Global Lords: Hundredfold Increments Starting With the Undead-Chapter 1191 - 787 The Palace in the Valley

Chapter 1191: Chapter 787: The Palace in the Valley

Chapter 1191: Chapter 787: The Palace in the Valley

Dawn was breaking, and the air was thick with the stench of blood.

Fang Hao and his three companions sat beside the carriage, while the Elven young master Eugene, with over a dozen of his trusted aides and the middle-aged caravan steward, also rested nearby.

A campfire flickered before them, as they tended to each other’s wounds.

For those already lying on the ground, cold corpses, these people were lucky.

At least they were still alive.

Of course, out of hundreds, it wasn’t possible for all to die in battle. Some had fled during the chaos.

They were all hired mercenaries; when the going was good, so were they, but once they found themselves at a disadvantage, they dispersed like sand, melting away at a word.

A few coins for each mercenary; who would risk their life for such money?

“How did you manage it, within your team, to have so many betray you?” Anjia suddenly asked.

With that question, the atmosphere darkened even more.

For so many in a single team to betray at once indicated a significant management issue.

“Don’t talk nonsense,” Fang Hao chided her with a nudge of his elbow.

At that moment, the young elf spoke up, “We had already lost many of my men before. Those who remained were recent additions. Now that I think of it, the enemy had probably arranged this long ago.”

Of course, analyzing these events after the fact was of no use.

The elf managed a weak smile and said, “Either way, I owe you many thanks. I didn’t expect you all to be so formidable.”

“No need for thanks, with so few of us, this is all the help we could offer,” Fang Hao continued.

“By the way, where are you headed? If you need any assistance, feel free to ask,” the elf offered again.

The incredible strength these few possessed further confirmed they weren’t likely to be mere escorts for hire.

They had an agenda of their own.

After a pause, Fang Hao replied, “Actually, this is our first time here. According to our route, we’re heading to Luseran City. We heard in the tavern that it was more convenient to follow a merchant caravan, so we joined the Dawnlight Caravan on their journey.”

Luseran City was the nearest city to Thorn Tooth Forest.

The elves seemed to accept this explanation.

They had been suspicious of the four strangers from the start, observing them along the way.

These four didn’t look like mercenary escorts at all, more like they were here for a leisurely jaunt. Just yesterday, the beast-eared young girl had jumped off the carriage to chase after a wild animal.

They had even seen her haul back a wild boar, which the group then roasted over a fire.

Now, with the explanation given, everything seemed to make sense.

They had come for a bit of fun, joining the caravan for travel’s sake since they were unfamiliar with the route.

The young elf said, “There’s no issue with that. We’ll head to Luseran together. Once there, I will handle the arrangements.”

“Thanks a lot for that,” they responded.

With things turned out this way, it was indeed difficult to continue the escort.

Some were dead, others had fled, and the horses were gone; they couldn’t possibly move the cargo with just manpower.

After discussing, a few of the elves decided to stay behind, planning to seek help from nearby cities to deal with the goods.

Meanwhile, the young elf would proceed to Luseran City with Fang Hao and his companions.

One reason was Fang Hao’s group was in a hurry, and the second was the young elf felt unsafe on the road, needing their protection.

If Fang Hao and the others left, he would still be in great danger.

Following the agreement, they hastened their horses toward Luseran.

…

Ferryport was bustling, but as they traveled southeast, the opulence diminished, and the elven villages along the way were not as lively as the port area.

After chatting with the young elf, they learned that heading eastward offered no special industries, while the west held more prosperity.

Finally, after three days, they arrived at Luseran.

“Gentlemen, here’s the credential of the Dawnlight Merchant Association. With this, you won’t face any trouble entering or exiting cities,” the young elf said, handing a new token to Fang Hao.

Fang Hao smiled and accepted it, “Alright, thank you.”

The 𝘮ost uptodat𝑒 novels are pub𝙡ished on freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.

“I should be the one thanking you. Without you, I might have lost my life,” the young elf continued.

Though they had used each other, the outcome was agreeable.

“Well, we’ll take our leave then. Perhaps we’ll meet again,” Fang Hao said.

“If you need anything, come find me at the merchant association. My name is Eugene.”

“Alright.”

After saying goodbye to the elf, Fang Hao didn’t seek out an inn.

Instead, he re-examined the map and set off in the carriage straight for Thorn Tooth Forest.

…

At the stronghold of Luseran,

“Who goes there, be gone at once!”

Before the main building of the stronghold, the silver-armored guards spoke in hushed, stern tones.

Eugene looked up at them and pulled out a token from his bosom, “I am ‘Eugene.’ You may call me ‘young master’ or ‘City Lord.'”

The guard’s expression tightened as he caught the silver filigree token and began to inspect it closely.

To tell the truth, he did not recognize this kind of token.

But the emblem carved into the token and the young elf’s confident speech made him hesitate, “Please wait, I’ll inform someone inside.”

Eugene offered no response.

The guard quickly departed, and soon several elves came striding forward.

A middle-aged man, holding the token, led them. His face lit up with joy when he caught sight of Eugene, “Young master… by the gods, you’re finally back,” he exclaimed warmly.

Eugene nodded and strode into the City Lord’s residence, casually saying, “The one who saved me was not your god, but a few outsiders.”

The group followed Eugene into the City Lord’s residence.

Eugene continued to question, “How did my father and brother die? Was it ever cleared up? On my way back, I was targeted for assassination. Is it related to my father’s death?”

At these words, everyone’s expression changed.

The young master had returned and also faced an assassination attempt?

Entering the hall, the middle-aged man dismissed the others before lowering his voice, “This matter may be related to the newly discovered mine.”

“Mine?”

“Yes, deep within Thorn Tooth Forest, a Mithril Mine was discovered. It was after its discovery that one incident followed another.”

Eugene’s face twisted grimly at once.

A Mithril Mine, a gold mountain, was also a bomb.

And for Luseran, it was clearly the latter.

…

Heading east.

The carriage followed the map until it reached the road’s end.

According to the position marked on the map, there was no path ahead.

A dense forest lay before them, impenetrable for the carriage.

They released the Thunder Spirit to scout the surroundings—it was desolate and uninhabited.

It felt like an uncharted territory, yet to be explored by the elves.

After checking the map again, they proceeded deeper into the unknown.

Demitrija led the way, cutting a path through the thorns with his longsword.

Fang Hao and the others followed behind, crossing the dense forest directly towards their target.

The thorns, while sharp, posed no harm to their sturdy skin—merely brushing them like a light scrape.

They advanced rapidly.

They encountered the beasts and fierce creatures mentioned by “Cyclops,” but after a brief pursuit, all retreated.

The beasts, with their keen senses, must have realized these travelers were not to be trifled with.

They traveled from dawn until dusk.

Before them, a vast mountain valley appeared.

The valley was impossibly deep.

Spanning across the abyss was a massive stone bridge of a somewhat grayish hue.

At the other end of the stone bridge stood a gigantic palace.

Fang Hao and his companions’ eyes widened in awe.

They could hardly believe the palace before them.

No one had expected to find such a grand construction in such a desolate place—it was beyond all expectations.

“This is the building.”

…

They approached the edge of the valley, reaching one end of the stone bridge.

Before they could step onto it, a loud alarm bell sounded from the immense city opposite them.

The entire forest erupted in tumult, as animals fled and flocks of birds took flight.

Under their watchful gaze, the decrepit city began to stir.

Tall giants clad in grayish-brown armor emerged from the towering walls, wielding massive hammers and marching forth.

“Damn it, what is this doing here?” Fang Hao cursed.

They had seen this type of enemy before—Divine Realm guards, tenth-tier soldiers.

But back then, it had been part of a system quest; why were they here now?

As more enemies in grayish-brown armor amassed and began to cross the stone bridge, Fang Hao didn’t hesitate. He opened the Gate of the Worlds, revealing a dense array of skeletons.

“Come out, all of you.”

Skeleton Warriors poured from beneath the portal as Bone Dragons took flight overhead.

Amidst the grind of bone against bone, they surged outwards.

Soon, the forest was filled with an endless legion of undead soldiers.

Boom, boom!

The undead war drums sounded, and every unit readied for action.

“Prepare for the thunder strike.”

As the enemy reached the middle of the stone bridge, Fang Hao shouted his orders.

Whoosh!

The frontline Skeleton Warriors began to channel their thunder strikes, aiming distantly towards the approaching foes.

“Fire!”

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!

Silver-white thunder spears fanned out towards the bridge.

Among the crackling sounds, swathes of enemies were blasted to pieces, while many others were pushed off the bridge into the unfathomable depths below.

After the first wave of Divine Realm guards fell, the second wave showed no signs of retreat and continued their advance.

Fang Hao continued to command, “Skeleton Warriors, raise your shields and hold the bridgehead. Skeleton Archers, fire at will.”

The order was relayed by the messengers.

The Skeleton Warriors formed an iron barrier with their shields at the bridgehead.

The Skeleton Archers moved from the rear to the front, lining up along the cliff’s edge.

They opened fire on the enemies above the stone bridge.

Bullets pinged against the enemy armor, igniting a barrage of sparks.

Enemies lost their balance and plummeted from the bridge, while more continued to pour out of the city to join the battle.

Fang Hao found this type of combat somewhat more agreeable.

Battling the Dragon Clan, with their wild, elusive flight, had been frustrating for being so hard to chase and hit.

The Skeleton Archers maintained a steady fire, their orange bullets crisscrossing and keeping the enemy at bay.

Boom, boom, boom!

Suddenly, the sound of something massive running emerged.

Onto the stone bridge charged massive rhinoceroses encased in thick Stone Armor.

Their size rivaled that of Giant Lizards. They overran the Divine Realm guards on the bridge and charged straight towards them.

[Rock Armor Iron Rhinoceros (tenth-tier)].

With several heavy impacts, they breached the shield wall of the Skeleton Warriors, charging into the ranks and sending skeletons flying with their rampaging.

And then, with a clinking sound, the slashing of swords against stone followed.

Creatures resembling scorpions, with giant curved stingers, moved beneath the bridge—the ‘Rock Crawler’ ascended the cliff walls.

They, too, lunged at the Skeleton Archers positioned at the edge of the cliff.