Final Lord

Chapter 270 Heading to the Shackles

The smoke of battle had not yet dissipated, and the scorched earth on the outskirts of the Black Forest was filled with a pungent stench and a burnt smell.

The once towering mushroom forest is now reduced to broken stems, resembling the remains of a giant beast. The charred caps have collapsed into ashes, occasionally spewing out a few sparks.

The humus was soaked in blood, making a sticky sound when stepped on, mixed with fragments of bones and armor.

The battlefield was littered with corpses, the remains of Hank's Legion soldiers and monsters piled up together. The Silver Thorn Knight's dark silver armor was shattered, the half-goat warrior's wool was stained an eerie pink by mycelium, and the undead truck rider's rusted chassis lay askew in the ground, its engine still emitting blue smoke.

The Corpse Fungus Sky Island floats silently above the Black Forest.

Logically speaking, monsters should be emotionless, but the Corpse Fungus Sky Island exudes an indescribable sadness.

After the war, Hank was gone, and so was his family.

woo woo woo...

Wang Bufu slowly emerged from the shadows of the Corpse Fungus Sky Island, his black robe fluttering in the wind. His gaze swept across the battlefield, finally settling on Wei Yi.

"Are you hurt?" he asked, his voice calm but carrying a barely perceptible hint of concern.

Wei Yi sheathed her twin swords, her snow-white robes stained only with a few bloodstains. She shook her head slightly, her emerald pupils reflecting the firelight.

"It's nothing, bro. It's just a minor injury and won't affect your mobility."

Wang Bufu smiled slightly and patted her shoulder lightly. "Well done. Hank's caution and strength are both extraordinary. You were able to push him into a corner and even force him to reveal his trump card... far beyond my expectations."

Wei Yi's eyelashes trembled slightly, a rare hint of pleasure flashing in her eyes. "No, I just completed the task as you instructed, brother," she replied softly, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the hilt of her sword.

"Being able to execute the tasks I assign you perfectly is a skill in itself," Wang Bufu said with satisfaction. "You're much better now than you were at the beginning."

"Oh dear... I didn't know that back then." Wei Yi pouted and immediately became coy.

The surrendered Hank soldier, seeing Vee's appearance, could hardly believe it—why are you shy like this? Where did the ruthless female demon who just smashed a catapult with a single sword and dismembered people without blinking an eye go? Who are you? You're not Vee Gru at all!

Just then, Blind Cat walked over, holding his staff: "My lord, the battle damage tally is complete."

Undead unit losses were minor—seven Truck Riders were lost, 62 Skeleton Miners perished, only three Ghouls were lost, and there were no casualties among the Wraiths. Truck Riders can be put back into service with simple repairs.

"More than two hundred fungal-dwelling beasts died in the battle, but their lifespan is only three months. After the corpses are recovered as planned, they will be placed around the Strange Mushroom King, and a new generation is expected to be cultivated within two weeks." Blind Cat paused, "Overall, our army's actual losses are within a controllable range."

Wang Bufu nodded, his gaze sweeping over the busy undead laborers on the battlefield, who were sorting and piling up the remains of both sides with mechanical precision.

“Your performance deserves commendation,” he said in a deep voice. “All participants will receive a 30% increase in their monthly salary.”

The blind cat exclaimed with delight, "Thank you, my lord!"

“Now,” Wang Bufu turned around, his black robe sweeping across the scorched earth, “Blind Cat, Wei Yi, order the harpy troops to meet us in Old Gru territory.”

Wang Bufu's voice suddenly turned cold: "I specifically asked Mair to buy Hank's experience points instead of directly buying Hank's life, just to give him a chance to turn the tables."

If he were a cult member, he would definitely resort to cult methods in his final moments.

But he never exhibited the characteristics of a cultist until his death, which suggests that what he said before his death was most likely true. He wasn't the real Hank; the real Hank was someone else.

That person was the one who led Lincoln to kill my father!

As night fell, the shackles were shrouded in a deathly silence.

Dark clouds obscured the moonlight, and the village's dirt roads were deserted, save for the rustling of withered leaves in the cold wind. The villagers had already shut their doors and windows tightly, huddled indoors, even breathing softly, for fear of attracting the attention of the patrolling city guards.

Since Viscount Hank issued the martial law order, the entire territory has been like a huge cage, so oppressive that it's suffocating.

However, this silence was destined to be short-lived.

"boom--!"

A deafening roar of engines suddenly tore through the night sky as twenty-seven [Undead Heavy Truck Riders] rolled across the village's dirt roads like steel behemoths. Their rusty bodies were covered with twisted metallic patterns, and the skull emblems embedded in their front horns gleamed with a chilling light under the glow of the ghostly blue soul fire.

The exhaust pipe spewed out the breath of death, and the tail flames trailed an eerie path in the darkness, as if the gates of hell had been opened!

Inside the cockpit, the ghostly flames in the skeleton knights' eye sockets flickered wildly, their bony fingers gripped the steering wheel tightly, and their jagged bony feet slammed the accelerator pedal into the floor.

"Crack crack crack!" A skeleton driver grinned excitedly, letting out a chilling laugh.

At the same time, a piercing shriek came from the sky—the harpy army swooped down, their black wings obscuring the starlight, their sharp claws easily tearing apart wooden doors and dragging terrified people out of their homes.

The unarmed civilians were counting on the martial law troops to come to their aid. But when they were dragged out of the room, they found that the city guards they usually feared were already obediently squatting on the ground with their hands behind their heads.

"Everyone, get on the vehicle immediately!" a harpy shouted, her sharp nails pressed against an old man's throat, the cold touch causing the old man to tremble and his eyes to close tightly. "Disobedience will result in death!"

The people were roughly shoved onto the ghost truck, the eerie blue flames inside illuminating their pale faces.

Fear permeated the air. Some people sobbed softly, some hugged their children tightly, and many more stared blankly out the car window at their homes receding into the distance, wondering what fate awaited them.

The tranquility of the shackled collar was completely shattered.

the other side.

Wang Bufu stood atop the high platform in the central square of the Shackled Collar, his black robe fluttering in the biting wind.

He held Viscount Hank's head aloft, blood still dripping.

"Viscount Hank!" His voice boomed like thunder, startling the onlookers of the Shackled Leader. "I have confirmed that he colluded with the fowl to slaughter his fellow humans, imprisoning and torturing countless of them to death in the Nightmare Cage. His crimes are unforgivable!"

The people were in uproar.

"What? Lord Hank actually..."

"No wonder the half-goat people can roam freely in our land!"

Wang Bufu coldly surveyed the crowd and continued, "From this day forward, the shackles belong to me. Those who wish to follow may accompany me to my new territory; those who do not may leave on their own, but if they dare to resist—"

His gaze was as sharp as a knife.

"Kill without mercy."

(End of this chapter)