Winter Lord: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 288 The Ending Battle (Part )

Bone Canyon, a long, narrow, chasm-like scar of the gods, stands deep within the Bone Mountains of the North.

The walls are covered with ice and snow, which never melt.

This is the final mass grave site when the Snow Kingdom Dynasty collapsed a hundred years ago, and legend has it that it holds the remains of 100,000 unwilling war souls.

This is the battlefield chosen by Duke Edmund, the last line of defense in the north of the empire, and a desperate gamble forged with the blood and flesh of fifty thousand men.

"Bury all the Shockstone Demon Bombs into the first line, and make oil trenches every fifty paces, ensuring the entire line is connected without any gaps!" The Duke's cold command echoed through the snow.

Within seven days, all coalition forces were organized into three lines of defense:

The first line consisted of light cavalry, who, like needles lurking beneath the ice, were responsible for setting off the traps, waiting for the barbarians to step in.

The second line consisted of the Ninth Legion and the knights of other nobles. The main cavalry of the Silver Fang Army and the Broken Edge Army were deployed in staggered layers, forming a triple penetrating defense line, like a dense net woven from steel, which was ultimately used to harvest these barbarians.

The third line was guarded by the Cold Iron Army and the Duke's personal guards, each clad in heavy armor, their shields as solid as mountains and their hammers as powerful as thunder.

They will clash head-on with the frost giants, forming a true flesh and blood bulwark in this bloody battle.

One by one, knights' last letters were handed to Edmund. The rough envelopes were filled with expectations for his children, instructions for his wife, and repentance for his elderly mother. He took them one by one, each one as heavy as a mountain.

"I won't let you die in vain." He raised his head, his gaze piercing through the billowing mist.

In his final speech, Edmund raised his warhammer high, his voice like thunder: "This is a battle to the death! If the blood of the North runs dry, then our blood will be the boundary! The barbarians who destroy the North will have to step over our corpses!"

At a single command, 50,000 soldiers roared in unison, shattering the cold clouds!
…………

The mountain wind howled, and snow and fog blanketed the sky.

Before the Burial Valley, a team of several hundred elite knights marched against the wind.

Every knight had white hair, yet their steps never faltered.

They wore tattered cloaks, their silver armor was already mottled, and covered with bloodstains and wounds.

This was the vanguard of the Allied forces, a group of true veterans from the North.

"Having come this far... what's the point of being afraid of death?" Leading the team was Old Vack, an extraordinary knight from the Broken Edge Army.

His face was crisscrossed with knife scars like a dried-up river, and his left eye was already blind, yet he still walked at the forefront, holding his greatsword high.

No one understood better than them that this journey was a one-way trip.

But they volunteered to take on the most dangerous task, using flesh and blood as bait to lure the main force of the barbarians, who were left with only anger and corruption, into the trap of the Burial Valley.

They had slaughtered countless corpses during insect plagues and held out until the last ten men at a border fortress.

Now, however, he is willing to embark on a perilous journey once again, just to lure the monsters from the abyss of fury. Even if his life is burned out, he will ignite this blood trap.

"Kill! Kill them!!"

Old Vak shouted and charged forward, slashing down the armored monster that lunged at him with his sword.

They attacked the monsters with all their might, drawing their attention.

Then they kicked their warhorses and turned to flee again, constantly weaving between fierce battles and retreats, leaving behind the corpses of both their own and the enemy, creating a blood-red guiding line for both sight and smell.

They never stopped, but their numbers kept decreasing.

Finally, amidst the howling wind, the outline of the canyon appeared in front of us.

"finally reached……"

Old Wacker stood at the entrance of the canyon, practically dragging his broken body.

He looked back and saw that the entire wasteland was ablaze with angry red light. Tens of thousands of barbarian troops, driven by rage and lacking tactical judgment, were charging forward recklessly.

He spat out a mouthful of blood and chuckled softly, "I'll send you all to hell."

He raised his sword one last time, turned, and charged at the monsters.

…………

At the end of the Burial Valley, the dark figure finally broke through the snow-white tranquility.

At that moment, the earth trembled.

A hundred or so frost giants tore through the fog and arrived, their bodies entwined with raging flames and vine armor, like war gods emerging from hell, roaring like muffled thunder as they approached the canyon.

Beneath their feet surged a barbarian army like a tidal wave.

The Berserker was completely naked, his muscles bulging, vines wriggling out from under his skin, and angry flowers blooming on his back.

Monsters like the Cracked Jaw Hound and the Icefield Wave darted about like shadows in the night, their teeth still clenched with undigested flesh and bone.

Red mist spread across the snow-covered landscape, and fury roared in the air.

At that moment, it felt as if death had truly arrived.

High on the canyon platform, Duke Edmund silently watched the towering black tide and murmured, "They succeeded..."

As the monster army drew ever closer, some trembled, some whispered prayers, and some pulled out amulets hidden in their chests, clutching them tightly as if holding the shadows of their families.

It was oppressive, so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

The 50,000-strong allied army stood silently in formation, lying in ambush along the three lines of defense in the canyon, like an iron torrent waiting for the right moment.

Once the enemy sets foot inside, it will be a clash between life and death.

Amidst the snow and mist, the first sound was the deep, resonant beat of war drums, like the heartbeat of a giant beast, causing the snow on the cliff to fall in a flurry.

Immediately following were legions of monsters, marching through the snow.

They were the main force of the barbarians, and were no longer considered human.

The Frost Giants led the charge; these colossal creatures, ten meters tall, were clad in black iron vine armor and dragged blood-stained giant trees, roaring like thunder.

The berserkers followed closely behind, naked, their bodies covered in angry vines, their eyes blood-red as fire, brandishing their blades as they charged straight into the battle line.

The monster army was spread out on both flanks, with packs of split-jaw hounds, their fangs cracking and bones split, dire wolves trudging through the snow, and blood-feathered lizards with woven vines and twisted faces, their backs covered in vines, soaring and roaring in the sky.

This is not an army, but a calamity forged in blood and fury!
"Drums!" Duke Edmund gave a brief order.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

In an instant, ten thousand drums sounded in unison, and battle flags surged like a tide. At that moment, the previously silent and oppressive battle line suddenly came alive.

The pioneering knight, who had wavered somewhat, tightened his grip on his short spear and gritted his teeth as he took a step forward.

In the Silver Fang Army, a young knight with sweaty palms drew his longsword as if he had been shoved when he heard the drumbeats.

An older knight, who had been bowing his head and murmuring prayers, now raised his head, looked at the monster on the horizon, and his anger was rekindled, as if he had returned to the glacial front thirty years ago.

Fifty thousand warriors moved forward half a step in unison, their steely will coalescing into an unshakeable wall of will.

The wind in the canyon howls like a throat-ripping whistle, leaving only the colors of snow and blood in the world.

Edmund stood on the command platform, frost clinging to his cloak and armor, as he slowly raised his giant hammer.

“They’re in,” he whispered. “They’re setting hell on fire.”

Just as the first frost giant stepped into the depths of the valley, a crisp "click" rang out, like the opening of a war god's eyes. "BOOM—!!!"

In an instant, the entire Burial Valley was as if torn apart by lightning. Flames and rock fragments shot into the sky. The magic bombs detonated the trap zone, followed by the burning oil. Black flames danced wildly like snakes and devoured like dragons, spreading hundreds of meters along the valley floor.

Caught off guard, the dozen or so giants charging ahead were blown into the air by the explosion, their bodies shattering in the flames, black vines exploding, angry flowers withering, and raging flames raining down like blood!

"Shoot the arrow!!!"

On both sides of the cliff, the archery troops were already on standby, and more than a thousand horse archers simultaneously drew their bows and released their arrows.

The arrows rained down like meteors falling from the night sky, aiming straight for the giant's furious flower and eyes!
"Snapped--!"

The sounds of cracking vines blended together, and bright red sap rose like poisonous mist, obscuring the view for dozens of meters.

One giant after another howled in pain and fell to their knees, their steel knees slamming into the icy plains, directly crushing the elite barbarian ranks that had not yet been able to evacuate.

The berserker was knocked away, the monsters screamed and howled, and the once dense barbarian army line was instantly thrown into chaos!
They began to push and trample each other, trying to avoid the corpses of their compatriots falling from the sky, but were driven into even deeper madness by the red mist of the Angry Flower Domain!
boom--! !

As the second batch of magic bombs detonated at the bottom of the valley, a large number of barbarian warriors and monster corpses were blown to pieces, with fragments falling like rain.

However, this did not end the enemy's madness; on the contrary, the real terror had only just begun.

The corpses began to move.

They split open and peeled away, with blood and muscle writhing, and dark red vines grew wildly from their bodies, wrapping around bones and clinging to the ground like snakes or tentacles.

Amidst the churning of flesh and blood, fleshy, angry flowers bloomed, clusters and patches, like a hellish feast unfolding in the snow.

What followed was a tidal wave of blood mist.

"Protect your face! Take the medicine! Don't look at the flowers!" came the urgent roar of a messenger from within the allied forces.

Almost reflexively, the soldiers took out dried, cracked pieces of herbs from their pockets, stuffed them into their mouths, chewed them repeatedly, and then pulled down their masks.

A bitter feeling spread, but it suppressed the hallucinations that were surfacing in my mind.

Those plants, known as "Angry Flowers," are releasing a red mist that pollutes the mind, incites anger, and stirs up killing.

The allied forces were well prepared; these soldiers were not facing the power of "Burning Vine Garden" for the first time.

Each fighter carries a medicine made from calming herbs, which, though crude, is enough to temporarily sever their connection with their rage.

Roaring, burning, shrieking—the aura of death churned wildly in the Burial Valley.

The meticulously arranged magic bombs tore the earth apart, and flesh and blood exploded in all directions, turning the entire valley into a scorching red hell in an instant.

"hiss……!!"

The barbarian warriors' corpses convulsed in the flames, their abdomens bursting open, and sharp, writhing thorns sprang up from between their bones, igniting sparks of flesh and blood, like clusters of living, fiery vine furnaces.

What followed was a suffocating, thick red fog.

Rage Pulse activated!

These fleshy flowers, like a beating heart, pulsed outwards from the center of the blood vines, causing all the barbarian soldiers who came into contact with the mist to instantly turn red in the eyes, their muscles and bones to swell, and they let out beast-like roars.

Their anger swelled under the influence of the red mist.

Muscles swelled rapidly, strength increased several times over, speed soared, skin cracked, yet no pain was felt; even those with severed arms dragged their blood and bones as they continued to charge, as if the entire army had become enraged demons.

But just as the pulse was spreading, a muffled explosion shattered the resonant rhythm of the rage.

"Throwing team, fire!"

Short, rod-shaped objects painted with blue stripes traced graceful parabolas in the air before striking precisely into the center of the raging fire.

"Frost Breath Hammer Bullet Detonates!"

These Frostbreath Hammer Bullets were not orthodox military weapons, but were made using the Frostbite Soul-Shattering Bullet formula sent by Lord Louis of the Crimson Tide.

Unfortunately, there is neither a storage facility for alchemical materials like the Red Tide Territory, nor an alchemy workshop that can be completely replicated, not to mention that there is not enough time.

It doesn't have the precision of the Frostbite Soul Shock Bomb, which can instantly freeze emotional nerves and directly shatter the center of anger, but it's enough to cause interference and temporary paralysis, which is sufficient.

A blue-white shockwave erupted from the core of the rage, and the frenzied barbarian soldiers seemed to be struck by lightning, their anger abruptly cut off.

Some fell straight down, some stared blankly around, and others lost control and plunged their claws into the chests of their comrades, letting out muffled roars.

"Ugh... Ahhhhh!!"

The void left after the emotional connection is broken transforms into a more primal chaos.

Groups of barbarian soldiers tore at each other where the fury flowers had died down, turning against each other, their blood spraying back into the rear ranks, causing even more chaos and turmoil.

On the allied command platform, a lieutenant general's Adam's apple bobbed with excitement: "It hit...! And the Fury Resonance was interrupted!! It worked!"

"The North cannot be lost; our lives depend on this battle," Edmund said, seeing the situation and feeling the time was ripe.

At his command, the 50,000 knights of the allied forces surged forward like an awakened torrent of steel, advancing in three columns in unison. Their boots crushed the ice and snow, and the snow-covered ground emitted a low groan as if bones were cracking.

In the trap zone, the oil was reignited, and a line of fire snaked out, like a dragon spitting flames, separating the canyon from the dead zone.

The dim world was suddenly dyed red by flames, revealing numerous enemy figures.

The barbarian warriors, entwined with blood vines, roared and pounced like demons crawling out of the abyss.

The monster with bone spurs on its back charged like a raging thunderbolt, spewing out crimson mist from the cracks in its rattan armor.

At the very front, a frost giant, still standing, roared and swung its hammer, sweeping away a row of knights!
"charge!!!"

The Silver Fang Army broke through the enemy lines first, and the knights roared as they charged toward the monster front.

The Broken Edge Army followed closely behind, their heavy shields pushing aside the raging vines, their short blades piercing the twisted flesh, splashing up waves of crimson heat!

Flames, blood mist, snow and frost, and roars mingled in the canyon, creating a hellish howl.

An old knight fought until his helmet and armor were shattered, yet he still managed to cleave the head of a faceless beast with his sword.

Another archer girl leaped off the rock face and fired six arrows in quick succession, piercing the furious eye core of a giant!

But the enemy will not retreat.

Every time a barbarian warrior dies, his body splits open, sprouting vines that entangle his fallen brethren.

As flesh and blood decayed, the ground began to undulate, a wall of vines quietly took shape, the crimson mist surged once more, and the power of madness spread outwards.

"Bite down on the herb!"

Allied soldiers chewed on the bitter grass around their mouths to combat the mental pollution.

At the same time, the Frost Breath Hammer Shot flew out and accurately hit the core of the Rage Flower, dispelling the red mist. Several barbarian troops instantly collapsed and turned to bite their own side, howling like mad dogs!

The battlefield is ever-changing, with good and evil, reason and madness constantly clashing.

This is the boundary between life and death.

Burial Valley, as its name suggests, will become the end of everything.

But at this moment, the 50,000-strong allied army built an unyielding wall with their flesh and blood, attempting to keep the monsters from the abyss of rage at the final border with the oath of knights.

(End of this chapter)