Tower Defense Lord, random Wishing Tower at the start of the game.

Chapter 157 Antonia's Ambush

The Wolf's Throat Pass reeked of blood and the stench of burning flesh. The twisted corpse of the Broken Bone Chieftain lay beneath Reis's feet, his half-dragon head bowed, his golden vertical pupils sweeping across the carnage. Andres's dragonblood warriors were using their spears to pry open orc corpses, looting their spoils, their low breaths carrying a wild, satisfied savagery. Meanwhile, the routed soldiers of the Cracktooth tribe, like sheep scattered by a pack of wolves, pushed and trampled each other in the narrow valley, abandoning their armor and weapons, desperate to escape this blood-soaked millstone.

"Retreat! Retreat now!" Chief Karuk of the Cracked Tooth roared, his voice shrill and distorted with fear. The giant war wolf beneath him pawed restlessly at the blood-soaked mud, its murky eyes reflecting the terrifying dragon-like figure of Reis. He turned the wolf's head and, leading the remaining thousand or so cavalrymen, fled desperately toward the valley entrance—the only possible escape route.

However, their path to survival was cut off.

Beyond the pass, a blinding holy light, like a solid wall, suddenly illuminated the area! Within the light, Antonia, clad in platinum heavy armor, stood tall, her halberd, formed of holy light, pointed diagonally at the ground. Behind her, three hundred snow wolf knights stood silently in formation, their snow-white giant wolves baring their fangs, their icy blue eyes locked onto the fleeing orcs. The knights' silver armor reflected a cold gleam in the holy light, their lances forming a forest, a storm brewing in the silence.

"No—!" Karuk's desperate roar tore through the air. "Charge! Break through them! Otherwise, you'll all die!"

The first charge: flesh and blood crashing against an iron wall. The instinct for survival overwhelmed fear, and the remaining Cracked Tooth cavalry roared like trapped beasts. No longer caring about formation, no longer conserving their strength, they surged forward like a raging flood, crashing madly into the barrier of holy light and the Snow Wolf Knights line behind it. The orc cavalry at the forefront even plunged their blades into their mounts' hindquarters, urging their frenzied war wolves to charge with even greater speed.

"Holy Protection!" Antonia's clear voice pierced through the battlefield's clamor. The Holy Light Barrier surged, forming an arc-shaped shield of light. Boom! The orc cavalry slammed into the shield, the sounds of bones shattering, wolves howling, and metal twisting echoing instantly!

The first few dozen riders, along with their wolves, were reduced to charred remains in the blinding burst of light. But the orcs following behind, trampling over the corpses of their comrades, continued their frenzied charge, using their flesh and blood to consume the power of the holy light. The barrier trembled and flickered violently.

"For Lord Lin Chuan!" The commander of the Snow Wolf Knights, a knight whose cold eyes were visible only beneath his visor, pointed his lance forward. Three hundred knights charged simultaneously, the massive bodies of the snow wolves unleashing a speed disproportionate to their size, rushing like white lightning to the flanks of the orcs who were reeling from the impact. Lances pierced precisely into the orcs' necks or the war wolves' eye sockets, their enormous claws tearing through the animal hide armor, sending sprays of blood flying. The Snow Wolf knights were like cold killing machines, their movements perfectly coordinated; every thrust and bite was efficient and deadly. The narrow valley entrance became a one-sided slaughterhouse; the orcs' momentum was abruptly halted, and corpses rapidly piled up.

In the chaos, Karuk cunningly concealed himself in the center of his personal guard, his figure appearing and disappearing amidst the charging beasts. Antonia's gaze locked onto him like a hawk's, and his Holy Light Halberd was suddenly raised. A condensed, almost tangible, holy light slash tore through the air, aiming straight for Karuk's head! Wherever the light passed, the orc cavalrymen blocking his path vaporized. Just as he was about to be beheaded, a guard beside Karuk, unusually burly and covered in blood-red totems, suddenly let out an inhuman roar. His muscles bulged, his skin cracked and oozing black blood, and he fearlessly leaped up, using his body to meet the destructive holy light slash head-on! *Thud!* The guard was completely vaporized, but the holy light slash was also momentarily blocked by this self-destruction imbued with evil power, its trajectory deviating. The blade of light grazed Karuk's scalp, cleaving his bone helmet, a symbol of his chieftainship, in two, leaving a trail of blood and a tuft of hair. Karuk, still shaken, lay on the wolf's back and scrambled back deeper into the formation, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it would burst out of his chest.

The Second Charge: Fire Rain and Desperate Measures. The heavy losses of the first charge plunged the orcs into brief chaos and deeper despair. Karuk, his eyes bloodshot, roared an even more brutal command: "Shamans! Fire Rain! Clear the way! Those who retreat, die!" The few remaining orc shamans in the ranks, their faces smeared with thick white chalk, trembled as they raised their bone staffs inlaid with skulls. They slit their wrists, pouring their blood onto the staffs, chanting piercing incantations. The sky suddenly darkened, and a thick, dark green cloud of fire rapidly gathered, covering the charge's path, reeking of sulfur and rotting flesh. The next second, countless viscous fireballs burning with a ghastly green flame, like hail from hell, crashed down with a mournful howl!

The target wasn't the Snow Wolf Knights, but one of their own men blocking their escape route! The ghastly green flames ignited instantly upon contact, impossible to extinguish. The engulfed orc cavalry and war wolves were instantly transformed into raging, raging torches, the air thick with the horrific stench of burning flesh. This horrific "clearing" instantly created a burning death zone before the Holy Light Barrier, temporarily suppressing its light. Using this brief passage forged with lives and flames, Karuk concentrated all his remaining elite cavalry, including himself and the last few Golden-type guards, transforming them into a black arrow burning with despair, piercing fiercely towards a point in the Snow Wolf Knights' formation that seemed slightly weakened by the earlier firestorm.

"Dragon's Might!" Antonia whispered. The space around her distorted slightly, and an invisible pressure originating from an ancient, sacred dragon erupted. The charging warwolves were the first to be impacted, letting out terrified howls, their limbs going weak, their speed drastically reduced, and some even throwing their riders off their backs. The orc cavalry's charge stalled. The snow wolves beneath the snow wolf knights, however, only growled softly, unaffected by the dragon's might.

The Holy Light Halberd swung again, its target Karuk at the heart of the formation! This strike was faster and more ferocious, the holy light condensing into a slender yet seemingly piercing white ray. Karuk appeared to have no way to avoid it. However, just as the holy light ray was about to pierce his skull, a cunning, triumphant smile appeared on Karuk's lips. Beside him, another figure, also adorned with a chieftain's bone ornament...

The similarly sized "Kaluk" suddenly raised a huge bone shield covered in twisted runes to meet the ray! At the same time, the real Karuk's body shrank strangely, merging into the shadow of his war wolf's thick mane, and his aura almost disappeared.

Boom! The bone shield, along with the "Kaluk" decoy, exploded into a shower of bone dust and charred flesh in the holy light. The blazing white rays, still reeling, ripped a charred trench through the orc ranks. The real Karuk, using the decoy's sacrifice as cover and the shadows, crouched on the wolf's back, narrowly escaping the edge of the holy light's aftershocks, and continued his charge towards the flank of the snow wolf knights. His guards frantically rushed forward, using their bodies to block the pursuers' view and any potential attacks.

The Third Impact: The End of a Trapped Beast. Twice sacrificed themselves, twice narrowly escaped death; Karuk's personal guards were nearly wiped out. The Snow Wolf Knights' formation, after a brief fluctuation, quickly closed in, like an iron gate. Karuk and his last remaining core strength surged forth like waves crashing against rocks. He personally wielded his heavy, serrated battle blade, its surface wreathed in ominous dark red blood energy; each strike was accompanied by a piercing shriek that tore through the air. His few golden-blooded guards also erupted in a final frenzy, their weapons blazing with multicolored battle aura, appearing like madmen.

"Form ranks! Slaughter!" The Snow Wolf Knights commander's voice was as cold as iron. The knights swiftly changed formation, three to a group, their lances thrusting out like venomous snakes from the giant wolves' sides, targeting the orc mounts. The snow wolves, using their massive bodies and sharp claws, either pounced and bit, or charged relentlessly, disrupting the orcs' coordination. Guided by Antonia, the holy light transformed into precise spears of punishment, striking at the points in the orc ranks attempting to gather power or cast spells. Each strike of holy light was accompanied by the orcs' agonizing screams and exploding bodies.

Karuk charged through the chaotic ranks, his serrated sword striking the shoulder armor of a snow wolf knight, sending sparks flying, but failing to penetrate the finely enchanted armor. Just as he was about to draw his sword, a spear lashed out from his side like a venomous snake. He twisted aside, the spear tip grazing his ribs and drawing blood. He roared and swung his sword back at the spear shaft, but another knight leaped from the back of a giant wolf, his heavy warhammer slamming into the back of Karuk's sword! Clang! The clang of metal against metal sent a shiver through his arm, nearly knocking the serrated sword from his grasp. His war wolf was also bitten on the hind leg by a snow wolf, howling in pain.

Antonia's figure appeared almost instantly above Karuk, his holy halberd, imbued with the majesty of judgment, locking onto him for the third time! This time, the holy light not only enveloped him but also subtly sealed off all his space to evade. Karuk's pupils shrank to pinpoints; the shadow of death had never been so clear. He let out a desperate, inhuman howl, and violently crushed a crude totem made of obsidian and animal teeth hanging around his neck! A thick, inky black smoke exploded instantly, completely engulfing him. At the same time, three blurry, smoke-smoke-formed phantoms of Karuk screamed and shot off in different directions!

"A trick of an evil god!" Antonia sneered, his halberd still moving forward, and the holy light suddenly became incredibly pure and intense, like the midday sun! The thick black smoke, under the holy light, melted away quickly, like snow being poured into boiling water, making a sizzling sound.

The three phantoms didn't even have time to scream before they were annihilated in the holy light. However, when the black smoke dissipated, only Karuk's war wolf, weakened by the aftershocks of the holy light, remained, along with a small pool of foul blood, rapidly seeping into the soil and emitting black smoke. Karuk himself had mysteriously vanished once again! Only a faint, sulfurous spatial fluctuation remained in the air, indicating that he had used some costly life-saving technique to escape into the distance.

"Damn it!" The Snow Wolf Knight commander spat fiercely at the scene of orc corpses strewn across the ground and the empty ruins. The remaining Rifttooth cavalry, having lost their leader, completely collapsed and were mercilessly torn apart and annihilated by the Snow Wolf Knights. Outside the pass, corpses piled up like mountains, and the stench of blood filled the air. At Reis's signal, Andres's Dragonblood Warriors began silently cleaning up the battlefield, collecting usable weapons and mounts. Reis deactivated his half-dragon form, reverting to human form, and walked to Antonia's side. Looking at the pool of blood, a hint of seriousness flashed in his golden vertical pupils: "He got away. This bug is even more slippery than I thought."

Antonia sheathed her Holy Light Halberd, her voice beneath the platinum visor calm yet tinged with coldness: "A trump card bestowed by divinity. He won't go far, and he'll surely seek help. Prepare for an even greater storm, General Reis." She looked up, her gaze seemingly piercing through space, fixed on the heart of the Holy Blood River battlefield.

The main battlefield of the Holy Blood River, the human landing point.

Shouts of battle, the clashing of weapons, and the dying cries mingled with the dull thud of shamanic war drums, creating a brutal symphony. The black orcs, like an endless black tide, surged wave after wave against the human defenses constructed of shields, spears, and flesh. The landing point had become a massive meat grinder, every inch of land repeatedly soaked in blood, turning into a muddy mess. The infantry of the Kattis family gritted their teeth, desperately holding off the orcs' ferocious onslaught with their shields, their spears thrusting out from the gaps. The dragonblood warriors of the Andres family, like reefs, were scattered at key points, their partially dragonized limbs wielding heavy weapons, each swing creating a storm of blood, but the counterattacks of the orcish golden race warriors also inflicted continuous casualties on them.

On the makeshift command platform, Lin Chuan frowned, his sharp gaze sweeping across the entire battlefield. Victor's magic robes were covered in dust; he had just blasted down a mound where orcs were gathered with a series of fireballs. Vivian's face was slightly pale; the continuous ice walls and ice spikes were slowing the orcish offensive while rapidly depleting her magic power. William, clad in dragonhide armor and wielding a halberd, stood like a war god at the most critical position in the defensive line. His dragon might subtly emanated, intimidating the surrounding orcs, but he didn't unleash his full power. He awaited Lin Chuan's command and remained wary of the terrifying aura emanating from the depths of the orcish ranks.

Suddenly, a faint magical message appeared before Lin Chuan—an urgent battle report from Antonia. Lin Chuan flicked his finger, and the light transformed into a stream of information that flooded his mind. His eyes instantly sharpened, but a cold smile curled at the corner of his lips: "Reis and Antonia achieved a great victory at Wolf's Throat Pass, annihilating the Broken Bone tribe, severely wounding Cracktooth, and Karuk escaped with serious injuries!"

"Good!" William's spirits lifted, and the halberd in his hand hummed.

Viktor's face lit up with delight: "Well done! The flank threat has been greatly reduced!"

However, Lin Chuan's smile quickly vanished as his gaze turned to the core high ground of the orc camp, where High Priest Grom's figure was faintly visible in the firelight of the altar. "No," he said in a low voice, "a greater storm is coming. Karuk will surely call for reinforcements, and Grom will not stand idly by while his mobile cavalry is wiped out."

As if to confirm Lin Chuan's words, deep within the orc camp, the staff inlaid with fragments of dark red divine essence suddenly erupted with a soaring crimson light! A chilling wave of evil instantly swept across the battlefield.

The Orcish Core Highlands, Altar.

"Useless! Karuk, that coward! Useless!" Chieftain "Ironjaw" Kargath paced restlessly beneath the altar like a raging rhinoceros, his massive iron jaws snapping open and closing with a grating metallic sound, spittle flying everywhere. He had just received a fragmented, terrified plea for help from Karuk, transmitted via secret magic. "He dared to abandon Broken Bone and be beaten to a pulp before escaping back! Are all the warriors of his Cracktooth tribe dead? Grom! We must send troops immediately to block that damned pass! Otherwise—"

On the altar, High Priest Grom's withered fingers gripped his staff tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force. The fragment of divinity at the staff's tip flickered with an unstable, dark red light, reflecting on his beastly face, contorted with rage and a barely perceptible hint of fear. Karuk's message was like a bucket of ice water, jolting him from his frenzied chanting.

"Block the pass?" Grom's voice was hoarse and dry, like sandpaper scraping. He whirled around, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Karuk. "Kargas! Use your muscle-filled brain to think! Karuk and the Broken Bones cavalry are our only remaining force capable of rapid movement across the steppe! Once they're completely wiped out, those damned dragonblood cavalry and snow wolf riders of humanity can plunge into the heart of the steppe like daggers, unimpeded! Our temple! The source of the sacred fire! Do you want those human blasphemers to steal the fragments of divinity?!"

Kargath was momentarily stunned by the almost insane glint in Grom's eyes. His massive iron jaws snapped open and closed a few times, his voice lower but still filled with resentment: "But—but what about the front line? The humans are like nails driven into the riverbank! We've been attacking for so long, how many warriors have died just to barely suppress them! What if we send troops to rescue that useless Karuk, and the front line collapses? Once the main human force crosses the river, we're doomed too!"

"If we collapse head-on, we can retreat! Retreat into the depths of the grasslands, using our terrain to our advantage, waiting for reinforcements from other tribes, or—awaken an even more ancient power!" Grom's voice carried a desperate madness. His withered fingers pointed to the rough animal-hide map spread on the ground. "But if the temple falls, if the source of the sacred fire is taken, all the foundations of our power will crumble! The ancestral spirits will abandon us! The Crimson Lady's grace will vanish! We will become utterly defeated, slaughtered like livestock by humans and those damned dragonblood monsters! Do you understand, Kargath?!"

Kargath stared at the flame symbol representing the temple on the map, then at the unwavering resolve in Grom's eyes, and his massive body trembled slightly. He remembered the sacred fire deep within the temple, the source of the entire tribe's power, and the power Grom had bestowed upon the warriors using fragments of divine essence. He finally let out a beastly growl, slamming his fist into the ground, creating a shallow crater: "Damn it! I'll listen to you, Grom! But we have to hold out! If we fall to the humans, I'll tear you apart even in death!"

"Rest assured," a cunning glint flashed in Grom's eyes. He raised his staff again, the light from the divine fragments fluctuating violently. "I will give the humans on the front lines a great gift! To keep them preoccupied! You, immediately assemble the Bloodclaw tribe's five thousand most elite heavy infantry, and—all the war beasts that can still move! Lead them personally, at top speed, to reinforce Wolf's Throat Pass! At all costs, support Karuk's remaining troops and plug the gap! We absolutely cannot allow the human cavalry to break through!"

"Good!" Kargath no longer hesitated, turned around and let out a deafening roar, summoning his personal guards and tribal elites.

Grom's withered face twitched as he faced the River of Holy Blood, raised his staff, and chanted an ancient and evil incantation.