Chapter 118 - 026: Attack

Chapter 118: 026: Attack

“Crack! Crack!”

“Hoo… Hoo…”

With the chanting of obscure spells, the crunching sound of grinding teeth mixed with the hissing of a drafty throat echoed, and one by one, skeletons and zombies rose from the ground.

A total of sixty-eight skeletons and fifty-two zombies appeared. Among the skeletons, thirty-six were warrior skeletons, twenty were archer skeletons—all at the strength of Apprentice Knights—and twelve possessed combined attributes equivalent to Knight Level.

The zombies, on the other hand, were all axe-wielding zombies equipped with short axes and short daggers: forty-three were at the Apprentice Knight Level, while nine reached Knight Level.

On his own, Lynch’s [Corpse Control] spell would never be able to command such a large number of undead servants. The ability to rapidly mobilize such a substantial necromancy army was thanks to William Heim’s insane handiwork.

At this moment, whether skeleton or zombie, all had undergone refinement by William Heim, engraved with independent magic arrays and elemental cores. They could essentially be seen as already-crafted alchemical witchcraft and magical items, controllable merely by activating the magic spells inscribed on them.

This is the power of Necromancy!

The elemental magic of the Necromancy Department itself is rather unimpressive. Ranked among the three major classifications—or even within the elemental sect alone—it would struggle to hold much prominence.

However, this department boasts an advantage that other departments find hard to rival—

Plenty of “followers.”

Avery stared at the necromancy army before her with furrowed brows and asked, “You plan to rely on them to fight this war?”

She shook her head. “With all due respect, if that’s all there is, we won’t win.”

Lynch shook his head. “No, they’re only bait. The true main force hasn’t arrived yet.”

“The main force?”

Avery asked with intrigue, “Are you referring to your flying Fire Dragon Lizard? Or that big brute—what was his name, Frankenstein, right?”

She acknowledged that these two creatures had some strength, but not enough to alter the course of battle.

After all, neither the Fire Dragon Lizard nor Frankenstein had critical spells beyond their overwhelmingly high attribute values. Even Parker barely showcased some talent, while Frankenstein was merely a pure meat shield.

Lynch shook his head again. “Neither.”

Confusion deepened in Avery’s eyes. “Neither? Then are you talking about yourself?”

Pausing, she quickly added, “If that’s the case, I’d advise you not to be so naive. That’s akin to courting death; the absolute disparity in strength can’t simply be bridged with a few spells.”

The gulf between a High-level Apprentice and a Mid-level Apprentice is substantial—no amount of mastery over magic can easily close that gap.

Lynch responded, “Relax, I’m not that foolish.”

Avery fell silent.

Each time she thought she had a firm grasp of this apprentice before her, he always managed to surprise her unexpectedly. To be at this juncture, did he still possess some trump card sufficient to contend with such overwhelming odds?

Lynch said, “Don’t bother guessing. You’ll see for yourself shortly. Although I’m not entirely certain about a reversal, if it comes down to failing…”

His expression hardened as he added, “I’ll have to take your hands first.”

The traceable mark was currently located on Avery’s hands. If extracted and strategically used, it could execute her proposed plan, buying time for reinforcements to arrive.

After pausing, he added, “Don’t worry—I’ll reattach them for you afterwards.”

The statement sounded bizarre, but given their circumstances, it was necessary.

Avery nodded. “You don’t need to worry about me.”

She had initially intended to sacrifice her hands anyway; such a cost still outweighed Lynch recklessly attempting a desperate gamble under these circumstances.

“Let’s go.”

Lynch looked up at the ominous sky. The storm was brewing, and at some point, the once clear expanse had turned to dark clouds swirling overhead.

Lowering his gaze, he murmured, “Victory or defeat—it all depends on what comes next.”

With that, he turned and led Avery toward the Forest of the Dead.

Under these conditions, anything usable must be employed, and no place in the vicinity was more suitable for an ambush than that forest teeming with an overabundance of negative energy particles.

…

Hours later, near the outskirts of the Forest of the Dead.

The once tranquil forest perimeter had now gathered a sizable force composed of knights, apprentices of varying levels, and assorted elemental creatures, spread across the multiple entrances of the Forest of the Dead to seal off its exits.

At that moment, several shrill cries pierced the air as white Flying Pegasi descended from the skies.

Rolf had barely stepped off the back of his steed when a knight, waiting for some time, hurried forward to address him, “Sir, we’ve sealed off all entrances to the forest. The troops are prepared and ready to launch an assault at any time.”

If Lynch were here, he would immediately recognize the crest on the knight’s armor as belonging to the Novard Family of Wind Extinguishing City—the retinue of Count Edmund’s illegitimate son, Isaac. The knight leading them was Isaac himself.

Impatient, Isaac asked, “Sir, can we begin the attack?”

For this mission, Isaac had staked everything. Success would erase the stain of being a bastard, granting him inheritance of the title and dominion over Wind Extinguishing Territory, making him master of the Novard Family. However, if he failed…

The consequence would be nothing short of obliteration—body and soul alike.

Rolf was just as anxious—after all, he knew Avery’s forces could arrive at any moment.

Still, he refrained from recklessly issuing an attack command and instead calmly ordered, “Bring me the crystal ball.”

A Low-level Apprentice handed him the crystal ball, but what appeared within was only dim darkness.

Rolf questioned, “What’s the matter?”

The apprentice answered, “They’re likely guarding against the energy of the mark, hiding in shadowed locations to evade our tracking.”

Rolf continued, “What about Eagle Eye Technique?”

The apprentice replied, “We’ve used it, but the results are unsatisfactory. The forest is saturated with death element, creating a mist so dense it obstructs nearly all visibility.”

Rolf frowned.

Without visual clarity, they couldn’t gauge the situation, which significantly increased the unpredictability and risk. Operating in such an environment intensified the difficulty immensely.

Isaac couldn’t wait any longer, pleading, “Sir, give the order. My troops won’t disappoint you.”

Rolf hesitated briefly, then nodded.

“Commence the attack.”

Isaac couldn’t afford delays, nor could Rolf. In this conflict, Rolf had also wagered everything—for if failure occurred, his fate would hardly differ from Isaac’s…

His voice was icy as he commanded, “Find the targets. Eliminate them.”

“At any cost.”

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