Mushroom Lord in the Underground City-Chapter 407 - 399: The Deteriorating Situation

High Castle Fortress stood tall amidst the mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

Underneath the mighty walls, the bodies of humans and the Demon Race were interwoven, with the dark red blood soaking the soil having already solidified.

Among them, the notably large corpses of trolls, with gray-green skin, were particularly conspicuous, lying like small hills beside the broken siege engines.

In this gruesome war of attrition, akin to a meat grinder, even trolls, known for their regenerative abilities, fell as easily as harvested wheat.

The human defenses painstakingly arranged below the city, after several rounds of fierce attacks, were riddled with wounds, with key points repeatedly on the brink of being torn apart.

In the end, it was the continuous magical bombardment from the magic towers behind that barely stabilized the defense, forcing the Demon Race’s offensive to retreat once more.

At this moment, craftsmen and mages, using this precious respite bought with their lives, desperately repaired the fortifications below the city.

But Alama knew this was not a long-term solution.

Facing the fierce attack of three Demon Race battalions at once, even High Castle Fortress, known for its strength, was like a lone boat in a storm, bearing unprecedented pressure.

Even worse...

Alama’s hand was pressed firmly against his left waist, between his fingers, a shadowy energy, like ink, mingled with the gentle white light of healing, causing piercing pain and icy numbness.

This was the painful price for his negligence.

He recalled Sigmund’s detestable fat face.

That cunning scoundrel had no qualms about disguising himself as a pleasure-obsessed pig, repeatedly being defeated in previous encounters to legitimately lower his guard.

It wasn’t until the last pursuit that he showed his fangs!

The onslaught by the three Demon Race dukes, especially with Virelis, whom he was not familiar with.

Virelis’s attacks were bizarre beyond belief; it was during a fierce battle that Virelis emerged from the shadows, and with her teeth, tore through his armor and flesh from his waist.

Had it not been for the loyal Iron Fir Knights, who with their flesh and blood desperately blocked the way, and for some unknown reason, Sigmund, at the critical moment, mumbled something about "where’s the honey," then left alone, Alama might have perished in that ambush.

Now, he understood what Sigmund had been willing to block the borders for.

However, he couldn’t figure it out.

According to all known information, the "mad demon" Virelis, known for her madness and cunning, should be on the Empire’s eastern front, holding off the Dwarf army at Red Copper Mountain.

Why did she suddenly appear beneath High Castle Fortress and team up with Sigmund to ambush him?

What happened on the dwarfs’ side?

The doubt was soon revealed.

A guard responsible for intelligence quickly stepped forward and reported urgently: "Lord Alama, there has been a massive elemental upheaval on the dwarfs’ side, with a quarter of their territory engulfed in war, now unable to restrain the Empire at all!"

Alama quickly asked, "Elemental upheaval? When did it start?"

"About half a month ago!"

"Half a month?!" Alama’s voice rose with anger, "Why was such crucial information only reported today?!" 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

The guard’s face was full of helplessness: "My lord, you know the Scarecrow Abyss naturally shields all communication magic between us and the Dwarf Kingdom! Plus, the dwarfs initially sealed the message. By the time our spies finally learned the truth and tried to report back, they ran into the Elf Race’s sudden activation of some magic array covering the entire border! In the end... it was Puki’s ’unfailing’ trait that allowed it to forcibly pass through the Scarecrow Abyss, and it was not until last night that the information finally arrived!"

"Dwarfs! Elves! And at such a life-and-death juncture!" Alama slammed his fist on the table, causing the map scrolls to bounce up and down.

But soon, Alama had no time for anger, he sharply thought of even more!

"No! Since the Dwarfs have lost all threat, the Eastern Empire’s pressure has reduced sharply, logically, they could draw more forces over... why, as per current knowledge, has only Virelis’s one ducal battalion been increased?"

Unless...

Alama’s face changed dramatically, he abruptly turned and sprinted towards the communications room almost at a sprinting speed.

He must immediately warn Brunus on the northwest front to guard against potential dangers!

However, as he opened the door of the communications room, he collided head-on with another messenger who rolled and crawled in. The official’s face was ashen, his body trembled like a sieve, as if he had seen doomsday.

"My lord Duke! It’s bad! The northwest... the northwest line suffered a massive defeat!" His voice was piercing, with a crying tone, "The west line appeared a Demon Race war beast, though Sword Saint Elvyn managed to slay it, yet as the beast perished, the Blood Race Prince Visarius, lurking inside, suddenly assaulted! Lord Sword Saint... was heavily injured! The army immediately collapsed, Duke Brunus is leading the remnants, they’ve... they’ve retreated to Three Mountains City!"

"Three Mountains City?!" Alama only felt his blood surge, inducing more severe pain to his waist injury.

Three Mountains City is only a few days’ journey from High Castle Fortress, this is almost the last semblance of a decent defensive line.

Once Three Mountains City is broken, High Castle Fortress will be thoroughly besieged from both sides and will be indefensible.

And once the northern gate of High Castle Fortress is opened, the Imperial Army can drive straight in; the downfall of the United Kingdom will be almost certain.

Even now, although the vast western southwest area of the Kingdom hasn’t been planted with the Demon Race flag, it’s only because the Demon Race main force intended to devour Brunus’s remnants in one bite, unable to split their forces to occupy it.

Those territories are, in essence, indistinguishable from having been overrun.

However, it’s not yet a death sentence.

Alama took a deep breath, forcing down the severe pain.

He scanned the two panicked faces in front of him, his voice slightly hoarse with restraint, yet astonishingly clear, he asked, "So, has there been any news from Oath City?"

"Yes, yes, there is!" The messenger handed over a copied note.

Alama took it, quickly scanning the contents.

Besides the defeat of Brunus, it included arrangements for their remaining forces.

In simple terms, the situation had worsened to the brink of life and death, the United Kingdom could only press all their foundations.

Duke Lorenzo of Oath City personally led the army and mage corps, marching day and night to aid High Castle Fortress.

While Duke Brunus’s remnants were to be fully supported by the Church.

Without detailed explanation of how a knight order and priest team of the Church could fend off the Demons, but now Alama could only choose to believe their effectiveness.

At the end of the information, almost in a pleading tone, Duke Lorenzo said: "Before reinforcements arrive, High Castle Fortress... must hold!"

"Do you really need to say it..."

Boom——

A tremor came, the Demon Race was coming again.

Returning to the wall, Alama immediately locked eyes with Sigmund, that guy, seemingly assured of victory, blatantly holding a jar of honey, taking bite after bite, carefreely amidst the two armies!

Alama clenched his fist, he would not concede easily!

He drew his sword, pointing the blade straight at the city below, his voice resonating over the walls: "All troops! To battle!"