Knight Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence.

Chapter 448 Glory! Victory!
"Hold on—!"

The commander of the Blackpine Forest's beast-slayers, a champion knight with a scarred face, roared hoarsely. Clad in heavy plate armor, he resembled a human fortress, his tower shield deeply embedded in the ground. Behind him, rows of equally well-equipped royal guards linked their massive kite shields together, forming a gleaming steel dam. Halberdiers thrust their sharp halberds through the gaps in the shields, creating a deadly jungle of steel.

Boom——!
The wave of undead vanguard, like a tsunami crashing against rocks, slammed into this steel defense line!
The low-ranking zombies at the front, like harvested wheat, crashed into the sturdy shields and sharp halberds, instantly torn apart, pierced, and crushed! Rotting limbs and broken bones flew everywhere, emitting a teeth-grinding cracking sound. However, the zombies following behind, stepping on the remains of their companions, frantically tore at the edges of the shields, scratching with their rotting hands, trying to tear them apart. Their strength, amplified by the aura of death, became extraordinary, and the heavy tower shields trembled violently under the impact, groaning under the unbearable weight.

"Hold on! For Black Forest!" the champion knight roared, his shoulder armor pressed firmly against the inside of his shield, kicking deep craters into the ground beneath his feet. A soldier next to him, slightly slower to react, was grabbed by the edge of his shield and violently yanked away by several zombies, instantly dragged into the horde of corpses. His scream lasted only half a second before being drowned out by the sounds of tearing and gnawing.

"Violet's Spear!" Su Li shouted, and the effect of the [Book of Prayer] in his hand erupted. All the spears and halberds in the hands of all the soldiers in the army were imbued with the goddess's divine power, greatly increasing their armor-piercing power.

"Armor of Justice! Heart of the Griffin!" He then swiftly cast two more defensive divine spells, shielding the knights from harm with the light of power while granting the soldiers courage and resolve, making them fearless.

These were originally all single-target divine spells, but with the blessing of Bloodhand Kane's relic of glory, they all became area-of-effect divine spells, expanding their range to the entire army. This meant that every soldier, like Su Li, activated each of the three divine spells in turn without consuming any resources.

As a dazzling divine light shone above the army formation, the power of divine magic instantly flowed into the bodies and weapons of every soldier.

The tearing force from the shields suddenly lessened. The soldiers felt a resilient energy enveloping their shields and armor; the zombies' bites and scratches could only leave shallow marks on the surface, unable to budge them any further. The heavy tower shields were firmly rooted to the ground, and the steel embankment became unbreakable. The soldiers no longer needed to expend all their strength to withstand the impact, allowing them to adjust their posture and solidify their position.

At the same time, the halberds and spears in their hands suddenly became different. A barely perceptible yet incomparably sharp, holy cold light flowed across their blades. When the halberdiers thrust out again, the halberd tips, imbued with divine power, easily pierced through the tough, rotten skin and bones of the zombies, like a hot knife through grease. Each thrust was more deadly, more efficient. The undead that were pierced were no longer hanging from the halberd tips, but were completely pierced and torn apart, their filthy limbs flying backward.

The courage of the "Griffin's Heart" washed away the soldiers' fear like a warm current. The wavering in their eyes was replaced by unwavering resolve. The battle line not only stabilized, but the halberds thrusting through the gaps in the shields became denser and more deadly. The soldiers growled, rhythmically pushing their shields forward, mercilessly reaping the undead thronging before the shield wall with their enchanted halberds. The steel dam was no longer a mere defense; it had become a highly efficient meat grinder, slowly and steadily crushing the tide of the undead beneath its feet. The efficiency of the slaughter had significantly increased.

A dazzling divine light shone upon the human army's ranks, instantly solidifying the steel defenses and amplifying the killing efficiency of the halberds. In that stalemate, a deafening roar echoed from the sky.

A massive shadow swept across the battlefield as the green dragon, Eliria, swooped down. Instead of directly colliding with the dense horde of undead, she hovered low in the air behind them, a deep, terrifying resonance emanating from her chest. Then, she opened her enormous maw, filled with sharp teeth—

call!
A thick, surging, and pungently foul-smelling dark green poisonous mist erupted like a burst dam, spewing out in a huge fan shape! This deadly breath instantly engulfed a large area of ​​crowded night-walking corpses below.

Wherever the poisonous fog reached, the scene was horrifying. The rotting flesh of low-level zombies melted and peeled away like wax, revealing stark white bones, which were then corroded with a sizzling sound, rapidly turning black and crumbling. Armored skeleton warriors, their rusted armor billowing blue smoke in the poisonous fog, were quickly corroded through, their skeletons also unable to escape the fate of dissolving. Some skeletons, their eye sockets burning with the flames of their souls, saw the flames flicker violently in the poisonous fog, then extinguish completely like candles in the wind. This area instantly transformed into a swamp filled with death and dissolution; the movements of the undead became sluggish and chaotic, their bodies disintegrating in the deadly poison.

Arya, having completed her breath attack, did not stop. Her massive dragon claws traced intricate and mysterious trajectories in the air, the ancient dragon chants drowning out the clamor of the battlefield, as powerful Gironian magical energy gathered and surged around her. She poured this surging force of nature into the ravaged earth beneath her feet.

"Awaken, forest! The time for reckoning has come!" Eliria's dragon roar was like thunder.

Jilun Magic: Forest Awakens!

The earth trembled violently, emitting a deep, furious roar. Right where Eliria's dragon tongue had fallen, the ground suddenly bulged upwards and cracked open! Sturdy oaks, gnarled thorns, resilient fir trees… countless species and shapes of trees burst forth from the earth at a terrifying speed visible to the naked eye, growing wildly and towering! This was not gentle growth, but a violent eruption of anger accumulated over countless years! This newly formed forest instantly covered a wider area beyond the breath zone, engulfing hundreds upon hundreds of Nightwalker Corpses within it.

This forest, awakened by magic, was filled with pure hatred for the undead. Thick tree roots burst forth from the ground like giant pythons, instantly shredding the leg bones of skeletons and tightly binding and crushing zombies into pieces of rotting flesh. Resilient branches transformed into merciless whips, lashing the undead with a whistling sound, breaking bones and tearing apart decaying bodies. Newly sprouted trunks savagely jostled through the horde of undead, shattering their dense formation. Thorny vines coiled and pierced like living creatures, pinning any undead that tried to approach to the ground or tearing them to shreds.

This enchanted forest became a death trap for the undead. They were tripped by roots, whipped by branches, struck by trunks, and torn apart by vines. The cracking of bones breaking, the groans of rotting wood being snapped, and the muffled thuds of zombies being crushed and exploding intertwined to create a chilling symphony of destruction. Arielia's magic made the earth itself a weapon of rage, tearing apart and devouring the subsequent waves of the undead.

Witnessing this miraculous wrath of nature, the human soldiers on the ground were greatly encouraged, and their halberd thrusts behind the shield wall became even more swift and powerful. The undead army's offensive, under the dual assault of dragon breath and the forest, showed obvious signs of slowing down and gaps appearing.

However, the zombies behind continued to surge forward, stepping over their purified comrades as they charged on.

"Jiejiejie——!"

A piercing shriek echoed from the sky! A swarm of bloodthirsty bats, like a black storm, swooped down! Their targets were the archers and crossbowmen in the rear, and the relatively vulnerable soldiers of the provincial legion! These rotting flying creatures tore at helmets with their claws, gnawed at necks with their fangs, and spread a deadly undead plague. The bitten soldiers collapsed in agony, their wounds quickly turning black and festering.

"Knights of Vengeance! Tear them apart!" Marshal Orstein's voice boomed like thunder!

Phew——!
A sharp cry from a griffin ripped through the battlefield! The 48 half-griffins, which had been unable to contain themselves any longer, suddenly unleashed their massive forms, the powerful air currents stirring up dust from the ground! The knights gripped their lances and spurred their mounts on! These powerful monster cavalrymen leaped into the air like golden lightning.

The half-griffin's massive body and sharp claws and beak gave it an overwhelming advantage over the swarm of bloodthirsty bats and graveyard bats! A bloodthirsty ghoul swooped down to intercept the leading half-griffin knight, only to be struck hard in the chest by the half-griffin's enormous forepaw! With a loud crack of shattering bones, the ghoul was slammed to the ground like a broken sack! Immediately afterward, the half-griffin knight's lance, like a spear of judgment, pierced precisely through another graveyard bat that was trying to pounce, pinning it to the riverbed's rocky wall!

The half-griffin riders swept across the battlefield like a golden storm. With each pounce, bite, and tail lash, countless monster limbs and severed bodies rained down! Their presence instantly halted the rampage of the undead forces, and all the monsters that had broken into the Black Forest's army were wiped out.

However, the crisis on the ground was not over!
"Roar—!" Several bloodthirsty demons, using their astonishing leaping ability, forcefully cleared the front shield wall and landed in the relatively weak provincial army formation! Like tigers among sheep, their sharp claws and teeth easily tore through the soldiers' leather armor and flesh! Limbs and severed arms flew everywhere, and blood instantly stained the ground red! These ferocious monsters slaughtered wildly among the crowd, creating immense chaos and panic!

"Arrows of Light! Focus fire on those ghouls!" Commander Sylvanas of the Light Arrow Knights decisively gave the order. The well-trained priestly knights quickly adjusted their formation, their powerful bows gleaming with golden light.

Boo hoo hoo-!
Dozens of arrows, shimmering with holy light, shot towards the rampaging, bloodthirsty celestial demons like meteors! The golden light of the blazing sun demonstrated its power to restrain the undead! The arrows easily pierced the demons' tough skin, and holy energy erupted within them! One bloodthirsty celestial demon was struck by more than a dozen arrows simultaneously, letting out a shrill wail. Its massive body burned and convulsed violently in the holy flames before finally crashing to the ground!

But some demons, braving the arrows, still lunged at the priests behind them! A tragedy seemed imminent!
Boom! Boom boom boom——!!!
The dwarven war machine, perched atop the highest points of the two hillsides, finally roared! Its short, thick barrels spewed forth tongues of orange-red flame and thick smoke! Specially crafted, rune-encrusted, flame-filled exploding shells whistled as they fell into the densest part of the undead formation!
The explosion was far more violent than any previous trap! The shockwave sent hordes of zombies flying and torn to shreds! Scorching flames spread like a deadly poisonous fog, sizzling and burning upon contact with the undead, rapidly corroding their bones and flesh! Even the most formidable tomb guardians, caught in the blast or touched by the flames, experienced violent fluctuations in their negative energy shields and noticeably slowed their movements!
The artillery barrage from the war fortress struck the undead wave like a heavy hammer, effectively slowing down the advance of their follow-up troops and giving the front lines a precious respite.

"Now!" Marshal Orstein stood as firm as a rock on the command high ground, calmly observing the entire battlefield. He saw the half-griffin knights regain the initiative, saw the church knights suppress the bloodthirsty ghouls with concentrated fire, and saw the artillery fire of the war wagon fortress tear apart the undead's follow-up echelons! More importantly, he saw the seemingly endless charge of the undead vanguard, under the iron defenses and multiple attacks, show a noticeable slowdown for the first time!
"Blackseth Royal Guard Knights! High-ranking squires! Follow me—to break through enemy lines and crush their enemy's advance!"

Orstein's voice was like rolling thunder, echoing across the battlefield! He suddenly raised the blazing Chosen Warhammer, which burst forth with dazzling light, as if he were holding a fallen star!

"For the lord! For Blackforest! Kill—!"

Boom! Orstein's imposing chosen body leaped down from the high ground like a tiger descending a mountain! He slammed into the most solid area of ​​the undead line, guarded by tombs, with the force of a violent impact!
boom!
The warhammer, carrying the power to shatter mountains, slammed into a guard who was holding aloft a tomb halberd! The fine ancient armor shattered like paper, and the withered bones and soul fire within were instantly crushed into dust by the raging power of the chosen one and the warhammer's own demon-dispelling might! The shockwave even sent several guards staggering backward!

Following closely behind the Marshal, 200 elite Black Forest Guard knights and over 400 powerful high-ranking personal attendants surged forth from the passages left in the shield wall like a torrent of steel bursting its banks! Well-equipped and highly trained, they, led by Orstein, the indestructible "dagger," pierced the heart of the undead vanguard!
These elite warriors targeted the toughest nuts to crack—the tomb guardians and the remaining bloodthirsty ghouls! The greatswords and warhammers of the Royal Guard knights, the exquisite martial arts and enchanted weapons of the high-ranking squires, amplified by the divine aura, dealt a devastating blow to the undead! In an instant, the once rock-solid formation of tomb guardians was forcibly pierced and divided!
Orstein was like a god of war, each swing of his warhammer unleashing a blinding burst of light and fragments of the undead! He specifically sought out those who appeared to be minor leaders, such as undead or powerful ghouls, crushing them with absolute force! His charge greatly boosted the morale of all the Black Forest warriors!

"Long live the Marshal! Black Forest will prevail!" A thunderous roar rang out from behind the defensive line! The soldiers of the provincial legion, who had been shaken by the Bloodthirsty Heavenly Demon's surprise attack, were instantly invigorated when they saw the Marshal leading the charge, penetrating the enemy ranks like a sharp knife! They reorganized and, with the support of the church knights, began to encircle and annihilate the scattered undead that had broken into the formation.

After paying the price in blood, the balance of the battlefield began to slowly tilt towards the Black Forest Territory!

However, the enormous hearse continued its slow advance, the skeletal bell on its roof tolling more urgently and frantically! The dense aura of death, like a tangible black tide, relentlessly washed over the ranks of the living. Two eerie lights beneath the hood of the spirit-binding monk were fixed on Orstein, who charged through the horde of the undead with unparalleled ferocity. A colder, more malevolent magic began to gather beneath his tattered robes…

A moment later, the ghostly blue soul fire beneath the hood of the Spirit-Binding Monk suddenly surged! Its withered hands abandoned the bell-ringing, instead raising them high like dry branches, pointing at Marshal Orstein, who was rampaging through the undead horde as if it were nothing! A visible beam of ghastly green energy, imbued with extreme cold and curses, tore through the air like a venomous snake's tongue, shooting straight towards Orstein's back!

"Marshal, watch out!" the marshal's guards shouted in unison.

Orstein's fighting instincts were already at full power! He suddenly spun around, and the Chosen Warhammer, with a whistling sound that tore through the air, met the cursed beam head-on!
boom--!
The ghastly green energy collided violently with the burning power of the chosen one! The intense shockwave of energy annihilation instantly reduced several tomb guardians who rushed forward to dust! Orstein's burly body swayed violently, staggering back three steps, leaving deep cracks in the ground beneath his feet. The runes on his armor flickered intensely, neutralizing most of the curse's power, but a bone-chilling cold and a soul-tearing pain still caused him to groan and his movements to falter slightly.

In that instant of vulnerability, several bloodthirsty celestial demons and powerful tomb guardian leaders roared and pounced, their deadly claws and heavy weapons instantly engulfing him!

"Roar—!" A deafening dragon roar silenced all the commotion! Eliria's massive dragon wings flapped violently, the raging air currents sending the undead rushing towards Orstein tumbling about! Simultaneously, a more concentrated, dark green poisonous breath, brewing within her mouth, erupted like a high-pressure water jet, precisely sweeping across the most threatening celestial demons! The celestial demons struck by the poison emitted piercing, distorted screams; their resilient flesh melted like ice and snow, instantly transforming into smoldering skeletons, which then shattered inch by inch!
"Cover the Marshal!" the Royal Guard knights roared, rushing forward recklessly, using their shields and bodies to separate the Marshal from the undead. The high-ranking squires, like ghosts, darted in, their exquisite swordsmanship and enchanted weapons precisely cutting off the undead's attack paths.

"Hmph! A mere trick!" Orstein suppressed the discomfort in his soul, and his warhammer once again burst forth with brilliant light. He slammed the warhammer into the ground!

boom--!
A shockwave, purely composed of divine order, suddenly spread out from him! Like a tangible golden wave, it instantly swept across an area of ​​several meters! The undead, scattered by Eliria and restrained by her servants, were struck as if by an invisible giant hammer, their bones shattering inch by inch, their rotting flesh turning into black mud! Even the corpse transport vehicle shook violently, and the spirit-binding monk on its roof let out a sharp, furious shriek of souls!

The Spirit-Binding Monk's sneak attack failed, and instead exposed itself! It became the most conspicuous target on the battlefield!

"War wagon fortress! Target! That blasphemous wagon! Smash it to pieces!" Orstein's voice echoed across the dwarven camp.

"Roger that! Dwarf buddies! Load armor-piercing rounds! Target locked!" the dwarf engineer roared in response.

dong dong dong——!
The eight war vehicles positioned on the high ground simultaneously adjusted their cannons, and the short, thick barrels roared again! This time, they were no longer firing area-of-effect exploding shells, but rather pointed solid bullets engraved with anti-magic runes, specifically designed to target solid targets and negative energy shields!
The shells tore through the air with a piercing whistle! Three of them hit the massive hearse with pinpoint accuracy!
boom! boom! boom!
A deafening explosion rang out! The powerful kinetic energy of the solid shot and the anti-magic runes instantly tore through the dense negative energy shield surrounding the corpse transport vehicle! The rotting wood and fused corpses exploded as if ripped apart by a tremendous force! The massive wheels were shattered, the vehicle tilted violently, and countless hanging bells and skulls rained down! The skeletal death knell on the roof was directly hit by a shell, turning into a shower of bone dust in the violent explosion!
"Ughhhhhh—!" The Spirit-Binding Monk let out a desperate scream. The platform beneath its feet shattered and collapsed. Its body, barely maintained by tattered cloth and negative energy, twisted and disintegrated violently in the aftershocks of the Demon-Slaying Explosion. The two points of ghostly blue soul fire, like candles flickering in the wind, were finally extinguished completely!
With the destruction of the hearse and the demise of the spirit-binding monks, the aura of death that enveloped the battlefield and oppressed the living vanished instantly like shattered glass! The rapid, frantic tolling of the bells also came to an abrupt halt!

Without the enhancement of the aura and the unified command core, the once fearless and endless army of undead instantly fell into great chaos!
The lower-ranking zombies and skeletons, their soul fires flickering violently in their eyes, moved with extreme sluggishness and confusion, even shoving and trampling each other. The tomb guardians, though still maintaining their fighting stance, showed a marked decrease in their cold discipline, their attacks no longer coordinated. The Bloodthirsty Heavenly Demons became even more ferocious, but lost their tactical targets, indiscriminately attacking their fellow undead! The swarms of bats in the air darted about like headless flies.

"They've collapsed! They've lost command!" The frontline commander keenly sensed the shift in the situation.

"Black Forest Territory! Forward—!" Orstein wiped away a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth caused by the curse's impact, raised his warhammer high, and roared like thunder!

"Forward! For victory!"

"Crush them!"

The entire army of Black Forest Territory erupted in a deafening roar! The once solid steel shield wall suddenly surged forward! The soldiers no longer passively defended, but instead raised their halberds, stepping over the remains of the undead, and launched a full-scale counter-charge like an overwhelming torrent of steel!

Without their aura buffs, the zombies fell like paper before the enchanted halberds, swarming down. The chaotic tomb guards were divided and surrounded, quickly crushed by the combined assault of the Royal Guard knights and high-ranking squires. The berserk ghouls were hunted down relentlessly by the half-griffin knights and church knights. Without its leader, the undead army was utterly disorganized!
The half-griffin riders of the Vengeful Sun moved like golden hurricanes through the fleeing undead, each dive kicking up fragments of the dead. The green dragon Eliria circled behind the fleeing undead, occasionally breathing dragon breath or casting spells to create chaos and block their retreat.

The army collapsed like a house of cards! The vanguard of the Night Wanderers completely crumbled after losing its core commander! The surviving undead fled in panic along the dry riverbed like a receding tide, abandoning their armor and weapons, leaving behind only burning, broken, and frozen bones and rotting flesh all over the mountains and fields.

The clamor of battle gradually subsided, leaving only the crackling of flames, the groans of the wounded, and the triumphant cheers of the warriors. Thick smoke, the stench of blood, and the decaying odor of the dead mingled together, filling the air above Raven Ridge. But now, the air carried an additional layer of exhilaration and triumphant elation belonging to the living—the exhilaration of surviving a catastrophe.

Soldiers, leaning on their weapons, panted, their faces a mixture of exhaustion and excitement. Priests moved across the battlefield, healing the wounded with their holy light and purifying the lingering filth of the dead. Dwarves, meanwhile, were busy salvaging usable explosives and inspecting the condition of the war wagon fortifications.

Su Li stood on the high ground, overlooking the battlefield that had just witnessed a fierce battle and now belonged to the victors. He took a deep breath, and his voice, amplified by the power of the chosen one, clearly resonated throughout every corner of Raven Ridge:
"Warriors of the Black Forest Territory! Look at your feet! Look around you!"

His voice was steady and powerful, with a convincing penetrating quality.

"Just now! Right here! What were we facing? The legendary Night Wanderer Corpses that bring endless terror! The undead army that has been portrayed as an apocalyptic catastrophe in countless tavern tales!"

"They are numerous, their troops are elite, and they possess a breathtaking aura and command! They come with overwhelming force, as if they want to flatten everything and turn Raven Ridge into a death zone!"

"But!" Su Li's voice suddenly rose, filled with power, "With your swords, shields, halberds, and warhammers! With your fearless courage and iron will! With the artillery fire, holy light, and the wrath of dragons from your allies! Tell them—and tell everyone!"

He suddenly waved his hand, pointing to the remains of the dead on the battlefield:
"Night-wandering corpses are not scary! They are merely twisted creations under the shadow of death! They can be blocked! They can be defeated! They can be utterly crushed!"

"Today's victory is proof! It is proof written by your courage and strength! It proves one thing: before the light of order, before the will of unity, before the invincible torrent of steel, any threat of chaos and the dead is nothing but fleeting smoke! They will all be crushed under our feet!"

"This victory belongs to every one of you! It belongs to the Black Forest Territory! It belongs to the Light of Order! Glory to you, my warriors!"

"Glory! Glory! Glory!" A thunderous response swept through the entire Raven Ridge, sweeping away fatigue and raising morale to its peak!
(End of this chapter)