Of course, Duanmu Huai hadn't forgotten about the bald old archbishop. He quickly pried open the iron bars and pulled the elder out. From him, Duanmu Huai finally learned the truth—Manfred had captured them to perform a ritual meant to resurrect the necromancer Nagash.
The blood of the elven princess was the key to Nagash's ascension to godhood. That was why Manfred had treated her well, feeding her and keeping her comfortable, though he had placed a curse on her to sap her strength and prevent her from escaping.
Hmm... no wonder when Duanmu Huai had checked her earlier, the princess had been limp like a dead pig. Whether she was or wasn't, it made little difference.
The bald old archbishop, however, had suffered far worse. Manfred intended to use him as the vessel for Nagash's resurrection. He had tortured the old man endlessly, hoping to shatter his spirit and reduce him to a living corpse—one that Nagash could then possess to return to life.
Duanmu Huai and the others had arrived at just the right time. Originally, Manfred should have already begun the ritual, but since several of Nagash's relics were not only missing but had been outright lost, the necromancer had nearly berated him to his face. Left with no choice, Manfred had gone off in search of other relics to fill the gap, leaving Heinrich, another necromancer, to guard this place.
As for that necromancer... well, Duanmu Huai hadn't seen him, so it meant Kevin's group had probably been the unlucky ones to run into him...
"Boom!!!"
Suddenly, a deafening explosion shook the outside. Hearing it, Duanmu Huai raised an eyebrow.
Well, speak of the devil. Unlucky indeed.
Without wasting another moment, he grabbed the elven princess in one hand and the archbishop in the other, then fired up his jetpack and soared upward, flying straight out of the underground prison. He landed just in time to see part of the castle's outer wall explode. A group of mercenaries came scrambling out, fleeing for their lives, and behind them a massive figure was charging after them.
"You go help those two. This one's mine!"
With a cold snort, Duanmu Huai barked an order to Anne, then accelerated forward and planted himself in front of the towering figure. He swung his warhammer, knocking aside the giant axe that had been about to split a greatsword-wielding warrior clean in two, saving him just in time.
"You finally came!!"
Seeing Duanmu Huai arrive, both the greatsword warrior and Kevin let out sighs of relief and quickly retreated. Duanmu Huai gripped his warhammer tightly, staring at the massive enemy before him. It was roughly his own height, clad in crimson armor inlaid with white skulls and bat motifs just like his own, wielding an enormous double-bladed axe. Beneath its helmet was a skull-like face with burning green flames flickering in its hollow sockets—truly a sight that screamed danger.
"This is your opponent?"
"Be careful! That's a Steel Knight!" Kevin shouted at once.
"It's no ordinary undead! His name is Gul, once a Champion of the Blood God! And now, he is Nagash's Death Lord!"
"Well, finally someone worth a real fight."
Hearing that, Duanmu Huai narrowed his eyes. A Champion of the Blood God? This one wouldn't be easy... but... he'd find out after trading blows!
The Death Lord clearly didn't take Duanmu Huai seriously. Without even glancing at him, it raised its axe and swung. Duanmu Huai didn't hesitate—he slammed his warhammer forward to meet the strike.
"Boom!!!"
The clash of hammer and axe rang out like thunder, the ground collapsing around them from the sheer force. Both warriors trembled slightly from the impact. At last, the Death Lord turned his gaze toward Duanmu Huai. But Duanmu Huai wasn't foolish. Just as the undead warrior attacked again, he suddenly leapt back, and dozens of puppets appeared, blocking the Death Lord's path.
Naturally, those fragile puppets were no match for the giant axe, which shredded them instantly. But Duanmu Huai's purpose was already served. As the puppets were annihilated, the massive Mobile Armor reappeared around him. At the same time, he spent another 1000 EXP to reset the card [Arms Enhancement]. A brilliant red glow flared across his body as he let out a furious roar, raised the Thunder Warhammer, and charged again!
"Boom! Boom! Boom!!"
The battle was like two humanoid tornadoes colliding, no tricks, no finesse—just raw power. Whoever struck the other down would be the victor.
As a Champion of the Blood God, Gul was already a terrifying foe. Now, transformed into the undying Death Lord, his power was monstrous. Even a casual swing of his axe could smash through castle walls thick enough to withstand a trebuchet.
But Duanmu Huai was no weaker. With [Mobile Armor (3)], plus [Arms Enhancement (2)], plus [Paladin's Summon (2)], and his own 2 attack points, his attack power had skyrocketed to a terrifying 9. Every strike of the Thunder Warhammer forced the Death Lord back, each blow cracking the earth beneath his feet.
The humiliation infuriated Gul. He was a Champion of Chaos, a Death Lord, and yet this... thing... was forcing him back?
Impossible!!
"Rooooar!!!"
The Death Lord unleashed a furious bellow. Necrotic energy erupted from him like a storm, whirling outward. He gripped his axe and brought it down with a blow meant to split the very earth.
But Duanmu Huai showed no fear. He wore the Mobile Armor, and with its [Guard] trait, even if he died the armor would take the fall. And in this instant, he saw his chance.
As the Death Lord struck, Duanmu Huai surged forward into the soul storm. He lowered his head and rammed through the raging tide of death energy like an immovable reef, closing in on Gul. His warhammer came crashing down at the same moment the giant axe descended toward his skull. In a split second, Duanmu Huai tilted his head—so the axe only grazed his ear before biting into his collarbone.
At the same time, his Thunder Warhammer, blazing with holy light and lightning, smashed into Gul's chest.
"Bang!!!"
The two of them were hurled backward, slamming into the walls on either side. Everyone else stared, dumbstruck.
"Sir Knight!?"
Anne, who was busy dispelling the curse on the princess and healing the archbishop, gasped in alarm. She had not expected the massive undead to be strong enough to knock Duanmu Huai away.
"Crash!!!"
But before despair could take hold, rubble flew aside and Duanmu Huai strode out of the wreckage. His Mobile Armor was shattered, but he himself remained unharmed.
The same could not be said for Gul. The Thunder Warhammer carried not only lightning but the holy power of Sigmar. While previous blows had failed to fully connect, this time Duanmu Huai's strike had landed squarely. The holy power pierced the Death Lord's defenses, driving through his chest.
When Gul rose again, his chestplate and the bones beneath were crumbling and decaying, Sigmar's holy power corroding his form from within. The lightning had carried the sanctity through his entire body. Yet he did not falter. He glared at Duanmu Huai, gripped his axe... but then his arms dissolved into dust, scattering into the wind. The enormous axe fell with a heavy clang.
"Whew..."
With a howl of wind, the towering undead warrior disintegrated into ashes, carried away on the breeze. When the storm settled, only the fallen double-bladed axe remained on the ground.
"Damn...!"
Duanmu Huai finally dropped to one knee, sucking in a sharp breath. The Mobile Armor had taken the killing blow, but the impact afterward had slammed into him directly. It felt little different from being hit head-on by a runaway truck.
"Sir Knight, are you alright!?"
Anne rushed over anxiously, eyes full of worry. Duanmu Huai shook his head.
"I'm fine, just... took the shock head-on..."
"That's good... We should leave this place."
"Master, we can't leave."
It was Olgis who stepped forward now, her voice calm.
"We've already been surrounded."
"Oh?"
Duanmu Huai frowned, stood, and walked up to the wall. Looking out, he saw the castle completely encircled. From every direction, a vast sea of undead stretched out, tens of thousands strong. Clearly, their enemy hadn't underestimated them—once the jailbreak was discovered, the entire army had been dispatched.
"This... what do we do...!? We should run!!"
The mercenaries turned pale at the sight. Half their number had already fallen in the fight against the Death Lord, and the rest were wounded. Even Kevin was panting heavily, his face grim.
But...
"Run? From what? What's there to run from?"
Duanmu Huai snorted, glaring at the trembling mercenaries. Then he narrowed his eyes, gazing out over the undead ranks. Among the horde, one bald head stood out clearly.
"Perfect. Saves me the trouble. We'll clean them all up at once!"
As he spoke, Duanmu Huai pulled on his helmet and activated his communicator.
"Mia—prepare for ground bombardment!"
Almost instantly, the voice of the artificial angel came through, calm and unhurried as always.
"Understood, Master."
(End of Chapter)