Chapter 118: Undead vs Beast Tide

Bang!

Bang!

The ground trembled violently under the terrifying clash. Deep craters formed across the basin as shockwaves rippled outward from every collision.

Molten lava flowed through fractured earth like blazing streams, glowing bright orange against the blackened terrain.

Thick ash rose into the sky, swirling chaotically with the heat waves that distorted the battlefield.

The beasts’ screams echoed relentlessly in the air, filled with fury, agony, and confusion.

Their blood streamed into the lava, turning it a dark, murky red before evaporating into smoke.

Fur was torn apart.

Scales were ripped open.

Fragments of bone scattered across the battlefield.

Many undead servants lay broken upon the scorched earth, their bodies cleaved in half, crushed, or shattered beyond repair.

The soul fire within their hollow eyes had vanished, leaving only empty sockets staring into nothingness.

Yet…

The battle raged on.

Surrounded by layers of undead servants forming a protective fortress around him, Thoren observed the chaos with a solemn expression.

The clash had begun only minutes ago, yet he had already lost many of the weaker undead.

But he was not worried.

His high-level undead servants were still holding their ground firmly.

Bang!

A Level 16 undead warrior raised its massive axe high above its head before bringing it down with brutal force against a lizard-like beast.

The blade cleaved through scales and flesh alike.

The beast let out a miserable cry as blood gushed violently from its neck. It thrashed back and forth, its enormous body smashing into nearby undead in a desperate attempt to survive.

Before it could recover, another strike came from the opposite side.

A blade plunged deep into its throat.

The Level 16 beast froze momentarily, its body stiffening as life drained from its eyes. A second later, it collapsed lifelessly to the ground.

The undead servants did not pause.

The moment the beast fell, they shifted their attention to their next target without hesitation.

[Undead Summoning.]

Thoren’s voice was calm.

Necrotic energy surged outward.

The corpse of the fallen Level 16 lizard-like beast trembled violently. Its hollow eyes ignited with eerie soul fire as it rose once more, joints cracking as it regained movement.

’Kill.’

With a single mental command, Thoren sent it charging back into the fray. A harsh, grating sound escaped its throat as it rushed forward, attacking what had once been its allies.

Elsewhere on the battlefield, a Level 16 undead wielding a katana engaged a massive python.

The blade flashed at terrifying speed, leaving streaks of cold light in the air. Deep gashes appeared across the python’s thick body, blood spraying outward with each precise strike.

The python hissed furiously, its massive coils writhing in rage. It swung its enormous tail in wide arcs, attempting to crush the agile undead warrior.

But its movements slowed.

In the distance, a skeletal mage raised its staff and pointed it toward the python. Necrotic energy surged into the ground.

The earth trembled.

Jagged stone pillars erupted upward, entangling the python’s body and restricting its slithering movement.

Seizing the opportunity, the katana-wielding skeleton leapt high into the air and landed upon the python’s back. With ruthless precision, it drove its blade deep into one of the creature’s eyes.

Hisssss!

The python shrieked in excruciating agony, its entire body convulsing violently.

Boom!

Its tail lashed out wildly.

Dozens of weaker undead were instantly reduced to shattered fragments. Bones flew through the air, clattering against stone and lava.

Where the tail struck, a massive crater formed, molten lava erupting from its center.

However, the fatal wound to its eye had sealed its fate.

Its movements slowed.

Its strength faltered.

Within moments, it collapsed, its massive body crashing heavily onto the battlefield.

In another section of the basin, a skeletal mage raised its staff and unleashed a barrage of fireballs.

The blazing spheres streaked through the air and exploded upon impact.

Weaker beasts were burned alive, their miserable screams filling the battlefield as flames consumed fur and flesh. The smell of scorched meat mixed with ash and sulfur.

From the shadows, assassin skeletons moved silently.

They did not confront enemies head-on.

They struck from blind spots.

Their blades flashed briefly before disappearing again.

Most beasts never even realized how they had died.

One moment, they were charging forward, ready to tear apart their enemies.

The next, their heads separated from their bodies, or their throats were slit open.

Blood poured out in thick streams before darkness consumed their vision.

The assassin skeletons’ mission was simple: deliver the final strike when the enemy least expected it.

Among all the undead, however, the most terrifying were the ten heavily armored undead warriors bearing massive shields.

They moved like an unstoppable wall.

No beast could withstand more than three strikes before collapsing lifelessly to the ground.

Every creature that stood in their path was cleaved apart mercilessly.

These elite undead targeted the strongest beasts within the tide, engaging them directly without fear.

The massive bodies of the beasts might have appeared intimidating to ordinary humans.

But before the ten shield-bearing undead, that intimidation meant nothing.

Steel met flesh.

Axes split skulls.

Shields shattered jaws.

If any humans had witnessed this scene, they might have believed it was the undead invading beast territory—not the other way around.

One after another, the most powerful beasts within the tide were cut down.

And each time a powerful beast fell, Thoren turned it into an undead servant.

Gradually, the balance of the battlefield shifted.

At the beginning, the beasts had held a numerical advantage.

But as the battle continued, that advantage diminished.

With every passing second, the undead army grew larger.

Dozens became scores.

Scores became hundreds.

Weaker undead banded together to overwhelm stronger beasts, dragging them down through sheer numbers and relentless assault.

This was the terror of the undead army.

They were relentless.

Fearless.

Until every last one of them was destroyed, they would continue advancing.

A beast tide that would have required hundreds of Awakeners to suppress was being handled by Thoren alone.

Each time a beast fell, necrotic energy enveloped its corpse.

Moments later, it rose again.

Its eyes burned with soul fire.

Its loyalty belonged to Thoren.

On the battlefield, there was not a single beast corpse left behind.

Every fallen enemy had been converted into part of the undead legion.

Overwhelmed, the remaining beasts roared in fury and confusion. Instinctive terror began to seep into their hearts.

They could not comprehend what was happening.

Their kin, who had fallen moments ago, now stood again, attacking them.

What had begun as a beast tide was no longer one.

It had transformed into an undead tide.

The surviving beasts attempted to retreat, but escape was impossible. The undead closed in from every direction, cutting off all routes of retreat.

One by one, they were slaughtered.

The battlefield became eerily one-sided.

And then, a new presence emerged.

The air shifted.

The ground trembled more violently than before.

From the thick smoke and swirling ash, a massive silhouette began to appear.

A beast unlike the others.

Thoren narrowed his eyes the moment he saw the new beast emerge from the smoke.

It was massive, far larger than any of the creatures he had encountered in the tide.

Each of its heavy steps left deep cracks across the already fractured ground, molten lava seeping through the newly formed fissures.

Around it, the air trembled violently.

Thick ash that had filled the basin only moments ago scattered away, as if even the drifting particles feared brushing against its body.

Its presence alone eclipsed every beast Thoren had slain so far.

Roar!

The basin shook under the force of its deafening cry. The sound wave blasted outward like a physical shockwave, distorting the air and sending loose stones skidding across the ground.

For a brief moment, the space around Thoren seemed as though it might shatter under the pressure.

His silver hair whipped wildly in the violent wind. Several loose strands fell across his face.

Calmly, without the slightest hint of panic, he raised a hand and brushed the strands aside.

A system window appeared before his eyes.

[Iron Roar komodo.]

[Level: 17]

[Attributes: Strength 41, Constitution 38, Agility 24, Spirit 4, Defense 33]

[Trait (1): Iron Scaled Hide – Its metallic scales reduced incoming physical damage by 30%.

[Trait (2): Resonant War Roar – Emits thunderous roar that reduces enemies spirit by 40% causing disorientation.]

[Trait (3); Toxic Furnace Blood – Corrosive blood that burns through enemies bodies.]

Thoren swallowed the lump in his throat as he studied the information.

A Level 17 beast.

The Komodo stood over three meters tall, its massive frame radiating overwhelming dominance.

Dark iron-gray scales covered its body, each one gleaming with a metallic sheen under the glow of molten lava.

Jagged ridges ran along its spine like rows of forged blades. Its broad chest expanded and contracted slowly, each breath heavy and oppressive.

Its eyes glowed a dull molten orange, like dying embers in a furnace, yet within them burned unmistakable brutality.

Thoren reacted swiftly.

With a series of rapid mental commands, he reorganized his undead legion into a defensive formation.

The shield-bearing undead moved to the front, skeletal mages positioned themselves at the rear, and assassin skeletons vanished into the shadows.

This time, they were not facing a beast horde.

They were facing a beast overlord.

The Iron Roar Komodo lowered its massive head and stared at the undead army before it.

Its molten eyes swept across the battlefield, pausing briefly on Thoren.

A low, rumbling growl escaped its throat.

Then…

It roared sharply once more and lunged forward, its massive maw opening wide enough to swallow everything on its path.

The true battle was about to begin.

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