novelraw Chapter 282: The war has officially begun
Chapter 282: The war has officially begun
"Ah, just as I expected! You never disappoint!" Tony exclaimed, as if a lightbulb had suddenly turned on in his mind.
"I knew it!" Edward muttered.
Su Rong and Annie both looked as if they had fully grasped the situation, and even Kassadin appeared to be in the know.
Abigail and the others, however, were utterly bewildered.
What on Earth was going on? Alexander was acting strangely, but why did everyone else seem just as odd? Had they all gone mad, or had something eluded her?
Despite her bewilderment, orders had to be carried out. Most of the people present, a majority of the Ghost Imperials, had already pledged their loyalty to Alexander.
The Blood Queen and Emperor Kui stood by his side, and even Blizzard obeyed without question. The others had little say in the matter.
Upon Alexander’s command, six million soldiers of the Fierce Ghost Association marched forward in a disciplined formation.
If one paid close attention, they would notice at the rear of this six-million-strong army were Asfur, Sam, and Terence, three Ghost Imperials leading a group of elite ghostly guards, safeguarding a few Chosen Ones.
Henry, Jodan, McCray...
If anyone from Earth were here, they would realize that these were high-ranking military personnel, known for their tactical acumen. Additionally, there were some special individuals—human scholars specializing in the study of the Horror World, exploring various Ghost Skills and abilities.
Together, these people formed a war command group.
"Charge!" The battlefield reverberated with war cries.
From the Endless Abyss, an army of millions surged toward Dark Hell like a tidal wave, a spectacle of grandiosity and might.
In contrast, the Fierce Ghost Corps from Dark Hell moved in a coordinated manner, their ranks orderly and their pace steadfast yet unhurried, as they advanced.
"Haha, what’s Dark Hell up to with these little tricks? Formations? This is the Horror World, where strength is paramount! What’s the point of such theatrics?" A commander at the vanguard of the Endless Abyss army sneered as he eyed the slow-moving but well-organized Fierce Ghost Corps.
"Follow me and unleash hell! Don’t hold back! Use all your Ghost Skills and talents! Break through this pretty but useless formation!" With this rallying cry, his subordinates began to unleash their abilities.
Elements of frost and flame mingled with ghostly mists as they surged toward the Fierce Ghost Corps with unparalleled momentum.
"Prepare your defensive Ghost Skills and talents! Guardian Corps to the front! Ranged Corps, be ready!" A commanding voice resonated across the Fierce Ghost ranks, transmitted through a mystical artifact to every corner of the battlefield.
"Fire!" Another shout erupted just as the two armies were on the verge of clashing. Rolling sonic waves accompanied a volley of Ghost Skills that shot skyward.
In the Horror World, the use of long-ranged weapons like bows and arrows is exceptionally rare, even among the various ghost cities’ armies. However, once one reaches a certain level, there are those who possess some form of long-range attack Ghost Skills or talents.
This tactical prowess was not unique to one side; both Dark Hell and Endless Abyss exhibited it. However, it was abundantly clear that the Fierce Ghost Association had purposefully concentrated their long-range offensive capabilities.
At the signal, a barrage of Ghost Skills erupted, far more terrifying in both quantity and quality than anything unleashed by the Endless Abyss.
The impact was poles apart.
On the Fierce Ghost side, an array of diverse Ghost Energy shields materialized in the sky. Seen from above, it resembled a gigantic dome, deflecting all incoming ranged attacks.
In stark contrast, the Endless Abyss forces suffered catastrophic losses under the concentrated fire, and not just among the vanguard at the front lines. The targeted location was slightly to the rear, effectively severing the Endless Abyss army into two disparate sections.
Where the concentrated fire had landed, all that remained were smears of blood and gore, save for a few scattered ghosts endowed with robust defensive Ghost Skills.
The commander who had just moments ago mocked the Fierce Ghost Corps for their "pretentious formation" was now utterly dumbfounded.
What had been a continuous, tide-like army just a second before was now reduced to merely two units of ten thousand after a single round of attack.
The main body of the Endless Abyss army was just behind them, separated by a mere gap of twenty or thirty meters.
Given the speed of these soldier-level ghosts, it would take less than a second to close that distance. Yet that fraction of a second felt endlessly long.
For a moment, the thirty thousand soldiers of the Endless Abyss army who led the charge were indecision.
To fight? With only thirty thousand, how could they possibly win? Waiting for reinforcements was clearly not an option either, for the Fierce Ghost Association was not idly standing by.
Without advancing, these thirty thousand would be wiped out by another round of concentrated fire.
"Charge!" Finally, the commander gritted his teeth and ordered the advance. The two forces collided with explosive force, inaugurating a vicious hand-to-hand struggle.
What chilled the commander was the realization that the front lines of the Fierce Ghost army were comprised entirely of ghosts with defensive talents and defensive Ghost Skills.
"Endless Abyss fools, are you trying to tickle me?" One muscular member of the Fierce Ghost Association, emanating a faint golden glow, withstood a blade strike from an advancing Endless Abyss soldier.
Grinning menacingly, he grabbed and hurled him backward. Instantly, at least three to five weapons—blades and steel clubs—rained down on the fallen, dispatching him with screams of agony.
Another Endless Abyss soldier, brimming with confidence, lunged forward, aiming his Ghost Energy spear at the chest of a Fierce Ghost Association warrior. A Ghost Energy armor materialized, stopping the spear less than an inch in, allowing no further progress.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Two streaks of air-breaking sound followed as a ghost blade made of flames fell from the sky, killing the attacking soldier instantly. The Fierce Ghost Association member who had just killed an enemy retreated several steps without any hesitation, taking cover behind the armored ghost soldier once again.
This pattern was repeated across the battlefield. In the blink of an eye, the thirty thousand soldiers of the Endless Abyss were slaughtered. On the side of the Fierce Ghost Association, total losses were fewer than a hundred.
Suddenly, the entire battlefield was gripped by shock.
However, at this point, neither side had room for retreat.
The Endless Abyss army charged again in quick succession.
The second wave was almost a carbon copy of the first. The only difference was the increased number of troops involved, and consequently, an increased number who were cut down.
The Fierce Ghost Association still kept their losses under a thousand, yet the enemy casualties surpassed fifty thousand. In the few seconds spanned by the two waves of concentrated fire, the Endless Abyss had already suffered 150,000 casualties.
In contrast, the Fierce Ghost Association’s losses amounted to a mere thousand. The disparity in casualties between the two sides had reached a staggering ratio of over 100 to 1!
Commanders from both sides were momentarily dumbfounded.
"Is the Endless Abyss army really this incompetent?" Alexander wondered, curling his lip.
Although the battle had just begun and such tactics couldn’t be sustained indefinitely, he had never imagined that a large-scale conflict in the Horror World could resemble a brawl between street thugs.
This is pathetic!
The Fierce Ghost Association’s specialized battle strategy turned the front lines into a massive meat grinder.
Within just a few minutes, they inflicted hundreds of thousands of casualties on the Endless Abyss while suffering fewer than ten thousand losses themselves. The battle had unexpectedly turned into a one-sided affair.
"How could this be?" Yao stood dumbfounded at the rear of the crowd.
Large-scale wars of this magnitude were rare in the Horror World. Even the recently expansionist Endless Abyss rarely encountered resistance. A single large army was usually sufficient to secure an overwhelming victory.
The Endless Abyss had likewise subdued a large ghost city with their superior strength, and other ghost cities were even less of a challenge.
Especially after the powers of various ghost cities had stabilized, many had not experienced warfare for decades, if not centuries. In such a context, concepts like battle formations and tactics were considered obsolete.
Massive wars that one might encounter maybe once in a century allowed a single Ghost Imperial to easily slay thousands due to the vast difference in strength.
All these factors conveyed to the rulers of the Horror World a seemingly reasonable notion: strength is everything; training is futile. Instead of wasting effort on training and coordination, it was better to focus on increasing one’s power.
In this moment, the Fierce Ghost Association’s army revealed a harrowing truth: that tactical formations and teamwork had the power to turn decay into magic.
The casualty disparity—nearly a hundredfold—left everyone on the battlefield dumbstruck. Even the charging pace of the Endless Abyss army slowed by a fraction.
"Ares, Callum!" Watching as casualties on his side soared, reaching a million within mere minutes, Yao could hold his tongue no longer. He looked toward Ares and Callum.
"Don’t worry, the war has only just begun," Ares hastily offered as consolation.
"Relax," Callum patted Yao’s shoulder, his face calm. "People die in wars. True, Dark Hell’s tactics were unexpected, but such strategies can’t be sustained. Both Ghost Skills and talents have their limits. Just weather this initial storm, and when their formation falters, that will be their end."
Yao was nearly infuriated by their nonchalance. After all, it wasn’t their troops that were dying!
His initial plan had been to send both Ares’ and Callum’s troops into the fray. Their armies might not be as strong as Endless Abyss, but they totaled thirty million, including over four million soldier-class ghosts.
With additional forces from Netherworld and Undead City, they would surely break through the current deadlock with overwhelming power. Clearly, Ares and Callum weren’t fools; they had no intention of taking his bait.
As the battlefield reached a stalemate, just as Callum predicted, the Endless Abyss army had almost twice the number of soldiers as Fierce Ghost Association. The moment their formation broke or their special defenses entered a cooldown period, the tide would quickly turn.
"Brilliant!" After a moment’s hesitation, Yao shouted.
"Master!" Behind Yao, the eleven Ghost Imperials he had brought with him were present. The one who appeared to be the leader among them knelt down on one knee, displaying utmost reverence.
"Go, break their formation for me," Yao commanded.
If they could just puncture a hole in the Fierce Ghost Association’s formation, their forces could charge straight through. Once both sides were entangled in close combat, the much-vaunted tactical formations would become a farce.
"Wait for our good news, My Lord."
Nodding in assent, Brilliant Imperial’s body began to glow with a radiant white light, which swiftly enveloped the eleven Ghost Imperials standing beside him.
In the next moment, they vanished, reappearing at the very front lines of the battlefield.
Of course, even with the combined powers of eleven Ghost Imperials, they didn’t dare teleport directly into the enemy’s formation; they chose the vanguard as their landing spot instead.
"Kill them!" Brilliant Imperial roared, lifting his right hand.
His palm seemed to become the center of a bizarre force field as the surrounding light rapidly converged towards it, eventually forming a gleaming sword made entirely of light.
With this sword in hand, Brilliant bellowed and charged headlong into the formation of the Fierce Ghost Army.
Boom!
A massive ball of light, unleashed by an Imperial-level cannon, rocketed towards the eleven Imperials.
"Annihilate it!"
These eleven were special forces trained by Lord K himself, each endowed with extraordinary talents. One of the Ghost Imperials abruptly looked up at the incoming cannonball. His right eye’s pupil transformed into a spinning black vortex.
In mid-air, a black vortex abruptly materialized, positioning itself right in front of the radiant cannonball. The massive ball of light plunged into the vortex, and as the vortex churned, the light astonishingly vanished without a trace.
But that was not all. One of the Ghost Imperial channeled Ghost Energy into his hand and firmly planted a black flag into the ground. Black ripples quickly emanated from the flag, spreading throughout the vicinity.
Edward, who had planned to teleport with Kassadin and others using his spatial abilities, was horrified to find that his powers were suddenly nullified. To be precise, teleportation became impossible within the area affected by the black ripples.
If they were to teleport outside of this black ripple range, by the time they made it to the frontline, the Fierce Ghost Army’s formation would surely have a gaping hole.
"The tactics of Endless Abyss far exceed those of Dark Hell! Kill, and coordinate with our troops, rip open the formation before us!"
Brilliant’s eyes seemed to pierce through the colossal battlefield. Noticing Edward’s thwarted attempts, he scoffed disdainfully and continued to issue commands while swinging his sword of light.
"What do we do now?" Edward looked pale, standing at the rear of the battlefield.
"Allow me," Alexander’s eyes flickered with a cold light. The talent disrupting spatial abilities was effective against Edward but entirely useless against someone like him who possessed forbidden powers.
A surge of white light enveloped him, and Alexander’s figure vanished from the spot.
At the very moment his form engaged in teleportation, Emperor Kui and Blizzard simultaneously placed their hands on his shoulders.