Mount and Blade System: Start from Pioneer Lords.

Chapter 469 The Book of the Dead
The troops from Gaoyabao were like a silent torrent, sweeping across the last mile of frozen ground covered in snow, until they reached the foot of the magnificent yet scarred walls of Gonda.

The city gate had long been reduced to shards of wood and twisted metal in the previous battle.

Hogger led the way, his dire wolf leaping nimbly over the collapsed city gate's battlements, followed closely by Gus, whose heavy hooves crushed the frozen corpses and rubble.

The sight that came into view made even these battle-hardened elites pause instinctively and gasp.

The city before us was no longer a deathly city shrouded in gloom.

The sky was clear and bright, and the long-awaited winter sun shone down without obstruction, giving the ravaged city a strange, almost sacred golden glow.

However, beneath this radiant light lay a shocking disaster.

As far as the eye could see, there were only broken walls and ruins.

The once towering buildings have been razed to the ground in large sections, as if a group of giant beasts were engaged in a bloody battle without any restraint.

Huge craters are everywhere, broken stones, collapsed houses, and debris are scattered all over the place. Some of the ground has even been corroded and then solidified, shimmering with a black agate-like luster.

The air was filled with a peculiar mixture of smells—sun-warmed dust, a burnt smell, and an indescribable sense of cleanliness, as if the air had been thoroughly purified.

The most unsettling thing is the silence.

Absolute silence replaced the chilling whispers and howls unique to the dead.

There were no wandering skeletons, no lingering vengeful spirits, not even a single insect chirping.

Only the grayish-white powder covering almost every inch of the ground shimmered faintly in the sunlight. It was the only trace left after millions of souls had been completely incinerated by that domineering holy sun.

A gentle breeze swept by, and the ashes rose softly like fine snowflakes, swirling and silently recounting the events that had just transpired.

"Gulp..." A strong orc warrior swallowed hard and gripped the handle of his giant axe.

Even the bravest warriors couldn't help but feel a primal fear when faced with such a sight.

Many elderly people from Gaoyabao Brigade once visited the prosperous city of Gonda, a once bustling and magnificent city. In an instant, it became a dead city that seemed to have been abandoned for hundreds of years, inevitably evoking a sense of sorrow.

What kind of disaster could have turned this magnificent city into this state in such a short period of time?

Hogger's sharp gaze swept across the ruined battlefield, its nostrils twitching as it caught the lingering elemental fluctuations and a familiar scent in the wind. It grinned, revealing its gleaming white fangs: "There's the scent of those frost giants, and the breath of dragons."

The ancient centaur's body was like a mobile fortress. It surveyed its surroundings, its broad chest heaving as it muttered, "The fighting was fierce."

Of course, it refers to the dead.

Its gaze finally settled on the area where the Holy Light Church was located, where the residual energy fluctuations were the strongest, and even the air seemed to be slightly distorted.

"Advance with caution."

The dire wolf beneath him assumed an attack stance, and Hogg sensed this and issued a command.

"hiss!"

As they were traveling down a street, a roar suddenly came from the houses on both sides.

Their arrival was like a pebble suddenly thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples.

These undead, who had managed to survive by hiding in the ruins, began to gather. They sensed that the holy light that had instilled their instinctive fear in the outside world had dissipated, so they dragged their decaying and evil bodies and began to attack the intruders.

Skeletons, zombies, undead warriors...

Driven by madness, running, roaring, and a ferocious expression, his face was filled with primal hatred—a hatred between the living and the dead that even the gods could not reconcile.

The well-prepared warriors of High Cliff Fortress remained completely calm even when encountering the undead for the first time. The heavily armored orc infantrymen calmly drew their steel javelins and fired at close range. Skeletons, zombies, and undead warriors were nothing more than sitting ducks for them. A spear thrust forward, imbued with immense force, could shave a line like a boning knife before the force dissipated.

The centaur warriors paced back and forth, firing methodically and steadily. Their proud archery skills ensured that they never missed, and they could even kill three birds with one arrow.

Even triple and quadruple shots, archery techniques that only master archers can master, are standard equipment for them. Some individuals can even perform fancy tricks like six-shot bursts.

As the centaur leader, Gus was incredibly powerful, unleashing a nine-shot barrage every time. The Zheqin Divine Bow allowed him to unleash his full power without restraint, and each arrow, imbued with wind and lightning elements, was no less powerful than a magic crystal cannon, easily pulverizing all the undead in front of him.

He displayed his archery skills to the fullest.

The Gaoyabao Brigade only had a little over 1,200 men, but the strength they displayed was enough to hold off at least two or three Debei standard-equipped legions.

If the enemy lacks spellcasters and powerful magical equipment, this large force could easily crush a 10,000-strong army simply by relying on the centaur warriors' hit-and-run tactics.

Only a few hundred undead were hiding in this street; their pulses were completely wiped out by the warriors of Gaoyabao.

"Keep going, let's meet up with the adults first." Hogg growled, and the dire wolf darted out first, stepping on a layer of skeleton, and ran towards the area of ​​the Holy Light Church.

With his broadsword in hand, he followed closely behind.

The soldiers of Gaoyabao were well-trained and lined up in battle formation, silently and vigilantly following their two commanders. The steel soles of their boots pounded against the skeletons, making a teeth-grinding "crunch, crunch" sound that was particularly clear in the deathly silent city.

……

"Is this the Book of the Dead that triggered this cataclysmic disaster?" In the basement of the Holy Light Church, which was mostly collapsed, Li Wei curiously examined the white book placed on the ground.

After dealing with Pantuo, the other priests were carrying the wounded saint's body back to the holy water pool with pious expressions, while he and Fatil arrived there.

“That’s right, the aura of the undead above is too powerful,” Fatil said softly.

Li Wei reached out to turn the pages of the book to see what magic was recorded inside, but found that the book was like a solid iron ingot, and he couldn't open it no matter what he did.

“Levi, stop arguing. Only mages have the right to open this book. Although you've cultivated the ‘Holy Words Codex’ and can use holy light, you're essentially no different from a battle knight.” Fatil's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile: “That's a difference in their fundamental nature.”

For some reason, the lord sensed the mage's disdain for the lousy warrior.

"If you can open it, why can't I?" the lord challenged.

With his strength, he could tear even the finest steel in half; he didn't believe he couldn't open a book.

Grasp the sides of the Book of the Dead with both hands, and then exert force forcefully.

"It hurts so much! Stop it! Stop it!"

A sharp, piercing cry of pain suddenly rang out. "Obi-Slach, the book can actually make a sound!" the lord exclaimed, staring at the enormous Book of the Dead in his hand, his face filled with disbelief.

"You're making a fuss over nothing. The Book of the Dead is a relic from the Titan era, so it's not surprising that it has developed intelligence." Sersney rarely found a weakness in Levi and gave him a disdainful look, but she was still very curious and went over to examine it.

After all, it was an artifact from the same era as the Titanite, so she was naturally extremely curious.

Moreover, this book can even transform a cloud giant into a lich, which is simply unimaginable.

After all, transforming into a lich is not something that can be done easily; the difficulty involved is enough to stump a group of novices and block a group of necromancers.

And so, for the first time, the lord saw a scarlet vertical pupil appear on the page. He looked at it, and it looked at him too. Then they winked at each other.

The lord turned his head and a beam of holy light condensed. Since it was related to the undead, the holy light could surely purify them.

"No, sir!"

"Hey, you actually dare to beg for mercy? You're even less likely to live!" Li Wei pulled out a line from a Far Eastern musical, and the holy light intensified.

This book has unleashed such a massive undead calamity and possesses such profound wisdom; it's better to avoid trouble and simply destroy it altogether.

"I... I can help you resurrect the dead, and I also possess countless powerful necromancy spells..." Perhaps realizing that its life was about to end, the book's voice grew increasingly urgent.

However, they did not realize that the more they talked, the more alarmed the lord became, and he directly judged that if this child was not eliminated, he would become a great threat in the future!

Then, holy light enveloped the Book of the Dead, performing a baptism of holy light. With a shrill scream, the eyes on the book vanished instantly, and it returned to being an ordinary white book.

This Book of the Dead truly lives up to its reputation as a relic of the Titans; it did not turn to ashes under the baptism of the Holy Light.

"Fatir, don't you Holy Light Church have plenty of holy water? Give me a cartload later, and I'll throw this book and the undead into it and let it soak for a few more years." The lord was still worried.

The effects of holy water are no less than those of holy light. Even the Lich King would become a holy light lich after soaking in it for a year or two, and from then on, he would be compassionate and merciful.

Fatil rolled her eyes dramatically, but no one noticed because she was wearing a mask.

Even in the Holy Light Church, holy water isn't something you can just grab; it's everywhere. This Lord of High Cliff Fortress is really bold to ask for it.

But she nodded.

The lord secretly observed the Book of the Dead, but after observing for a long time, there was no movement. It seemed that the wisdom that had been born within it had indeed disappeared.

He knew, of course, that the Holy Light Church didn't have much of this high-level magical item, Holy Water. He had just said it casually to scare the Book of the Dead, but it seemed there was no problem with it.

"This idiot, trying to fool me? I could tell at a glance that it's related to that scoundrel named Pantuo from before." The lord, acting as a wise man after the event, sneered repeatedly.

The group returned to the surface with the Book of the Dead. The long sunlight shone on them, making them feel warm and sleepy.

"Li Wei, what do you plan to do with this Book of the Dead?" Fatil asked.

"To prevent such evil books from harming the world again in the future, I must personally guard them," Li Wei said without hesitation, his face full of righteous indignation.

Hearing this tone, Sersney felt goosebumps all over her body. Perhaps the most evil person was this Lord of High Cliff Fortress. Anyone who actually believed such words would be a ghost.

“Okay, it’s better to keep it with you, Li Wei.” Fatil nodded.

Sersney glanced at the two of them, then silently walked to the side.

Just then, a series of deep, rhythmic footsteps, approaching from afar, broke the silence.

Accompanied by the low growls of dire wolves and the heavy thud of horses' hooves.

Li Wei's heart skipped a beat; he knew who had come.

Hogg and Gus emerged first from behind a collapsed archway.

Behind them, the elite warriors of Gaoyabao filed in, quickly taking up advantageous positions in the ruins and vigilantly guarding their surroundings.

But when they saw the buildings that looked as if they had been punched through, especially the straight trench that covered the entire field of vision, the admiration in the eyes of all the soldiers was almost overflowing.

Without a doubt, only their own leader has that kind of strength; he can easily change the terrain with a single punch or kick.

The dire wolf stopped in its tracks, and Hogger's gaze swept across the entire area in an instant, quickly spotting the lord in the center of the ruins.

"My lord!" Hogg dismounted from the wolf, his voice carrying a barely perceptible hint of excitement.

Gus sheathed his sword and bowed, his massive hoof stepping forward and kicking up a small cloud of dust.

"Hmm." Li Wei nodded slightly. "Did you encounter any trouble on the way?"

"The snowstorm has stopped, and the journey was smooth," Hogg replied succinctly. "We did encounter some surviving undead along the way, but we dealt with them all."

“Gonda is a large city that can accommodate millions of residents. Some undead are hiding in dark corners and cannot be purified by the solar corona. However, I estimate that there are at most less than 100,000 undead left.” Li Wei nodded, not surprised at all.

Although he eliminated almost 90% of the undead with a single move, there were always some lucky ones who managed to hide in the sewers or dungeons, thus avoiding the purification of the Holy Light.

"Sir, has the matter been resolved here?" Hogg inquired.

Fatil answered Hogg proactively: "Levy has eliminated the biggest threat, and Gonda City has been retaken, albeit at a heavy cost."

She looked at the dilapidated Holy Light Church, her tone tinged with complex heartache, for this was the place where she had grown up.

Hogg and Gus, of course, knew Fatil and bowed respectfully: "Your Highness."

"Sir, what should we do next?" Gus asked.

"Hogg, Gus, you two go and take over the city defenses immediately. If you don't have enough manpower, you can find those Frost Barbarians to help. Most importantly, tell everyone that no one is to be let in without my order!" Li Wei calmly issued the order: "I will notify High Cliff Fort to send a large force later."

The two men clenched their fists and pounded their chests, immediately followed by a series of synchronized clattering sounds of boots on the open ground.

"Your Majesty Li Wei, shouldn't we deal with the remaining undead in Gonda City first?" At this moment, a voice came from not far away.

Li Wei turned his head and saw that the nobles he had rescued from the palace had followed Caris here.

(End of this chapter)