Chapter 19
Frostbound Bastion, the Frostlands.
At Simon's command, the Frost Sabertooths charged with no regard for defenders, traps, or anything else that might be waiting inside the Wonder.
Simon intended to raze everything within Frostbound Bastion and force Lilith to show herself.
Then he would humiliate her before killing her.
He would have his revenge.
So what if you have an army of undead? Let's see you stop several hundred Frost Sabertooths.
Simon stayed where he was, watching the beastfolk surge toward the isolated fortress.
A cold smile crossed his face.
I wonder what your face will look like when you see me again, Lilith.
Hundreds of Frost Sabertooths rushed the Bastion, despite catching no enemy scent.
It didn't matter.
Simon had ordered them to tear the place apart, and they would obey whether anyone defended it or not.
They crossed the snowfield in seconds.
Six armored figures stood before the Bastion's gate.
Each carried a black katana and radiated the aura of a Veteran.
The six Black Knights Lilith had assigned to guard Frostbound Bastion.
The moment the attackers entered range, the Black Knights moved.
Six black blurs shot forward.
"Raaagh!"
The lead Frost Sabertooth roared as it charged.
A streak of black steel flashed across its neck.
Its head left its body.
The other Black Knights appeared among the front ranks in the same instant. Before the Frost Sabertooths could react, blades were already carving through them.
The gulf between Recruit and Veteran Rank was overwhelming.
Even at Tier 1 Veteran, the Black Knights cut through the Frost Sabertooths with barely any resistance.
The six undead formed a line before the gate—an impassable wall between the attackers and the Bastion.
Could the enemy wear them down?
Impossible.
The undead did not tire.
The Frost Sabertooths, however, were neither mindless nor fearless.
Once they realized they couldn't break the guardians, most of them stopped charging.
They fell back from the Black Knights, snarling and baring their fangs, but refusing to come closer.
The Black Knights did not pursue.
They might have survived inside the enemy formation, but abandoning the gate would open gaps. Even a few Frost Sabertooths slipping past could damage the Bastion.
Lilith's command was to protect the Wonder.
Driving the enemy back mattered more than killing them.
Simon finally noticed the attack had stalled.
A moment ago, he'd been picturing Lilith begging for mercy.
Now he shouted, "Move! What are you idiots doing?"
He strode forward and saw the six Black Knights barring the entrance.
"So that's it."
Recognition lit his eyes.
"The same servants as before. I didn't expect Lilith to leave all six of you here."
Simon gave a contemptuous laugh.
There was no point wasting more Frost Sabertooths against Veterans.
He rolled his neck and flexed his hands.
"Enough. Stay back and let me handle this."
The words had barely left his mouth when he vanished.
A crushing aura erupted across the snowfield.
Like a bolt of black lightning, Simon covered dozens of yards and appeared directly in front of the Black Knights.
They had no time to react.
His claws punched through the breastplate of the first Knight.
Simon hoisted the armored undead with one arm and hurled it into the fortress wall. The impact shook the stonework.
He pivoted with the motion and drove a fist through the second Black Knight's skull.
His other hand swept wide.
Claws tore through the third Knight, shredding katana and body alike.
It wasn't a battle.
It was an execution.
Simon stood at Tier 9 Veteran.
The Black Knights were only Tier 1.
The gap in power was absolute.
Within seconds, all six undead had been broken apart. Their shattered bodies lay strewn across the snow, the soul fire in their eye sockets guttering.
"Trash."
Simon spat into the snow, almost disappointed it had ended so fast.
Then he turned back to the Frost Sabertooths.
"Move. Destroy everything inside the Wonder except the Portal."
He released his aura along with the command.
The pressure scoured away the Frost Sabertooths' lingering fear and drove them into another charge.
Before they could reach the fortress, Simon sensed something behind him.
He turned.
The six Black Knights were repairing themselves.
Bone fragments lifted from the snow and streamed back to their bodies. Broken joints reconnected. Torn black flesh crawled across exposed bone, regenerating before his eyes.
Within moments, all six Black Knights stood again.
Soul fire reignited in their sockets, burning brighter than before.
They retrieved their weapons and reformed their defensive line.
Simon stared at them.
Then his expression darkened.
"So you can come back from that."
He finally understood why Lilith's forces had grown so fast.
Undead were far harder to eliminate than ordinary troops.
Another Lord might have found that alarming.
Simon no longer feared it.
"Then I'll destroy your souls."
He raised one hand and raked his claws across his own palm.
Thick black blood welled from the wound.
It carried the violent essence of the werewolf bloodline—a power that corroded flesh and soul alike.
Native vampires possessed a similar ability.
That mutual lethality was one reason the two races had remained bitter enemies for generations.
Simon coated both sets of claws in his own blood.
"Let's see you come back from this."
He attacked again.
Faster this time.
The blood sheathing his claws amplified his strength, driving his body past its previous limits.
Against Simon at full power, the Black Knights seemed capable of nothing but waiting to die.
One strike would now destroy body and soul together.
He closed on the six defenders.
A figure stepped abruptly into his path.
A massive greatsword met Simon's claws and stopped them dead.
Simon paused, surprised by the resistance.
Then he grinned.
"Another one?"
Power surged down his arm.
"Fine. You can all die together."