After I died, my personal maid rebelled.

Amidst the widespread panic in Ice City, Oswald, having traveled day and night, finally arrived at the Duke's Palace early the next morning.

As soon as he entered, all the servants and the old steward wept in front of him.

Oswald, his eyes bloodshot, stood in the doorway and, for the first time, roared at them, "What are you crying about! I'm not dead yet! Go do what you're supposed to do, the sky isn't falling!"

The servants scattered like birds and beasts, but strangely enough, after being scolded by the Duke, they became much calmer.

Oswald was also helpless. Count Rondo and the undead army were a side story in the later part of the game. Of course, Oswald was already dead at that point in time, and the ruler of the Northern Territories was Thorne the Brave.

Count Rondo was a traditional military nobleman with a poor relationship with Oswald's father, the Duke. In their youth, the two often disagreed on battle strategies.

After the conflict erupted, Count Rondo, in a fit of anger, stopped following the old duke. It wasn't until an undead crisis broke out in his territory and he received help from the hero that he returned to the front lines.

But can anyone tell me where this immortal giant python came from?

No wonder I've been feeling off lately; it turns out this free mode just throws big bosses at random points in some levels.

This game is trash, the balance is a mess... Oh, it's an adult game, never mind then, as long as my little brother is happy.

"Duke, would you like to rest for a while?" Eleanor appeared beside him at some point, looked up, and silently met Oswald's gaze.

"No need, bring me my armor and weapons."

Oswal quickly regained his composure upon seeing Elene; he had no choice but to remain calm.

Having died several times and seen so much, there's no need for him to panic at an S-class calamity. If he backs down, what will happen to those around him?

With his hands outstretched, Oswald allowed Eleanor to put the armor on him. He remained silent, appearing extremely serious to outsiders, but in reality, he didn't know what to say.

Tower defense games always have different tiers of units, such as common, elite, and hero units. Adventurers and Calamities are also divided into several levels, from C to S.

For something a little different, there are medium, large, and extra-large sizes.

However, Oswald didn't have the habit of playing games with computers and Excel spreadsheets; his feeling about the Undying Python was that he could probably beat it.

Although saying this might sound like a disgrace to transmigrators, Oswald could only say that the role-playing system had its limits, and most of the rewards it gave were just trash game items. Besides, Oswald's own body wasn't exactly a monster in terms of stats.

As a supporting character destined to be trampled on, he can barely be considered one of the best among elite soldiers. He doesn't have much talent, and it's already quite good that he can raise his strength to S-level.

"Still no news from Rondo's territory?"

Elena was skillful and meticulous. After putting on her armor, Oswald broke the silence between them.

"Should we send out scouts?" Eleanor asked softly, giving Oswald her answer.

The two fell silent again. Only after several servants laboriously brought over weapons did Oswald grab a lance and reply, "While I'm gone, keep an eye on the movements in the south."

"Yes, sir."

Oswald nodded, the words stuck in his throat. He patted his clothes but couldn't find his cigarette case.

"Have this." Elena handed him a box of cigars, the brand he hadn't bought in a long time.

He gave a bitter smile, "I've actually fallen so low that I have to rely on servants for help."

"It all came from your embezzlement."

"..."

Elena turned around and took another bottle of red wine from the cabinet. Just as she was about to open it, Oswald pressed her hand down.

The two were very close, both feeling each other's cold body temperature, yet neither moved away.

"Let it age for a few more years; it's a bit too early to drink it now."

Having said that, Oswald picked up his lance and strode toward the door.

Having belatedly made his prediction, Oswald could only pray for Guan Yu's protection. He believed Guan Yu had indeed become a god, but wondered if he cared about matters in the other world...

Upon leaving the Duke's mansion, Oswald saw a thousand fully armed cavalrymen crowding the streets. Just as he was about to mount his horse, an incongruous figure came into view.

Lifting the curtain of the carriage, Jenny said calmly, "Elena said you'll need me sometime."

Oswald didn't say much about this. Doctors are a magical profession; it seems that the development of war, whether for better or worse, is inextricably linked to them.

Moreover, the fact that the nuns of the Holy See restrained the undead is reasonable no matter how you look at it.

"Come on with me, and don't act on your own."

Oswald leaped onto his horse, gazed at the city gate slowly rising in the distance, took a deep breath, and shouted, "Let's go!"

Two thousand horses galloped across the plains. Two thousand may sound like a small number, but in reality, they gave the impression of being overwhelming, like a dark cloud blown by the north, rumbling across the grasslands and disappearing into the green forests of the mountains.

Oswald's specially trained cavalrymen were all equipped with two horses per rider, making it easy for them to complete long-distance marches. However, after several days and nights of travel from Kuogu City to Ice City, and then from Ice City to the Earl's Territory, even if the riders could keep going, the horses had to rest.

Around five o'clock in the morning, Jenny's carriage barely caught up with the troops who were resting in the mountains.

Apart from the patrolling soldiers, most of the soldiers drifted off to sleep leaning against each other. Oswald, sitting alone by the fire, was wide awake, his brow furrowed as he gripped the map, seemingly trying to decipher something.

Jenny looked unwell. She got off the carriage, sat down by the fire without saying a word, and clasped her hands together to regulate her breathing.

The night was so quiet when Oswald suddenly felt a cool sensation on his head and his fatigue faded away. He turned around in surprise and found Sister Janet casting some kind of healing spell on him.

Oswald was speechless. In his previous life, Jenny wouldn't even treat his minor cold.

So what if they're stopping you from going to the royal city to confront the king? The other party is the king, you know. No matter how much he cares about his image, if he gets pushed too far, he might just pull out a knife and start a fight...

"Thanks."

Having regained his energy, Oswald felt his mind was clearer and continued to analyze the map.

"May I ask what you're researching?" Jenny sat down again, curled up with her knees wrapped around her body, and stared intently at the fire.

Oswald didn't even look up. "The city of the Earldom has certainly been destroyed, but Earl Rondo is a capable man. This area is all mountainous, and I want to figure out where he will take the surviving residents."

"Is the city... really destroyed?"

"Yes, for many years to come, there will be no human settlements in this area."

Upon hearing the Duke calmly state the truth, Jenny looked pained and closed her eyes tightly.

She wanted to pray for those who died in the disaster, but she had to face the reality that she didn't know the names of any of the dead in that territory.

"Don't overthink it. Humanity's inheritance is a collective one. The blood flowing in your veins has gone through countless hardships. There will always be people who perish, and there will always be people who live on."

Oswald's words of comfort were strange, so strange that Jenny thought he was just placating her, because Oswald's attention was entirely on the map. But upon closer examination, his words seemed to make some sense.

The two sat quietly until the fire died down. As dawn broke, Oswald ordered another march, this time to the city in the count's territory.

The march was much slower this time, but as they got closer, those with sensitive noses could smell the stench of corpses in the air.

A large flock of vultures circled in the dark, cloud-covered sky, and the cries of crows echoed through the forest.

They emerged from the mountains and entered the basin, where the outline of the city could be vaguely seen in the distance. Oswald raised his whip and reined in his horse, signaling to stop.

"What's wrong?"

Jenny opened the carriage window and looked at Oswald, who was looking up at the sky, with a puzzled expression.

"It's too quiet."

Oswald's unsettling words struck everyone's hearts. He pointed his whip to the sky and said, "The vultures don't land; there must be something on the ground that they fear."

Cities attacked by the Undead Serpent and the army of the Undead will inevitably be filled with corpses. The Undead have no habit of collecting corpses to prevent plagues, nor do they eat. They are born to be a calamity that exists to kill living beings.

After observing cautiously for a while, Oswald summoned his adjutant.

"Take five hundred men and the nuns and bypass the city from the east. Quickly advance to the location marked on my map. If no survivors are found, circle back from the west. If you encounter a strong enemy, you are allowed to retreat immediately."

"Yes, Your Grace!"

The adjutant took the map and immediately divided the troops, sending out scouts to explore the way ahead.

"The rest of you, form ranks."

As the cavalry slowly advanced, even though he had expected it, Oswald still couldn't help but gasp when he saw the blood-stained, ruined city with his own eyes.

The scouts who went out to investigate returned and reported that they had not found any trace of anyone or any undead.

The wind howled, carrying a sense of desolation. The remains of corpses were scattered everywhere at the foot of the ground. Looking up again, the vultures in the sky above the city resembled a gathering storm, almost clearly indicating the danger lurking in this place.

This feels so much like a dungeon... What kind of pre-battle cutscene is this? I'm not expecting a health bar to appear out of sight as soon as I step through the city gates.

Then the BOSS pops out from the spot, performs a smooth entrance trick, and then goes straight into the battle.

"Not a single undead have been found?" Oswald asked, still unwilling to give up.

The scout was stunned; he felt he had reported clearly enough. "Yes, Your Grace, there are only corpses left in the city."

"I understand. Issue the order: everyone retreat one mile. No one is to enter the city without my permission!"