[The Battle Begins]
The grand army of the Holy Dominion stood poised before the blackened walls of Noxhaven, their banners fluttering beneath a sky darkened by necrotic energy. The air was thick with tension, the silence before the storm.
At the head of the army, Grand Marshal Aldric sat astride his warhorse, his golden greatsword pulsing with divine light. Behind him, thousands of templars and war priests stood ready, their armor gleaming with holy radiance.
"By the decree of the Holy Dominion!" Aldric's voice boomed like a thunderclap across the battlefield. "We cleanse this blasphemous stronghold and cast the Deathlord into oblivion!"
A chorus of voices rose in response.
"For the Light! For the Dominion!"
Then, the first trumpet sounded.
With a thunderous roar, the Holy Dominion's siege engines rolled forward—massive golden ballistae and siege towers, each enchanted with holy inscriptions to repel dark magic.
The crusaders marched in disciplined formation, their shields locked as they advanced toward the walls.
The siege had begun.
---
[Damien's Command]
From atop the highest tower of the Necropolis Hall, Damien watched the approaching army with an eerie calm. The sight of so many self-righteous warriors desperate to claim victory almost amused him.
Ding!
[Siege Battle: Defend Noxhaven!]
Holy Dominion forces: 10,000+
Your Undead Army: 5,000+ and rising
Defend the city and eliminate enemy commanders.
Reward:
[New Necropolis Upgrade]
[Additional Summoning Slots]
[??? – A Dark Secret Awakens]
A dark smile played on Damien's lips. Perfect.
Turning to his commanders, he spoke, his voice laced with power.
"Let them come. They believe themselves righteous, but they will become nothing more than fuel for my kingdom."
Beside him, his newly resurrected general, Cedric, knelt. Though once a holy inquisitor, he was now a Death Knight, clad in corrupted silver armor.
"They march with conviction, my lord," Cedric intoned. "But conviction alone will not save them."
Damien chuckled. "Exactly."
With a mere gesture, the city trembled, and the dead stirred from their slumber.
---
[The Undead Rise]
The Holy Dominion's siege towers rumbled forward, their soldiers ready to storm the walls.
Then, suddenly—
The ground beneath them cracked.
An unholy wail erupted as skeletal hands burst from the earth, dragging crusaders into the abyss.
Across the battlefield, hundreds of undead warriors rose—zombie knights, skeletal archers, and shadow wraiths, their eyes glowing with necrotic energy.
From the walls, necromancer acolytes chanted dark incantations, raising even more of the fallen.
A war priest cried out in horror. "T-These are our own men!"
But before he could react, a shadowy spear impaled him, draining his life essence in an instant.
Damien watched with cold amusement. "And so the balance shifts."
The battle had truly begun.
---
[Holy Dominion's Counterattack]
Despite the chaos, the Holy Dominion was not so easily broken.
"Hold your ground!" Aldric roared, raising his radiant greatsword. "They cannot stop the Light!"
From the backlines, the war priests lifted their staffs, chanting in unison. Golden barriers surged forth, repelling the undead that threatened to overwhelm their forces.
"Holy Flame!" A templar captain raised his hand, and a pillar of divine fire erupted, incinerating dozens of Damien's undead in an instant.
Even as his forces suffered losses, Damien merely tilted his head, intrigued.
"Hmm. They're better prepared than expected."
But they still had no idea what awaited them.
---
[The Abyssal Dreadwyrm Awakens]
Above the battlefield, the clouds churned with dark energy, and the air grew heavy with the weight of something ancient.
Then—
A deafening roar split the sky.
From the ruined cathedral of Noxhaven, a colossal figure emerged—a skeletal dragon, its wings spread wide, its hollow eyes burning with abyssal fire.
The Abyssal Dreadwyrm had risen.
Crusaders stared in horror, their formation breaking for the first time.
"T-That's…" a knight stammered.
"By the gods," a war priest whispered.
Damien raised his hand, and with a simple command—
"Burn them."
—The Dreadwyrm opened its jaws, releasing a torrent of black fire.
The Holy Dominion's frontlines were engulfed, their holy barriers shattering as hundreds of soldiers were turned to ash.
The crusaders' formation collapsed, panic spreading through their ranks.
Damien let out a low, satisfied chuckle.
"And so… the slaughter begins."
---
[End of Chapter 7]