“Calibrate the direction, prepare ammunition!”

The thousands of ironclad catapults on the platform rapidly rotated, aiming at the plain below.

“Fire! Bombard them mercilessly!” Undying Scoundrel said excitedly.

Seeing that Sword of Divine Punishment's catapults were about to approach Cripps Fortress, Qin Han was filled with ambition. Just then, a sharp, low whistle cut through the sky. Hearing this sound, his expression changed as he discovered dense, rain-like iron projectiles falling from the sky.

What’s going on?

Before Qin Han could react, these iron projectiles whistled down, and with a series of earth-shattering booms, Sword of Divine Punishment’s catapults were blown to pieces, sending wooden fragments flying.

After just one wave of attacks, only two or three out of every ten ironclad catapults remained. The vast majority were destroyed beyond use.

Qin Han’s heart was bleeding. The catapults he had worked so hard to obtain were all smashed to pieces before he could even use them. Looking at the surrounding mountain peaks, he could vaguely see ironclad catapults, as many as a thousand, spread across the peaks. He couldn't understand how the Niuren Tribe had managed to transport the catapults up there.

And that wasn't the end of it. The Niuren Tribe's catapults began to bombard the skeleton army, and the entire skeleton army was thrown into turmoil.

Where the iron projectiles landed, skeletons were smashed to pieces, broken bones scattered everywhere.

The iron projectiles from these catapults were incredibly deadly to the skeletons. If a single iron projectile landed in a densely packed area of skeletons, triggering a magical effect, it could instantly smash hundreds of them.

Moreover, their position was at a high point, and their attack range had a significant bonus. They could bombard wherever they wanted. Although their accuracy might not be perfect, with so many catapults firing at the same time, it didn't matter whether they were accurate or not. They simply bombarded wherever there were more skeletons. A solid iron projectile would land, leaving a large empty space.

These catapults were located on very steep rocks or slopes, which the skeletons simply couldn't climb. If they wanted to attack Cripps Fortress, they had to endure the bombardment. The only things that could attack the catapults on the cliffs were flying mounts, but the Monai Consortium only had a little over a hundred flying mounts in total. It was impossible to destroy thousands of catapults with that. Moreover, if they deployed their flying mounts, the Niuren Tribe's flying mount forces would definitely come out to intercept them. Sending troops up was also unrealistic; the Niuren Tribe only needed a few top-tier classes to guard the area, and their people couldn't get close to the catapults at all.

Qin Han had no way out. If he didn't take Cripps Fortress today, the only thing waiting for them was destruction!

Recently, the Niuren Tribe had consumed nearly three million of their skeletons. If he hadn't used every method possible, he wouldn't have been able to maintain the skeleton army's numbers at six million.

If this attempt was unsuccessful and they retreated, the skeleton army would be finished sooner or later. Without the skeleton army, how could the Monai Consortium's subordinate branches compete with the Niuren Tribe?

Even if it meant total annihilation, they had to hold on!

Qin Han looked around at the distant mountain peaks and issued an order to Divine Sword Peerless: “Find a few mechanics and a few hundred thieves. Mark out the locations of all those catapults for me and calculate their trajectories!”

“Yes!” Divine Sword Peerless replied and went to make the arrangements.

The scene of thousands of catapults firing simultaneously was magnificent. In a short time, Qin Han’s skeleton army had suffered over five or six hundred thousand casualties.

The players stationed at Cripps Fortress were greatly encouraged by this scene and launched a fierce attack on the skeletons below the city.

“Give them hell!” Undying Scoundrel looked down from the mountain peak. The feeling of thousands of catapults firing together, obliterating everything in their path, was incredibly satisfying. Looking towards Cripps Fortress, the pressure on Cripps Fortress was greatly reduced.

The plains below were cleared, and Qin Han’s skeleton army stopped their attack.

“Boss, the skeleton army has retreated!”

“Boss, we won!”

The guild chat was buzzing.

Nie Yan remained silent for a long time, then shook his head and said, “Everyone, hold your positions. Don't leave. This is just the beginning!” Qin Han's six million-strong skeleton army had only lost a million so far. They definitely wouldn't retreat so easily. If they retreated, they would have completely lost! So, Qin Han would bet everything!

Hearing Nie Yan’s words, the Niuren Tribe players looked at each other, and their excitement slowly calmed down.

Only half an hour later, at the end of the distant plains, teams of skeletons reappeared in their sight.

These skeletons were moving in a very strange formation, winding and twisting across the plains as they advanced towards Cripps Fortress.

As they entered the plains, the Niuren Tribe’s catapults launched another attack. Dense iron projectiles fell from the sky, but most of them landed in the dirt, and only a few hit the skeletons. The vast majority of the skeletons were beyond the catapults' range.

Watching the skeletons in the distance, still advancing in groups despite the intense bombardment, Nie Yan narrowed his eyes. Qin Han was a clever one. He had marked out the locations of all the catapults and calculated their trajectories based on the terrain, height difference, range, and so on, drawing out all the areas on the plains that could be bombarded by the catapults. Then, he designed the skeletons’ route of advance to avoid the catapult bombardment.

The positions of the catapults on the mountaintops were fixed. The platforms that Nie Yan had the players carve out below were very small, so the catapults couldn't be moved. Moreover, there were only a little over a thousand positions in total, so they couldn't completely cover the plains below.

The catapults were basically useless.

Nie Yan thought for a moment, and since that was the case, he simply ordered the catapults to be brought back.

Undying Scoundrel and the others activated the teleportation formation and teleported all the catapults back to Cripps Fortress, preparing to defend the fortress to the death.

The next three days were definitely a grueling battle for the Niuren Tribe. The five million-strong skeleton army launched a frantic attack on Cripps Fortress. Qin Han used all his trump cards, consuming nearly two million skeletons, only to open a small gap in the south side of Cripps Fortress. However, Nie Yan immediately had the warriors below block up the gap.

With Brilliant Dagger, Lei Su, and Water Wine standing there, no skeleton could even think about crossing the line.

The Niuren Tribe also suffered heavy losses. At least a hundred thousand troops died under the skeleton army’s onslaught. Players who were killed during the defense of the city couldn't be resurrected temporarily, so the Niuren Tribe’s forces were being consumed very severely.

“The Monai Consortium only has three million skeletons left. The one who holds on to the end will win! Everyone, put in a little more effort!” Brilliant Dagger shouted in the guild chat.

“The Monai Consortium definitely can’t outlast us. Let’s see what other tricks Qin Han can come up with!”

The Niuren Tribe nervously set up their defenses. Under the influence of Black Hell, the players from the original Dark Ranger Guild were quite diligent in defending the fortress. Their accumulated kills had reached over six hundred thousand, and their losses were as high as twenty or thirty thousand.

Nie Yan stood on the city wall, observing the situation. Qin Han’s skeleton army wouldn’t be able to hold out for much longer.

Just then, in the distant sky, a thunderous dragon’s roar echoed, and looking ahead, a black dot appeared at the end of the horizon, getting closer and closer. Nie Yan’s expression changed. The thing he was worried about was finally about to happen.

“Nirvana Flame, it’s the skeletal dragon of the necromancer Bordman!” Water Wine said urgently in the team chat.

“I understand. Act according to the plan. You and Dagger guard Cripps Fortress. Don’t try to take it head-on. Hold it back. I’m going to Carroll City!” Nie Yan said and quickly ran towards the teleportation array in Cripps Fortress.

Brilliant Dagger, Water Wine, and the other fourteen top-tier players stood on the wall, looking towards the distant horizon. The black dot was getting bigger and bigger. On the head of the skeletal dragon, a figure stood proudly. It was none other than the vanished necromancer, Bordman, who had returned.

The skeletal dragon’s massive body howled and swept across the sky, and a powerful aura of death swept over them.

“Dagger, it’s up to you,” everyone said, looking at Brilliant Dagger.

“Understood. Be careful and don’t become the skeletal dragon’s dinner,” Brilliant Dagger said with a smile, estimating the skeletal dragon’s landing point and running towards the distance.

“You should think about yourself first,” everyone laughed.

The nearby Mo Jiu and Dark Elegy looked at Brilliant Dagger, Water Wine, and the others. Although they were new, they could clearly feel that Brilliant Dagger, Water Wine, Undying Scoundrel, and the others were like brothers. They couldn't help but think of the Dark Rangers of the past. They had also gathered together with Lone Step Under the Heavens. Although they had disbanded later, the brotherhood-like friendship still filled them with deep nostalgia.

They suddenly understood why Brother Lone Step was willing to stay in the Niuren Tribe. It was because of this group of people!

The current Niuren Tribe was no different from the Dark Rangers of the past. Since Lone Step had stayed, they decided to stay in the Niuren Tribe for the time being.

In the distance, with a loud bang, the skeletal dragon landed inside the Niuren Tribe’s fortress, collapsing two arrow towers.

“Insignificant humans, feel the fear of death.”

The necromancer standing on the skeletal dragon’s head let out a piercing laugh, like needles, piercing into everyone’s eardrums.

Brilliant Dagger was getting closer and closer to the skeletal dragon. His body seemed extremely small compared to the skeletal dragon. The skeletal dragon’s size was simply too enormous. He discovered that there were many scorched marks on the skeletal dragon’s body, left behind after a battle. The wounds that this guy had suffered after fighting Kals hadn't healed yet.

“So, it’s a severely injured one,” Brilliant Dagger revealed a contemptuous smile.

Charge!

Brilliant Dagger accelerated and charged, leaping down from the city wall, raising the great shield in his hand. The great shield, which had originally been dim and dull, suddenly emitted a dazzling golden light, Shield Strike!

With a loud bang, the heavy shield in Brilliant Dagger’s hand slammed heavily into the skeletal dragon’s body. A powerful force caused the skeletal dragon to stagger back a few steps.