novelraw Chapter 373: Hell warriors? Is this all they are?
Chapter 373: Hell warriors? Is this all they are?
In fact, despite the grandiose and almost death-defying zeal of the ghost army, a sense of fear inevitably crept in when they saw a large number of hell warriors emerging from the Mist.
After all, these were the hell warriors who could terrify an entire ghost city into hiding with just a dozen of their number!
However, when Edward and others descended from the sky and instantly eliminated several hell warriors, the fear in the hearts of the ghost army dissipated completely.
It turned out that hell warriors were not invincible after all!
With this realization, their fear transformed into a rallying cry: "Why fear, let’s fight them!"
The next moment, under the leadership of the electric ghost and the head-holding ghost, the ghost army charged towards the hell warriors.
Most of these ghost soldiers lacked Ghost Skills and innate talents, and even after consuming the Ghost Pills crafted by Alexander, they only reached the level of evil spirits. But they had strength in numbers.
Lacking Ghost Skills didn’t stop them from hurling weapons. They simply infused their Ghost Energy into their weapons and threw them at the enemy.
The first million hell warriors were quickly enveloped by countless ghosts and buried under a mountain of weapons rained down upon them, overwhelmed by sheer numbers. No matter how powerful a hell warrior was, they couldn’t withstand the onslaught of millions of attacks.
Moreover, Alexander’s army was equipped with Ghost Treasures that enhanced their combat abilities. Even the weakest ghost soldier could deliver blows as lethal as a Fierce Ghost under such terrifying augmentation.
The first wave of hell warriors was thus swiftly dealt with, a development that surprised many.
Ironically, the greatest casualties within the ghost army were not caused by the hell warriors’ resistance, but rather by the misjudged strength and aim of their own comrades and the ensuing chaos of pushing and trampling among those who were unaware of the situation.
Due to the exhaustion and the force of the weapons enhanced by numerous Ghost Treasures, coupled with timely intervention and command from the rear by Alexander, there were no fatalities, though tens of thousands of ghost soldiers were injured.
These injuries, however, did little to dampen the spirits of the ghost army. All who witnessed the scene were stunned by the sight of the hell warriors piled up like a mountain, and a single thought resonated in their minds:
"Hell warriors? Is this all they are?" They seemed surprisingly easy to defeat.
As the word spread through the ranks, even those at the back who couldn’t see the front lines grew increasingly confident upon hearing the tales passed back. The ghost army’s morale skyrocketed.
"What are you all standing around for?" Tony, deeply influenced by Alexander, shouted at the dazed ghost army, "Those in front who acted first, clean the battlefield! Prioritize re-equipping based on strength, and the rest, bypass and fill in the ranks, keep moving forward!"
Prompted by Tony’s command, those who had been at the forefront and had taken action first now had the privilege of scavenging the battlefield. They excitedly rushed towards the mountain of weapons.
Those at the back took detours, eyeing their comrades who donned hell warrior equipment with envy. Then, jealousy set in as they realized what lay ahead wasn’t just hell warriors but a trove of top-tier equipment.
"Kill the hell warriors, grab the equipment!" Shouts began to echo among the ghost soldiers, growing louder and deafening. With eyes wide like hungry wolves on the hunt, they frantically charged towards the Mist, a place they once dreaded.
As they stepped into the Mist, more hoofbeats and footsteps sounded. Ahead, a force ten times larger than the initial group of hell warriors, driving an even more terrifyingly large army, surged towards them. These were natives from a certain Instance, numbering in the hundreds of millions.
These natives were somewhat compliant with being driven, as surviving this battle promised escape from their cycle.
To them, the army outside the Mist, those they had bullied within their Instances, even at Emperor level, posed no threat, especially since they heard that this time the enemy mainly consisted of regular ghost civilians – an easy task, they thought.
The natives, howling excitedly, charged towards the distant shadows. But they soon found it odd; why were the cries of those supposed weaklings even louder than theirs?
As the distance closed, the natives from the Mist Instance were utterly dumbfounded. The opposing force was staggeringly vast! Their hundreds of millions were intimidating enough, but the enemy was a veritable sea of ghosts.
Like rivers reversing and seas surging, the massive semi-circular formation of the ghost army furiously advanced. Weapons rained down like a storm before the soldiers even clashed.
The terror was overwhelming. Countless natives fell instantly, each pierced by numerous weapons and quickly buried under a growing wall of armaments.
Some higher-level natives, capable of flight, used their Ghost Energy to soar over the massive wall. However, the next moment, countless shadows swarmed from all directions.
They managed to cut down a few ghost soldiers, but in an instant, hordes of ghosts overwhelmed and pinned them to the ground. Once down, there was no chance of getting back up.
The Horror World ghost army, in a frenzy, tore into the natives using nails and teeth, overwhelming each native with endless assailants. No one could withstand such a relentless attack.
As each native fell, their equipment was swiftly divided among the ghosts, who, armed with newfound gear, relentlessly pursued the next native and then the hell warriors.
Alexander wasn’t idle either. Along with his duplicates, they worked tirelessly, transforming Ghost Food and distributing it directly to the ghost army. Despite some casualties, the overall strength of the army didn’t diminish; instead, it grew rapidly.
The second wave of hell warrior troops was quickly dispatched within minutes, their resistance barely slowing the ghost army’s advance. The horror of their onslaught made their skirmishes seem insignificant compared to the vastness of the Horror World’s hundred trillion-strong army.
More ghost soldiers surged over the terrain, relentlessly pushing forward. Wave after wave of hell warriors and natives attacked, but Alexander, watching from above, frowned in concern.
He wasn’t as blindly confident as his soldiers; a sense of foreboding grew within him. It was strange that the hell warriors were attacking in waves rather than all at once.
Had they launched a unified assault, they might have inflicted far greater losses on his forces, even if they still stood no chance against the immense ghost army. This tactic of attrition was a grave mistake in warfare, and Alexander was sure that the White Clothes wouldn’t overlook this.
Something was off—it seemed less like a battle and more like... a delay.
Realizing this, Alexander quickly commanded, "Special forces team one, advance and engage in battle! Eliminate the enemy quickly and accelerate our march!"
The special forces weren’t a conventional military unit but rather an elite team Alexander had assembled for unique situations, like Edward and his group.
He had gathered ghosts with special talents and battle prowess, elevating them to Ghost Emperor level. Ten thousand in each of the ten special forces teams, they were the elite of the elite, chosen from hundreds of millions.
Upon reaching the Ghost Emperor level, their combat strength was formidable, capable of rivaling ordinary inheritance Ghost Emperors. Some were even more powerful than Edward.
"Ha, finally, it’s my turn!" Foreskin, a member of the special forces, roared upon hearing Alexander’s command. With a surge of Ghost Energy, he leaped forward, his three-meter-long sword crashing down with immense force.
Instantly, his talent activated, greatly amplifying his momentum. With a single slash, countless sword shadows converged, toppling dozens of hell warriors.
This talent had recently awakened, and with Alexander’s help, Foreskin had risen to Emperor level using black beetles and joined the special forces.
His single strike toppled, not killed, most of the hell warriors, an impressive feat considering their Emperor-level strength.
Even if somewhat weaker than typical Emperors, especially those with forbidden power, hell warriors were still undeniably Emperors. Other than extraordinary fighters like Edward, most, even at the Imperial level, couldn’t handle them.
Foreskin, after his powerful strike that felled dozens, didn’t pause even for a second. He didn’t bother with the hell warriors he had toppled; on such a battlefield, once you’re down, you’re as good as dead, injured or not.
Those hell warriors, struggling to rise, were quickly swarmed and engulfed by hordes of ghost soldiers.
The sight of others gaining loot had ignited a frenzied envy among the ghost army. Each soldier, red-eyed like rabbits with myxomatosis, pounced on the hell warriors.
Before the hell warriors could react, their helmets were yanked off, and swords snatched from their grasp. One particularly ruthless ghost even smashed a hell warrior in the face with his own helmet.
As a hell warrior tried to raise his hand to fight back – a motion that would normally allow him to crush a ghost soldier with ease – his armguards were forcibly removed by several ghosts.
"Smart move, buddy! Thanks!" one of the ghosts chirped cheerfully while donning the stolen armguard, as if the hell warrior had raised his arm just to assist in the looting.
Those who missed out on the armguards grew desperate. Some, more civilized, yanked at his boots and leg guards, while others, less so, attacked with various weapons.
The one who had snatched his sword earlier even hacked off his arm and ran off with it, tugging at the armguard as he fled. The rest of the ghost soldiers refocused their efforts on stripping the hell warrior of his remaining equipment.
Indeed, a leader sets the tone for his soldiers. Alexander, the grand bandit of the Horror World, had bred a force of ruthless looters. The special forces, witnessing Foreskin’s performance, were not to be outdone.
"Nice move, Foreskin! Watch this!" Red-haired Ghost, inspired by his comrade, charged forward.
His talent activated, tinting his swirling black Ghost Energy with a hint of pink as he plunged into the hell warrior throng. He didn’t need to attack; wherever his pink-tinted Ghost Energy touched, the hell warriors began frantically tearing at their own clothing, faces flushed red.
"This is great!"
"Way to go, Red-haired Ghost!"
The ghost army behind was instantly energized by this turn of events – it was convenient! They didn’t even need to struggle for the equipment; simply picking it up was enough.
Those who grabbed long swords swiftly used them, efficiently dispatching the disarmed hell warriors. After all, with Red-haired Ghost’s unorthodox talent, it was crucial to finish off the hell warriors quickly before they could recover and counterattack.
Besides Red-haired Ghost and Foreskin, the other members of the special forces were equally formidable, each displaying a diverse array of talents and Ghost Skills.
Those with offensive talents could take down a swath of enemies in a single blow, focusing more on incapacitating than lethal damage.
The ones with control abilities used their Ghost Energy to conjure numerous black tendrils that bound the hell warriors, rendering them helpless. With the relentless ghost army following closely, even a second of control was enough to allow the army to tear the restrained hell warriors apart.
The most ferocious among them were the ghosts who had died from rage while watching sports. Their talents were extreme and brutal. One, named "Geneva", could summon a rain of foul-smelling giant feet from the sky, crushing hell warriors into the ground.
Another, "Fury Riot", would send nearby hell warriors into a berserk state, attacking each other savagely.
These soldiers, clad in full hell warrior gear, supplemented with Ghost Treasures enhancing their combat abilities and bearing transferred inheritance Emperor marks, were nearly a third inheritance Ghost Emperors. Their combat effectiveness was immense.
Even Alexander, without resorting to his Underworld Sword and other trump cards, could only contend with three to five of these enhanced soldiers at most.
With this elite squad acting as the spearhead, tearing through enemy lines, the pace of the battle accelerated dramatically. The time taken for combat was even less than what they spent on scavenging the battlefield.
Of course, this efficiency was also in line with Alexander’s principle of conservation. If not for their thorough looting, the battle might have taken even less time.