Shadow Slave

Before, the future seemed grim for the expedition force of the Evacuation Army. Even though they numbered more than two thousand soldiers, with two hundred Awakened and four Masters ready to fight at the front, the enemy was just too domineering.

The Corrupted Tyrant itself was tremendously dangerous. The army of bone monstrosities was no less threatening. However, both Effie and Kai were incredible sources of strength, acting as force multipliers for the whole regiment. With their help, the power of the soldiers soared, almost balancing the scale.

Sunny's and Jet's efforts were no less important. Thanks to them, the two companies had been able to choose the battlefield and prepare an ambush. Terrain advantage was extremely valuable, and so was the foreknowledge of what the enemy was capable of.

That last part was, perhaps, the most precious. The two scouts had not only gathered intelligence about the location of the enemy and the number of minions under its rule. They had also provided the analysts and diviners of the army with an opportunity to study the Tyrant.

Thanks to that, the human force did not have to go into the battle blind. Even though they did not know every detail of what the Skull Centipede was capable of, they did know the most important parts.

For example, they knew that the confluence of the power that the giant abomination possessed was, surprisingly, hidden in the two dead skeletal trees that grew from its head, serving as the Tyrant's crown and horns.

In fact, Army Command had gone as far as to suggest that the true abomination was not the centipede itself, but the network of tree roots that permeated its monstrous skull, growing through the creature's brain matter.

As such, the small army's first goal was to destroy one, or better yet both of these trees. Without them, the Tyrant would most likely lose the ability to control its bone soldiers, as well as access to its most terrifying powers.

But... it was more easily said than done.

And Sunny currently had other things to worry about, because the centipede was going directly for him.

arrow, it rose from the river like a mountain of skulls and lunged straight at him, the giant maw opening like an abyssal

Sunny blinked.

really that atrocious? Listen... there's really

plunged down, shattering the ancient stone and turning it to dust. Stone shards and a great deal of dirt flew into

much further up the slope, appearing behind the trenches and the mass of soldiers. He rose, flicked a few pieces of dust off his tunic, and glanced in

head in the direction of the firing soldiers, its jaw still hanging open.

the air and impacted against the Tyrant's head... the mysterious projectile was none other than Effie, who had used her own body as a siege ram. After rushing through the battlefield like a hurricane,

instantly pulverized into bone dust. However, even more were revealed, becoming visible through the crack in

not only slowed the centipede down, it actually threw the abomination back, pushing

herself was tossed to the ground and landed in a roll, jumping back to her feet a moment later. Her

resounded across the battlefield, the first wave of the hulking bone abominations clashed against the line

into a cacophony of ear-piercing noise. The tide of Nightmare Creatures seemed unstoppable, as if it would easily wash the human fighters away in a wave of desperation and blood...

few moments before the clash and broke the enemy's momentum. Her naginata easily passed through the layers of bone, destroying the rotten souls

considered living dead... however, even among the dead, she was an exalted

there was a gap of power between them and the human fighters. Empowered by Raised by Wolves and emboldened by Nightingale, the soldiers fought with might and ferocity

quite

Sunny shifted a little.

to enter the fray as well,