Chapter 124: Do Not Disturb, Writing My Last Will

Viscous slime trailed along, slowly oozing to the cold ground beneath. As the man moved, it smeared across the floor tiles.

The man blinked in confusion. Yet, where his eyes should've been, there was only a void. His eyes had already rotted away, revealing a gelatinous, flesh-toned substance behind the hollow sockets.

So much pain...

A dull, persistent pain felt as if knives were constantly slicing away at his flesh. He was decaying, slowly succumbing to inevitable death.

Yet, he was still alive, for the demons needed him that way.

Behind him was a vast collection basin, filled to the brim with naked human forms and crushed fruits. The rotting juice of the fruit mixed with human fluids, emitting a nauseating stench. More fruits continuously fell into the basin.

They were imprisoned here, alive, conscious, and suffering.

But now, they would be used.

"Rise!"

The woman's shriek echoed. The man blinked once more. His muddled mind struggled to process much, but he could vaguely recognize the voice of their leader.

"I'll free you."

He believed that Lady Rebelle would guide them to freedom.

"I'm so sorry, so sorry!"

The lady wept. The man tried to smile reassuringly, but failed.

Slowly, he struggled to free himself from the pool of liquefied remains. His arms were limp and unresponsive. He resorted to gnawing at the hard edges of the basin with his teeth, trying to separate himself from the mass of bodies.

He was a signal.

After him, the mass of bodies began to squirm.

The first of the walking dead appeared from the city's western side, spotted by the 26th squad of the Protective Army.

A gunshot rang out, marking the beginning of the second phase of this war.

Bullets whizzed furiously, precisely piercing through the skull of the walking corpse. After a few pointless shudders, the corpse fell.

The scene witnessed by the Protective Army was faithfully transmitted to Hades and the Sage Kirkland.

Something wasn't right. If it was just these creatures, the backup troops in the forest wouldn't have gone silent.

As Hades worked feverishly to repair the obelisk, a thought crossed his mind.

The enemy forces might be too many, there might be an ambush in the forest, or there could be... other powerful troops.

"Be wary of ambushes," Hades communicated to Kirkland.

Kirkland, standing at the last line of defense, wished he could be at the front. But if the enemy could teleport directly to the square, he would be the last shield to protect Hades and the obelisk.

More and more of the walking dead emerged from the mist, their eerie silhouettes growing clearer. The mist surrounding the forest began to spread towards the city as the creatures' ranks swelled.

The first tier of the Protective Army stood atop the city walls, firing in coordination at the approaching horde. The constant firing of their arc rifles filled the air.

Wave after wave of walking dead fell, spewing viscous fluids. The ones behind trampled over the fallen, mindlessly moving forward.

Suddenly, a resonating "Dong, Dong, Dong..." echoed. Seven bell tolls.

The walking corpses trembled and stopped. Forming groups of seven, they began to circle.

Kirkland shuddered. This wasn't right. From his brief encounters with demons, he deduced this couldn't be good.

[Attack! Don't let them form circles!]

[Prioritize the ones about to complete the circle!]

The Protective Army shifted their fire, but due to sheer numbers, several circles were formed.

And then, from each circle, a grotesque creature emerged, formed from the sacrifice of the seven. This bloated being, filled with poisonous fluid, was known as the Plague Toad.

Hades couldn't help but curse upon seeing the creatures.

Goddammit, these damn plague toads!

The Plague Toads, filled with toxic fluids, were a lower-tier troop in the army of filth. However, their presence now complicated matters.

"Retreat! Retreat!"

"Provide covering fire, then let the first tier retreat!"

As if responding to Hades' command, the toads leaped forward. Some crushed the Protective Army on the walls under their weight, while others used their tongues or spines to kill. Those who reacted quickly fired back.

However, when hit, the toads exploded, splattering venom everywhere.

The corrupted fluid instantly overcame the defenses of the Protective Army, bringing them to their knees in agony.

Kirkland began calculating.

Orders were decisively issued.

The soldiers closest to the toads, those already injured, charged forward, using their power swords to hold off the toads. The rest of the army dispersed into the streets, setting the toads ablaze from a safe distance.

The city was filled with the anguished screams of the fallen.