The thick mist churned as countless skeletons emerged, their pale forms marching in coordinated ranks.
At the forefront were Skeleton Summoners and Skeleton Knights, moving swiftly and purposefully.
From all directions, they came.
Their organized movements and precise formation immediately marked them as a highly disciplined force.
And as an undead army, their very existence was a natural weapon of terror—cold, relentless, and merciless.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
The rhythmic pounding of hooves echoed across the distance like a grim summons from the underworld, filling the air with an oppressive dread.
Lucian felt a faint pressure settle over him—not fear, but the instinctive weight of facing an overwhelming force alone.
"There's about three thousand of them," Qin Keqing reported as she raised the Mirror of Wind and Moon, her gaze piercing through the fog.
"Three thousand? That's it?"
Lucian exhaled deeply, his lips curling into a faint smile.
Then he paused, realizing how absurd his own words sounded.
Three thousand undead monsters, each with attributes well above 100, were now approaching his territory. Yet, he no longer saw them as a threat.
The trials of the past eleven days, combined with the advantages of his golden finger, had propelled his territory far beyond what he'd imagined possible in such a short time.
In that fleeting moment, Lucian felt as though he'd ascended to another level, leaving the trials of ordinary lords far behind.
But such thoughts only lingered briefly before he shook his head, grounding himself once more.
Lucian refocused on the battlefield. His gaze turned sharp as he began issuing commands.
"Adjust the towers. Standard order, all control effects to the forefront."
The skeletons soon entered the defensive perimeter.
Psssst!
The distinct hiss of Fart Towers releasing their green "fragrance" filled the air.
To the skeleton knights, it seemed like nothing more than harmless mist.
At first.
Then, suddenly, chaos broke loose.
Skeletons toppled over in heaps, their bones clattering noisily against one another.
The knights behind them, unable to stop in time, stumbled over their fallen comrades, creating a chain reaction of confusion and crashes.
Fragments of bone flew everywhere, scattering across the battlefield like macabre shrapnel.
"...So, skeletons are affected by bad air too?" Lin Daiyu muttered, her expression a mixture of curiosity and bemusement as she glanced at the Fart Towers.
She wasn't quite sure how to feel about this.
"It makes perfect sense," Lucian said, crossing his arms with a satisfied smirk. "We've got the finest towers in existence. No need to overthink it."
As the skeletons floundered, Lucian unleashed the offensive towers.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions from Fireblast Towers shook the ground as their fireballs roared across the battlefield, igniting waves of skeleton knights.
At level 5, their fire was hotter, their blasts more destructive, and their explosions chained together, wreaking havoc across the undead ranks.
Skeletons were blasted into the air, their brittle bodies shattering into fragments upon impact.
Meanwhile, vines erupted from the Earthvine Towers, ice froze entire sections of the horde, and arrows rained from Archer Towers.
Lightning crackled from Lightning Towers, and rapid gunfire shredded the enemy lines.
The sheer firepower overwhelmed the advancing undead, decimating hundreds in mere moments.
But the skeleton knights were relentless, pushing forward despite the carnage.
The few survivors, battered and broken, reached the wooden walls and began slamming against them with everything they had.
"Rain of Fire!" Lucian commanded.
Whoosh!
Heat waves swept through the air as fiery meteors rained down, consuming the remaining skeleton knights in an inferno.
The attackers recoiled under the onslaught, their formation breaking apart as many were reduced to charred remains.
"This is starting to feel one-sided," Lucian muttered, his confidence growing as he watched the battlefield.
Still, he remained vigilant as the next wave loomed in the distance.
The towers, each uniquely designed with elements of magic, technology, and ancient craftsmanship, formed an intricate web of death.
"Now!" Lucian signaled.
The Great Qin Warriors sprang into action, leaping down from the walls with precision.
Their Qin Crossbows fired in unison, the bolts streaking through the air like streaks of light, piercing through clusters of skeletons with devastating accuracy.
Then, switching to their long halberds, they charged forward, carving through the undead with unmatched ferocity.
The battle was completely one-sided.
The skeleton knights stood no chance against the overwhelming combination of towers and Qin warriors.
When the dust finally settled, the battlefield was littered with shattered bones.
Lucian scanned the horizon and noticed the Skeleton Summoners lingering far in the distance.
"They're too far for the towers to hit," he murmured, deciding against rash action.
Boom!
The ground trembled as the skeleton summoners raised their staffs, dark energy flickering ominously around their skulls.
Suddenly, the earth split open, and countless skeletal hands clawed their way to the surface.
More undead emerged, this time filling the battlefield with an unending tide of skeletons: Shield Warriors, Swordsmen, Summoners, and more.
Their individual strength was unimpressive, but their numbers were overwhelming—tens of thousands, if not more.
"An undead tide," Lucian muttered, his expression grim. "This is the stuff of nightmares."
But he wasn't surprised.
"It's exactly what I expected from the undead: endless waves. They're infamous for this."
His gaze hardened as he gave the next order.
"Earthquake! Activate!"