Yet, they were already decimated.
Even the smallest fragment of a bomb entering the enemy's camp could have instigated a modicum of panic.
Indeed, the adversary had been wellprepared, merely waiting for their forces to march into the jaws of death.
The Red Duke, his countenance darkened, surveyed the fallen vanguard without a flicker of emotion.
At this juncture, he found himself without recourse.
Even aware of the trap, he had no choice but to leap into it, determined to seize the iron coffin from their grasp.
The dense ranks of the bloodthirsty army, urged by their kin, endeavored to form an orderly formation.
Along the way, several villagers, their legs trembling, were compelled back in a line under the crack of whips and the thud of clubs.
400 meters from the encampment, the Blood Clan furrowed their brows, perplexed.
This distance was within the effective range of archers and mages.
Why had the enemy not commenced a ranged assault? My lord, could it be that they are short on arrows? Ventured a blood clan member, voicing his conjecture.
The Red Duke shot him a glance, inwardly cursing his lack of insight.
The enemy's commander had orchestrated everything with meticulous precision, timing and location arranged with utmost care.
Would they commit such a fundamental blunder? Nevertheless, the Red Duke refrain from rebuttal, allowing his subordinates to perceive the enemy as foolish would bolster morale.
Charge, prepare to scale the walls.
The Red Duke calmly instructed.
Yes.
The Blood Clan retreated, voseiferously, relaying orders.
Prepare the siege ladders, Charge.
Upon receiving the command, the troops surged forward.
The encampment's walls stood approximately 4 meters high.
Hastily completed with no spikes set around.
Armed militia and pale bloods rushed to the base of the walls, beginning to position the siege ladders in the rear.
The second wave, the sluggish corpses dragged their rigid bodies closer inch by inch.
Within the necromancer's encampment, in the command tent, Demetrius was polishing his long sword.
At that moment, the tent flap was pulled aside and Blood Hunter stroed in.
Commander Demetrius, the Blood Clan has arrived at the base of walls.
Demetrius nodded, rising to exit.
Defeating the Blood Clan would not prove difficult.
The challenge lay in intercepting the fleeing foes post victory.
According to Fong How's directive, the goal was to annihilate the Blood Clan here.
Should too many escape, it would pose severe complications for human settlements.
For at least the past few decades, the Hujo Highlands and the Human Federation had maintained a tenuous peace treaty, turning a blind, I deserve matters.
Fire the signal flare, prepared to conclude, Demetrius murmured.
Understood.
Commander, the two emerged from the tent, and Blood Hunter disseminated the next orders.
Demetrius advanced toward the walls.
Shortly thereafter, a second signal flare soared from the necromancer's encampment, shooting into the sky before erupting in brilliance.
Another flare followed, launched from the heart of the camp, ascending and exploding in the heavens.
On both flanks and behind the battlefield, in the shadowy thicket, dense ranks of undead soldiers lay concealed.
These undead stood motionless, akin to sculptures.
When the orc among the undead gazed skyward and beheld the detonating signal flare, he instantly rose from the ground, bellowing, "Advance!" The orcs issued their commands loudly, leading the undead army forth to the battlefield.
At the base of the walls, the siege ladders had been secured.
The pale bloods emitted low guttural growls, urging the armed villagers to ascend the walls.
Suddenly, a signal flare erupted in the air, followed promptly by a torrential downpour of arrows and magical projectiles cascading downwards.
Arrows fell like raindrops, enveloping the entire battlefield.
Magical projectiles traced fiery trails across the night sky, bursting among the throngs of combatants.
The already disordered formation began to witness vast sways of death.
Even the relentless urging of the Blood Clan could not compel anyone to ascend the city walls.
Just as the offensive found itself at an impass, the tightly shut gates of the undead encampment slowly creaked open.
Everyone paused in astonishment.
What was happening? Why did they voluntarily open the gates? In the next moment, countless skeletal warriors clad in heavy armor and wielding beast-headed shields surged forth.
Their astonishing numbers coalesed into an impenetrable wall of steel at the gate, crashing into the ranks of the Blood Clan, initiating a fierce melee.
Not far away, the Red Duke rose with a malevolent expression.
Though he could not fathom the enemy's intent, an unsettling feeling noded at him, as if he were ins snared in their scheme.
This sensation was profoundly disturbing.
Just as he was about to join the fry personally, two figures suddenly emerged at top the camp's walls.
One was a towering golden armored warrior, and the other a skeletal figure adorned with bat-like wings.
The latter was all too familiar to him.
Giovani, his own nephew, had indeed been transformed into a skeleton.
Had the information about the iron coffin been divulged by Giovani, that wretched scoundrel.
Continue your assault.
I shall eliminate their leader, the Red Duke declared coldly.
Disregarding the opinions of those around him.
With a mighty flap of his expansive bat wings, he soared toward the encampment.
Mere moments after his departure, a multitude of undead forces began to materialize around the Blood Clan, encircling them for a deadly ambush.
The disparity in numbers rendered any effective resistance feudal.
In the blink of an eye, the entire army was thrown into disarray.
The Red Duke flapped his enormous wings, swiftly reaching the skies above the undead camp.
As he hovered momentarily, a torrential downpour of arrows rained down upon him with a disdainful snort.
He vigorously flapped his wings, creating a sonic wave that shattered the incoming projectiles into fragments, casting a glance at the now skeletal Giovani.
His gaze settled on the lizard man clad in respplendant golden armor.
"Where's the iron coffin? Hand it over to me, and I shall absolve you of your transgressions today.
" Chapter 302.
The woman in the vertical coffin Domigga gazed calmly at the crimson duke above the iron coffin.
Whether it could be taken away depends on your skill.
The crimson duke's eyes narrowed instantly.
A surge of sanguin energy coursed through his body, flowing into the blood red great sword in his hand.
As the crimson energy enveloped the sword, he swung it fiercely with a roar.
A streak of blood red light sliced down toward Domiga.
Swiftly, Demitica retreated, evading the strike.
A thunderous boom echoed, causing the entire city wall to tremble violently.
The blood red sword light left a fissure several meters long in the wall.
"It seems you have yet to reach the dark gold level," Ditiga remarked calmly.
Sensing the Crimson Duke's power, seeking death, the Crimson Duke's expression darkened further as he dove down, swinging his great sword once more.
Domiga raised his long sword defensively, twisting his wrist to thrust forward with renewed vigor.
Thus, the two engaged in an intense battle at top the city wall.
Blood Hunter descended from a wall, joining the remnants of the army below.
The battlefield was now surrounded by an ambush of undead forces.
A formidable barrier formed by heavy shields gradually encircled the Bloodclan's ranks, tightening the encirclement little by little.
The enemy, disinterested in combat, found no opportunity for escape.
The 10th tier Dusk Reveler attempted to breach the defense, but was instantly cut down by a flurry of blades.
The encirclement continued to constrict, hurting the remaining Bloodclan soldiers into a confined space.
"We surrender quickly, everyone, toss your weapons.
We surrender!" a Blood Clan member shouted, urging his companions to disarm.
His words immediately caught the attention of others.
Loyalist to the crimson, Duke voseiferously rebuked him.
The Duke has commanded a fight to the death.
Who dares to surrender? Knows the consequences.
What consequences? Look at the situation.