Void passage. Nobody knew what Sophia was scheming, but she spoke again.
"Orion, are you worried about your people?"
"After all, I've already sent two waves of my subjects over to your territory. By now, it must be drenched in blood and echoing with endless wails!"
Her tone was so gentle, yet her words were utterly cold-blooded. That was Sophia.
Orion lifted his head, eyes shut, silently focusing on Sophia without saying a word.
"Orion, closing your eyes is the dumbest way to escape a nightmare!"
"If you're willing, we can have a real conversation!"
"I can send even more of my subjects for you to slaughter as you please!"
It was blatant temptation—filthy and unmasked.
Still, Orion kept his eyes tightly shut, entirely unmoved.
Because he'd left a will projection in Blackstone City, Orion was also keeping tabs on the battle there.
Blackstone City, outer walls.
The cavalry unit led by Thundar launched a provocation, hurling two rounds of spears and bolts, drawing a huge swarm of dark creatures in pursuit.
Whoosh!
A bolt shimring with rainbow light shot out from the arrow tower, tearing apart the first group of dark creatures that entered its range.
The cavalry made a swift retreat as dark creatures surged in like a tide, triggering instant conflict at the outer walls.
Suddenly, spears, bolts, crossbow arrows, and rolling boulders filled the sky. Icefield snow wolves retreated into the city, hugging the wall as they fell back.
"Load the catapults! Let 'em fly!"
"You worthless scum! Do you even know what's beneath those walls?"
"It's dark source crystals, it's battle glory, it's a whole lot of juicy at for you to feast on!"
"Crush them!"
"..."
The voice of cannon fodder troops' Deputy Commander Dirtclaw rang out along the wall. The sector under his defense was far from the arrow tower, so only the cannon fodder troops had control over these heavy weapons.
As Dirtclaw roared, the Thunderstorm Bearn among the cannon fodder troops hefted massive boulders onto wooden-frad catapults, launching wave after wave of attacks.
Huge stones drenched in burning oils soared through the air and smashed into the dark creature horde. Those unable to dodge were killed or severely wounded.
"You filthy Bearn, that round was pretty damn good!"
"Keep pounding them! Rack up more kills, and when the dark beast tides subside, I'll get you ten slots for promotion!"
Dirtclaw, roaring with excitent and raw brutality, still rembered to toss out a tempting bone for the Thunderstorm Bearn of the cannon fodder troops.
A mont later, when the dark creatures drew close to the walls, lee combat erupted across the entire front. The outer walls were quickly bathed in blood. Stay tuned with My Virtual Library Empire
Because the outer walls were only about 100 feet high, that wasn't much of a barrier for many dark creatures.
Creatures like Tentacle Monsters, Dark Fiends, Voidcrawlers, and Night Stalkers could leap in full force, using the wall as a springboard. Two jumps were all they needed to land atop it.
On the walls themselves, only four Alpha-level Elders—Delilah, Lilith, Slagor, and Earthshaker—remained to watch; everyone else had joined the fight or gone to command their troops.
"There haven't been any Alpha-level dark creatures so far, so this wave of siege isn't very strong!"
Slagor was keeping a sharp eye on the battlefield. The fiercest onslaught had passed, and most of the dark creatures were being held at bay below the walls by bloodline warriors, unable to break through.
It turned out this happened because there were no Alpha-level individuals among the attacking dark creatures to keep them organized.
Without a leader, that wave of monsters simply didn't pack much punch.
Hiss!
Just as the battle was at its peak with horns echoing nonstop, a shrill beastly roar pierced the dark distance.
That low, grating sound was part snake's hiss, part eagle's cry.
The roar was ear-piercing, heard throughout the outer walls.
The dark creatures that heard it hesitated. Countless ones already climbing the walls were cut down right on the spot, and those below, once they realized what was happening, drew back into the far reaches of darkness.
"They're retreating!"
Lilith let out a sigh. Those dark creatures, lured in to attack, had lasted barely fifteen minutes before the recall sounded.
For the Elders eager to unleash war as soon as possible, this was not welco news.
"That creature's roar just now was from an Alpha-level dark creature!"
"We just don't know what kind it is. It's too far away to see clearly."
Slagor stood, peering into the distant shadows, trying to spot whichever Alpha-level monster lay hidden there.
"Issue the order to clean up the battlefield and tally our spoils!"
"The dark creatures' retreat marks our temporary victory!"
"Blood, death, dark source crystals, victory—our horde's bloodline warriors have finally blown off their pent-up steam, so morale is stable now!"
"Even if the war drags on, we don't need to worry for the ti being!"
Delilah rose, feeling much lighter all over.
To her, this brief skirmish was a resounding success.
Solving the horde's biggest inherent problem was more important than anything else.
"Issue another order: the Sentinel Corps will combine with the cavalry into a mixed unit. While the bloodline warriors rest, we'll beef up patrols and stay on high alert!"
Half an hour later, Onyx, Rendall, Thundar, and Lysinthia gathered once again atop the wall.
"The big battle might be on the verge of breaking out!"
It was Gorgon Lysinthia who spoke, drawing every Alpha-level fighter's attention, including Lilith's.
Under their startled gazes, Lysinthia stayed as calm as still water.
But right as everyone frowned, curious, sothing began to change about Lysinthia.
They watched as her hair thickened and started twisting in the air with no breeze at all.
In a few breaths, her once-lustrous hair transford into many fine, black serpents.
Lysinthia reached out, plucked a small snake from her head, and spoke to the others.
"Ever since I turned into a Gorgon, my perception has beco much sharper!"
"They tell
there are seven dangerous presences in the distance!"
She pointed at the black snake in her hand, then at the others on her head.
Then Lysinthia put the small snake back, and it reverted to her hair once again.
A few monts later, the little snakes were all gone. Her head was crowned with black hair swaying in the cold wind, giving off a chilling aura of mystery.
"Are you certain there are seven dangerous presences?"
Lysinthia nodded, confidently confirming Delilah's question.
Delilah furrowed her pretty brows and lowered her head in thought.
It was obvious the seven dangerous presences Lysinthia spoke of were Alpha-level dark creatures.
In other words, if those dark creatures launched a collective assault on the city, it would be one hell of a massive battle.
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