Undead Beast Master: Living Solely for My Desires-Chapter 291: Footsteps of the Damned

The decision had been made: the small towns and cities close to enemy territory were to be abandoned. Citizens and soldiers alike were ordered to evacuate deeper into the empire, where they would stand a fighting chance.

It was a tough decision, leaving your home with all the memories you had made there, but if it meant you could keep your life, it would be worth it.

While most of the sane people followed these orders, some did not. It was bound to be that some disagreed with the decisions; as such, there were a few towns and cities that were still protected by soldiers. In most cases, it was because this was their birthplace — and they would defend it to their last breath.

This small town was one of those cases.

About a thousand men and women were stationed here, weapons ready at a moment's notice, prepared to defend their home the instant the enemy appeared.

Their decision to protect the place wasn't only because they were born here, but there was another reason as well — it was that they weren't bordering the Crimson Sun empire, no, they were bordering the Graveborn empire instead.

Unlike the Crimson Sun empire, Graveborn did not hold that strong of a grudge against them; the only reason they were attacking was most likely because they were making use of the situation.

While the Draconian Empire fought off the Crimson Sun, the Graveborn would quietly snatch territories under their nose.

But if a city resisted too much, the Graveborn were known to give up on it. It simply wouldn't be worth the effort.

That was the main reason so many people remained, despite the council's orders. They believed the Graveborn would not bother trying to take their town.

"Hey, you don't have to be so nervous, you know?" a soldier called out to his friend, trying to lighten the mood.

"How can I not be nervous? Think about it — we're in the middle of a war! Even if we believe we won't be attacked, there's still a chance, isn't there?" his friend shot back, voice tense.

"Calm down, you two!" a commanding voice cut through their conversation.

Shifting their gazes, the men saw who had spoken to them. She had red hair with brown eyes. Her name was Ruby. It was safe to say that she was the most experienced person they had at their small town; as such, all of them followed her orders.

The two men quickly straightened out their backs and saluted. "Yes, ma'am!" they shouted in unison.

Ruby sighed and approached them. "Just because we're at war doesn't mean you should bring down the morale of the group!" she barked, glaring at the worried soldier.

Shifting her gaze to the one that seemed more relaxed, she spoke again. "And just because you think we won't be attacked doesn't mean you get to act so carelessly!"

"We are sorry, ma'am!" they shouted in unison again as they bowed.

With a scoff, Ruby waved them off. "As long as you understand, then that's fine."

Having finished scolding her soldiers, Ruby was about to head to the walls — that was until her pupils widened. The sunrays got blocked by the massive flock of birds that flew over them. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com

There was only one reason they would be fleeing so desperately — something terrifying was approaching.

Clicking her tongue, Ruby hurried toward the walls with sped-up steps.

Just because they were going to be attacked did not mean they were doomed.

From what she knew, the Graveborn Empire had three kinds of assaults.

The first one was a small legion consisting of no more than five hundred soldiers. They would be sent to check if a city had been abandoned and claim it for their empire, then they would go deeper into Draconian territories. This was the most likely attack that they would experience, and that was why Ruby wasn't worried.

She was confident in her own men to get rid of the threat.

The second assault the Graveborn could use was a much larger force; it would consist of tens of thousands of soldiers under the command of one of the two deranged princes. If the intel was correct, they had vastly different fighting styles and would jump into battle trying to achieve victories to impress their father and prove they were worthy for the line of the throne. If a force like that attacked them, they wouldn't stand a chance. Fortunately, the odds of such an assault were slim.

And then there was the third threat of the Graveborn empire. Being attacked by this one was so horrendous that many would choose to kill themselves rather than to face them in person.

Standing atop the walls, Ruby focused her gaze ahead, praying they would not face a large force.

As soon as her eyes focused on the enemy, her pupils widened in horror.

"Prepare for combat!" she shouted, her voice sharp and commanding. "Remember — no matter what enemy we face, we fight with everything we have until our last breath!"

She tried to hype them up, but she doubted that many would want to fight once they saw who they were up against.

The archers and mages quickly got to their spots on the walls as they too gazed at the horizon, their weapons ready, their mana cores full, ready to fight with everything they have if it meant lying their lives for the cause. Their will was unyielding.

That, however, changed immediately as soon as they gazed at what they were up against.

It was no man, no beast — it was something much worse.

There was silence. No shouting, no arguing among them. They weren't bothered by the sun, nor by the heat. They would not die of hunger, and they didn't need to drink water. The chance of them tiring was zero, and their casualties were always none. No — after each attack, their forces only grew, becoming stronger, fiercer, and ever more unstoppable.

Thousands of skeletons stood before them — no flesh on their bones, no trace of life in the hollow sockets where their eyes should have been. They still wore the armor they had died in, their bony fingers gripping tightly onto their weapons, ready to doom more of the living to join their side.

The only sound they produced was the echo of their footsteps, as they marched mechanically, one after another, drawing closer and closer to their next target. Nothing in the world dared to stand before them, out of fear of being forced to join their ranks.

This was the third and strongest force of the Graveborn empire — their emperor's personal army. The reason why their empire carried the name "Graveborn" was due to one man alone — the emperor, a necromancer of unimaginable power.

One man had the power to raise the dead and force them to fight for him. It was the most horrendous thing one could experience — death, though terrifying, at least promised peace and final rest. But this man robbed even that away, condemning souls to toil long after the grave had claimed them.

Ruby, as well as the soldiers, gulped as they felt the blood drain from their faces.

If the emperor himself was sending his undead army, then the Graveborn Empire was taking this war far more seriously than anyone had thought.