Chapter 3667 Easy Marks (Part 2) The control room was bare except for the undead manning the detection and surveillance arrays. The north, east, and west walls were covered in live feeds from the various observation points in front of the Stonewall Fortress, and so was the ceiling. The situation in the control room was as orderly as the battlefield was chaotic. "Fuck me sideways." Lith's eyes, all seven of them, widened as he watched the undead getting pushed back from every side, but he soon understood why. "Agreed." Bhaz nodded. "We expected Meln to make an army of undead. To try and recruit someone from the Night Court. Not this." The holograms showed hundreds of plant folk and Fae bearing the signs of the Vurdalak's blood coursing through their veins. Part of their bodies was blackened, they had membranous wings coming out of their backs, and a varying number of flames over their heads. "The damn plant folk still retain their regeneration and all their bloodline abilities on top of Meln's." Bhaz pointed at a Titania who had grown to twenty meters (66') of height, Dryads who reached over ten meters (33'), and Treants triple that size. "The bastards attacked us during the day, when most undead are at their weakest. How are we supposed to deal with enemies who have no such problem and have been blessed with the mass and might of a Divine Beast?" Titanias were as strong as Griffons at their natural size and now exceeded even that. Treants were giants who could trample most enemies, and now they were towering monsters. To make matters worse, the Frost Soul bloodline ability neutralized the Adamant and Stone Golems, turning them into blocks of ice. Thunder Soul, instead, allowed the Upyrs to bypass the enemy's equipment and strike directly at their known weak points. "And the worst has yet to come." The Dawn King scrolled through the monitors until it showed the figure of a man. A fifteen meters (50') tall man with undeniable Upyr features who wielded a book of untold power. "The Incontinent King recruited even cursed objects!" "Smart move." Lith nodded. "Meln can turn anyone into a Divine Beast, and aimed for the two easiest marks. Plant folks are amoral, power-hungry creatures, while cursed objects would never turn down the offer of possessing a Divine Beast. "A real Divine Beast would never bond with them willingly, but their current host can now become one." "I know." Erslan admitted bitterly. "Too smart for Orpal and even for Night." Solus said. "He must have someone advising him." "Whatever the answer is, there is no point fighting." Erslan dismissed Solus' comment and went on. "We can beat this ragtag army, but due to the surprise effect, we'd have too many casualties. "Every one of our soldiers is a veteran warrior who honed their skills through the centuries. Losing one of them is a blow from which it is hard to recover, whereas Meln only has to spill a bit of his blood to grow his ranks." "What about him?" Lith asked. "Any sign of Meln? He likes to gloat, and it's not like him to miss an easy victory like this." "Meln is here. Sort of." Erslan switched to another hologram, showing a male Upyr with a black and red prism protruding from his chest. The left half of the Upyr's body still resembled its original owner. A male Dryad of striking beauty with golden hair and amethyst yellow eyes. The other half had taken Orpal's features and spoke with his voice as he commanded the troops. Origin Flames and Doom Tide were pointless due to the thin world energy in the underground cave, but Life Maelstrom's potency was intact. Orpal's clone amplified the abilities of those involved in critical junctures of the battle, turning the tide with a small silver lightning bolt. "You couldn't expect such a coward to put his life on the line when he can just send a clone. If Meln were here, I'd commit all my forces to kill him, no matter the casualties, but as you see, it would be nothing but a waste of precious undeath. "Luckily for us, we've already collected all the information we need to formulate a proper strategy for our next encounter. We planned for a contingency like this, so aside from the arrays, everything else can be stored and carried to our next stronghold. "We won't lose soldiers or artifacts. Meln will win but gain nothing for it." "Well done, Erslan." Lith replied. "The situation is as you describe it, and a tactical retreat is the best course of action. If you were alone, which you are not. You have me." "No offense, but I don't see how even you can turn this." The Dawn King shook his head. "I can and I must." Lith stared at the screens. "These Upyrs are a ragtag bunch, but after this battle, they'll become veterans. Meln's victory will boost their morale and make the recruitment process of more Upyrs much easier. "They'll have the entire Stonewall Fortress for them and a mana geyser to fuel whatever madness Meln will concoct next." "When you put it this way, we won't lose much and he'll gain a lot, but what's the alternative?" Erslan clenched his fists with frustration. "We can't afford casualties. Lith replied. "Have everyone but the uninjured Dread Knights and Golems retreat inside the Fortress. Feed them back to strength and wait for my signal. No one must intervene until I say so." "That's it?" Erslan furrowed his brow. "No. I'm also about to deactivate all arrays but the space-compressing one. I need power and a lot of it." "To what end?" Lith was already walking away, so Erslan had to yell after him. "No time for explanations." He replied. "Just trust me like I trusted you coming here." The door closed behind him, leaving the undead in a confused silence broken solely by the ding of battle coming from the holograms. "What are your orders, my King?" Asked a vampire groggy from forcing himself to stay awake during the day. "Just do as Verhen said, Baronet." Erslan replied. "His request matches our evacuation plans. Continue stowing everything unnecessary for the battle, but alert the reserve units to remain on standby. "If Verhen can really tip the scales of this battle and defeat the Incontinent King, we must be ready to do our part." *** Lith and Solus flew at high speed toward the Fortress' main gate but were let out through a small side passage. This way, even if an enemy noticed it and tried to get in, no more than one Upyr would sneak through. Surrounded inside an unknow stronghold, they would be instantly slaughtered. Yet no one paid attention to the opening in the wall or cared for the two people strolling toward the frontlines. No one but Meln. "Hello, Leech." The clone said with a joviality only matched by his pride. "I see you've come out well from out last battle." "And so you." Lith's voice was flat. "Does it take a lot of practice running away like a beaten dog or is it another of your Vurdalak bloodline abilities?" "What are you doing here, Leech?" The Orpal half grimaced in hatred at the insult.