Steel torrents pioneering a different world

Chapter 183 Caught in Their Own Trap! The Bloody Moment in New Erigian (Please Subscribe)
Southern forest.

The rotors of the Z-20 heavy helicopter churned up the damp mist in the forest, producing a tremendous roar.

The hatch slid open, and a smell mixed with earth and decaying leaves wafted out.

"Get it over with! Check the jammer!"

The veteran was the first to jump off the helicopter. He patted a palm-sized metal box on his chest, on which a row of pale green indicator lights were steadily lit, emitting a barely audible hum.

This is the verification model magnetic interference device urgently allocated by the Logistics Department.

Immediately afterwards, fully armed team members filed out, wearing special ceramic composite armor and carrying equally rudimentary but highly effective jammers.

Finally, Celine was pushed and dragged down by two team members.

"Slow down, watch your step!"

The shackles rubbed against her wrists, her eyes were blindfolded, and her once proud long green hair had been shaved short, clearly indicating that she had been taken away by scientists for research.

If elves had a hair culture, their very dignity would probably be insulted!
Although she was blind, she could still determine her location through her sensitive ears, her body tense, like a wild beast ready to pounce at any moment.

"Hey, stop thinking about attacking, you're home."

The veteran walked up to her, and his teammates carefully pulled off the blindfold covering her eyes.

The blinding sunlight made Celine squint instinctively. When the familiar forest scene came into view, she was first taken aback, and then she saw the humans with strange magical devices hanging on their bodies.

She straightened her back, raised her chin slightly, and uttered a few words in Elvish.

The translator on the old man's wrist immediately emitted a mechanical, synthesized voice: "Cowardly and weak humans!"

"Heh." The veteran chuckled instead of getting angry, winking at his teammate beside him. "Listen to him, how energetic he is. Locked up for hours, and still has so much energy! Tsk tsk..."

He gestured to his comrade to remove the magic-suppressing circlet from Celine's neck, and a familiar warm current of magic instantly returned to her body, invigorating Celine.

However, the shackles on his wrists and neck remained secure.

"I really want to be a powerhouse!"

The old man stood up, spat defiantly into the mud at her feet, and then pointed to a tall tree a few meters away, where a string of shiny keys hung on a branch halfway up the tree, swaying gently in the wind.

The soldiers just hung it up!

"See that? The key to unlock the remaining pieces of jewelry on your body. If you want freedom, climb up and get them yourself."

After saying that, and confirming that the translator had translated the text, the old man stopped looking at her and waved his hand dismissively.

"Retreat! Withdraw!"

The team members moved in unison and quickly boarded the plane.

Celine looked at the distant key, then at the human soldier who turned and left without a second glance, and at the gradually disappearing iron bird. For the first time, a complex expression appeared on her face, a mixture of humiliation, confusion, and astonishment.

What exactly do these humans want to do?
Was she released back into the forest so that she could deliver a message of doom to the new city of Elrigian?

She remembered Elana of the Cloud Clan, whom she had met in the prison. The incoherent words that the female elf had spoken to her after seeing her felt like needles pricking her heart.

"Damn the Yun clan! Shameful traitors!"

Celine's nails dug deeply into her palms, a surge of hatred rising from the depths of her heart. "I must return alive! I will expose all your shameful deeds! This time, I will make sure that no one in the Yun clan can hold their head up high!"

Sensing that something was watching him, his will to survive was stronger than ever before.

Without further hesitation, she looked around, quickly broke off a branch long enough, and began clumsily but determinedly trying to reach the key that would determine her freedom.

……

The helicopter did not go far, but landed behind a relatively high hillside a few kilometers away.

The butcher was holding up a high-powered telescope, and the lens clearly reflected the figure of the elf struggling to fiddle with the key with a twig.

"Captain, that elf woman almost attacked me just now!" Old Pao leaned over, lit a cigarette, and said, "Do you think she might have guessed that we were following us?"

“Whether she guesses it or not is irrelevant.” The butcher put down his binoculars and lit a cigarette. “What matters is how she escapes.”

He exhaled a puff of smoke, his eyes as calm as a deep pool of water.

"The bait has been laid, but we don't know if the other side will choose to escape selectively!"

Once the otherworldly elves unleash the terrifying emergency spell "Nightmare of Return to Nothingness," they will harbor resentment and attack all living beings within its range.

Only those at the eye of the magic array can obtain a certain degree of safety, but this probability will be released as the magic expands outward, increasing the number of condensed ghosts and causing the person controlling the magic to die.

Unfortunately, more than ten hours have passed.

Humans destroyed the energy point, and a large number of creatures in the forest were killed by the ghosts that repeatedly condensed and resurrected. However, the humans did not find any suspected magic array eyes in the primeval forest area, which spans more than 100 square kilometers in length and width.

During this period, however, human attacks with rockets and various high-powered mortars with calibers reaching a staggering 750 mm failed to destroy the key nodes.

In some areas, ghosts have already begun to re-form. Although humanity has urgently developed a large number of microwave pulse jets to destroy particle structures with heat energy and used riot control foam guns to spray aluminum powder and create a lot of magnetic turbulence, none of these have completely destroyed the ghost forms.

The forbidden magic's characteristic of relentless attack as long as its energy is not depleted is still at work!

Rear command center.

Wu Mudi watched the signal from the locator that had been specially implanted into the female elf's body and was slowly moving.

He rubbed his chin and said, "The other party did not return by the same route. It seems that the previous false information caused them to make a serious misjudgment! I estimate that this person is under tremendous psychological pressure."

"Commander, will she be unable to withstand the pressure and go to a place she considers safe?"

"I don't know! It's not confirmed yet!" Wu Mudi shook his head and asked again, "Are the drones we've deployed interfering with less and less traffic now?"

"Yes, Commander, since the release of the Nightmare of the Ruins, the forest area has been less and less interfering with magic. The frequency of bird attacks has also decreased significantly."

Wu Mudi's lips twitched slightly as he watched a ghost on the drone, now in a condensed state, turn a panicked elf into a corpse, and he sighed.

"Didn't they consider the horror that would ensue if this thing went out of control after unleashing such terrifying magic?"

This kind of thing, which kills a thousand enemies but also harms eight hundred of your own, may not have much instantaneous destructive power, but the consequences are the same as those of a weapon of truth.

They will seek out all living things in the forest and kill them.

Having confirmed that the forbidden magic "Nightmare of Return to Nothingness" unleashed by the otherworldly elves had no target, they either needed to completely deplete their light energy or continue the slaughter.

Alternatively, the terrifying magic could only self-destruct after the energy-gathering core was destroyed, so humanity devised a series of plans.

For example, more modified drones could be dispatched from the rear to conduct reconnaissance, and once suspicious points are identified, various types of firepower could be used to attack them directly.

When the time is right, we will capture or rescue some of the elves and seize the opportunity to learn more about the details of magic.

Of course, the most important factor is Celine, the special spellcaster who might know the situation.

With the help of AI intelligence and the "AI face-swapping track," a technology almost comparable to that of a master of magic, the human think tank has developed a very comprehensive plan and is trying to dig out information from elves such as Celine about the possible existence of a magic array eye.

At this moment, the other elves imprisoned with Celine were also subjected to similar special interrogations.

If we can find a suitable key to the formation from the main person in charge, Celine, that would be fine. If not, we'll have to resort to the same stupid method we used before: bombing and testing little by little.
-
In the forest!
boom!
Using her feet on a thick tree trunk for leverage, Celine leaped up to a higher branch with the agility of a female leopard.

She bent low, a few strands of sweat-dampened short hair clinging to her cheeks, her chest heaving from the intense running.

Below, several frightened sika deer were fleeing like headless flies.

Celine closed her eyes, and a faint green light appeared from the tips of her hair, disappearing in an instant.

The panicked sika deer suddenly stopped in their tracks, a look of confusion flashing in their crimson eyes. Then they turned around and let out clear and urgent calls toward an open space, as if summoning something.

Meanwhile, Celine had already silently hidden herself away. Her consciousness sank into the eyes of a raven that she had temporarily controlled, instantly raising her field of vision and coldly surveying everything around her.

A moment later, several gray-blue, semi-transparent figures appeared out of thin air.

In just over ten hours, these monsters spawned by the "Nightmare of Return" underwent visible changes.

The form formed by the low-temperature plasma was no longer stable. The light around one of the ghosts began to distort, like the surface of water where a stone had been thrown in. As it ran and jumped, it left behind stagnant silhouettes.

It seemed to have achieved some kind of bizarre energy accumulation, making it far more threatening than before!
"Whoosh-!"

Attracted by the deer's cry, the ghosts instantly transformed into several blurry shadows and charged toward the source of the sound.

Their speed has slowed down, but they still defy gravity, and some even walk straight up the vertical tree trunks as if on flat ground.

boom!
A sika deer had only taken two steps when one of the ghosts passed right through it.

There were no wounds, no blood.

The deer's body was covered in frost at a visible speed, and it died instantly.

The remaining ghosts followed closely behind, beginning a frenzied hunt for the living creatures that Celine had manipulated into scattering and fleeing.

Having successfully bought herself a precious respite by sacrificing several lives, Celine had already concealed all her presence, disappearing completely into the dark depths of the jungle like a drop of water merging into the ocean.

She wasn't heading towards any seemingly safe area, but rather directly towards a region in the forest that humans had marked as moderately dangerous.

More than half an hour later.

A deep, powerful roar came from afar, tearing apart the deathly silence above the forest.

Several all-black armed helicopters were lined up in combat formation, the airflow from their rotors pressing the treetops below into waves.

On the ground, the ghosts that had just finished their slaughter suddenly raised their heads, their translucent bodies emitting silent roars, their empty eye sockets locking onto the steel behemoths attacking from the distant sky.

They roared as they darted through the jungle, using the thick tree trunks to perform zigzag leaps that defied the laws of physics, attempting to approach the threats in the air.

"Tsk, he's got quite a temper."

On the helicopter, the weapons operator looked through the tactical goggles at the blue shadows jumping around below and curled his lips.

"Prepare to attack!"

He uttered a few words in a low voice.

The moment the order was given, the operating light of a radar-like device that had been urgently installed under the fuselage of the lead helicopter quickly lit up.

Invisible energy began to appear.

hum-

An invisible energy ripple, unseen by the human eye, instantly spread out, enveloping the area below.

The ghosts, who were launching upwards, suddenly froze, as if pressed into a viscous swamp by an invisible giant hand.

Their condensed particle structure was forcibly locked in a superfluid state, and their originally swift movements became slow and strange, with even the outline of their bodies beginning to twist and tremble irregularly.

"It's now!"

The helicopter that followed closely behind immediately unleashed deadly flames from the 30mm cannons on its flanks, which could fire wherever they looked.

Bang bang bang!

A storm of high-explosive near-explosives rained down, exploding one after another above the ghost horde.

The scorching shockwave, mixed with burning thermite powder, magnets, and urgently added iron powder, formed a deathly rain of fire infused with a strange magnetic field, completely engulfing the area.

The ghosts suffered strange damage to their bodies after being hit.

Some ghosts shrieked, trying to become ethereal and escape human attacks, but they could not escape the electromagnetic energy field and the attacks created by humans, and could only passively endure the baptism of modern technology.

Immediately afterwards, several specially made bombs were dropped from high altitude, splitting into dozens of small units in mid-air, instantly forming a circular magnetic trap cage made of magnetic force.

A faint arc of electricity leaped across the cage's boundary, severely damaging the already weakened condensed ghosts that were still unable to recover, keeping them firmly within its grasp and unable to move.

These terrifying creatures, capable of easily penetrating armored vehicles in energy form, could even wipe out a combined arms brigade if they encountered a human combined arms force for the first time.

However, once humanity grasped the general principles and attack methods of these things, Industrial Cthulhu quickly came into play.

Offense and defense became easier.

Compared to human-made targeted weapons and magnetic trapping technology weapons, they are like a joke.

“Guide,” Butcher’s voice came through the throat microphone from the transport helicopter, “Where did our target go?”

A calm report came through the headset: "Six kilometers away, coordinates XXX. The target has stopped moving for more than fifteen minutes. The positioning system is still working. The target's vital signs and energy fluctuations have dropped below the environmental baseline."

"Like a rock?" The Butcher raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. It seems the enemy's magic array eye is hidden somewhere!"

He ordered: "The aircraft will circle around the perimeter of the target area to maintain deterrence."

"Butcher, a large number of ghost signals have been detected gathering in Area C. Our special magnetic trap ammunition is insufficient to eliminate them!"

A rapid warning came through the channel from another armed escort helicopter.

The butcher glanced at the ghost struggling in the magnetic cage below, and his eyes turned cold.

"No need. Just have the logistics department drop some supplies in this area using drones. We'll proceed with the plan first."

He marked a point on the map, which happened to be the position where they had moved forward.

He pointed to the formation and, after confirming it was confirmed, continued, "Using the drones to circle around as bait, we'll lure those guys out of the forest. You guys find a place to drop us off."

"You intend to physically explore the target?"

“Hmm, resupplying ammunition again is taking too long. Something unexpected might happen.” The Butcher marked Celine’s location again. “Command, there are very few ghosts where the target is, and the surrounding magic is extremely quiet. I have sufficient reason to suspect that it’s the energy anchor point for forbidden magic. I request permission to proceed with this operation!”

A dozen seconds later, Wu Mudi's voice came through: "Mission approved. In five minutes, a low-yield Truth Weapon will be deployed 18 kilometers away to weaken the Ghost attacks. You all move!"

"Roger that!"

A crisp and efficient response came from the channel.

Subsequently, the attack and transport aircraft groups dispersed, and tactical adjustments were made.

The armed helicopters, which were originally the main force, suddenly rose higher, and their airborne Vulcan cannons and rocket pods unleashed firepower without restraint, blasting the path that the ghosts below, drawn by the sound, would inevitably take into flames.

This frenzied supply naturally attracted even more ghosts.

Behind them, heavy mortars and various rockets began to be launched at their peak, bombarding and drawing the Ghosts' attention to cover the Butcher Special Forces' operations.

When the attention of the condensed ghost hovering in the forest is drawn...
Several transport helicopters carrying the Butcher's Army swooped down, their fuselages almost brushing past the treetops.

"3 kilometers to the target!"

"The Weapon of Truth is being deployed, 18 kilometers from your unit. Beware of the shockwave and electromagnetic radiation!"

The voice of the operations command center came through the channel.

"This is received. The helicopter is searching for a landing site. Has the supply shipment arrived?"

"It's already installed, the plane is en route! Please be careful."

The butcher was checking the tactical rails of his rifle when he saw a missile flying into the distance.

"understand!"

Several dozen seconds later, another small sun appeared 18 kilometers away.

The truth weapon, which was deployed in the area where the Little Sun exploded, was a deliberately chosen location.

After investigation, it was confirmed that a large number of ghosts had gathered at the center of the explosion, and that the interference from magical energy and other energies was becoming increasingly severe.

Even if it's not the core of the formation, it's still a very important energy node.

Considering this situation, sending another weapon of truth can both disrupt the speed at which magic is formed and reduce the pressure on the action troops.

After the explosion, Butcher looked at the tactical tablet and found that the communication signal was now under strong interference.

It is estimated that it will take some time to recover.

"Have you planned the route yet?" the butcher asked.

"Three backup routes have been uploaded to the tactical terminals of all combat personnel, all of which bypass the high-density ghost gathering area." The guide's calm voice came through. "The optimal landing point has been locked, and we are expected to arrive in ten seconds."

"very good."

Ten seconds later, the hatch on the belly of the armed transport helicopter slid open, and a gust of wind rushed in.

The butcher gripped the edge of the hatch with one hand, his burly body leaning out of the cabin, the cold wind making his combat uniform flutter.

He looked down at the forest below and smiled: "Gentlemen, let the feast begin!"

A few kilometers away.

Celine felt like all the bones in her body were about to freeze.

She lay curled up among the branches of the giant tree, motionless, the dense foliage completely and perfectly concealing her.

Only when those buzzing steel birds on the horizon finally rose and flew away into the distance did her taut nerves relax abruptly.

call--

She let out a long, silent breath, only then realizing that her back was already soaked with cold sweat, and the damp, cold combat uniform clung tightly to her skin, making her very uncomfortable.

Humanity is finally gone.

Celine deftly leaped down from the tree trunk, which was more than ten meters high, landing silently like a leaf falling in the forest.

She walked quickly to an inconspicuous red-leaved, white-barked tree.

The tree was neither tall nor thick, with a diameter of only about thirty centimeters, and it blended in easily into the forest. The only unusual thing about it was that a blurry human face had been newly carved at the base of the trunk.

There are many such trees in the forest, but only those with human faces carved on them can be connected to the Sacred Tree Network and possess the ability to monitor, communicate, and guide magic.

Who would have thought that beneath this seemingly stunted sapling was actually the array's focal point, personally chosen by Lord Tiaret?

"Sir, you are indeed farsighted. Dangerous places are also the safest places."

This place is very close to the human front-line camp, less than 25 kilometers away.

When Celine led the mission, she followed Tiaret's orders and made sure to put the items away carefully.

Celine muttered to herself, just as she was about to place her hand on it.

Just then, an indescribable, intense light suddenly shone on the distant horizon. It was yet another "magic spell, as bright as the sun."

Celine froze instantly, her pupils shrinking to pinpoints in that instant.

The world seemed to fall into an eerie silence; the sounds of the wind and insects had vanished.

Several dozen seconds later, a deafening roar, as if the whole world was being torn apart, finally arrived. Immediately afterward, the ground beneath our feet trembled violently!

Celine staggered and had to grab onto a tree trunk to steady herself.

Even from more than ten kilometers away, the destructive force still made her heart tremble.

"Human magical weapons are really powerful... Crazy guys, bloodthirsty guys."

She gritted her teeth and cursed humans, but there was a hint of jealousy in her words.

If the magical elements hadn't declined to the point of near depletion, the elves wouldn't be in this predicament.

You should know that they also possess forbidden magic.

"It's alright. Once the ghosts of the Nightmare of Return to the Void spread to the human-guided borders, everything will be over."

Celine took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing her turbulent emotions. She gently placed her palm on the tree trunk; the rough bark resonated with a familiar pulse of life, calming her chaotic mind somewhat.

She closed her eyes, immersing her consciousness within them, attempting to connect with the great spiritual network of the sacred tree that permeated the entire forest, and report the situation here to the Mother Goddess.

However, this time, she was not greeted with the familiar warmth and resonance.

Her consciousness felt as if it had crashed into a wall made of millennia-old ice—cold, hard, and deathly still.

no respond.

The mind-body magic network... refused her access.

Celine's fingertips trembled slightly as she slowly opened her eyes. Her face showed no surprise, but rather a hint of self-mockery.

They were abandoned.

That's right. To prevent her, this "captured and contaminated" node, from sending back incorrect information or being tracked by humans, actively severing contact with her is the best option.

A potentially contaminated sprite should be discarded after use.

This is the survival rule for elves!
This was something she had anticipated.

She withdrew her hand, her fingertips still bearing the cold, lifeless sensation of being rejected by the Sacred Tree Network.

never mind.

"As long as I return with the message and teach the Yun clan a lesson, that's enough. At most, it'll take me a little longer!"

Her gaze shifted downwards, landing on the tangled roots of the unassuming little tree.

The new branches intertwine with the gnarled roots, forming a tight, bone-cage-like structure.

In the center of the cage, an oval-shaped object, about the size of a human head and covered with fine scales, lay quietly.

This gem-like object once possessed a metallic and jewel-like luster, but now, with a large amount of magical and life energy being extracted from it, its radiance has dimmed.

The scales on the surface of this gem-like object are also petrifying and turning gray at a visible rate.

This is a dragon egg that the tribesmen painstakingly stole from Dragon Island, and it is also one of the energy cores of this forbidden magic.

Seeing it steadily heading towards its death, Celine felt a surge of resentment.

These wondrous creations, imbued with terrifying vitality and magical power, were originally the hope of the elves for studying and even controlling fire dragons.

But now, because of those humans who emerged from the ground, they have to be used here as a giant magic battery.

How ironic, how tragic.

The elves were once capable of easily destroying land and reshaping mountains and ley lines.

Unfortunately, since the end of the divine war, the Mother Goddess was severely injured, magic declined, and their weapons have become increasingly reliant on the forest.

Looking at the key to the array, Celine calculated the time.

Even if the humans keep casting small suns, this forest can last for ten days.

In ten days, the ghost attacks will definitely be able to cover the entire human camp.

Once the specters of the Nightmare of Return have completely overwhelmed humanity's defenses, she can activate her long-prepared backup plan and return to New Erigian City.

When that time comes, she will expose the traitor to the public and make the damned Yun clan pay a bloody price for all the fallen compatriots!
All the sacrifices will be worthwhile.

She just needs to hold on for a little longer...

at this time!

hum-

The dragon egg beneath her suddenly emitted a low hum.

The dull surface suddenly lit up, but it was a morbid, ominous light.

Celine's heart tightened, and she quickly moved closer to check, thinking that something had happened to the array's core.

Immediately afterwards, a rustling sound came faintly from the woods not far below.

The sounds grew clearer and more frequent.

It was neither the ethereal sound of a ghost drifting by, nor the footsteps of a wild beast in the forest.

That was... the distinctive, dull yet clear sound of tactical boots stepping on rotting leaves!

Celine's pupils suddenly shrank to a single point.

Haven't those cunning humans left?
Were those iron birds actually decoys?
They've been following me the whole time?

The moment the thought arose, the body's instincts had already reacted.

Her right hand shot out behind her back with lightning speed, fingers spread, trying to catch the arrow's fletching—

But they ended up with nothing.

Her back was empty; the magic longbow and quiver that had been with her for decades had been taken away when she was captured.

A chill ran from her tailbone straight up to the top of her head, making her body stiff.

Her hand suddenly fell to her waist and gripped the rough, standard-issue short sword.

This is a weapon of self-defense that humans gave her, and it is also a sign of human kindness.

The hilt felt cold and unfamiliar, completely unable to transmit magic power; it was just a piece of scrap metal.

Just as she gripped the hilt of her sword, a lazy voice pierced through the thin mist in the forest and reached her ears clearly, carrying a hint of mockery.

"Ms. Celine, I don't think you'd want to be attacked by our tranquilizer weapons again, would you?"

Another voice rang out, deep and hoarse, a nightmare Celine would never forget: "Hands behind your head, we will treat prisoners well."

The two sentences above were spoken in a broken Elvish language.

The next sentence was beyond the elves' ability to hear.

"Tsk tsk, Captain, this female elf is so stubborn, let's just anesthetize her first."

Celine, carrying her sword, used her foot to hide the dragon egg wrapped in branches, then turned and fled to a deserted place!

Then, a skilled needle was activated and inserted into her arm and back.

Seeing signs of human presence ahead, she gritted her teeth, raised her short sword, and prepared to attack.

puff~
The capture net, specifically designed to control prisoners, was activated, forming a five-meter by five-meter net that easily subdued Celine.

She struggled, but the humans cooperated smoothly and easily controlled the female elf, then skillfully put a magic-suppressing device on her!

Just when she was powerless to break free, a voice that filled her with even greater despair rang out.

"Captain, we've found something strange here!"

"Wow, what a beautiful gem! And these trees seem to be harnessing some kind of energy from this gem? This momentum seems like it can be dismantled?"

"Is this the core of the formation?"

Before Celine was drugged and fell into a coma, she saw human soldiers taking out entrenching tools and other weapons, and beginning to violently destroy the trees...
-
New Arigian, the prison.

It was pitch black here, and the air was thick with despair and dampness.

In the distance, suppressed sobs could be heard intermittently, like dull knives grinding against everyone's nerves.

"Don't cry, Kyle," Lani's voice rang out in the darkness, tinged with weariness.

"I...I'm just in pain!" Kyle's voice was hoarse, filled with resentment. "Why! Why should Leah and the others be sacrificed!"

In the darkness, after a few heavy breaths, everything fell silent again, leaving only Kyle's uncontrollable sobs.

"Just because we're from the Yun clan? To use our lives to fill that damned magic? Ha!" She seemed to be questioning, yet also mocking herself.

This time, no one answered.

Silence is heavier than any words.

"Kyle, say less," someone whispered.

"Are you afraid of death too? Afraid of offending those high and mighty Fire Clan?" Kyle chuckled softly, his laughter filled with sorrow. "What is this? Fratricide! Using our flesh and blood as sacrifices, truly... hah..."

Listening to her companions' whispers and arguments in the darkness, Lani sighed and forced herself to stay calm: "Everyone, stay calm and keep a positive attitude. The chieftain is already applying for a transfer order, and we may be able to get out soon."

"Can we really get out, Lani?" A young woman's voice trembled. "When the Fire Clan took Lia and the others away a few days ago, they hurled such nasty insults at us... calling us traitors... We clearly passed the Holy Tree Memory Magic's test!"

The woman's voice trailed off, as if she was recalling those vile curses.

"Yes, it will, it definitely will," Lani repeated, whether she was comforting others or convincing herself, it was unclear.

The prison fell silent once again.

After an unknown amount of time, a sharp, piercing whistle suddenly shattered the silence!
That wasn't a regular changing of the guard; it was a very urgent assembly order!
"what happened?"

"The guards have been urgently redeployed?"

The elves in the cell were all awakened at once.

Lani pressed her ear against the cold cell wall, holding her breath, trying to catch any sounds outside.

"Listen!" she hissed.

"what?"

Shh! Be quiet, listen carefully!

In the darkness, all the Cloud Clan prisoners fell silent, imitating Lani by pressing their ears to the cracks in the cell doors and walls.

Soon, they heard it.

Clang! Clang! Clang—!
A loud bell rang out from outside, not as a celebratory chime, nor as a steady timekeeping sound, but as a chaotic, frantic, and rapid banging!
That's the highest level of alert! It means the city has fallen, or there's imminent annihilation!
Immediately afterwards, more heart-wrenching whistles rang out, and chaotic footsteps ran outside, mixed with the crisp sounds of clashing weapons.

Suddenly, a piercing scream pierced through the stone wall. The sound was filled with extreme fear, but it stopped abruptly halfway through, as if something had snapped its neck.

"problem occurs!"

What exactly is happening outside?

"Did those humans attack?"

"Impossible!" an elf with considerable military knowledge immediately retorted. "The weapons unleashed by the humans from the north are always deafeningly loud magical cannons clearing the way! This sound is wrong; it's not human!"

"Guards! Guards!" Lani shouted toward the cell door, "What's happening outside!"

However, the prison corridor, which was usually guarded every three steps and sentries every five steps, was now deathly silent, with only the urgent tolling of the bell and distant screams echoing.

The imprisoned elves were completely panicked. They looked at each other in the darkness, whispering questions to one another, an ominous premonition enveloping them all.

Just then, another scream rang out, this time very close, almost outside the cell.

It was the voice of an elven guard, who screamed in terror, as if calling out a name.

"No! No! My lord... Ah—!"

The sound stopped again.

grown ups?

Is it an attack from within the same race?

Lani stiffened, sensing that something bad was about to happen.

……

The peaceful city of New Erigion has vanished.

The mournful alarm bells continued to toll frantically, as if tolling a death knell for this magnificent elven capital. On the streets, the normally elegant and noble elves were now fleeing in disarray, their faces etched with terror and bewilderment.

The source of the disaster was a change in the sacred tree nearby, which was originally considered an energy node.

In the forest, countless vengeful spirits that should have been drawn to the north to attack humans instead rushed here and launched a brutal attack on the elven spellcasters.

At this moment, the elves once again tasted the bitter fruit of forbidden magic going out of control.

There are many ghosts attacking the elves. They have an eerie gray-blue semi-transparent appearance. Some retain the outline of the elves' pointed ears, while others look like twisted magical creatures.

These are the lives devoured and sacrificed by forbidden magic, now transformed into vengeful ghosts, returning to seek revenge against their creators.

The vengeful spirits have no physical form, and can exist in a special condensed state, making them almost ineffective against physical attacks.

They are elusive, passing through walls and tunnels. Once they touch any living thing, they instantly drain its body heat, freezing it into a cold statue.

On the ground, one can see bodies frozen in their death throes, their once vibrant lives now reduced to a crystalline stillness.

Only a few elven warriors clad in expensive magical cloaks could barely resist the corruption of the vengeful spirits.

"Damn it! Why did the magic suddenly stop working? Why are these monstrous things attacking us?"

A ranger warrior roared, the emblem of the Cloud Clan adorning her chest.

She was escorting several pampered elf artisans to safety, one of whom was still grumbling incessantly, "Where is Lord Grace? How could the magic have gone out of control? I told you we couldn't use forbidden magic! The magic went out of control, the monsters are coming, we're doomed!"

"Shut up, hurry up and go to the sacred tree to seek the protection of the Mother Goddess!"

Before she could finish speaking, a vengeful spirit in the form of an elf silently emerged from the wall behind her, its gray-blue arms reaching straight for her back!

"careful!"

The ranger warrior reacted extremely quickly, firing an arrow with a backhand.

The dark green light attached to the arrow exploded, instantly blasting the vengeful spirit into a cloud of dissipating mist.

The rescued craftsman elf was so frightened that his legs went weak and he collapsed to the ground.

The wandering knight had no time to pay attention to her; her face was extremely pale.

In just a few seconds, the mist reformed as if it had never been harmed.

"These things are completely unkillable!" Her face was extremely pale.

"Quick! To the Sacred Tree! Lord Grace is activating the defensive barrier!" she shouted to the group of trembling non-combatants behind her.

As soon as she finished speaking, seven or eight vengeful spirits surrounded her from all directions.

The ranger gritted his teeth and fired repeatedly, the dark green arrows exploding and temporarily forcing the vengeful spirits back.

But the artisans behind her became a burden, screaming and scattering in all directions, completely disrupting her rhythm.

"Don't get separated!"

boom!
Before she knew it, a vengeful spirit bumped into her from the side.

The runes on the magic cloak flickered, negating the attack.

But the chilling, bone-chilling impact still sent her flying, crashing into a small tree and breaking it.

She struggled to her feet, felt a sweet taste in her throat, and spat out a mouthful of blood.

To make matters worse, the violent impact caused her magic cloak to slip off her shoulders.

"not good!"

Just as she was about to bend down to pick it up, an extreme chill swept over her from behind.

A vengeful spirit pierced through her body, and a gray-blue energy body raged within her.

The blood drained from the face of this valiant Yun clan warrior instantly, his terrified expression froze, and in the blink of an eye, he became a crystal-clear ice corpse.

She is dead.

The few craftsman elves she had protected until her death, who had just been cursing the Yun clan, were now looking in terror at the approaching vengeful spirits, their crotches soaked with sweat.

Soon, the life of the several craftsman elves was also frozen by the ghosts!
Desperate screams echoed down the street.

Such scenes are playing out in every corner of the new Arigian city.

Flee, resist, and then be frozen into eternal fear.

The magic and martial arts that the elves were so proud of were utterly fragile in the face of the vengeful spirits they had created.

This is the great power they have long awaited, obtained at the cost of the lives of their kin.

A grand massacre dedicated to oneself.

(End of this chapter)