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

Chapter 158 The High Priest of Death

On the banks of the Holy Blood River, a bloody mist mingled with the smoke of gunpowder, weighing heavily on the hearts of every living being. Humanity in A...

The established landing site, like a reef in a raging torrent, withstood wave after wave of hysterical assault from the black orc horde. The dragonblood warriors of the Andres family, covered in blood, their dragon-scale armor cracking under countless blows, roared as they tore apart the charging orcs with their life-burning claws and blades. Beneath their feet lay layers upon layers of corpses—humans, but mostly green-skinned ones.

"Report! Urgent message from Lord Reis!" A wounded and breathless messenger rushed through the chaotic battlefield, almost collapsing beneath the makeshift command platform. Lin Chuan raised his self-illumination from the map, sharp as an eagle.

"Speak!" Lin Chuan's voice was calm and steady, overpowering the clamor of the battlefield.

"General Reis has crushed the main force of the Bloodfang and Boneshatter tribes! He has beheaded Chief Broken Bone! The remnants of the Cracktooth tribe, led by Chief Karuk of the Cracktooth tribe, are fleeing westward towards the Wolf's Throat Pass! General Reis is leading his troops in pursuit, but—but Lord Antonia judges that Karuk has a secret technique to escape and is very likely to seek reinforcements!" The messenger spoke rapidly, his chest heaving violently.

A glint flashed in Lin Chuan's eyes. Success! The cavalry breakthrough on the flank was even smoother and faster than he had anticipated. Reis, this vicious wolf of the battlefield, once he created an opening, would never give the enemy a chance to breathe.

"Alright! Tell Reis and Antonia to proceed as planned, ensuring Karuk is blocked at Wolf's Throat Pass and await further instructions!" Lin Chuan decisively ordered. The messenger obeyed and quickly disappeared into the smoke.

However, at that moment, the frontal attack of the black orcs suddenly changed. The relentless, tidal wave of attacks suddenly became rhythmic, seemingly fierce, but in reality more like—a regular feint? Behind the orc formation, the shamanic totems that had been flashing with dangerous light dimmed considerably, and the density of fireballs noticeably decreased.

"Something's not right." Vivian, standing beside Lin Chuan, had a hint of doubt flashing in her icy blue eyes. She keenly sensed the abnormal fluctuations in the magical elements in the air. "Their attack intensity is decreasing, but the energy in the core area—it's like it's accumulating something."

Victor wiped the blood splattered on his face and sneered, "Ha! Scared by Reis? Coward even in a head-on fight? You bunch of green-skinned bastards!"

Lin Chuan ignored Viktor's taunts, his eyes fixed on the high ground behind the orcish lines, where High Priest Grom was located. There, a suppressed, chaotic, yet sacrificial, fanatical aura was rising. Combining the messenger's intelligence with the changes before his eyes, a clear picture instantly formed in his mind.

"It's not that we're chickening out, it's a trap!" Lin Chuan's voice was resolute. "That old fox, Grom! He deliberately weakened his frontal offensive, feigning wavering due to the collapse of his flanks, to lull us into a false sense of security and slow our advance! His real goal is to intercept Reis and Antonia, recapture Wolf's Throat Pass, rescue the remnants of Karuk, and even turn the tables and devour our elite cavalry!"

Lin Chuan slammed his fist on the edge of the map, sending wood chips flying. "He's scared! Scared that Reis will completely cut off his retreat, scared that Antonia will destroy his temple! He wants to use a feint attack to hold back our main force, then concentrate our strength to deal with the threat on his flank!"

"Then what do we do? Remain inactive?" Victor frowned.

"No!" Lin Chuan's eyes burned with a resolute fire. "Since he's trying to lure us away, we'll use that against him and catch him off guard!" Order 7

He glanced around at the generals around him: Chief Cadis, covered in blood but with a resolute look in his eyes; Victor and Vivian, whose magic was depleted but whose fighting spirit was high; and the reserve commander who was waiting in the rear.

"All troops, listen up! Abandon all defensive fortifications! Victor, all magic potions are yours. Create an unprecedented firestorm in the feint attack area at point B! Make it look like a desperate breakout! Vivian, your mission is the most crucial. Go all out at point A, use ice magic to freeze the river, widen the crossing, and cover the main force!"

"Chief Kattis!"

"Here!" The old clan chief straightened his blood-stained spine.

"Lead your warriors and, as quickly as possible, send all the remaining rafts and pontoon bridge components to point A!"

I want to see a clear path to victory within ten minutes! William's reserves, join me in the first crossing! Target: the orcish central army, Grom's Highlands!

Lin Chuan's voice, like thunder, clearly reached the ears of every general amidst the chaos of the battlefield: "Grom wants to escape? I'll make sure he can't defend himself from both ends! If he wants to retake the pass, I'll crush his front first! The entire army cross the river!"

The order, like a wildfire, instantly ignited the fighting spirit of the human army. The long-suppressed desire for retaliation transformed into a deafening roar.

"For the Lord! For our homeland!" The infantrymen of the Cadis family unleashed astonishing strength, carrying heavy rafts and components, surging towards the riverbank like a tidal wave. They were no longer afraid of the arrows from the opposite bank; only one thought occupied their minds: charge across!

"Hahaha! You green-skinned bastards, taste the wrath of your master, Viktor!" From point B, Viktor laughed maniacally, downing several bottles of precious magic potions. His staff erupted with an unprecedented crimson light, the terrifying magical fluctuations distorting the air itself. The next moment, a massive wall of fire, covering hundreds of meters of the river, suddenly ignited, then began to spin...

It rose up, transforming into a blazing tornado connecting heaven and earth, carrying the force to incinerate everything, and slammed fiercely towards the opposite bank of point B! Flames shot into the sky, thick smoke billowed, completely engulfing the area, creating an extremely terrifying spectacle. This incredibly realistic "feint" indeed attracted the attention and firepower of a large number of orc defenders.

Meanwhile, at the actual crossing point A, Vivian stood solemnly, raising her ice crystal staff. A bone-chilling cold emanated from her, spreading wildly, and the river beneath her feet crackled and froze. A thick, ever-expanding ice bridge forcefully carved itself across the turbulent water! Although orc arrows and sporadic shamanic fireballs continued to fall, causing casualties, the formation of the ice bridge greatly reduced the difficulty and casualties of crossing the river.

"Quick! Keep up!" Lin Chuan took the lead and stepped onto the ice bridge. Behind him was William's Snow Wolf Knights, who had been itching to get started! These warriors, clad in silver-white wolf skins and wielding fine steel lances, followed their lord across the icy river like a white torrent.

"For the Lord! Charge!" William roared, unleashing his full, peak dragon might on the front lines for the first time! The invisible pressure, like a tangible hammer, slammed into the orc defenders on the opposite bank of point A. The ordinary orc warriors instantly felt their blood freeze, their movements stiffen, and a terror from the depths of their souls caused them to howl in horror. The once-solid defensive line, under the combined assault of the dragon's might and the humans' desperate charge, suffered a fatal breach!

"Kill!" The infantry of the Cadis family followed closely behind the knights, brandishing battle axes and spears, charging up the riverbank like an enraged pack of wolves, engaging the chaotic orcish defenders in fierce combat. The melee instantly intensified, every inch of the land stained crimson with blood.

Lin Chuan's order to cross the river was decisive and deadly. Grom's disguise was completely exposed, and the main human force recklessly crossed the Holy Blood River, like a red-hot dagger piercing the weakest link in the Black Orcs' frontal defenses!

Wolf's Throat Pass, a battlefield of bloodshed.

Just as Lin Chuan had predicted, and just as Antonia had foreseen, the cunning Rifttooth Chieftain Karuk, after paying a heavy price, ultimately escaped from Antonia's holy sword using some kind of blood escape technique that burned his life force. He fled with his few remaining guards like stray dogs, desperately heading towards the temple of High Priest Grom deep into the grasslands.

At this moment, Wolf's Throat Pass has become the eye of the storm.

After successfully ambushing and routing the main force of the Bloodfang and Boneshatter tribes, the three thousand elite Andres cavalry of Reis were riding high on morale. Like herding sheep, they drove the scattered remnants of the Cracktooth tribe into the relatively narrow area on the west side of the pass, intending to completely annihilate them. Antonia's three hundred Snow Wolf Knights, like a gate forged of holy light, firmly guarded the only exit on the east side of the pass. The light from their holy barrier shone brightly in the dim sky, radiating an inviolable majesty.

"Speed ​​up! Crush them! Don't let that mudfish Karuk's stench pollute the grassland!" Reis, riding an exceptionally powerful warhorse with scales that shimmered with dragonblood, brandished a longsword stained with black blood, his voice like thunder echoing through the valley. His soldiers roared with bloodlust, their pursuit growing ever more ferocious.

However, before the dawn of victory could fully arrive, a deadly crisis was already looming from behind!

The earth suddenly began to tremble violently, and the dull, thunderous sound of hooves grew louder as it approached, as if a vast army was galloping from the heart of the grassland, heading straight for the Wolf's Throat Pass!

"Sir! Behind us! A large number of orcs!" The lookout's voice was tinged with fear.

Reis and Antonia almost simultaneously reined in their horses and turned around, looking towards the east side of the pass, beyond Antonia's Holy Light Barrier.

On the horizon, dust billowed into the sky! A massive army of orcs was approaching at an alarming speed. Leading them was an exceptionally burly figure, riding a ferocious, armored war beast—it was none other than High Chieftain "Ironjaw" Kargath! Beside him were the Bloodclaw tribe's most elite heavy infantry, their thick bone armor gleaming eerily in the dust, like a moving steel jungle. Even more chilling were the several colossal war beasts in the ranks, each one a mountain of monstrous size, emitting deafening roars, their massive limbs stomping the ground with every step.

Behind Kargath, a figure shrouded in a dark red cloak stood out. He held a staff with an irregularly shaped crimson crystal at its tip, and exuded an aura of evil and chaos that sent chills down one's spine—it was none other than Grom, the spiritual leader of the Black Orcs!

Grom ultimately abandoned his plan to engage Lin Chuan in a direct confrontation. Karuk's plea for reinforcements and the complete collapse of his flank made him realize the mortal crisis of the temple's core being directly threatened. He had to come personally to rescue Karuk's last mobile force, block the Wolf's Throat Pass, and trap the elite human cavalry there!

"Damn old bones!" Reis spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, his eyes burning with violent rage, but at the same time, a hint of solemnity flashed across his face. The enemy before him, in both quantity and quality, far surpassed the routed soldiers from before.

"Contract your formation! Utilize the pass terrain and prepare for defense!" Antonia's cool voice rang out, instantly silencing the slight commotion among the cavalry caused by the appearance of enemy reinforcements. She raised her holy sword high, and the light of the Holy Light Barrier instantly became even more dazzling, expanding its range to encompass most of Reis's cavalry.

"Hmph, just in time! Saves me the trouble of searching!" Although Reis was tough on the outside, he didn't slow down at all. He quickly directed his cavalry to converge on Antonia, using the steep mountain walls on both sides of the pass and the Holy Light Barrier in front to form a defensive formation with their backs against the dangerous terrain. The cavalrymen dismounted one after another, relying on the terrain and the hastily piled obstacles, raising their lances like a forest, pointing them at the surging orc army.

Grom and Kargath's armies arrived in the blink of an eye. Without a word, Kargath let out a deafening roar, and the Bloodclaw heavy infantry, with heavy steps, crashed into Antonia's holy light barrier like a black tide!

"boom-!!!"

A dull, deafening roar made eardrums ache. The Holy Light Barrier shook violently, its light flickering erratically. The heavy infantry's bone armor collided with the Holy Light, producing a piercing screeching sound and a hissing sound of energy annihilation. Although the barrier was tough, even it showed tiny cracks under such a violent physical impact.

"Hold on!" Antonia's face was slightly pale, but her eyes were as firm as a rock. She poured more holy light into the barrier.

At the same time, Grom raised his staff. The fragment of "virtual divinity" embedded in it burst forth with an eerie red light, and a vast and chaotic wave of divine power spread outwards. He chanted ancient and evil incantations, the obscure syllables seeming to emanate from the abyss.

"Oh no! He's summoning abyssal evil power!" Antonia immediately sensed the nauseating nature of that energy.

Grom pointed his staff at the Holy Light Barrier. Several dark red, tentacle-like beams of energy shot out, lashing fiercely at the barrier! These energy beams possessed strong corrosive and erosive properties, causing the Holy Light Barrier's light to dim visibly, and the cracks to rapidly widen!

"Shaman! Attack!" Kargath seized the opportunity and roared again.

Hidden behind the heavy infantry, the shamans unleashed a flurry of spells: fireballs, acid, and corrosive arrows rained down like locusts over the infantry's heads, crashing into the human positions behind the ramparts. Although most were blocked or weakened by the remaining holy light, many still fell into the fray, causing screams and flashes of light.

"Dragon cubs! Let these green-skinned scum taste dragon blood!" Reis roared, his eyes bloodshot. The dragonblood warriors beneath him roared inhuman fury, parts of their bodies beginning to dragonify—one arm covered in scales, their nails becoming sharp as claws. Fearlessly, they held the forefront of the defensive line, using their dragonified limbs and weapons imbued with the power of dragon blood to engage in fierce hand-to-hand combat with the orc heavy infantry attempting to break through the Holy Light Rift. Blades pierced bone, claws tore flesh, blood and severed limbs splattered everywhere, and every second someone fell.

Driven by the shaman, the war beasts began to ram the mountain walls, attempting to widen their attack area. Huge rocks were shaken off, causing additional casualties to the defending human soldiers.

While Antonia struggled to maintain the Holy Light Barrier against Grom's corrupting magic, she also wielded her holy sword, unleashing dazzling holy light slashes that precisely targeted the war beasts and orc commanders who posed the greatest threat to the defensive line. Fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, clearly indicating the immense pressure she was under.

Rhys, like a raging dragon, charged back and forth through the most dangerous parts of the defensive line. Each swing of his longsword was accompanied by a shrill whistling sound as it tore through the air, cleaving several heavily armored orcs in two, armor and all. His ferocity temporarily halted the orcs' advance, but it also drew Grom's "special attention."

"Roar!" Grom pointed his staff, and a thick beam of dark red energy shot towards Reis like a venomous snake. Reis roared, his half-dragon arms crossing to block. The dark red energy struck his scaled arm guards, erupting with blinding light and a corrosive sound. Reis grunted, forced back by the immense force, leaving charred marks on his arm guards and damaging his scales.

"The High Priest's sorcery—it's truly troublesome!" Reis shook his numb arm, his eyes flashing with even more ferocity, yet also tinged with apprehension. He knew that without Antonia's Holy Light Barrier and the possible reinforcements from William behind them, their isolated force would eventually be worn down and annihilated under the siege of Grom and Kargath's main forces.

The battle descended into a brutal stalemate. The human forces, relying on their terrain, the individual prowess of Antonia and Reis, and the sheer strength of the Dragonblood Warriors, struggled to hold on, but casualties continued to mount, and the light of the Holy Light Barrier grew increasingly dim. Grom wore a cruel and triumphant smile; he seemed to already envision the utter crushing of this elite human force.

"Hold on! For the Lord! For victory!" Antonia's voice carried a hint of weariness, yet remained filled with unwavering determination. Her holy sword shone once more, repelling a wave of approaching orcs.

Just as the Holy Light Barrier was crumbling, Grom was preparing to deliver a fatal blow, and Kargath raised his warhammer to launch a final assault—

"hold head high-!!!"

A majestic and sacred dragon roar, piercing through the clouds and splitting rocks, suddenly resounded from the horizon behind the orc reinforcements!

The dragon's roar was so high-pitched and pure, carrying supreme majesty and boundless vitality, forming a stark contrast to Grom's chaotic and evil aura! Wherever the sound reached, all the black orcs, whether ordinary warriors or powerful shamans, even the war beasts, felt an irresistible fear and tremor originating from the deepest recesses of their blood! Their movements froze instantly, their attacks halting. Grom's sorcery was also abruptly interrupted; he stared at the sky in horror.

In the distance, a dazzling golden light streaked across the sky at incredible speed! Within that light, a colossal dragon, with its massive size, graceful lines, and body covered in sacred golden scales, could be vaguely seen! And on the dragon's broad back stood a knight clad in heavy silver-white dragon-patterned armor, wielding a blood-red dragon-patterned halberd! He exuded a powerful aura of peak brilliance, perfectly merging with the dragon's might, forming a terrifying pressure capable of changing the very fabric of the world!

"It's Lord William!" "Reinforcements! Our reinforcements have arrived!" The human soldiers, who were on the verge of despair, erupted in a deafening cheer, their morale soaring to its peak!

William's dragon eyes locked onto the dark red figure on the ground—High Priest Grom. Without a word, his golden dragon Theresa let out a battle-ready roar, her wings flapping wildly, her speed soaring once more as she swooped down towards Grom's location like a meteor! William raised his Dragonblood Halberd high, its dazzling battle aura intertwining with the golden dragon's holy breath, transforming into a divine judgment that tore through the heavens and earth!

"No—!" Grom roared in terror and despair, frantically activating the "virtual divinity" on his staff, attempting to conjure the strongest defensive evil spell. Kargath also roared, commanding his guards and shamans to try and intercept him.

However, it was all too late!

The speed of the divine judgment light exceeded Grom's reaction limit!

"BOOM—!!!"

The light struck Grom's location with pinpoint accuracy! A massive sphere of energy, a mixture of holy light and flames, instantly expanded, engulfing Grom, several powerful shamans beside him, and several of Kargath's personal guards! A powerful energy storm swept in all directions, blowing away the surrounding orc soldiers like straw!

The light dissipated, leaving only a charred crater and several fragments of "virtual divinity" shimmering with a dim red light. The once arrogant High Priest Grom, along with his staff, had been reduced to ashes!

"The High Priest—is dead?!" Kargath, a little distance from the epicenter of the explosion, was thrown back by the shockwave. He scrambled to his feet, and the sight before him overwhelmed him with immense shock and fear. The death of their leader was a devastating blow to the morale of the Orc army!

"The time has come! All troops, charge!" Inside the pass, Antonia keenly seized this fleeting opportunity! An unprecedented surge of power erupted from her.