Chapter 258: Total Victory

Desperate screams quickly erupted from the ranks of the disintegrating army, but Roderick had no energy left to spare for his soldiers’ fate.

Nina was relentlessly chasing him. Although Roderick should have had a clear advantage in speed, his injury from the ambush severely hindered his ability to escape. For Nina, however, things were far more complicated.

If it weren’t for Wu Qingsong’s ability to summon the dead, she might not have stood a chance even against an injured Roderick. That powerful strike from earlier had drained her significantly, and she wasn’t sure how much longer she could keep going.

The tide of the chase could turn at any second, but Nina simply couldn’t let go of this opportunity to avenge her people.

The two tore through the forest at a reckless pace, when suddenly, a swarm of skeletons appeared ahead of them.

“Out of my way!” Roderick roared furiously. 

Even though he was now without a weapon, these fragile undead posed no real threat to someone as powerful as him. Without breaking stride, he barreled through the skeletons with sheer force, scattering them in all directions.

But in the next moment, several fireballs materialized in front of him.

Roderick had to quickly adjust his footing, yet the fireballs moved with him, swiftly cutting off every path forward.

Then, he saw it—the grotesquely reassembled body standing before him.

“Raman…” Roderick muttered in shock and despair.

A powerful force struck from behind. He only had time to slightly adjust his stance, mustering every ounce of strength for a final counterattack. In the next instant, a silver blade’s gleam cleaved into him, while the fireballs converged and crashed onto his body.

***

“We won.” 

Wu Qingsong finally let out a deep sigh of relief when he saw Nina return, holding Roderick’s severed head. The undead army led by Raman trailed behind her.

Surrounded by nearly ten thousand skeletons and thousands of wolfmen, the imperial troops—bereft of their commander and utterly demoralized—stood no chance. Even those brave enough to consider one last stand were swept away by the tide of panic that gripped the rest, leaving them to face their fate.

In less than two hours, the entire army was wiped out.

The undead knew no mercy. And for the wolfkin, there was no way they could spare a single soldier—these were the butchers responsible for massacring tens of thousands of their people.

“Unless the elves come knocking at our door, nobody better wake me up,” Wu Qingsong muttered.

He instructed Raman to keep the undead in line. With that, he casually leaned against a tree and fell asleep.

For days, he’d not only been dealing with the enemy like everyone else but also commanding the undead in battle—coordinating attacks, retreats, and marches. Every spare moment had been spent collecting and purifying soul fragments, and eventually, he’d gone entire nights without rest, tirelessly reviving skeletons wherever he could.

If he were awake, Wu Qingsong would probably tell Ling and Liuli, “I’ve used up all the hard work I was saving for the rest of my life.”

Ling paused for a moment, her heart aching, and then carefully found a blanket and pillow. She slowly adjusted his position to make him more comfortable. Nina stood there, watching them with a complicated expression as Ling tended to Wu Qingsong, unsure of what she truly felt inside.

In a way, the Silvermoon Wolf Clan survived, but their future never felt so uncertain.

Taking refuge under Wu Qingsong’s protection might be their only short-term option, but was it really the right path for the Silvermoon Wolf Clan?

She suddenly remembered the things Wu Qingsong had said to her—words that now felt like they were spoken a lifetime ago. Yet now, with their people on the brink of extinction, those words had taken on a whole new level of importance.

As much as she didn’t want to admit it, Wu Qingsong had become the clan’s biggest lifeline for survival.

***

When Wu Qingsong woke up, it was already dark. Liuli was curled up against his chest, fast asleep, while Ling was sleeping behind him.

Not far from them, a campfire crackled quietly. A tall figure was poking the fire with a stick, while on the other side, Daryl was snoring loudly.

“You’re awake?” Nina’s soft voice broke the silence. “Are you hungry? There’s porridge and roasted meat, both still warm.”

“I’ll take both.” 

Wu Qingsong carefully slipped out from between Ling and Liuli and walked over to sit beside Nina. 

She had taken off her armor, which softened her sharp, warrior-like aura just a little, giving her a different kind of beauty.

“How’s everything going?” Wu Qingsong asked.

“I’ve already arranged for the elderly and the weak to start heading towards Esola. Most of the others have been sent out to gather information,” Nina replied. “Raman is commanding the undead to block off the northeastern and southeastern routes, so for now, no one should discover where we are. But Daryl spotted some troop movements in Tannar and Manaus earlier. They might have already realized something’s wrong here. It probably won’t be long before spies from all over enter the Tecks Mountain Range to investigate.”

“How much time do you think we can buy?” Wu Qingsong asked.

The destruction of an entire legion, including the defense forces of several neighboring feudal states, would make it difficult for them to muster new troops in a short amount of time. But this was a world of extraordinary power—if the elves considered them a serious enough threat, even a handful of powerful individuals, like Marquis Osaga did before, could come riding in before the army, and that would be enough to wipe them out. And if they arrived on eagles like Raman had, it could happen even faster.

“I don’t know,” Nina shook her head. Situations like this had far exceeded her life experience. “What do you think?”

Wu Qingsong also shook his head.

The key issue was whether Roderick managed to send a messenger to deliver the news earlier. If he didn’t, they would likely have at least a few days, possibly even ten days or more, to act. But if he did, based on how quickly the elves responded during the Esola insectoid plague, their time might be running out fast.

The real challenge was how to prevent the elves from extending their attention toward Esola.

“Princess Nina!” someone suddenly came running up to them.

“What happened?” Nina immediately stood up.

“It’s Miss Ram!” the messenger said excitedly. “And a few others with her!”

“Ram?” Wu Qingsong was just as surprised as he stood up. 

Wasn’t she supposed to have already taken a detour back to Orgrimmar? Why was she still here? Without her leadership and planning, how could Orgrimmar discreetly take in and hide the Silvermoon Wolf Clan without raising suspicions?

He and Nina followed the messenger quickly and were shocked to see two familiar figures they hadn’t expected to encounter here at all.