked aside or crushed!

“No! Balend, get back!” Elwin cried out, wanting to go back to help, but she was pinned down by two Undead Guards that were weakened but still resilient.

Bronzebeard roared repeatedly, wanting to unleash the heart of the earth power, but he was forcibly held back by Lin Zhou's Divine Thought: “Your injury... it is not yet the time!”

Seeing the Undead Warrior about to reach Balend, the terrifying beheading greatsword was about to fall...