Building the Strongest Undead Empire from Scratch

Chapter 193: Successful ambush

[Blood Moon in the sky, darkness descends]

A strange red moon hung high overhead on a clear, cloudless night.

On the continent of Arsen, in Grimstone.

Durin led a group of raggedly dressed dwarves away from Grimstone. They looked disheveled and hurried, with Durin carrying a bundle on his back that jingled with the sound of metal clinking in the silent night.

Two hours after Durin and his group left, a dwarf cavalry unit of three thousand set off in pursuit in the same direction.

Balin didn't know Rockhammer City, but Durin had given him precise directions. All he had to do was follow them, and he would eventually encounter the fortress guards of Rockhammer City.

The distance between the two guard fortresses was quite far, but Durin was still spotted by the fortress guards as he passed by.

At night, the scout eagles' vision was limited, so Durin deliberately exposed his whereabouts to the dwarves in the guard fortress.

The dwarves on the fortress noticed the situation. Since Grimstone had long fallen, and these dwarves were fleeing from that direction, they couldn't afford to ignore it.

The lead dwarf quickly relayed the information, but before long, he saw a dwarf cavalry unit approaching from the southeast.

"Attention, enemy attack!"

The fortress leader was shocked. Rockhammer City's defenses were thin, relying mainly on these guard fortresses in the south. They couldn't let any enemies through.

The fortress leader quickly organized the fortress's dwarf troops, relayed the information again, and prepared to leave the fortress to meet the enemy.

He never expected the extraterrestrial visitors ruling Grimstone to dare launch an attack on them.

Soon, over two thousand dwarf cavalry were ready. The leader opened the fortress gates, and the dwarves on the fortress wall began adjusting their cannons, aiming at the enemy.

Rockhammer City was known for its stout ponies, and all the dwarf mounts were these ponies. In contrast, Balin's side had a mix of various beasts, looking more intimidating.

Balin wasn't foolish. He knew the enemy would intercept them, so he wouldn't stupidly enter the range of the fortress cannons.

"Charge! Don't let those traitors cross Fortress Three!"

The fortress leader swung his warhammer, and the two thousand dwarf cavalry charged at the enemy.

As the dwarves closed in, the front-line dwarves pulled out their muskets.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Countless sparks lit up the night. Balin's troops held round shields in front of them, protecting their vital areas.

Despite this, some were unlucky enough to get hit, but the spherical bullets only sparked against their armor.

The dwarves of Fortress Three didn't know that the front-line dwarves were wearing Commanding level gear, making them impervious to mere muskets.

As for the beasts, such minor injuries didn't affect them. Chi Chi's beasts had been enhanced by Alex, with the lowest level being lv5 Standard. They were massive and incredibly fast.

Balin's troops also pulled out muskets to retaliate. After capturing Grimstone, they had acquired a lot of loot, so their equipment was no worse than the enemy's.

Before the two sides even clashed, casualties had already occurred, with Fortress Three's leader suffering more losses.

Soon, the two sides collided, engaging in a chaotic melee. The fortress leader realized that the enemy was not only well-trained but also superior in equipment, mounts, and numbers.

This was completely different from the reports of Grimstone's defenders being mere civilians. These civilians' combat prowess shattered his expectations.

Moreover, the enemy leader was clad in Commanding level gear, matching his own strength.

The fortress leader could only hope for reinforcements from other fortresses to arrive quickly, or they were doomed.

Behind them, Fortress Three was already ablaze, thick smoke signaling the enemy's presence to other fortresses and Rockhammer City.

Meanwhile, Durin saw Rockhammer City on the horizon. He quickly smeared mud on his face and ran towards the city in a panic.

Rockhammer City's city lord, Bofur, had just received news from Fortress Three when his troops reported someone approaching the city.

"Lord, those suspicious dwarves are here!"

"Hmph."

Bofur snorted, getting up and heading to the wall. He had been woken up in the middle of the night, and anyone would be annoyed.

On the wall, Bofur saw a group of disheveled dwarves running towards them in a panic.

"Refugees?"

Soon, Durin reached the base of the wall, ignoring the muskets aimed at them by the dwarf troops, and began to wail.

"Honorable leader, please take us in! We escaped from Grimstone and have important information. Their pursuers are right behind us! We must report to the city lord!"

Durin and the other dwarves prostrated themselves, repeatedly kowtowing. With mud on their faces and the dim light, Bofur couldn't see their features clearly.

"I am the city lord here. You say you escaped from Grimstone. How can you prove it?"

Bofur's cold voice came from the wall. Suddenly, a dwarf scout hurried over, and Bofur saw the distant fire and smoke.

"Lord."

The scout handed a letter to Bofur without saying much.

After reading it, Bofur's eyes turned cold. The enemy had indeed attacked!

"Tell me everything you know!"

Bofur demanded, signaling a scout beside him, who immediately left to relay the message.

"Honorable city lord, Grimstone, under the extraterrestrial visitors, plans to overthrow the clan. They started mobilizing, and we learned of their plan early, so they came out before they were fully prepared. There's a Monarch level in the city, 30K troops, and various weapons. We must be cautious."

Durin reported, and Bofur's face grew colder, realizing the gravity of the situation.

As Durin finished, Bofur turned to leave. In such a critical moment, why would he take in a few refugees? Their lives meant nothing to him.

Seeing Bofur about to leave, Durin's next words stopped him.

"Lord, I have Prince Nori's weapon on my back. I risked my life to steal it from the city, and that's why they're chasing us."

A Monarch level set of armor was invaluable, especially Prince Nori's.

"Throw it up here!"

Bofur intended to retrieve it without letting them in. If they refused, he would kill them.

Durin remained calm. "Lord, you must take us in. The armor is too heavy, and the wall is too high. I can't throw it up."

Durin dropped the bundle, revealing the blue-white armor and distinctive weapon.

Seeing this, Bofur decided to go out and retrieve the equipment himself, to ensure there was no trickery. His dwarf troops couldn't handle it, but as a Monarch level, he had no such concerns.

The gate creaked open, and Bofur, dressed in animal skins, stepped out. Durin and the other dwarves kept their heads down, not moving.

"Lord, the breastplate seems damaged. Take a look."

Durin offered the breastplate with both hands. Bofur took it, noting the severe damage but still usable.

"This is the leg armor, this is the arm guard, and this is the helmet."

Durin handed over each piece, helping Bofur inspect the armor. Nori's armor was a full set with many parts, and Bofur checked to ensure nothing was missing.

"Finally, this is the weapon."

Durin suddenly lunged. Bofur looked up to see Durin wielding a hammer crackling with electricity, swinging it towards him.

Boom!

Caught off guard, Bofur was struck with Durin's full force, sent flying, and killed instantly without his armor.